Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-11

Chinde and sailed for miles along tho
coast before | came to Beifa. Inc
territory is enormous, II extends along
the borders of the Indian ocean for as
far as from New York TO Omaha and at
the north goes inland as far as from
Washington TO Boston. II Is larger
than Texas and Ii would make consid-
erably more than six states the size OF
Ohio. Kentucky or Virginia. Its ma
tive population is estimated at two or
three millions. but no accurate census
has been taken; and. although the Por-
tuguese have owned the country for
more than 300 years, they know almost
nothing about It. The greater part OF
It. as have said. has been leased to
the Mozambique company and that
company fixes the taxes and pays Por-
tugal for the privilege of exploiting tho
town 1t runs the postofflce and sells
its own postage stamps.
THE PRAzzo SYSTEM.
1t farms out the natives and makes
them pay taxes, which in some cases
they work out by giving their labor to
foreigners. This is known as the praz-
20 system. The country. Is divided
up into districts known as praZzos.
These are put up at auction. the sue
cessful bidder having the right TO col
lect the taxes of his prazzo for a term
OF three years. He Is allowed TO levy
q tax of so much on each native and he
must pay that amount i'm cash or work
The contractor has also the right to
force the people TO do a certain amount
on the public roads and on house build
Ing for the officials. He has also other
rights which mako the system little
more than legalized slavery The
taxes are often paid In goods, and the
value of their work is measured by
American or English cotton cloth, the
price of which can be regulated largely
by the collector part of the labor is
the hunting of elephants and the gath
eriug of rubber, both OF which are eX-
ceedingly profitable. l am told that
the abuses of such men, IN the faraway
districts, are terrible. and that the peo-
pie have comparatively few rights that
the tax collectors are bound to re-
spect. 1t is said that slavery Is still
common In some regions, although II
is not recognized by the government
and Is contrary to law. The conditions
are not as bad as in Portuguese West
Africa, where slaves are stIll bought
and sold, but they are bad enough.
MOZAMBIQUE A BACK NUMBER.
The cities of Portuguese East Africa
are changing. 1t used to be that Mo-
zambique was by far the most import
ant. Situated on little island, in the
wide channel between Africa and
Madagascar, II was for years one Of
the great ports of the continent. 1t
was a center of the slave trade, and
the residence of the chief Portuguese
officials. The country has two cap
itals, one at Mozambique at the north
and the other at Laurence MARQUES at
the south. Mozambique is stlll the
headquarters of the Mozambique COM
pany, and its operations are conduct
ed from there. Lourenco Marques Is
the chief commercial center and, with
its magnificent harbor and its short
railroad to the gold fields. It is fast
becoming one of the most important
cities on the east coast OF Africa.
Mozambique lies on little island
only quarter Of mile wide and not
more than mile long 1t is close to
the mainland and canoes are always