Eastern Atlantic High Sea

West of the Congo estuary, the Atlantic stretches away from the coast of Kongo. The great river brings a powerful flow of fresh water into the ocean, while ships approaching the shore find trading places north and south of its mouth. From the late fifteenth century, Portuguese voyages brought direct contact with the kingdom of Kongo. In later centuries, vessels crossed these waters carrying goods and people between central Africa and the Atlantic world, including captives forced aboard slave ships.