The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell, of Leigh, in Angola and the Adjoining RegionsBattell, Andrew
History
The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell, of Leigh, in Angola and the Adjoining Regions
Battell, Andrew
Angola -- Discovery and exploration; Congo (Democratic Republic) -- Discovery and exploration
[41] Kasanza’s lake can confidently be identified with the Lalama Lake
of modern maps, south of the Rio Bengo, thirty-six miles due east of S.
Paulo de Loanda. _Ka_ is a diminitive; _nsanza_ means village.
[42] The river of Bengo or Nzenza, which enters the sea ten miles
north-east of Loanda.
[43] Mani Bangono’s district is not mentioned elsewhere. It cannot have
been far from the sea.
[44] Mushi or Mwishikongo, a Congo-man: plural, Eshi-Kongo.
[45] Bamba, or rather Mbamba, the south-west province of Congo,
extending to the lower Coanza.
[46] Lamba, or Hamba, is bounded by the Bengo in the north, and by the
Coanza and its tributary the Lucalla on the south. The “Governor” here
referred to is João Furtado de Mendonça. Battell seems to have been
among the reinforcements despatched after the disastrous campaign in the
spring of 1596. The “General” of Battell was João de Velloria, a
Spaniard, who was Capitâo mór do Campo.
[47] The route followed by Battell is approximately indicated upon the
map. Sowonso may be the same as Dapper’s Chonso or Douville’s Quionso,
beyond Icolo. As to the other places along the route, I can suggest no
identifications. Namba Calamba certainly has nothing to do with the
Portuguese Fort Calumbu on the Coanza, built in 1571.
[48] Kumba ria Kaiangu?
[49] _Outeiro_ (Portuguese), a hill.
[50] Battell’s Ingasia is undoubtedly the Angazi or Engase of Duarte
Lopez, a Bunda district subject to Bamba, which in Pigafetta’s map lies
to the south of the river Bengo. Mendez de Castellobranco, p. 11,
mentions Engombe (Ngombe). The name survives perhaps in the Ndembu
Ngombe a Muquiama on the northern bank of the Bengo, who, according to
J. V. Carneiro (_An. do conselho ultramar._, vol. ii, pp. 172 to 179,
1861), was in olden times dependent upon Congo. The name Ngombe (“ox”)
is, however, a very common one.
[51] The Pete, more correctly called _Puita_, or _Kipuita_, is a musical
instrument described by Monteiro (_Angola_, vol. ii, p. 140), and in
Cordeiro da Matta’s _Diccionario_, p. 29. It consists of a hollow wooden
cylinder, one end of which is covered with sheepskin. A wooden stick is
passed through the centre of this sheepskin, and a most hideous noise is
produced by moving this stick to and fro.
[52] The Pongo (_mpunga_) is an ivory trumpet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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