The articles exchanged with the Africans for their gold, ivory, and slaves, are chiefly salt, shells, beads, tobacco, coloured handkerchiefs, and coarse cloths from Surat.
It is a peculiar custom in the colony, that every per son who can command a decent dress may visit the go vernor's house in the evening, which many take care to do, chiefly for the sake of obtaining a cup of tea ; and the governor removes to his country seat, it is esteemed a proper mark of respect to follow him, and make similar visits of ceremony. The wives of the planters (of whom few are seen in public) are generally thin and sallow in their complexion, negligent in the care of their persons, except on great occasions, and resembling those of the Cape in their taste for smoking tobacco, and the custom of going without stockings. The food of these planters is gross in the extreme, con sisting of great masses of boiled meats, chiefly pork and beef, in the midst of vegetables; with quantities of oil, not remarkable for its purity, in most of their dishes.
The natives who occupy the country behind Mosam bique, are the Makooa or Makooana, comprising a num ber of powerful tribes, extending northward as far as Melinda ; southward, to the mouth of the Zambezi ; and in a southwest direction, almost to the neighbour hood of the Caffres. They are an athletic and ugly race of people, of the most ferocious aspect, and savage dis position. They arc fond of tattooing their skins, and draw a stripe down the forehead along the nose to the chin, which is crossed in a direct angle by another line from ear to ear, so as to give the face the appearance of being sewed together in four parts. They file their teeth to a point, so as to resemble a coarse saw ; and suspend ornaments of copper or bone from a hole in the gristle of the nose. Their upper lip protrudes in a very remarkable degree; and this they consider as so princi pal a point of beauty, that they endeavour to make it still longer, by introducing into the centre a small circu lar piece of ivory, wood, or iron. They dress their hair in a very fantastic manner, some shaving one side of the head, others both sides, leaving a kind of crest from the front to the nape of the neck ; while few of them wear simply a knot of hair on their foreheads. Their females
resemble greatly the Hottentot women in the curvature of the spine, and protrusion of the hinder parts; and, when past the prime of life, are said to present the most disagreeable objects that can be conceived. They are fond of music and dancing ; but their tunes and motions are unvaried and monotonous. Their favourite instru-. ment is called Ambira, which is formed by a number of thin bars of iron of different lengths, highly tempered, and set in a row on a hollow case of wood, about four inches square, and closed on three sides. It is played upon with a piece of quill ; and its notes, though sim ple, are sufficiently harmonious, sounding to the car, when skilfully managed, like the changes upon bells. They are armed with spears, darts, and poisoned arrows ; and possess also a considerable number of muskets, which they procure from the Arabs in the northern dis tricts, and sometimes even from the Portuguese dealers. They are formidable enemies to the settlement ; and have been rendered desperate in their hostilities, by the nefarious practices of the traders who have gone among them to purchase slaves. But, notwithstanding this natural ferocity, they are very docile and serviceable as slaves ; and when partially admitted to freedom, by being enrolled as soldiers, they become both expert and faithful in the service. A few tribes on the coast, who speak the same language as the Makooa, and probably belonged originally to the same stock, had fallen under the jurisdiction of the Arab settlers ; and, when these last were conquered by the Portuguese, became bound to pay tribute, and render military service. Their Sheiks are appointed by the governor of Mosambique; and some of them are so powerful as to be able to bring into the field from two to four thousand men ; but as they seldom act in unison, little reliance can be placed on their assistance.