Cape Verde Islands: Historical Visits

When I visited Santiago the first time in 2002, I had already read some travel guides and was interested to see all the beautiful places. After I did see many of these places and met many of its people, I became more and more interested in Cape Verde's special history. The Portuguese discovered the islands in 1460 and they were almost immediately colonized. From then on a particular mixing of people from West-Africa and Europe were the continuous ingredients of Cape Verde's culture. My personal interest is in re-experiencing the historical development of Cape Verde's culture. A fine way for me to do this, is by reading primary accounts, accounts of people who tell directly from their own experiences. I would like to share with you a dozen of these accounts of famous and unknown travelers to the Cape Verde Islands, which stretch out over the period from 1498 to 1855. 2nd Ed: added journey by Jean Francois Michel (Dutch text). 3rd Ed: added text by Major A.B. Ellis of the 1st West India Regiment.