Magazines for that purpose I saw the Gentlemen and Cavalliers coming to look every one for his weight of Biscuit and measure of Corn which is ordinarily allowed them by the King of Spain One of these Cavalliers received and lodged me in his House for there is no Inn nor resting place for Strangers I ordered the Business so that our Captain and Master were lodged there also causing Beds to be prepared for them to lie in As for me I received a thousand Courtesies from this Cavallier whom I cured of an Humour he had in his Eyes which he finding remov'd knew not how to treat me For in this place was neither Physician nor Apothecary but only one Surgeon who was very well skâ—ll'd in the Latin Tongue but wanted the knowledge of Medicines and Experience The Corâ—igidor or Judge of this place invited me one day to Dine with this Surgeon who discoursed very readily in Latin yet for all that he could not give Ease to a Patient that he had The most part of the People of the City came to ask for me at my Lodging to give them Physick and made me great Offers But I had not leisure to give Satisfaction to all forasmuch as we were to return in a short time as we did not long after As for the rest this City of Mazagan Mazagan described is very strong and the Walls so thick that six Cavalliers may walk abreast round about 'em The Houses there are very low and over-topped by the Walls There is a great many Cannon very large and long and line almost all the Wall but ill mounted There may be about forty Cannoniers with some 600 Soldiers viz. 200 Horse and 400 Foot the most part Married They make Incursions upon the Arabians whom they take Prisoners and drive away their Cattle They have hard by them a City called Azamor which makes hot War upon 〈…〉 them and not above two Leagues one from the other Every morning there goes out 40 Horse to discover what they can see and tarry out till noon In the afternoon 40 others go out who stay till night And there are about six of these Cavalliers whom they call Atalayes that is to say the Watch Atalayes who are far distant one from the other and keep Centinel every where and when they discover any thing they Post back and then the City Watch who sees them strikes 2 or 3 blows upon a Bell with that the others presently mount their Horses and run to the place of the signal For in every place where these Atalayes are there is a long Pole like a Mast and when they perceive any thing they with a little Cord heave their sign on high which is the signal to all those who Salley out of Mazagan When they have a mind to make an Incursion every one arms himself each of 'em carrying Forage for their Horses whom they give Corn to out of the Allowance and Pension which is sent them from Porâ—â—gâ—â— They Eat there abundance of Caricols Caricalâ— which are little Snails in Shells who â—â—â—d upon the Plants and there the Plants are of an exceeding force and virtue The Bees there make White Honey of Africa Honey and of an excellent Taste Their Hives are upon the Houses which after the African manner are covered with Sotees like to Cieling after the Moresque and one may easily go from one House to another This City of Mazagan is nothing Country of Mazagan else but a Fortress being about half a League in compass and is inhabited by none but Men of War who have every one their piece of Land round about the City where they Sow Corn as Barley Pease Beans and other Gâ—ains but very often the Moors Villanies of the Moors come and cut it up in the night time and spoil it The rest of the Country is Uncultivated The Moors do them a thousand Injuries even to Poisoning a Well which they have out of the City in a Garden by casting in Carrion with other filth and nastiness Within the City there is a full Cistern and upon the Ciloe's Festival-Day the watch is set It is very high and large and is capable of holding above 20000 Pipes of Water I was near being left to tarry in this City For the day before we were to set sail our Captain and the Master came ashore for me for I never budged from the City minding nothing else but the Cure of these People Now as I was gone to walk along by the Sea-side to gather some Sea Crist which is there in abundance being returned to the City to take my rest I was sent for in great haste to go see a Patient upon which our Captain went away and left me there all alone Knowing this I went presently towards the Sea-shore but he was already far enough from thence so I was forced to go back again to the City to wait till the next day In the mean time the Ship finding the Wind good set Sail and a Soldier who was a Centinel upon the Wall knowing that I was still in the City came presently to give me notice thereof At which all astonished I run presently to the Wall to see if it was true and being in great perplexity how to get out from thence â— went to the