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PORTUGUESE GUINEA
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PORTUGUESE See also:GUINEA , a Portuguese See also:colony in See also:West See also:Africa, extending along the Guinea See also:coast from Cape Roxo in 12° 19' N. to the Cogon See also:estuary in 1o° 50' N. Inland it reaches to 13° 40' W., being enclosed landward by See also:French territory, the Casamance See also:district of See also:Senegal to the N., and French Guinea E. and S. (For See also:map, see FRENCH WEST AFRICA.) The colony has an See also:area of about 14,000 sq. m., and a See also:population variously estimated at from 200,000 to 800,000. It consists largely of a See also:low-lying deltaic region, together with an adjacent See also:archipelago of small islands called the Bissagos. The coast-See also:line is deeply indented by estuaries into which flow numerous See also:rivers whose See also:sources are in the elevated region on the eastern border of the colony. The largest estuary, the Geba, receives the See also:river of the same name, the Mancoa, a See also:northern affluent, and the Rio Grande or Comba; the last a large stream rising in the See also:highlands of Futa Jallon. See also:North of the Geba estuary is the Rio Cacheo, while in the See also:south is the Rio See also:Cassini, in reality an See also:arm of the See also:sea. These rivers and estuaries are connected with one another and with many smaller rivers by a network of lagoons; and the Bissagos Islands, which See also:lie off the Geba estuary, formed at one See also:time See also:part of the mainland. The Bissagos, protected seaward by dangerous breakers, consist of over See also:thirty islands, besides many small reefs. The largest See also:island, Orango, is the most southerly of the See also:group and some 30 M. from the coast. Bulama and Bissao, islands of more importance, lie See also:close to the mainland. The larger rivers can be ascended by vessels of considerable See also:size for distances of 40 to 150 m., but See also:navigation is rendered difficult by strong currents and the shifting nature of the channels as well as by hidden rocks and the See also:great difference between high and low See also:water. The See also:climate is unhealthy, with a mean temperature of about 78° F. The rainfall is heavy, thunderstorms being frequent in the wet See also:season, which lasts from May to See also:October. See also:Flora and See also:Fauna.—Large See also:forest regions extend behind the See also:mangrove-lined lagoons. Their characteristic trees are the oil and date palms, the See also:baobab, the shea-See also:butter See also:tree, See also:ebony, See also:mahogany and See also:calabash trees, and the See also:acacia. See also:Rubber vines are fairly abundant. Besides the forests, densest along the river valleys, there are extensive tracts of grassland and See also:park-like See also:country. See also:Fruit trees include the papaw, with fruit the size of See also:ostrich eggs, the See also:guava, custard See also:apple, See also:mango, the See also:banana, the See also:orange and the citron. The See also:tobacco, See also:indigo and See also:cotton See also:plants grow See also:wild, and the See also:coffee plant is also found. Ground-nuts and See also:kola nuts are cultivated, and See also:rice and See also:millet are the See also:chief crops grown. The See also:elephant is found in the district between the Geba and Grande rivers, and See also:hippopotamus are numerous, Other animals include the See also:panther, wild See also:boar, various antelopes, baboons, chimpanzees and large See also:snakes. Crocodiles and sharks abound in the rivers. Birds include the See also:pelican, See also:heron, See also:marabout, the See also:trumpet See also:bird and innumerable yellow parrots. Partridges and See also:woodcock are alsoparts of the country. Inhabitants.—The See also:people of the interior are mostly See also:Mandingo (q.v.) and See also:Fula (q.v.). The coast regions and the islands are inhabited by See also:negro tribes which live See also:side by side without mixing, each pre-serving their own customs, See also:dress, See also:language and type. They.exhibit great See also:attachment to the See also:soil and are profoundly religious, being noted specially for their respect for See also:family See also:life and ancestral See also:worship. Neither See also:Christianity nor Mahommedanism has made much headway among them. Going from south to north the chief tribes are the Nalu, who dwell by the Cassini and are keen traders and lovers of See also:peace; the Biafare or Biaffade, who occupy