u) Padre Joaquim de Santa Rita Montanha

1855-1856 — Viagem do Padre Joaquim de Santa Rita Monta­nha a Zoutpansberg (na República da África Austral, fundada por Bóeres emigrados da Colónia do Cabo para o Transval), em mis­são solicitada pelo chefe bóer Andries Potgieter, em 1854, na ten­tativa de estabelecer uma ligação comercial entre aquela praça transvaliana e o porto de Inhambane.
A tentativa foi frustrada por, entretanto, ter morrido Potgieter e os Bóeres, com o apoio de ne­gociantes portugueses estabelecidos no Transval, nomeadamen­te João Albasini, terem descoberto uma nova via para o porto de Lourenço Marques, segura e livre da mosca do sono.

In the nineteenth century four Portuguese travellers visited the Transvaal, namely Joaquim de Santa Rita Montanha (1806-1870) in 1855-1856,
Diocleciano Fernandes das Neves (1829-1883) in 1860-1861,
Fernando Augusto da Costa Leal (1846-1910) in 1869-1870, and
Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto (1846-1900) in 1879.
They all kept travel-journals which were later published in Portuguese, as well as translated into and published in other languages.
The journals are of interest to natural scientists, but especially to historians, cultural historians, ethnologists and anthropologists.
This is because the travellers reported, among other matters, on the distribution, appearance, lifestyle and customs of the inhabitants of the Transvaal, including the Boers and various indigenous groups with whom they came into contact.
Although researchers have in the past consulted the journals of Montanha and Das Neves, the contents of the journals of Da Costa Leal and Serpa Pinto deserve to be explored more thoroughly in future.

MONTANHA IN ZOUTPANSBERG
’n Portugese handelsending van Inhambane se besoek aan Schoemansdal, 1855–1856 – O.J.O. Ferreira

Pater Joaquim de Santa Rita Montanha (ca.1806–1870), ’n Rooms-Katolieke priester van Inhambane, het in 1855–1856 ’n Portugese handelsending na Zoutpansberg gelei.
In opdrag van die goewerneur van Inhambane het hy sy ervaringe neergeskryf. Hierdie merkwaardige reisjoernaal is by afloop van sy reis as amptelike verslag ingedien en het sodoende bewaar gebly.
Montanha se geselskap is deur omstandighede gedwing om vir byna ’n jaar op Schoemansdal tussen die Boeremense te vertoef, dus bied dit ook op ’n blik op die doen en late van die Zoutpansbergse pioniers uit die oogpunt van ’n Portugees.
Hy het ook noukeurig die geaardheid, gebruike en gewoontes, onderlinge verhoudinge en verspreiding van die inboorlinge van Mosambiek en die Zoutpansberg beskryf.
As sodanig is dit een van die belangrikste bronne oor die sosiale en kulturele lewe van Schoemansdal.
Die geskrif is ook van belang vir die linguis omdat die destydse uitspraak van name en woorde daaruit afgelei kan word.
Aantekeninge oor bodemgesteldheid, waterbronne, weergesteldheid, plantegroei en dierelewe, maak Montanha se reisjoernaal ook vanuit ’n natuurkundige oogpunt van belang en werp veral lig op die klimaat en dierelewe van die streek wat vandag die noordelike deel van die Nasionale Krugerwildtuin uitmaak.
Die bekende kultuurhistorikus prof. O.J.O. Ferreira se uitvoerige inleiding plaas hierdie merkwaardige geskrif in konteks. [ 2002 ISBN: 1-919825-95-9 R180.00]
Die Beeld 26 Mei 2003

Montanha in Zoutpansberg
Dr. At van Wyk

Montanha in Zoutpansberg - 'n Portugese handelsending van Inhambane se besoek aan Schoemansdal, 1855 -- 1856 deur O.J.O. Ferreira , met medewerking van C.E.F. von Reiche & D.P.M. Botes . Protea Boekhuis (hardeband, 232 pp.), R180. ISBN 1-919825-95-9
Hierin gaan dit oor 'n reis byna 150 jaar gelede deur priester Joaquim de Santa Rita Montanha van die Portugese hawedorp Inhambane (deesdae in Mosambiek) na Schoemansdal om handelsbande met die Boere aan te knoop.
Geen verdrag is gesluit nie , maar die besoek was 'n bousteen in goeie Portugees-Boer-betrekkinge tot die Anglo-Boereoorlog.
Montanha se reisjoernaal van 25 Mei 1855 tot 18 September 1856 met aantekeninge is in 1857 in Portugal gepubliseer en 'n ongedrukte Afrikaanse vertaling het sowat 80 jaar later die lig gesien.
Dít is nou hersien, met die oorspronklike Portugees vergelyk en ruim gedokumenteer teen die agtergrond van die Portugese en Boere se doen en late van die tyd.
Dis deeglik ingeklee, netjies geí llustreer en as Afrikaanse nuutskepping 'n pronkstuk -- daar is blykbaar nie 'n Engelse weergawe nie - maar weens die byna onbenulligheid daarvan is jy geneig om te sê, groot lawaai en weinig wol.

The Story of Johannesburg's Cathedral of Christ the King
By Fr J E Brady OMI
Beginnings
While visits were made across the Vaal River in the early fifties by pioneer missionaries, Fr. Juaquin da Santa Rita Montanha (from Mozambique) and Fr. Hoenderwanger, O. Praem (from Fauresmith) our story really begins in 1870 when freedom of Catholic Worship was granted in the South African Republic, and Fr. Le Bihan O.M.I, established the first mission in Potchefstroom, the former Capital.

Country Life’s feature on Professor Louis Changuion’s recent trek across Mozambique in the footsteps of Catholic priest Joaquim Santa Rita Montanha.
He was promoting his book written in conjunction with Kobus Ferreira called Montanha in Soutpansberg.
Extractsfrom article by Shaun Smillie: “Ferreira had accidentally come across a reference to Montanha’s journey (diaries of which are contained in the book) while researching his own family history.
Montanha’s mission had been to establish diplomatic and trading links between the Portuguese colony of Mozambique and the new Boer republic of the Transvaal in 1855…before Changuion set on his trip to Schoemansdal, he said that he didn’t fully understand why Montanha, a priest, would want to leave the relative safety of Inhambane and head out on such a perlilous mission. But by the time he finished his trek, he believed he knew why.
‘The answer lies next to his grave.
It is another grave – that of his illegitimate daughter.
Catholic priest are not allowed to marry or have children, but as Montanha and his daughter are buried close to each other, he must have cared deeply for her.
I found that doing such a trek gives you time to think about your life in general – and maybe Montanha needed that,’ says Changuion"