History Zambezi

map willem janszoon blaeu, dated 1635, showing course of zambezi, , source in great lake.

river cuama them called zambeze; head whereof farre within land none of them know it, tradition of progenitors comes lake in midst of continent yeelds other great rivers, divers ways visiting sea. call zambeze, of nation of cafres dwelling neere lake called. —j. santos ethiopia oriental, 1609

thus term zambezi after people live great lake north. candidates m biza , or bisa people (in older texts given muisa, movisa, abisa, ambios , other variations), bantu people live in central-eastern zambia, between zambezi river , lake bangweolo (at time, before lunda invasion, bisa have stretched further north, possibly lake tanganyika). bisa had reputation great cloth traders throughout region.

in curious note, goese-born portuguese trader manuel caetano pereira, traveled bisa homelands in 1796 surprised shown second, separate river referred zambezi . other zambezi puzzled pereira modern sources spell chambeshi river in northern zambia.

the monomatapa notion (reported santos) zambezi sourced great internal lake might reference 1 of african great lakes. 1 of names reported explorers lake malawi lake zambre (probably corruption of zambezi ), possibly because lake malawi connected lower zambezi via shire river. monomatapa story resonated old european notion, drawn classical antiquity, great african rivers—the nile, senegal, congo, zambezi, too—were sourced same great internal lake. portuguese told mozambican espirito santo river (actually estuary formed umbeluzi, matola , tembe rivers) sourced lake (hence outlet became known delagoa bay). result, several old maps depict zambezi , espirito santo rivers converging deep in interior, @ same lake.

however, bisa-derived etymology not without dispute. in 1845, w.d. cooley, examining pereira s notes, concluded term zambezi derives not bisa people, rather bantu term mbege / mbeze ( fish ), , consequently means merely river of fish . david livingstone, reached upper zambezi in 1853, refers zambesi makes note of local name leeambye used lozi people, says means large river or river par excellence . livingstone records other names zambezi—luambeji, luambesi, ambezi, ojimbesi , zambesi—applied different peoples along course, , asserts possess similar signification , express native idea of magnificent stream being main drain of country .

in portuguese records, cuama river term disappeared , gave way term sena river (rio de sena), reference swahili (and later portuguese) upriver trade station @ sena. in 1752, zambezi delta, under name rivers of sena (rios de sena) formed colonial administrative district of portuguese mozambique. common usage of zambezi led royal decree in 1858 officially renaming district zambézia .

exploration of river

satellite image showing victoria falls , subsequent series of zigzagging gorges

the zambezi region known medieval geographers empire of monomotapa, , course of river, position of lakes ngami , nyasa, given broadly accurately in maps. these constructed arab information.

the first european visit inland zambezi river portuguese degredado antónio fernandes in 1511 , again in 1513, objective of reporting on commercial conditions , activities of interior of central africa. final report of these explorations revealed importance of ports of upper zambezi local trade system, in particular east african gold trade.

the first exploration of upper zambezi made david livingstone in exploration bechuanaland between 1851 , 1853. 2 or 3 years later descended zambezi mouth , in course of journey discovered victoria falls. during 1858–60, accompanied john kirk, livingstone ascended river kongone mouth far falls, , traced course of tributary shire , reached lake malawi.

for next 35 years little exploration of river took place. portuguese explorer serpa pinto examined of western tributaries of river , made measurements of victoria falls in 1878. in 1884 plymouth brethren missionary frederick stanley arnot traveled on height of land between watersheds of zambezi , congo, , identified source of zambezi. considered nearby high , cool kalene hill particularly suitable place mission. arnot accompanied portuguese trader , army officer antónio da silva porto. in 1889 chinde channel north of main mouths of river discovered. 2 expeditions led major a. st hill gibbons in 1895 1896 , 1898 1900 continued work of exploration begun livingstone in upper basin , central course of river.

two local people in zambezi river near victoria falls, zambia.