remaine euen til this present notwithstanding their many yeeres antiquitie Likewise there are in this countrie diuers churches and oratories hewen out of the hard rocke consisting but of one onely stone some sixtie some fortie and some thirtie fathomes long being full of windowes and engrauen with strange and vnknowne characters Three such churches there are of twelue fathomes broade and eightie in length The Abassins which are subiect to the Prete hold opinion that their prince deriueth his petigree from 〈◊〉 the sonne of Salomon which as they say he begot of the Queene of Saba and that themselues are descended from the officers and attendants which Salomon appointed vnto this his sonne when he sent him home vnto his mother which seemeth not altogether vnlikely if you consider the Iewish ceremonies of circumcision obseruing of the sabaoth such like which they vse vntill this present likewise they abhorre swines flesh and certaine other meates which they call vncleane The Prete absolutely gouerneth in all matters except it be in administring of the sacraments and ordaining of priests Hee giueth and taketh away benefices at his pleasure and in punishing offenders maketh no difference betweene his clergie and laitie The administration of their sacraments is wholie referred to the Abuna or Patriarke The Prete is lorde and owner of all the lands and possessions in his empire except those of the church which are in number infinite for the monasteries of saint Antonie besides which there are none of any other order and the colleges of the Canons and of the Hermites togither with the parishes are innumerable They are all prouided by the king both of reuenewes and of ornaments They haue two winters and two summers which they discerne not by colde and heate but by rainie and faire weather They begin their yeere vpon the 26. of August and diuide it into twelue moneths each moneth containing thirtie daies whereunto they adde euery common yeere fiue daies and in the leape yeere sixe which odde daies they call Pagomen that is The end of the yeere Their ordinarie iourneies in trauelling are twelue miles a day The common harlots dwell without their townes and haue wages allowed them out of the common purse neither may they enter into any cities nor apparell themselues but only in yellow The soile of Abassia aboundeth generally with graine and in especiall with 〈◊〉 and all kindes of Pulse but not so much with wheate they haue 〈◊〉 likewise not knowing how to refine it and hony and cotton-wooll orenges cedars and limons grow naturally there They haue neither melons citrons nor rape-roots but many plants herbes different from ours Their drinke is made of barley and millet neither haue they any wine made of grapes but onely in the houses of the emperour and the Abuna They are not destitute of Elephants mules lions tygres ounces and deere Their owne countrey horses are but of a small size how beit they haue also of the Arabian and Egyptian breed the coltes whereof within fower daies after they be foled they vse to suckle with kine They haue great and terribles apes and infinite sorts of birds but neither cuckowes nor Pies so farre as euer could bee learned Heere are likewise great store of mines of gold siluer iron and copper but they know not how to digge and refine the same for the people of this countrey are so rude and ignorant that they haue no knowledge nor vse of any arte or occupation Insomuch as they esteeme the carpenters or smithes craft for an vnlawfull and diabolicall kinde of science and such as exercise the same liue among them like infamous persons neither are they permitted to enter into any of their churches In the kingdome of Bagamidri are founde most excellent mines of siluer which they knowe none other way how to take from the ore but onely by melting it with fire into thinne plates Goiame aboundeth with base gold In the kingdome of Damut they digge and refine it somewhat better They haue neither the arte of making cloth for which cause the greater part of them go clad in beasts skins nor yet the manner of hauking fowling or hunting so that their countries swarme with partridges quailes fesants cranes geese hens hares deere and other like creatures neither knowe they how to make any full vse or benefite of the fruitefulnes of their countrey nor of the commoditie of riuers They sowe mill for the most parte sometimes in one place and sometimes in another according as the raine giueth them opportunitie In summe they shew no wit nor dexterity in any thing so much as in robbery and warre vnto both which they haue a kind of naturall inclination Which is occasioned as I suppose by the continuall voiages made by the Prete and by their vsuall liuing in the wide fields and that in diuers and sundry places For to trauaile continually and remaine in the fields without any stable or firme habitation compelleth men as it were of necessitie to lay holde on all that comes next to hande be it their owne or belonging to others They are not much subiect to tempests but to an inconuenience far more intollerable namely to innumerable swarmes of locusts which bring such desolation vpon them as is most dreadfull to consider for they consume whole prouinces leauing them quite destitute of succour both for man and beast They vse no stamped coine in all this empire but insteede thereof certaine rude pieces of golde and little balles of iron especially in Angote as likewise salt and pepper which are the greatest riches that they can enioy Hence it is that the tributes which are payed to the prince consist onely of such things as his owne dominions do naturally afforde as namely of salt gold siluer corne hides elephants teeth the horne of the Rhinoceros with slaues and such like Which forme of tribute being most agreeable to nature is vsed also in other parts of Africa Their salt is taken out of a certaine great mountaine in the prouince of Balgada and is made into square pieces The most populous place in all Abassia is the court of the Prete wheresoeuer it resideth and there are erected fiue or sixe thousand tents of cotton of diuers colours with so notable a distinction of streetes lanes market-places and Tribunals that euen in a moment euery man knoweth his owne station and the place where he is to doe his busines A man may coniecture the greatnes of this courte if he doe but consider that according to the report of some who haue there bin personally present besides the camels which carry the tents the mules of carriage exceede the number of fiftie thousand Their mules serue them to carry burthens and to ride vpon but their horses are onely for the warres The Mahumetans haue now brought this prince to great extremity but heretofore while he was in his flourishing estate he liued so maiestically that he neuer spake but by an interpreter nor would
at the confluence or meeting of the riuer last mentioned and the riuer Luiola with a small number of Portugals ioined to the aide sent him from the king of Congo and from certaine princes of Angola his confederates he gaue the foresaid king notwithstanding his innumerable troupes of Negros diuers sundry ouerthrowes The said riuer Coanza springeth out of the lake of Aquelunda situate westward of the great lake whereour Nilus takes his originall In this kingdome are the mountaines of Cabambe abounding with rich and excellent siluer mines which haue ministred the chiefe occasion of all the foresaid warres This region aboundeth also with other minerals and with cattell of all sorts Most true it is that dogs-flesh is heere accounted of all others the daintiest meate for which cause they bring vp and fatten great plentie of dogs for the shambles Yea it hath beene constantly affirmed that a great dogge accustomed to the bull was sold in exchange of two and twentie slaues the value of whom coulde not amount to much lesse then two hundred and twentie ducats The priests of Angola called Gange are helde in such estimation and account as the people are verily perswaded that they haue in their power abundance and scarcitie life and death For they haue knowledge of medicinable hearbes and of deadly poisons also which they keepe secret vnto themselues and by meanes of their familiaritie with the diuell they often foretell things to come Towards the lake of Aquelunda before mentioned lieth a countrey called Quizama the inhabitants whereof being gouerned after the manner of a common wealth haue shewed themselues very friendly to the Portugals and haue done them speciall good seruice in their warres against the king of Angola Thus hauing briefely pointed at the former three bordering countries let vs now with like breuitie passe through the kingdome of Congo it selfe This kingdome therefore accounting Angola as indeede it is a member thereof beginneth at Bahia das vacas in thirteene and endeth at Cabo da Caterina in two degrees and an halfe of southerly latitude True it is that the coast neere vnto the saide Bay of Cowes is subiect to the king of Congo but the inland is gouerned by him of Angola East and west it stretcheth from the sea in bredth as farre as the lake of Aquelunda for the space of sixe hundred miles and is diuided into sixe prouinces namely the prouince of Pemba situate in the very hart and center of the whole kingdome Batta the most easterly prouince where the ancient writers seeme to haue placed Agisymba Pango which bordereth vpon the Pangelungi Sundi the most Northerly prouince Sogno which stretcheth ouer the mouth of the great riuer Zaire and Bamba which is the principall of all the rest both for extension of ground for riches and for militarie forces In the prouince of Pemba or rather in a seuerall territorie by it selfe standeth the citie of Sant Saluador in former times called Banza being the metropolitan of all Congo and the seate of the king situate an hundred and fiftie miles from the sea vpon a rockie and high mountaine on the verie top whereof is a goodly plaine abounding with fountaines of holesome and sweete water and with all other good things which are requisite either for the sustenance or solace of mankinde and vpon this plaine where Sant Saluador is seated there may inhabite to the number of an hundred thousand persons In this citie the Portugals haue a warde by themselues separate from the rest containing a mile in compasse and about that bignes also is the palace or house of the king The residue of the people dwell for the most part scatteringly in villages It is a place enriched by nature with corne cattell fruits and holesome springs of water in great abundance The principall riuer of all Congo called Zaire taketh his chiefe originall out of the second lake of Nilus lying vnder the Equinoctiall line and albeit this is one of the mightiest riuers of all Africa being eight and twentie miles broad at the mouth yet was it vtterly vnknowen to ancient writers Amongst other riuers it 〈◊〉 Vumba and Barbela which spring out of the first great lake In this countrey are sundry other riuers also which fetch their originall out of the lake of Aquelunda the principall whereof are Coanza which diuideth the kingdome of Congo from that of Angola and the riuer Lelunda which breedeth crocodiles water-horses which the Greeks call Hippopotami of which creatures the isle of horses in the mouth of the riuer Zaire taketh denomination The Hippopotamus or water-horse is somewhat tawnie of the colour of a lion in the night he comes on lande to feed vpon the grasse and keepeth in the water all the day time The Africans tame and manage some of these horses and they prooue exceeding swift but a man must beware how he passe ouer deepe riuers with them for they will sodainly diue vnder water Also in these riuers of Ethiopia are bred a kinde of oxen which liue euery night vpon the lande Here likewise breedeth another strange creature called in the Congonian language Ambize Angulo that is to say a hogge-fish being so exceeding fatte and of such greatnes that some of them weie aboue fiue hundred pound This abūdance of waters togither with the heat of the climate which proceedeth from the neerenes of the sunne causeth the countrey to be most fruitfull of plants herbes fruits and corne much more fertile would it be if nature were helped forward by the industrie of the inhabitants Heere also besides goates sheepe deere Gugelle conies hares ciuet-cats and ostriches are great swarmes of tigres which are very hurtfull both to man and beast The Zebra or Zabra of this countrey being about the bignes of a mule is a beast of incomparable swiftnes straked about the body legges eares and other parts with blacke white and browne circles of three fingers broad which do make a pleasant shew Buffles wilde asses called by the Greekes Onagri and Dante 's of whose hard skins they make all their targets range in heards vp and downe the woods Also here are infinite store of elephants of such monstrous bignes that by the report of sundrie credible persons some of their teeth do weigh two hundred pounds at sixteene ounces the pound vpon the plaines this beast is swifter then any horse by reason of his long steps onely he cannot turne with such celeritie Trees he ouerturneth with the strength of his backe or breaketh them between his teeth or standeth vpright vpon his hinder feete to browse vpon the leaues and tender sprigs The she elephants beare their brood in their wombes two yeeres before they bring foorth yoong ones neither are they great with yoong but onely from seuen yeeres to seuen yeeres This creature is saide to liue 150. yeeres hee is of a gentle disposition and relying vpon his great strength he
December Ianuarie and Februarie such as are borne in Europe can very hardly walke or mooue themselues for faintnes and all the rest of the yeere once in eight or ten daies they seeme to be taken with an hot and a cold fit of an ague which continueth vpon them for tow howers togither They are thrice or oftner let bloud euerie yeere and few of them liue aboue fiftie yeeres but their Negros remaine more then an hundred yeers aliue They which newly arriue there are commonly surprized with a most dangerous feauer which holdeth them for twentie daies togither And these are let bloud without any reckoning of ounces Heereblow no windes at all but onely from the southeast south and southwest which windes stirre not in the moneths of December Ianuarie and Februarie and therefore these moneths are most extremely hot But in Iune Iuly and August they blow a fresh gale In this isle the French euill and the scuruies are verie rife The soile is of a meane colour betweene red and yellow being clammie like claie and by reason of the continuall nightly dewes as soft and pliable as waxe and of incredible fertility Besides diuers other good ports it hath one principall among the rest belonging to the chiefe towne or citie called Pauoasan consisting of aboue seuen hundred families and inhabited by Portugals and into the saide port runneth a little riuer of excellent water To euery of the Ingenios or sugar-houses which in all may amount to the number of seuentie do belong Negro-slaues for the planting of their canes and the dressing of their sugars to some two hundred and to others three hundred a piece who liue vpon Maiz or Ghiny-wheat the number of which slaues is so great that oftentimes they rebell to the great domage of the Portugals They haue good sustenance also by meanes of a root called there Igname but in the west Indies Batata Wheat that is heere sowen groweth not to any ripenes or graine but is resolued altogether into grasse They make wine of the Palme-tree Vines prosper nothing kindely in this place except it be heere and there one planted by an house-side and attended with great diligence They bring forth clusters at the same time some ripe some greene and some blossomes onely and they beare fruit twice in the yeere as doe the fig-trees likewise They haue sugar-canes ripe all the yeere long but melons onely in Iune Iuly and August No tree that beareth fruit with a stone or kernell will fructifie or prosper in this place 〈◊〉 are found all ouer the Isle certaine crabs or creuises like vnto them of the sea heere be likewise gray parots and infinite other birds of diuers sortes and in the sea are mightie store of whales especially toward the firme land The principall riches of this isle consist in sugars whereof there groweth great abundance The sugar-canes are planted and cut euery moneth and in fiue months they grow to ripenes but by reason of the moistnes of the ayer they neither prooue hard nor white but are of a reddish colour The tenths which belong to the king amount to the number of 12. or 14. thousand Arrouas euery Arroua being one and thirtie Italian pound-weight In times past there were fortie ships yeerely laden therewith but now of late certaine wormes which eat the roots of the canes or as others think white antes or mise haue so mightily impaired the growth of this commodity that now there are not aboue sixe ships laden therewith The sugar-canes after they be once ground they giue vnto their hogges wherewith they prooue fat and their flesh is very sauory For returne of sugars the merchants of Europe carry thither meale wine swordes oile cheese hides drinking-glasses and certaine shels which there and in the countries adioining they vse insteed of mony Of the coniunction betweene the men of Europe and the Negro women are bred a generation of browne or tawnie people This Isle of Saint Thomas together with the principal towne and castle was in October 1599 taken by part of the same fleet of Hollanders which not fullie foure moneths before had sacked the isles castles and townes of Gran Canaria and Gomera Of the Isle del principe and that of Fernando Po. THe Isle del principe or of the prince situate in three degrees of Northerly latitude and one hundred twentie miles on this side the isle of Sant Thomas is little in quantitie but excellent in qualitie for which cause it is throughly tilled and manured The reuenues thereof which consist the greatest part in sugars were in times past allowed vnto the prince of Portugale whereupon it was named The isle of the prince This Isle was in the yeere 1598 taken by certaine ships of war sent forth vnder the conduct of Iulianus Clerehagen at the charges of Balthasar Musheron of Camphere in Zeland merchant who had the conquest thereof giuen him by patent from Prince Maurice and the States generall of the vnited prouinces That of Fernando Po hath no other matter of speciall note saue onely a certaine lake which is the originall of sundry freshets of sweete and holesome water which make the island to be most pleasant It seemed so beautifull to the first discouerer thereof that he termed it Ilha fermosa or The faire isle To the west of these two isles are situate the isle of Sant Matthew and that of Santa Cruz and afterward hauing passed the Equinoctial you come to the isle of Sant Paule and the isle of conception both which were discouered by Pedro Aluarez Cabral in the yeere 1501. Of the isles of Cabo verde NExt vnto Cape verde it selfe stand The Barbacene which are seuen small isles replenished with greene trees and full of strange birds vnknowne to vs and yet are they vtterly voide of inhabitants But those that are called the isles of Cape verde which by ancient authors are thought to haue bin named Gorgones or Gorgades or Hesperides are nine in number and are fituate betweene Cabo verde and Cabo blanco They were first discouered by Antonio di Nolli a Genoway and began in like sort to be peopled in the yeere of our Lord 1440. Albeit there are none of them now inhabited but onely the isle of Sant Iago and Isla del fo go or The burning isle The principall of them all is Sant Iago being seuentie miles long whereon the Portugals haue a faire and strong towne called Ribera grande with a riuer running through it and a commodious and secure hauen it is very strongly seated betweene two mountaines and consisteth of fiue hundred families at the least The riuer which springeth two leagues from the city is beautified vpon the bankes thereof with Cedars Orenge-trees and diuers other plants amongst which the Palme tree of India that beareth nuts prospereth exceeding well The hearbes of Europe grow here as naturally as in their original soile howbeit the seeds thereof must euery yeere be brought out of Spaine The isle is
