ThefortofMassanganoissmall，butingoodrepair；itcontainssomeveryancientguns，whichwereloadedfromthebreech，andmusthavebeenformidableweaponsintheirtimeThenativesofthiscountryentertainaremarkabledreadofgreatguns，andthistendsmuchtothepermanenceofthePortugueseauthorityTheydreadacannongreatly，thoughthecarriagebesorottenthatitwouldfalltopiecesatthefirstshot；thefortofPungoAndongoiskeptsecurelybycannonperchedoncrosssticksalone！
MassanganowasaveryimportanttownatthetimetheDutchheldforciblepossessionofLoandaandpartofAngola；butwhen，intheyear1648，theDutchwereexpelledfromthiscountrybyasmallbodyofPortuguese，undertheGovernorSalvadorCorreadeSaBenevides，MassanganowaslefttosinkintoitspresentdecaySinceitwaspartiallyabandonedbythePortuguese，severalbaobab-treeshavesprungupandattainedadiameterofeighteenortwentyinches，andareabouttwentyfeethigh。
Nocertainconclusioncanbedrawnfromtheseinstances，asitisnotknownatwhattimeafter1648theybegantogrow；buttheirpresentsizeshowsthattheirgrowthisnotunusuallyslow。
Severalfiresoccurredduringourstay，bythethatchhaving，throughlongexposuretoatorridsun，becomeliketinder。
Theroofsbecameignitedwithoutanyvisiblecauseexcepttheintensesolarrays，andexcitedterrorinthemindsoftheinhabitants，astheslightestsparkcarriedbythewindwouldhavesetthewholetowninablazeThereisnotasingleinscriptiononstonevisibleinMassangano。