The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell Part 4

sh.e.l.ls, and are anointed with civet.[104] They pull out four of their teeth, two above and two below, for a bravery. And those that have not their teeth out are loathsome to them, and shall neither eat nor drink with them. They wear great store of beads about their necks, arms, and legs; about their middles, silk cloths.

[_Infanticide._]

The women are very fruitful, but they enjoy none of their children: for as soon as the woman is delivered of her child, it is presently buried quick [alive], so that there is not one child brought up in all this generation.[105] But when they take any town they keep the boys and girls of thirteen or fourteen years of age as their own children. But the men and women they kill and eat. These little boys they train up in the wars, and hang a collar about their necks for a disgrace, which is never taken off till he proveth himself a man, and bring his enemy's head to the General: and then it is taken off and he is a freeman, and is called _Gonso_ or soldier.[106] This maketh them all desperate, and forward to be free, and counted men: and so they do increase. In all this camp there were but twelve natural Gagas that were their captains, and fourteen or fifteen women. For it is more than fifty years since they came from Serra de Lion, which was their native country. But their camp is sixteen thousand strong, and sometimes more.[107]

[_Human Sacrifices._][108]

When the great Gaga Calandola undertaketh any great enterprise against the inhabitants of any country, he maketh a sacrifice to the Devil, in the morning, before the sun riseth. He sitteth upon a stool, having upon each side of him a man-witch: then he hath forty or fifty women which stand round about him, holding in each hand a _zevra_ [zebra][109] or wild horse's tail, wherewith they do flourish and sing. Behind them are great store of petes, ponges, and drums, which always play. In the midst of them is a great fire; upon the fire an earthen pot with white powders, wherewith the men-witches do paint him on the forehead, temples, 'thwart the breast and belly, with long ceremonies and inchanting terms. Thus he continueth till sun is down. Then the witches bring his _Casengula_,[110] which is a weapon like a hatchet, and put it into his hand, and bid him be strong against his enemies: for his _mokiso_ is with him. And presently there is a man-child brought, which forthwith he killeth. Then are four men brought before him; two whereof, as it happeneth, he presently striketh and killeth; the other two he commandeth to be killed without the fort.

Here I was by the men-witches ordered to go away, as I was a Christian, for then the Devil doth appear to them, as they say. And presently he commandeth five cows to be killed within the fort, and five without the fort: and likewise as many goats, and as many dogs, and the blood of them is sprinkled in the fire, and their bodies are eaten with great feasting and triumph. And this is used many times by all the other captains of their army.

[_Burial of the Dead._]

When they bury the dead they make a vault in the ground, and a seat for him to sit.[111] The dead hath his head newly embroidered, his body washed, and anointed with sweet powders. He hath all his best robes put on, and is brought between two men to his grave, and set in seat as though he were alive. He hath two of his wives set with him, with their arms broken, and then they cover over the vault on the top. The inhabitants when they die are buried after the same fas.h.i.+on, and have the most part of their goods buried with them. And every month there is a meeting of the kindred of the dead man, which mourn and sing doleful songs at his grave for the s.p.a.ce of three days, and kill many goats, and pour their blood upon his grave, and palm-wine also; and use this ceremony as long as any of their kindred be alive.[112] But those that have no kindred think themselves unhappy men, because they have none to mourn for them when they die. These people are very kind one to another in their health; but in their sickness they do abhor one another, and will shun their company.

-- IV.

_His return to the Portugals: invasions of diverse countries; abuses; flight from them and living in the woods diverse months; his strange boat, and coming to Loango._

[_Joo Rodrigues Coutinho's Campaign, 1602._]

Being departed from the Gagas I came to Masangano, where the Portugals have a town of garrison. There was at that time a new Governor, which was called Sienor Iuan Coutinho,[113] who brought authority to conquer the mines or mountains of Cambamba; and to perform that service the King of Spain had given him seven years' custom off all the slaves and goods that were carried thence to the West Indies, Brazil, or whithersoever, with condition that he should build three castles, one in Demba,[114]

which are the salt mines, the other in Cambamba, which are the silver mines, and the other in Bahia das Vaccas, or the Bay of Cows.

