In this way Livingstone became the first European to cross south-central Africa which had never been crossed by Europeans at that latitude before. Livingstone's accomplishment made him famous. But it was not wholly without precedent; a few years earlier, in 1853–1854, two Arab traders crossed the continent from Zanzibar to Benguela; and in the first decade of the 1800s, two native traders crossed from Angola to Mozambique; and Portuguese traders had already penetrated to the middle of the continent from both sides. Nonetheless, the Portuguese had not made the full crossing and the non-European accomplishments were little known or cared about in Europe. Therefore, Livingstone was hailed the explorer who "opened up" Africa.