[358] It was during the reign of this King that five Portuguese merchants crossed the Kwangu and fell into the hands of the Makoko, who made slaves of them. But upon this, his kingdom was visited by plague and famine, and his armies were beaten; and these “miracles” only ceased when, acting on the advice of his diviners, he had sent back his prisoners to S. Salvador, richly compensated for their sufferings (Cavazzi, p. 281).
[359] For documents referring to the reign of this king, see Paiva Manso, pp. 187-237.
[360] Whether the Dutch ambassadors prostrated themselves when presented to the king, as shown on one of Dapper’s plates, may be doubted.
[361] The auxiliary force of thirty Dutchmen was commanded by Captain Tihman (Dapper, p. 541).
[362] They sent, indeed, a vessel to remonstrate, but the Duke defied them to land, and they retired humbly.
[363] Dapper, p. 572. Perhaps the itinerary on one of Dapper’s maps from Mpinda, by way of Mbamba, S. Salvador, Mbata and Nsundi, is supplied by Herder. The names conso, canda, quing and ensor of the map are corruptions of the names of the four week-days (konso, nkanda, nkenga and nsona), and designate places where markets are held on those days.
[364] He died at S. Salvador in 1651, when about to start for Abyssinia, and was succeded by P. Giovanni Francisco of Valenza, as Prefect. For a full account of the missions of 1645 and 1648, see Pellicer de Tovar, Mission Evangelica al Reyno de Congo, Madrid, 1649; and P. Francisco Fragio, Breve Relazione, Rome, 1648.
[365] Giovanni Antonio de Cavazzi, of Montecuccolo, was a member of this mission.
[366] This district was invaded by Queen Nzinga, in 1649, and the missionaries, P. Bonaventura of Correglia, and P. Francesco of Veas, retired.
[367] See Cavazzi, pp. 512-15.