ThecauseofthedecadenceofthePortuguesepowerinthisregionissimplythis：Informertimes，considerablequantitiesofgrain，aswheat，millet，andmaize，wereexported；alsocoffee，sugar，oil，andindigo，besidesgold-dustandivoryThecultivationofgrainwascarriedonbymeansofslaves，ofwhomthePortuguesepossessedalargenumberThegold-dustwasprocuredbywashingatvariouspointsonthenorth，south，andwestofTeteAmerchanttookallhisslaveswithhimtothewashings，carryingasmuchcalicoandothergoodsashecouldmusterOnarrivingatthewashing-place，hemadeapresenttothechiefofthevalueofaboutapoundsterling。
Theslaveswerethendividedintoparties，eachheadedbyaconfidentialservant，whonotonlyhadthesupervisionofhissquadwhilethewashingwenton，butboughtdustfromtheinhabitants，andmadeaweeklyreturntohismasterWhenseveralmastersunitedatonespot，itwascalleda“Bara“，andtheythenerectedatemporarychurch，inwhichapriestfromoneofthemissionsperformedmass。
Bothchiefsandpeoplewerefavorabletothesevisits，becausethetraderspurchasedgrainforthesustenanceoftheslaveswiththegoodstheyhadbroughtTheycontinuedatthislaboruntilthewholeofthegoodswereexpended，andbythismeansabout130lbsofgoldwereannuallyproducedProbablymorethanthiswasactuallyobtained，but，asitwasanarticleeasilysecreted，thisalonewassubmittedtotheauthoritiesfortaxation。
AtpresentthewholeamountofgoldobtainedannuallybythePortugueseisfrom8to10lbsonlyWhentheslave-tradebegan，itseemedtomanyofthemerchantsamorespeedymodeofbecomingrichtosellofftheslavesthantopursuetheslowmodeofgold-washingandagriculture，andtheycontinuedtoexportthemuntiltheyhadneitherhandstolabornortofightforthemItwasjustthestoryofthegooseandthegoldenegg。
Thecoffeeandsugarplantationsandgold-washingswereabandoned，becausethelaborhadbeenexportedtotheBrazilsManyofthePortuguesethenfollowedtheirslaves，andthegovernmentwasobligedtopassalawtopreventfurtheremigration，which，haditgoneon，wouldhavedepopulatedthePortuguesepossessionsaltogether。