WehadnotyetgotaclearideaofthenatureofTalaMungongo。
AgentlemanofCassangedescribeditasarangeofveryhighmountains，whichitwouldtakefourhourstoclimb；so，thoughtherainandgrasshadwettedusmiserably，andIwassufferingfromanattackoffevergotwhileobservingbynightforthepositionofCassange，IeagerlycommencedtheascentThepathwassteepandslippery；
deepgorgesappearoneachsideofit，leavingbutanarrowpathalongcertainspursofthesierraforthetraveler；butweaccomplishedtheascentinanhour，andwhenthere，foundwehadjustgotontoatable-landsimilartothatwehadleftbeforeweenteredthegreatQuangovalley。
WehadcomeamongloftytreesagainOneofthese，bearingafruitaboutthesizeofathirty-twopounder，isnamedMononga-zambi。
Wetookaglancebacktothisvalley，whichequalsthatoftheMississippiinfertility，andthoughtofthevastmassofmaterialwhichhadbeenscoopedoutandcarriedawayinitsformationThisnaturallyledtoreflectiononthecountlessagesrequiredforthepreviousformationanddepositionofthatsamematerialclayshale，thenoftherocks，whoseabrasionformedTHAT，untilthemindgrewgiddyinattemptingtoascendthestepswhichleadupthroughaportionoftheeternitybeforemanThedifferentepochsofgeologyarelikelandmarksinthatotherwiseshorelessseaOurownepoch，orcreation，isbutanotheraddedtothenumberofthatwonderfulserieswhichpresentsagranddisplayofthemightypowerofGod：
everystageofprogressintheearthanditshabitantsissuchadisplay。
SofarfromthissciencehavinganytendencytomakemenundervaluethepowerorloveofGod，itleadstotheprobabilitythattheexhibitionofmercywehaveinthegiftofhisSonmaypossiblynotbetheonlymanifestationofgracewhichhastakenplaceinthecountlessagesduringwhichworksofcreationhavebeengoingon。
Situatedafewmilesfromtheedgeofthedescent，wefoundthevillageofTalaMungongo，andwerekindlyaccommodatedwithahousetosleepin，whichwasverywelcome，aswewereallbothwetandcold。
WefoundthatthegreateraltitudeandtheapproachofwinterloweredthetemperaturesomuchthatmanyofmymensufferedseverelyfromcoldsAtthis，asatseveralotherPortuguesestations，theyhavebeenprovidentenoughtoerecttravelers’housesonthesameprincipleaskhansorcaravanseraisoftheEast。
Theyarebuiltoftheusualwattleanddaub，andhavebenchesofrodsforthewayfarertomakehisbedon；alsochairs，andatable，andalargejarofwaterThesebenches，thoughfarfromluxuriouscouches，werebetterthanthegroundundertherottenfragmentsofmygipsy-tent，forwehadstillshowersoccasionally，andthedewswereveryheavy。
Icontinuedtousethemforthesakeofthesheltertheyafforded，untilIfoundthattheywerelodgingsalsoforcertaininconvenientbedfellows。
27THFivehours’ridethroughapleasantcountryofforestandmeadow，likethoseofLonda，broughtustoavillageofBasongo，atribelivinginsubjectiontothePortugueseWecrossedseverallittlestreams，whichwereflowinginthewesterlydirectioninwhichweweremarching，andunitetoformtheQuize，afeederoftheCoanzaTheBasongowereverycivil，asindeedallthetribeswerewhohadbeenconqueredbythePortugueseTheBasongoandBangalaareyetonlypartiallysubdued。
Thefartherwestwegofromthis，thelessindependentwefindtheblackpopulation，untilwereachthevicinityofLoanda，wherethefreenativesarenearlyidenticalintheirfeelingstowardthegovernmentwiththeslavesButthegovernorsofAngolawiselyacceptthelimitedallegianceandtributerenderedbythemoredistanttribesasbetterthannone。
Alltheinhabitantsofthisregion，aswellasthoseofLonda，maybecalledtruenegroes，ifthelimitationsformerlymadebeborneinmind。