This gentleman was so bountiful at his coming that his fame was spread through all Congo, and many mulatoes and negroes came voluntarily to serve him. And being some six months in the city he marched to the Outaba of Tombo,[115] and there s.h.i.+pped his soldiers in pinnaces, and went up the river Consa or Coanza, and landed at the Outaba of Songo,[116] sixty miles from the sea. This lord Songo is next to Demba, where the salt-mines be. In this place there is such store of salt that most part of the country are perfect clear salt, without any earth or filth in it, and it is some three feet under the earth as it were ice; and they cut it out in stones of a yard long, and it is carried up into the country, and is the best commodity that a man can carry to buy anything whatsoever.

Here the Governor staid ten days, and sent a pinnace to Masangano for all the best soldiers that were there. So the captain of the castle sent me down among a hundred soldiers, and I was very well used by the Governor; and he made me a sergeant of a Portugal company, and then he marched to Machimba,[117] from thence to Cauo, and then to Malombe, a great lord. Here we were four days, and many lords came and obeyed us.

From thence we marched to a mighty lord called Angoykayongo,[118] who stood in the defence of his country with more than sixty thousand men.

So we met with him, and had the victory, and made a great slaughter among them. We took captives all his women and children, and settled ourselves in his town, because it was a very pleasant place, and full of cattle and victuals. And being eight days in this town the Governor sickened and died, and left a captain in his room to perform the service.

[_Manuel Cerveira Pereira carries on the war._]

After we had been two months in the country of Angoykayongo we marched towards Cambambe, which was but three days' journey, and came right against the Serras da Prata, and pa.s.sed the river Coanza, and presently overran the country, and built a fort hard by the riverside. Here I served two years.

They opened the silver-mines, but the Portugals did not like of them as yet, because they yielded small share of silver.[119]

This new upstart governor was very cruel to his soldiers, so that all his voluntary men left him; and by this means he could go no further.

At this time there came news by the Jesuits that the Queen of England was dead, and that King James had made peace with Spain.[120] Then I made a pet.i.tion to the Governor, who granted me licence to go into my country; and so I departed with the Governor and his train to the city of St. Paul. But he left five hundred soldiers in the fort of Cambambe, which they hold still.[121]

[_A Trading Trip to Congo._]

Then I went with a Portugal merchant to the province of Bamba, and from thence to the Outeiro ["hill"], or city standing upon a mountain of Congo,[122] from thence to Gongon[123] and Batta,[124] and there we sold our commodities and returned in six months to the city [Loanda]

again.

[_Final Escape from Captivity._]

Then I purposed to have s.h.i.+pped myself for Spain, and thence homewards.

But the Governor denied his word, and commanded me to provide myself within two days to go up to the Conquest again. This Governor had served his three years,[125] and the citizens looked every day for another out of Portugal. So I determined to absent myself for ten or twenty days, till the other Governor came, and then to come to the city again. For every Governor that cometh maketh proclamation for all men that be absent, to come with free pardon.

The same day, at night, I departed from the city with two negro boys that I had, which carried my musket and six pounds of powder, and a hundred bullets, and that little provision of victuals that I could make. In the morning I was some twenty miles from the city, up along the river Bengo, and there I staid certain days, and then pa.s.sed Bengo and came to the river Dande, which is to the northward, purposing to know what news was in the city, for I was near the highway of Congo. And one of my negroes inquired of those that pa.s.sed, and brought me word that it was certain that the new Governor came not that year.

Now I was put to my s.h.i.+fts, whether I would go to the city again and be hanged, or to stay and live in the woods, for I had run away twice before. So I was forced to live in the woods a month, betwixt the rivers of Dande and Bengo. Then I went to Bengo again, to Mani Kaswea, and pa.s.sed over the river, and went to the lake of Casansa.[126] Here is the greatest store of wild beasts that is in any place of Angola. About this lake I staid six months, and lived only upon dried flesh, as buffes [buffaloes], deer, mokokes,[127] impolancas,[128] and roebucks, and other sorts, which I killed with my musket, and dried the flesh, as the savages do, upon an hurdle, three feet from the ground, making underneath it a great fire, and laying upon the flesh green boughs, which keep the smoke and heat of the fire down, and dry it. I made my fire with two little sticks, as the savages used to do. I had sometimes Guinea wheat [maize] which my negro boy would get of the inhabitants for pieces of dried flesh.

