The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell Part 16

BENGUELLA.

S. Filippe de Benguella was founded in 1617 by Manuel Cerveira Pereira, and in 1661 its fortifications were rebuilt by Gaspar de Almeida Silva, whilst Manuel de Tovar Froes fought the neighbouring sobas. A further step in advance was taken in 1682, when the sergeant-major, Pedro da Silva, founded the presidio of Kakonda a velha, in the territory of the soba Bongo. Two years later, in 1684, this presidio was surprised by Bongo, and Manuel da Rocha Soares, its commandant, was killed. Carlos de Lacerda, who was despatched to avenge this outrage, being compelled to fall back before superior forces, Joo Braz de Goes, the captain-major of Benguella, himself took the field. The Jaga, deserted by his people, sought refuge with Ngola njimbu (Golla Gimbo), but was pursued and captured,[504] and the present presidio was built eighty miles further inland (1685), in the territory of the soba Kitata. An attempt made by the soba of Huambo (Hiamba), in 1698, to expel the Portuguese was frustrated by Antonio de Faria, its commandant. A more formidable attack by the neighbouring sobas, in 1718, proved equally ineffectual. The Portuguese had thus gained an advanced post nearly one hundred and fifty miles from the coast, the possession of which opened up to them fresh sources for the supply of slaves, and contributed not a little to the growing prosperity of S. Filippe de Benguella.

ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS.

The Jesuits were the earliest missionaries in Angola; but it would be in vain to look to them for any precise geographical or historical information, such as is furnished by members of the Society established in other parts of the world. They confined their activity to the seat of Government and its immediate vicinity, and Portuguese authors are severe upon their love of power and covetousness. Their relations with the Governors were on many occasions strained, but it cannot be a.s.serted that the Jesuit Fathers were in every instance in the wrong.[505] As an ill.u.s.tration of their masterfulness, the following incident may serve.

In 1661, the Governor, Joo Fernandez Vieira, very properly ordered that pigs, should no longer be allowed to run about the streets of the capital. The Jesuits did not deign to take the slightest notice of this order; and when several of their slaves were arrested for disregarding it, they protested against this exercise of authority, and actually excommunicated the Governor. But the Governor was not to be frightened.

He reported the case to his King, D. Affonso VI, and the King in a Royal rescript of December 9th, 1666, severely reproved the Jesuits for their insolence; and threatened, in case of similar conduct, to deprive them of the crown lands, and to take other legal measures against them.

Franciscans (Tertiaries of the Order of St. Joseph) followed the Jesuits in 1604. Then came the Capuchins, for the most part Italians and Castilians, in 1651; and lastly barefooted Carmelites (Religiozos de S.

Thereza). Of all these friars the Italian Capuchins alone appear to have done good work; and to members of their Order, and especially to Giovanni Antonio Cavazzi, of Montecuccoli, Antonio Laudati, of Gaeta, and Antonio Zucch.e.l.li, of Gradisco, we are indebted for much useful information regarding the people among whom they laboured. Many of the other friars seem to have been men whom their superiors in Europe were glad to part with; and the same may be said with reference to the secular clergy.

A report of the ecclesiastical affairs of Angola and Kongo, drawn up in 1694 by Goncalo de Alcacova Carneiro Carvalho da Costa de Menezes, by order of the Governor, presents us with a deplorable picture of the state of affairs in that year. Throughout the country there were only thirty-six friars[506] and twenty-nine secular clergy; and of these as many as twenty-nine had taken up their quarters in the capital. Of fifty churches and chapels, many were without priests, and had fallen into ruins. The village missions (misses das Sanzalas) had long been given up, and many baptised negroes had returned to the ancient superst.i.tions.

The author proposes the inst.i.tution of a court of clerics, in order that all lapses of this kind might be punished in accordance with the "sacred canons." A board of missions (Junta das misses), which had been created in 1693, and richly endowed,[507] allowed things to drift. Lopes de Lima[508] ascribes the failure of the Christian missions, first, to the small number of missionaries and priests; secondly, to the corruption of the clergy; and thirdly, to the slave-trade.

MEASURES OF ADMINISTRATION.

Joo Fernandez Vieira must be credited with the first serious attempt to organise the military forces of the country (1660), by raising a regiment, or _terco_, of infantry, for Luandu, and a company for each presidio. These "regulars" were to be supported by the _guerra preta_, or _empacaceiros_. A company of cavalry was added to the regular troops in 1672; and the exemption from every kind of military service conferred upon the inhabitants of Luandu since 1660 was partly abolished in 1695, and orders given for the organisation of a _terco_ of _ordenancas_ (militia) for Luandu, and of seventeen companies for the districts and presidios. The fortifications of Luandu had been much improved since the expulsion of the Dutch. The fort of S. Miguel, at Luandu, which was begun in 1638, had been completed by D. Joo de Lencastre in 1689; and at the close of the century there existed forts, sufficiently strong to resist native attack, at Muchima, Masanganu, Kambambe, Pungu a ndonga, Mbaka, S. Filippe de Benguella, and Kakonda.

