iurisdictions An hundred and fowerscore yeeres after there fell out great dissension and ciuill warre betweene these two cities which by report continued an hundred yeeres together At length Ioseph king of Maroco of the Luntune-familie conducting an huge armie against both these princes tooke them prisoners carried them home vnto his dominions and put them to a most cruell death And he so vanquished the citizens that there were slaine of them thirtie thousand Then determined king Ioseph to reduce those two townes into firme vnitie and concord for which cause making a bridge ouer the riuer and beating downe the walles of either towne right against it he vnited both into one which afterward he diuided into twelue regions or wardes Now let vs make report of all such memorable things as are there to be seene at this day A most exact description of the citie of Fez. A World it is to see how large how populous how well-fortified and walled this citie is The most part thereof standeth vpon great and little hils neither is there any plaine ground but onely in the midst of the citie The riuer entreth the towne in two places for it is diuided into a double branch one whereof runneth by new Fez that is by the south side of the towne and another commeth in at the west side And so almost infinitely dispersing it selfe into the citie it is deriued by certaine conducts and chanels vnto euery temple college inne hospitall and almost to euery priuate house Vnto the temples are certaine square conducts adioined hauing celles and receptacles round about them each one of which hath a cocke whereby water is conueied through the wall into a trough of marble From whence flowing into the sinks and gutters it carrieth away all the filth of the citie into the riuer In the midst of each square conduct standeth a lowe cesterne being three cubites in depth fower in bredth and twelue in length and the water is conueied by certaine pipes into the foresaid square conducts which are almost an hundred and fiftie in number The most part of the houses are built of fine bricks and stones curiously painted Likewise their bay-windowes and portals are made of partie-coloured bricke like vnto the stones of Majorica The roofes of their houses they adorne with golde azure and other excellent colours which roofes are made of wood and plaine on the top to the end that in summer-time carpets may be spred vpon them for here they vse to lodge by reason of the exceeding heate of that countrie Some houses are of two and some of three stories high whereunto they make fine staires by which they passe from one roome to another vnder the same roofe for the middle part of the house is alwaies open or vncouered hauing some chambers built on the one side and some on the other The chamber-doores are very high and wide which in rich mens houses are framed of excellent and carued wood Each chamber hath a presse curiously painted and varnished belonging thereunto being as long as the chamber it selfe is broad some will haue it very high and others but sixe handfuls in height that they may set it on the tester of a bed All the portals of their houses are supported with bricke-pillers finely plaistered ouer except some which stand vpon pillers of marble The beames and transoms vpholding their chambers are most curiously painted and carued To some houses likewise belong certaine square cesternes containing in bredth sixe or seuen cubites in length ten or twelue and in height but sixe or seuen handfuls being all vncouered and built of bricks trimly plaistered ouer Along the sides of these cesternes are certaine cocks which conuey the water into marbletroughes as I haue seene in many places of Europe When the foresaide conducts are full of water that which floweth ouer runneth by certaine secret pipes and conueiances into the cesternes and that which ouerfloweth the cesternes is carried likewise by other passages into the common sinks and gutters and so into the riuer The said cesternes are alwaies kept sweete and cleane neither are they 〈◊〉 but onely in summer 〈◊〉 when men women and children bathe themselues therein Moreouer on the tops of their houses they vsually build a turret with many pleasant roomes therein whither the women for recreations sake when they are wearie of working retire themselues from whence they may see well-nigh all the citie ouer Of Mahumetan temples and oratories there are almost seuen hundred in this towne fiftie whereof are most stately and sumptuously built hauing their conducts made of marble and other excellent stones vnknowen to the Italians and the chapiters of their pillers be artificially adorned with painting and caruing The tops of these temples after the fashion of Christian churches in Europe are made of ioises and planks but the pauement is couered with mats which are so cunningly sowed together that a man cannot see the bredth of a finger vncouered The walles likewise on the inner side are lined a mans height with such mats Moreouer each temple hath a turret or steeple from whence certaine are appointed with a lowd voice to call the people at their set-time of praier Euery temple hath one onely priest to say seruice therin who hath the bestowing of all reuenues belōging to his owne temple as occasion requireth for thereby are maintained lampes to burne in the night and porters to keepe the doores are paid their wages out of it and so likewise are they that call the people to ordinarie praiers in the night season for those which crie from the said towers in the day-time haue no wages but are onely released from all tributes and exactions The chiefe Mahumetan temple in this towne is called Caruven being of so incredible a bignes that the circuit thereof and of the buildings longing vnto it is a good mile and a halfe about This temple hath one and thirtie gates or portals of a woonderfull greatnes and height The roofe of this temple is in length 150. and in bredth about fowerscore Florentine cubites The turret or steeple from whence they crie amaine to assemble the people togither is exceedingly high the bredth whereof is supported with twentie and the length with thirtie pillers On the east west and north sides it hath certaine walkes or galleries fortie cubites in length and thirtie in bredth Vnder which galleries there is a cell or storehouse wherein oile candles mats and other such necessaries for the temple are laid vp Euery night in this temple are burnt nine hundred lightes for euery arch hath a seuerall lampe especially those which extend through the mid-quire Some arches there are that haue 120. candles apeece there are likewise certaine brasse-candlestickes so great and with so many sockets as they will holde each one fifteene hundred candles and these candlestickes are reported to haue beene made of bels which the king of Fez in times past tooke from Christians About the wals of the
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
of artificers and merchants Vpon this mountaine dwelleth one called Sidi Heli Berrased being lord ouer many mountaines This Sidi Heli brought some ciuilitie into this mountaine rebelled against the king of Fez and maintained continuall warre against the Portugals The inhabitants of the villages of this and the foresaid mountaines are free from all taxation and tribute bicause 〈◊〉 serue vnder their captaine as well for horsemen as for 〈◊〉 Come heere groweth small store but great plentie of flaxe There are 〈◊〉 woods and many fountaines vpon this hill and the inhabitants go all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of mount Beni Gebara THis mountaine is very steepe and of a woonderfull height out of the foote whereof spring certaine riuers Vines and figges here are great store but no corne at all and the inhabitants weare most base attire They haue abundance of goats oxen of so little a stature that a man would take them to be calues of halfe a yeere olde Euery weeke they haue a market being furnished with very few commodities Hither doe the merchants of Fez resort and the muletters or carriers which conueie fruits out of this mountaine vnto Fez. In times past it was subiect vnto a certaine prince of the king of Fez his kinred and there were collected out of this mountaine almost two thousand ducates of yeerely tribute Of mount Beni Ierso THis mountaine in times past was exceedingly well peopled Heere was likewise a faire colledge built wherein the Mahumetan lawe was publikely taught for which cause the inhabitants were freed from all tributes and exactions Afterward a certaine tirant being assisted by the king of Fez made this mountaine to become tributarie vnto him but first he put the inhabitants to flight and then destroied the colledge wherein were founde bookes woorth more then fowre thousand ducates and the learned and famous men he cruelly put to the sword This was done in the 918. yeere of the Hegeira which was in the yeere of our Lord 1509. Of mount Tezarin THis mountaine called by the inhabitants Tezarin standeth neer vnto the foresaid Beni Ierso aboundeth greatly with fountaines deserts vineyards Vpon the top thereof stand diuers ancient buildings which so farre foorth as I can coniecture were erected by the Romains And here as is before signified certaine fond people continually search in caues and holes of the earth for the Romains treasure All the inhabitants of this mountaine are most ignorant people and greatly oppressed with exactions Of mount Beni Busibet THis is a most cold mountaine and therefore it yeeldeth neither corne nor cattell both by reason of the extreme coldnes and the barrennes thereof Moreouer the leaues of the trees are not fit for goates to feede vpon They haue so great plentie of nuts that they abundantly furnish the citie of Fez and all other neighbour cities and townes therewith All their grapes are blacke whereof they make a certaine pleasant meate called Zibibbo They make likewise great store of must and wine They are clad in certaine woollen clokes or mantles such as are vsed in Italy these mantles haue certaine hoods which couer their heads and visages so that you can scarce discerne them to be men and they are particoloured with blacke and white spots In winter the merchants that resort vnto this mountaine to carrie away nuts and raisins vnto Fez can scarce finde any meate to eate for there is neither corne nor flesh but onely onions and certaine salt fishes which are extreme deere They vse likewise to eate sodden must and beanes dressed after their manner and this is the daintiest fare that this mountaine can affoord and their sodden must they eate with much bread Of mount Beni Gualid IT is an exceeding high and steepe hill and the inhabitants are very rich for of their blacke grapes they make the foresaid meate called Zibibbo Almonds figges and oliues they haue in great abundance neither pay they any tribute vnto the king of Fez but onely each family one fourth part of a ducate to the end they may haue free libertie to buie and sell in Fez market And if any citizen of Fez doth them any wrong when they take him or anie of his kinred in their mountaine they will not suffer him to returne home to Fez till sufficient recompence be made These people go decently apparelled and they haue a priuilege granted that whatsoeuer persons are banished out of Fez may freely remaine in their mountaine yea they will bestow their liuing gratìs vpon such banished persons so long as they continue amongst them And doubtles if this mountaine were subiect vnto the king of Fez it would affoord him yeerely for tribute sixe thousand ducates for it containeth mo then sixe hundreth rich families Of mount Merniza THis mountaine standèth iust by the former the inhabitants being endued with the same nobilitie libertie and wealth that the people of the former are endued with The women of this mountaine for any light iniurie offered by their husbands leauing foorthwith their saide husbands and children will depart vnto some other mountaine and seeke them newe paramours fit for their humor For which cause they are at continuall warre one with another neither will they be reconciled till he that is last possessed of the woman pay her former husband all such money as he spent in the solemnizing of her marriage and for this purpose they haue certaine iudges that make their poore clients spend almost all their whole substance Of mount Haugustian IT is an exceeding high and a cold mountaine containing great store of springs and abundance of vines bearing blacke grapes togither with plentie of figs of honie and of quinces howbeit the sweetest and fairest quinces grow vpon a plaine at the foote of the hill Likewise they are well stored with oile and are free from all tribute and yet there is not one of them but in token of a thankefull minde will sende great gifts vnto the king of Fez hence it is that they may freely and securely traffique with the people of Fez of whom they buie great store of corne wooll and cloth They are most ciuilly and decently apparelled especially such as dwell vpon the principall part of this mountaine who are most of them either merchants or artificers and a great many of them gentlemen Of Mount Beni Iedir THis is a great and well peopled mountaine but it yeeldeth nought but grapes whereof they vse to make the foresaid Zibibbo and wines The inhabitants were in times past free from all tribute howbeit in regard of their daily robberies and outrages committed against other people the gouernour of Bedis being aided with some souldiers of Fez subdued them all and depriued them of their libertie in this mountaine there are about fiftie farmes or granges which scarcely pay fower hundred ducates for tribute Of Mount Lucai THis mountaine is of a wonderfull height and verie difficult to ascend The inhabitants are exceeding rich hauing great abundance of raisins figs almonds oyle
A GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORIE of AFRICA Written in Arabicke and Italian by IOHN LEO a More borne in Granada and brought vp in Barbarie Wherein he hath at large described not onely the qualities situations and true distances of the regions cities townes mountaines riuers and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa but also the descents and families of their kings the causes and euents of their warres with their manners customes religions and ciuile gouernment and many other memorable matters gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations and partly out of the ancient records and Chronicles of the Arabians and Mores Before which out of the best ancient and moderne writers is prefixed a generall description of Africa and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and Isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo. And after the same is annexed a relation of the great Princes and the manifold religions in that part of the world Translated and collected by IOHN PORY lately of Goneuill and Caius College in Cambridge LONDINI Impensis Georg. Bishop 1600 TO THE RIGHT HONORAble sir ROBERT CECIL Knight principall Secretarie to her Maiestie Master of the Court of Wardes and Liueries and one of her Highnes most Honorable priuie Counsell LO heere the first fruits or rather the tender buddes and blossomes of my labours Which least in this their winterly sprouting they might perhaps by some bitter blasts of censure be frost-nipped I humbly recommend to your Honorable protection Most due they are onely to your selfe being for the greatest part nothing else but a large illustration of certaine southern voiages of the English alreadie dedicated to your Honour And at this time especially I thought they would prooue the more acceptable in that the Marocan ambassadour whose Kings dominions are heere most amplie and particularly described hath so lately treated with your Honour concerning matters of that estate Vouchsafe therefore right Honorable according to your accustomed humanitie towards learning to accept of this Geographicall historie in like manner as it pleased your Honour not long since most fauourablie to take in good part those commendable indeuours of my reuerend friend M. Richard Hakluyt who out of his mature iudgement in these studies knowing the excellencie of this storie aboue all others in the same kinde was the onely man that mooued me to translate it At London this three and fortieth most ioifull Coronation-day of her sacred Maiestie 1600. Your Honors alwaies most readie to be commanded IOHN PORY To the Reader GIue me leaue gentle Readers if not to present vnto your knowledge bicause some perhaps may aswel be informed as my selfe yet to call to your remembrance some fewe particulars concerning this Geographicall Historie and Iohn Leo the auther thereof Who albeit by birth a More and by religion for many yeeres a Mahumetan yet if you consider his Parentage Witte Education Learning Emploiments Trauels and his conuersion to Christianitie you shall finde him not altogither vnfit to vndertake such an enterprize nor vnwoorthy to be regarded First therefore his Parentage seemeth not to haue bin ignoble seeing as in his second booke himselfe testifieth an Vncle of his was so Honorable a person and so excellent an Oratour and Poet that he was sent as a principall Ambassadour from the king of Fez to the king of Tombuto And whether this our Author were borne at Granada in Spaine as it is most likely or in some part of Africa certaine it is that in naturall sharpenes and 〈◊〉 of Wit he most liuely resembled those great and classicall authours Pomponius Mela Iustinus Historicus Columella Seneca Quintilian Orosius Prudentius Martial Iuuenal Auicen c. reputed all for Spanish writers as likewise Terentius After Tertullian Saint Augustine Victor Optatus c. knowen to be writers of Africa But amongst great varietie which are to be found in the processe of this not able discourse I will heere lay before your view one onely patterne of his surpassing wit In his second booke therefore if you peruse the description of Mount Tenueues you shall there finde the learned and sweete Arabian verses of Iohn Leo not being then fully sixteene yeeres of age so highly esteemed by the Prince of the same mountaine that in recompence thereof after bountifull entertainment he dismissed him with gifts of great value Neither wanted he the best Education that all Barbarie could affoord For being euen from his tender yeeres trained vp at the Vniuersitie of Fez in Grammar Poetrie Rhetorick Philosophie Historie Cabala Astronomie and other ingenuous sciences and hauing so great acquaintance and conuersation in the kings court how could he choose but prooue in his kinde a most accomplished and absolute man So as I may iustly say if the comparison be tolerable that as Moses was learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians so likewise was Leo in that of the Arabians and Mores And that he was not meanely but extraordinarily learned let me keepe silence that the admirable fruits of his rare Learning and this Geographicall Historie among the rest may beare record Besides which he wrote an Arabian Grammar highly commended by a great Linguist of Italie who had the sight and examination thereof as likewise a booke of the liues of the Arabian Philosophers and a discourse of the religion of Mahumet with diuers excellent Poems and other monuments of his industrie which are not come to light Now as concerning his Emploiments were they not such as might well beseeme a man of good woorth For to omit how many courts and campes of princes he had frequented did not he as himselfe in his third booke witnesseth personally serue king Mahumet of Fez in his wars against Arzilla And was he not at another time as appeereth out of his second Booke in seruice and honorable place vnder the same king of Fez and sent ambassadour by him to the king of Maroco Yea how often in regard of his singular knowledge and iudgement in the lawes of those countries was he appointed and sometimes constrained at diuers strange cities and townes through which he trauelled to become a iudge and arbiter in matters of greatest moment Moreouer as touching his exceeding great Trauels had he not at the first beene a More and a Mahumetan in religion and most skilfull in the languages and customes of the Arabians and Africans and for the most part trauelled in Carouans or vnder the authoritie safe conduct and commendation of great princes I maruell much how euer he should haue escaped so manie thousands of imminent dangers And all the former notwithstanding I maruel much more how euer he escaped them For how many desolate cold mountaines and huge drie and barren deserts passed he How often was he in hazard to haue beene captiued or to 〈◊〉 had his throte cut by the prouling Arabians and wilde Mores And how hardly manie times escaped he the Lyons greedie mouth and the deuouring iawes of the Crocodile But if you will needes haue a
camels backs At this towne of Suez they haue no fresh water but all their water is brought them from a place sixe miles distant vpon camels backs being notwithstanding brackish and bitter The western shore of the Red sea is inhabited with people called in old time Troglodytae which at this present do all of them yeelde obedience to the great Turke who considering that the fleets of the Portugales entered very often into the Red sea and were there receiued by the subiects of Prete Gianni and did him great domage hath thereupon taken occasion not onely to conquer the Troglodytae but also to wast and subdue a great part of Barnagasso the most Northerlie prouince of the said Prete So that the audacious attempts of the Portugales in those partes haue bred two most dangerous and bad effects the one is that the Arabians haue most strongly fortified all their sea-townes which before lay naked and without fortification the other for that the Turke also hath bin occasioned thereby to make warre against the Prete Wherefore they ought not to haue vndertaken any such enterprise but with full resolution and sufficient forces to accomplish the same for lesser attempts serue to no other end but onely to rouze and arme the enimie which was before secure and quiet Neither is it heere to be omitted that in the foresaide sea a man can saile in no ships nor barks but only those of the great Turke or at least with his licence paying vnto him for tribute a good part of the fraight For this purpose he hath certaine Magazines or store-houses of timber which is brought partly from the gulfe of Satalia and partly from Nicomedia and other places vpon the Euxin sea vnto Rosetto and Alexandria from whence it is afterward transported to Cairo and thence to Suez This sea is called the Red sea not in regard that the waters thereofbe all red but as some thinke from certaine red rushes which growe vpon the shore and as others are of opinion from a kinde of red earth which in sundry places it hath at the bottome which earth dieth not the very substance of the water red but by transparence causeth it especially neere the shore to appeere of that colour Africa Troglodytica THat sandie barren and desert part of Africa which lieth betweene Nilus and the Red sea especially to the south of the tropike was in old times inhabited by the Troglodytae a people so called bicause of their dwelling in caues vnder the ground Along this westerne coast of the Red sea runneth a ridge of mountaines which being an occasion that the inland riuers can not fall into the saide sea they are forced to discharge themselues into Nilus The foresaide mountaines and sea coast are now inhabited by Mahumetans being partly Arabians and partly Turkes which not many yeeres ago haue attempted to saile that sea and to inuade the regions adioining The naturall inhabitants are a rude barbarous people and very poore and beggerly The chiefe places of habitation are Corondol a speciall good porte Alcosser a place well knowne bicause that neere vnto it the saide mountaines open themselues and giue passage to the bringing in of the fruits and commodities of Abassia Suachen esteemed one of the principall ports in all the streights and being made by an island Here resideth the Bassa of the great Turke which is called the gouernour of Abassia with three thousand soldiers or thereabout Next followeth Ercoco the onely hauen towne of the Prete lying ouer against the little isle of Mazua and heere the mountaines make an other opening or passage for transporting of victuals out of the lande of the saide Prete Ianni From hence almost to the very entrance of the Red sea the coast is at this present vninhabited forlorne and desert Likewise from Suachen to Mazua is a continuall woode the trees whereof are but of small woorth Iust within the saide entrance standeth the towne and port of Vela vnder the iurisdiction of the king of Dancali a Moore Vpon all this west shore of the Red sea as likewise vpon the contrary east shore scarcitie of water is the cause why there are so fewe and so small places of habitation and the people runne and flocke togither where they may finde any pit or fountaine of water Some curious reader might here expect because I haue nowe passed so neere the frontiers of Egypt that I should make an exact description of that most famous and fruitefull prouince and likewise of the great city of Alcair and of the inundation and decrease of Nilus all which because they are expressed in most orient liuelie colours by our author Iohn Leo I should shew my selfe both iniurious to him and tedious to all iudiciall readers in anticipating and forestalling that before the beginning of his booke which he so neere the end doth in such large and particular wise intreate of Now therefore let vs proceed to the vpper or inner Ethiopia beginning with the first and most northerly prouince thereof called Nubia Nubia PAssing therefore westward from the Island of Siene you enter into the prouince of Nubia bordering on the west vpon Gaoga eastward vpon the riuer Nilus towards the North vpon Egypt and southward vpon the desert of Goran The inhabitants thereof called by Strabo 〈◊〉 liue at this present as Francisco Aluarez reporteth a most miserable and wretched kinde of life for hauing lost the sinceritie and light of the gospel they do embrace infinite corruptions of the Iewish and Mahumetan religions At the same time when the foresaid Aluarez was in Abassia there came certaine messengers out of Nubia to make suit vnto the Prete that he would send them priests and such persons as might preach and administer the sacraments vnto them But he returned answere that he coulde not in regard of the scarcitie of great cler-giemen in his dominions The said messengers reported that the Nubians had sent often to Rome for a bishop but being afterward by the inuasions of the Moores and the calamitie of warre cut short of that assistance they fell for want of teachers and ministers into extreme ignorance of Christian religion and by little and little were infected with the impious and abominable sects of the Iewes and Mahumetans Some Portugals trauailing to those parts sawe many churches destroied by the handes of the Arabians and in some places the pictures of saints painted vpon the wals They are gouerned by women and call their Queene Gaua Their principall citie called Dangala and consisting of about ten thousand housholds is a place of great traffike bicause it is so neere vnto Egypt and the riuer Nilus All their other habitations are villages and base cottages Their houses are built of claie and couered with strawe The chiefe commodities of this region are rice stone-sugar sanders iuorie for they take many elephants as likewise abundance of ciuet and golde in great plentie The countrey is for the most part sandie howbeit there
