The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-01
EXPLORING AFRICA.
The Latest Portuguese Efforts ii
the Province of Angola.
n i.ho,, N,,.asrn,dapf

LISBON COfreSpOnuenLJ
I have already forwarded Q summary
of the official report remitted to the Min
lister of Marine, Marquis de Sabugosa, by
the African explorers, Senhores CapellO
and Ivens. The following is the transla-
ton in extenso, of the interesting official
report, dated Loando, 24th October, 1879:
Your ExCELLENCY: While deliver
ing into your hands the present report,
we have the honor to inform you that we
are now in the town of Loanda, having
arrived here on the 9th inst, thus termi-
mating our commission into the interior.
We are happy to inform your Excel
lency that the instructions Of His Ma
jesty's Government were not only con-
stantly observed by us, and carried out
as completely as they could have been
under such exceptional circumstances,
but that even great number of i'm
portant problems relative to the general
map of the Province of Angola, and
which will be of great avail in the re-
construction of the said map, have been
completely solved. It WAS in conse-
quence Of the special direction that our
labors were to take that, after traversing
the Province from the South to the pla-
teau of Bihe; after having seen the
rivers Cubango, Cunene, the Quango and
its head-waters, and part Of the course Of
the Cuba; after having surveyed the
approximate course Of the Lo-
anda, discovered the sources of
the aforementioned river, and likewise
those Of the Rivers Quango, Chicapa and
Cassal; and after having determined i'm
portant points on this side Of the Quango,
! etc., that we began. to descend the
Quango River as far as the bush Of Iaca,
an extensive region which, lying to the
south of the Zaire, extends between the
fifth and seventh parallels We then
turned toward the Province with the
view Of employing our remaining time
and resources in making surveys,Q which
the said Province stood greatly in need.
In the region Of the north, to the east
and west Of the Quango, we discovered
a great number of rivers, affluents of the
Quango, their banks being peopled by
very savage tribes, unacquainted with
Europeans, and inclined to be hostile
to any that came In their way. The
hostility of those tribes greatly
interfered with our labors, which
might have been more extensively
executed were it not for the difficulties
arising from their opposition. While
submitting to your Excellency's high
consideration this brief exposition of our
labors, which the precarious state of our
health does not permit us to develop
more largely, we beg to be allowed t
state that the map of the Province Of
Angola, and more especially toward the
interior, stood in need of important rec
tifcations, to which all our attention was
directed at the close of our commission
and which rectifcations may, notwith
standing, be rendered more complete by
future surveys. We think, your Excel
lency, that under these circumstances
having executed the orders giver
, us by superior authority, and hax
t ing thus rendered the services tha
! we have above stated, we have CORE
!. sponded in some measure to the high con
fidence which his Majesty's Govern
ment designed to place in us. Co
guard your Excellency.
HERMENEG1LDo DE BRITo CAPELLo.
vi ROBERTO IvKNs
q LoANDA, Oct. "a, 1879.
9 The Commerce. de Lisbon, the proprit
e tor of which is Secretary to the Lisbo
8 Geographical Society, says:
J. ave know that the intrepid explorer
l. Major Serpa Pinto has asked for or
e about to ask for, his dismissal from tn
Is army, as he wishes to retire fro,
e public and official life. We are the mol
|, surprised at this as it seems impossib
n that the Government should not hay
d already resolved on defining the positio
a of the illustrious explorer"
Gen. Sherman N0nplussed.