"Portuguese Expedition to MuAtiânvua" as a source for the social history of groups of African porters of long distance trade in western central Africa

The objective of this paper is to analyze the spaces and the African agents described in Henrique de Carvalho's Expedição portuguesa ao Muatiânvua. Considering the civilizational discourse of late nineteenth century, we intend to argue that such descriptions of the expedition routes, because they coincide with the regional trade routes and were performance spaces of different African porters, can be used as a source of social history of long-distance trade of western central Africa.

African porters; long distance trade; Henrique de Carvalho