Cimbebasia was the name given for a long time to the western part of Southern Africa. Its borders in the north were the Kunene River, the lower Kasai River and the western reaches of the Zambezi River. Cimbebasia was also a journal published by the State Museum of Windhoek, Namibia. Missionary history Originally Cimbebasia was included in the immense vicariate apostolic made up of Senegambia, French Guinea and Portuguese Guinea, which had been erected in 1842 and of which Bishop Barron was appointed first vicar Apostolic. The Congregation of Propaganda separated Cimbebasia on 3 July 1879 from this vicariate and made of it a prefecture Apostolic. The Congrégation du Saint-Esprit et de l’Immaculé Cœur de Marie were placed in charge of the new field, and Father Duparquet of the same congregation was appointed first prefect Apostolic. The new mission was, however, still very large, being made up of three distinct regions: the northern part, which included the territory of the Amboella and Gangela and was under the influence of Portugal; the southern part, composed of Ovamboland and Damaraland, coming under the control of Germany; and Bechuanaland. After having tried to found stations in all these different territories, the missionaries decided to concentrate their efforts on the northern part of the prefecture. The superior general of the congregation therefore requested the Holy See to confide to other institutes the remaining sections of the vicariate. Consequently, Propaganda Fide placed the northern part of the vicariate, under the name of the Prefecture of Upper Cimbebasia, in charge of the Congrégation du Saint-Esprit on 1 August 1892, while the German territory was called the Prefecture of Lower Cimbebasia, and given to the fathers of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Bechuanaland was then united to the vicariate of the Orange Free State. Prefecture Apostolic of Upper Cimbebasia The Prefecture of Upper Cimbebasia was bounded on the north by the Kassai River, on the east by the 22nd degree of longitude east, on the west by the upper course of the Kunene, and on the south by the degree of latitude determined by the lower course of the Kunene. This degree of latitude also formed the boundary line between the Portuguese and German possessions in Southern Africa. Under the direction of the prefect Apostolic, 20 priests and 8 Brothers of the Holy Ghost Fathers laboured for the evangelization of this territory, aided by 40 catechists