Thedarkcolor，thicklips，headselongatedbackwardandupwardandcoveredwithwool，flatnoses，withothernegropeculiarities，aregeneral；but，whilethesecharacteristicsplacetheminthetruenegrofamily，thereaderwouldimbibeawrongideaifhesupposedthatallthesefeaturescombinedareoftenmetwithinoneindividualAllhaveacertainthicknessandprominenceoflip，butmanyaremetwithineveryvillageinwhomthicknessandprojectionarenotmoremarkedthaninEuropeans。
Allaredark，butthecolorisshadedoffindifferentindividualsfromdeepblacktolightyellowAswegowestward，weobservethelightcolorpredominatingoverthedark，andthenagain，whenwecomewithintheinfluenceofdampfromtheseaair，wefindtheshadedeepenintothegeneralblacknessofthecoastpopulation。
Theshapeofthehead，withitswoollycrop，thoughgeneral，isnotuniversal。
Thetribesontheeasternsideofthecontinent，astheCaffres，haveheadsfinelydevelopedandstronglyEuropeanInstancesofthiskindarefrequentlyseen，andafterIbecamesofamiliarwiththedarkcolorastoforgetitinviewingthecountenance，Iwasstruckbythestrongresemblancesomenativesboretocertainofourownnotabilities。
TheBushmenandHottentotsareexceptionstotheseremarks，forboththeshapeoftheirheadsandgrowthofwoolarepeculiar；thelatter，forinstance，springsfromthescalpintuftswithbarespacesbetween，andwhenthecropisshort，resemblesanumberofblackpepper-cornsstuckontheskin，andveryunlikethethickfrizzlymasseswhichcovertheheadsoftheBalondaandMaraviWitheverydispositiontopayduedeferencetotheopinionsofthosewhohavemadeethnologytheirspecialstudy，IhavefeltmyselfunabletobelievethattheexaggeratedfeaturesusuallyputforthasthoseofthetypicalnegrocharacterizethemajorityofanynationofsouthCentralAfrica。
ThemonumentsoftheancientEgyptiansseemtometoembodytheidealoftheinhabitantsofLondabetterthanthefiguresofanyworkofethnologyIhavemetwith。
Passingthroughafine，fertile，andwell-peopledcountrytoSanza，wefoundtheQuizeRiveragaintouchingourpath，andherewehadthepleasureofseeingafieldofwheatgrowingluxuriantlywithoutirrigation。
Theearswereupwardoffourincheslong，anobjectofgreatcuriositytomycompanions，becausetheyhadtastedmybreadatLinyanti，buthadneverbeforeseenwheatgrowingThissmallfieldwascultivatedbyMrMiland，anagreeablePortuguesemerchantHisgardenwasinteresting，asshowingwhatthelandatthiselevationiscapableofyielding；
for，besideswheat，wesawEuropeanvegetablesinaflourishingcondition，andweafterwarddiscoveredthatthecoffee-planthaspropagateditselfoncertainspotsofthissamedistrictItmaybeseenontheheightsofTalaMungongo，ornearly300milesfromthewestcoast，whereitwasfirstintroducedbytheJesuitmissionaries。
WespentSunday，the30thofApril，atNgio，closetothefordoftheQuizeasitcrossesourpathtofallintotheCoanzaThecountrybecomesmoreopen，butisstillabundantlyfertile，withathickcropofgrassbetweentwoandthreefeethighItisalsowellwoodedandwatered。
VillagesofBasongoaredottedoverthelandscape，andfrequentlyasquarehouseofwattleanddaub，belongingtonativePortuguese，isplacedbesidethemforthepurposesoftradeThepeopleherepossessbothcattleandpigsThedifferentsleeping-placesonourpath，fromeighttotenmilesapart，aremarkedbyaclusterofshedsmadeofsticksandgrassThereisaconstantstreamofpeoplegoingandreturningtoandfromthecoastThegoodsarecarriedonthehead，orononeshoulder，inasortofbasketattachedtotheextremitiesoftwopolesbetweenfiveandsixfeetlong，andcalledMoteteWhenthebasketisplacedonthehead，thepolesprojectforwardhorizontally，andwhenthecarrierwishestoresthimself，heplantsthemonthegroundandtheburdenagainstatree，soheisnotobligedtoliftitupfromthegroundtothelevelofthehead。