Captain of the Foot Soldiers to desire him to cause the Gaâ—e to be opened which he did and gave the Key to the Porter but I must stay till the Cavalliers were ready to go out This time seemed to me an Age. At last the Gate being opened I desired the Pilot-Moor to get me a Boat ready to carry me on Board our Ship and by good fortune I found some Soldiers who were going a Fishing one of whom had brought us from Portugal They did me that favour as to take me into their Boat Had we wanted that little Wind which was weak enough I had been forced to have tarried there for which I should not have been much perplexed had I but had my Cloaths my Medicines and my other Things but I had unhappily been in my Doublet without comfort or any other thing These Soldiers then did their utmost to overtake the Ship which was already got far off besides the Sea began to rise insomuch that these Men would not go any further telling that if the Wind should rise but never so little they should not be able to recover Land by their utmost Efforts but run the risque of their Lives Hereupon they left of Rowing and and held Council amongst themselves what was best to be done and having resolved to return they began again to handle their Oars upon which I being much vexed endeavour'd to urge them by Prayers and Promises that I would certainly Content them to return again towards the Ship and by strength of Oars we made our way so that we arrived there This was no small fortune for me considering in what trouble they live in there Besides
Race of Infidels After having tarried some time at Tripoly I parted from thence the 18th of May and embarked to return to France We passed along by the Isle of Cyprus the 21 st and the 25th we saw the Coast of Turkey then the Mounts of Phenico and Sately and not The Mounts of Phenico and Sately Rhodes Candia far from the Isle of Rhodes which we left towards the North-West After that we passed by the Isle of Candiae where we espied Two Turkish Caramousins driving full sail upon us but when they saw themselves too weak for our Vessel they tacked about again We chased them with our Shot but Night coming on they escaped us they being in great Fear and using their utmost endeavour with Sails and Oars to get themselves out of our reach From thence we passed along by the Isle of Malta and the 12th Malta of June faw the Isle of Sardania which Sardania we left to the North-East and in the end by the Grace of God arrived at Arrival in France Marsailles the 19th of June I made not long stay there but only to carry a Letter which I had for Monsieur the First President of Varix at Aix from whence I returned again to Marsailles and from thence came streight to Paris where I arrived the 24th of July 1612. For which God be Praised for evermore END of the FIFTH BOOK THE TRAVELS AND VOYAGES OF John Mocquet INTO SPAIN Being design'd to travel to other Places and the Causes which made him desist there from BOOK VI. BEING returned from Syria and the Holy-Land with quantity of curious Plants and other rare things which by my diligent Search in several Places I had procured to present to the King and Queen-Regent I failed not so soon as I came to Paris to go do my Reverence to Their Majesties who were very glad to see my Rarities and commanded that a fit Place should be given me in their Palace of the Thuilleries Cabinet in the Thuilleries there to frame a Cabinet of all sorts of Rarities and other curious things which I had gathered together in all my Travels throughout the World But after having so well begun what I had at that time in hand I judged that to pursue it according to my Desire it would be necessary for me to undertake some more Voyages and I had no less design than to encompass the whole World first by way of the Occident and from thence by the Orient to return again into our Occident an Enterprize I must confess so great that the only Presumption of so much as ever having it in my Mind I believe would have gained me Glory enough and yet I hoped that by the Grace of him who had always conducted me every where I should have been able to have brought it to pass But I was defeated of these my Purposes by the Occasions following With this Intention then I left Paris and followed Their Majesties to Tours in the Voyage which they made there in the Year 1614. in July From thence I embarked upon the River Loir to go to Nantes and to St. Leiger to wait for occasion and conveniency to pass to Portugal from whence I was to pursue my Designs But having put out to Sea the Wind turned so contrary that we were forced to draw back to St. Leiger tho' not without a deal of Trouble and there hearing that the King was at Nants I took the Occasion to go there to furnish my self with some Passports which I had forgotten and which I judged needful for my Voyage This being done I returned to St. Leger