The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell Part 20

[119] See note, p. 27.

[120] Queen Elizabeth died April 3, 1603; but peace with Spain was only concluded on August 19, 1604.

[121] Joo de Araujo e Azevedo was the officer left in command at Cambambe.

[122] That is S. Salvador.

[123] Ngongo, according to Cavazzi (p. 521), is a place on the road from Sundi to Batta, where Girolamo da Montesarchio destroyed the heathen images. This place possibly corresponds to the modern Gongo, a station on the Stanley Pool Railway. Cadornega has a Gongo de Bata, which figures on Dapper's map as Congo de Bata, and lies to the west of the Mbanza of Bata. It is impossible to tell which of these places was visited by Battell; possibly he pa.s.sed through both.

[124] The Mbanza or chief town of Mbata, or Batta, still exists in 8 S., long. 15 E. Bentley (_Pioneering_, vol. ii, p. 404) pa.s.sed through it, and discovered a huge wooden cross, a relic of the ancient missionaries.

[125] D. Manuel Cerveira Pereira had a.s.sumed government at the beginning of 1603, and three years would conveniently carry us to 1606. The "new"

Governor, D. Manuel Pereira Forjaz, was, however, only nominated on August 2, 1607.

[126] See note, p. 11.

[127] Nkoko, a large grey antelope.

[128] Impalanca, _Palanga_, or _Mpalanga_, an antelope (_Hippotragus equinus_).

[129] This is an electric silurus called _nsmbo_, plur. _sinsombo_, by the natives. Fishermen dread its electrical discharges, but value its flesh (Pechuel-Loesche, _Die Loango Expedition_, vol. iii, p. 282). This fish, Mr. Dennett tells me, is the "xina" (taboo) of women, generally speaking, which may account for the word becoming a generic name for fish, as in Unyamwezi, Ugogo, and other countries, if vocabularies can be trusted.

[130] See note, p. 21.

[131] This is Red Point, or Ponta Vermelha, where there is a grove of palms.

[132] Kabinda, 5 31' S., on a fine bay.

[133] The river Kakongo, or Chiloango, enters the sea in lat. 5 9' S.

to the north of Landana. It is a very considerable river, and its waters discolour the sea for seven miles.

[134] Mbale, according to Bentley, is the coast region between the Congo and Ambrisette; but on Pigafetta's map (1591) a town, Monbales, is shown to the south-east of the chief place of Sonho (Sonyo).

[135] Pinda, or Mpinda, in Sonyo, is below the Mbanza of Sonyo, which on modern maps figures as St. Antonio.

[136] The Luiza Loango, or Ma.s.sabi, river enters the sea in lat. 5 1'

S. Its depth across the bar is only 2 ft., but once within, it presents a fair waterway for over a hundred miles. Kaia is about ten miles up it.

[137] The Golfo das Almadias, or Canoe Bay, as described by Battell, corresponds to Black Point Bay, 4 48' S., the inner bay of which, less than half a mile across, had become all but silted up by 1884.

[138] No logwood is found in Loango, and Purchas points out in a note (_post_, p. 82), that Battell's dyewood must be Red Sanders (_Pterocarpus tinctorius_), the _tacula_ of Angola, and identical with the _tavila_ of D. Lopez (Ficalho, _Plantas uteis_, p. 207).

Pechuel-Loesche (_Loango Exp._, vol. iii, p. 190), on the other hand, states that the dye known as _tacula_ is camwood (_Baphia nitida, Afz._), and Bentley (_Dict. of the Kongo Language_), who calls the dye _nkula_, is of the same opinion. Another red dye is obtained from the _Njilla sonde_ (_Pterocarpus erinaceus, Poir._).

[139] _Nlunga_ (Bentley) or _malungu_ (Cordeira da Matta) is the native word for bracelet.

[140] The Maloango (_ma_, a contraction of _mani_ or _mwanu_, son; _mfumu_, chief) or king is selected by the Mamboma (see p. 59) and the princes, and must be a nephew (sister's son) of his predecessor. On his election he takes the t.i.tle of _Nganga nvumbu_ (_Nganga_, priest; _nvumbu_, benevolent spirit, breath), but only proceeds to that of Maloango when rich enough to summon the whole country to a great feast, when declaration is made for the first time officially of the death of the former Maloango, and he is buried. As these festivities are very expensive, they are often deferred for years, and many a _Nganga nvumbu_ has died without even troubling about the higher t.i.tle. The successors of the Maloango Njimbi of Loango, of Battell's time, according to Mr.

Dennett, have been: 1. Maloango Tati of Kondi; 2. Mani Puati of Chibanga; 3. Mani Yambi; 4. Man'anombo; 5. Mani Makosso Matukila of Kondi; 6. Mani Makosso Manombo; 7. Mani Makosso Masonga; 8. Mani Puati.

Nos. 3 to 8 never a.s.sumed the t.i.tle of Maloango. Mani Puati very much disgusted the people with his cruelty (he had killed his own daughter because she refused to cohabit with him); and when the French, in 1898, called upon the Mamboma and the princes to produce a Maloango, they ignored the existence of Puati, and elected his nephew, Mani Luemba.

This list, however, is evidently imperfect.