they performe without molestation or hurt of any But the residue which are depriued of their pay betake themselues wholy to robberies thefts slaughters and such other monstrous outrages For these lurking alwaies in the woods no sooner see any merchant approching but suddenly they breake foorth depriuing him of his goodes and life also insomuch that now merchants dare not passe that way but with a garrison of safe-conduct And so they passe sometimes to their great inconuenience For they are notwithstanding constrained to giue vnto the foresaid Arabians which are in pay with the king of Tunis great summes of money and are likewise oftentimes so in danger of robbers that they lose both their goods liues Adiuision of the Arabians which inhabite Africa and are called by the name of Barbarians into diuers progenies or kinreds THE Arabians which inhabite Africa are diuided into three partes one part whereof are called Cachin the second Hilell and the third Machill The Cachin are diuided into three nations or tribes to wit the tribes of Etheg Sumait and Sahid Moreouer Etheg is diuided into three families that is to say the familie of Delleg Elmuntefig and Subair and these are dispersed into many regions Hilel are deriued into fower generations to wit the people of Benihemir of Rieh of Sufien and of Chusain The familie of Benihemir is diuided into the linages of Huroam Hucben Habrum and Mussim The tribe of Rieh are distributed into the kinreds called Deuvad Suaid Asgeg Elcherith Enedri and Garfam which kinreds possesse many dominions Machil haue three tribes vnder them to wit Mastar Hutmen and Hassan Mastar are diuided into Ruchen and Selim Hutmen into Elhasi and Chinan and Hassan into Deuihessen Deuimansor and Deuihubaidulla Deuihessen is distinguished into the kinreds called Dulein Berbun Vodein Racmen and Hamram Deuimansor into Hemrun Menebbe Husein and Albuhusein and lastly Deuihubaidulla into Garag Hedeg Teleb and Geoan All these doe in a manner possesse innumerable regions insomuch that to reckon them vp at large were a matter not onely difficult but almost impossible Of the habitations and number of the foresaid Arabians THE most noble and famous Arabians were they of the familie of Etheg vnto whome Almansor gaue the regions of Duccala and of Tedles to inhabit These Arabians euen till our times haue beene put to great distresse and hazard partly by the Portugall king and partly by the king of Fez. They haue at all oportunities if need should require a hundred thousand soldiers fit to beare armes a great part whereof are horsemen The Arabians called Sumait enioy that part of the Libyan desert which lieth ouer against the desert of Tripoly These make often inuasions into Barbarie for they haue no places allotted them therein but they and their camels doe perpetually remaine in the deserts They are able to leuie fowerscore thousand soldiers the greatest part being footmen Likewise the tribe of Sahid doe inhabite the desert of Libya and these haue had alwaies great league and familiaritie with the king of Guargala They haue such abundance of cattell that they doe plentifully supply all the cities of that region with flesh and that especially in sommer time for all the winter they stirre not out of the deserts Their number is increased to about a hundred and fiftie thousand hauing not many horsemen among them The tribe of Delleg possesse diuers habitations howbeit Caesaria containeth the greatest part of them Some also inhabit vpon the frontiers of the kingdome of Bugia who are said to receiue a yeerely stipend from their next neighbours But the least part of them dwell vpon the field-countrey of Acdes vpon the borders of Mauritania and vpon some part of mount Atlas being subiect vnto the king of Fez. The people of Elmuntefig are seated in the prouince of Azgar and are called by the later writers Elcaluth These also pay certaine yeerely tribute vnto the King of Fez beeing able to furnish about eight thousand horsemen to the warres The kindred of Sobair doe inhabit not farre from the kingdome of Gezeir being many of them vnder the pay of the king of Tremizen and are said to enioy a great part of Numidia They haue more or lesse three thousand most warlike horsemen They possesse likewise great abundance of camels for which cause they abide all winter in the deserts The remnant of them occupieth the plaine which lieth betweene Sala and Mecnes These haue huge droues of cattell and exercise themselues in husbandrie being constrained to pay some yeerely tribute vnto the king of Fez. They haue horsemen who as a man may say are naturally framed to the warres about fower thousand in number Of the people of Hillel and of their habitations HIllel which are also called Benihamir dwell vpon the frontiers of the kingdome of Tremizen and Oran These range vp and downe the desert of Tegorarin being in pay vnder the king of Tremizen and of great riches and power insomuch that they haue at all times in a readines for the 〈◊〉 six thousand horsemen The tribe of Hurua possesse onely the borders of Mustuganim These are sauage people giuing themselues wholy to spoiles and robberies and alienating their mindes from the warres They neuer come foorth of the deserts for the people of Barbarie will neither allow them any places of habitation nor yet any stipend at all horsemen they haue to the number of two thousand The kindred of Hucban are next neighbours vnto the region of Melian who receiue certaine pay from the king of Tunis They are rude and wilde people and in very deede estranged from al humanitie they haue as it is reported about fifteene hundred horsemen The tribe of Habru inhabit the region lying betweene Oran and Mustuganim these exercise husbandrie paying yeerely tribute vnto the king of Tremizen and being scarce able to make one hundred horsemen The people called Mussim possesse those deserts of Masila which extend vnto the kingdome of Bugia These likewise are giuen onely to theft and robberie they take tribute both of their owne people and of other regions adioyning vnto them The tribe of Rieeh inhabite those deserts of Libya which border vpon Constantina These haue most ample dominions in Numidia being now diuided into sixe parts This right famous and warlike nation receiueth stipende from the king of Tunis hauing fiue thousande horsemen at command The people of Suaid enioy that desert which is extended vnto the signiorie of Tenez These haue very large possessions receiuing stipend from the king of Tremizen being men of notable dexteritie as well in the warres as in all other conuersation of life The kindred of Azgeg dwell not all together in one place for part of them inhabite the region of Garet among the people called Hemram and the residue poslesse that part of Duccala which lieth neere vnto Azaphi The tribe of Elcherit dwell vpon that portion of Helin which is situate in the plaine of Sahidim hauing the people of Heah tributarie
but you shall see commonly two or three of them together by the eares By nature they are a vile and base people being no better accounted of by their gouernours then if they were dogs They haue neither iudges nor lawyers by whose wisedome and counsell they ought to be directed They are vtterly vnskilfull in trades of merchandize being destitute of bankers and money-changers wherefore a merchant can doe nothing among them in his absence but is himselfe constrained to goe in person whithersoeuer his wares are carried No people vnder heauen are more addicted vnto couetise then this nation neither is there I thinke to bee found among them one of an hundred who for courtesie humanitie or deuotions sake will vouchsafe any entertainment vpon a stranger Mindfull they haue alwaies beene of iniuries but most forgetfull of benefites Their mindes are perpetually possessed with vexation and strife so that they will seldome or neuer shew themselues tractable to any man the cause whereof is supposed to be for that they are so greedily addicted vnto their filthie lucre that they neuer could attaine vnto any kinde of ciuilitie or good behauiour The shepherds of that region liue a miserable toilsome wretched and beggerly life they are a rude people and as a man may say borne and bred to theft deceit and brutish manners Their yoong men may goe a wooing to diuers maides till such time as they haue sped of a wife Yea the father of the maide most friendly welcommeth her suiter so that I thinke scarce any noble or gentleman among them can chuse a virgine for his spouse albeit so soone as any woman is married she is quite forsaken of all her suiters who then seeke out other new paramours for their liking Concerning their religion the greater part of these people are neither Mahumetans Iewes nor Christians and hardly shall you finde so much as a sparke of pietie in any of them They haue no churches at all nor any kinde of prayers but being vtterly estranged from all godly deuotion they leade a sauage and beastly life and if any man chanceth to be of a better disposition because they haue no law-giuers nor teachers among them he is constrained to follow the example of other mens liues maners All the Numidians being most ignorant of naturall domesticall commonwealth-matters are principally addicted vnto treason trecherie murther theft and robberie This nation because it is most slauish will right gladly accept of any seruice among the Barbarians be it neuer so vile or contemptible For some will take vpon them to be dung-farmers others to be scullians some others to bee ostlers and such like seruile occupations Likewise the inhabitants of Libya liue a brutish kinde of life who neglecting all kindes of good artes and sciences doe wholy apply their mindes vnto theft and violence Neuer as yet had they any religion any lawes or any good forme of liuing but alwaies had and euer will haue a most miserable and distressed life There cannot any trechery or villanie be inuented so damnable which for lucres sake they dare not attempt They spend all their daies either in most lewd practises or in hunting or else in warfare neither weare they any shooes nor garments The Negros likewise leade a beastly kinde of life being vtterly destitute of the vse of reason of dexteritie of wit and of all artes Yea they so behaue themselues as if they had continually liued in a forrest among wilde beasts They haue great swarmes of harlots among them whereupon a man may easily coniecture their manner of liuing except 〈◊〉 conuersation perhaps be somewhat more tolerable who dwell in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cities for it is like that they are somewhat more addicted to 〈◊〉 Neither am I ignorant how much mine owne credit is 〈◊〉 when I my selfe write so homely of Africa vnto which countrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debted both for my birth and also for the best part of my education Howbeit in this regarde I seeke not to excuse my selfe but onely to appeale vnto the dutie of an historiographer who is to set downe the plaine truth in all places and is blame-woorthie for flattering or fauouring of any person And this is the cause that hath mooued me to describe all things so plainly without glosing or dissimulation wherefore here I am to request the gentle Reader friendly to accept of this my most true discourse albeit not adorned with fine words and artificiall eloquence as of certaine vnknowne strange matters Wherein how indifferent and sincere I haue shewed my selfe it may in few words appeere by that which followeth It is reported of a lewd countriman of ours that being conuicted of some heinous crime he was adiudged to be seuerely beaten for it Howbeit the day following when the 〈◊〉 came to doe his busines the malefactor remembred that certaine yeeres before he had some acquaintance and familiaritie with him which made him to presume that he should find more fauour at his hands then a meere stranger But he was fowly 〈◊〉 for the executioner vsed him no better then if he had neuer knowne him Wherefore this caitife at the first exclaiming vpon his executioner oh saith he my goodfriend what maketh you so sterne as not to acknowledge our olde acquaintance Hereupon the executioner beating him more cruelly then before friend quoth he in such busines as this I vse to be mindfull of my dutie and to shew no fauour at all and so continually laying on he ceased not till the iudiciall sentence was fulfilled It was doubtlesse a great argument of impartiall dealing when as respect of former friendship could take no place Wherefore I thought good to record all the particulars aforesaid least that describing vices onely I should seeme to flatter them with whom I am now presently conuersant or extolling onely the vertues of the Africans I might hereafter be saide to sue for their fauour which I haue of purpose eschewed to the end that I might haue more free accesse vnto them Moreouer may it please you for this purpose to heare another resemblance or similitude There was vpon a time a most wily bird so indued by nature that she could liue as well with the fishes of the sea as with the fowles of the aire wherefore she was rightly called Amphibia This bird being sommoned before the king of birds to pay her yeerely tribute determined foorthwith to change her element and to delude the king and so flying out of the aire she drencht herselfe in the Ocean sea Which strange accident the fishes woondring at came flocking about Amphibia saluting her and asking her the cause of her comming Good fishes quoth the bird know you not that all things are turned so vpside downe that we wot not how to liue securely in the aire Our tyrannicall king what furie haunts him I know not commanded me to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to death whereas no silly bird respected euer his commoditie as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Which most vniust
