T H R E E Y E A R S IN S A V A G E A F R I C A
himself in a magnificent uniform, oyer which he wore
the Order of Christ, of which he was knight commander.
Matakania was merely his nickname. He called himself
José d’Araujo Lobo ; but although he called himself a
Portuguese, he was of the purest black, and the greatest
villain that ever lived.
From Zumbo to Kashumba the Zambezi is very broad,
but most shallow, and could only be navigated by small
steam launches. On the 28th November we reached
Kashumba. The only man in the place who could speak
Portuguese was the garrison : I say the garrison, as it
consisted of one man all told—a black corporal. He
explained to me that he could not give me porters without
sending to his superior, Senhor Curado de Campos,
who lived thirty miles lower down the river. I then asked
him whether the boat could go so far down, and he said
that this was impossible, on account of the rapids. I
decided therefore to go myself and see Senhor Curado,
and told the corporal to get me twelve men by two o’clock
to take me there in a machilla or hammock—the mode of
travelling in Portuguese territory. He promised to do
so ; but at four, no one having put in an appearance,
I went to look for him. I found him very busy watching
the natives fish for frogs. Asked for the men, he replied
that they would come the next morning. On that I
decided to take matters into my own hands, beat up the
men in the village, and started at five with a dozen of
them. I halted for the night, after an hour and a half’s
march, and stopped at a small riverside village, where a
hut was given me. It was very small, and the door had
to be closed because lions were in the habit of stealing
in at night ; consequently the heat was awful, and I could
not sleep. The next day again was broiling hot ; but
all the same I got to Inhamecuta, where I found Senhor
Curado de Campos, a real Portuguese—white in skin, but
black at heart. He received me with joy and a torrent of
broken French.
F ROM S A L I S B U R Y TO T E T E
■ “Ah,i mon cher Monsieur,” he. cried, “ que je suis contente
de vous voir ! Une francez, une amigo ; Senhor,
tout ici est votre, vous êtes chez-vous ; ce n’est pas comme
ces sais english. Si un english vient ici il paye pour tout,
mais vous c’est une plaisir, une honneur de vous recevoir ;
et ne me parlez pas de payer, vous me feriez injure.”
“ Look here,” he added, “ this for the English.” So saying,
he produced a board with the following:
T a b e l l a o f P r i z e s .
For theeating and sloping one day .
F o r d r in k b o t tle r e d wine .
For the eating one brekfest . i .
For the eating of the diner
For drink one tas of thea
For take you in machilla at Tete. : ..
For a carier take charge 50 pounds to Tete
For the drink one iitre brandy .
For one panch mapira . - ■
3 or 5 shiling
5 shiling
8 shiling
1 .1
Zio
12 shiling
For bai a piece of algodao . . • • Peis 5000
For bae a piece leso . . . •. • >> 4000
N o t e .—4500 Portuguese reis = one pound sterling.
5 shiling
2
V IL LA G E OF INHAMECUTA.