[141] Mr. Dennett, whose long residence at Loango and thorough knowledge of the languages ent.i.tle him to speak with authority, finds this pa.s.sage unintelligible, but ventures to suggest the following:-

_Baliani_ (my companion) _ampembe_ (white) _mpolo_ (face), _muenyeye_ (Boio, the underground _nkishni_), _ke zinga_ (not live long)!

Freely translated, it would mean "My companion, the white face, has risen from underground, and will not live long." This is a curious greeting, but it fairly represents native ideas: for the white man, as long as he keeps to his s.h.i.+p (supposed to rise from the bottom of the ocean), is believed to live long; whilst, once he comes to stay ash.o.r.e, he is condemned to an early death.

[142] In a marginal note, Purchas says that the King's wives are called _Macomes_. Such a t.i.tle is known neither to Mr. Dennett nor to Mr.

Phillips. Macome is probably a misprint for Maconda, the t.i.tle borne, according to Dapper, p. 522, by the king's "mother." _Nkondi_, according to Bentley, is a t.i.tle of n.o.bility.

[143] Mr. Dennett informs me that, still at the present day, when the King (Maloango) or rather _Nganga nvumbu_, drinks in state, he covers his head with a cloth, so that the public may not see him drink. On ordinary occasions, however, this custom is no longer observed.

[144] The heads of all families eat alone; that is, they eat first, and their wives and children afterwards. Maloango still observes the same custom, with his _ma sa vi_, or house-steward, as the sole attendant (Dennett).

[145] Bensa may be a corruption of the Portuguese _banca_, a table. Mr.

Dennett does not know the word.

[146] Not Sambe and Pongo, but Nzambi-ampungu! _Nzambi_ is the name by which G.o.d is known; _Nzambi-ampungu_ means the Most High (Supreme) G.o.d (Bentley, _Life on the Congo_, 1887, p. 62).

[147] The rains begin in October and last till April, being heaviest from November to March. They are very irregular. Thus, in February 1874, 2.2 ins. fell at Chinchosho; in the same month, 1875,12.0 ins.; but in 1876 only 0.2 ins.

[148] _Ensaka_, according to D. Lopez (Pigafetta), a stuff resembling velvet.

[149] The _Ndamba_ is no drum, as understood by Purchas, but a musical instrument made out of a piece of palm stem, about 4 or 5 ft. long. This is split down one side, the soft centre is then scooped out, and the edges of the split cut into notches. By rubbing these notches energetically with a stick, a loud rasping noise is produced (Monteiro, _Angola_, vol. ii, p. 139: Cordeiro da Matta, _Diccionario_, p. 118).

[150] An ivory trumpet (see note, p. 15).

[151] Battell seems to be mistaken. Mr. Dennett informs me that Maloango as _Ngangu nvumbu_ (see note 44) collects the offerings of his people, and sends them with a pet.i.tion for rain to the great rain-doctor, _Nganga m Bunzi_, in Ngoyo. He has never heard that Maloango had usurped the functions of the great rain-doctor by shooting an arrow to the sky.

Abbe Proyart (_Hist. de Loango_, c. 13), says that the Maloango being desirous of not committing himself, orders one of his ministers to make rain.

[152] Mr. Dennett tells me that _Ndundu_ when born are thrown into the bush. During his long residence in Africa he has only seen one, and that was at Kinsembo, eighteen years ago. Proyart (_Histoire de Loango_, Paris, 1819, p. 150) says that these albinos are held higher than the Gangas, are looked upon almost as "divine," and that their hair is valued as giving protection against accidents. See also p. 81.

[153] _Mukis.h.i.+ a Loango_, the fetish or "charm" of Loango. _Chec.o.c.ke_ is identical with Dapper's _Kikoko_ (_Africa_, Amsterdam, 1671, p. 535).

Dapper's account is not derived from Battell.

[154] According to Mr. Bentley, hysteria is very common in this country.

For the account of the ravings of a witch-doctor, see _Pioneering_, vol.

i, p. 271.

[155] Mr. Dennett informs me that the underground speaking fetish in Loango is at the present time called _Boio_, and is found at Chilunga.

He suggests that _Ngumbiri_ may be a river spirit, or _Nkis.h.i.+_ from the country north of Mayumba. Dr. Bastian paid a visit to the holy place of the underground oracle of _Ngoio_ near Moanda, known as _Mbunzi_, which only speaks on the accession of a king, whom he instructs as to his royal duties (_Die Deutsche Expedition_, vol. i, p. 85, 223).

[156] The mami (_mwana_, or princes) mentioned by Battell are those of Chibanga, Selanganga (of the family of the Petra Praia of Kenga), Mbuku, and Kaya, in Chikamba. (R. E. Dennett, on the law of succession, see note on p. 44.)

[157] Mani Lombe is a man's name: at least, at the present time, and is never given to a woman. It means "One who is peaceful and quiet." No special name or t.i.tle is borne by the mother of the successors of Maloango (R. E. Dennett); but as Lumbu means stockade, palace, or chiefs house, Battell may have mistaken a word applied to this woman's residence for that of her t.i.tle. Lombo means a person supposed to be an incarnation of a s.h.i.+mbi, or water-fairy.

[158] Palm-cloth (see note, p. 9).

[159] Dr. Bastian visited the Royal graves at Loangiri, or Loangele, and found each grave marked by a tusk. The visitors pulled out gra.s.s around the tomb and poured libations of rum upon the bare ground (_Die Deutsche Expedition an der Loango-Kuste_, Berlin, 1874, vol. i, p. 69).