seuerallie and thinketh Niger to be that which is now called Rio grande This riuer taketh his beginning as some thinke out of a certain desert to the east called Seu or springeth rather out of a lake and after a long race falleth at length into the western Ocean It increaseth also for the space of fortie daies like Nilus and is for so long space decreasing about the verie same time by which inundation it bringeth such fruitfulnes vnto all the land of Negros certain mountaines onely excepted as no place in the world can be imagined more fertile Senaga or Canaga a most notable riuer called as some thinke Baratis by Ptolemey and for the length therof and manifold strange creatures therein contained comparable to Nilus seuereth by his winding chanel the barren and naked soile from the greene and fruitefull Moreouer it maketh a separation betweene nations of sundrie colours for the people on this side are of a dead ash-colour leane and of a small stature but on the farther side they are exceeding blacke of tall and manly stature and very well proportioned howbeit neere vnto the riuer on either side they are of a meane colour complexion and stature betweene both the aboue mentioned It falleth into the sea by two mouthes the principall whereof is about a mile broad vp into the which the sea entreth almost 60. miles It springeth according to Iohn Barros out of two lakes the greater whereof is now called the lake of Gaoga but heretofore by Ptolemey Chelonidae paludes and the lesser Ptolemey calleth Nubaepalus as also out of a riuer named by Ptolemey Ghir This riuer of Senaga hath great variety of strange fishes and other creatures that liue in the water as namely sea-horses crocodiles winged serpents and such like neere vnto it also are great store of Elephants wilde bores lyons and leopards Gambra or Gambea a very great riuer lying betweene Senaga and Niger and esteemed by Sanutus to be that which Ptolemey called Stachir fetcheth his originall from the lake of Libya and from the fountaines which Ptolemey assigneth to the riuer of Niger this riuer in greatnes and depth exceedeth Senaga and hath many vnknowne riuers falling thereinto and bringeth foorth all kindes of liuing creatures that Senaga doth In the midst of this riuer standeth the Isle of Elephants so called in regarde of great numbers of those beasts The riuer Zaire beginneth out of the same lake from whence Nilus springeth this being one of the greatest riuers of all Africa and vtterly vnknowne vnto ancient writers containeth at the mouth eight and twentie miles in bredth hauing a very safe harbour for ships to ride in also there are many and great Islands in the chanell thereof and sundrie riuers do fall thereinto the principall whereof are Vumba Barbela Coanza and Lelunda in briefe this riuer Zaire running through the kingdome of Congo disgorgeth it selfe into the maine Ethiopian sea Out of the same lake which is the very fountaine of Nilus springeth another notable and famous riuer which after a long race toward the south and east is diuided into two branches the northerly branch which is exceeding great for it 〈◊〉 fixe great riuers thereinto and is nauigable for the space of seuen hundred miles being properly called Cuama and the other branch more southerly which is verie great also being named Manich or Magnice or Rio del spirito santo The promontories capes or headlands of Africa be verie many the most famous and principal wherof are The cape of Buena esperança or good hope Cabo verde and Cabo de los corrientes The cape of Buena esperança or good hope is the extreame southerly point of all Africa being a most renowmed and dangerous promontorie which in the yeere one thousand foure hundred nintie seuen was the second time discouered by Vasco da Gama at the commandement of Don Emanuel king of Portugal this cape the mariners were woont to cal the lion of the Ocean and the tempestuous cape by reason of the ruffling and roring of the windes which they found there for the most part very boisterons for the sea thereabout is exceeding rough by reason of the continual fury of the windes neither will any nauigatours touch vpon the cape except they be enforced by meere necessitie Cabo verde or The greene head-land is esteemed by some to be the same which Ptolemey calleth Promontorium Arsinarium is compassed on either side by the riuers of Senega and Gambra Cabo de los corrientes otherwise called the cape of San Sebastian stretcheth foorth it selfe right ouer against the south ende of the great Isle of Madagascar it is a cape well knowne by reason it is so dangerous to double which the Moores durst not passe for a very long time And heere as concerning the strange beasts fishes serpents trees plants and roots of Africa as likewise touching the diseases whereto the African people are most subiect and the varietie of languages excepting the Chaldaean Egyptian Turkish Italian and Spanish toongs which are now and haue beene of ancient times spoken in Africa I refer the Reader to the first and last bookes of Iohn Leo and to other places where they are at large and purposely intreated of Moreouer this part of the worlde is inhabited especially by fiue principall nations to wit by the people called Cafri or Cafates that is to say outlawes or lawlesse by the Abassins the Egyptians the Arabians and the Africans or Moores properly so called which last are of two kinds namely white or tawnie Moores and Negros or blacke Moores Of all which nations some are Gentiles which worship Idols others of the sect of Mahumet some others Christians and some Iewish in religion the greatest part of which people are thought to be descended from Cham the cursed son of Noah except some Arabians of the linage of Sem which afterward passed into Africa Now the Arabians inhabiting Africa are diuided into many seuerall kinds possessing diuers and sundrie habitations and regions for some dwell neere the sea shore which retaine the name of Arabians but others inhabiting the inland are called Baduini There bee likewise infinite swarmes of Arabians which with their wiues and children leade a vagrant and roguish life in the deserts vsing tents in stead of houses these are notable theeues and very troublesome both to their neighbour-inhabitants and also to merchants for which cause trauellers and merchants dare not passe ouer the African deserts alone but onely in Carouans which are great companies of merchants riding and transporting their goods vpon their camels and asses who go very strong and in great numbers for feare of the said theeuish Arabians Ptolemey in his fourth booke of Geography diuideth Africa into twelue regions or prouinces namely Mauritania Tingitana Mauritania Caesariensis Numidia Africa propria Cyrenaica Marmarica Libya propria AEgyptus superior AEgyptus inferior Libya interior AEthiopia sub AEgypto AEthiopia
are certaine mightie lakes by the benefite whereof a great part of Nubia is watred and made fruitfull The Isle of Meroe MEroe called at this time by the names of Guengare Amara and Nobe being the greatest and fairestisle which Nilus maketh and resembled by Herodotus to the shape of a target containeth in bredth a thousand and in length three thousand stadios or furlongs It aboundeth with golde siluer copper iron Eben-wood palme-trees and other such commodities as are in Nubia Some write that there growe canes or reeds of so huge a bignes that the people make botes of them Heere also you haue minerall salt and lions elephants and leopards This island is inhabited by Mahumetans who are confederate with the Moores against Prete Ianni Strabo affirmeth that in old time the authoritie of the priests of this island was so great that by a meane and ordinarie messenger they woulde command the king to murther himselfe and woulde substitute an other in his roome But at length one king hauing in a certaine temple put all the saide priests to death quite abolished that monstrous custome And heere as Nilus vnfoldeth himselfe into two branches to embrace this Islande he receiueth from the east the riuer of Abagni and from the west the riuer Sarabotto which haue likewise other smaller riuers falling into them The Abassins are of opinion that the Queene of Saba which trauelled so farre to heare the wisedome of Salomon was mistresse of this isle Paulus Ionius saith here are three kings one a Gentile the second a Moore and the third a Christian subiect vnto the Prete From Meroe to Siene it is accounted fifteene daies iourney by water Abassia or the empire of Prete Ianni THe Abassins are a people subiect to Prete Ianni whose empire if we consider the stile which he vseth in his letters hath most ample confines For he intituleth himselfe emperour of the great and higher Ethiopia king of Goiame which as Botero supposeth is situate betweene Nilus and Zaire of Vangue a kingdome beyond Zaire of Damut which confineth with the land of the Anzichi and towards the south he is called king of Cafate and Bagamidri two prouinces bordering vpon the first great lake which is the originall fountaine of Nilus as likewise of the kingdomes of Xoa Fatigar Angote Baru Baaliganze Adea Amara Ambea Vaguc Tigremahon Sabaim where the Queene of Saba gouerned and lastly of Barnagaes and lorde as farre as Nubia which bordereth vpon Egypt But at this present the center or midst of his Empire as Iohn Barros writeth is the lake of Barcena For it extendeth eastward towarde the Red sea as farre as Suaquen the space of two hundred twentie and two leagues Howbeit betweene the sea and his dominions runneth a ridge of mountaines inhabited by Moores who are masters of al the sea-coast along except the porte of Ercoco which belongeth to the Prete And likewise on the west his empire is restrained by another mountainous ridge stretching along the riuer of Nilus where are founde most rich mines of golde amongst which are the mines of Damut and of Sinassij wholie in the possession of Gentiles which pay tribute vnto the Prete Northward it is bounded by an imaginarie line supposed to be drawen from Suachen to the beginning of the isle Meroe aboue mentioned which line extendeth an hundred and fiue and twentie leagues From thence the Abassin borders trend south somewhat crookedly in manner of a bowe as farre as the kingdome of Adea from the mountaines whereof springeth a riuer called by Ptolemey Raptus which falleth into the sea about Melinde for the space of two hundred and fiftie nine leagues next vnto the which borders inhabite certaine Gentiles of blacke colour with curled haire And heere the 〈◊〉 empire is limited by the kingdome of Adel the head citie whereof called Arar standeth in the latitude nine degrees So that all this great empire may containe in compasse sixe hundred threescore and two leagues little more or lesse It is refreshed and watered by two mightie riuers which conuey their streames into Nilus called by Ptolemey Astaboras and Astapus and by the naturall inhabitants Abagni and Tagassi the first whereof taketh his originall from the lake of Barcena and the second from the lake of Colue Barcena lieth in seuen degrees of north latitude Colue vnder the verie Equinoctiall The first besides Abagni ingendereth also the riuer of Zeila and the second besides Tagassi giueth essence to the riuer of Quilimanci Between Abagni and the Red sea lieth the prouince of Barnagasso betweene Abagni and Tagassi are the kingdomes of Angote and Fatigar and more towards the bay of Barbarians the prouinces of Adea and of Baru and somewhat lower that of Amara In briefe beyond the riuer of Tagassi ly the regions of Bileguanzi and of Tigremahon The Abassins haue no great knowledge of Nilus by reason of the mountaines which deuide them from it for which cause they call Abagni the father of riuers Howbeit they say that vpon Nilus do inhabite two great and populous nations one of Iewes towards the west vnder the gouernment of a mighty king the other more southerly consisting of Amazones or warlike women whereof wee will speake more at large in our relation of Monomotapa Throughout all the dominion of the Prete there is not any one city of importance either for multitude of inhabitantes for magnificent buildings or for any other respect For the greatest townes there containe not aboue two thousand housholds the houses being cottage-like reared vp with clay and couered with straw or such like base matter Also Ptolemey intreating of these partes maketh mention but of three or foure cities onely which he appointeth to the south of the Isle Meroe Howbeit in some places vpon the frontiers of Abassia there are certaine townes verie fairely built and much frequented for traffique The Portugales in their trauailes throughout the empire haue often declared vnto the Abassins how much better it were for auoiding of the outragious iniuries and losses daily inflicted by the Moores and Mahumetans both vpon their goods and persons if the emperour would build cities and castles stronglie walled and fortified Whereunto they made answere that the power of their Neguz or emperour consisted not in stone-walles but in the armes of his people They vse not ordinarily any lime or stone but onely for the building of churches saying that so it becommeth vs to make a difference between the houses of men and churches dedicated to God and of their Beteneguz or houses of the emperour wherein the gouernours of prouinces are placed to execute iustice These Beteneguz stand continually open and yet in the gouernours absence no man dare enter into them vnder paine of being punished as a traytour Moreouer in the city of Axuma esteemed by them to haue beene the seate of the Queene of Saba stand certaine ruinous buildings like vnto pyramides which by reason of their greatnes
hurteth none but such as do him iniurie only he will in a sporting maner gently heaue vp with his 〈◊〉 such persons as he meeteth He loueth the water beyond measure and will stande vp to the mid-body therein bathing the ridge of his backe and other parts with his long promuscis or trunke His skin is fower fingers thicke and it is reported that an elephant of this countrey being stricken with a little gunne called Petrera was not wounded therewith but so sore brused inwardly that within three daies after he died Heere are likewise reported to be mightie adders or snakes of fiue and twentie spannes long and fiue spans broad which will swallow vp an whole stagge or any other creature of that bignes Neither are they here destitute of Indie-cockes and hens partridges feasants and innumerable birds of praie both of the lande and of the sea whereof some diue vnder the water which the Portugals call Pelicans Ouer against the most southerly part of the said kingdome of Congo where it confineth with Angola lyeth an Isle called Loanda being twentie miles long and but one mile broad at the most betweene which and the maine land is the best port of all that Ocean About this Isle do haunt infinite store of whales where notwithstanding no amber at all is found which is a manifest argument that it proceedeth notfrom these creatures Here they fish for certaine little shels which in Congo and the countries adioyning are vsed in steed of mony The well-waters of this Isle when the sea ebbeth are salte but when it floweth they are most fresh and sweet In this Isle the Portugals haue a towne from whence they traffique to Congo and Angola and amongst other commodities they get euery yeere in those parts about fiue thousand slaues the custome of which trade belongeth by ancient constitutions vnto the crowne of Portugale To the north of Congo vpon the sea coast beginneth the kingdome of Loango tributarie in times past to the king of Congo It aboundeth with elephants and the inhabitants called Bramas are circumcised after the Iewish manner Next vpon them doe border the Anzichi who are possessed of large countries namely from the riuer Zaire euen to the deserts of Nubia They abound with mines of copper and with sanders both Red and Gray which are the best and some are of opinion that here groweth the right Lignum Aquilae which is of so excellent vertue in phisick They haue one supreme king with many princes vnder him They traffique in Congo and carrie home from thence salt and great shels to be vsed for coine which are brought thither from the Isle of San Tomé in exchange of their cloth of the palme tree and of Iuory but the chiefe commodities which they part from are slaues of their owne nation and of Nubia and the said shels they vse also insteed of Iewels and ornaments Both they and the Bramas before mentioned do carry for their defence in the warres certaine targets made of the skin of a beast which in Germany is called Dante their weapons offensiue be little bowes and shorte arrowes which they shoot with such woonderfull celerity as they will discharge twentie one after another before the first arrow fall to the ground They haue shambles of mans-flesh as wee haue of beeues and muttons They eat their enemies which they take in the warres their slaues which they cannot make away for a good round price they sell vnto the butchers and some will offer themselues to the slaughter for the loue of their princes and patrons so sillie they are that to do their lordes a pleasure they will not refuse present death wherefore the Portugals repose not so much trust in any kinde of slaues as in them and they are very valiant also in the warres But to returne vnto the sea-coast from the mouth of the riuer Zaire Northward the land bearing out somewhat more to the west is framed into three headlands namely Cabo primero Cabo da Caterina and the cape of Lopo Gonsalues which is a cape very well knowen in regard of the eminency and outstretching thereof Itlyeth in one degree of southerly latitude Ouer against which cape within the land do inhabite the people called Bramas in the kingdome of Loango beforementioned From hence for the space of fiue or sixe degrees till you come to Punta delgada or The slender point the coast lyeth in a manner directly North most of which tract is inhabited by a nation of Negros called Ambus North of the said slender point you haue Rio dos Camarones or the riuer of shrimpes which is full of little Isles not far from which riuer are The countries of Biafar and Medra inhabited with people which are addicted to inchantments witchcrafts and all kind of abominable sorceries Much more might be said concerning this sixt part of the lower Ethiopia but because it is in so ample and methodicall a manner described in the historie of Philippo Pigafetta most iudiciously and aptly Englished by the learned Master Abraham Hartwell I refer the reader thereunto as to the principal and the very fountaine of all other discourses which haue bin written to any purpose of Congo and the countries adioyning Of the countries of Benin Meleghete Ghinea and Sierra Leona WEstward from the countries last mentioned lyeth the kingdome of Benin hauing a very proper towne of that name and an hauen called Gurte The 〈◊〉 liue in Idolatry and are a rude and brutish nation notwithstanding that their prince is serued with such high reuerence and neuer commeth in sight but with great solemnity many ceremonies at whose death his chiefe fauorites count it the greatest point of honour to be buried with him to the end as they vainely imagine they may doe him seruice in another world This countrie aboundeth with long pepper called by the Portugals Pimienta dal rabo which is as much to say as ppeper with a tayle This tailed or long pepper so far excelleth the pepper of the east Indies that an ounce therof is of more force then halfe a pound of that other For which cause the kings of Portugale haue done what lay in them to keep it from being brought into these parts of Europe least it should too much abase the estimation and price of their Indian pepper All which notwithstanding there hath bin great quantitie secretly conueied from thence by the Portugals as likewise the English and French nations and of late yeeres the Hollanders haue had great traffique into those parts Next follow the kingdomes of Temian and Dauma and lower to the south the prouince of Meleghete a place very famous and well knowne in regard of a little red graine which there groweth being in shape somewhat like to the 〈◊〉 of Italy but of a most vehement and firy tast and these little graines are by the apothecaries called Grana Paradisi Here also is made of 〈◊〉 and the ashes of the Palme-tree a kind of
