e the fever
is continuous, at Tete a man recovers in about three days. The mildest
remedies only are used at first, and, if that period be passed, then the
more severe.

The fort of Tete has been the salvation of the Portuguese power in this
quarter. It is a small square building, with a thatched apartment for
the residence of the troops; and, though there are but few guns, they
are in a much better state than those of any fort in the interior of
Angola. The cause of the decadence of the Portuguese power in this
region is simply this: In former times, considerable quantities of
grain, as wheat, millet, and maize, were exported; also coffee, sugar,
oil, and indigo, besides gold-dust and ivory. The cultivation of grain
was carried on by means of slaves, of whom the Portuguese possessed a
large number. The gold-dust was procured by washing at various points on
the north, south, and west of Tete. A merchant took all his slaves with
him to the washings, carrying as much calico and other goods as he could
muster. On arriving at the washing-place, he made a present to the chief
of the value of about a pound sterling. The slaves were then divided
into parties, each headed by a confidential servant, who not only had
the supervision of his squad while the washing went on, but bought
dust from the inhabitants, and made a weekly return to his master. When
several masters united at one spot, it was called a "Bara", and they
then erected a temporary church, in which a priest from one of the
missions performed mass. Both chiefs and people were favorable to these
visits, because the traders purchased grain for the sustenance of the
slaves with the goods they had brought. They continued at this labor
until the whole of the goods were expended, and by this means about
130 lbs. of gold were annually produced. Probably more than this was
actually obtained, but, as it was an article easily secreted, this alone
was submitted to the authorities for taxation. At present the whole
amount of gold obtained annually by the Portuguese is from 8 to 10 lbs.
only. When the slave-trade began, it seemed to many of the merchants a
more speedy mode of becoming rich to sell off the slaves than to pursue
the slow mode of gold-washing and agriculture, and they continued to
export them until they had neither hands to labor nor to fight for them.
It was just the story of the goose and the golden egg. The coffee and
sugar plantations and gold-washings were aban