In this article, I described the commercial role and functions of lançados and tangomãos at the turn of the 16th and 17th century. They were Portuguese runaways who fled to West Africa and lived there amongst Africans. The main occupation of lançados and tangomãos was trade, as they served as middlemen between African people and European merchants. They also worked as translators and guides after they acclimatized to African societies and learnt their languages and customs. Since the second half of the 16th century they became an important part of barter throughout the whole African coast from the Senegal River to Sierra Leone. Although they were Portuguese, they traded also with other European merchants (mainly French, English and Dutch) who came to that region, which finally prevented the Portuguese Crown from monopolizing the commerce in West Africa.
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