The general monotony of existence at Tette is sometimes
relieved by an occasional death or wedding. When the
deceased is a person of consequence, the quantity of gunpowder
his slaves are allowed to expend is enormous. The
expense may, in proportion to their means, resemble that
incurred by foolishly gaudy funerals in England. When at
Tette, we always joined with sympathizing hearts in aiding,
by our presence at the last rites, to soothe the sorrows of the
surviving relatives.. We are sure that they would have done
the same to us, had we been the mourners. We never had to
complain of want of hospitality. Indeed the great kindness
shown by many, of whom we have often spoken, will never
be effaced from our memory till our dying day. When we speak
of their failings it is in sorrow, not in anger. Their trading
in slaves is an enormous mistake. Their Government places
them in a false position by cutting them off from the rest of
the world; and of this they always speak with a bitterness
which, were it heard, might alter the tone of the statesmen of
Lisbon. But here there is no press, no booksellers’ shops,
and scarcely a schoolmaster. Had we been born in similar
untoward circumstances—we tremble to think of i t !
The weddings are celebrated with as much jollity as weddings
are anywhere. We witnessed one in the house of our
friend the Padre. I t being the marriage of his god-daughter,
he kindly invited us to be partakers in his joy; and we there
became acquainted with old Donna Eugenia, who was a
married wife and had children, when the slaves came from
Cassange, before any of us were bom. The whole merrymaking
was marked by good taste and propriety.
Another marriage brought out a feature in the Catholic
church, akin, we believe, to a custom in Scotland, which commended
itself to us as right. Our friend Captain Terrazao was
HMD It AND BRIDEGROOM CARRIED IN MA0HILA8, OR HAMMOCKS, BY SI.AVRS. FRIENDS FOLLOWING. TRIUMPHAL ARCH AT FATHER-IN-LAW’S HOU!
SLAVES DISCHARGING MUSKETS, AS IS USUALLY DONE AT MARRIAGES AND FUNERALS.