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
No sooner had the Portuguese regained possession of S. Paulo than the
King of Kongo was called to account for having sided with the Dutch and
favoured the operations of “foreign” Capuchins. A threatened invasion of
his kingdom (1649) speedily led to the conclusion of a treaty of peace
(see p. 126). But as the supposed gold and silver mines were not ceded,
as promised, the Portuguese once more invaded the country, and in the
bloody battle of Ulanga, in 1666, the King lost his life and crown (p.
129). From that time to the close of the century anarchy reigned in
Kongo. The disastrous expedition against Sonyo in 1670 (see p. 131) was
partly undertaken in order to support one of the many rival kings of
that period.
MINOR PUNITIVE EXPEDITIONS, 1658-95.
João Fernandes Vieira, who had gained fame as the leader of the
Portuguese patriots in Brazil, where the capture of Pernambuco had won
him the surname of _o hero de nossa edade_, arrived as Governor on April
18th, 1658, and before the close of the year, a serious rebellion broke
out in Upper Ngulungu. The captain-major, Bartholomeu de Vasconcellos,
took the field, and compelled Ngolome a kayitu (Golome Acaita), to
surrender his rocky stronghold after a siege of four months; Tanga a
ngongo submitted quietly, but Kiluanji kia kanga (Quiloange Acango),
faced the Portuguese four times, and then retired inland without
yielding submission.
A second expedition, in the same year, traversed the districts to the
south of the Kwanza.[500] It started from Masanganu, and having crossed
the Kwanza into Hako was joined by Ngunza mbambe;[501] it entered the
district of Kabeza, where the Jaga of Rimba brought further
reinforcements. Jaga Ngonga ka anga, the chief of Nsela (Shella), on the
river Kuvu, surrendered his capital, Kangunza, by the advice of his
diviners, without striking a blow, and submitted to be baptised. The
expedition then returned to Mbaka by way of the river Gango and Tamba;
whilst Cavazzi, who accompanied it as chaplain, took a more direct road
through Kabeza.
After the great victory over the King of Kongo in 1666 (see p. 130), a
detachment under Antonio da Silva was sent into the territory of the
Ndembu Mutemu Kingengo, whilst another, under Diogo Gomes Morales,
raided the villages of Nambua nongo, these chiefs having aided the
defeated King.
Kisama, at all times an unruly district, and even now virtually
independent, though situated on the sea and within easy reach of Luandu,
has repeatedly given trouble to the Portuguese. In 1672, the sobas of
the district unsuccessfully assaulted the fort at Muchima. In 1686 they
blockaded that fort, until relieved by João de Figueiredo e Souza. In
1689, the sobas Kimone kia sanga and Muchima interfered with the free
navigation of the Kwanza, and were punished by the Portuguese leader
just named; and in 1695, the rebellion of the soba Katala brought into
the field the captain-major, Manuel de Magalhães Leitão.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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