uler ▁( so ba ) ▁of ▁M ux ima . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁effort , ▁Portuguese ▁managed ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Il amba ▁located ▁between ▁the ▁K w anza ▁and ▁Beng o ▁R ivers , ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁hard - f ought ▁battle ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 2 , ▁founded ▁the ▁post ▁at ▁Mass ang ano ▁at ▁the ▁confl u ence ▁of ▁the ▁K w anza ▁and ▁Lu cala ▁R ivers . ▁ ▁Em bold ened ▁by ▁vict ories ▁over ▁N d ongo ▁arm ies ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 3 ▁and ▁ 1 5 8 5 , ▁D ias ▁de ▁Nov ais ' ▁lieutenant ▁Luis ▁Ser r ão , ▁who ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁col ony ▁following ▁D ias ▁de ▁Nov ais ' ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 9 ▁led ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁N d ongo ' s ▁capital ▁at ▁Kab asa . ▁ ▁This ▁attack , ▁however , ▁was ▁a ▁spect ac ular ▁failure , ▁as ▁N d ongo , ▁al lied ▁with ▁its ▁neighbor ▁Mat amba ▁cr ushed ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁army ▁and ▁drove ▁it ▁back ▁to ▁Mass ang ano . ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁period ▁was ▁a ▁st alem ate , ▁c apped ▁by ▁a ▁peace ▁agreement ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 9 . ▁ ▁Portuguese ▁govern ors ▁in ▁the ▁inter im , ▁finding ▁themselves ▁too ▁weak ▁to ▁attack ▁N d ongo , ▁were ▁content ▁with ▁eng aging ▁in ▁political ▁wr ang ling ▁with ▁the ▁kingdom ▁and ▁with ▁seeking ▁opportun ities ▁to ▁use ▁its ▁own ▁political ▁conflicts ▁to