DuringourstayatTalaMungongo，ourattentionwasattractedtoaspeciesofredantwhichinfestsdifferentpartsofthiscountry。
　　ItisremarkablyfondofanimalfoodThecommandantofthevillagehavingslaughteredacow，slaveswereobligedtositupthewholenight，burningfiresofstrawaroundthemeat，topreventthemfromdevouringmostofitTheseantsarefrequentlymetwithinnumberslikeasmallarmy。
　　Atalittledistancetheyappearasabrownish-redband，twoorthreeincheswide，stretchedacrossthepath，alleagerlypressingoninonedirectionIfapersonhappenstotreaduponthem，theyrushuphislegsandbitewithsurprisingvigorThefirsttimeIencounteredthisbynomeanscontemptibleenemywasnearCassange。
　　Myattentionbeingtakenupinviewingthedistantlandscape，IaccidentallysteppedupononeoftheirnestsNotaninstantseemedtoelapsebeforeasimultaneousattackwasmadeonvariousunprotectedparts，upthetrowsersfrombelow，andonmyneckandbreastabove。
　　Thebitesofthesefurieswerelikesparksoffire，andtherewasnoretreat。
　　Ijumpedaboutforasecondortwo，thenindesperationtoreoffallmyclothing，andrubbedandpickedthemoffseriatimasquicklyaspossibleUgh！theywouldmakethemostlethargicmortallookaliveFortunately，nooneobservedthisrencounter，orwordmighthavebeentakenbacktothevillagethatIhadbecomemad。
　　Iwasonceassaultedinasimilarwaywhensoundasleepatnightinmytent，anditwasonlybyholdingmyblanketoverthefirethatIcouldgetridofthemItisreallyastonishinghowsuchsmallbodiescancontainsolargeanamountofill-natureTheynotonlybite，buttwistthemselvesroundafterthemandiblesareinserted，toproducelacerationandpain，morethanwouldbeeffectedbythesinglewound。
　　Frequently，whilesittingontheox，ashehappenedtotreadnearaband，theywouldrushuphislegstotherider，andsoonlethimknowthathehaddisturbedtheirmarchTheypossessnofear，attackingwithequalferocitythelargestaswellasthesmallestanimals。
　　Whenanypersonhasleapedovertheband，numbersofthemleavetheranksandrushalongthepath，seeminglyanxiousforafightTheyareveryusefulinriddingthecountryofdeadanimalmatter，and，whentheyvisitahumanhabitation，clearitentirelyofthedestructivewhiteantsandotherverminTheydestroymanynoxiousinsectsandreptiles。
　　Theseverityoftheirattackisgreatlyincreasedbytheirvastnumbers，andrats，mice，lizards，andeventhe`Pythonnatalensis’，wheninastateofsurfeitfromrecentfeeding，fallvictimstotheirfierceonslaughtTheseantsnevermakehillslikethewhiteant。
　　Theirnestsarebutashortdistancebeneaththesoil，whichhasthesoftappearanceoftheabodesofantsinEngland。
　　Occasionallytheyconstructgalleriesovertheirpathtothecellsofthewhiteant，inordertosecurethemselvesfromtheheatofthesunduringtheirmaraudingexpeditions。
　　JANUARY15TH，1855WedescendedinonehourfromtheheightsofTalaMungongoIcountedthenumberofpacesmadeontheslopedownward，andfoundthemtobesixteenhundred，whichmaygiveaperpendicularheightoffromtwelvetofifteenhundredfeetWaterboiledat206DegreesatTalaMungongoabove，andat208Degatthebottomofthedeclivity，theairbeingat72Degintheshadeintheformercase，and94DeginthelatterThetemperaturegenerallythroughoutthedaywasfrom94Degto97Deginthecoolestshadewecouldfind。
　　TherivuletswhichcutupthevalleyofCassangewerenowdry，buttheLuiandLuarecontainedabundanceofratherbrackishwater。
　　Thebanksarelinedwithpalm，wilddate-trees，andmanyguavas，thefruitofwhichwasnowbecomingripeAtreemuchlikethemangoabounds，butitdoesnotyieldfruitIntheseriversakindofediblemuscleisplentiful，theshellsofwhichexistinallthealluvialbedsoftheancientriversasfarastheKurumanThebrackishnatureofthewaterprobablyenablesittoexisthereOntheopengrassylawnsgreatnumbersofaspeciesoflarkareseenTheyareblack，withyellowshouldersAnotherblackbird，withalongtail`CentropusSenegalensis’，floatsawkwardly，withitstailinaperpendicularposition，overthelonggrassItalwayschoosesthehighestpoints，andiscaughtonthemwithbird-lime，thelongblacktail-feathersbeinghighlyesteemedbythenativesforplumes。
