The night was dusky, and the Congo River surged mightily, its raging currents hidden as clouds obscured the moon. Three caravels dropped their hefty anchors, mooring at the river's edge, spaced a hundred meters apart. Tiny torches sparked to life aboard the ships, illuminating the fluttering Portuguese flags, and also the watchful sailors on night duty.
For the Portuguese exploration fleet, sailing at night in an unfamiliar inland waterway was extremely dangerous. Thus, Captain Diogo Cao, as always, had given the order to berth in place and assigned Sailor Chief Diego to stand guard.
"Foda-se! This place really is the land of demons! It was clear during the day, but at night, you can't even see a hint of the moon! Hmph, huh!"
A captain's guard squatted on a wooden plank at the bow, his pants down, his bare buttocks facing the outside of the ship.