occasion to effect his purpose sent word vnto Hali vpon a certaine festiuall day that after their Mahumetan deuotions were finished he shoulde come and walke with him appointing a place where he had laide a troupe of men in ambush to kill Hali at his comming which being done he went to church Hali suspecting no harme at all told his associate that now was the time wherein they might bring their purpose to effect And this intent of theirs they foorthwith declared vnto ten other of their adherents and to the end that the whole matter might go securely and certainly forward they presently assembled a great multitude of footemen which they fained that they woulde sende the next day vnto Azamor that if they were constrained to flie they might haue aide and succour in a readines All their complices being armed they came to church at the very same time when as the king with all his traine was entring thereinto and had placed himselfe next vnto the Mahumetan preacher The church was full of auditors and the king had his guard attending vpon him who bicause they knew the two foresaid yoong gentlemen to be very familiar with the king suspected none euill but suffered them to draw neere vnto his person Wherefore one of the saide yoong courtiers as though he would haue done obeizance vnto the king came before him but Hali got in at his backe and stabd him through with a dagger and at the verie same instant the other thrust him in with his sworde and so this vnhappie king imbrued in his owne bloud gaue vp the ghost The kings guarde went about to apprehend the authors of this fact but being ouermatched by the contrarie part and suspecting least the people were authors of this conspiracie they sought to saue themselues by flight And after them followed all the rest of the assemblie till the authors of the saide murther were left alone They also immediately came foorth and perswaded the people with many words that they had slaine the king for none other cause but onely in regard that he had attempted the vtter ouerthrow both of themselues and of the whole people The citizens beeing to too credulous aduaunced the two foresaid conspiratours to the gouernment of the kingdome howbeit they agreed not long thereabout but the common-wealth was diuersly tossed hither and thither sometime inclining to one sometime to another Wherefore the Portugall merchants which vsually frequented that citie in great numbers wrote vnto their king to sende foorthwith an armie of soldiers thither for they were in good hope that he shoulde most easily and with small disaduantage winne the saide citie Howbeit the king being nothing mooued with this message of theirs would not send any forces at al til he was more certainly informed by his said merchants touching the death of the king of Azaphi the dissension betweene the two new gouernours As also that they had made such a compact with a certaine captaine of the contrary faction that it was the easiest matter in the world for him to cōquer the towne For they had built them a verie strong castell vpon the sea-shore wherein their merchandize might safely be bestowed For the Portugals had perswaded the townes-men that during the great tumult about the kings death they were all of them in danger to lose both their liues and goods Wherefore into this castell among their vessels of oile and other wares they cunningly conueied gunnes and all other kind of warlike instruments but the townes-men being ignorant heere of exacted nothing of the Portugals saue onely custome due for their wares Now after the Portugales had sufficiently prouided themselues of all kinde of armour and warlike munitions they sought by all meanes an occasion to fight with the citizens At length it came to passe that a certaine Portugals seruant buying meat in the citie did so prouoke a butcher that after much quarrelling they fell to blowes whereupon the seruant feeling himselfe hurt thrust the butcher with his sworde and laide him along vpon the colde earth and then fledde speedily to the castell wherein he knewe the merchants to be The people immediately rose vp in armes and ranne all of them with one consent vnto the castell to the end they might vtterly destroy it cut the throats of all them which were therein But the guns and crosse-bowes which were there in a readines made such hauock among the townes-men that it cannot be but they were greatly daunted At this first encounter there were an hūdreth and fiftie citizens slaine outright howbeit the residue woulde not therefore giue ouer but gaue the castle daily assaults At length the king of Portugall sent aide vnto his subiects to wit fiue thousand footemen two hundreth horsemen with a great number of gunnes Which forces when the citizens sawe to approch they presently betooke themselues to their feete and fled vnto the mountaine of Benimegher neither durst any man staie in the towne but onely he that was the author of building the castle And so it came to passe that the Portugall forces woon the towne without any perill or labour Soone after the generall of the whole armie sent the builder of the castle vnto the king of Portugall But the king sent him with a certaine number of attendants backe againe to Azafi and appointed him gouernour of all the region adiacent For the Portugall king was not acquainted with their customes nether did he sufficiently know how they gouerned their common-wealth Soone after ensued the miserable desolation and ruine not onely of the citie but of the whole region thereabouts In this discourse we haue beene somewhat tedious to the end we might shew of how great euill a woman may be the instrument and what intollerable mischiefes are bred by dissension These things were a dooing as I remember when my selfe was but ten yeeres olde and being fowerteene yeeres of age I had some conference with the Portugall captaine aforesaide This captaine with an armie of fiue hundreth Portugals and more then twelue thousand Arabian horsemen giuing battaile to the king of Maroco conquered all the foresaid prouince on the behalfe of his master the Portugall king in the yeere of the Hegeira 920. as in our briefe treatise concerning the Mahumetan religion we will declare more at large Of Conta a towne in Duccala THis towne is situate from Azafi about 20. miles is said to haue bin built by the Gothes at the verie same time when they possessed the whole region of Duccala but now it is vtterly layde waste howbeit the field belonging thereto is in subiection vnto certaine Arabians which dwell in the said prouince of Duccala Of Tit a citie in Duccala THis ancient citie of Tit built of olde by the Africans vpon the Ocean sea-shoare is about twentie miles distant from Azamur It hath most large and fruitfull fields belonging vnto it The inhabitants are men of a grosse conceit who regard neither husbandrie nor
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
each one of you to death which though it be ful sore against my wil yet needs I must obey my prince if I wil not wittingly runne vpon mine owne destruction And then shedding some fained teares sithens quoth he we can vpon the sodaine deuise no better course I thinke it most conuenient to send you with a troupe of horsemen vnto the king whose wrath perhaps you may by some meanes pacifie Whereupon the captiues growing farre more pensiue then before recommended themselues vnto God and to the captaines clemencie requesting his good will with many teares And foorthwith there comes one in among them who aduised them to make vp some round summe of money therewithall to trie if they could appease the king and seemed likewise to intreat the captaine that he woulde by his letters stande their friend to the king Heereunto the captiues agreeing with one voice promised that they would giue the king a great summe of golde and woulde most liberally reward the captaine The captaine as though forsooth this condition much disliked him asked at length how much golde they ment to send the king one saide that he woulde disburse a thousand ducates another that he would giue fiue hundreth and the third eight hundreth But the captaine making shew that this was too little saide that he was loth to make signification of so small a summe vnto the king howbeit better it were for you quoth the captaine to goe your selues vnto the king with whom perhaps you shall make a more reasonable end then you are aware of But they fearing hard measure if they should be caried vnto the king were far more importunate with the captaine then before that he would to his power be good vnto them Wherefore the captaine as though at length he had been mooued with their vehement petitions spake vnto them in this wise heere are of you my masters two and fortie noble rich persons if you wil promise two thousand ducates a man I will signifie on your behalfe so much vnto the king and so I hope to perswade him but if this condition will not please him then must I needs send you to make answere for your selues This condition they al of them yeelded vnto howbeit with this prouizo that euery man should giue proportionablie to his wealth and that they might haue for the paiment fifteene daies of farther respite The twelfth day following the captaine fained that he had receiued letters from his king signifying that the king for his sake woulde shewe the captiues more fauour The fifteenth day he had paied vnto him eightie fowre thousand ducates neither coulde he sufficiently woonder how in so small a towne among two and fortie inhabitants onely such huge sums of money could so readily be found Then wrote he vnto his king how all matters had passed demaunding what should be done with the gold And so the king foorthwith sent two of his secretaries with an hundreth horsemen to fetch home the saide golde vnto Fez. The captiues being restored to their libertie presented the saide captaine with horses slaues ciuet and such like gifts to the value of two thousand ducates giuing him exceeding thankes for their libertie and requesting him to take their presents in good woorth for had not their treasure beene quite consumed they saide they woulde haue bestowed farre greater vpon him Wherefore from thence forward that region was subiect vnto the king of Fez and to the foresaide captaine Ezzeranghi till he was trecherously slaine by certaine Arabians Moreouer the king receiueth from that citie euen at this present twentie thousand ducats for yeerely tribute I haue in this narration beene indeede somewhat more large then neede required howbeit perhaps I did it bicause I my selfe was present in al the expedition and was an earnest mediatour for the citizens release neither saw I euer to my remembrance a greater masse of golde then was by subtiltie drawne from them Yea the king himselfe neuer had so much golde in his coffers at one time for albeit he receiueth yeerely thirtie thousand ducates yet neuer could he store himselfe with so much at once nor his father before him These things were done in the yeere of the Hegeira 915. and in the yeere of our Lord 1506. And here I would haue the reader to consider what mans industrie and wit may doe in getting of money The King maruelled much at this summe of gold but afterward he had greater cause to woonder at the wealth of a certaine Iewe who payed more out of his owne purse then all the forenamed captiues And his riches were the cause why the King of Fez exacted fiftie thousand ducates from the Iewes for that they were said to fauour his enimies I my selfe bare him companie that went in the Kings name to receiue the sayd summe of the Iewes Of Efza a towne of Tedles THis towne standeth two miles from Tefza and containeth almost sixe hundred families being built vpon a little hill at the foote of mount Atlas In this towne are many Moores and Iewes which make Bernussi The naturall inhabitants are either artificers or husbandmen being in subiection to the gouernours of Tefza Their women are excellent spinsters wherby they are saide to gaine more then the men of the towne Betweene this towne and Tefza runneth a certaine riuer called by the inhabitants Derne which springing foorth of Atlas runneth through the plaines of that region till at length it falleth into Ommirabih On both sides of this riuer are most beautifull and large gardens replenished with all kindes of fruits The townesmen here are most liberall and curteous people and will permit merchants trauelling that way freely to come into their gardens and to take thence as much fruit as they will No people are slower then they for paying of debts for albeit the merchants lay downe readie money to receiue Bernussi within three moneths yet are they sometime faine to stay an whole yeere My selfe was in this towne when the kings armie lay in Tedles and then they yeelded themselues to the king The second time that the kings generall of his armie came vnto them they presented him with fifteen horses and as many slaues Afterward they gaue him fifteene kine in token that they were the kings loyall subiects Of Cithiteb THis towne was built by the Africans vpon an high hill almost tenne miles westward of Efza Well peopled it is with rich and noble inhabitants and because Bernussi be here made it is alwaies frequented with store of merchants The top of the said high mountaine is continually couered with snow The fields adioyning to the towne are full of vineyards and gardens which bring foorth fruits in such abundance that they are nought woorth to be sold in the markets Their women are beautifull fat and comely being adorned with much siluer their eies and haire are of a browne colour The inhabitants are so stout and sullen that when the other cities of Tedles yeelded to
