Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/16

 2 SOUTU AND EAST AFRICA. The centre? of Portuguese colonisitioii were naturally the seaports, from which points European influences •'•nulually ppreud inland. Notwithstanding many vicissitudes of success and defeat, the ascendancy of the Portuguese, pioneers of a higher culture*, penetrated at last beyond the coast ranges and plateaux far to tho east of the great depression traversed by the Congo. This diffusion of Portuguese authority was largely due to the fact that the intertribal communications were much more easily effected on the southern slopes and upland plains than along the wild and rugged gorges through which the great river forced its way from full to fall to the Atlantic seaboard. Doubtless Stanley's great expedition has suddenly shifted the equilibrium of the continent, and the region of the fluvial basin has now become the chief centre of geographical progress and of the great events that are rapidly bringing about the social and political transformation of the land, liut this very circumstance has aroused Portugal from her lethargy, and stimulated her to redoubled efforts in opening up the vast domain which she has inherited, and her exclusive dominion over which is henceforth guaranteed by international treaties. The recent expeditions of Capello and Ivens, and of Serpa Pinto, attest the importance which the Portuguese now attach to the systematic exploration of their great colony in south-west Africa. The American missionaries stationed in the Bihe district have also of late years contributed much to the geographical study of Angola. The superficial area of the whole territory as far inland as the left bank of the Kwango, and exclusive of the small province lying to the north of the Congo, has been approximately estimated at 280,000 square miles. The popula- tion of the districts that have been roughly surveyed amounts to about four hun- dred and forty thousand ; but including the independent nations and the communi- ties connected with Portugal by the n^ore or less solid relations of vassalage, the whole population of the region lying between the Atlantic and the Kwango can scarcely be estimated at less than two millions. According to Chavanne's calcula- tions, the density of the population in the northern district between Ambriz and the Congo exceeds twelve persons to the square mile, a proportion which would give as many as five millions for the Portuguese possessions, taken in their widest sense. To the whole region has been extended the name of Angola (Ngola), a term originally restricted to the province lying east of Loanda, between the rivers Cuanza and Bengo. Some of the kinglets in the interior still bear this name of Ngola. The province of Angola has often been compared to Brazil, the vast region which 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 received its first settlers, is far inferior to its potent rival in extent, natural resources, economic importance, and general importance amongst the civilised, or at least organised, lands of the globe. ^Nevertheless a real analogy is presented by the geographical structure of Angola and Brazil. In both regions a great river is developed to the north of the plains and elevated plateaux ; in both the relief of the land is formed by a series of terraces rising step by step one above the other.