vnto them and being a very vnciuill and barbarous people The people called Enedri are seated in the plaine of Heah but the whole region of Heah maintaineth almost fower thousand horsemen which notwithstanding are vnfit for the warres The people of Garfa haue sundrie mansions neither haue they any king or gouernour They are dispersed among other generations and especially among the kindreds of Manebbi and Hemram These conuay dates from Segelmessa to the kingdome of Fez and carrie backe againe from thence such things as are necessarie for Segelmess Of the tribe of Machil THE people called Ruche who are thought to be descended from Mastar doe possesse that desert which lieth next vnto Dedes and Farcala They haue very small dominions for which cause they are accounted no whit rich howbeit they are most valiant soldiers and exceeding swift of foote insomuch that they esteeme it a great disgrace if one of their footemen be vanquished by two horsemen And you shall finde scarce any one man among them which will not outgoe a very swift horse be the iourney neuer so long They haue about fiue hundred horsemen but most warlike footemen to the number of eight thousand Selim inhabite vpon the riuer of Dara from whence they range vp and downe the deserts They are endowed with great riches carrying euery yeere merchandize vnto the kingdome of Tombuto and are thought to be in high fauour with the king himselfe A large iurisdiction they haue in Darha and great plentie of camels and for all oportunities of warre they haue euer in a readines three thousande horsemen The tribe of Elhasis dwelleth vpon the sea-coast neere vnto Messa They doe arme about fiue hundred horsemen and are a nation altogether rude and vnacquainted in the warres Some part of them inhabiteth Azgara Those which dwell about Messa are free from the yoke of superioritie but the others which remaine in Azgar are subiect to the king of Fez. The kindred of Chinan are dispersed among them which before were called Elcaluth and these also are subiect vnto the king of Fez. Very warlike people they are and are able to set foorth two thousand horsemen The people of Deuihessen are diuided into the kindreds of Duleim Burbun Vode Deuimansor and Deuihubaidulla Duleim are conuersant in the deserts of Libya with the African people called Zanhaga They haue neither dominion nor yet any stipend wherefore they are very poore and giuen to robberie they trauell vnto Dara and exchange cattell for dates with the inhabitants there All brauerie comelines of apparell they vtterly neglect and their number of fighting menis ten thousand fower thousand being horsemen and the residue footmen The people called Burbun possesse that part of the Libyan desert which adioyneth vnto Sus. They are a huge multitude neither haue they any riches beside camels Vnto them is subiect the citie of Tesset which scarce sufficeth them for the maintenance of their horses being but a few The people of Vode enioyeth that desert which is situate betweene Guaden and Gualata They beare rule ouer the Guadenites and of the Duke of Gualata they receiue yeerely tribute and their number is growen almost infinite For by report they are of abilitie to bring into the field almost threescore thousand most skilful soldiers notwithstanding they haue great want of horses The tribe of Racmen occupie that desert which is next vnto Hacha They haue very large possessions and doe in the spring-time vsually trauell vnto Tesset for then alwaies they haue somewhat to doe with the inhabitants there Their people fit for armes are to the number of twelue thousand albeit they haue very few horsemen The nation of Hamrum inhabit the deserts of Tagauost exacting some tribute of the inhabitants there and with daily incursions likewise molesting the people of Nun. Their number of soldiers is almost eight thousand The people descended of Deuimansor THE generation of Dehemrum which are saide to deriue their petigree from Deuimansor inhabite the desert ouer against Segellmess who continually wander by the Libyan deserts as farre as Ighid They haue tributarie vnto them the people of Segelmesse of Todgatan of Tebelbelt and of Dara Their soile yeeldeth such abundance of dates that the yeerely increase thereof is sufficient to maintaine them although they had nothing else to liue on They are of great fame in other nations being able to furnish for the warres about three thousand horsemen There dwell likewise among these certaine other Arabians of more base condition called in their language Garfa Esgeh which notwithstanding haue great abundance of horses and of all other cattell A certaine part also of the people Hemrun obtaineth many and large possessions among the 〈◊〉 from whence they haue a notable yeerely reuenue brought them in this part of Hemrun maketh often excursions towards the deserts of Fighig In summer they disperse themselues all ouer the prouince of Garet possessing the east part of Mauritania They are noble and honest persons and endued with all kinde of humanitie and ciuilitie insomuch that all the kings of Fez in a manner do vsually chuse them wiues out of the same tribe needes therefore must there be great friendship and familiaritie among them The people of Menebbe doe almost inhabite the very same desert hauing two prouinces of Numidia vnder them to wit Matgara and Retebbe These also are a most valiant nation being in pay vnder the prouince of Segelmess and being able to make about two thousand horsemen The kindred of Husein which are thought to be descended of Deuimansor are seated vpon the mountaines of Atlas They haue in the said mountaines a large iurisdiction namely diuers castles euery where and many most rich and flourishing cities all which they thinke were giuen them in olde time by the vice-royes of the Marini for so soone as they had woon that kingdome the kindred of Husein affoorded them great aide and seruice Their dominion is now subiect vnto the kings of Fez and of Segelmess They haue a captaine which for the most part resideth at the citie commonly called Garseluin Likewise they are alwaies in a manner trauersing of that desert which in their language is called Eddara They are taken to be a most rich and honest people being of abilitie to furnish for the warres about sixe thousande horsemen Among these you shall oftentimes finde many Arabians of another sort whom they vse onely to be their seruants The tribe of Abulhusein doe inhabite part of the foresaid desert of Eddara howbeit a very smal part the greatest number of whom are brought vnto such extreme miserie that they haue not in those their wilde tents sufficient sustenance to liue vpon True it is that they haue built them certaine habitations vpon the Libyan deserts but yet they are cruelly pinched with famine and with extreme penurie of all things and that there might be no end of their miserie they are constrained to pay yeerely tribute vnto their kindred and parents The ofspring
him For saith he there is some recompence due vnto me sithens ten of my people haue beene slaine and but eight of this my neighbours Whereunto the other replied that the saide ten persons were iustly slaine because they went about by violence to dispossesse him of a certaine piece of ground which his father had left him by inheritance but that his eight were murthered onely for vniust reuenge against all equitie and lawe With these and such like friuolous allegations we spent that whole day neither could we decide any one controuersie About midnight we sawe a great throng of people meet in the market-place who made there such a bloodie and horrible conflict that the sight thereof would haue affrighted any man were he neuer so hard harted Wherefore the saide Seriffo fearing least those lewd varlets would make some trecherous conspiracie against him and thinking it better to depart thence immediately then to expect the conclusion of that fraye wee tooke our iourney from that place to a towne called Aghilinghighil Of the towne of Teijeut in Hea. MOreouer the tower of Teijeut standing vpon a plaine ten miles Westward of Ileusugaghen containeth about three hundred housholdes The houses and wall of this towne are built of bricke The townesmen exercise husbandrie for their ground is most fertile for barley albeit it will scarcely yeeld any other graine They haue pleasant and large gardens stored with vines fig-trees and peach-trees also they haue great abundance of goates About this towne are many lyons whereby the townesmen are not a little endamaged for they pray continually vpon their goats and vpon other of their cattell Certaine of vs vpon time comming into these parts for want of a lodging were cōstrained to repayre vnto a little cottage which we escried being so olde that it was in danger of falling hauing prouided our horses of prouender we stopped vp all the doores and passages of the said cottage with thornes and wood as circumspectly as possibly we could these things happened in the moneth of Aprill at what time they haue extreme heat in the same countrey Wherefore we our selues got vp to the top of the house to the end that in our sleep we might be neere vnto the open ayer About midnight we espied two monstrous lyons who were drawen thither by the sent of our horses and endeuored to breake downe that fence of thornes which we had made Whereupon the horses being put in feare kept such a neighing and such a stirre that we misdoubted least the rotten cottage would haue fallen and least our selues should haue become a pray vnto the lyons But so soone as we perceiued the day begin to breake we foorthwith sadled our horses and hyed vs vnto that place where we knew the Prince and his armie lay Not long after followed the destruction of this towne For the greater part of the townesmen being slaine the rest were taken by the Portugals and were carried as captiues into Portugall This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira 920 and in the yeere of our Lord 1513. Of Tesegdelt a towne of Hea. THe towne of Tesegdelt being situate vpon the top of a certaine high mountaine and naturally enuironed with an high rocke in steade of a wall containeth more then eight hundreth families It is distant from Teijeut southward about twelue miles and it hath a riuer running by it the name whereof I haue forgotten About this towne of Tesegdelt are most pleasant gardens and orchards replenished with all kinde of trees and especially with walnut-trees The inhabitants are wealthie hauing great abundance of horses neither are they constrained to pay any tribute vnto the Arabians There are continuall warres betweene the Arabians and them and that with great bloudshed and manslaughter on both parts The villages lying neere vnto Tesegdelt do vsually carry all their graine thither least they should be depriued thereof by the enimie who maketh daily inrodes and inuasions vpon them The inhabitants of the foresaid towne are much 〈◊〉 vnto curtesie and ciuilitie and for liberalitie and bountie vnto strangers they will suffer themselues to be inferiour to none other At euery gate of Tesegdelt stande certaine watchmen or warders which do most louingly receiue all incommers enquiring of them whether they haue any friends and acquaintaine in the towne or no If they haue none then are they conducted to one of the best Innes of the towne and hauing had entertainment there according to their degree and place they are friendly dismissed and whatsoeuer his expences come to the stranger paies nought at all but his charges are defraied out of the common purse This people of Tesegdelt are subiect also vnto iealousie howbeit they are most faithfull keepers of their promise In the very middest of the towne standes a most beautifull and stately temple whereunto belong a certaine number of Mahumetan priests And to the ende that iustice may be most duly administred among them they haue a very learned iudge who decideth all matters in the common wealth except criminall causes onely Their fieldes where they vse to sowe their corne are for the greater part vpon the mountaines Vnto this verie towne I trauelled with the foresaide Seriffo in the 〈◊〉 of the Hegeira 919. that is to say in the yeere of our Lord 1510. A description of the citie of Tagtess THE most ancient citie of Tagtess is built rounde and standeth vpon the toppe of an hill on the sides whereof are certaine winding steps hewen out of the hard rocke It is about foureteene miles distant from Tesegdelt By the foote of the saide hill runnes a riuer whereout the women of Tagtess draw their water neither haue the citizens any other drinke and although this riuer be almost sixe miles from Tagtess yet a man would thinke looking downe from the citie vpon it that it were but halfe a mile distant The way leading vnto the said riuer being cut out of the rocke in forme of a payre of stayres is verie narrow The citizens of Tagtess are addicted vnto theft and robberie and are at continuall warre with their neighbours They haue no corne-fields nor any cattell but onely vpon the said mountaine they haue great store of bores but such scarcitie of horses that there is not one almost to bee found in the whole citie The way through their region is so difficult that they will suffer none to passe by without a publique testimoniall While I was in that countrey there came such a swarme of Locusts that they deuoured the greatest part of their cornes which were as then ripe insomuch that all the vpper part of the ground was couered with Locusts Which was in the yeere of the Hegeira 919. that is in the yeere of our Lord 1510. The towne of Eitdeuet FIfteene miles Southward from Tagtess stands another towne called Eitdeuet being built vpon a plaine and yet vpon the higher ground thereof It containeth to the number of seuen hundred families and hath
the mountaine and which lieth betweene the towne and the riuer Neither doe they enioy that gratis for they yeerely pay vnto the Arabians for tribute the third part of their corne Of the new towne of Delgumuha VPon the top of a certaine high mountaine was built in our time a most large and impregnable forte being enuironed on all sides with diuers other mountaines and called by the inhabitants New Delgumuha Beneath the said mountaine springeth Asifinuall which word signifieth in the African toong the riuer of rumor because that breaking foorth by the side of the hill with a monstrous noise it maketh a most deepe gulfe much like vnto that which the Italians call Inferno di Tivoli The said forte containeth almost a thousand families It was sometime gouerned by a certaine tyrant which came thither out of the king of Maroco his court Here may you finde great store of soldiers both horsemen and fooremen They gather yeerely tribute of the people bordering vpon Atlas to the summe of a thousand crownes They haue alwaies had great league and familiaritie with the Arabians each of whom haue accustomed to salute and gratifie the other with mutuall gifts for which cause they haue oftentimes much prouoked the kings of Maroco against them They haue alwaies beene great louers of ciuilitie and haue worne neat and decent apparell neither shall you find any corner in the whole towne which is not well peopled In this towne are plentie of artificers for it is but fiftie miles from the citie of Maroco Vpon the said mountaine there are great store of gardens and orchards which yeeld the inhabitants abundancè offruit yeerely They reape likewise barlie hempe and cotton and their goates are almost innumerable Likewise they haue many priests and iudges but as touching their mindes they are ignorant froward and exceedingly addicted to ielousie In this towne I aboad certaine daies with a kinsman of mine who while he dwelt at Fez being impouerished with extreme studie of Alchimie was constrained to flee vnto this towne where in processe of time he became Secretarie vnto the gouernour Of the citie of Imizmizi VPon a certaine part of Atlas standeth a citie called Imizmizi Westward it is distant from new Delgumuha about fourteene miles and this citie the Arabians are reported to haue built Neere vnto this citie lieth the common high way to Guzula ouer the mountaines of Atlas being commonly called Burris that is A way strowed with feathers because snow falles often thereupon which a man would thinke rather to be feathers then snow Not far from this towne likewise there is a very faire and large plaine which extendeth for the space of thirtie miles euen to the territorie of Maroco This most fertile plaine yeeldeth such excellent corne as to my remembrance I neuer saw the like Sauing that the Arabians and soldiers of Maroco doe so much molest the said plaine countrie that the greater part thereof is destitute of inhabitants yea I haue heard of many citizens that haue forsaken the citie it selfe thinking it better to depart then to be daily oppressed with so many inconueniences They haue very little money but the scarcitie thereof is recompenced by their abundance of good ground and their plentie of corne In the time of my aboad with them I went vnto a certaine Hermite which they called Sidi Canon which famous and woorthie man gaue me such friendly entertainment as I cannot easily expresse Of the three townes of Tumelgast THese three townes called by the name of Tumelgast are situate vpon a plaine about thirtie miles from Maroco and fourteene miles northward of Atlas being replenished with palme-trees vines and all other trees that beare fruit Their fields are very large and fertill were they not continually wasted by the lewd Arabians So few are the inhabitants of these three townes that I thinke there are not in all aboue fifteene families all which are ioined in affinitie and kinred vnto the foresaid hermite for which cause they are permitted to till some part of that plaine without paying of any tribute vnto the Arabians Saue onely that they entertaine the Arabians when they trauell that way Their lowly and base habitations a man would take rather to be hogs-cotes then dwelling places for men hence it is that they are so continually vexed with fleas gnats and other such vermine Their water is exceeding salt This prouince also I perused in the companie of my deere friend Sidi 〈◊〉 who went thither to gather vp the tribute of the countrie on the behalfe of the king of Portugall This Sidi was appointed gouernour ouer all that circuit which is called by them Azafi Of the towne of Tesrast THis towne is situate vpon the banke of the riuer Asifelmel It standeth westward of Maroco fourteen miles about twētie miles from Atlas Round about this towne they haue diuers gardens enclosures abounding with dates and corne and the chiefe part of the inhabitants earne their liuing with gardening Howbeit sometimes the increase of their riuer is so great that it drowneth all their gardens and corne-fields And they are by so much the more miserable in regard that the Arabians all summer-time doe possesse the whole region deuouring all things which the poore husbandmen by their great care and industrie had prouided With these people I made no longer tarrying but onely till I could haue well baited my horse howbeit in that short time I hardly escaped with life and goods from certain Arabian theeues A most exact description of the great and famous citie of Maroco THis noble citie of Maroco in Africa is accounted to be one of the greatest cities in the whole world It is built vpon a most large field being about fourteene miles distant from Atlas One Ioseph the sonne of Tesfin and king of the tribe or people called Luntuna is reported to haue beene the founder of this citie at that very time when he conducted his troupes into the region of Maroco and setled himselfe not farre from the common high way which stretcheth from Agmet ouer the mountaines of Atlas to those deserts where the foresaid tribe or people doe vsually inhabite Here may you behold most stately and woonderfull workmanship for all their buildings are so cunningly and artificially contriued that a man cannot easily describe the same This huge and mighty citie at such time as it was gouerned by Hali the sonne of king Ioseph contained moe then 100000. families It had fower and twenty gates belonging thereto and a wall of great strength and thicknes which was built of white stone and lime From this citie the riuer of Tensift lieth about sixe miles distant Here may you behold great abundance of temples of colleges of bath-stoues and of innes all framed after the fashion and custome of that region Some were built by the king of the tribe of Luntuna and others by Elmunchidin his successor but the most curious and magnificent temple of all is that