　　Wesawherealsothe“Lehututu“`TragopanLeadbeaterii’，alargebirdstronglyresemblingaturkey；itisblackontheground，butwhenitfliestheouterhalfofthewingsarewhiteItkillsserpents，strikingthemdexterouslybehindtheheadItderivesitsnativenamefromthenoiseitmakes，anditisfoundasfarasKolobeng。
　　AnotherspecieslikeitiscalledtheAbyssinianhornbill。
　　BeforewereachedCassangewewereovertakenbythecommandant，SenhorCarvalho，whowasreturning，withadetachmentoffiftymenandafield-piece，fromanunsuccessfulsearchaftersomerebels。
　　Therebelshadfled，andallhecoulddowastoburntheirhuts。
　　Hekindlyinvitedmetotakeupmyresidencewithhim；but，notwishingtopassbythegentlemanCaptainNeveswhohadsokindlyreceivedmeonmyfirstarrivalinthePortuguesepossessions，Ideclined。
　　SenhorRegohadbeensupersededinhiscommand，becausetheGovernorAmaral，whohadcomeintoofficesincemydeparturefromLoanda，haddeterminedthatthelawwhichrequirestheofficeofcommandanttobeexclusivelyoccupiedbymilitaryofficersofthelineshouldoncemorecomeintooperationIwasagainmostkindlywelcomedbymyfriend，CaptainNeves，whomIfoundlaboringunderaviolentinflammationandabscessofthehandThereisnothinginthesituationofthisvillagetoindicateunhealthiness，except，perhaps，therankluxurianceofthevegetation。
　　NearlyallthePortugueseinhabitantssufferfromenlargementofthespleen，theeffectsoffrequentintermittents，andhavegenerallyasicklyappearance。
　　Thinkingthatthisaffectionofthehandwassimplyaneffortofnaturetogetridofmalariousmatterfromthesystem，IrecommendedtheuseofquinineHehimselfappliedtheleafofaplantcalledcathory，famedamongthenativesasanexcellentremedyforulcers。
　　Thecathoryleaves，whenboiled，exudeagummyjuice，whicheffectuallyshutsouttheexternalairEachremedy，ofcourse，claimedthemeritofthecure。
　　ManyofthechildrenarecutoffbyfeverAfineboyofCaptainNeves’had，sincemypassagewestward，sharedasimilarfateAnotherchilddiedduringtheperiodofmyvisitDuringhissickness，hismother，awomanofcolor，sentforadivinerinordertoascertainwhatoughttobedoneThediviner，afterthrowinghisdice，workedhimselfintothestateofecstasyinwhichtheypretendtobeincommunicationwiththeBarimoHethengavetheoracularresponsethatthechildwasbeingkilledbythespiritofaPortuguesetraderwhooncelivedatCassangeThecasewasthis：onthedeathofthetrader，theotherPortuguesemerchantsinthevillagecametogether，andsoldthegoodsofthedepartedtoeachother，eachmanaccountingfortheportionreceivedtothecreditorsofthedeceasedatLoanda。
　　Thenatives，lookingon，andnotunderstandingthenatureofwrittenmercantiletransactions，concludedthatthemerchantsofCassangehadsimplystolenthedeadman’sgoods，andthatnowthespiritwaskillingthechildofCaptainNevesfortheparthehadtakenintheaffair。
　　Thediviner，inhisresponse，revealedtheimpressionmadeonhisownmindbythesale，andlikewisethenativeideasofdepartedsouls。
　　Astheygivethewhitescreditforgreaterstupiditythanthemselvesinallthesematters，themotherofthechildcame，andtoldthefatherthatheoughttogiveaslavetothedivinerasafeetomakeasacrificetoappeasethespiritandsavethelifeofthechildThefatherquietlysentforaneighbor，and，thoughthedivinerpretendedtoremaininhisstateofecstasy，thebriskapplicationoftwostickstohisbacksuddenlyreducedhimtohissensesandamostundignifiedflight。
　　ThemotherofthischildseemedtohavenoconfidenceinEuropeanwisdom，and，thoughIdesiredhertokeepthechildoutofcurrentsofwind，shepreferredtofollowherowncustom，andevengotitcuppedonthecheeks。
　　Theconsequencewasthatthechildwassooninadyingstate，andthefatherwishingittobebaptized，IcommendeditssoultothecareandcompassionofHimwhosaid，“Ofsuchisthekingdomofheaven。”
　　Themotheratoncerushedaway，andcommencedthatdolefulwailwhichissoaffecting，asitindicatessorrowwithouthope。
　　Shecontinueditwithoutintermissionuntilthechildwasburied。
　　Intheeveningherfemalecompanionsusedasmallmusicalinstrument，whichproducedakindofscreechingsound，asanaccompanimentofthedeathwail。
　　Intheconstructionofthisinstrumenttheymakeuseofcaoutchouc，which，withavarietyofothergums，isfoundindifferentpartsofthiscountry。