but I found that the Vessel in my absence had set sail having a right Wind and which was worse had also carried away all my Provisions which I provided for the Passage with some other things which I never could hear of since This was a great Hindrance to me and also an unlucky Presage for my grand Design Yet it hindred me not from embarking as well as I 〈◊〉 into Spain could in another Ship of Aulonne which was going to Andalusia The Ship was called the Florisand and the Master Franchois Michaâ—d We first of all put in at Aulonne then with a right Wind we set out Seven or Eight in Consort for so many Ships we were in all bearing to wards Spain and having continued some time upon the Sea and given chase to some Cruisers we arrived in the Cape of St. Vincent and taking Cognizance of the Cape we ran along by the shore near the Port des Algerves where some of our Ships anchored to Traffick and the rest bore to San Lucar de Baramede where our Ship was bound being laden with Cloth Being arrived in this Place I began to think of some way how to transport my self to Sevilia to get Knowledge as well in Physick and the Art of Apothecaries of which the Practise is something different from ours as also to find means to pass to the East-Indies and accomplish the Voyage which I had proposed to my self Design of the Great Voyage which was to go streight to Mexico and from thence to embark for the Coast of the South-Sea and so to follow the Coast of the East-Indies along by China Camboja Siam Malaca Peru Bengall Coromandel Malabar Goa Diu Ormus and from thence to return by Land through Persia and Babylon to Aleppo and from thence by Sea repair to France my own native Country thus to accomplish so great a Voyage and by the Example of those famous Heroes Magallan Drake Cavendish and Oliver Van dâ—r Nort to encompass the whole Universe But God had otherways disposed thereof and for my own Good his Pleasure being always Just for his own Glory and our Salvation Parting then from San Lucar following the Mareme along by the great River Guadalquivir I came to Seville Seville and immediately placed my self in the Shop of the most famous Apothecary of the whole City in the Street called di los Francos The Master was named Alonso Rodrigo a Portuguese with whom I continued for some time both to learn the Language of which I had already some Knowledge and to have also some Knowledge of Drugs of which this Man made the greatest Traffick For he had Two or Three great Magazines in his House and as much or more in other Places of the City where his Children put off the Drugs After having tarried some time with him I left him for the great Desire I had to find an Occasion to embark but I was still detained by another named Juan Sancha who had also dwelt with this Rodrigo and was Apothecary to the Army and the Frontier Cities in Africa for the King of Spain He was to have a Shop at Marmorre a Place which the Spaniards had newly taken in Barbary and laboured mightily to perfect this Shop which he was to send to this Fortress I tarried then to help him and continued there from the 3d.
of November to the 8th of January until his Shop was finished From thence I went to walk in the Fields to take the fresh Air because of the great Filth of this City of Seville which causes there a very bad Air which is pursued by a great Number of Diseases As I was traversing on Foot some Mountains to observe the Nature of Trees I met with an honest Cavalier named Pedro Sancha as I knew since who courteously invited me to come and lodge at his House in a little City called Corea or Coria not far from thence which I could not well refuse He entertained me very kindly and I stayed there till the next Day then I reassumed my way to the Mountains where I was for some Days taking notice of the Plants and found store of Rosemary and a great quantity of Mastick-Trees with which the Country is mighty abounding amongst others I gathered some Thistles called Chameleonis-Ally some Flowers of Narcissus and some Mandrake-Apples which they call Sâ—bollas de Villana After that when I saw that I had but bad Entertainment in these Desarts where most commonly I found nothing but Water and some Raisins to eat and sometimes a little Bread in the Shepherd's Cabins I returned towards Corea and visited my honest Host the Sieur Pedro Sanche who was very glad to see me and made very much of me He afterwards came to see me at Seville to have the Interpretation of some Receipts which had been given him for his Wife who was with Child From thence I returned to Seville where the Sieur Juan Sanche the Apothecary would have perswaded me to tarry with him but I had my Voyage of the Indies so in my Head that I had no mind to tarry there but took my way streight to St. Luear and sailed along the River with a great many other Persons for Company in a Boat We