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er; and they exhibit not the smallest ingenuity in fabricating their utensils, or in constructing their huts, boats, or vehicles for carriage. These last articles, however great the distance, or indifferent the roads may be, are all borne on the shoulders of slaves.

The rich, indeed, travel in a kind of palanquin, which has a covering to shelter it from the sun; and not unfrequently a slave also attends with an umbrella, to shade his master. These palanquins are carried on the shoulders of two stout slaves, who are relieved at proper intervals by others, whilst the master lolls at his ease, and smoaks, sleeps, or vacantly stares about him. Travelling, however, in this country, is tedious, chargeable, and inconvenient; it is wholly performed by slaves, who are very expensive; and the badness of the roads, the rapidity of the ri vers, the want of bridges, together with the prodigious number of wild beasts, render it equally difficult and dangerous. The man who is under the necessity of making a journey on foot, never. burthens himself with any thing, for the wife carries the bag containing the provisions, which is hung at her back, and suspended by a thong that passes round her forehead. In addition also to this load, she perhaps carries a child in her arms which she suckles, and drags another along by the hand, whilst the indolent husband carelessly smoaks his pipe, and never once offers to assist her.

The houses of the Congoese are low, ill-built, and of a circular form, raised with wood and mud, and poorly thatched with straw or fern, which barely serve to keep out the sun and rain. They have no windows, and they receive light

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only by the doors, which are usually so low that the shortest person must stoop to enter them; and even in the huts themselves, a tall man can scarcely stand upright. The houses, however, in St. Salvadore, the capital, and in some other towns, are more spacious and higher; being whitened within and without, and divided into apartments, the floors of which are covered with eurious matting. The habitations of the Portuguese are constructed after the European manner, being commonly built of brick and mortar, and pretty well furnished. The furniture of the Congoese is much adapted to their houses, and consists principally of a few ill-contrived instruments of agriculture, hatchets, cutlasses, calabashes for holding their provisions, pots, kettles, earthen-dishes, and hand-mills for grinding their corn. Their most sumptuous beds are large coarse sackcloths filled with leaves or straw, over which they throw a slight covering; and logs of wood frequently supply the place of pillows. It must, however, be confessed, that since the Portuguese have been settled in this country, the natives have begun to imitate, in some degree, the sumptuousness of their furniture. The pa laces of most of the princes and viceroys are decorated with large and splendid umbrellas, looking-glasses, pictures, chairs, china, and cabinets; while the inferior nobility, unable to purchase these expensive articles, content themselves with a more humble imitation, or, with a true philoso phical spirit, affect to despise them, as unworthy the attention of great and elevated minds.

Polygamy was allowed in this kingdom, till the time of the introduction of christianity; since which period, however, no persuasions will pre

vail on the most religious of the Congoese catholics, to renounce the custom of keeping as many mistresses as their circumstances will permit; though the Portuguese nuptial ceremony is chiefly adopted by the christian converts. Even those who seem to comply most strictly with the laws of the church, relative to marriage, reserve to themselves the liberty of conversing with the person made choice of for a wife, and to enjoy with her all privileges and endearments, for two or three years before the nuptial contract be finally solemnized; and the relations of both sides think it reason! able, that some time should be allowed for a trial of each other, in order that they may become intimately acquainted, previously to their entering into an engagement, which is to continue during the remainder of their lives. When, therefore, the conditions of the suitor are accepted by the parents and the girl, she is conducted to the house of her future husband, as privately as possible, and thus commences her state of probation. When the term agreed on is expired, it is generally the woman that solicits the performance of the nuptial ceremony, which alone gives her the title and privilege of a wife. The man, however, is commonly very indifferent with respect to the solemnization of the marriage, because he is about to impose on himself a sort of restraint; but he is often induced to comply, in order that he may obtain the stipulated dowry. But should the woman fail with regard to fruitfulness, industry, or temper, during the period of her noviciate, the husband returns her to her parents. She is not, however, considered as being in the least in

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jured by this intercourse; nor does the reason' for which she was returned, operate much to her disadvantage, as she is generally soon after taken on trial by some other person. But should the man, after enjoying for a time all the nuptial privileges, venture to tie the indissoluble knot, he invites the friends and relations of both sides, who appear in their most sumptuous ap parel, and fill the air with their acclamations and expressions of joy. The priest enters and performs the ceremony; after which follows an exchange of presents, according to their rank and condition in life. On these occasions an elegant banquet is prepared, in order to treat the guests. The poor, rather than be deficient in this respect, would sell one or two of their children to purchase a calf or an ox, together with wine and brandy, for furnishing the entertainment. The repast, generally, continues till sun-set, or rather as long as the provisions and liquor last. The whole is concluded with music and dancing, till they fall asleep on the spot.

It is an invariable custom, that the husband and wife shall have different departments; for the non-performance of which no excuse is ad. mitted. To the husband it belongs to furnish lodging and clothing for his wife and children, to prune the trees, and to collect the palm-wine. The business of the wife consists in providing food for the family, and waiting on her husband at meals.

The small-pox is frequently very destructive among the Congoese, and depopulates whole villages. The extreme virulence of this disease is chiefly owing to the neglect of applying proper remedies, and of observing due precautions: they

they suffer the sick and healthy to live promiscuously. Besides keeping their pores shut by the grease with which they daily anoint their bodies, they contract them also by means of the cold water, into which they plunge themselves, after dancing till they are become disgusting with sweat. Though the disorders which thence result are of a common kind, their physicians are ignorant of the means of curing them, and the patients generally die. Fevers, attended with violent pains in the head, are also very frequent and dangerous, especially during the winter season, when the great rains render the air unhealthy. As antidotes to these disorders they prescribe abstinence, and will refrain two or three days from eating or drinking.

They inclose the dead in cotton cloth, or straw mats; but people of rank are wrapped up in European linen, and the bier is covered with black. The deceased is buried in the fields, where the graves are distinguished either by throwing up hills of earth over them, or by raising plantations of trees round them. Both rich and poor observe a kind of mourning for their relations. They confine themselves for three days, during which period they abstain from all kinds of food. They also shave their heads, anoint their bodies with oil, and then rub themselves with a quantity of earth, or dust; which gives them a most hideous and fantastic appearance. Those of a higher rank shave only the upper part of their heads, which they bind with a piece of cloth or leather; and confine themselves to their houses during eight days, after which they return to their former manner of living. Widows, however, are obliged to sub

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