Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/51

THE SLAVE TRADE. 81 lionised during the last few years. For the throe centuries following the occupation of the land, the factories along the coast between the Congo and Cunene rivers traded exclusively in slaves. These stations were mere depots for the wretched captives destined for the Brazilian plantations, and mostly purchased in the interior by the traders of Sam Thome, descendants of the Jews banished to that island towards the end of the fifteenth century. The African coastlands having thus been depopulated for the benefit of the New World, it is not surprising that Angola has been so greatly distanced in material progress by the vast Brazilian empire. The number of blacks transporte 1 from Angola since the beginning of the sixteenth century has been estimated at about one million at least ; and to procure this multitude of slaves, the dealers in human flesh probably caused the destruction of three or four times as many in the slave- hunting exj)editiou8 and the terrible forced marches to the coast. No doubt the black cargoes received th'3 apostolic benediction wl^en setting sail, and at the time of Bastian's visit the stone seat was still shown at Loanda from which the bishop stretched forth his hands towards the parting hulks in order to bestow his episcopal blessing on their living freights. But it may be doubted whether the horrors of the middle passage were perceptibly abated for all this unctuous mummery. When, however, the traffic was checked, and at lust abolished alto- gether, about the middle of the present century, the broad Angolan uplands had ceased to be a hunting-ground for human quarry. But although the land now began to be slowly repeopled, the old trade in slaves was still continued from plantation to plantation, just as it flourishes at the present time throughout the Negro kingdoms of the interior beyond the Kwango river. The whole system of cultivation, as well as the colonial administration in general, depended on the forced labour of the serfs employed on the large domains ceded by the state to enterprising speculators. At last slavery was completely abolished in 1878 throughout the Portuguese possessions, where no native is any longer compelled to till a square yard of land which he cannot call his own. But the tenure of the land itself has not under- gone a corresponding change. Small freeholds, which tend so greatly to foster the self-respect and promote the well-being of the peasant, have not been substi- tuted for the extensive domains on which is based the ascendancy of a jwwerful landed aristocracy. Nevertheless such a radical change as the emancipation of the Negro cannot fail eventually to bring about a corresponding revolution in the prevalent system of manual labour. So also the ever- increasing importance of Angola, in the social economy of the African world, must necessarily ere long entitle this region to a larger share of local self-government, and to a funda- mental modification of the present system of complete dependence on the crown authorities resident in Lisbon. Topography. Although recognised by solemn international treaties as sole masters of the left bank of the Lower Congo, from Noki to Cape Padrfto, the Portuguese possess