arrived in the Night-time at St. Lucar and I went to lodge with my former Host who was called Bastanuil Biscain I continued there for some Days to wait for an Occasion to embark But my bad Fortune would have it so that the Vessels which were then in the Port durst not venture out because they had Advice that from Argier and other Places of Barbary were put out to Sea near Fifty Vessels who guarded the Coasts and were separated 10 15 and 20 Ships towards each Height and Cape where they thought they were to pass so that they took all they could meet with Seeing my self thus retained and without much Commodities to live by having already spent the most part of what I had I was constrained in expectation of better Conveniency to place my self with an Apothecary of St. Lucar who made me promise to serve him for some time But as Fortune never left Persecuting of me so this poor Man returning one Night from Supper in the City was arrested Prisoner by the Command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia and after that the Justice came to his House and seized upon all his Papers where the Algâ—aziles or Sergeants made a strange Ravage They accused him for having made some Libel against the Duke I spent this Night with no small Trouble and Uneasiness The next Day I went again into the Fields to go towards the Port St. Mary where I made so much hast after having passed many Places by Water and bad way that I arrived there at Night in Company of a Religious Jacobin who shewed me a great deal of Courtesie and caused me to lodge with him in the House of a Muleteer The Day following I took the way of Xerez de la Frontera and had no small Trouble before I could come there for the great Abundance of Waters which I found by the way At last having escaped them as well as I could and being very weak in regard of the great Hunger I endured by good Fortune I met with two Men in sight of Xerez who courteously invited me to eat with them and being sate down to eat they fell to discoursing of several Things and amongst others came upon my Subject speaking of Hunger and that it is the most easie to be supported when one stirs not from a Place without doing any thing or when one is at Work and thinks of doing some other thing At last one of them concluded that he was sensible of more Hunger when he was doing nothing than when he was at work and found that there was some reason for it in regard that Action diverts the Thoughts And I remembred that I heard reported how that the several sorts of Plays as Cards Dice Tables and others were at first invented to amuse Men during a great Scarcity of Victuals and by this means to divert them from thinking upon their Hunger And therefore 't is said That Drake that samous English Captain returning home from his great Voyage about the World which he had encompassed one Day as he found himself in great necessity of Victuals and saw his Men ready to starve with Hunger he caused them to play to divert themselves and when they were thirsty he advised them to sleep to refresh themselves This Scarcity was so great as I have heard some English say That they were forced to eat some Blacks which they had brought along with them and having found near England a Vessel loaded with Victuals they eat so much thereof that the most part of them died by over charging themselves But to return to Xerez Being arrived Xerez there tho' not without abundance of trouble passing through the City I by chance found my self near the Shop of an Apothecary where there was some Surgions discoursing together When they saw me they cast out some Words of Mocking because of my Garb à la Francois But I returning towards them told them a few Words of Chirurgery in Latin which they being ignorant of they knew not what to answer except by naming to me to surprize me a certain Composition called Hieralogodâ—i but I asked them if they knew not whether it was Hierapachii which is one and the same thing at which they were put to a Nonplus And thus I left them there and kept on my way and by good Fortune met in this City with a French Man a Britan who lived with a Cavalier and took me along with him where he made as much of me as he could There I found a Persian Slave who hearing me speak of his Country and the East-Indies was so overjoy'd that he called me his Kinsman and made me as good Chear as he could in this House where he had much Credit This City of Zerez is situated on high in a very pleasant Country as all the rest of the Province of Andalousia and is not far from the little River Ovadalâ—t famous for the great Battel fought there where Roderick the last King of Spain lost his Life with all his Nobility at which time the Moors render'd themselves Masters of all Spain The Soil is
