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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	great_a	river_n	9,026	5	7.1511	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48869	A short relation of the river Nile of its sourse and current, of its overflowing the Campagnia of Ægypt, till it runs into the Mediterranean, and of other curiosities / written by an eye-witnesse, who lived many years in the chief kingdoms of the Abyssine empire.; Itinerário. English. Selections	Lobo, Jerónimo, 1596?-1678.; Wyche, Peter, Sir, 1628-1699?	1669 (1669)	Wing L2733; ESTC R12438	30,643	112

by imitating the different cryes of other Beasts are so understood and known of what place and Province they are Those of an higher Province in the heart of this great Empire where many ages these Princes kept their Court when according to this ancient and usual Custom they present their Petitions cry Jan Coy i.e. my King Jan signifying King and Coy my which supposed for the cleerer proof of what I endeavour to evince you are to be reminded That the Abyssines affirme their Emperours were Priests in testimony of that relate some Miracles wrought by them That the Abyssines are naturally Wanderers particularly undertake pilgrimages to the Holy Land which being not far remote doth more easily engage them in the journey This they practise at present though formerly they did it more frequently It is also notorious that the French most of any Nation of Europe used the Levantine trade their concourse was so great that those Infidels scarce knew any other Europeans and called all white men as they still do Franks by a small corruption from the word Francois The French necessarily met many Abyssines particularly in Palestine with whom their discourse was probable about their Nation and Country The Abyssines speaking of their King undoubtedly gave him the most ancient most usual and most respectfull title of Jan neither is it less probable that for the greater reverence of the Royal person they told them their King was a Priest thence was he concluded Jan by title and by office a Priest All know that among us Sacerdote and Presbytero are the same which the Latines call Presbyter and the French Prester this word joyned to Jan begets Prester Jan which with small addition is corrupted into Prester John intending the same The French returning home were likely to relate what they believed and heard in forraigne parts so spred the report that the King of the Abyssines was King and Priest Prester Jan there not being then any knowledge of the true Prester John of the Indies This report set abroad past current that this famous Prince was without doubt the Emperour of the Abyssines thence at present vulgarly called Prester John of the Indies I may without arrogance think the Conjectures and Probabilities on which this Discourse is grounded above contempt both from my own observations and Experience and from the approbation of able Judgments particularly of great Travellers and those conversant in Ethiopia who found them agree with their information if any are dissatisfied with this Tract let them not condemn the good will that offers it and take my word to acquiesce in any better proposed A short Tract of the Red Sea and of the Cause of this name by which 't is commonly known THe Red Sea bounds the Territories of the Abyssine Empire which Eastward drinks those Waters having therefore discoursed what names the Abyssine Emperour Prester John we may conveniently inquire after the true cause that calls that boundary of this Empire the Red Sea The Name of Red Sea commonly given to the Arabian Gulf is very ancient the mistake lyes onely in the Reason I shall relate what I think most sutable to my own survey and experience The Ancients named the most Easterly poynt of all Africa Aromatum Prom. the Cape of spices because all those Ships which brought them from the Coast of India and traded with the Ports of that Sea first made that Headland called at present by all Mariners Guarda fuy the Inland is the Kingdom of Adel the Inhabitants all Moors and stout Souldiers The defect of Rain is here the same as in Egypt supplyed by the many and great Rivers running from the mountains of Ethiopia which on that side bound this Kingdom This Promontory is answered by another in Arabia the happy directly opposite called Cape Fartach from a City and people of the same name inhabiting the main Land Warlike Moors and so reputed the distance between these two Capes is fifty leagues The largnesse of the Ocean begins to be restrained from these two Promontories to the entrance of the Red Sea in length an hundred and fifty leagues the two shoars all the way comming closer till they meet at four leagues distance in the narrowest part of the streight where this Sea looseth the name of the Arabian Gulf and within is called the Red Sea which extends three hundred and eighty leagues to Sues near the bottom of that streight in the largest place betwixt Masuba and the Island of Camaran the bredth is forty leagues near Sues onely three which is yet narrower at the bottom Authors divide this Sea into three parts the Midle is clear and navigable not without some small Islands and Rocks which appearing above water are of little danger the other two parts near the two shoars of Arabia and Ethiopia are of very bad passage full of Shoals Rocks and white Corral which in the night especially endanger Passengers The Mouth is double made by an Island called Nahum or Babelmandel two leagues in length less than a quarter in breadth all an high wild barren Rock parched with the Wind and Sun without any Grasse possest by an abundance of Sea-foul The entrance on the side of Arabia being clear and deep is the ordinary passage for Ships of burthen the other part of the mouth toward Ethiopia though three leagues over is so full of Shoals as none venters through but in little vessels called by the Natives Geluas Near the Island is a narrow Channel of a good depth which I twise passed but too dangerous for great Ships joyning on the Island Within this straight begins the Red sea the Easterly Shoar called Arabia Petrea Twelve leagues higher than the mouth is the City Mocha rich and of great trade Forty further is the Island of Camaran then follow Rido Loia Zebita and Goro this latter within sight and within half a dayes journey of Mount Sinai Hither lyes Gida the Port of famous Mecha or Medina where is the tomb of Mahomet At the bottom of this straight is Sues anciently a City of Heroes at present a poor fishing Village wanting the trade of Spices from India which arrive there as to the Mart of the East and Levant and the general Fair of the Indies This City from Grand Cairo twenty five leagues sixteen from the nearest part of the Nile and forty one from the Mediterranean Crossing from hence to the other shoar of Ethiopia the first City is Alcocere formerly rich and populous now a poor Village Little further is Corondelo where the Children of Izrael at their comming out of Egypt past over to the other shore of Arabia the Sea opening for three leagues the distance betwixt both the Shoars into a fair large way as seems to be intimated in the book of * Chap. 19. vers 7. Wisdom or dividing it self into twelve parts as may be gathered from the * Psalm 135. vers 13. Psalmist Not far distant is a place called Risa whence

