Chapter 104: Portuguese
On October 5, 1867, in the East Malawi Lake District, specifically in Mitomoni Village, a Portuguese patrol team led by Tulio Pennelli, an officer in the Portuguese Mozambique colony, was exploring the north. This area was characterized by dense forests, a stark contrast to the grasslands in the northern part of the East African colony.
The Portuguese had limited knowledge of the East African colonies' expansion and assumed the Germans followed a similar path, mainly focusing on the coastal areas and influencing inland tribes. They were unaware of the extent of German presence in the interior.
As Tulio Pennelli's patrol reached the border between the East African colony and Mozambique, they encountered a chief from a local tribe who reported recent developments. Many people from northern tribes had fled southward to escape a group of "white-faced people," likely Germans. These refugees were captured by the local tribes, and some had fled westward through the forest to seek safety in Mozambique.
Tulio Pennelli was intrigued and asked for more details about the appearance, clothing, and weapons of these "white-faced people." The chief's description indicated that these individuals looked similar to Europeans, had similar weapons (guns), and wore uniforms resembling military attire. They also mentioned that the tribe had a lion as its totem.
Upon hearing this, Tulio Pennelli suspected that these were indeed Germans. He cautioned his team not to engage in conflict and decided to pay a visit to Mitomoni Village.
As they approached the village, they saw a lion totem that was actually the flag of the Hexingen family, one of the European noble families. Tulio Pennelli recognized it as a European noble family's flag due to the lion symbol, which was common in European coat of arms. However, he didn't specifically identify it as Hexingen's flag, as he wasn't familiar with the family.
Tulio Pennelli was surprised to find that the Germans had established a significant presence inland in East Africa, as he had thought they were primarily coastal-based. This unexpected encounter marked the beginning of interactions between the Portuguese and the East African colony.
The chapter highlights the limited knowledge of European powers about each other's activities in Africa during this era and the surprise of discovering rival colonial forces in unexpected locations.