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

A determined trader sets out in 1885 to revive a faltering ivory business in the remote reaches of northern Zambezia. Leading a caravan of three hundred local hunters, he pushes through the Zambezi, battles harsh terrain, and reaches the village of Chirupe, where he fortifies a modest outpost to protect his men and their prized cargo.

Soon his hunters encounter a war party from the powerful ruler Mpesene, prompting a delicate exchange of gifts and a request for hunting rights. A sudden, torrential rain—seen as a miracle by the locals—wins the trader the ruler’s favor, allowing him to establish a permanent base in the chief’s capital, Matengulene. As he coordinates ivory hunts and begins to send supplies back to Tete, Portuguese officials take notice, seeing his growing influence as a potential foothold for expanding their own presence in the region.