multitudes which hear the noyse and find not that effect One of these Cataracts is eminently remarkable as will appear in the relation of what hath surpriz'd and allured many At the first or second Cataract the Nile makes The water from an high and craggy rock is praecpitated with all its masse into a large and deep Abysse the noyse heard three long leagues and th● rebound which spends it self i● minute atomes and subtile smoak seen as farr The water to adm●ration being shot with so muc● Violence as to fall at a distanc● makes an arch and under that leaves a larg Road where peopl● passe in security not to be we●… There are convenient seats cu● out in the Rock for Travellers 〈◊〉 rest themselves where they enjo● the most pleasant sight Imagin●tion can fancy made by the su●… reflection on the water so producing glorious and pleasing Colours resembling those of the Rainbow which at this nearnesse of the water most deliciously satisfy and feast the Eye The Nile was never under any Bridg before we arrived in Ethiopia The first made in the Kingdom of Amara where betwixt two high Rocks was a streight and dangerous passage The Nile ran deep and violent between all ran great hazzard many lost in the passage the winter chiefly increased the difficulty The Abyssines were incapable of removing this evil ignorant what Bridges were and without Workmen to make them The Emperor informed what a Bridge was how conveniently made in so narrow a Passage and we having brought from India in the Patriarks company two stone-cutters designed for building Churches in Ethiopia One was recommended to this work who made this first Bridg of a beautifull structure and great convenience to Passengers Thus was the Nile at first brought under a strange Dominion This discourse is not improperly ended by a reflection why anciently Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar using so great diligence to discover the head of Nile miscarried in the Enterprize The reason was because they sent discoverers against the stream Thus going by Land the length of the journey the many Kingdoms and Provinces to be travelled through the swarms of Barbarous people to be incountred so many unwholesom Clymates to be pass'd made their advance impossible going by water the same difficulties increas'd attend them The violent Current of Nile stopt their passage and coming to the first Cataract they could not proceed but were forced back with lost Labour and being without either knowledge of or commerce with the Abyssine Empire by the Red sea they neither ventured that way nor conceived their designe so feisible Thus were their endeavours frustrated the knowledg of this Province would by some of the Ports of the Red sea have brought them into the Abyssine Empire thence two months journey had made them drink in this so desirable so concealed and so famous Spring This secret with divers others of many parts of the world and their discovery was received for the indefatigable industry of the Portuguees who have seen with their Eyes what many have desired but could not obtaine The true Cause of the River Nile's overflowing and drowning the Campagnia of Egypt at the heighth of Summer in Europe DIvers causes were by the Ancients assigned for the Nile's overflowing in the hottest Summer months in Europe according to the Opinion of the Writers every one asserted what was in the reach of his reason yet all wandred from the truth The little knowledge had of the sourse and current of this so famous River of the places it passeth through and chiefly of the inland of Ethiopia where it riseth occasioned such variety of Opinions without the discovery of the truth reserved for the Navigation and Commerce of the Portuguees The great quantity of Snow which falls in the rigour of Winter on the inland mountains of Ethiopia and is melted by the intense heat of the Summer is not as some affirme the cause of this Rivers overflowing Ethiopia having not so sharp colds as to beget Snow unknown in this Country nor conceivable from our relation Two Places onely have a thick white Frost and Haile in great quantities which resemble but are not Snow One is in the Kingdom of Tigre upon the high mountains of Seman the other in the Kingdom of Damotis in the Territory called Namora of the cold Climate which melted do superficially water the mountains therefore mistaken for Snow semetimes fall with a Current into the low-lands yet not so considerably as to swell the Rivers much lesse to cause the innundation of Nile Neither do the great Winds which in those months of the overflowing of Nile blow in at the mouth of the River where it runs into the Mediterranean cause this Innundation as others assert who say those winds repell the water which being detained with the water which descends increaseth to that Excesse to force the Nile out of its Channel and stagnate in the Plains of Egypt so enriching and fatning the soyle by the slyme brought from those places through which it passeth Other reasons of the same credit given by Authors I omitt in hast to declare the true one onely attainable by such who have lived some years in Ethiopia The truth in short is that the winter in Ethiopia is the same and at the same time as in India and other places under the Torrid Zone beginning at the end of May or the first days of June and in all August the reason of the fairest weather in Europe spends its greatest fury the overflowing of Nile being at the height in these months the ignorance of Summers and Winters begat the Opinions mentioned Whereas the greatest part of Ethiopia being mountanous and the Nile in its course through many Kingdoms and Provinces of the Inland collecting the Rain waters which fall from the Mountains and receiving into it many great Rivers thus becomes so considerable and masterlesse As the plain of * Egypt experimentally and to its great benefit finds Nihil indiga mercis Aut jovis in solo tanta est fiducia Nilo As much discountenanced by the Heavens in being deprived of the common benefit of Rain as munificently requited by the water of this famous River which gave rise to the observation That the Egyptians never lift up their Eyes to Heaven never expect any favour from God Almighty but wholly depend upon the Nile thence receiving that benefit other places enjoy by Rain those Verses of Ovid may seem not Applicable to the Egyptians Os homini sublime dedit coelumque videre Jussit et erectos ad sydera tollere vultus The Nile running into the Mediterranean washeth the Walls of Grand Cairo distant from the mouth fifty miles This River declareth by the way the more or less abundance to be expected that year The Harvest proportionable to the greater or less inundation is thus concluded The Walls of this populous City have to ward the River * The Author a faithfull Eye-witnesse of