The only measure bearing upon the civil administration of the country seems to have been the publication of a _Regimento_ for the guidance of officers of revenue and of justice, in 1675. At the same time, an extra export-duty of ten testes[509] was ordered to be paid on every slave, the proceeds to go towards the dowry of Queen Catherine, the consort of Charles II of England.

The introduction of copper coins (_makutas_) into Luandu, in 1624, caused much dissatisfaction, and actually led to a mutiny of the troops, who not unnaturally felt agrieved at being expected to accept 200 reis in copper as an equivalent of a native cloth, up to that time valued at 700 reis.[510] The mutiny was suppressed, and the five ringleaders were executed. In the interior of the country, the ancient currency remained in force, larger amounts being paid in merchandise (_fazenda de lei_), whilst smaller sums were paid in _zimbos_ (njimbu) or cowries, _libongos_ (mbongo, plural jimbongo), or square pieces of native cloth, or blocks of rock-salt.

The only attempt at geographical exploration was that of Jose de Roza, who left Masanganu in 1678, for the lower Zambezi, but turned back after only a few days' journey, owing to the hostility of the natives.

At the end of the seventeenth century, Portugal held sway over a territory of over fifty thousand square miles; she maintained fortified posts far inland; her traders had penetrated as far as the upper Kwanza; and on the coast she held the prosperous cities of S. Paulo de Luandu and S. Filippe de Benguella. But this prosperity depended almost exclusively upon the slave trade. Scarcely any attempt had been made to develop the great natural resources of the country, and even the food of the inhabitants was still largely supplied by the Brazils. The colonists introduced included too large a criminal element; the Government officials were more intent upon realising large fortunes[511] than permanently benefiting the country they had been sent to rule; and even among the preachers of the gospel were men quite unfit to hold the office which they filled. And this deplorable state of affairs continued long beyond the period with which we have dealt. Lopes de Lima[512]

calls D. Francisco Innocencio de Sousa Coutinho, who was appointed in 1764, the "first Governor who undertook to civilise this semi-barbarous colony; and who during his rule of eight years and a-half, did more in that sense than all his predecessors had ever thought of." Up to his time, "Governors, captains, magistrates, men of the church and the cloister" were only intent upon dividing the spoils of office, and acted in the most scandalous manner.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

APPENDIX V.

A LIST OF THE GOVERNORS OF ANGOLA, 1575-1702.

_The date of arrival and departure are given, unless stated otherwise._

1. Paulo Dias de Novaes, February, 1575; October, 1589.

2.[513] Luiz Serro, captain-major, 1589-91.

3.[513] Andre Ferreira Pereira, 1591, to June, 1592.

4. D. Francisco d'Almeida, June 24th, 1592, to April 8th, 1593.

5.[513] D. Jeronymo d'Almeida, 1593-4.

6. Joo Furtado de Mendonca, August 1st, 1594, to 1602.

7. Joo Rodrigues Coutinho, appointed January 23rd, 1601; arrived in 1602.

8[513]. Manuel Cerveira Pereira, 1603-7.

9. D. Manuel Pereira Forjaz, end of 1607; died April 11th, 1611.

10.[513] Bento Banha Cardoso, captain-major, elected April 15th, 1611 to 1615.

11. Manuel Cerveira Pereira, second term of office, 1615 to 1617.

12. Luiz Mendes de Vasconcellos, November, 1617, to 1621.

13. Joo Correa de Souza, September, 1621; departed 1623.

14[[513]. Pedro de Souza Coelho, captain-major, during five months, 1623.

15.[513] D. Simo de Mascarenhas, Bishop of Kongo and Angola, 1623 to 1624.

16. Ferno de Souza, appointed October 21st, 1623; in possession February, 1624, to 1630.

17. D. Manuel Pereira Coutinho, 1630 to 1634.

18. Francisco de Vasconcellos da Cunha, 1634 to 1639.

19. Pedro Cezar de Menezes, 1639 to 1645.

20. Francisco de Sotto-maior, September, 1645, to May, 1646.

21[513]. Bartholomeu de Vasconcellos da Cunha, Antonio Texeira de Mendonca, and Joo Juzarte de Andrada, the captains-major, 1646 to 1648.

22. Salvador Correa de Sa Benevides, August, 1648 to 1651.

23. Rodrigo de Miranda Henriques, October, 1651; died 1653.

24.[513] Bartholomeu de Vasconcellos da Cunha, captain-major, 1653 to 1655.

25. Luiz Martins de Souza Chichorro, October, 1655 to 1658.

He was killed in an engagement with a Dutch corsair, on the voyage to Brazil.