A wide-spread superstition has become riveted in the native mind, that if any one plants this tree he will soon die.

The Makololo, like other natives, were very fond of the fruit; but when told to take up some mango- stones, on their return, and plant them in their own country--they too having become deeply imbued with the belief that it was a suicidal act to do so--replied "they did not wish to die too soon." There is also a superstition even among the native Portuguese of Tette, that if a man plants coffee he will never afterwards be happy: they drink it, however, and seem the happier for it.
The Portuguese of Tette have many slaves, with all the usual vices of their class, as theft, lying, and impurity.

As a general rule the real Portuguese are tolerably humane masters and rarely treat a slave cruelly; this may be due as much to natural kindness of heart as to a fear of losing the slaves by their running away.

When they purchase an adult slave they buy at the same time, if possible, all his relations along with him.

They thus contrive to secure him to his new home by domestic ties.