　　Theintercoursewhichthenativeshavehadwithwhitemendoesnotseemtohavemuchamelioratedtheircondition。
　　AgreatnumberofpersonsarereportedtolosetheirlivesannuallyindifferentdistrictsofAngolabythecruelsuperstitionstowhichtheyareaddicted，andthePortugueseauthoritieseitherknownothingofthem，orareunabletopreventtheiroccurrence。
　　Thenativesareboundtosecrecybythosewhoadministertheordeal，whichgenerallycausesthedeathofthevictimAperson，whenaccusedofwitchcraft，willoftentravelfromdistantdistrictsinordertoassertherinnocencyandbravethetestTheycometoariverontheCassangecalledDua，drinktheinfusionofapoisonoustree，andperishunknown。
　　Awomanwasaccusedbyabrother-in-lawofbeingthecauseofhissicknesswhilewewereatCassangeSheofferedtotaketheordeal，asshehadtheideathatitwouldbutproveherconsciousinnocence。
　　CaptainNevesrefusedhisconsenttohergoing，andthussavedherlife，whichwouldhavebeensacrificed，forthepoisonisveryvirulent。
　　Whenastrongstomachrejectsit，theaccuserreiterateshischarge；
　　thedoseisrepeated，andthepersondiesHundredsperishthuseveryyearinthevalleyofCassange。
　　ThesamesuperstitiousideasbeingprevalentthroughthewholeofthecountrynorthoftheZambesi，seemstoindicatethatthepeoplemustoriginallyhavebeenoneAllbelievethatthesoulsofthedepartedstillmingleamongtheliving，andpartakeinsomewayofthefoodtheyconsume。
　　Insickness，sacrificesoffowlsandgoatsaremadetoappeasethespirits。
　　ItisimaginedthattheywishtotakethelivingawayfromearthandallitsenjoymentsWhenonemanhaskilledanother，asacrificeismade，asiftolaythespiritofthevictimAsectisreportedtoexistwhokillmeninordertotaketheirheartsandofferthemtotheBarimo。
　　Thechieftainshipiselectivefromcertainfamilies。
　　AmongtheBangalasoftheCassangevalleythechiefischosenfromthreefamiliesinrotationAchief’sbrotherinheritsinpreferencetohissonThesonsofasisterbelongtoherbrother；
　　andheoftensellshisnephewstopayhisdebtsBythisandotherunnaturalcustoms，morethanbywar，istheslave-marketsupplied。
　　TheprejudicesinfavorofthesepracticesareverydeeplyrootedinthenativemindEvenatLoandatheyretireoutofthecityinordertoperformtheirheathenishriteswithoutthecognizanceoftheauthorities。
　　Theirreligion，ifsuchitmaybecalled，isoneofdreadNumbersofcharmsareemployedtoaverttheevilswithwhichtheyfeelthemselvestobeencompassedOccasionallyyoumeetaman，morecautiousormoretimidthantherest，withtwentyorthirtycharmsroundhisneckHeseemstoactupontheprincipleofProclus，inhisprayertoallthegodsandgoddesses：
　　amongsomanyhesurelymusthavetherightoneThedisrespectwhichEuropeanspaytotheobjectsoftheirfearistotheirmindsonlyanevidenceofgreatfolly。
　　Whilehere，Ireproducedthelastofmylostpapersandmaps；
　　andasthereisaposttwiceamonthfromLoanda，Ihadthehappinesstoreceiveapacketofthe“Times“，and，amongothernews，anaccountoftheRussianwaruptotheterriblechargeofthelightcavalry。
　　TheintenseanxietyIfelttohearmoremaybeimaginedbyeverytruepatriot；
　　butIwasforcedtobroodoninsilentthought，anduttermypoorprayersforfriendswhoperchancewerenownomore，untilIreachedtheothersideofthecontinent。
　　AconsiderabletradeiscarriedonbytheCassangemerchantswithallthesurroundingterritorybymeansofnativetraders，whomtheyterm“Pombeiros“。
　　Twoofthese，calledinthehistoryofAngola“thetradingblacks“
　　osfeirantespretos，PedroJoaoBaptistaandAntonioJose，havingbeensentbythefirstPortuguesetraderthatlivedatCassange，actuallyreturnedfromsomeofthePortuguesepossessionsintheEastwithlettersfromthegovernorofMozambiqueintheyear1815，proving，asisremarked，“thepossibilityofsoimportantacommunicationbetweenMozambiqueandLoanda。”ThisistheonlyinstanceofnativePortuguesesubjectscrossingthecontinentNoEuropeaneveraccomplishedit，thoughthisfacthaslatelybeenquotedasifthemenhadbeen
　　CaptainNeveswasnowactivelyengagedinpreparingapresent，worthaboutfiftypounds，tobesentbyPombeirostoMatiamvo。