generally resides, and the Portuguese territory exists on both sides of the river.
The principal mart in the interior, frequented from this point, is that of Zumbo, at which place the Portuguese are allowed a small factory by the permission of the natives. The journey to this place from Tête requires nearly a month to accomplish, the first fifteen days being employed in travelling, by land, to a place named Chicova, on account of certain falls in the river called Sacumbe: at Chicova it is necessary to embark again in small shallow boats, and in this way to proceed to the station of Zumbo, whence the traders send out their agents in different directions, who in return for their goods bring back gold, ivory, and other valuable articles. Of the country beyond Zumbo no information could be obtained.
From the foregoing accounts it will appear how extremely confined the knowledge of the Portuguese has always been respecting the interior,[1] which satisfactorily accounts for the extraordinary inaccuracy of all their writers, and their want of agreement, on the subject.
The jurisdiction of the Portuguese, along the coast, has on the contrary, been always extensive; in the heighth of their power it reached from Socotra, on the north, to the Cape of l'Agoa, on the south, comprehending the islands of Zanzebar, Quiloa, and other important settlements, which have been since recovered by the Arabs, and are now subject to the Imaum of Muscat, whose power and consequence has greatly increased of late years, owing to the protection and encouragement of the Bombay government. It still extends from Cape Delgado on
- ↑ The following passages from Martool (p. 113) and Lafitau's Conquestes des Port. dans le Nouv. Monde, may serve to convince the reader of this fact; the first begins his account of these countries thus: "Sofala est un grand contrée sous la domination d'un Prince Négre que l'on nomme Bénamotapa ou Bénamotacha.—Ce pais commence la frontière de Congo," &c.—The second says, "l'empire du Monomotapa ou Bénomotapa comprend une grande partie de la basse Ethiopie, depuis l'empire des Abyssins jusques au cap de Bonne-Esperance, nord et sud; et depuis la côte de Zanguebar jusques aux païs des Négres et Royaumes d'Angole et de Congo est et ouest!!" Such has been the information on which our maps of Africa have generally been constructed.
