Congo

Sources from old books

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

Congo is a temperate Countrey; the Rains, and Winds, moderating the Heat, which is insupportable in the adjacent parts. Africa has no Regions, that abound more in Rivers. The Zaire, which is the principal one of this Countrey, is considerable for its rapidity, and for the abundance of its Waters. The Congolans know not how to make use of the Commodities of their Land, and though they have Mines of Gold, they have none but shells for Money. Several amongst them, have been converted to Christianity, after the example of some of their Kings. The Portugueses bring from thence Ivory, and Slaves: They have their establishment in the Royal City, called San-Salvador, and in that of St. Paul, in the small Island of Loanda, where they get fresh Water, out of the holes they make in the sand. They keep a Garrison in the Forts of Massagan, and Cambambo, in the Kingdom of Angola, for the security of their Silver-Mines, in which they work, and here it is, they assemble their Negroes, appointed for Brasile. The Males alone, have Right of succeeding in this Kingdom, and all Lands belong to the King, who is called Mani. The Inhabitants have Horses of Wood, the use of which is mighty pleasant; They lay a piece of an Oxes Hide, of the bigness of a Saddle, upon a Post near twelve inches thick, and he who travels, is seated thereon, with his leggs on each side; all this is carried by two strong men, who find others in the way to relieve them. Learning is amongst them in so little estimation, that when Emanuel, King of Portugal, had sent to their King all the excellent Books of Law, that he could meet with, with a considerable number of Civilians: This Prince sent the Doctors back, and caused the Books to be burnt, saying, They would but puzzle the Brains of his Subjects, who stood in need of nothing but honest, reasonable old fashion'd Thinking, and common Sense. That nevertheless, he should be no less a friend of the King of Portugal. They still reckon under the notion of Congo, the Kingdoms of Angola, Cacongo, and Malemba. The Ansicain people who have the Qualities of the Basques in France; And lastly, the Bramas, and Loanghi. Those Kingdoms and People no longer acknowledge the Soveraignty of the King of Congo, as they did formerly. The King of Angola, calls himself the Soba. His Subjects love Doggs flesh to that degree, that they bring up whole Herds, or Packs of them, and one Dogg alone well sed, is sometimes sold amongst them for above two hundred Crowns. They have nothing recommendable but their Dexterity in shooting with the Bow: They will let fly a dozen Arrows, before the first be fallen upon the ground. They say, the Sun is a Man, the Moon a Woman, and the Stars, the Children of that Man and that Woman.

1694. The present state of the universe by John Beaumont.

IN the Reign of John the Second, King of Portugal, ann. 1490, the Discovery and Conversion of the Kingdom of Congo happened; the then King there being Christened John, from whom the present King is descended; and continues of the Roman Religion, according to a Relation given by the Capucins, ann. 1665.

His Arms are Gules, a Cross Argent, cantoned with four Escutcheons of the same, each charged with five Roundles Sable, placed in Saltier. These Arms having been formerly given one of the Kings of Congo by Don Alphonso, King of Portugal. Others say these Arms, in their beginning were Gules, a Cross flowered Argent, charged in the midst with an Escutcheon Azure, charged with five Besants Argent, placed in Saltier, within a Border Azure, charged in each Angle with two Cockle-Shells, Or. Others say his Arms are Mars, five Swords meeting in Base, Sol; which Coat was taken by Alphonso, the Second Christian King of Congo, because in the Battel which he fought against Panse Aquitine, he and his Soldiers saw, (or fancied they saw) such a Number of shining Swords, hanging in the Air, with their Points turned directly upon the Enemy.

His chief Town is S. Salvador, which is of large extent, and well peopled: the Houses are built with Wood and Branches of Trees, bound together with a little Earth, mixed with Lime.

The only Money of this Kingdom is Cockle-Shells, tho the King has great Treasures from Mines of Silver and other Metals, from the Sale of Slaves, from Elephants Teeth, &c.