The Congo River, the longest river in Black Africa, traverses east to west, spanning ten thousand miles and reaching a depth of two hundred meters, with the rivermouth as wide as twenty miles. Since its formation in the Pleistocene, it had surged for two million years. It has wholly witnessed the origins of humanity, fostered prehistoric civilizations, and preserved the last traces of dinosaurs.
And today, it appeared before the eyes of Western explorers for the first time, heralding the arrival of a new age.
The expedition leader, flagship captain Diogo Cao, silently made the sign of the cross on his chest. Where there is fresh water, there are people and tribes. Where might this river lead? What lies at its end? No one knew at that time.