The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-11
MARVELLOUS GOLD NINE.
.prlsURB UARDED BFTHE WHITE
Iyrs OF MUNDUNGO-LUI.

.dx.p,ures OF Young Portuguese In
',.,srior Africa-The Sakenie Tribe, it's
Tucauny Customs, and its Wonderful
source Of wcaiih-Is this II New sinbad
Lisbon, Portugal, April 2S.-About thirty
-..,s aeo a young merchant Of Oporto Vicente
coslho BY name, who had been trading between
,,.hon and Peruambuco, and thence home by
ne say u the African coast made great sen.
..,,ou IN Sac Paolo do Loando by exhibiting
LID which he brought from the interior OF
africa. lie had stopped In Angola to repair the
master " a trading venture, and made a canoe
savage IN the Coanza for some distance. Here,
having his boats, he struck eastward through
Che hills with an escort saying that he was
,olus In pursuit Of ivory and slaves. He was
.h.ent between four and Ave months. during
xhch time the canoes were lost or stolen, and
Ms companions concluded that he was dead.
Hut, at the end OF the time stated, ne suddenly
mrned up In Ambriz with new party He had
neither slaves nor ivory, but brought what was
far better-four canoes freixhted with gold, In
nil not less than 1900 ounces. This gold was OF
4, sort never before seen on that part OF the
roast. very pure, rather red, aud eranulited
throughout like broken fragments Of rice.
OF course the discovery excited the gre test
curiosity, but Coelho rcsolu,ely kept his own
counsel. and would tell nobody whore he had
found the treasure. Twothiids OF 1t he shipped
b. Lisbon to his family there the other third he
Invested In a cargo Of slaves for Brazil, which
was then importing very largely on accOun, OF
The known determination Of the Governme Mt
10 suppress the trade Coelho embarked with
his cargo, and the vessel. the Sac Joas Nepomu-
Gene. was captured when two days from the
mouth Of the Congo by British cruiser, and
taken to Cape Town for condemnation.
Coelho procured legal advice and obtained
peyera STAYS OF proceedings, but. pending trial
and while still In prison, he fell sick and died.
His letters and will were transmitted to his
family at Lisbon, but the vessel was condemned.
the cargo OF slaves set tree, and Coelho's effects
Including his private papers, for the restoration
OF which he pleaded heartily. were conascat ed a.,
The yauables sold, and the papers laid bv In
some pigeon hole IN the archives Of the Cape
Town Government.
In is,2 Young man appeared In Cane Town
who bore proof that he was the son Of Vicente
Coelho, his own name being Antonio. He came
10 search Of his fathers papers, which. as no
cal were OF no use TO any one but his ftmily,
but OF great importance to them, since the pos.
session OF the documents would enable them TO
recover large fortune. The papers were hunt
ed for. nut none remained except some letters,
few account books. and an itinerary or log
book, part OF which was written In Latin
After great deal OF red tape, some CORE
ppondence With the Governor OF the colony and
the British Home Secretary, and a resolution IT
The Provincial Legislature, Antonio Coelho
nnally obtained the coveted papers. He lmme-
daicy sailed for Lisbon, whence, after month
rtwo. he took the steamer for Sac PiOlo do
IL ma. Here he made elaborate preparations
for An expedition into the interior. which finally
comprised ships launch and four canoes. with
thr'y men, Of whom only four, including An
tonic, were Europeans.
TRACING HIS FATHERS FOOTSTEPS.
Beyond Bemo e. the party left their canoes but
still followed the nver into Demoo nd. Tho
mountains reached, Antonio took northeast
srly route, passing into the country Of the
hososoes, several leagues to tue northward Of
Lake Aauiilenda, Of which Europeans only
knew through the reports Of traders and NEGROES.
longitude lie IS east, the party came upon tue
confluence OF two great rivers, which the ma
tNe- called by various names, but which Coelho
supposed TO be the Zare or Congo aud the
LpOUa crossing Antonio travelled due north
rxy miles into and through Mundungos cOun-
hN. until he was halted at village on the nix :
Of another great river. wnicn he supposed to be
Me Umfte or umnre Of the conJectursl map
1hH village. COelho so told his comrades, was
eai.ed Sakenie. md he announced IL as the
place ne was seeking for.
he teople OF Sakenje showed great hostility
" tuelh"s party on their first approach, an
refused 10 admit them 10 the village. CoeIhu,
howey' r. passing to he front, called loudly Tor
'Niekalenso.' when AN old chef with gray
tstnuishment. came for h 10 meet them. toulho,
through the iuterprcfer. announced thtt he va 4
tnc son of Vicente Coelho VINO mad visited the
Village 80 many yenrs ago and promised 10 re
turn; aud IN Il ne mad brought the presents
whl,n his father mad engaged To BRING.