of the house which is for the most part on the seuenth day after the mariage he buieth great plentie of fishes which he causeth his mother or some other woman to cast vpon his wiues feete and this they from an ancient superstitious custome take for a good boading Likewise at the bridegroomes fathers they vse to make two other feasts the one vpon the day before the bride is married and so that night they spend in dauncing and disport The morrow after a companie of women goe to dresse the bride to combe her locks and to paint her cheekes with vermillion her hands and her feete they die blacke but all this painting presently looseth the fresh hew and this day they haue another banket The bride they place in the highest roome that she may be seene of all and then those that dressed the bride are condignely entertained Being come to the bridegroomes house his parents salute the new bride with certaine great cups full of new wine and cakes with other iuncats which wee wil here passe ouer in silence all which are bestowed vpon the bridegroomes companions The same night which we said was spent in dauncing there are present at the bridall-house certaine minstrels and singers which by turnes sometimes vse their instruments and sometimes voice-musicke they daunce alwaies one by one and at the end of each galliard they bestow a largesse vpon the musitions If any one wil honour the dancer he bids him kneele downe before him and hauing fastened peeces of money all ouer his face the musitions presently take it off for their fee. The women daunce alone without any men at the noise of their owne musitions All these things vse to be performed when the bride is a maide But the mariages of widowes are concluded with lesse adoe Their cheere is boiled beefe and mutton and stued hens with diuers iuncating dishes among In stead of trenchers the guestes being ten or twelue in number haue so many great round platters of wood set before them And this is the common custome of gentlemen and merchants The meaner sort present their guestes with certaine sops or bruesse of bread like vnto a pan-cake which being dipped in flesh-pottage they eate out of a great platter not with spoones but with their fingers onely and round about each great platter stand to the number of ten or twelue persons Likewise they make a solemne feast at the circumcision of their male children which is vpon the seuenth day after their birth and at this feast the circumciser together with all their friends and kinsfolks is present which being done each one according to his abilitie bestoweth a gift vpon the circumciser in manner following Euery man laies his money vpon a lads face which the circumciser brought with him Whereupon the lad calling euery one by his name giueth them thanks in particular and then the infant being circumcised they spend that day with as great iollitie as a day of mariage But at the birth of a daughter they shew not so much alacritie Of their rites obserued vpon festiuall dates and their manner of mourning for the dead AMong the people of Fez there haue remained certaine reliques of festiuall daies instituted of olde by the Christians whereupon they vse certaine ceremonies which themselues vnderstande not Vpon Christmas euen they eate a sallet made of diuers herbs they seeth likewise that night all kind of pulse which they feede vpon for great dainties Vpon New-yeeres day the children goe with maskes and vizards on their faces to the houses of gentlemen and merchants and haue fruits giuen them for singing certaine carols or songs When as the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist is hallowed among Christians you shall here see all about great store of fires made with straw And when their childrens teeth begin to grow they make another feast called according to the Latines Dentilla They haue also many other rites and customes of diuining or soothsaying the like wherof I haue seene at Rome and in other cities of Italie As touching their feasts prescribed by the Mahumetan lawe they are at large set downe in that briefe treatise which we haue written concerning the same law The women hauing by death lost their husbands fathers or any other of their deere friends assemble foorthwith a great multitude of their own sexe together who stripping themselues out of their owne attire put on most vile sackcloth and defile their faces with much durt then call they certaine men clad in womens attire bringing great fower-square drums with them at the noise of which drums the women-mourners sing a funerall song tending as much as may be to the commendation of the partie deceased and at the end of euery verse the said womē vtter most hideous shrikes outcries tearing their haire with much lamentation beating their cheekes breasts till they be all-imbrued with blood and so these heathenish superstitions continue for seuen whole daies together At which seuen daies ende they surcease their mourning for the space of 40. daies then they begin anew to torment thēselues for three daies togither in maner aforesaid howbeit these kinds of obsequies are obserued onely by the baser people but the gentlemen and better sort behaue themselues more modestly At this time all the widowes friends come about her to comfort her and send diuers kinds of meats vnto her for in the mourning house they may dresse no meate at all till the dead corpes be carried foorth The woman her selfe that looseth her husband father or brother neuer goeth foorth with the funerall But how they wash and burie the dead corpes and what superstitions they vse thereabout you shall finde recorded in my little treatise aboue mentioned Of their doue-houses DIuers there are in this citie that take much pleasure in keeping of doues which are here in great plentie of all colours These doues they keepe in certaine cages or lockers on the tops of their houses which lockers they set open twise a day to wit morning and euening delighting greatly to see them flie for those that out-flie the residue are accounted the best Oftentimes it falleth out that neighbours doues will be mingled together for which cause you shall see the owners goe together by the eares Some haue a certaine net bound vnto two long canes wherewith they vse to take their neighbours doues as they come flying foorth of their louers Amongst the colliers you shall find seuen or eight shops onely of those that sel doues Their manner of gaming at Fez. THe citizens vse most of all to play at chesse and that from ancient times Other games there are also but very rude and vsed onely by the common people At certaine times of the yeere the boies of one street wil fight with clubs against the boies of another street and that sometimes with so great furie that they 〈◊〉 themselues to other weapons and slay one another especially vpon their festiuall daies what
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
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
them likewise which was a cause that the merchants of both partes trauelled more securely Of the towne of Gerseluin THis ancient towne was built by the Africans at the foote of one of the foresaid mountaines not farre from the riuer of Ziz. It is enuironed with an impregnable and stately wall the founder whereof was a certaine king of the Marin-familie In regard of the walles and bulwarks it is a most beautifull towne But being once entred thereinto you shall see most base and beggerly houses and scarce any inhabitants dwelling in them and that by the iniurie of certaine Arabians who when they reuolted from the Marin-familie tooke this towne and grieuously oppressed the citizens Their drie and barren fields lie open to the north Vpon the riuer are diuers mils and by the side thereof are many gardens replenished with grapes and peaches which they vse to drie in the sunne and to keepe an whole yeere They haue great scarcitie of cattell which causeth them to liue a most 〈◊〉 life This towne was built by the familie of Zeneta in stead of a fort to the end it might be a place of refuge onely in their iournie to Numidia but afterward it was surprised and vtterly destroied by the familie of Luntuna Here also are great store of such domesticall serpents as we reported to be in the mountaines of Ziz. Here endeth the third booke IOHN LEO HIS FOVRTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A description of the kingdome of Telensin THis kingdome beginneth westward from the riuers of Zha Muluia eastward it bordereth vpon The great riuer southward vpon the desert of Numidia and northward vpon the Mediterran sea This region was called by the Romanes Caesaria and was by them inhabited howbeit after the Romanes were expelled it was fullie possessed by the ancient gouernours thereof called Beni Habdulguad and being a generation of the familie of Magraua And it remained vnto them and their successors three hundred yeeres vntill such time as a certaine mightie man called Ghamrazen the sonne of Zeijen tooke possession thereof His posteritie changing at length their ancient name were called Beni Zeijen that is the sonnes of Zeijen and they enioied this kingdome for the space almost of 380. yeeres At length the kings of Fez of the Marin-familie greatly molested them so that those ten kings which succeeded Zeijen were some of them vnfortunate in battell some slaine some taken captiue and others expelled their kingdome and chased to the next mountaines Neither were they free from vexation of the kings of Tunis howbeit the kingdome of Telensin remained still to this familie and they continued in peace for almost an hundred and twentie yeeres being endammaged by no forren power sauing that one Abu Feris king of Tunis and his sonne Hutmen made them to pay tribute for certaine yeeres vnto Tunis till the decease of the said Hutmen This kingdome stretcheth in length from east to west 380. miles but in bredth from north to south that is from the Mediterran sea to the deserts of Numidia not aboue fiue and twentie miles which is the occasion that it is so often oppressed by the Arabians inhabiting the Numidian deserts The kings of Telensin haue alwaies endeuoured by great gifts to gaine the good will and friendship of the Numidians but they could neuer satisfie their insatiable couetice A man shall seldome trauell safely through this kingdome howbeit here are great store of merchants perhaps either because it adioineth to Numidia or else for that the way to the land of Negros lieth through it It hath two most famous frequented hauen-townes the one called Horam and the other Marsa Elcabir whither vse to resort great store of Genoueses and Venetians But afterward both these townes were taken by Don Ferdinando the Catholike king to the great inconuenience of all this kingdome for which cause the king then raigning called Abuchemmeu was expelled his kingdome and put to flight by his owne subiects afterward Abuzeijen was restored to the kingdome who had for certaine yeeres been imprisoned by his nephew Abuchemmeu howbeit he enioied the kingdome but a very short space For he was at length miserably slaine by Barbarossa the Turke who conquered the kingdome of Tremizen by force of war Whereof Abuchemmeu that was expelled by his owne subiects hauing intelligence sent to craue aide of the emperour Charles the fift whereby he hoped to recouer his kingdome Which request being granted he leuied a puissant armie and made warre against Barbarossa and hauing driuen him out he recouered his kingdome and seuerely punished them that had conspired his banishment And then he gaue the Spanish soldiers their pay sent the captaines home with great rewardes and allowed Charles the emperour a large yeerely reuenue so long as he liued After his decease succeeded his brother Habdulla who neglecting the league made before betweene the emperour and his brother and relying vpon Soliman the great Turke refused to pay any more tribute vnto the emperour Charles and hath kept possession of the kingdome till this present The greater part of this region is vntilled drie and barren especially towards the south Howbeit the sea coast is somewhat more fertill The territorie adiacent to the citie of Telensin is full of woods sauing that the westerne part towardes the sea is mountainous Likewise the regions of Tenez and Alger containe mountaines abounding with all kinde of commodities In this part ate but few cities and castles howbeit it is a most fruitfull and blessed place as we will hereafter declare in particular Of the desert of Angad THis barren drie and vntilled desert being vtterly destitute of water and wood is situate vpon the westerne frontire of the kingdome of Telensin and extendeth in length fowerscore and in bredth almost fiftie miles Here are great store of roes deere and ostriches Such merchants as trauell from Fez to Telensin passe ouer this desert not without great danger by reason of certaine Arabians which liue onely vpon theft aud robberie especially in winter when as the soldiers appointed to defend the said desert from those lewd vagabonds doe vsually retire themselues into Numidia Many shepherds there are in this desert who are daily vexed with multitudes of fierce lions which sometime seaze not onely vpon cartell but also vpon men Of the castle of Temzegzet THis castle standing in the same place where the foresaid desert adioineth vnto the territorie of Telensin and built by the Africans vpon a rocke was in times past very strong and often annoied by the people ofFez for it standeth in the high way from Fez to Telensin Through the fields adiacent runneth a certaine riuer called in their language Tefme The said fields adiacent sufficiently abound with all things necessarie for the sustenance of the inhabitants Heretofore being subiect vnto the kings of Telensin it well deserued the name of a citie but since the Arabians got