king of Maroco and vnto the Seriffo that the king of Fez his brother was presently to depart vnto Duccala for which cause they were requested to prouide soldiers for the better resistance of the Portugals armie Of the citie of Azamur AZamur a towne of Duccala was built by the Africans vpon that part of the Oceā sea shore where the riuer of Ommirabih disemboqueth being distant from Elmadina southward about thirtie miles Very large it is and well inhabited and containeth to the number of fiue thousand families Here doe the Portugall merchants continually reside The inhabitants are very ciuill and decently apparelled And albeit they are diuided into two parts yet haue they continuall peace among themselues Pulse and corne they haue great plentie though their gardens and orchards bring foorth nought else but figs. They haue such plentie of fishes that they receiue yeerely for them sometime sixe thousand and sometime seuen thousand duckats And their time of fishing dureth from October to the end of Aprill They vse to frie fishes in a certaine pan with oile whereby they gather an incredible quantitie of trane neither vse they any other oile to put into their lampes Once a yeere the Portugals make a voiage hither and doe carrie away so great abundance of fish that they onely doe disburse the summe of duckats aforesaid Hence it is that the king of Portugal being allured for gaine hath often sent most warlike fleetes to surprise this towne the first whereof in regarde of the Generals indiscretion was the greatest part dispersed and sunke vpon the sea Afterward the king sent another nauie of two hundred saile well furnished at the very sight whereof the citizens were so discomfited that they all betooke themselues to flight and the throng was so great at their entrance of the gates that moe then fowerscore citizens were slaine therein Yea a certaine prince which came to aide them was for his safetie constrained to let himselfe downe by a rope on the farther side of the citie The inhabitants were presently dispersed hither and thither some fleeing on horse-backe and others on foote Neither could you I know haue refrained from teares had you seene the weake women the silly old men and the tender children run away bare-footed and forlorne But before the Christians gaue any assault the Iewes which shortly after compounded with the king of Portugall to yeeld the citie to him on condition that they shoulde sustaine no iniurie with a generall consent opened the gates vnto them and so the Christians obtained the citie and the people went to dwell part of them to Sala and part to Fez. Neither doe I thinke that God for any other cause brought this calamitie vpon them but onely for the horrible vice of Sodomie whereunto the greatest part of the citizens were so notoriously addicted that they could scarce see any young stripling who escaped their lust Of the towne called Meramei THis towne was built by the Gothes vpon a plaine almost fourteene miles distant from Azafi and it containeth to the number of fower hundred families the soile thereabout aboundeth greatly with oliues and corne It was gouerned in times past by the prince of Azafi but afterward being surprised by the Portugals and the inhabitants being all put to flight it remained well nigh one whole yeere destitute of people Howbeit soone after making a league with the Portugals each man retired vnto his owne home And now I thinke it not amisse to report as concerning the mountaines of Duccala those things which may seeme woorthie of memorie Of the mountaine called Benimegher BEnimegher is distant from Azafi about twelue miles containing diuers artizans of all sortes euery one of which hath an house at Azafi This mountaine is so exceeding fruitful for oile and corne that a man would scarce beleeue it It was once in subiection vnto the prince of Azafi but the inhabitants of Azafi being put to flight as hath beene aforesaid had no other place for their refuge but onely this mountaine of Benimegher Afterward they paid tribute for certaine yeeres vnto the Portugals but when the king of Fez came thither with his army he caried with him part of them vnto Fez and the residue returned to Azafi for they were determined rather to indure any iniurie then to submit themselues to the Christians gouernment Of the greene mountaine THis mountaine is of an exceeding height beginning eastward from the riuer of Ommirabih and extending westward to the hils called in their language Hasara and it diuideth Duccala from some part of Tedles Likewise this mountaine is very rough and full of woods affoording great store of acornes and pine-apples and a certaine kinde of red fruit which the Italians commonly call Africano Many Hermites also doe inhabite vpon this mountaine liuing with no other kind of victuals but such as the woods yeeld vnto them For they are aboue fiue and twenty 〈◊〉 distant from all townes and cities Here are great store of fountaines and of altars built after the Mahumetan fashion and many auncient houses also erected by the Africans At the foot of this mountaine there is a notable lake very like vnto the lake of Bolsena in the Roman territorie In which lake are found infinite numbers of fishes as namely eeles pickrels and of diuers other sorts which to my remembrance I neuer saw in Italie but there is no man that goeth about to take any fish in this lake no maruell therefore though the number be so great Vpon a certaine time when Mahumet the king of Fez trauelled that way towards the kingdome of Maroco he encamped his armie eight daies vpon the side of this lake Some of his companie he licenced to fish the same amongst whom I saw certaine that tooke off their shirts and coats sowing vp their sleeues and collars and putting certaine hoops within them to keepe them from closing together and so vsed them in steed of nets wherewith notwithstanding they caught many thousand fishes but others which had nets indeed got more then they And all by reason that the fishes as we will now declare were perforce driuen into the nets For king Mahumet being there accompanied with fourteene thousand Arabian horsemen which brought a great many more camels with them and hauing fiue thousand horsemen vnder the conduct of his brother with an huge armie of fooremen caused them all at once to enter the lake insomuch that there was scarce water ynough to satisfie the camels thirst wherefore it was no maruell though the fishes came so fast into the nets Vpon the banks of this lake are many trees bearing leaues like vnto pine-leaues among the boughes whereof such abundance of turtles doe nestle that the inhabitants reape woonderfull commoditie by them Mahumet hauing refreshed himselfe eight daies by the foresaid lake was then desirous to view The greene mountaine aforesaid my selfe with a great number of courtiers and learned men attending vpon him So often as he
the towne vnto the king This condition was accepted and the king hauing a thousand braue horsemen readie to doe the feat ioyned fiue hundred horse and two hundred gunners on horsebacke vnto them Moreouer he wrote vnto certaine Arabians which are commonly called Zuair and haue almost fower thousand horesemen at commaund that if need so required they would come in and ayde his troupes Ouer the saide armie the king appointed as captaine one Ezzeranghi a most valiant and redoubted warriour Who hauing pitched his tents neere vnto the towne began presently to giue the townesmen an assault But when he had done his best the warlike citizens easily gaue him the repulse Moreouer the Arabians called Benigeber were comming with fiue thousand horsemen to succour the towne Which so soone as Captaine Ezzeranghi was aduertised of he raised his siege and went suddenly to meete with the foresaid Arabians whom after he had discomfited in three daies he then safely returned to lay new siege The citizens seeing themselues cut off from all hope of the Arabians ayde began seriously to treat of peace with the enemie which the easlier to obtaine they promised to defray all the kings charges layde out in this expedition and to pay him for yeerly tribute moe then ten thousand ducates howbeit with this prouiso that they for whose cause the king had sent the said armie if they entred the towne should bee secluded from all Magistracie and gouernment But they hearing of these conditions spake vnto the Captaine in manner following Sir if it shall please you to restore vs vnto our former dignitie and state we will procure you aboue an hundreth thousand ducates Neither is there cause why any man should feare any iniurie or violence for we protest vnto you that no man shall be a farthing endamaged by vs onely we will exact at our aduersaries handes the reuenues of our possessions which they haue these three yeeres vniustly detained from vs. The summe whereof will amount vnto thirtie thousand ducates all which we are most willing to bestow vpon you in regard of those labours which you haue vndergone for our sakes Moreouer the reuenues of the whole region shall bee yours which will come to twentie thousand ducates And the Iewes tribute shall yeeld you ten thousand more Vpon these speeches the Captaine returned answere vnto the citizens that his master the king of Fez had most faithfully promised those which mooued him vnto this warre that he would neuer forsake them till they had attained their harts desire for which cause he was more willing to haue them gouerne then the townesmen which were now in possession and that for many reasons wherefore saith he if you be determined to yeelde vnto the king assure your selues that no inconuenience shall light vpon you but if you will to the ende remaine peruerse and obstinate be yee assured also that the king will deale most extremely with you This message was no sooner knowen vnto the people but foorthwith they began to be distracted into diuers factions some there were which stood for the king and others chose rather manfully to fight it out then that the king should be admitted insomuch that the whole citie resounded with brawlings quarels and contentions This tumult came at length by spies vnto the Captaines eare who presently caused halfe his forces to take armes and by their meanes in three howers space he wan the citie with little slaughter on his part For those townesmen that fauoured the king did what they could on the inside to set open the gates and so did the assailants on the outside neither did any resist their attempts by reason of the foresaid ciuill dissensions Whereupon Captaine Ezzeranghi entring the citie caused the kings colours to be aduanced in the market-place and vpon the wals charging his horsemen to range about the citie that no citizens might escape by flight and last of all made a proclamation vnto all his souldiers that they should not vpon paine of death offer any iniurie vnto the townesmen Then he caused all the chieftaines of the contrarie faction to be brought prisoners vnto him to whom he threatned captiuitie and thraldome till they should disburse so much as the king had spent in that expedition the totall summe was twelue thousand ducates which the wiues and kinsfolkes of the captiues presently payde Neither could they yet obtaine their libertie for the exiles for whose cause the king had sent that armie demaunded restitution of all their goods which the other had for certaine yeeres detained from them The captiues therfore were committed that night the next morning lawyers atturnies came to plead on both sides before a iudge the captaine Howbeit after a great deale of tedious fending and proouing hauing concluded nothing at all the captaine was so weary that he left them and went to supper Afterward he caused the captiues to be brought foorth wishing them to pay the sums demaunded for saith he If you come before the king of Fez he wil make you to disburse more then twise the value At which words being terrified they wrote vnto their wiues if they woulde euer see them aliue to procure them money by some meanes Eight daies after the women brought as many golde rings bracelets and other such iewels as were valued at eight and twenty thousand ducates for they had rather bestowe these for the ransome of their husbandes then to reueale their great wealth bringing foorth all their costly ornaments as if their money had beene quite exhaust When therefore the king and the exiles were fully satisfied insomuch that nothing seemed nowe to let the said captiues from libertie the captaine spake vnto them in this wise Sirs I haue signified though vnwillingly vnto my master the king all matters which haue here passed betweene vs for I dare by no meanes release you till the kings letters authorize me so to do Howbeit I wish you to be of good cheere for sithens you haue honestly restored to euery man his owne there is no doubt but your selues shall shortly be set at libertie The same night the captaine called a friend of his whose counsell he founde oftentimes to take good effect and asked him by what meanes he might without suspicion of guile or trechery wring any more sums of money from them Whereunto his friend replied make them beleeue quoth he that you are willed by the kings letters to put them all to death howbeit that you will not for pitties sake deale so extremely with innocent persons but that you will send them to Fez to receiue punishment or pardon at the kings pleasure Heereupon the kings letters were counterfeited which the day following the captaine with a lamētable voice published vnto his two forty prisoners My friends quoth he so it is that the king hauing receiued some sinister and wrong information that you should go about to make a conspiracie most firmely enioineth me by these his letters to put
but whereupon this dissension of theirs should arise I cannot well determine Their gentlemens wiues neuer goe foorth of the doores but onely in the night season and then also they must be so vailed and muffeled that no man may see them so great is the ielousie of this people This towne is so durtie in the spring-time that it would irke a man to walke the streetes Of a towne called Gemiha Elchmen THis ancient towne standeth on a plaine neere vnto certaine baths being distant southward of Mecnase fifteene miles westard of Fez thirtie and from Atlas about ten miles By this towne lieth the common high way from Fez to Tedle The fielde of this towne was possessed by certaine Arabians and the towne it selfe vtterly destroied in the war of Sahid Howbeit in certaine places the walles are yet remaining and diuers towers and temples standing without roofes Of the towne called Cannis Metgara THis towne was built by certaine Africans in the field of Zuaga almost fifteene miles westward from Fez. Without this towne for two miles together were most pleasant and fruitfull gardens but by the cruell warre of Sahid all was laide waste and the place it selfe remained void of inhabitauts an hundred and twenty yeeres Howbeit when part of the people of Granada came ouer into Africa this region began to be inhabited anew And whereas the Granatines are great merchants of silke they caused for the breeding of silkewormes great store of white mulberrie trees to be brought hither Here likewise they planted abundance of sugar-canes which prosper not so well in this place as in the prouince of Andaluzia In times past the inhabitants of this place were very ciuill people but in our time they haue not beene so by reason that all of them exercise husbandrie Of the towne of Banibasil THis towne was built by the Africans vpon a certaine small riuer iust in the mid way betweene Mecnase and Fez being distant from Fez about eighteene miles westward Out of their fields many riuers take their originall which fieldes are by the Arabians sowen all ouer with barlie and hempe neither indeed will the soile yeeld any other commoditie both by reason of the barrennes and also for that it is for the most part ouerflowed with water Whatsoeuer commoditie ariseth out of this place redoundeth to the priestes of the principall Mahumetan temple in Fez and it amounteth almost yeerely to twenty thousand duckats Here also in times past were most large pleasant and fruitfull gardens as appeereth by the monuments and reliques thereof howbeit they were like other places laide waste by the war of Sahid The towne it selfe remained destitute of inhabitants an hundred and ten yeeres but as the king of Fez returned home from Duccala he commanded part of his people to inhabite the same albeit their inciuilitie made them loth so to doe Of Fez the principall citie of all Barbarie and of the founders thereof FEz was built in the time of one Aron a Mahumetan patriarke in the yeere of the Hegeira 185. and in the yeere of our Lord 786. by a certaine heretike against the religion of Mahumet But why it should so be called some are of opinion because when the first foundations thereof were digged there was found some quantitie of golde which mettall in the Arabian language is called Fez. Which etymologie seemeth to me not improbable albeit some would haue it so called from a certaine riuer of that name But howsoeuer it be we leaue that to be discussed by others affirming for an vndoubted truth that the founder of this citie was one Idris being the foresaid Aron his neere kinsman This Idris ought rather to haue beene Mahumetan patriarke because he was nephew vnto Hali the cozen-german of Mahumet who married Falerna Mahumets owne daughter so that Idris both by father and mother was of Mahumets linage but Aron being nephew vnto one Habbus the vncle of Mahumet was of kinred onely by the fathers side Howbeit both of them were excluded from the said patriarkship for certaine causes mentioned in the African chronicles although Aron vsurped the same by deceit For Arons vncle being a most cunning and craftie man and faining himselfe to beare greatest fauour vnto the familie of Hali and to bee most desirous that the patriarkship should light thereon sent his ambassadours almost throughout the whole world Whereupon the dignitie was translated from Vmeve to Habdulla Seffec the first patriarke Which Vmeve being informed of waged warre against the familie of Hali and so preuailed that some of them he chased into Asia and some into India Howbeit an ancient religious man of the same familie remained still aliue at Elmadina who being very olde no whit regarded the dignitie But this ancient sire left behinde him two sonnes who when they were come to mans estate grew into so great fauour with the people of Elmadin that they were chased thence by their enemies the one being taken hanged and the other whose name was Idris escaping into Mauritania This Idris dwelling vpon mount Zaron about thirtie miles from Fez gouerned not onely the commonwealth but matters of religion also and all the region adiacent paid him tribute At length Idris deceasing without lawfull issue left one of his maides big with childe which had beene turned from the Gothes religion to the Moores Being deliuered of her sonne they called him after his fathers name Idris This childe the inhabitants chusing for their prince caused him to be most carefully brought vp and as he grew in yeeres to the end they might traine him vp in feates of chiualrie they appointed one Rasid a most valiant and skilfull captaine to instruct him Insomuch that while he was but fifteene yeeres of age he grew famous for his valiant actes and stratagems and began woonderfully to inlarge his dominions Wherefore his troupes and familie increasing euery day more and more he set his minde vpon building of a citie and changing of his habitation And so he sent for cunning builders into all nations who hauing diligently perused all places in the region at last made choise of that where the citie of Fez now standeth For here they found great store of fountaines and a faire riuer which springing foorth of a plaine not far of runneth pleasantly almost eight miles amidst the little hils till at length it casteth itselfe vpon another plaine Southward of the place they found a wood which they knew would be right commodious for the towne Here therefore vpon the east banke of the said riuer they built a towne containing three thousand families neither omitted they ought at al which might be required in a flourishing commonwealth After the decease of Idris his sonne erected another towne directly ouer against the foresaid on the other side of the riuer But in processe of time either towne so encreased that there was but a small distance betweene them for the gouernours of each laboured might and maine to augment their owne
