Memorandum ácerca das expedições realizadas na Zambesia septentrional durante os annos de 1885 a 1891

In this vivid memoir, a Portuguese trader recounts his daring journey into the remote interior of northern Zambezia during the late 1880s. Setting out from the struggling ivory market in Tete, he leads a caravan of three hundred local hunters across the Zambezi, establishing a fortified camp near the village of Chirupe. The narrative captures the hardships of the march, the first encounters with the powerful chief Mpesene, and the delicate gift‑giving that opens the door to safe passage.

As the rainy season unexpectedly breaks, the explorer is welcomed with exuberant celebration, earning the trust of the Mpesene people and securing permission to build a permanent trading post at Matengulene. Over the next two years he organizes hunting expeditions, collecting ivory while navigating the complex customs and rituals of the local communities. The account offers a firsthand glimpse of colonial ambition, cross‑cultural negotiations, and the relentless drive of a man determined to turn a failing business into a thriving enterprise.