Itstandsagainstthetreeproppedupbythepolesatthatlevel。
Thecarrierfrequentlyplantsthepolesontheground，andstandsholdingtheburdenuntilhehastakenbreath，thusavoidingthetroubleofplacingtheburdenonthegroundandliftingitupagain。
Whenacompanyofthesecarriers，orourownparty，arrivesatoneofthesesleeping-places，immediatepossessionistakenofthesheds。
Thosewhocomelate，andfindalloccupied，mustthenerectothersforthemselves；butthisisnotdifficult，forthereisnolackoflonggrass。
Nosoonerdoanystrangersappearatthespot，thanthewomenmaybeseenemergingfromtheirvillagesbearingbasketsofmanioc-meal，roots，ground-nuts，yams，bird’s-eyepepper，andgarlicforsale。
Calico，ofwhichwehadbroughtsomefromCassange，isthechiefmediumofexchangeWefoundthemallcivil，anditwasevident，fromtheamountoftalkingandlaughinginbargaining，thattheladiesenjoyedtheiroccupationTheymustcultivatelargely，inordertobeabletosupplytheconstantsuccessionofstrangers。
Those，however，neartothegreatlineofroad，purchasealsomuchofthefoodfromthemoredistantvillagesforthesakeofgain。
Pitsaneandanotherofthemenhadviolentattacksoffever，anditwasnowonder，forthedampnessandevaporationfromthegroundwasexcessiveWhenatanytimeIattemptedtogetanobservationofastar，ifthetroughofmercurywereplacedontheground，somuchmoisturewascondensedontheinsideoftheglassroofoveritthatitwaswithdifficultythereflectionofthestarcouldbeseen。
Whenthetroughwasplacedonaboxtopreventthemoistureenteringfrombelow，somuchdewwasdepositedontheoutsideoftheroofthatitwassoonnecessary，forthesakeofdistinctvision，towipetheglassThiswouldnothavebeenofgreatconsequence，butashortexposuretothisdewwassosuretobringonafreshfever，thatIwasobligedtogiveupobservationsbynightaltogether。
TheinsideoftheonlycoveringInowhadwasnotmuchbetter，butundertheblanketoneisnotsoliabletothechillwhichthedewproduces。
Itwouldhaveaffordedmepleasuretohavecultivatedamoreintimateacquaintancewiththeinhabitantsofthispartofthecountry，butthevertigoproducedbyfrequentfeversmadeitasmuchasIcoulddotostickontheoxandcrawlalonginmiseryIncrossingtheLombe，myoxSinbad，intheindulgenceofhispropensitytostrikeoutanewpathforhimself，plungedoverheadintoadeephole，andsosousedmethatIwasobligedtomoveontodrymyclothing，withoutcallingontheEuropeanswholiveonthebankThisIregretted，forallthePortuguesewereverykind，and，liketheBoersplacedinsimilarcircumstances，feelitaslighttobepassedwithoutawordofsalutationButwewentontoaspotwhereorange-treeshadbeenplantedbythenativesthemselves，andwhereabundanceofthatrefreshingfruitwasexposedforsale。
OnenteringthedistrictofAmbaca，wefoundthelandscapeenlivenedbytheappearanceofloftymountainsinthedistance，thegrasscomparativelyshort，andthewholecountryatthistimelookinggayandverdantOnourleftwesawcertainrocksofthesamenaturewiththoseofPungoAndongo，andwhichcloselyresembletheStonehengegrouponSalisburyPlain，onlythestonepillarshereareofgiganticsize。
Thisregionisallwonderfullyfertile，famedforraisingcattle，andallkindsofagriculturalproduce，atacheaprateThesoilcontainssufficientferruginousmatter，toimpartaredtingetonearlythewholeofitItissuppliedwithagreatnumberoflittleflowingstreamswhichuniteintheLucallaThisriverdrainsAmbaca，thenfallsintotheCoanzatothesouthwestatMassangano。