owne religion This Geber his works and all his precepts are full of allegories or darke borrowed speeches Likewise they haue another author that wrote an huge volume of the same arte intituled by the name of Attogrehi this man was secretarie vnto the Soldan of Bagaded of whom we haue written in the liues of the Arabian philosophers Also the songs or articles of the said science were written by one Mugairibi of Granada whereupon a most learned Mamaluch of Damasco wrote a commentarie yet so that a man may much more easily vnderstand the text then the exposition thereof Of Alchymistes here are two sorts whereof the one seeke for the Elissir that is the matter which coloureth brasse and other metals and the other are conuersant about multiplication of the quantities of metals whereby they may conueniently temper the same But their chiefest drift is to coine counterfeit money for which cause you shall see most of them in Fez with their hands cut off Of charmers andinchanters of snakes IN this citie likewise there is a great swarme of base people such as the Italians commonly call Ciurmatori these sing foolish songs and rimes in all the streets of the citie and broching meere trifles with the musicke of drums harpes and citterns they sell vnto the rude people certaine scroules or briefe charmes instead of preseruatiues Vnto these you may adde another kinde of reffuse people of one family and disposition with the former who carrie dauncing apes vp and downe and haue their neckes and armes all entwined with 〈◊〉 snakes These also professe Geomancie and perswade women that they can foretell them their 〈◊〉 Likewise they carrie stone-horses about with them which for a certaine fee they will let others haue to couer their mares I coulde heere reckon vp more sorts of people but let it suffice to haue admonished in this place that the greatest part of the forenamed are people of most base condition and such as beare little good will to strangers albeit there are but a fewe in this citie by reason it is distant more then an hundreth miles from the sea the way thither also being rough and dangerous Their gentle men are very stately and high minded and will haue little or no familiaritie at all with the citizens so likewise the doctors and iudges of principall account will admit but fewe vnto their acquaintance This citie it selfe is most beautifull and right commodiously situate where albeit in winter time the streetes are so mirie that you cannot walke in them without startups yet they let passe such abundance of water out of their conducts that all the filth is washed cleane away Where conducts are wanting they carry all the durt in carts vnto the next part of the riuer A description of the suburbes without the foresaid citie of Fez. WIthout the wals of this citie westward standeth a suburbe containing almost fiue hundreth families the houses whereof are but meane and the inhabitants base as namely driuers of camels water-bearers and cleauers of woode for the kings pallace Yet here you may finde diuers shops and all kinds of artificers Here likewise dwell all the charmers and roguish minstrels before named as also great swarmes of sluttish and filthie harlots In the principall streete of this suburbe you shall finde certaine caues most artificially hewen out of excellent marble wherein the noble men of Fez were woont to lay vp their corne but after that by reason of the warres it was often taken from thence they haue since vsually conueied their corne into new Fez and there stored it vp and from that time to this the marble-caues haue remained desolate It is a woonder to see howe wide and large these caues are for the least of them will containe more then a thousand measures of corne there being aboue an hundreth and fiftie of them in all but now they lie waste and open insomuch that diuers fall into them at vnawares for which cause their brimmes are enuironed with wals Here euery one may play the vintener and the baud so that this suburbe may iustly be called the sinke of Fez. From the twentith hower you shall see none at all in their shops for then euery man runs to the tauerne to disport to spend riotously and to bee drunken Another suburbe there is allotted vnto the lepers of whom there are two hundreth families these leprous persons haue a gouernour which gathereth certaine yeerely reuenues from the noble-men and taketh such care of the saide lepers that they want no necessarie thing He is bound by his office to discharge the citie of all leprous persons and to compell all such as he vnderstandes to be infected with that disease to depart into the foresaide suburbes If any leper chanceth to die without issue part of his goods are emploied to the common benefite of the lepers and part fall to the gouernours share but if he hath any children they enioy his goods Among the lepers also those are placed which are infected with white botches or with any other incurable maladie Next beyond standeth another suburbe inhabited onely with muleters plaisterers and wood-mongers which although it be but little yet containeth it about an hundreth and fiftie families Moreouer vpon the way leading westward from the citie there is another great suburbe of moe then fower hundreth houses howbeit they are low base and the inhabitants are beggerly which neither can nor will dwell among any other people By this suburbe there is a certaine broad plaine which leadeth to the riuer two miles off and extendeth westward almost three miles Vpon this plaine euery weeke there is an exceeding great market of cattell Likewise the shopkeepers of the citie resort hither and sell their wares in tents Also a certaine companie of gentlemen vse to come hither and to diuide a ramme among themselues leauing the head vnto the butcher for his fee but the feete and the skin they sell vnto the wooll-chapmen For those wares that are heere sold they pay so little tribute to the king that it is not woorth the mentioning But this one thing I must in no wise passe ouer in silence namely that I neuer sawe neither in Asia Africa nor Italy a market either more populous or better furnished with wares Not farre from Fez stand certaine high rockes enuironed with a ditch of two miles compasse out of which rockes certaine matter is hewed to make lime withall Neere vnto the saide ditch are many furnaces some whereof are so large that they will containe moe then sixe thousand measures of lime and this lime is made at the costes of the richest citizens in Fez. Westward without the wals of Fez by the riuers side stande about an hundred cottages which are onely inhabited by them that white linnen cloth Hither in the spring and in summer vse the citizens to bring their linnen cloth spreading it vpon the medowes and as often as they see it drie in the sunne casting
change the ignominious name of the place which when the king had condescended vnto they caused according to their custome a companie of rams to be slaine and certaine bladders and vessels to be filled with milke to serue for the kings breakfast the morrow after But because the said vessels were very large 〈◊〉 consulted together to put in halfe milke and halfe water hoping that 〈◊〉 king should neuer perceiue it The day following albeit the king was not very hastie of his breakfast yet his seruants vrging him thereunto he perceiued the milke to be halfe water whereat smiling he said Friends that which nature hath giuen no man can 〈◊〉 away And with that saying he departed Now this castle is razed to the ground vtterly destroied but the territorie thereof is occupied by certaine miserable Arabians Of the region of Beni Guariten THe region of Beni Guariten lieth eastward of 〈◊〉 about eighteene miles It is altogether hillie and mountainous abounding with all kind of pulse and with store of good pasture and medow-ground and containing almost two hundred villages Their houses are in all places rudely built and the inhabitants are base people neither haue they any vineyards or gardens nor any tree that beareth fruit This region the king of Fez vsually diuideth among his youngest brothers and sisters The inhabitants haue great store of corne and wooll and albeit they are passing rich yet go they very meanly attired they ride onely vpon asses for which cause they are had in great derision by their neighbours Of the region called Aseis THis region is distant to the west of Fez almost twentie miles and is by the inhabitants called Aseis it consisteth of a perpetuall plaine wherupon some coniecture that it hath had in olde time many villages and castles whereof now there is no mention at all nor so much as a signe of any building onely the names of places yet remaine This region extendeth westward eighteene and southward almost twenty miles The soile is most fertile and bringeth foorth blacke and small graines Wels and fountaines are here very rare It was woont to be subiect vnto certaine Arabian husbandmen but now it is assigned by the king vnto the gouernor of that citie Of mount Togat THis mountaine standeth almost seuen miles westward of Fez being very high and but of small bredth Eastward it extendeth to the riuer Bunafe being about fiue miles distant All that side which looketh towards Fez and the top thereof and that part which lieth ouer against Essich are woonderfully replenished with vines and with all kinde of graine Vpon the top of this mountaine are diuers caues and hollow places where the searchers of treasure suppose that the Romans hid vp their wealth as we haue before signified The said treasure-searchers so soone as the vintage is past vse to take great paines in digging of the rocke and albeit they finde nothing yet will they not giue ouer All the fruits of this mountaine are most vnpleasant both to the 〈◊〉 and to the taste and yet they are sooner ripe then the fruits of other places thereabout Of mount Guraigura THis mountaine being neer vnto Atlas is almost fortie miles distant from Fez. From hence springeth a certaine riuer which running westward falleth into the riuer Bath This mountaine standeth betweene two most large and spatious plaines whereof the one to Fez ward is as we haue before said called Aseis and the other lying southward is named Adecsen Which Adecsen is most fertile both for corne and pasture And they are possessed by certaine Arabians called Zuhair being vassals vnto the king of Fez but the king assigneth for the most part this plaine vnto his brother or some other of his kinsfolkes out of which they yeerely gather ten thousand duckats The foresaid Arabians are continually molested by certaine other Arabians called Elhusein which liue in the deserts for in summer-time they vsually inuade the plaines wherefore the king of Fez for the defence of this region maintaineth a certaine number of horsemen and of crossebowes This plaine is watered with christall-fountaines and pleasant riuers Neere vnto the said plaine are diuers woods and forrests where lions keepe which are so gentle and tame that any man may driue them away with a staffe neither doe they any harme at all Now let vs proceede vnto the description of Azgara A description of Azgara one of the seuen principall regions belonging to the kingdome of Fez. THis region bordereth northward vpon the Ocean-sea westward vpon the riuer of Buragrag eastward vpon the mountaines partly of Gumera partly of Zarhon and partly of Zalag and southward it is inclosed with the riuer of Bunasar This region consisteth altogether of plaine ground being a most fertile soile and in olde time very populous and adorned with many townes and castles which are now so defaced and ruined by reason of wars that small villages onely are left for the inhabitants to hide their heads in The length of this region is about fowerscore and the bredth almost three score miles Through the midst thereof runneth the riuer of Subu The Arabian inhabitants are called Elculoth being descended from the familie of Muntafic they are subiect to the king of Fez and pay vnto him large tributes howbeit they are rich and curious in their apparell and are such valiant soldiers that the king of Fez leuieth his whole armie of them onely when he hath any warres of great moment to atchieue This region abundantly furnisheth not onely Fez but all the mountaines of Gumera with victuals horses and other cattell and here the king of Fez vsually remaineth all winter and the spring by reason of the temperature and holesomnes of the aire Here is great plentie of roes and hares and yet very few woods Of Giumha a towne in Azgara THis towne the Africans built in our time by a riuers side vpon that plaine ouer which the way lieth from Fez to the citie of Harais and it is distant from Fez about thirtie miles It was in times past very populous but now it lieth so desolate by reason of the war of Sahid that it serueth onely for caues and receptacles for the Arabians to lay vp their corne in for the sauegard whereof they pitch certaine tents neere vnto the place Of the towne of Harais THis towne was founded by the ancient Africans vpon the Ocean sea shore neere vnto the mouth of the riuer Luccus one side thereof adioining vpon the said riuer and the other side vpon the maine Ocean When the Moores were lords of Arzilla and Tangia this towne was well inhabited but those two townes being woon by the Christians Harais remained destitute of inhabitants almost twentie yeeres together howbeit afterward the king of Fez his sonne fearing the Portugals inuasion caused it strongly to bee fortified and kept with a perpetuall garrison The passage vnto this towne by the riuers mouth is very dangerous and difficult Likewise the kings sonne caused a castle
for which cause they pay no tribute vnto the king of Fez vnlesse it be for their fieldes which is very little They reape much commoditie out of those mountaines for there groweth great abundance of boxe whereof the Fessan combes are made A description of Errif one of the seuen regions of Fez. WEstward this region beginneth neere vnto the streites of 〈◊〉 and extendeth eastward to the riuer of Nocor which distance containeth about an hundred and fortie miles Northward it bordereth vpon the Mediterran sea and stretcheth fortie miles southward vnto those mountains which lie ouer against the riuer Guarga and the territorie of Fez. This region is very vneeuen being full of exceeding colde mountaines and waste deserts which are replenished with most beautifull and straight trees Here is no corne growing they haue great store of vines figs oliues almonds The inhabitants of this region are valiant people but so excessiuely giuen to drinking that they scarcely reserue wherewithall to apparell themselues Head-cattell they haue but fewe howbeit vpon their mountaines they haue great plentie of goates asses and apes Their townes are but few and their castles and villages are very homely built without any plancher or stories much like to the stables of Europe and are couered with thatch or with the barke of trees All the inhabitants of this region haue the balles of their throat-pipes very great and are vnciuill and rude people Of the towne of Terga THis small towne as some thinke built by the Goths vpon the shore of the Mediterran sea is distant from the streites of Gibraltar about fowerscore miles and containeth to the number of fiue hundred families The towne wall is of no force The inhabitants are most part of them fishers who getting great abundance of fish salt them and carrie them to sell almost an hundred miles southward This towne was in times past well stored with people but since the Portugals entered the same region it hath fallen greatly to decay Not farre from this towne groweth abundance of 〈◊〉 vpon the ragged and cold mountaines And albeit the inhabitants are valiant yet are they rusticall and void of all humanitie Of Bedis otherwise called Velles de 〈◊〉 THis ancient towne built vpon the Mediterran sea shore 〈◊〉 by the Spaniards Velles de Gumera containeth about sixe hundred families Some writers there are that affirme it to be built by the Africans and others by the Gothes so that it remaineth as yet vncertaine who were the true founders therof It standeth betweene two high mountaines and not farre from it there is a faire and large valley from whence commeth a little riuer or streame to the towne alwaies when it raineth In the midst of the towne standeth the market place which containeth great store of shops Here is also a verie stately temple to be seene Water for drinke is exceeding scarce among them for they are all constrained to resort vnto one pit or well being in the suburbes neere vnto the sepulchre of a certaine man that was in times past very famous among them Howbeit in the night it is dangerous to fetch water from thence because it is so full of blood-suckers or horse-leeches The townesmen are of two sorts for some be fishers and the residue are pirates which daily doe great harme vnto the Christians Vpon the mountaines grow great store of wood verie commodious for the building of ships and of galleies The inhabitants of which mountaines are almost wholly employed about carrying of the said wood from place to place They haue very little corne growing for which cause most of them eate barley bread Their principall foode are certaine fishes which the Italians call Sardelli together with other like fishes They haue such abundance of fish that one man alone is not able to draw vp a net wherefore whosoeuer will assist the fishermen in that busines are rewarded with good store of fishes for their labour yea sometimes they will freely bestow fishes vpon such as passe by They salt the foresaid Sardelli and send them to the mountaines to be sold. In this towne there is a long street inhabited with Iewes wherin dwell sundry vintners that sell excellent wines So that in calme euenings the citizens vse to carrie wine aboord their barkes in the sea and to spend their time in drinking and singing In this towne standeth a faire castle but not strong wherein the gouernour hath his aboad And neere vnto this castle the saide gouernour hath a palace whereunto belongeth a most pleasant garden Vpon the shore the gouernour buildeth galleies and other ships wherewith they greatly molest the Christians Whereupon Ferdinando king of Spaine taking a certaine Iland within a mile of the towne built a fort thereon and so planted it with ordinance and souldiers that neither their temples nor themselues walking in the streets were free therefrom but were daily slaine Wherefore the gouernour of the towne was constrained to craue ayde from the king of Fez who sent out a great 〈◊〉 against the Christians but they were partly taken and partly slaine so that verie few escaped backe vnto Fez. The Christians kept this isle almost two yeeres and then it was betrayed by a false trecherous Spaniard who slew the gouernour of the isle because he had taken his wife from him into the Moores possession and all the Christians were slaine not a man of them escaped saue onely the Spanish traitour who in regard of his treason was greatly rewarded both by the gouernour of Bedis and also by the king of Fez. Being at Naples I heard the whole relation of this matter from a certaine man that was present at all the former exploits who said that they were done about the yeere of our Lord 1520. But now the said island is most diligently kept by a garrison of souldiers sent from Fez for Bedis is the neerest hauen-towne vnto Fez vpon the Mediterran sea shore although it be an hundred and twenty miles distant Euerie yeere or euerie second yeere the Venetian galleies vse to resort vnto this isle and to exchange wares for wares with the inhabitants or sometimes to buy for readie money which wares the Venetians transport vnto Tunis Venice Alexandria and sometime to Barutto Of the towne of Ielles THis towne being built vpon the Mediterran sea shore is almost sixe miles distant from Bedis the hauen thereof is very commodious and much frequented by ships in fowle and tempestuous weather Not farre from this towne are diuers mountaines and waste deserts growing full of pine trees In my time it remained voide of inhabitants by reason of certaine Spanish pyrates which haunted the same and now there are but a few poore cottages of fishers who standing in dayly dread of the Spaniards keepe continuall and circumspect watch to see if they can escrie any ships making towards them which if they do they flee foorthwith vnto the next mountaines bringing from 〈◊〉 a sufficient number of armed men to withstand
