ivers at their confluence; of their
church at the angle; and of all the gardens which they had on both sides
of the rivers. In these they cultivated wheat without irrigation, and,
as the Portuguese assert, of a grain twice the size of that at Tete.
From the guides we learned that the inhabitants had not imbibed much
idea of Christianity, for they used the same term for the church bell
which they did for a diviner's drum. From this point the merchants had
water communication in three directions beyond, namely, from the Loangwa
to the N.N.W., by the Kafue to the W., and by the Zambesi to the S.W.
Their attention, however, was chiefly attracted to the N. or Londa;
and the principal articles of trade were ivory and slaves. Private
enterprise was always restrained, for the colonies of the Portuguese
being strictly military, and the pay of the commandants being very
small, the officers have always been obliged to engage in trade; and
had they not employed their power to draw the trade to themselves by
preventing private traders from making bargains beyond the villages,
and only at regulated prices, they would have had no trade, as they
themselves were obliged to remain always at their posts.

Several expeditions went to the north as far as to Cazembe, and Dr.
Lacerda, himself commandant of Tete, went to that chief's residence.
Unfortunately, he was cut off while there, and his papers, taken
possession of by a Jesuit who accompanied him, were lost to the world.
This Jesuit probably intended to act fairly and have them published;
but soon after his return he was called away by death himself, and the
papers were lost sight of. Dr. Lacerda had a strong desire to open up
communication with Angola, which would have been of importance then, as
affording a speedier mode of communication with Portugal than by the way
of the Cape; but since the opening of the overland passage to India, a
quicker transit is effected from Eastern Africa to Lisbon by way of the
Red Sea. Besides Lacerda, Cazembe was visited by Pereira, who gave a
glowing account of that chief's power, which none of my inquiries have
confirmed. The people of Matiamvo stated to me that Cazembe was a vassal
of their chief: and, from all the native visitors whom I have seen,
he appears to be exactly like Shinte and Katema, only a little more
powerful. The term "Emperor", which has been applied to him, seems
totally inappropriate. The statement of Pereira that twenty negroes wer