Chapter 354: The End of the Year 1485, A Voyage of Death

In November 1485, midstream of the Congo River, more than a thousand miles from the great river's mouth lay Gombe Matadi. In the Congo language, this name means "walking in the land of rocks."

The tumultuous rapids rushed down from the highlands above, battering the steep riverbanks and scouring the dense rainforest. White pelicans flapped their wings, soaring up and down the azure river, hunting for plump fishes. Swarms of black mosquitoes buzzed and whirled, clustering in the blue sky, following the scent of blood. Farther off, a hazy mist rose and wound around, while the unbounded jungle shaded the sun, and no trace of civilization was to be seen, only untouched wilderness.