This lake of Casanze doth abound with fish of sundry sorts. I have taken up a fish that hath skipped out of the water on sh.o.r.e, four feet long, which the heathen call Sombo.[129]

Thus, after I had lived six months with the dried flesh and fish, and seeing no end of my misery, I wrought means to get away.

In this lake are many little island that are full of trees called _Memba_ [_bimba_][130] which are as light as cork and as soft. Of these trees I built a _lergado_ [_Jangada_], with a knife of the savages that I had, in the fas.h.i.+on of a box nailed with wooden pegs, and railed round about, because the sea should not wash me out; and with a blanket that I had I made a sail, and prepared three oars to row withall.

This lake of Casanza is eight miles over, and issueth into the river Bengo. So I entered into my _gingado_ [_Jangada_], and my two negro boys, and rowed into the river Bengo, and so came down with the current twelve leagues to the bar. Here I was in great danger, because the sea was great; and being over the bar I rode into the sea, and then sailed afore the wind along the coast, which I knew well, minding to go to the kingdom of Longo [Loango], which is towards the north; and being that night at sea, the next day I saw a pinnace come before the wind, which came from the city, and was bound to San Thome, and she came near to me.

The master was my great friend, for we had been mates together, and for pity's sake he took me in, and set me on sh.o.r.e in the port of Longo, where I remained three years, and was well beloved of the king, because I killed him deer and fowls with my musket.

-- V.

_Of the Province of Engoy [Ngoyo], and other Regions of Loango, with the Customs there observed by the King and People._

_[Kabinda.]_

From the Point of the Palmar [Ponta do Palmar],[131] which is the north side of the river Zaire, is the port of Cabenda [Kabinda],[132] where many s.h.i.+ps use to water and refresh themselves; and it is five leagues northwards. This place is called, Engoy [Ngoyo], and is the first province of Longo [Loango], and is full of woods and thickets. And seven leagues northwards of that place is the river Cacongo,[133] a very pleasant place and fruitful. Here is great stock of elephants' teeth, and a boat of ten tons may go up the river.

The Mombales[134] have great trade with them, and pa.s.s the river Zaire in the night, because then it is calm, and carry great store of elephants' teeth to the town of Mani Sonna [Sonyo], and sell them in the port of Pinda to the Portugals, or any other stranger that first cometh.[135]

At four leagues from Cacongo is the river of Caye, or Longo Leuyes.[136]

This town of Caye [Kaia] is one of the four seats or lords.h.i.+ps of Longo. And then the Angra, or Gulf, das Almadias.[137] In this gulf, or bay, are great store of canoes or fishermen, because the sea is smoother there than upon the coast. And two leagues northward is the port of Longo [Loango]. And it is a sandy bay, and a s.h.i.+p may ride within a musket-shot of the sh.o.r.e in four or five fathoms.

[_The Capital of Loango._]

The town of Mani Longo is three miles from the waterside, and standeth on a great plain. This town is full of palm and plantain-trees and very fresh, and their houses are built under the trees. The streets are wide and long, and always clean swept. The King hath his houses on the west side, and before his door he hath a plain, where he sitteth, when he has any feastings or matters of wars to treat of. From this plain there goeth a great wide street, some musket-shot from the place; and there is a great market every day, and it doth begin at twelve of the clock.

Here is great store of palm-cloths of sundry sorts, which is their merchandizes; and a great store of victuals, flesh, hens, fish, wine, oil, and corn. Here is also very fine log wood,[138] which they use to dye withall-it is the root of the log wood which is the best-and _molangos_[139] of copper. Here is likewise great store of elephants'

teeth, but they sell none in the market-place.