were deceiv'd as well by the Currents as the Cards we had with us which were false we finding but one which was sure for those Parts for instead of going to the Islands aforesaid we passed along by the Isle of Tobaco and Trinidad and cast Anchor at the White-Island where we could find no Water of which we were in great want 'T was no small Astonishment to me how such infinite Multitudes of Cabrits and wild Goats besides other Animals which are there could live without so much as a drop of Water But the Divine Providence has otherways order'd it as I have above-touched by the cool Nights and the Dew with which these Beasts refresh themselves From thence we went to Margurite Island but we found no more Water there than we did at the other and so to the Mouth of the River of Cumana where the People of a Dutch Ship had told us we should find some as we did at the entrance of the River This shews the Necessity of having good Cards and well rectified But to return to the Three Continents or firm Lands from the which all the Earth is separated by Waters The first was by the Ancients divided into Three Parts to wit Europe Asia and Africa all joining together The second unknown to the Ancients and discover'd in our Days by Christopher Columbus in the Year 1492 and by Americus Vespusius 1495 is America which for its vast Extent is divided into Two Parts Peru and Mexico The Third is Terra-Australis or Magâ—llanique thus called because of Ferdinand Mâ—gâ—llan who first found it out in the Year 1519. 'T is suppos'd to be very great but for the most part uninhabited and desart 'T is also called Terradâ—l Fuâ—go for the great quantity of Fire there seen the which renders it infertile and uninhabited there being several Mines of Sulphur which cause those Fires as I saw in going to the East-Indies for passing by the Isles of Cape-Verd there is one of them called Fuâ—go because of the Fire there continually seen and is very high One Night we sailed round about her and seeing the Flames in great abundance coming out of the Earth in all parts we were not a little surpriz'd and the next Day passing along by this same Island with a very boisterous Wind and approaching somewhat nigh the Wind drove the sulphurous Vapours just into our Europe Faces which were very unsupportable and stinking Europe the first of the Three Continents is the least in extent and for her Fertility gives not place to the others but for Arms Laws Policy Relâ—gion Sciences Arts and all sorts of Vertues she surpasses them by far And of the Provinces of Europe France alone is the Principal according to the Judgment of the Nations her Enemies whether you consider the Goodness Fertility and Beauty of her Lands the Excellency and temperature of the Air Salubrity and Abundance of her Waters and Number of Inhabitants or in regard of the Manners of her People their Piety Valour Erudition Justice Discipline Liberality Freeness Courtesie Liberty and all other Qualities Military and Civil In short the Renown of the French has been such by their Conquest in the East that their Name remains there for an Eternal Memory So that to this Day throughout all Asia and Africa they call all those who come from Europe by the Name of Franghi let them be of what Country soever The Fertility of France is such that she furnisheth abundantly Spain Portugal Italy and Barbary not only with Corn but several other Commodities and I verily think that every Year there goes from Provence Languedoc Bretagne Poitou Xaintoign and Normandy above Six thousand Ships laden with Corn and other Merchandise To Lisbon only there comes above a Thousand as well great as small And I believe that the Spaniards and Portugueses could not furnish Corn for so many Voyages were they not supplied therewith from France to make Biscuit besides Sails Cordage Salt Flesh and other necessary things to furnish their Ships The Principal Provinces of Europe are France Spain Germany High and Low Italy Sclavonia Greece Hungary Poland Danemark Sweden Muscovy and the Isles of England Scotland Ireland Island Groneland Sicilia Candia Malta Sardania Corse Corfu Majorica Minorica and others of the Archipelago Asia the second Part of our first Asia Continent is of very great Extent Riches and Fertility and ever very Renowned for having born the greatest Monarchies and first Empires as of the Assyrians Babylonians Persians Greeks Parthians Bactrians Indians and others and at this Day the Turks Persians Arabians Tartars Mogols Chineses and other Indians But above all this Part is the most esteemed for the Creation of the first Man planted in the Terrestrial Paradice Colonies and People coming from thence and dispersed through the rest of the World and moreover for the Redemption of Mankind and the Operation of our Salvation acted therein besides for having given Religion Science Arts Laws Policy Arms and Artifices to all the other Parts In short for its inestimable Riches the Wisdom and Dexterity