The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

2 SOUTH AXD EAST AFEICA.The centres of Portuguese colonisation were naturally the seaports, from whichpoints European influences gradually spread inland. Notwithstanding manyvicissitudes of success and defeat, the ascendancy of the Portuguese, pioneers of ahigher culture, penetrated at last beyond the coast ranges and plateaux far to theeast of the great depression traversed by the Congo. This diffusion of Portugueseauthority was largely due to the fact that the intertribal communications were muchmore easily effected on the southern slopes and upland plains than along the wildand rugged gorges through which the great river forced its way from full to fallto the Atlantic seaboard. Doubtless Stanley's great expedition has suddenlyshifted the equilibrium of the continent, and the region of the fluvial basin hasnow become the chief centre of geographical progress and of the great events thatare rapidly bringing about the social and ijolitical transformation of the land.But this very circumstance has aroused Portugal from her lethargy, and stimulatedher to redoubled efforts in opening up the vast domain which she has inherited,and her exclusive dominion over which is henceforth guaranteed by internationaltreaties.The recent expeditions of Capello and Ivons, and of Serpa Pinto, attest theimportance which the Portuguese now attach to the systematic exploration of theirgreat colony in south-west Africa. The American missionaries stationed in theBihe district have also of late years contributed much to the geographical study ofAngola. The superficial area of the whole territory as far inland as the left bankof the Kwango, and exclusive of the small province lying to the north of theCongo, has been approximatelj' estimated at 280,000 square miles. The popidationof the districts that have been roughly surveyed amounts to about four hundredand fort}' thousand ; but including the independent nations and the communitiesconnected with Portugal by the more or less solid relations of vassalage, the^^•hole population of the region Ij'ing between the Atlantic and the Kwango canscarcely be estimated at less than two millions.According to Chavanne's calculalions,the density of the population in the northern district between Ambriz andthe Congo exceeds twelve persons to the square mile, a proportion which wouldgive as many as five millions for the Portuguese possessions, taken in their widestsense. To the whole region has been extended the name of Angola (ligola), aterm originally restricted to the province lying east of Loanda, between the riversCuanza and Bengo. Some of the kinglets in the interior still bear this name ofNgola.The province of Angola has often been compared to Brazil, the vast regionwhich faces it on the opposite side of the Atlantic. But the " African Brazil,"which had not yet been detached from the mother country whence it receivedits first settlers, is far inferior to its potent rival in extent, natural resources,economic importance, and general importance amongst the civilised, or at leastorganised, lands of the globe. Nevertheless a real analogy is presented by thegeographical structure of Angola and Brazil. In both regions a great river isdeveloped to the north of the plains and elevated plateaux ; in both the relief ofthe land is formed by a series of terraces rising step by step one above the other,