Kazounde

           ONMay26th,thecaravanofslavesarrivedatKazounde.Fiftypercent.oftheprisonerstakeninthelastraidhadfallenontheroad.Meanwhile,thebusinesswasstillgoodforthetraders;demandswerecomingin,andthepriceofslaveswasabouttoriseintheAfricanmarkets.

           Angolaatthisperioddidanimmensetradeinblacks.ThePortugueseauthoritiesofSt.PauldeLoanda,orofBenguela,couldnotstopitwithoutdifficulty,fortheconvoystraveledtowardstheinterioroftheAfricancontinent.Thepensnearthecoastoverflowedwithprisoners,thefewslaversthatsucceededineludingthecruisersalongtheshorenotbeingsufficienttocarryallofthemtotheSpanishcoloniesofAmerica.

           Kazounde,situatedthreehundredmilesfromthemouthoftheCoanza,isoneoftheprincipal"lakonis,"oneofthemostimportantmarketsoftheprovince.Onitsgrandsquarethe"tchitoka"businessistransacted;there,theslavesareexposedandsold.Itisfromthispointthatthecaravansradiatetowardtheregionofthegreatlakes.

           Kazounde,likeallthelargetownsofCentralAfrica,isdividedintotwodistinctparts.OneisthequarteroftheArab,Portugueseornativetraders,anditcontainstheirpens;theotheristheresidenceofthenegroking,someferociouscrowneddrunkard,whoreignsthroughterror,andlivesfromsuppliesfurnishedbythecontractors.

           AtKazounde,thecommercialquarterthenbelongedtothatJose-AntonioAlvez,ofwhomHarrisandNegorohadspoken,theybeingsimplyagentsinhispay.