Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/42

 21 SOUTH AND EAST AFRICA. The Ganguellas and Lihollos. Beyond the Upper Cuanza, the peoples dwelling south-east of the Bundas, Iluambas, and Quirabandes — confederate tribes of blacksmiths and wax-hunters, scattered amid the depressions of the plateau — are collectively known as Gan- guellas, a term which appears to have been suggested by the contempt in which these aborigines are held. The word is said to mean "silly" or "senseless people," and in proof of their stupidity, it was till recently said of them that they looked on brandy as a poison, and consequently massacred the first importers of the pernicious liquor. Under the general designation of Ganguellas are now com- prised numerous tribes, whose idioms are connected towards the east with those of the Lobales, and westward with those of the Nanus. Notwithstanding the great difference in their social condition, all these peoples seem to have a common origin ; nor does their reputation for savagery prevent the Ganguellas from being highly intelligent and enterprising traders. According to Bastian, amongst them are to be sought the descendants of the terrible Jagas, who formerly overran the empire of Congo, and who have been affiliated by other writers to the Fulahs, the Zulu- Kafirs, and even the Hamitic Gallas. The Songo people, who occupy the waterparting between the Cuanza and the Kwango to the east of Malange, have been brought more under Portuguese influence than the Ganguellas ; yet there are few African lands where trial by the ordeal of the poisoned cup is more common than in their territory. It is employed even in the most frivolous cases, the litigants being, however, then replaced by a number of children, or of dogs, who represent the opposite sides. An attenuated decoction, which causes little danger to life, is administered all round, and the first to reject the potion secures the triumph of their party. The tribes dwelling along the left bank of the Lower Cuanza diverge more from the ordinary Bunda type, and the Bantu dialects spoken by them differ greatly from the current speech of Angola. To this group belong the Libollos, whose territory is limited eastwards by the little river Cango, who bear the rejiutation of being a mild, peace-loving, and industrious agricultural people. The Libollos are the hereditary foes of their western neighbours, the Quissamas (Kissama), who occupy the peninsvdar district bounded east and north by the great bend of the Lower Cuanza, west and south-west by the coast. Hitherto the Quissamas have preserved their complete independence, although it would have been easy to reduce their territory, almost entirely encircled as it is by the Portuguese possessions. During a famine, by which the land was wasted, some Bunda traders took advantage of the general distress to barter provisions for a large number of half-famished families. But the next year the Quissamas avenged themselves by capturing several of the Bunda merchants, whom they put to the torture, burning them with red-hot irons in punishment of the indignity offered to the nation. Owing to this occurrence the Bundas would now willingly offer their services to the Portuguese Government for the conquest of the Quissama territorv.