Ia rrnof OF his claims toelho produced a
"gre"- gree Oeticn amulet. witch H. sad
Vicente nd received FROM NtekdlengO on that
ti-lt. II was nonde-cupt isure made of cock :
feathers wrapped ABOUT WITH Gopher wire, and
tuuuoried on "A stick II hard wood upon which
turtc OF four Arabic characters were burnt In.
The DID man tool, the symbol, * tmined IL e re-
fully; These are our friends" he cried 10 the
negroes they bfiu- back the luck ~ Sakenje /;
oven the gates" Arms were instantly laid aside,
The drums beat "A nideOus welcome. and the i'm
pulsiye negroes received their visitors with
IN ntr
them.
The village OF Sakenje comursed about 200
huIs, upon rounded Knoll some +0O feet hign,
lieep In the rear and soping gently to the river.
The and slde was protected by "A pilisaue Of
log driven into the ground. Outside OF this
defence was ditch two OF three feet wide and
about foot deep, made VI clay stamped with
tn foot aud thea baked hard by bursting weeds
tnd uri grass in IL. TINS ditch WAS kept half-
tled with heavy black petroleum or asph 4.
otihe lnslstsncv Of tar aud an intensely pun
gent smell, the use Of which was to repel the
i1cursuu, of the white ants. their colonies
behe yer, numerous In the ncighboThood, aud
irf nerceness and rapdcity greatly dreaded.
Inc >ikcuJes were a iriOe OF copper col rcd
Negroes WHO were not unlike the tall IN flg-
uie Iuey seemed to be plenufull supplied
WIN glld. IVORY, ana copper md had cloths and
.hl "ther goods OF European make, out ao
Meaims. They ma no Intercourse with the
west coast, but traded largely with negroes VINO
ole from the east, northeast, and southeast.
hl VINO apparently had intercourse with the
H sIiole traders from Zanzibar and the caravans
hf1ugh SoudIn.
NieAaenso was the titular but not hereditary
Erfoi the village ANA surrounding country.
hrdrri'ed authority chiefly from his skill as
tphJ and doctor, and from the fact tnat
onl he dnd his family and slaves knew the Sc
gre ~ DOW iu obtain the gold from the fierce
Mr ~ NundungO-Lui lie WAS a mild ruler,
WIN lleh- Tar in advance u his tribe. Ia fact,
rneh child he mad been captured and sent
~" slavery IN Soudan, IN the nou sehold OF
auaheh' where, before he ran away no had ac-
Yuuel NE rldiments OF an educal ion rare In
tsu1rai Africa.
lht FRIENDLY ANTS OF MUSDUNGo LII.
me Village II >akente had the great advant
49, possessing no ne Il neighbOrs. There wa5
D .Duloe nearer " than half a hundred miles
~ lNp OF three smaller villages OF the Saken-
\ r. comprised the entire popu ttiOn. Ia fact,
NJ V'uhlfi was avoided as uncdnny aud the
\ !--f j. hrd ipJu vita d. rust as a peO-
Il tegNen 10 black mt and devil worship. In the
II INWt,r' iheY lived too near the oil pools of
II tyl 'l s!td' which the birds even could not fly
~ "Nhout dropping dead, and which even
H.! 4,A als aud hyena- fed from. In the second
uNlnd lug0-Lul
a,h'gy ilghi-minded African has a wholesome
Iu, ana sound hatred, Of the white ants,
ia Dl'''' Their numbers, their predacity; but
,,a' IN hJrse not ouly lived near a most extern
.iS t.b u these, but were actu-
H. g, ultimate with them, protected and
H.. Y'u,, ana were even sald to trade with
I'LL W course, only tribe OF sorcerers
Ia-u ut guilty Of such strange practices. And
"a N .