Singularly enough, there is very little rheumatism amongst the natives of Angola. Europeans also suffer but little from this complaint; but a few years ago an epidemic of a kind of rheumatic fever attacked the natives and nearly every white at Loanda and its neighbourhood. It was like a simple fever, but accompanied with sudden pain in every joint, rendering the slightest movement almost impossible. This lasted only a few days, and the patients gradually got well. If I remember right, there was no fatal termination to any case among the Europeans. This disease is known in Angola by the name of “Católo-tólo,” and nearly forty years had elapsed since its previous appearance at Loanda.
Leeches are extremely abundant in the fresh-water lagoons of Angola, and are much used by the Portuguese.
In former days, when there was more intercourse between Angola and the Brazils, leeches were an important article of export, as they fetched a high price in the latter country. I have often bought a large clay-pot full of fine leeches for a few fathoms of cotton cloth.
The acrid, milky juice of the euphorbias is very dangerous to the eyes if it should drop into them, no uncommon circumstance in clearing away bush, &c. As a remedy the natives employ the juice of the Sanseviera Angolensis, Welw. I imagine that any good effect of this plant in such cases is more mechanical than otherwise, as it is so full of watery juice that, by simply twisting the rod-like leaves, abundance of it immediately squirts out.
CHAPTER X.
CUSTOMS—BURIAL—WHITE ANT—WASPS—FRUITS—SCENTS—SPITTING-SNAKE—SCARABÆUS—LEMUR.
There are several peculiar habits and customs, common to the natives of Angola, that I have not mentioned in the preceding chapters. One of the most striking and pleasing is their regard for their parents and old people. These are always consulted before they undertake a journey, or hire themselves as carriers or for other service, and they always bid them good-bye, and leave them some little present of beads or rum. On returning to their towns they immediately see their fathers and mothers and the old people, and squat down and “beat hands” to them, and give an account of their doings. A little food is then eaten together, and they consider that they have done their duty. Neither the men nor women will smoke whilst speaking to their old people, but always take their pipes out of their mouths, or, if their hands are engaged, hold the pipe-stem across their teeth. Other marks of respect always practised to their old men, to their kings, and to white men, are, when passing between or close to them, to bend their bodies slightly and snap their fingers: if they meet them on the road, they will stand aside without moving, till they have passed, and if carrying a load on the head, always remove it to the shoulder, or lift it above the head on both hands. A gun is never carried on the shoulder in similar cases, but always in the hand, horizontally at the side.
Smoking is universal, but although they are very fond of the habit, and the plant grows luxuriantly and without any trouble, tobacco is comparatively dear in all parts of Angola. It is a very usual thing to see a native put a great piece of lighted charcoal in his empty pipe-bowl, and puff away, as he says, to warm himself. They generally carry the bits of plaited tobacco behind the ear. Tobacco is always smoked pure. Only amongst the Mushicongos have I seen them put small chips of a sweet-smelling root (probably a species of orris) in their pipes with the tobacco, to give a flavour to the smoke. This root they call “Ncombo” or “goat,” its beautiful scent being compared by the natives to that of a billy-goat!
Snuff-taking is also very general, the Mushicongos and the natives of the Zombo country beyond, who bring down the ivory to the coast, being the tribes most addicted to the habit. The tobacco leaf is well dried over a fire, and ground on a stone, when it is ready for use, but the above-mentioned tribes are not satisfied with it in its pure condition, and, to make it stronger, mix it with a white ash obtained by burning the twigs of a bush which appears to be very alkaline. This even is not sufficiently strong for many of their delicate noses, and dried ground Chili (cayenne) pepper is also added to obtain the degree of strength desired.
Their snuff-box is generally a length of cane between two knots, the open end being closed by a small wooden stopper, secured to the snuff-box by a bit of string passing through a hole in the centre. Snuff-boxes are also carved out of wood, and variously ornamented. The ordinary way of taking a pinch of snuff, between the forefinger and thumb, is unknown to the blacks, and would be considered a very unsatisfactory method. They pour about a teaspoonful of snuff into the palm of the hand, and burying their wide and capacious nostrils in the peppery mixture, snort it up loudly, aided by a rotary motion of the half closed hand.
Many allow a scrubby, woolly moustache to grow for the sole purpose of plastering it thickly with snuff, so that when on a journey and carrying a load, they can take it by simply curling up the upper lip and sniffing strongly, without stopping or laying down the load to open the box and take it in the ordinary way.