Silva Porto e Livingstone

This newly unearthed manuscript offers a rare window into the fevered world of mid‑nineteenth‑century African exploration. Written by a Portuguese explorer who served the Society of Geography of Lisbon, it reads like a personal report, bristling with pride in his own journeys across the interior of Angola and the Congo basin. He positions himself in direct conversation with the famed Dr. David Livingstone, insisting that his own expeditions pre‑date the celebrated British traveler and challenging the prevailing narratives of discovery.

Listeners will hear the author's vivid letter from Bihé, dated 1861, in which he maps rivers, names villages, and describes the peoples he encountered, all while urging the Portuguese government to support scientific missions. The prose mixes earnest observation with a palpable sense of rivalry, offering insight into the politics of exploration and the personal ambitions that drove them. The result is a compelling portrait of a determined, often overlooked figure whose voice brings the distant landscapes of Central Africa to life.