Hermenegildo Capelo

Hernandogildo Augusto Carlos de Brito Capello ( Hermenegildo de Brito Capelo also; * 1841 in Palmela, † May 4, 1917 in Lisbon ) was a Portuguese officer and explorer of Africa and 1886-1891 Governor of Angola.

Life and work

Brito Capello came in 1858 in the service of the Portuguese Navy and was in 1880 appointed captain. In 1860 he took part in an expedition to the colony of Angola. Since 1877, Roberto Ivens was his constant companion on many journeys through Africa. This is Brito Capello put under the leadership of Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto, who crossed the continent from Angola to Natal 1877-1879. But the two parted in May 1878 in Bihe from him. They went to the northeast and explored the headwaters of the Kwango in Kioko and pursued its course until after Tembo Aluma at 7 ° 40 ' south latitude. There they were forced to turn back after Malansche, but took it later another attempt to penetrate to the north and to find the fabled Aquilondasee. Instead, they discovered a number of small water areas in a widely extended marshy terrain.

On March 11, the two journeyed from Mossamedes on the west coast of Angola to their epoch-making across Africa. They crossed in Amboella the upper reaches of the rivers and Kuando Kubango and reached the Zambezi at Libonta. Here they went up to the mouth of the Kabompo. From here, they explored the watershed between the Zambezi and the Lualaha and crossed the southern part of the kingdom of Msidi. To the south, they came again to the west of Sumbo to the banks of the Zambezi. In May 1885 they arrived in Quelimane on the Indian Ocean coast.

Between 1886 and 1891 was Brito Capello governor of Angola.

Works

• De Benguella as terras de Jacca. (together with Ivens ). Lisbon ( 1881)
• De Angola à Contra Costa. Lisbon ( 1886)