Andrew Battel facts for kids

Andrew Battel (lived 1589–1614) was an English explorer and traveler. He wrote down his amazing adventures, including a long time spent as a prisoner of the Portuguese in Angola. His stories are super important for understanding the history of that part of Africa, especially his early descriptions of the Imbangala people and the Kingdom of Loango.

Early Life and a Tricky Voyage

Andrew Battel was born in Essex, England, around 1565. In 1589, he set sail with Captain Abraham Cocke on a journey to South America, aiming for the Rio de la Plata. Their trip was tough! They faced hunger and bad winds. This forced them to turn back along the coast of Brazil.

They landed on an island called São Sebastião. Here, Battel and five friends got separated from their shipmates. Local people, called Indians, took them to the Rio Janeiro area. They were then handed over to the Portuguese.

Captured in Angola

After being held for four months, Andrew Battel was sent to Luanda. This was a Portuguese settlement in Angola, Africa. He was kept prisoner there for another four months. Then, he was moved about 150 miles up the Kwanza River to a fort.

Luckily, the Portuguese pilot there died. This meant Battel, who knew about boats, was asked to steer the governor's small ship, called a pinnace, back to Luanda. After getting very sick for eight months, the governor of Luanda, João Furtado de Mendonça, sent Battel on a new mission. He went to Nzari, near the Congo River, to collect valuable items like ivory, wheat, and palm oil.

Battel was good at this job. He continued to trade for the Portuguese in a place called Kingdom of Loango. But he tried to escape on a Dutch ship. He was caught and thrown into prison for two months. After that, he was sent away to Massangano. This was a Portuguese fort far inland on the Kwanza River. Andrew Battel spent six long years there.

He tried to escape again, but it didn't work. He was put in prison once more. Later, he joined a group of Portuguese soldiers and local people. They went on a successful trip to a place called Ilambo. During this adventure, Battel got a serious leg injury.

Life with the Imbangala

After his injury, Battel worked on trading trips along the coast. One time, the Portuguese left him as a hostage with a group of people called the Gaga (also known as the Imbangala). He had a musket, which is an old type of gun. He was very good at shooting, and this made the Imbangala like him.

Battel wrote a lot about the interesting customs and beliefs he saw among them. He managed to get back to the Portuguese at Massangano. Because of his good service, he was made a sergeant.

Journey Home

Andrew Battel heard from some priests that England and Spain were now at peace. This was because King James I had become the new king of England. Battel asked the governor if he could go home. The governor first said yes, but then changed his mind.

So, Battel ran away into the woods of Kasanze, an area north of Luanda where people could hide. He decided to wait there for a new governor to arrive. Finally, he met a friend from an old ship who had a pinnace. He got on board and was dropped off at the port of Loango.

Here, his shooting skills again helped him gain the friendship of the local king. Battel's story ends with a detailed description of the different parts of Loango. He wrote about the land and the customs of the people living there.

After three years in Loango, Andrew Battel finally returned to England. He had been away for eighteen years! He settled down in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. Some people wondered if his stories were true. However, another traveler named Duarte Lopes wrote similar things about the Congo area in 1591, which helped confirm Battel's accounts. A writer named Purchas, who was Battel's neighbor, said he was smart and honest. Purchas wrote that Battel was still alive in 1614.

See Also

• Kingdom of Loango
• Imbangala
• Angola

Images for kids

• Andrew Battel.jpg

  Andrew Battel, an English traveler.