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cause_n burn_a degree_n zone_n 21 3 13.6311 5 false
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A05331 A geographical historie of Africa, written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More, borne in Granada, and brought vp in Barbarie. Wherein he hath at large described, not onely the qualities, situations, and true distances of the regions, cities, townes, mountaines, riuers, and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa; but also the descents and families of their kings ... gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations, and partly out of the ancient records and chronicles of the Arabians and Mores. Before which, out of the best ancient and moderne writers, is prefixed a generall description of Africa, and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo. ... Translated and collected by Iohn Pory, lately of Goneuill and Caius College in Cambridge; Della descrittione dell'Africa. English Leo, Africanus, ca. 1492-ca. 1550.; Pory, John, 1572-1636. 1600 (1600) STC 15481; ESTC S108481 490,359 493

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creatures that for feare of them the land in some places can very hardly in others by no meanes be manured or inhabited be it neuer so fruitfull Wherefore in diuers parts this region lieth waste and vnpeopled howbeit where it is inhabited it is exceeding fertile and that especially in the north parts thereof lying ouer against Europe where according to the report of many historiographers and cosmographers it was in ancient times abundantly furnished with inhabitants so likewise all the westerne coast betweene Cabo de buena esperança and Cabo Negro situate about nineteene degrees of southerly latitude containeth many plaines hils vallies and other places most fruitfull and pleasant it being there a continuall spring and elsewhere also it is verie fertile as it shall be declared more at large in the particular descriptions of each region The Equinoctiall circle doth in a manner diuide Africa in the verie midst thereof from whence it stretcheth not onely to each tropique but also twelue degrees almost beyond them both wherefore the greater part is comprized betweene the saide Tropiques vnder the Torrid or burnt Zone for which onely cause the ancient writers supposed it to be vnhabitable and desert in so many places which indeed is much rather to be ascribed to the waste wildernesse the barren and sandie soile and the 〈◊〉 of waters and fountaines It comprehendeth therefore fully and perfecty the three first northerly climates and so many and the like climates southerly for it is situate betweene the eleuenth north Parallele and the eleuenth Antiparallele or south Parallele both which are equally distant from the Equinoctiall on either side But about either of the foresaid extremes the longest day consisteth of fowerteene howers and one fourth part and about the midst of twelue howers exactly Likewise as touching the longitude Africa stretcheth from the Meridian vnder fower degrees to the Meridian vnder fower-score and two degrees of longitude to wit from Cabo Roxo or the Red cape on the west to Cape Guardafu on the east side betweene which two capes is the greatest bredth of Africa Africa hath too narrowe boundes allotted vnto it by Iohn Leo and certaine others for they disioine the greater part of Egypt and all Ethiopia there-from Wherefore it is more conuenient in this behalfe to follow Ptolemey and the late writers limiting the same on the north with the Mediterran sea and the streights of Gibraltar on the east with the Red sea or the Arabian gulfe and the small neckland of Asia passing betweene the Mediterran sea and the said gulfe on the south at the cape of Buena esperança where it endeth in forme of a wedge with the maine Ocean partly called the Ethiopian sea as being neere vnto the land of Ethiopia and on the west from the hither side of the Equinoctiall line with the Atlantike Ocean called by Ptolemey Mare Occiduum by Dionysius Hesperium and part thereof by the Spaniards Mar del Norte but beyond the Equinoctiall line it is bounded westward with the Ethiopian sea Africa hath very many and most exceeding great mountaines the principal wherof is Mount-Atlas whose tops of incredible height rising out of the midst of sandy desertes exalt themselues aboue the cloudes This mountaine beginneth westward at that place where it distinguisheth the Ocean by the name of Atlanticus from whence by a perpetuall ridge after many windings and turnings it extendeth east toward the confines of Egypt moreouer it is in most places rounde hard to ascend craggie steepe impassable cold barren shadie and euery where full of woods and fountaines with cloudes alwaies houering about the tops thereof being forlorn and desolate toward the Ocean but ouer against Africa minor most fertile and abounding with plentie of corne and of thick woods which are clad with a kinde of mosse no whit inferior to silke The tops of this mountaine are couered with deepe snowes euen in the midst of sommer and sometimes when the North winds blow any thing sharpe the snow falleth in such abundance that it hideth the trees growing vpon the sides therof and is deadly both to man and beast Moreouer the fountaines which are here found are so extreame cold in the hottest of sommer as if a man should dip his hand therein but for a short space it would loose both life sence and motion Besides Mount Atlas those mountaines likewise are very famous which being situate on the south part of Africa are called by the Portugales Os Picosfragosos for by reason of their surpassing height and craggie cliffes it is impossible to skale them and they are bare forlorne and destitute of all reliefe Likewise the cape commonly called Sierra Leonais as it were framed out of an exceeding high mountaine which may be kenned a mightie distance off the top of this mountaine is continuallie ouershadowed with cloudes which often send forth dreadfull thunder and lightening whereupon some think it to haue bin called by Ptolemey and by Hanno of Carthage The chariot of the gods The mountaines of the moone also knowen of old and situate vnder the Tropique of Capricorne being very high and craggie are inhabited by barbarous and sauage people nere vnto which are valleis of such exceeding depth as if they reached to the center of the earth Likewise there are certain mountaines in Angola called Cabambe containing most rich siluer-mines c. Also in Africa are certaine mightie lakes which for their extension seem rather to be seas the principal wherof called by some Zembre being situate by a number of huge mountaines and distant from the Equinoctial eleuen or twelue degrees to the south containeth about fiue hundred leagues in compasse out of which lake doe spring the famous riuers of Nilus Zaire and Cuama and some affirme very strange sea-monsters to be therein Africa likewise hath many exceeding great riuers as namely Nilus Niger Senaga Gambra Zaire Abagni Tagassi Coluez Coauo Cuama and Maniche or Rio del spirito santo all which are in a manner of the same qualitie and disposition for with their yeerlie in undations they doe most wonderfullie fatten and enrich the soile of the territories adioyning Nilus the most famous riuer of the world diuiding Egypt in the midst and with his ouerflowes making it most fruitefull continueth in his yeerely increase fortie daies and forty daies in decrease to wit from the seuenteenth of Iune to the sixt of October and this riuer after a mightie long course through Ethiopia and Egypt dischargeth his streames into the Mediterran sea The riuer of Niger running through the land of Negros called of old as Solinus supposed by the naturall inhabitants Astabus and according to Marmolius Hued Nijar in the Arabian toung is now esteemed by Paulus Iouius to be Gambra and by Cadamosta the riuer of Senaga but that both of them are deceiued it is euident out of the description of Sanutus who putteth downe the two foresaid riuers