From this town we went to another close by, separated only by a small stream, which was governed by another king, also a very old man, who, we found, was nearly dying of age and rheumatism. In crossing the stream, our king of the red cloak and helmet presented a comical appearance, for to save his finery from wetting, he tucked it up rather higher than was necessary or dignified. This same king, having on one occasion brought into Bembe a couple of blacks who had robbed their loads in coming up the country from Ambriz, got so drunk upon the rum which he received as part of the reward for capturing them, that his attendants stripped him of his state uniform and helmet, and left him by the side of the road stark naked, with a boy sitting by his side holding an umbrella over him till his everyday clothes were sent from his town, and he was sufficiently sober to walk home. In Africa, as everywhere else, there is often but a step from the sublime to the ridiculous!
Mr. Flores’s agent at Bembe used to buy ivory, though after a time he had to give up trading there, partly on account of having to carry up the goods for barter from Ambriz, and from the natives wanting as much for the tusks as they were in the habit of getting on the coast;—blacks having no regard whatever for time or distance, eight or ten days’ journey more or less being to them perfectly immaterial. The road followed by the caravans of ivory from the interior passes, as I have said before, near Bembe; consequently a good many caravans left the usual track and came there to sell their ivory, or if they could not agree on the terms, passed on to the coast, and it was interesting to see them arrive, and watch the process of bartering.
From Bembe we could descry the long black line of negroes composing the “Quibucas” or caravans, far away on the horizon across the mine valley, and it was here that I became convinced of the superiority of the negro’s eyesight over the white man’s. Our blacks, particularly old Pae Tomás, could tell with the naked eye the number of tusks, and the number of bags of “fuba” or meal, in a caravan, and whether they brought any pigs or sheep with them, at such a distance that not one of us could distinguish anything without a glass—in fact, when we could only see a moving black line. Caravans of 200 and 300 natives, bringing as many as 100 large tusks of ivory, were not unfrequent.
As soon as they came within hearing distance, they beat their “Engongui,” as the signal bells are called, one of which accompanies every “Quibuca,” and is beaten to denote their approach, the towns answering them in the same manner, and intimating whether they can pass or not, if there is war on the road, and so on. These “Engongui” ([Plate IV.]) are two flat bells of malleable iron joined together by a bent handle, and are held in the left hand whilst being beaten with a short stick. There is a regular code of signals, and as each bell has a different note, a great number of variations can be produced by striking each alternately, or two or three beats on one to the same, or lesser number on the other; a curious effect is also produced by the performer striking the mouths of the bells against his naked stomach whilst they are reverberating from the blows with the stick.
As the caravans were coming down the valley, Pae Tomás used to amuse himself sometimes by signalling “war,” or that the road was stopped, when the whole caravan would squat down, whilst the “Capatas,” or head-men in charge, would come on alone, but at the signal “all right,” or “road clear,” all would start forward again.
Only one “Engongui” can be allowed in each town, and belongs to the king, who cannot part with it on any account, as it is considered a great “fetish,” and is handed down from king to king. To obtain the one in my possession, I had to send Pae Tomás to the “Mujolo” country, where they are principally made, but as he was away only four days, I believe he must have got it nearer Bembe than the “Mujolo,” which lies to the N.N.E. of Bembe, but according to all accounts at many days’ journey, which I am inclined to believe, as these “Mujolos” never come down to the coast, and were formerly very rarely brought as slaves in the caravans. They are greatly prized as slaves by the Portuguese, as they are very strong and intelligent, and work at any trade much better than any other race in Angola. They have very peculiar square faces, and are immediately known by their cheeks being tattooed in fine perpendicular lines, in fact the only race in Angola that tattoo the face at all. They are said to be a very savage race, and to practise cannibalism.
When the caravans approached Bembe, the “Capatas” would dress themselves in their best and each carry an open umbrella, or when the “Capata” was a very important personage, the umbrella used to be carried before him by a black, whilst he followed behind in the sun.
The day of their arrival was always spent in looking over the stock of goods, and receiving presents of cloth and rum, and generally a pig for a feast. The next day the tusks would be produced and the barter arranged in the manner explained in the preceding chapter.
The caravans seldom brought any curiosities, only very rarely a few mats or skins; one skin that I purchased proved to be that of a new monkey, described by Dr. P. L. Sclater as the Colobus Angolensis (‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,’ May, 1860).
A few slaves were sometimes brought to Bembe from the interior, and sold to the Cabinda blacks, who were our washer-boys, and also to the Ambriz men, our servants, slaves being amongst the natives in Angola the principal investment of their savings. The prices paid for them varied according to size, sex, age, and freedom from blemish or disease, and ranged from one to two pieces of “chilloes” (a Manchester-made cloth, in pieces of fourteen yards, and costing about 3s. each) for a boy or girl; to six or seven pieces, at most, for a full-grown man or woman.