Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa by David Livingstone (fun to read .txt) 📕

L. s. d. Ivory . . . Cwt. 1969 . . . . 48,225 0 0 Palm oil. . " 8111 1 qr. . . . . 12,196 17 6 Coffee. . . " 836 . . . . 1,672 0 0 Hides . . . No. 2686 . . . . 952 15 0 Gum . . . . Cwt. 4910 . . . . 6,874 0 0 Beeswax . . " 1653 . . . . 9,918 0 0 Orchella. . Tons 630 . . . . 23,940 0 0 ------------- L. 103,778 12 6 ABSTRACT VIEW of the Net Revenue of the Customs at St. Paul de Loanda in quinquennial periods from 1818-19 to 1843-44, both included; and thence in each year to 1848-49.

| | | | | |Tonnage Dues,|

| | Duties on | Duties on |Duties on | Duties on |Store Rents, |

| Years. | Importation.|Exportation.|Re-export-| Slaves. | and other |

| | | | ation. | | incidental |

| | | | | | Receipts. |

|---------|-------------|------------|----------|------------|-------------|

| | Mil. reis.| Mil. reis.|Mil. reis.| Mil. reis.| Mil. reis.|

| 1818-19 | 573 876 | ... | .... |137,320 800 | 148,608 661 |

| 1823-24 | 3,490 752 | 460 420 | .... |120,843 000 | 133,446 892 |

| 1828-29 | 4,700 684 | 800 280 | .... |125,330 000 | 139,981 364 |

| 1833-34 | 7,490 000 | 1,590 000 | .... |139,280 000 | 158,978 640 |

| 1838-39 | 25,800 590 | 2,720 000 | .... |135,470 320 | 173,710 910 |

| 1843-44 | 53,240 000 | 4,320 000 | .... | 72,195 230 | 138,255 230 |

| 1844-45 | 99,380 264 | 6,995 095 | .... | 17,676 000 | 134,941 359 |

| 1845-46 | 150,233 789 | 9,610 735 | .... | 5,116 500 | 181,423 550 |

| 1846-47 | 122,501 186 | 8,605 821 | .... | 549 000 | 114,599 235 |

| 1847-48 | 119,246 826 | 9,718 676 | 4097 868 | 1,231 200 | 146,321 476 |

| 1848-49 | 131,105 453 | 9,969 960 | 1164 309 | 1,183 500 | 157,152 400 |

| |-------------|------------| |------------| |

| | 717,763 420*| 54,790 987 | |756,195 550 | |

| | = L.102,680 | = L.7827 | |= L.108,028 | |

This figure was originally miscalculated as 718,763 420, which probably affected its conversion into Pounds. -- A. L., 1997.

| | Net Revenue | Revenue from | Total Net | Total Amount |

| Years. | of Customs. | other Sources. | Revenue. | of Charges. |

|---------|--------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|

| | L. s. d. | L. s. d. | L. s. d. | L. s. d. |

| 1844-45 | 26,988 5 5 | 9,701 10 8 | 36,689 16 1 | 53,542 5 4 |

| 1845-46 | 36,284 14 2 | 24,580 4 10 | 60,864 19 0 | 56,695 9 7 |

| 1846-47 | 28,919 16 11 | 23,327 9 11 | 52,247 6 10 | 52,180 9 7 |

| 1847-48 | 29,264 5 10 | 24,490 11 8 | 53,754 17 6 | 53,440 8 8 |

| 1848-49 | 31,430 9 7 | 18,868 3 10 | 51,298 13 5 | 50,686 3 3 |

The above account exhibits the total revenue and charges of the government of St. Paul de Loanda in each year, from 1844-45 to 1848-49, both included.

The above three tables are copied from the appendix to a dispatch sent by Mr. Gabriel to Viscount Palmerston, dated the 5th of August, 1850, and, among other facts of interest, show a very satisfactory diminution in the duties upon slaves.

The returns from 1818 to 1844 have been obtained from different sources as the average revenue; those from 1844 to 1849 are from the Custom-house records.

--

As soon as we could move toward the Quango we did so, meeting in our course several trading-parties, both native and Portuguese. We met two of the latter carrying a tusk weighing 126 lbs. The owner afterward informed us that its fellow on the left side of the same elephant was 130 lbs.

It was 8 feet 6-1/2 inches long, and 21 inches in circumference at the part on which the lip of the animal rests. The elephant was rather a small one, as is common in this hot central region.

Some idea may be formed of the strength of his neck when it is recollected that he bore a weight of 256 lbs. The ivory which comes from the east and northeast of Cassange is very much larger than any to be found further south. Captain Neves had one weighing 120 lbs., and this weight is by no means uncommon. They have been found weighing even 158 lbs.

Before reaching the Quango we were again brought to a stand by fever in two of my companions, close to the residence of a Portuguese who rejoiced in the name of William Tell, and who lived here in spite of the prohibition of the government. We were using the water of a pond, and this gentleman, having come to invite me to dinner, drank a little of it, and caught fever in consequence. If malarious matter existed in water, it would have been a wonder had we escaped; for, traveling in the sun, with the thermometer from 96 Degrees to 98 Degrees in the shade, the evaporation from our bodies causing much thirst, we generally partook of every water we came to. We had probably thus more disease than others might suffer who had better shelter.

Mr. Tell remarked that his garden was rather barren, being still, as he said, wild; but when more worked it would become better, though no manure be applied. My men were busy collecting a better breed of fowls and pigeons than those in their own country.

Mr. Tell presented them with some large specimens from Rio Janeiro.

Of these they were wonderfully proud, and bore the cock in triumph through the country of the Balonda, as evidence of having been to the sea.

But when at the village of Shinte, a hyaena came into our midst when we were all sound asleep, and picked out the giant in his basket from eighty-four others, and he was lost, to the great grief of my men.

The anxiety these people have always shown to improve the breed of their domestic animals is, I think, a favorable point in their character.

On looking at the common breeds in the possession of the Portuguese, which are merely native cattle, and seeing them slaughter both heifer-calves and cows, which they themselves never do, and likewise making no use of the milk, they concluded that the Portuguese must be an inferior race of white men. They never ceased remarking on the fine ground for gardens over which we were passing; and when I happened to mention that most of the flour which the Portuguese consumed came from another country, they exclaimed, "Are they ignorant of tillage?"

"They know nothing but buying and selling: they are not men."

I hope it may reach the ears of my Angolese friends, and that they may be stirred up to develop the resources of their fine country.

On coming back to Cypriano's village on the 28th, we found that his step-father had died after we had passed, and, according to the custom of the country, he had spent more than his patrimony in funeral orgies. He acted with his wonted kindness, though, unfortunately, drinking has got him so deeply in debt that he now keeps out of the way of his creditors. He informed us that the source of the Quango is eight days, or one hundred miles, to the south of this, and in a range called Mosamba, in the country of the Basongo. We can see from this a sort of break in the high land which stretches away round to Tala Mongongo,