quinces and pome-citrons and dwelling but fiue and thirtie miles distant from Fez they carrie all their fruits and commodities thither They are almost all gentlemen and verie proude and high minded so that they would neuer pay any tribute at all for they know that their mountaine is so fortified by nature that it cannot easily be subdued here likewise all such as are banished out of Fez except onely adulterers are friendly entertained for the inhabitants are so iealous that they will admit no adulterers into their societie The king of Fez granteth them many priuileges and fauours in regard of the great commodities which he reapeth out of their mountaine Of mount Beni Guazeuall THis mountaine is almost thirtie miles long and about fifteen miles broad it is diuided into three parts and betweene this and the mountaines aforesaid run certaine little riuers The inhabitants are most valiant warlike people but extremely oppressed and burthened with exactions by the gouernor of Fez who euery yeere demaundeth of this mountaine for tribute eighteen thousand ducates the mountaine indeed aboundeth with grapes oliues figs and flaxe whereby great summes of mony are raised howbeit whatsoeuer they can gather goeth presently to the gouernour of Fez who hath his officers and receiuers in the mountaine which doe miserably oppresse and bribe the inhabitants in this mountaine are a great number of villages and hamlets that containe some an hundred and some two hundred families and aboue of most expert trained soldiers they haue aboue fiue twentie thousand are at continuall war with those that border vpon them But the king of Fez for those that are slaine on both parts requireth great sums of mony so that he gaineth much by their dissensions In this mountaine there is a certaine towne indifferently well peopled and furnished with all kinde of artificers whereunto the fields belonging maruellously abounde with grapes quinces and pome-citrons all which are sold at Fez here are likewise great store of linnen weauers and manie iudges and lawyers They haue also a good market whereunto the inhabitants of the neighbour mountaines resort Vpon the top of this mountaine there is a certaine caue or hole that perpetually casteth vp fire Some woondering greatly at the matter haue cast in wood which was suddenly consumed to ashes I my selfe neuer saw the like miracle in any other place so that a great manie thinke it to be hell-mouth Of mount Benigueriaghell IT standeth neer vnto the mountaine last mentioned and yet the inhabitants of these mountaines are at continnall warre and discord At the foot of this mountaine there is a large plaine which extendeth to the territorie of Fez and through the same runneth that riuer which the inhabitants call Guarga This mountaine greatly aboundeth with oyle corne and flaxe for which cause here are great store of linnen-weauers The greatest part of al their commodities is gathered for the kings vse so that they which otherwise would prooue exceeding rich becom by this meanes starke beggers and that especially by reason of the courtiers continuall extortions They are people of an ingenuous and valiant disposition Souldiers they haue almost twelue thousand and to the number of threescore villages Of mount Beni Achmed THis mountaine is eighteene miles long and seuen miles broad It is verie steepe and containeth many waste deserts and yeeldeth likewise great store of grapes oliues figs howbeit the soile is not so apt for corne All the inhabitants are continually oppressed with the exactions of the Fessan king At the foote of this mountaine are diuers springs and small streames the water whereof is muddie and vnpleasant in taste for in regard of the nature of the sande or earth it tasteth of chalke There are many in this place the balles of whose throte-pipes are verie great and sticke farre out like vnto those abouementioned All of them drinke pure wine which being boyled will last fifteene yeeres howbeit they boyle not all their wine but some they keepe vnboyled and they yeerely make great quantity of boiled wine which they vse to put in vessels that are narrow at the bottome and broad at the top They haue euerie weeke a great market where wine oyle and raisins are to bee sold. The people of this mountaine likewise are extreme poore and beggerly as a man may coniecture by their apparell They haue had continuall and ancient quarrels among themselues which make them oftentimes fall together by the eares Of mount Beni Ieginesen THis mountaine bordereth vpon Beni Achmed stretcheth in length almost ten miles And betweene it and mount Beni Achmed runneth a certaine small riuer The inhabitants are too much addicted to drunkennes by reason that their wines are so excellent No fruits grow vpon this mountaine but onely great abundance of grapes Goates they haue which liue continually in the woods neither haue they any other flesh to eate but goates-flesh I my selfe had great acquaintance with the inhabitants by reason that my father had some possessions vpon the mountaine but he hardly got any rents or money at their hands for they are the woorst paymasters that euer I knew Of mount Beni Mesgalda THis mountaine bordereth vpon the mountaine last mentioned and vpon the riuer of Guarga The inhabitants make great store of liquid sope for they know not how to make hard sope At the foote of this mountaine there is a large plaine possessed by certaine Arabians who haue often combates with them of the mountaine They pay yeerly to the K. of Fez an huge summe of mony and it is a woonder to see with what new exactions they are daily burthened In this mountaine are many Doctors of the Mahumetan lawe and diuers inferior students who put the inhabitants to great damage Themselues forsooth will drinke wine and yet they perswade the people that it is 〈◊〉 for them to drinke it albeit some do giue them little credit The inhabitants of this mountaine pay in respect of others no great tribute and that perhaps because they maintaine the foresaid Doctors and students Of mount Beni Guamud THis mountaine standeth so neere vnto the territorie of Fez that they are diuided onely by a riuer All the inhabitants make sope out of which commoditie the king of Fez reapeth sixe thousand ducates of yeerely tribute The villages of this mountaine are about fiue and twentie in number All the sides thereof bring foorth corne and cattell in great abundance sauing that they are sometimes destitute of water The inhabitants are verie rich and carrie all kinde of wares to Fez where they gaine exceedingly by them This mountaine yeeldeth nothing but is commodious for mans vse From Fez it is almost ten miles distant Of Garet one of the seuen Prouinces of the Fessan kingdome HAuing described all the chiefe townes and mountaines of the prouince of Errife it now remaineth that we say somewhat of Garet which is the sixt Prouince of Fez. This Prouince beginneth westward from the riuer
vnto his nobles I thinke said the king it hath beene sufficiently protested and affirmed sithence I haue bound it with a solemne oath in the presence of these fower for heere stande my chiefe secretarie the generall of my forces my father in lawe and the chiefe iudge and patriarke of Fez the testimonie of which fower may well satisfie you Whereupon Mahumet humblie falling at the kings feete 〈◊〉 heere the man quoth he that submissely acknowledgeth his fault and craueth the kings gratious pardon With that the king himselfe lifted him from the ground embraced him and saluted him with friendly speeches Then caused he both his daughters to be called which he bestowed vpon Mahumets sonnes all which being done he remooued his armie from that mountaine and returned conquerour vnto Fez. This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira 904. which was in the yeere of our Lord 1495. And in the yeere of the Hegeira 921. I my selfe was at the citie of Dubdu where I was most curteously entertained by the foresaid Mahumet in regard of certaine letters of commendation which I brought from the king of Fez and his brother Neither would he cease enquiring how all things passed at the king of Fez his court Of the citie of Teza or Tezza THis great noble and rich citie of Tezza was built by the Africans fiue miles from mount Atlas being distant from Fez fiftie from the Ocean an hundred and thirtie and from the Mediterran sea seuen miles and standing in the way from Garet to Chasasan It contained in times past about fiue thousand families the buildings of this towne are not very stately except noblemens palaces colleges and temples which are somewhat beautifull Out of Atlas springeth a little riuer which runneth through the chiefe temple of this citie and sometimes it falleth out that certaine people bordering vpon the citie vpon some quarrell with the citizens will cut off this riuer from the citie and turne the course thereof some other way which breedeth great inconueniences vnto the citizens for then they can neither builde houses nor get any water to drinke but onely corrupt water which they take out of certaine cesterns for which cause they are often constrained to make a league with those borderers This citie both for wealth ciuilitie and abundance of people is the thirde citie of all the kingdome and hath a greater temple then that at Fez heere are likewise three colleges with diuers bath-stoues and a great number of hospitals Each trade and occupation hath a seuerall place in this citie like as they haue in Fez the inhabitants are of a more valiant and liberall disposition then they of Fez heere are also great store of learned and rich men and the fieldes adiacent are exceeding fruitfull Without the citie wals are verie large plaines and many pleasant streames that serue to water their gardens which are replenished with all kinde of fruits heere are abundance of vines also yeelding verie sweete grapes whereof the Iewes being fiue hundreth families make excellent wine such as I thinke all Africa scarce affoordeth better In this towne standeth a faire castle where the gouernour hath his abode The king of Fez assigned the gouerment of this towne vnto his second sonne being rather a meete place for the kings owne residence in regard of the wholefome aire both in sommer and winter heere were the nobles of the Marin-family woont to remaine all summer both in respect of the holesomenes of the place and also that they might defend those regions from the Arabians dwelling in the deserts which Arabians resorted yeerely to Tezza to the end they might there furnish themselues with victuals and other necessaries and brought dates thither from Segelmese to exchange for come the citizens also receiued of the Arabians for corne great summes of money whereupon all of them in a manner grow exceeding rich neither are they annoied so much with any inconuenience as with durtie streetes in winter I my selfe was acquainted in this citie with a certaine aged sire whom the townesmen adored as if he had beene a god he was maruelous rich both in fruits grounds and other commodities which the people bestowed vpon him in great abundance The citizens of Fez vsed to come fiftie miles for so farre is Fez distant onely to visite the saide olde man My selfe conceiued some great opinion of this aged sire but after I had seene him I could finde no such superexcellencie in him saue onely that he deluded the fonde people with strange deuises The iurisdiction of this citie is very large containing diuers mountaines vnder it as we will foorthwith declare in order Of mount Matgara THis mountaine is very high difficult to ascend both by reason of the vast deserts the narrow passages and it is distant from Teza almost fiue miles the top of this hill is most fruitefull grounde and full of cleere fountaines the inhabitants being burthened with no exactions gather yeerely great store of corne flaxe and oile they haue likewise abundance of cattell and especially of goates neither doe they any whit regard princes Hauing vpon a day vanquished the king of Fez in battell they carried a certaine captaine of Fez taken prisoner vnto the toppe of the hill where in the kings owne presence they put him to a most cruell and miserable death whereupon the saide inhabitants haue beene at continuall discord with the people of Fez they haue almost a thousand soldiers and their mountaine containeth about fiftie villages and hamlets Of mount Gauata THis mountaine being as difficult to ascende as the former standeth westward of Fez almost fifteene miles both the sides and top of this mountaine are very fruitefull for barly and flaxe it is extended in length from east to west eight miles and in bredth about fiue miles manie deserts here are haunted with apes and leopards The greater part of the inhabitants are linnen-weauers people they are of a franke disposition neither can they till the fields adioining to their mountaine by reason of their continuall dissension with the king of Fez vnto whom they will pay no tribute nor custome at all perhaps because of the strong situation of their mountaine for that it aboundeth with all things necessarie for mans sustenance so that albeit this mountaine were besieged ten yeeres together yet could it by no meanes be woon neither is it euer destitute of water for thereupon are two huge fountaines which running downe into the plaine become the heads of two riuers Of mount Megesa THis mountaine also is somewhat difficult to ascend it is rough and full of woods and yeeldeth little corne but great plentie of oliues The inhabitants being most part weauers for their soile yeeldeth good store of flaxe are in the warres right valiant both on foote and horsebacke Their faces are white and that perhaps for the coldnes of the mountaine neither doe these pay any tribute at all Here also the exiles of Fez and Teza haue safe aboad
and albeit they haue great store of gardens and vineyards yet are they no wine-drinkers Soldiers they haue to the number of seuen thousand and almost fortie villages Of mount Baronis THis mountaine standeth fifteene miles northward of Teza The inhabitants are rich and mighty and possesse great store of horses neither doe they pay any tribute at all This hill aboundeth with plentie of corne fruits and grapes and yet they make no wine at all Their women are white and fat and adorne themselues with much siluer In this place also they entertaine exiles but if any of them offer to haue familiaritie with their wiues they punish him most seuerely for of all iniuries they cannot indure this Of the mountaine called Beni Guertenage THis is an exceeding high and impregnable mountaine both in regard of the ragged rocks and of the vast desertes being distant from Teza about thirtie miles This mountaine affoordeth great store of corne flaxe oliues pome-citrons and excellent quinces They haue likewise all sorts of cattell in great abundance except horses and oxen The inhabitants are valiant and liberall and as decently apparelled as any citizens The villages and hamlets of this mountaine are about thirtie fiue and the soldiers almost three thousand Of mount Gueblen THis high cold and large mountaine containeth in length about thirty and in bredth about fifteene miles Eastward it bordereth vpon the 〈◊〉 of Dubdu and westward vpon mount Beni-Iazga and it is distant from Teza almost fiftie miles southward At all times of the yeere the top of this mountaine is couered with snowe The inhabitants in times past were most rich and valiant people and liued in great libertie but afterward when they began to play the tyrants the people of all the mountaines adioyning hauing gathered great forces inuaded this mountaine slew them euerie one and so burned and wasted their townes and villages that vnto this day it hath remained voide of inhabitants except onely a few which detesting the cruell tyrannie of their parents conueied themselues and all their goods vnto the top of the mountaine where they liued an abstinent and vertuous life wherefore these were spared and their posteritie remaineth in the mountaine till this present they are all learned and of honest conuersation and well esteemed of by the king of Fez one of them in my time being a very learned and famous old man was vsed by the king of Fez both about treaties of peace and in other serious affaires and in this man the king reposed all his confidence as if he had beene some petie-god for which cause all the courtiers had him in great detestation Of mount Beni Iesseten THis mountaine is subiect vnto the gouernour of Dubdu being inhabited with most base and beggerly people Their houses are made of sea-rushes and so likewise are their shooes made of such rushes when they trauel any iourney whereby a man may coniecture the miserable estate of this people The mountaine yeeldeth nought but panicke whereof they make bread and other victuals but at the foote thereof are certaine gardens replenished with grapes dates and peaches Their peaches they cut into fower quarters and casting away the nuts or stones they drie them in the sunne and keepe them an whole yeere which they esteeme for great dainties Vpon this mountaine are many iron-mines and they frame their iron in manner of horse-shooes which serueth themsometimes in stead of money whereof they haue great want in this mountaine vnlesse the smithes by their arte keepe this money in store who besides horse-shooes make certaine daggers with blunt points Their women weare iron-rings vpon their fingers and eares for a great brauerie but they are more basely apparelled then the men and remaine continually in the woods both to keepe goates and to gather fewell They haue neither ciuilitie nor learning but liue after a brutish manner without all discretion and humanitie Of mount Selelgo THis woodie mountaine is full of pine-trees and fountaines Their houses are not made of stone but of sea-rushes so that they may easily be remooued from place to place which is very commodious to the inhabitants for euery spring they leaue the mountaine and descend into the vallies from whence about the end of May they are expelled by the Arabians which inhabit the deserts who by reason of their abundance of goates and other cattell forsaking the said deserts seeke vnto the fountaines and moist places but in winter because their camels are so impatient of cold they resort vnto the woods and warme regions In this mountaine are great store of lions leopards and apes And from the said mountaine runneth a certaine streame of water with such violence that I haue seene a stone of an hundred pound waight carried with the force thereof and here Subu taketh his beginning which is the greatest riuer of all Mauritania Of mount Beni Iasga THe inhabitants of this mountaine are rich and ciuil people it standeth so neere the mountaine last mentioned that they are onely separated with the foresaid riuer and to the end they may the easilier passe from one moūtaine to another they haue made a certaine strange bridge in the midst and that in manner following on either side stand certaine postes through the which runneth a rope vpon a truckle or pulley vnto which rope is fastened a great basket that will containe ten persons and that in such sort that so often as they will passe ouer to the opposite mountaine they enter into the basket and drawing the rope whereon it hangeth they are easily carried aloft in the aire ouer the riuer by the helpe of the foresaid pulleyes but somtimes with great hazard of their liues especially if the basket or the rope be worne in any place yea and the distance of place is often an occasion of great terrour In this mountaine there is great store of cattel but little wood It aboundeth likewise with most excellent fine wooll whereof their women make cloth comparable vnto silke which is solde at Fez for a great price Here also is great plentie of oile The king of Fez is lord of this mountaine the yeerely tribute whereof amounting wel nigh to eight thousand duckats is paid to the gouernour of old Fez. Of mount Azgan THis mountaine bordring eastward vpon Selelgo westward vpon mount Sofroi southward vpon the mountaines by the riuer Maluia and northward vpon the territorie of Fez containeth in length fortie and in bredth about fifteene miles It is of an exceeding height and so intolerably cold that onely that side therof is habitable which looketh towards Fez. It aboundeth greatly with oliues and other fruites and from thence also run great store of fountaines into the plaines and fields adiacent which are most fruitfull for barlie flaxe and hempe In my time there were abundance of mulberie-trees planted vpon this plaine which beare white berries and bring foorth silke-wormes The inhabitants in winter dwell in most base cottages Their water is most