the region between the sea and the Rio Grande and jealously guard their country from strangers; the Bulam (Mankaie), living in the island of Bulama, and much given to adorning their bodies by See also:long cuts formed into patterns; the Balanta, a.piratical folk inhabiting the See also:banks of the Geba; the Papel of the island of Bissao, formerly cannibals, an industrious agricultural tribe which furnishes the See also:majority of the educated Africans employed by the Portuguese; the Manjak or Mandiago, and a See also:branch of the Felup peoples, these last living near the Rio Cacheo in See also:savage See also:isolation and much given to waylaying and pillaging strangers. The Manjak inhabit the country between the Mancoa and the Cacheo, and the neighbouring islands. They are a hospitable and See also:clever people, very adaptable, do not See also:object to leaving their tribal lands, and are said to keep their word. Excellent See also:seamen, See also:good artisans and See also:sharp traders, they maintain a sort of feudal See also:system. Their houses are surrounded by walls, which are pierced with loopholes and provided with towers at the angles. The rooms are built See also:round a courtyard. They examine the entrails of See also:fowl to foretell good or evil events. The See also:burial customs are elaborate. The See also:body is smoked and, the skin having been removed, it is sewn up in a number of pagns (native cloths) and placed in a See also:coffin fastened by gilded nails. See also:Bright tissues are wrapped round the coffin, on which are hung little bells of See also:copper and small See also:brass mirrors. The seaward islands of the Bissagos are inhabited by an See also:independent and warlike tribe of fishers and pirates called Bidiogos. Their See also:women See also:wear a See also:short skirt made of See also:palm leaves.
The natives who adopt Portuguese names and who See also:form the bulk of the townsmen in the See also:European settlements are called Gurmettes. They furnish the levies with which the authorities occasionally make See also:war on the native tribes. The chief centres of See also:trade are Bissao, on the island of the same name, which is surrounded by old fortifications; Cacheo, on the Rio Cacheo, also fortified; and Bulama (Boulam) on Bulama Island, the seat of the See also:government. The European population consists of a few Portuguese officials, soldiers, traders and convicts, and a few traders of other nationalities.
See also:History.—Bulama Island was discovered by Portuguese navigators in 1446, but was not formally claimed by See also:Portugal until 1752, about which time she founded a station at Bissao, while in 1669 a See also:post had been established on the Rio Grande. In 187o a claim made by Great See also:Britain to Bulama and a part of the mainland was disallowed by the arbitrator appointed (See also:President See also: Though so long settled in the district—the only part of the Guinea coast west of the See also:Gabun See also:left in her See also:possession—Portugal has done little towards its development. With a fertile and well-watered soil, exceedingly See also:rich in natural products, there is not much See also:commerce, and such trade as exists, chiefly in non-Portuguese hands, is hampered by excessive customs duties and vexatious regulations. In 1905 the See also:external trade of the colony was not more than £r6o,000 and was less than it had' been twenty years previously. Ground-nuts, rubber, See also:wax and See also:ivory are the See also:principal exports. See also:Revenue and See also:expenditure are about £50,000 a See also:year. Portuguese authority does not in fact extend much beyond the few stations maintained, nor has the See also:local government won the confidence of the natives. In 1908 Bissao and some European settlements on the mainland were besieged by the Papel and other tribes and troops had to be sent from Portugal before See also:order could be restored. If however See also:agriculture and commerce suffer, the ethnologist and zoologist find in this easily accessible little See also:enclave a rich See also: L. de See also:Fonseca, " Guine in Bull. soc. geog. Lisboa (1905), vol. See also:xxiii.; R. See also:Wagner, " Portugiesisch Guinea: See also:Land and Leute," in Deutsche Rundschau. (1905), vol. See also:xxvii.; E. de Vasconcelles, As Colonies portuguesas (See also:Lisbon, 1896-1897) ; and J. Machat, See also:Les Rivieres du sud (See also:Paris, 1906), in which are cited many papers dealing with Portuguese Guinea. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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