Memoir relative to the Captaincy of the Rios de Senna, a Portuguese Settlement, on the South-East Coast of Africa.

Abstract

This document is a Memoir submitted by the late Governor TERAO, structured as a statistical analysis of the Captaincy of the Rios de Senna (located on the SE coast of Africa, roughly between 15∘ and 20∘ South latitude). The preliminary discourse defines statistics as the science of state production, riches, and force, emphasising population and subsistence as its foundation.

The Memoir addresses the Captaincy's backwardness and seeks to identify the causes and remedies for its poor state across seven sections, starting with Extent and Limits (a territory of about 3,600 square leagues, largely defined by the Zambezi River).

The section on Population reveals a critical deficit, with the capitated population being only 502 across three towns and two ports in 1806, resulting in a density of about one person per 7 square leagues. The lack of growth is attributed to faulty legislation, particularly insecure land proprietorship, excessive estate sizes, and the detrimental influence of Dominican Friars, who allegedly obstructed marriage for financial gain. A large number of slaves are reported as absent (deserted), showing nearly equal numbers to those present (∼10,960 present vs. ∼10,867 absent).

The Agriculture section highlights severe indolence and ignorance among the white inhabitants. While the land is fertile (suitable for sugar cane, coffee, cotton, and indigo—all largely ignored), production is meagre. The main cultivated crops are rice (successful at Quillimane due to the soil, not intelligence) and millet or maize/maize by the colonists/slaves. The key exports are gold, ivory, and slaves from the interior, with agricultural exports being a minor fraction. The author starkly contrasts the small export value (cruzados from square leagues of influence) with the potential value of a single, well-managed American island like Martinique, arguing that the territory could export 154 million cruzados if properly developed.