the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea and being thirtie miles distant from Alger is enuironed with most ancient and strong walles The greatest part of the inhabitants are dyers of cloth and that by reason of the many riuers and streames running through the midst of the same They are of a liberall and ingenuous disposition and can play most of them vpon the citterne and lute Their fields are fertill and abounding with corne Their apparell is very decent the greatest part of them are delighted in fishing and they take such abundance of fishes that they freely giue them to euery bodie which is the cause that there is no fish-market in this towne Of the mountaines contained in the kingdome of Telensin Of the mountaine of Beni Iezneten THis mountaine standeth westward of Telensin almost fiftie miles one side thereof bordering vpon the desert of Garet and the other side vpon the desert of Angad In length it extendeth fiue and twentie and in bredth almost fifteene miles and it is exceeding high and difficult to ascend It hath diuers woods growing vpon it wherein grow great store of Carobs which the inhabitants vse for an ordinarie kinde of foode for they haue great want of barly Here are diuers cottages inhabited with valiant and stout men Vpon the top of this mountaine standeth a strong castle wherein all the principall men of the mountaine dwell amongst whom there are often dissentions for there is none of them all but woulde be sole gouernour of the mountaine I my selfe had conuersation with some of them whom I knew in the king of Fez his court for which cause I was honorably intertained by them The soldiers of this mountaine are almost ten thousand Of mount Matgara THis exceeding high and colde mountaine hath great store of inhabitants and is almost sixe miles distant from Ned Roma The inhabitants are valiant but not very rich for this mountaine yeeldeth nought but barly and Carobs They speake all one language with the people of Ned Roma and are ioined in such league with them that they will often aide one another against the king of Telensin Of mount Gualhasa THis high mountaine standeth nigh vnto the towne of Hunain The inhabitants are sauage rude and vnciuill people and are at continuall warre with the people of Hunain so that oftentimes they haue almost vtterly destroied the towne This mountaine yeeldeth great store of Carobs and but little corne Of mount Agbal THis mountaine is inhabited with people of base condition and subiect to the towne of Oran They all exercise husbandrie and carrie woode vnto Oran While the Moores enioied Oran their state was somewhat better but since the Christians got possession thereof they haue beene driuen to extreame miserie Of mount Beni Guerened THis mountaine being three miles distant from Tremisen is well peopled and aboundeth with all kinde of fruits especially with figges and cherries The inhabitants are some of them colliers some wood-mongers and the residue husbandmen And out of this onely mountaine as I was informed by the king of Telensin his Secretarie there is yeerely collected for tribute the summe of twelue thousand ducats Of mount Magraua THis mountaine extending it selfe fortie miles in length towardes the Mediterran sea is neer vnto the towne of Mustuganin before described The soile is fertile and the inhabitants are valiant and warrelike people and of a liberall and humaine disposition Of mount Beni Abusaid THis mountaine standing not farre from Tenez is inhabited with great multitudes of people which lead a sauage life and are notwithstanding most valiant warriors They haue abundance of honey barly and goats Their waxe and hides they carrie vnto Tenez and there sell the same to the merchants of Europe When as the king of Tremizen his kinsemen were lords of this mountaine the people paied for tribute certaine thousands of ducats Of mount Guanseris THis exceding high mountaine is inhabited with valiant people who being aided by the king of Fez maintained warre against the kingdome of Telensin for aboue three-score yeeres Fruitefull fields they haue and great store of fountains Their soldiers are almost twentie thousand in number whereof 2500. are horsemen By their aide Iahia attained to the gouernment of Tenez but after Tenez began to decay they gaue themselues wholy to robberie and theft Of the mountaines belonging to the state of Alger NEre vnto Alger on the east side and on the west are diuers mountains well stored with inhabitants Free they are from all tribute and rich and exceeding valiant Their corne fields are very fruitefull and they haue great abundance of cattell They are oftentimes at deadly warre togither so that it is dangerous trauailing that way vnlesse it be in a religious mans company Markets they haue and faires vpon these mountaines where nought is to be solde but cattle corne and wooll vnlesse some of the neighbour cities supplie them with merchandise now and then Here endeth the fourth booke IOHN LEO HIS FIFTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A description of the kingdomes of Bugia and Tunis WHen as in the former part of this my historie I diuided Barbaria into certaine parts I determined to write of Bugia as of a kingdome by it selfe and I found indeed that not many yeeres ago it was a kingdome For Bugia was subiect to the king of Tunis and albeit for certaine yeeres the king of Telensin was Lord thereof yet was it at length recouered againe by the king of Tunis who committed the gouernment of the city vnto one of his sons both for the tranquillitie of Bugia and also that no discord might happen among his sonnes after his decease He left behinde him three sonnes the eldest whereof was called Habdulhaziz and vnto him he bequeathed the kingdome of Bugia as is aforesaide vnto the second whose name was Hutmen he left the kingdome of Tunis and the third called Hammare he made gouernour of the region of dates This Hammare began foorthwith to wage warre against his brother Hutmen by whom being at length taken in the towne of Asfacos depriued of both his eies he was carried captiue vnto Tunis where he liued many yeeres blinde but his brother Hutmen gouerned the kingdome of Tunis full fortie yeeres The prince of Bugia being most louing and dutifull to his brother raigned for many yeeres with great tianquilitie till at length he was by king Ferdinand of Spaine and by the meanes of one Pedro de Nauarra cast out of his kingdome A description of the great citie of Bugia THis auncient citie of Bugia built as some thinke by the Romans vpon the side of an high mountaine neere vnto the Mediterran sea is enuironed with walles of great height and most stately in regard of their antiquitie The part thereof now peopled containeth aboue eight thousand families but if it were all replenished with buildings it were capeable of more then fower and twentie thousand housholds for it is of a
sauegarde of the kings owne person and he allotteth punishments vnto such prisoners as are brought into the said castle as if he were the king himselfe The fourth officer is the gouernour of the citie whose dutie is to administer iustice in the common wealth aud to punish malefactors The fift officer is the kings secretarie who hath authoritie to write and to giue answere in the kings name he may open also and read any letters whatsoeuer except such as are sent vnto the Castellan and gouernour of the citie The sixt is the kings chiefe chamberlaine who is to furnish the walles with hangings to appoint vnto euery man his place and by a messenger to assemble the kings counsellours and this man hath great familiaritie with the king and hath accesse to speake with him as often as he pleaseth The seuenth in dignitie is the kings treasurer who receiueth all customes tributes and yeerely reuenues and paieth them with the kings consent vnto the Munafid The eight officer is he that receiueth tribute for merchandize that are brought by land who taketh custome also of forren merchants which are constrained for the value of euery hundred duckats to pay two duckats and a halfe this customer hath many spies and officers who hauing intelligence of any merchants arriuall they bring him foorthwith before their master in whose absence they keepe him so long in their custodie till their said master be present and till the merchant hath deliuered all such custome as is due and then being bound with many othes he is dismissed The ninth officer receiueth tribute onely of such wares as are brought by sea and dwelleth in a house by the hauens side The tenth is the steward of the kings houshold who is to prouide bread meate and other necessarie victuals and to apparell all the kings wiues eunuches and the Negro-slaues that attend vpon him He also taketh charge of the kings sonnes and of their nurses and allotteth busines vnto the Christian captiues These are the chiefe officers vnder the king of Tunis the residue least I should seeme tedious to the reader I haue of purpose omitted to intreate of The king of Tunis hath fifteene hundred most choise soldiers the greatest part of whom are Renegadoes or backsliders from the Christian faith and these haue liberall pay allowed them They haue a captaine ouer them also who may increase or diminish their number as he pleaseth Also there are an hundred and fiftie soldiers being Moores who haue authoritie to remoue the tents of the kings armie from place to place There are likewise a certaine number of crossebowes which attend vpon the king whithersoeuer he rideth but next of all to the kings person is his garde of Christians which as we signified before dwell in the suburbs Before the king marcheth a garde of footemen being all of them Turkish archers and gunners Immediately before the king goe his lackies or footemen One there is that rideth on the one side of the king carrying his partizan another on the other side beareth his target and the third comming 〈◊〉 him carrieth his crossebowe Others there are also that attend vpon the king whom for breuities sake we omit here to speake of These are the principall rites and ceremonies of the ancient kings of Tunis being much different from them which are vsed by the king that now is I could here make a large discourse of the kings vices that now raigneth at whose hands I confesse my selfe to haue receiued great benefits but that is not my purpose at this present this one thing I can affirme that he is maruellous cunning to procure money out of his subiects purses But he himselfe liueth sometimes in his palace and sometimes in gardens in the companie of his concubines musicians stage-plaiers and such like When he calleth for any musician he is brought in blindfold or hoodwinked in manner of a hawke The golden coine of Tunis containeth fower and twenty charats apeece that is to say a duckat and one third part of the coine of Europe there is a kinde of siluermoney coined also being fower square in forme which waieth sixe charats apeece and thirtie or two and thirtie of these peeces are equall in value to one peece of their gold coine and they are called Nasari the Italians call the gold-coine of Tunis Doble And thus much concerning the king of Tunis and the customes of his court Of the towne of Neapolis THis ancient towne built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea almost twelue miles eastward of Tunis is inhabited by certaine Moores called Nabell It was in times past very populous but now there dwell but a few pesants therein which exercise themselues onely about sowing and reaping of 〈◊〉 Of the towne of Cammar THis towne is very ancient also and neere vnto Carthage standing eight miles northward of Tunis The inhabitants being many in number are all of them gardiners and vse to bring their herbes and fruits to Tunis to be solde Here also growe great store of sugar-canes which are brought likewise vnto Tunis but because they haue not the arte of getting out the sugar they vse onely after meales to sucke the sweete iuice out of the said canes Of the towne of Marsa THis ancient towne standing vpon the Mediterran sea neere the same place where the hauen of Carthage was of olde remained certaine yeeres desolate but now it is inhabited by certaine fishers and husbandmen and here they vse to white linnen-cloth Not far from hence are certaine castles and palaces where the king of Tunis ordinarily remaineth in summer-time Of the towne of Ariana MOreouer this ancient towne was built by the Goths almost eight miles northward of Tunis It is enuironed with most pleasant and fruitfull gardens and it hath a strong wall and containeth many husbandmen Certaine other little townes there are not far distant from Carthage some inhabited and the residue desolate the names whereof I haue quite forgotten Of the towne of Hammamet THis towne built by the Mahumetans of late yeeres and enuironed with a wall of great strength is distant from Tunis almost fiftie miles The inhabitants are miserable people and oppressed with continuall exactions being the greatest part of them either fishers or colliers Of the towne of Heraclia THis little and ancient towne was founded by the Romans vpon a certaine mountaine and was afterward destroied by the Arabians Of the towne of Susa. THis exceeding great and ancient towne was built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea being distant from Tunis about an hundred miles The plaines adioyning abound with oliues and figs their fieldes are most fruitfull for barlie if they could be tilled but the Arabians often incursions are the cause why they lie waste The inhabitants being most liberall and courteous people and great friends vnto strangers make voiages most of them vnto the easterne regions and vnto Turkie and some also frequent the next townes of Sicilia and Italie The residue of
rich men he bestoweth vpon them some gouernment or charge with prouision Wherefore for feare of confiscation after death euery one coueteth to 〈◊〉 his wealth or to remoue far from the court and the kings sight For which cause the citie of Fez commeth far short of hir ancient glorie Besides his reuenues haue beene augmented of late yeeres by mightie sums of gold which he fetcheth from Tombuto and Gago in the lande of Negros which gold according to the report of some may yeerely amount to three millions of ducates His Forces THe Xeriffo hath not any Fortresses of great importance but only vpon the sea-coast as Cabo de Guer Larache and Tetuan for as the Turks and Persians do so he placeth the strength of his state in armed men but especially in horse And for this cause he standeth not much vpon his artillerie although hee hath very great store which his predecessors tooke from the Portugals and others in Fez Maroco Tarodant and in the foresaide 〈◊〉 causing also more to bee cast when neede requireth for he wanteth not masters of Europe in this Science He hath an house of munition in Maroco where they make ordinarily six and fortie quintals of powder euery moneth as likewise also caliuers and steele-bowes In the yeere of our Lord 1569. a fire tooke hold on these houses with such furie that a great part of the citie was destroied therewith But for the Xeriffoes forces they are of two sorts the first is of two thousand seuen hundred horse and two thousand harquibuziers which he hath partly in Fez but most in Maroco where he is resident being as it were of his daily guard The second is of a roiall squadron of sixe thousand gentlemen being all of noble parentage and of great account These men are mounted vpon excellent horses with furniture and armes for varietie of colour most beautifull and for riches of ornament beyonde measure estimable for euery thing about them shineth with gold siluer pearle iewels and whatsoeuer else may please the eie or satisfie the curiositie of beholders These men besides prouision of corne oile butter and flesh for themselues their wiues children and seruants receiue further in wages from seuentie to an hundred ounces of siluer a man The third sort of forces which he hath consisteth of his * Timariotti for the Xeriffo granteth to all his sons and brothers and other persons of account or authoritie among the people of Africke or to the princes of the Arabians the benefite of great Lordships tenures for sustentation of his Cauallarie and the Alchaides themselues till the fields and afterwardes reape rice oile barly butter sheepe hens and monie and distribute the same monethly to the souldiers according to the seuerall qualitie of their persons They also giue them cloth linnen and silke to apparell themselues armes of offence and defence and horses with which they serue in the warres and if they die or be killed they allow them other A thing which was also vsed in Rome towards them that serued on publike horses Euerie one of these leaders contendeth to bring his people into the fielde well ordred for armes apparell and horses besides this they haue betweene fower and twentie and thirtie ounces of siluer wages euery yeere His fourth militarie forces are the Arabians who liue continually in their Auari for so they call their habitations each one of them consisting of an hundred or two hundred 〈◊〉 gouerned by diuers Alchaides to the end they may be readie in time of need These serue on horse-backe but they are rather to be accounted theeues then true soldiers His fift kinde of forces militarie are somewhat like vnto the trained soldiers of Christian princes and among these the inhabitants of cities and villages of the kingdome and of the mountaines are enrolled It is true that the king makes but little account of them very seldome puts armes into their hands for feare of insurrections and rebellions except in the warres against the Christians for then he cannot conueniently forbid them For it being written in their law that if à Moore kil a Christian or is slaine by him he goeth directly into Paradise a diabolicall inuention men women and those of euery age and degree run to the warres hand ouer head that at least they may there be slaine and by this meanes according to their foolish opinion gaine heauen No lesse zeale to our confusion may we perceiue in the Turks especially for defence of their sect for one would thinke they went to a marriage and not to the warre scarcely being able with patience to attend their prefixed time of going thither They repute them holy and happie that die with armes in hand against their enimies as on the contrarie those men vnhappie and of little woorth that die at home amidst the lamentation of children and outcries of women By the things aboue set downe we may easily comprehend what numbers of men the Xeriffo can bring into the field but yet we may learne better by experience For Mullei Abdala in the yeere 1562. besieged Mazagan with two hundred thousand men choaking the ditch with a mountaine of earth and beating downe the walles thereof with his Artillerie but for all this he was enforced by the valour of the Portugals and the damage which he receiued by their mines to giue ouer his siege Besides this Prince can not continue a great war aboue two or three moneths and the reason hereof is because his forces liuing on that prouision which he hath daylie comming in as well for sustenance as for aparrell and not being able to haue all this conducted thither where the war requireth it followeth of necessitie that in short time they must needs returne home for their maintenance of life and further it is an euident thing that no man can protract a war at length except he be rich in treasure Molucco who ouerthrew Sebastian king of Portugal had in pay vnder his ensignes fortie thousand horse and eight thousand foote besides Arabians and aduenturers But it is thought he could haue brought into the field seuentie thousand horse and more foot then he did Of the dominions and fortresses which the king of Spaine hath vpon the Isles and maine landes of Africa and of the great quantity of treasure and other commodities which are brought from thence BEsides Oran Mersalquibir Melilla and Pennon which the king of Spaine possesseth within the streights as likewise çeuta Tanger and Arzil which by the title of Portugal he holdeth very neere the streights of Gibraltar and Mazagan in like sort without the streights mouth twentie miles to the southward of Arzil he hath along the coast of Affrick from Cape de Guer to that of Guardafu two sorts of states for some are immedidiately vnder him and others are as it were his adherents The Ilands of Madera Puerto Santo the Canaries the Isles of Arguin of Cabo Verde the isle Del Principe with that of Sant
