While at this latter place we met a native of Bihe who has visited the country of Shinte three times for the purposes of trade.  He gave us some of the news of that distant part, but not a word of the Makololo, who have always been represented in the countries to the north as a desperately savage race, whom no trader could visit with safety.  The half-caste traders whom we met at Shinte’s had returned to Angola with sixty-six slaves and upward of fifty tusks of ivory.  As we came along the path, we daily met long lines of carriers bearing large square masses of beeswax, each about a hundred pounds weight, and numbers of elephants’ tusks, the property of Angolese merchants.  Many natives were proceeding to the coast also on their own account, carrying beeswax, ivory, and sweet oil.  They appeared to travel in perfect security; and at different parts of the road we purchased fowls from them at a penny each.  My men took care to celebrate their own daring in having actually entered ships, while the natives of these parts, who had endeavored to frighten them on their way down, had only seen them at a distance.  Poor fellows! they were more than ever attentive to me; and, as they were not obliged to erect sheds for themselves, in consequence of finding them already built at the different sleeping-places, all their care was bestowed in making me comfortable.  Mashauana, as usual, made his bed with his head close to my feet, and never during the entire journey did I have to call him twice for any thing I needed.

During our stay at Tala Mungongo, our attention was attracted to a species of red ant which infests different parts of this country.  It is remarkably fond of animal food.  The commandant of the village having slaughtered a cow, slaves were obliged to sit up the whole night, burning fires of straw around the meat, to prevent them from devouring most of it.  These ants are frequently met with in numbers like a small army.  At a little distance they appear as a brownish-red band, two or three inches wide, stretched across the path, all eagerly pressing on in one direction.  If a person happens to tread upon them, they rush up his legs and bite with surprising vigor.  The first time I encountered this by no means contemptible enemy was near Cassange.  My attention being taken up in viewing the distant landscape, I accidentally stepped upon one of their nests.  Not an instant seemed to elapse before a simultaneous attack was made on various unprotected parts, up the trowsers from below, and on my neck and breast above.  The bites of these furies were like sparks of fire, and there was no retreat.  I jumped about for a second or two, then in desperation tore off all my clothing, and rubbed and picked them off seriatim as quickly as possible.  Ugh! they would make the most lethargic mortal look alive.  Fortunately, no one observed this rencounter, or word might have been taken back to the village that I had become mad.  I was once assaulted in a similar way when sound asleep