iackets of leather with hoods vpon them such as trauellers vse in Italie and by this meanes their heads are defended from raine and from snow The schollers and students are diuersly apparelled according to their abilitie and according to the fashion of their natiue countrie the doctors iudges and priestes goe in more sumptuous and costly attire The customes and rites obserued in the King of Telensin his court A Woonder it is to see how stately and magnificently the King of Telensin behaueth himselfe for no man may see him nor be admitted to parle with him but onely the principall nobles of his court each one of whom are assigned to beare offices according to their place and dignitie In this court are sundry offices and dignities and the Kings lieutenant beeing principall officer allotteth vnto each one such places of dignitie as may be correspondent to their honour and this lieutenant leuieth the kings armies and sometime conducteth them against the enemie The second officer is the Kings chiefe Secretarie who writeth and recordeth all things pertaining to the King The third is the high treasurer who is bound by 〈◊〉 office to receiue tributes and customes The fourth is the kings dispensator or almoner who bestoweth such liberalitie as the king vouchsafeth The fift is the captaine of the kings garde who so often as any nobles are admitted to the kings presence conducteth the garde vnto the palace-gate Then are there other meaner officers as namely the master of the kings stable the ouerseer of his saddles stirrops and his chiefe chamberlaine who giueth attendance onely at such times as any courtiers are admitted vnto the kings audience For at other times the kings wiues with certaine Christian captiues and eunuches doe performe that dutie The king sometimes in sumptuous and costly apparellrideth vpon a stately stead richly trapped and furnished In riding he obserueth not much pompe nor many ceremonies neither indeede doth he carrie so great a traine for you shall scarcely see a thousand horsemen in his companie except perhaps in time of warre when as the Arabians and other people giue attendance When the king goeth foorth with an armie there are not many carriages transported therein neither can you then discerne the king by his apparell from any meane captaine and though he conducteth neuer so great a garde of soldiers yet a man would not thinke how sparing he is of his coine Gold-money he coineth of baser golde then that whereof the Italian money called Bislacchi is coined but it is of a greater size for one peece thereof waigheth an Italian duckat and one fourth part He stampeth likewise coine of siluer of brasse His dominions are but slenderly inhabited howbeit because the way from Europe to Aethiopia lieth through his kingdome he reapeth much benefit by the wares that passe by especially since the time that Oran was surprized by the Christians At the same time Telensin it selfe was made tributarie which was euer before a free citie whereupon the king that was the author thereof was extremely hated of his subiects till his dying day Afterward his sonne that succeeded him demanded customes and tributes likewise for which cause being expelled out of his kingdome by the people he was enforced to craue aide of the emperour Charles the fift by whose meanes as is beforesaid he was restored vnto his said kingdome When Oran was subiect vnto the king of Telensin the region therabout paid vnto the king for yeerly tribute sometime three thousand and sometime fower thousand duckats the greatest part whereof was allowed vnto the kings garde and to the Arabian soldiers I my selfe continuing certaine monethes in this kings court had good experience of his liberalitie I haue indeede omitted many particulars in the description of this court of Telensin but because they agreed for the most part with those things which we reported of Fez I haue here passed them ouer least I should seeme too tedious vnto the reader Of the towne of Hubbed THis towne being built in manner of a castle standeth about a mile and an halfe southward of Telensin It containeth store of inhabitants who are for the most part dyers of cloth In this towne was buried one Sadi Bu Median being reputed a man of singular holines whom they adore like a god ascending vp to his monument by certaine steps Here is likewise a stately college and a faire hospitall to entertaine strangers in both which were built by a king of Fez of the Marin-familie as I finde recorded vpon a certaine marble stone Of the towne of Tefesra TThis towne standing vpon a plaine fifteene miles from Telensin hath great store of smiths therein by reason of the iron-mines which are there The fields adiacent are exceeding fruitfull for corne and the inhabitants being for the most part blacke-smithes are destitute of all ciuilitie Of the towne of Tessela THis ancient towne was built by the Africans vpon a certaine plaine extending almost twenty miles in length Here groweth such abundance of excellent corne as is almost sufficient for the whole kingdome of Telensin The inhabitants liue in tents for all the buildings of this towne are destroied though the name remaineth still These also in times past paide a great yeerely tribute vnto the king of Telensin Of the prouince called Beni Rasid THis region extendeth in length from east to west fiftie and in bredth almost fiue and twentie miles The southerne part thereof is plaine ground but toward the north it is full of fruitfull mountaines The inhabitants are of two sorts for some of them dwell vpon the mountaines in houses of indifferent good building and these imploy themselues in husbandry and other necessarie affaires Others being of a more noble condition liue onely vpon the plaines in tents and there keepe their camels horses and other cattell They are molested with daily inconueniences and pay yeerely tribute vnto the king of Telensin Vpon the foresaid mountaines are sundrie villages among which there are two principall whereof the one called Chalath Haoara and built in manner of a castle vpon the side of a certaine hill containeth to the number of fortie merchants and artificers houses the other called Elmo Hascar is the seate of the kings lieutenant ouer those regions and in this village euery thursday there is a great market where abundance of cattell corne raisins figs and honie is to be sold here are likewise cloth-merchants and diuers other chapmen which for breuities sake I passe ouer in silence I my selfe continuing for some time among them found to my hinderance what cunning theeues they were The king of Telensin collecteth yeerely out of this prouince the summe of fiue and twenty thousand duckats and it containeth so many most expert soldiers Of the towne of Batha THis great rich and populous towne was built in my time vpon a most beautifull and large plaine which yeeldeth great abundance of corne The tribute which the king of Telensin hath here amounteth to
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
Constantina caused certaine faire houses to be built thereabouts for the said merchants of Genoa to repose themselues and their goodes therein and vpon a mountaine not farre off he built a strong 〈◊〉 for the securitie and defence of the said merchants from all enemies whatsoeuer From the said hauen to Constantina the high way is paued with certaine black stones such as are to be seene in some places of Italie being there called Le strade Romane which is a manifest argument that Sucaicada was built by the Romans Of the citie of Constantina NO man can denie the Romans to haue beene founders of this citie that shall consider the great strength height and antiquitie of the walles and how curiously they are beset and adorned with blacke stones This citie standeth vpon the south side of an exceeding high mountaine and is enuironed with steepe rocks vnder which rocks and within the compasse whereof runneth the riuer called Sufegmare so that the said deepe riuer with the rocks on either side serueth in stead of a towne-ditch to Constantina The north part is compassed with a wall of great thicknes and there are two extreme narrow passages onely to enter into the citie one on the east part and another on the west The citie-gates are very large and stately The citie it selfe containeth aboue eight thousand families Buildings it hath very sumptuous as namely the chiefe temple two colleges three or fower monasteries and other such like Here euery trade and occupation hath a seuerall place assigned and the inhabitants are right honest and valiant people Here is likewise a great companie of merchants whereof some sell cloth and wooll others send oile and silke into Numidia and the residue exchange linnen-cloth and other wares for slaues and dates Neither are dates so cheape in any region of all Barbarie besides The kings of Tunis vsually commit the gouernment of Constantina vnto their eldest sonnes and so he that is now king of Tunis bestowed Constantina vpon his eldest sonne in like sort who waging warre against the Arabians was slaine in the first battel Then fel the gouernment of Constantina vnto his second sonne whose intemperate life was the cause of his sudden and vntimely death After him succeeded the third and yoongest sonne who in regarde of his insolent and shamelesse behauiour was so hated of all the citizens that some had determined to kill him whereof his father hauing intelligence sent for him and kept him for certaine yeeres prisoner at Tunis Afterward he committed the gouernment of Constantina to a certaine Renegado that of a Christian became a Mahumetan this Renegado he trusted as his owne brother for he had made former triall of him who for many yeeres gouerned the place with great tranquillitie Vpon the north part of the citie standeth a certaine strong castle built at the same time when the citie it selfe was built which castle was more strongly fortified then before by one Elcaied Nabil the kings lieutenant and this castle greatly bridled both the citizens and all the bordering Arabians whose great captaine it held as prisoner and released him not till he had left his three sonnes for hostages At length the said Elcaied grew so hautie that he coined money to the great contempt of his king and soueraigne whom notwithstanding he endeuoured by many giftes and presents to appease But when men perceiued Elcaied to degenerate from his first forme of gouernment they that before loued him and had him in high regarde were presently of another minde and vtterly forsooke him So that laying siege vnto a certaine citie of Numidia called Pescara he perceiued some treason to be attempted against him and thereupon returning foorthwith to Constantina he found the citie-gates shut against him from whence he presently tooke his iourney to the king of Tunis and was by him cast into prison and not restored to libertie till he had paid an hundred thousand duckats Afterward by the kings aide he was restored to his former gouernment but when he began to tyrannize ouer some of the chiefe citizens he againe prouoked the whole citie vnto armes who besieged foorthwith the castle whereunto he fled which was such a corrasiue vnto Elcaied his minde that within few daies he died for sorrow And so the people after they were reconciled to their king would fromthencefoorth neuer admit any forren gouernour wherefore the king of Tunis was as is aforesaid againe constrained to send his owne sonnes thither The fields belonging to this citie are exceeding fertil And on either side the riuer which runneth through the plaines there are most commodious gardens if they were well husbanded Also without the citie stand many faire and ancient buildings About a mile and a halfe from the citie standeth a certaine triumphall arch like vnto the triumphall arches at Rome which the grosse common people thinke to haue beene a castle where innumerable diuels remained which they say were expelled by the Mahumetans when they came first to inhabite Constantina From the citie to the riuer they descend by certaine staires hewen out of the rocke and neere vnto the riuer standeth a little house so artificially cut out of the maine rocke that the roofe pillers and walles are all of one continued substance and here the women of Constantina wash their linnen Neere vnto the citie likewise there is a certaine bath of hot water dispersing it selfe among the rocks in this bath are great store of snailes which the fond women of the citie call Diuels and when any one falleth into a feuer or any other disease they suppose the snailes to be the authors thereof And the onely remedie that they can apply vpon such an occasion is this first they kill a white hen putting her into a platter with her feathers on and then verie solemnly with waxe-candles they carry her to the bathe and there leaue her and many good fellowes there are which so soone as the silly women haue set downe their hens at the bath wil come secretly thither and conuey away the hens to their owne kitchins Somewhat farther from the citie eastward there is a fountaine of extreme cold water and neere vnto it standeth a certaine building of marble adorned with sundrie Hieroglyphicall pictures or emblemes such as I haue seene at Rome and at many other places of Europe But the common people imagine that it was in times past a Grāmar-schoole because both the masters and schollers thereof were most vitious they were transformed say they into marble The inhabitants twise euerie yeere send great store of wares into Numidia and because as they trauell they are in danger of the Arabian theeues they hire certaine Turkish Harquebusiers for great wages to guard them The merchants of Constantina trauelling to Tunis pay no tribute at all but onely at their departure foorth of Constantina for the worth of euerie 100. ducates in merchandise they allow two ducates and a halfe Of the towne of Mela. THis