the aire and vnusuall heat which consumed them were also euilly entreated by the Moci-Congi For although they shewed themselues docible and tractable enough while they were instructed onely about ceremonies and diuine mysteries because they thought that the higher those matters were aboue humaine capacity the more they sorted and were agreable to the maiestie of God neuerthelesse when they began to entreate seriously of Temperance continence restitution of other mens goods forgiuing of iniuries and other heades of Christian pietie they found not onely great hinderance and difficultie but euen plaine resistance and opposition The king himselfe who had from the beginning shewed notable zeale was now somewhat cooled who because he was loth to abandon his soothsaiers and fortune tellers but aboue all the multitude of his concubines this being a generall difficultie among the Barbarians would by no meanes giue eare vnto the Preachers Also the women who were now reiected one after another not enduring so suddenly to be banished from their husbandes brought the court and roiall citie of Saint Saluador into a great vproare Paulo Aquitino second sonne to the king put tow to this fire who would by no meanes be baptized for which cause there grew great enmity betwixt him and Alonso his elder brother who with all his power furthered the proceedings and maintained the grouth of the Christian religion During these troubles the old king died and the two brothers fought a battell which had this successe that Alonso the true heire with sixe and thirtie soldiers calling vpon the name of Iesus discomfited the huge armie of his heathenish brother who was himselfe also taken aliue and died prisoner in this his rebellion God fauoured Alonso in this warre with manifest miracles For first they affirme that being readie to enter into battaile he saw a light so cleere and resplendent that he and his companie which beheld it remained for a good while with their eies declined and their mindes so full and replenished with ioy and a kind of tender affection that cannot easily be expressed And then lifting vp their eies vnto heauen they sawe fiue shining swords which the king tooke afterwards for his armes and his successors vse the same at this day Hauing obteined this victorie he assembled all his nobles and streightly enioined them to bring all the idols of his countrey to an appointed place and so vpon an high hill he caused them all to be burned This Alonso raigned prosperously for fiftie yeeres togither in which space he exceedingly furthered by authoritie and example as also by preaching and doctrine the new-planted Christianitie Neither did Don Emanuell the King of Portugall giue ouer this enterprise for he sent from thence to Congo twelue of those Fryers which the Portugals call Azzurri of whom Fryer Iohn Mariano was head with architects and smiths for the building and seruice of Churches and with rich furniture for the same After king Alonso succeeded Don Pedro his sonne in whose time there was a Bishop appointed ouer the isle of Saint Thomas who had also committed vnto him the administration of Congo Where at the citie of Saint Saluador was instituted a colledge of eight and twentie Canons in the Church of Santa Cruz. The second bishop was of the bloud roiall of Congo who trauailed to Rome and died in his returne homeward Don Francisco succeeded Don Pedro who continued but a small space Don Diego his neere kinsman was after his decease aduanced to the crowne In whose time Iohn the third king of Portugall vnderstanding that neither the king himselfe cared greatly for religion and that the merchants and priests of Europe furthered not but rather with their bad life scandalized the people new conuerted he sent thither fower Iesuits to renew and reestablish matters of religion These men arriuing first at the isle of Saint Thomas and then at Congo were courteously receiued by the king and presently going about the busines they came for one of them tooke vpon him to teach sixe hundred yoong children the principles of christian religion and the other dispersed themselues ouer the whole countrie to preach But all of them one after another falling into tedious and long diseases they were enforced to returne into Europe At this time there was appointed ouer Congo a third bishop of the Portugall nation who through the contumacie of the Canons and clergie found trouble enough In the meane while Don Diego dying there arose great tumults touching the succession by meanes whereof all the Portugals in a manner that were in Saint Saluador except priests were slaine In the end Henrie brother to Don Diego obteined the crowne and after him for he quicklie died in the warres of the Anzichi Don Aluaro his son in law This man reconciled vnto himselfe the Portugall nation caused all the religious and lay sort dispersed heere and there throughout the kingdome to be gathered togither and wrote for his discharge to the king and to the Bishop of Saint Thomas The bishop hauing perused the letters passed himselfe into Congo and giuing some order for the discipline of the clergie he returned to Saint Thomas where hee ended his daies It so fell out that what for the absence and what for the want of Bishoppes the progression of religion was much hindred For one Don Francisco a man for bloud and wealth of no small authoritie began freely to say that it was a vaine thing to cleaue to one wife onely and afterwardes in the end he fell altogither from the faith and was an occasion that the king grew woonderfully cold They affirme that this Francisco dying and being buried in the church of Santa Cruz the diuels vncouered a part of that churches roofe and with terrible noise drew his dead carcase out of the tombe and carried it quite away a matter that made the king exceedingly amazed but yet another accident that ensued withall strooke him neerer to the hart For the Giacchi leauing their owne habitations entred like Locusts into the kingdome of Congo and comming to battaile against Don Aluaro the king put him to flight who not being secure in the head citie abandoned his kingdome and togither with the Portugall priests and his owne princes retired himselfe vnto an island of the riuer Zaire called The isle of horses Thus seeing himselfe brought to such extremitie for besides the losse of his kingdome his people died of famine and miserie and for maintenance of life sold themselues one to another and to the Portugals also at a base price for reparation of his state and religion he had recourse to Don Sebastian king of Portugall and obteined of him sixe hundred soldiers by whose valour he draue his enimies out of the kingdome and within a yeere and an halfe reestablished himselfe in his throne In his time Antonio di Glioun à Spaniard was made bishop of Saint Thomas who after much molestation procured him by the captaine of that island went at
getting of their 〈◊〉 that they are free from those violent passions of lust Infants that die before baptisme they name halfe christians because being sanctified onely by the faith of 〈◊〉 parents they are not as yet by baptisme throughly engraffed into the church From meates which the law of Moses accounted vncleane they also do abstaine The heresies of Arrius Macedonius and Nestorius they reiect and condemne The whole church of Ethiopia is gouerned by a patriark called in the Ethiopick language Abuna which signifieth A Father This patriark of theirs is first solemnely created at Ierurasem by the voices of those monkes which keepe the sepulchre of our Lord. Afterward hee is confirmed and sent into Ethiopia by the patriarke of Alexandria The emperour Prete Ianni so often as there is need of a new patriark sendeth an ambassage with many gifts to Ierusalem and requireth a patriark from thence Which patriarke together with a monke of the order of Saint Antony the Hermite being come into Ethiopia is according to an ancient custome receiued with the generall consent congratulation applause and reioycing of all degrees and estates of people To this high function is singled out some one man of singular piety grauity 〈◊〉 and of more ancient yeeres then the rest His speciall duties are to giue holy orders to administer church-discipline and to excommunicate contumaces or obstinate offenders which are for their stubbornnes famished to death But the authoritie of giuing Bishopricks and spirituall benefices the Emperour reserueth to himselfe In Ethiopia there are infinit numbers of priests and of monkes Francis Aluarez saw at one time ordained by the Patriarke two thousand three hundred fiftie sixe priests And the like manner of ordaining or instalment they haue euerie yeere twise It seemeth that those which are chosen into that order are men destitute of learning and liberall artes Vnto their priesthood none is admitted before he be full thirtie yeeres of age It falleth out likewise that during the vacation of the Patriarkship the church hath great want of priests Which vacation is often times prolonged by reason of the continuall wars betweene the Christians and the bordering Mahumetans and Gentiles whereby all passage from Ethiopia to the monks of Ierusalem is quite cut off Hence proceedeth great desolation in that church But with monks all places in this Abassin empire do mightily swarme These do not onely confine themselues in monasteries wherof here are great numbers but also take vpon them offices in the court and intangle themselues in militarie affaires and in buying and selling of merchandize Neither are there anie kinde of people in those easterne parts more conuersant in trade of merchandize then priests 〈◊〉 monkes So that the old said sawe is most truelie verified What ere the world doth put in vre The Monke will intermeddle sure It is 〈◊〉 to be noted that the priests monkes and other ministers of 〈◊〉 Ethiopian church are not maintained by tithes and almes as they are in Europe They haue onelie certaine fieldes and gardens which must be manured by the monkes and clergie themselues To beg ought of the common people they are in no wise permitted vnlesse perhaps some man will of his owne accorde bestowe somewhat in their churches for the exequies of the dead or for some other sacred vses These Ethiopians haue a certaine booke which they suppose to haue beene written by all the Apostles when they were assembled at Ierusalem This booke in their language they call Manda and Abetilis and do beleeue that all thinges therein contained are to be holden for gospel In it amongst other matters are contained certaine penal statutes as for example If a priest be conuicted of Adultery Man-slaughter Robberie or periurie he is to receiue like punishment with other malefactors Likewise that aswell ecclesiasticall as secular persons are to abstaine from comming to church for the space of fower and twentie howers after carnall copulation Some lawes also there are concerning the purification of women after their moneths and their child-birth which bicause we can make but little vse of them I do heere passe ouer in silence One thing there is in this booke very well prouided namely that twise euery yeere there be a Synod assembled in the church of Christ for the handling and discussing of all matters ecclesiasticall These are the principall points of the religion faith and ceremonies of the Ethiopicke church vnder Prete Ianni which hitherto haue come to our knowledge A good part whereofis agreeable vnto the scriptures of the old and new testament And such in very deed they are as represent vnto vs the acknowledgement of one true God and the faith and worship of our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. But as neuer any church vpon earth was quite voide of blemish so neither is this of Ethiopia free from all staines of errour Which notwithstanding may seeme the lesse strange bicause in Ethiopia there are no schooles nor Seminaries of liberall artes saue only that the priests themselues according to their simple skill traine vp their sonnes vnto such learning as may in time make them capable of priesthood Neither was there euer any man yet that reformed their errors Francis Aluarez reporteth that the Patriarke of this Ethiopick church in a certaine priuate conference did grieuously complaine of all such errours as were there maintained and was most earnestly desirous of a reformation Which desire of his as it is most holy cōmendable so is it by al christiās to be approoued God almightie grant that the Ethiopians may one daie attaine to the accomplishment of this his compassionate well-wishing and may haue a happie reformation of their church For this to desire and praie for is farre more conuenient and Christian-like then to disgrace them with reprochfull words and to bereaue them of the name of Christians Which harde and vnchristian measure Zagazabo the Ethiopian ambassadour reporteth with griefe that he found among the Popish priests of Portugall by whom he was quite restrained from the vse and communion of the 〈◊〉 supper as ifhe had beene a meere Gentile or Anathema It is indeed an errour or rather a great infirmitie that they do as yet retaine and vse some of the Iewish ceremonies But we are 〈◊〉 to impute it to their ignorance of Christian liberty And wheras they permit mariage to their priests it is neither repugnant to the sacred word of God nor to the institution of the Apostles Wherefore it ought not to be disallowed of any Christians Vnlesse they will preferre the decrees of the Pope before the commandement of God established by Christ and his apostles Wherby it may plainly appeere how impiously and sauagely the Priests of Portugall dealt in that especially for this cause they so sharpely inneied against the Ethiopick ambassadour and so vnciuilly entreated him Their yeerely renewing ofbaptisme was at the first brought in by errour and since by ancient vse and tradition hath growen authenticall For in
very deed so great is the force of antiquitie and custome that where they once take roote they can hardly be remooued And it is a woonder that the Ethiopians do so often repeat baptisme when as they cannot be circumcised any more then once But in regard of all these defects what can we better deuise to do then in our daily praiers to wish them mindes better informed and the puritie and integritie of faith which is agreeable vnto gods worde The Ethiopians conceiued exceeding ioy at the first arriuall of the Portugals in their countrie hoping that their mutuall acquaintance and familiaritie would breed a similitude and coniunction as well of their religions as of their affections and mindes But I am verily afraid least the reprochfull and sterne carriage of the Popish priests and monkes towards the Ethiopick ambassadours before mentioned hath more then euer in times past estranged the mindes of that nation from the Christians of Europe Howbeit the singular care and industrie of those two renowmed Princes Iohn the second and Emanuel kings of Portugall is most highly to be extolled and celebrated who by infinit charges emploied vpon their nauigations to The east Indies and to these parts haue opened a way for the European Christians to the southerne church of Ethiopia and for the Ethiopians to this westerne church of Europe Which had not these two woorthie Princes brought to effect we should not so much as haue knowne the name of a Christian church in Ethiopia For thither by the way of Arabia and Egypt in regard of the Arabians and Mahumetans most deadly enmitie to the Christian faith it is so dangerous and difficult to trauell as it seemeth to be quite barred and shut vp Vnlesse therefore ouer the Atlantike Ethiopick and Indian seas the Portugals had thither found a passage by nauigation it had almost beene impossible for any ambassadours or other persons to haue come out of Ethiopia into these westerne parts Thus 〈◊〉 Matthew Dresserus An ambassage sent from Pope Paule the fourth to Claudius the Emperour of Abassia or the higher Ethiopia for planting of the religion and ceremonies of the church of Rome in his dominions which ambassage tooke none effect at all IN the yeere 1555 Iohn the third king of Portugal determined to leaue no meanes vnattempted for the absolute reconciliation of Prete Ianni vnto the church of Rome For though Dauids ambassador had performed obedience to Pope Clement the seuenth on his emperours behalfe yet doubted the king of Portugal as true it was that for want of speedie prosecution those forward beginnings would proue but altogether fruitlesse in that for all this they still embraced the heresies of Dioscorus and Eutiches and depended on the authoritie of the Patriark of Alexandria receiuing their Abuna from him who is the sole arbitrator of all their matters ecclesiasticall the administrer of their sacraments the giuer of orders ouer all Ethiopia master of their ceremonies and Instructer of their faith Whereupon he supposed that he could not do any thing more profitable or necessarie then to send thither a Patriark appointed at Rome who might exercise spirituall authority ouer them as also with him some priests of singular integrity and learning who with their sermons disputations discourses both publike and priuate might reduce those people from their errors and heresies to the trueth and might confirme and strengthen them in the same And vnto this it seemed a wide gate was already open because not many yeeres before Claudius the emperour of Ethiopia receiued great succours from the Portugals against Graadamet king of Zeila who had brought him to an hard point and in a letter written from him to Stephen Gama he called Christopher Gama his brother who died in this war by the reuerend name of a Martyr The king of Portugal therefore hauing imparted this his resolution first with Pope Iulius the third and then with Paul the fourth it was by them concluded to send into Ethiopia thirteene priests men of principall estimation and account aboue others of their qualitie Iohn Nunnes Barretto was made Patriark and there were ioyned vnto him two assisting Bishops Melchior Carnero and Andrea Oiuedo vnder title of the Bishops of Nicea and Hierapolis King Iohn set forth this ambassage not onely with whatsoeuer the voiage it selfe necessarily required but further with all royall preparation and rich presents for Prete Ianni Neuerthelesse the better to lay open an entrance for the Patriarke there was by the kings appointment sent before from the city of Goa Iago Dias and with him Gonsaluo Rodrigo into Ethiopia to discouer the minde of the Neguz and the disposition of his people These two being admitted to the presence of that Prince shewed him the letters of king Iohn wherein he congratulated with him on the behalfe of all Christians for that following the example of his grandfather and father he had embraced the Christian faith and vnion Whereat Claudius was amazed ' as at a thing neuer before thought of And it being demaunded why he had written to the king of Portugal to that effect he excused himselfe by the writer and interpreter of his letter adding thereunto that though hee esteemed that king as his very good brother yet was he neuer minded to swerue one iot from the faith of his predecessors Roderigo for all this was no whit daunted but wrought all meanes to bring Claudius to his opinion But the greatest difficultie against this his busie enterprise was the ignorance of the emperour and the princes of Ethiopia in all the generall Councels and ancient Histories Afterwards perceiuing that the Neguz did not willingly admit him to audience he wrote and diuulged a booke in the Chaldean toong wherein confuting the opinions of the the Abassins he laboured mightily to aduance the authoritie of the Romaine church Which booke raised so great a tumult that the emperour to auoide woorse inconueniences which were likely to ensue was faine quickly to suppresse it Iago Dias perceiuing that he did but loose time the terme of his returne approching tooke his leaue of the Neguz And hauing made knowne in Goa how matters stood it was not thought requisite that the Patriarke should expose his owne person togither with the reputation of the Romaine church vnto so great hazard But rather not wholy to abandon the enterprise they determined to send thither Andrew Ouiedo newe elect bishop of Hierapolis with two or three assistants who with greater authoritie might debate of that which Roderigo alreadie had so vnfruitfully treated of Ouiedo most willingly vndertaking this attempt put himselfe on the voiage with father Emanuel Fernandez and some fewe others When he was come into Abassia he stood in more need of patience then disputation For king Claudius within a fewe moneths after being vanquished and slaine Adamas his brother succeeded who was a great enimie to the sea of Rome This man drew 〈◊〉 and his assistants to the warres with him and