If Planted In A Dry Soil,
It Takes Two Years To Come To Perfection, Requiring, During That Time,
One Weeding Only.
It bears drought well, and never shrivels up,
like other plants, when deprived of rain.
When planted in low alluvial soils,
and either well supplied with rain or annually flooded,
twelve, or even ten months, are sufficient to bring it to maturity.
The root rasped while raw, placed upon a cloth, and rubbed with the hands
while water is poured upon it, parts with its starchy glutinous matter,
and this, when it settles at the bottom of the vessel, and the water
poured off, is placed in the sun till nearly dry, to form tapioca.
The process of drying is completed on an iron plate over a slow fire,
the mass being stirred meanwhile with a stick, and when quite dry
it appears agglutinated into little globules, and is in the form
we see the tapioca of commerce. This is never eaten by weevils,
and so little labor is required in its cultivation that on the spot
it is extremely cheap. Throughout the interior parts of Angola,
fine manioc meal, which could with ease have been converted either into
superior starch or tapioca, is commonly sold at the rate of about ten pounds
for a penny. All this region, however, has no means of transport to Loanda
other than the shoulders of the carriers and slaves over a footpath.
Cambambe, to which the navigation of the Coanza reaches,
is reported to be thirty leagues below Pungo Andongo.
A large waterfall is the limit on that side; and another exists higher up,
at the confluence of the Lombe (lat. 9d 41' 26" S., and about long. 16d E.),
over which hippopotami and elephants are sometimes drawn and killed.
The river between is rapid, and generally rushes over a rocky bottom.
Its source is pointed out as S.E. or S.S.E. of its confluence with the Lombe,
and near Bihe. The situation of Bihe is not well known.
When at Sanza we were assured that it lies nearly south of that point,
and eight days distant. This statement seemed to be corroborated
by our meeting many people going to Matiamvo and to Loanda from Bihe.
Both parties had come to Sanza, and then branched off,
one to the east, the other to the west. The source of the Coanza
is thus probably not far from Sanza.
I had the happiness of doing a little good in the way of administering
to the sick, for there are no doctors in the interior of Angola.
Notwithstanding the general healthiness of this fine district
and its pleasant temperature, I was attacked by fever myself.
While confined to my room, a gentleman of color, a canon of the Church,
kindly paid me a visit. He was on a tour of visitation
in the different interior districts for the purpose of baptizing and marrying.
He had lately been on a visit to Lisbon in company with the Prince of Congo,
and had been invested with an order of honor by the King of Portugal as
an acknowledgment of his services.
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