Hegeira 915. Of the towne called Vrbs. BY the name of this towne it sufficiently appeareth that the Romans were the first founders thereof Situate it is vpon the most beautifull plaine of al Africa which by reason of the abundance of fountaines is so wel stored with corne that from thence to Tunis which standeth 190. miles northward of this place and to other regions adioyning great plentie of corne is transported In this towne are to bee seene sundrie monuments of the Romans as namely images of marble and euerie where vpon the walles are sentences in Latin letters engrauen the towne-walles are most artificially and sumptuously built This towne the Gothes being assisted by the Moores surprised when as it contained the chiefe treasure and wealth that the Romanes enioyed in all Africa Afterward it remained for certaine yeeres desolate being at length notwithstanding inhabited a new yet so that it deserueth rather the name of a village then of a towne Not far from this towne runneth a certaine riuer vpon the which are diuers water-milles and this riuer taketh his beginning from a little hill but halfe a mile distant from the towne All the inhabitants are either weauers or husbandmen and are continually molested by the king of Tunis Howbeit if the fertilitie of the soyle the pleasantnes of the place and the holesome disposition of the aire were as well knowne to the king as they are to my selfe I thinke verily that he would leaue Tunis and goe and dwell in this region The Arabians are well acquainted with the place for from hence they yeerely transport great store of corne vnto their deserts Of the towne of Beggia THis towne built by the Romans vpon a mountaine almost twentie miles distant from the Mediterran sea and about eightie miles westward of Tunis standeth right in the way from Tunis to Constantina But because the name of this towne is no Arabian name it seemeth that the first name hath been oftentimes corrupted and changed The ancient walles of this towne are as yet standing and it is a most defensible place and well furnished with all kinde of necessaries It is inhabited with great store of weauers and husbandmen and the fields thereof are so large and fruitfull for all kindes of graine that the people of the same region could not sufficiently manure them vnlesse they were assisted by certaine bordering Arabians and yet a great part of their fields lieth vntilled howbeit they send continually great store of corne vnto Tunis The king of Tunis surchargeth them with continuall and greeuous exactions which is the cause why their estate so mightily decaieth Of the towne called Hain Sammit THis towne was in my time founded by the king of Tunis being distant almost thirtie miles from Beggia It was built they say of purpose that none of the fields thereabout might lie vntilled But it hath since beene destroied by the Arabians at the commandement of the king of Tunis and now there remaineth a tower and certaine other buildings onely whereof some haue roofes vpon them and others none Of the towne of Casba THis towne built by the Romans vpon a large plaine of twelue miles compasse is fower and twentie miles distant from Tunis The towne-wall remaineth strong as yet but the towne it selfe is destroied by the Arabians and the fields lie vntilled and all by the negligence of the king of Tunis and of the inhabitants of the same region Of the castle of Choros THis castle founded not many yeeres past by the Africans vpon the riuer of Magrida and being about ten miles distant from Tunis is enuironed with most fruitfull fields Neere vnto this towne groweth a certaine wood greatly abounding with oliues At length it was destroied by certaine Arabians called Beni Heli which make perpetuall warre against the king of Tunis and liue onely vpon theft and robberie Of the towne of Biserta THe ancient towne of Biserta otherwise called Bensart founded by the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea thirtie fiue miles from Tunis is but of a small bignes and is inhabited with most miserable people Neere vnto this towne entreth a certaine creeke or arme of the sea which at the first being very narrow increaseth by little and little into a maruellous bredth On either side there of dwell great store of fishers and husbandmen and westward of the said creeke lieth a most large and fruitfull plaine called Mater which is greeuously molested by the king of Tunis and by the Arabians In this creeke are taken abundance of fishes and after the moneth of October they catch a certaine fish called by the Africans Giarrafa which I take to be the same that is at Rome called Laccia for then by reason of the abundance of raine that falleth the salt water of the baye becommeth somewhat fresh wherewith those fishes they say are much delighted Very deepe it is and affoordeth good fishing till the end of May but then the fishes begin to decrease and to be much drier in taste then before like vnto the fishes taken in the riuer of Fez. Of the great citie of Carthage THis famous and ancient citie was built at the first by a certaine people that came out of Syria But others say that it was founded by a queene The African chronicler Ibnu Rachich is of opinion that it was built by a certaine people that came from Barca being expelled thence by the king of Egypt wherefore I cannot in this place affirme any certaintie as touching the founders thereof for besides that the African historiographers disagree about this matter there is none that hath left any writing thereof ancienter then the decay of the Roman empire when as all the Romans that were found in Africa were expelled by the Goths But afterward Tripolis of Barbaria and Capis being taken by the Mahumetans the inhabitants of them both went vnto Carthage whither the principall Romans and Goths had retired themselues who endeuoured by all meanes to withstand the Mahumetans and after many skirmishes the Romans fled to Bona and the Goths left Carthage for a pray vnto the Mahumetans so that it remained desolate many yeeres after till a certaine Mahumetan patriarke called Elmahdi brought in new colonies howbeit he could scarce furnish the twentith part with inhabitants There are to be seene at this day certaine ruines of the citie-walles till you come to a deepe and large cesterne And there remaineth as yet also a certaine conduct which conueieth water to the citie from a mountaine thirtie miles distant being like vnto the conduct of the great palace at Rome Neere vnto Carthage likewise are certaine great and ancient buildings the description whereof is out of my remembrance On the west and south part of this citie are diuers gardens replenished with all kinde of fruites which are carried from thence to Tunis in great abundance The plaines adioining to this citie are exceeding fruitfull though not very large for vpon the north part thereof lieth a mountaine the
artificers but more husbandmen And bicause water is very scarce in this region and yet their fieldes stand in neede of continuall watering euery man may conueigh water into his field by a certaine sluce for the space of an hower or two according to the bredth or length of his ground and after one hath done watering his ground his next neighbour beginneth which oftentimes breedeth great contention and bloudshed Of the towne of Nefta NEfta is the name of the towne it selfe and also of the territorie adiacent which territorie containeth three castles the greatest whereof seemeth by the manner of building to haue beene founded by the Romains Inhabitants heere are great store being very rusticall and vnciuill people In times past they were exceeding rich for they dwell neere vnto Lybia in the very way to the land of Negros howbeit by reason of their perpetuall hostilitie with the kings of Tunis the king of Tunis that now is destroied their towne and themselues he partly slue and partly put to flight Likewise he so defaced the wals and other buildings that now a man woulde esteeme it to be but a base village Not farre from hence runneth a certaine riuer of hot water which serueth them both to drinke and to water their fields withall Of the towne of Teolacha IT was built by the Numidians and compassed with slender wals and hath a riuer of hot water also running thereby The fields adiacent yeeld plentie of dates but great scarcitie of corne The miserable inhabitants are oppressed with continual exactions both by the Arabians and also by the king of Tunis Yet are they extremely couetous and proud and disdainfull vnto strangers Of the towne of Deusen DEusen a very ancient towne founded by the Romains in the same place where the kingdome of Bugia ioineth to Numidia was destroied by the Mahumetans at their first entrance into Africa bicause of a certaine Romaine captaine which endured the Saracens siege for a whole yeere togither the towne being at length taken this captaine and all the men of the towne were put to the sword but the women and children were carried away captiue Howbeit after the towne was sacked the wall thereof remained entire by reason it was built of most hard stone and that a woonderfull thicknes though in some places it seemeth to be ruined which I thinke might be caused by an earthquake Not farre from this towne are diuers monuments of antiquitie like vnto sepulchers wherein are founde sundrie peeces of siluer coine adorned with certaine letters and hieroglyphicall figures the interpretation whereof I could neuer finde out Of the prouince of Biledulgerio FRom the territorie of Pescara this prouince extendeth it selfe vnto the Isle of Gerbi and one part thereof in which Cafsa and Teusar are situate is almost three hundred miles distant from the Mediterran sea It is an extreme hot and drie place bringing foorth no corne at all but great plenty of dates which bicause they are speciall good are transported vnto the kingdome of Tunis Here are diuers townes and cities which we will describe in their due place Of the towne of Teusar THis ancient towne built by the Romans vpon the Numidian desert neere vnto a certaine riuer springing foorth of the southren mountaines was enuironed with most stately impregnable wals and had an ample territorie thereunto belonging but it was since so destroied by the Mahumetans that now instead of the woonted sumptuous palaces thereof it containeth nought but base cottages The inhabitants are exceeding rich both in wares and money for they haue many faires euerie yeere whereunto resort great numbers of merchants from Numidia and Barbarie The foresaid riuer diuideth the towne into two parts one whereof being inhabited by the principall gentlemen and burgo-masters is called Fatnasa and in the other called Merdes dwell certaine Arabians which haue remained there euer since the towne was destroyed by the Mahumetans They are at continuall ciuill wars among themselues and will performe but little obedience to the king of Tunis for which cause he dealeth alwaies most rigorously with him Of the towne of Caphsa THE ancient towne of Caphsa built also by the Romans had for certaine yeeres a gouernour of their owne but afterward being sacked by one Hucba a Captaine of Hutmen Califa the walles thereof were razed to the ground but the castle as yet remaineth and is of great force for the wall thereof being fiue and twentie cubits high and fiue cubits thick is made of excellent stones like vnto the stones of Vespasians Amphitheatre at Rome Afterward the towne-walles were reedified and were destroyed againe by Mansor who hauing slaine the Gouernour of the towne and all the inhabitants appointed a new Gouernour ouer the same place Now this towne is verie populous all the houses thereof except the temple and a few other buildings being verie deformed and base and the streets are paued with blacke stones like vnto the streets of Naples and Florence The poore inhabitants are continually oppressed with the exactions of the king of Tunis In the middest of the towne are certaine square large and deepe fountaines walled round about the water whereof is hot and vnfit to bee drunke vnlesse it be set an hower or two a cooling The ayre of this place is verie vnholesome insomuch that the greatest part of the inhabitants are continually sicke of feuers People they are of a rude and illiberall disposition and vnkinde vnto strangers wherefore they are had in great contempt by all other Africans Not far from this towne are fields abounding with dates oliues and pome-citrons and the dates and oliues there are the best in all the whole prouince here is likewise most excellent oyle The inhabitants make themselues shooes of buckes leather Of the castles of Nefzaoa THree castles there are of this name being well stored with inhabitants but verie homely built and oppressed with the king of Tunis his continuall exactions And they are distant from the Mediterran sea about fiftie miles Of the region of Teorregu THis little territory belonging to the kingdome of Tripolis bordering vpon the desert of Barca containeth three castles of the same name which abound greatly with dates but haue no corne at all The inhabitants being farre distant from other townes and cities lead a most miserable life Of the territorie of Iasliten IT lieth vpon the Mediterran sea and containeth many villages abounding with dates The inhabitants because they dwell so neere the sea haue great traffique with the people of Sicilie and Egypt Of the region of Gademes THis large region hauing many castles villages therin standeth southward of the Mediterran sea almost three hundred miles The inhabitants being rich in dates and all other kinde of merchandise and trafficking into the land of Negros pay tribute vnto the Arabians albeit for a certaine time they were subiect vnto the king of Tunis and the Prince of Tripolis Corne and flesh are maruellous scarce here Of the region of Fezzen THis
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
intreated them most barbarously as also those Abassins whom they had conuerted He likewise was afterwards ouerthrowne in battaile by the Turkes who stripped Ouiedo and his companions of all things that they had Whereupon they grew into such pouertie and miserie as all helpe failing them they were enforced to get their liuing with the plough and spade till they all died one after another This Ethiopian Christianitie is brought at this day to an hard point by the inuasions of the Turkes and Mores as is before declared Notwithstanding their religious men affirme that they haue prophesies of the comming of a Christian nation to their Ports from farre countries with whom they shall go to the destruction of the Mores and these they hold to bee Portugals They haue farther certaine presagements of Saint Sinoda who was an Egyptain Hermite of the ruine of Meca the recouerie of the holy sepulcher and the taking of Egypt and Cairo by the Abassins vnited with the Latines Of the Christians of the isle of Socotera VIcinitie of place and conformitie of customes inuite me to crosse the sea and to visite the Christians of Socotera This island is sixtie miles long and fiue and twentie in bredth It is situate ouer against the Red sea The people thereof receiued the faith from Saint Thomas the Apostle for they affirme that heere he suffred shipwracke and that of the broken and battered ship he built a church which is as yet extant They imitate for the most part the rites customes and fashions of the Abassins but with great ignorance and errour for being separated from all commerce with the Christians of these parts they remaine depriued of that spirituall helpe which the westerne church by communication might impart vnto them They retaine circumcision and some other Moisaicall ceremonies Also they pray for the dead and obserue ordinarie fasts hauing prefixed howers for praier and bearing great reuerence to their religion in honour whereof they build chappels wherein assembling togither with an high and loude voice they make supplications and praiers in the Hebrew toong But their farre distance as I said from these parts of Christendome the sterilitie of the island and the pouertie of the people are occasions that the little light of truth which they haue is in a manner quite eclipsed by multitudes of errors Vnto other things may be added the tyrannie of the king of Fartac a Mahumetan who subdued them about the yeere of our Lord 1482. and partly by dominion partly by affinitie and kinred and partly also by conuersation brought in amongst them the deadly poison of Mahumet From this seruitude they were deliuered by Tristan d' Acunna one of the king of Portugals captaines sixe and twentie yeeres after they fell into the same And for their better securitie he repaired the fortresse leauing therein a Portugall garrison But bicause the charges farre surmounted any benefite that came of the island not long after the said fortresse was ruinated and the island abandoned by the Portugals Iohn the third king of Portugall had a great desire to assist and free them from the tyrannie of the Turkes whereunto after the taking of Aden they were subiect But for feare of prouoking the great Turke or giuing him occasion to disturbe and molest those seas with his fleetes as also for the dispatching of other affaires he had in hand he neuer went about that enterprise Of the Christians of Nubia FRantis Aluarez in his Aethiopicke relation writeth that he being at the court of Prete Ianni there arriued certaine ambassadors frō Nubia to make 〈◊〉 vnto that prince for some priests and ministers of the Gospell and sacraments by whom they might be instructed in the Christian faith But Prete Ianni answered them that he had not enough for his owne countrey whereupon they returned home very discōtent so that hauing no helpe from the Christians on the otherside being daily sollicited by the Mahumetans vpon whom they border on many sides it is thought that at this present they remaine in a manner without any religion at all Notwithstanding at this day there are more then an hundred and fiftie churches standing with diuers other notes and signes of Christianitie Their language partaketh much with the Egyptain and no lesse with the Chaldean and Arabick Of the Christians in the king dome of Congo HItherto we haue described that little which remaineth of the ancient Christianity of Africk It now resteth that we giue some notice of that which hath beene brought in of late Congo is a kingdome about the bignes of France situate as is before said beyond the equinoctiall betweene Cabo da Catherina and Bahia das vacas It was conuerted to Christian religion by the meanes of Don Iohn the second king of Portugal in manner following Don Diego Cano a captaine of that king by his commission coasting along Africa after a great nauigation arriued at length in the great riuer of Zaire and 〈◊〉 to saile vp into it he discouered along the banks thereof many townes where he found much more affability in the inhabitants then in those of other countries which before he had discouered And that he might be able to giue the more faithfull aduertisement thereof to his king his hart moued him to go to the court of that kingdome Whither bein̄g come and courteously brought to the kings presence he shewed them the vanity of their Idolatry the high reuerence of christian faith And he found in that Prince so good a disposition as returning into Portugal besides an ambassador he was permitted to carry with him certaine youths of noble parentage to the end they might learne the Christian doctrine and be well instructed therein and being baptized also might afterwards be sent back with Portugall priests to preache the gospel and to plant the Christian faith in that kingdome These youthes remained in Portugal two yeeres and were there liberally entertained and with all diligence instructed in matters of religion and were at length with great solemnity baptized When they came to riper yeeres king Iohn sent them backe againe into their owne countrey with an honorable ambassage in whose company went for teachers and instructers of that nation three Dominick-Fryers reputed for men of exquisit learning and holy life Being arriued in Congo they first cōuerted Mani-Sogno the kings vncle with one of his sonnes After that ensued the baptisme of the king and Queene for which cause in short time there was a goodly Church erected vnder the name and title of Santa Cruz. And in the meane while there were infinit Idols burnt The king was called Iohn the Queene Leonora and his eldest sonne Alonso This Alonso was a singular good man who not being satisfied in his owne conuersion laboured also with a kind of Apostolicall zeale for the conuersion of his subiects But let no man thinke that the planting of religion can euer passe without some labour and trouble These Dominick-Fryers besides the intemperature of
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
ciuilitie Their apparell indeed is somewhat decent by reason that they continually haue so great traffique with the Portugals At the same time when Azamur was subdued this citie also yeelded it selfe vnto the kings captaine and for certaine yeeres paied tribute vnto the king In our time the king of Fez attempted to set Duccala at libertie howbeit not speeding of his purpose he caused a certaine Christian which was his owne treasurer and a Iewe to be hanged And that companie which remained with him he brought vnto Fez giuing them a certaine portion of grounde to dwell vpon which was destitute of inhabitants being distant about twelue miles from Fez. Of the famous citie of Elmedina in Duccala ELmedina being in a manner the chiefe citie of the whole region is according to the manner there enuironed with wals of no great force The inhabitants are homely as well in witte and behauiour as in apparell wearing such cloth as is wouen in their owne countrie Their women weare certaine siluer ornaments the men are valiant and haue great store of horses They were all of them banished by the king of Fez out of his dominions for that he suspected them to be friends to the Portugals For he had heard that a certaine gouernour of that region had counselled his subiects to pay tribute vnto the Portugall king This gouernour I sawe barefoote led so miserablie captiue that I could scarce refraine from teares because he did not ought vpon trecherie but being constrained For good man he thought it much better to pay a little tribute vnto the Portugals then sodainly to lose both his life and his goods For the restoring of whom vnto his former libertie diuers noblemen greatly laboured and so at length for a great summe of money he was released But afterward the citie remained voide of inhabitants about the yeere of the Hegeira 921. Of the towne of Duccala called Centumputei THis towne is built vpon a rocke of excellent marble in the suburbes whereof are certaine caues wherein the inhabitants vse to lay vp their corne which is there so woonderfully preserued that it will continue an hundreth yeeres without any ill sauour or corruption Of the number of which caues resembling pits or wels the towne it selfe is called Centum putei The inhabitants are of small reckoning or account hauing no artificers dwelling among them but certaine Iewes When the king of Fez had forced the inhabitants of Elmadin to come into his dominions he attempted also to bring thither the inhabitants of this towne but they refusing to go into a strange place chose rather to inhabite neere vnto the towne of Azafi then to forsake their owne natiue soile Which when the king vnderstoode he presently caused the towne to be sacked wherein nothing was found but corne hony and other things of small value Of the towne of Subeit in the same region SVbeit is a small towne built vpon the south side of the riuer of Ommirabih It is distant from Elmadin about fortie miles and is said to be subiect vnto certaine Arabians dwelling in Duccala Honie and corne they haue great abundance but such is their vnskilfulnes and ignorance that they haue neither gardens nor vineyardes At the same time when Bulahuan was woon the king of Fez brought all the people of Subeit into his dominion and allotted vnto them a certaine peece of grounde neere vnto Fez which was neuer before inhabited so that Subeit remaineth waste and void of inhabitants euen vntill this day Of the towne of Temeracost ALso in Duccala neere vnto the riuer Ommirabih standeth a certaine small towne which was built by the founder of Maroco from whom the name thereof is thought to be deriued Inhabitants it hath great store and containeth more then fower hundreth families It was subiect in times past vnto the people of Azamur but Azamur being spoiled by the Portugales this towne also came to nought and the people heerof went to Elmadin Of the towne called Terga THis towne being distant about thirtie miles from Azamur is situate neere vnto the riuer Ommirabih it is well peopled and containeth about three hundreth families In times past it was subiect vnto the inhabitants of Duccala but after the sacking of Azafi Hali which fought against the Portugals for certaine daies lay with his armie in this towne But afterward being repelled thence by the king of Fez the towne became so waste and desolate that from thencefoorth it was an habitation for owles bats Of the towne of Bulahuan THis towne likewise standeth vpon the banke of Ommirabih containeth about fiue hundreth families in times past it had most noble and woorthie inhabitants especially in that streete which lieth next vnto the riuer vpon the high way to Maroco In this towne was a famous hospitall built which had manie roomes and mansions wherein all strangers trauailing that way were sumptuously and freely entertained at the common charge of the towne The inhabitants are most rich both in cattell corne Euery cititizen almost hath an 100. yoke of oxen and some of them yeerly reape two thousand some three thousand measures of corne so that the Arabians do carrie graine from thence sufficient to serue them all the yeere following In the 919. yeere of the Hegeira the king of Fez sent his brother to gouerne and defende the region of Duccala who comming vnto this towne was informed that the captaine of Azemur approched thither with a great armie of purpose to destroy the towne and to lead the people captiue Whereupon the king of Fez his brother sent immediately vnto the saide towne two captaines with two thousand horsemen and eight hundreth archers But the very same time when they entred the towne they met there the Portugall soldiers accompanied with two thousand Arabians by whom being fewer in number they were so miserablie slaine that scarcely twelue archers of all the eight hundreth could escape with the horsemen vnto the next mountaines Howbeit afterward the Arabians renewed the skirmish 150. of the Portugall horsemen being slaine they put the enimie to flight Whereupon the king of Fez his brother passed on to Duccala requiring tribute of the people and promising that as long as he liued he would stand betweene them and their enemies Afterward being vanquished he returned home to Fez vnto the king his brother But the inhabitants seeing that the kings brother had receiued tribute of them and had stood them in no stead they presently forsooke the towne and fled vnto the mountaine of Tedles for they feared least the Portugals armie would come vpon them and exacting a greater summe would lead them presently captiue which could not disburse it At all these accidents I my selfe was present and saw the foresaid slaughter of the archers for I stood about a mile distant from them and was mounted vpon a swift courser At the same time I was trauelling to Maroco being sent by the king of Fez to declare vnto the