of its Inhabitants Her most celebrated Provinces are the Countries of the Great Tâ—rk of Persia the Great Mâ—gul the â—rand Tâ—rtar Arabia China Indâ—storn of the Eâ—st-Indies Gâ—zarat Cambaya Malâ—bar Coromandel Bengall Pegu Stam and the rest of the Iâ—dâ—es on this and the other side the Ganges The Isles are innumerable as Zâ—ilan Sumatra the Java's Molucco's Philipians Japan Maldaves and others The last Part of this first Continent is Africa separated from Europe Africa by the Mediterranean-Sea and from Asia by the Isthmus of Egypt and the Red-Sea making as it were a Peninsula encompass'd on all sides by the Sea save by this Neck of Land which is betwixt Egypt and Palestine It s principal Provinces are Egypt Barbary Fez and Morocco Aethiopia or Abyssine Nubia Lybia Guinia Congo Monomotapa and others of the South This Part is very good and fertile in some Places but it contains several great and sandy Desarts without Water That part of Africa unknown to the Ancients and discover'd by the Portuguese about the Year 1497. is called by the Arabians Zanzibar and extends from the Lakes where the Nile takes its Original to the Cape of Good-hope containing several good Countries bordering upon Monomotapa as amongst others Cefala and Cuama from whence is gotten great quantity of fine Gold insomuch that it has been the Opinion of several That those Countries of Cefala and Cnama was the Ophir where Solomon sent to fetch Gold tho' others think 't was rather Malaca and other Places of the East-Indies and some will have it to be Peru in the West The last Continent of the World is that Part which we call America America and which as I have said is divided into Two Principal Parts Mexico in the North and Peru in the South separated by the Isthmus of Banama There are several Provinces and People of different Languages Manners and Fashions The greatest City
habit of the City after the Spanish fashion which one of the Souldiers of the Castle had lent me and so I entered Madera to visit this General where I tarried untill the time of our Embarquement Whilest I was visited and stripped by these people of the Gard-maor in changing my habit I had forgotten my Purse which I left in my pocket But these Gallants had remembred to handle it and took out the most part of my money for me before I perceived it and had I not returned presently again to see after it they had not left me so much as a blanck Now one night as we were all Design to save themselves with-drawn into our Ship except the Spanish Captain and the Pilote our Captain took a resolution with Six of his men who were there to play the Spaniards a fine trick before the Master and Pilote came on board and the Captain 's Mate was ordered to lead the others to the bottom of the Ship promising to make them drink some good wine to which the Spanish Mariners who are always ready for their share of such a game when they can have it on free cost would not have failed We had also disposed our other men in order some to Guard the Chamber of the Poop where the Arms were where I was appointed with one of our men who had but one Leg having lost the other in the last Fight others to set Sail with the wind And the more to facilitate our design we weighed one Anchor leaving the other a pique But no so sooner had we made an end of weighing Anchor than presently came the Captain and the Pilote with the other Spanish Mariners on board The Pilot was wounded by a blow with a sword having on Shore fought a Spaniard of one of the other Ships Thier Arrival quite spoiled our design and the next day the wind being good we set Sail. As for the rest this I le of Madera A description of the Isle and City of Madera one of the Canaries or fortunate of the Ancients may have about Fourty Leagues in compass and hath two Cities of which the principal is also called Madera with two Fortresses in one of which and the strongest there are Castilian Soulders and in the other Portuguese The City is seated in a Valley and at the foot of a Mountain from whence comes so much water and sometimes in such abundance that very often it causes inundations which do much damage carrying away Bridges Houses Churches and other edifices The City is about as big as St. Denis but very populous having a great number of slaves who work upon the sugar without the City and about all the rest of the Island stand here and there May-houses of pleasure The soil is very plentiful in all sorts of excellent fruits and especially in Wines The Air there is very sweet and temperate and the pleasantest place in the World to live in And 't is no wonder if the Ancients esteemed this country to be the Elisian fields and as an earthly Paradice Amongst the rest the Earth there Sugar-canes produces a great quantity of Sugar-canes very spungie which they of the country cut and bruise in a Mill then putting it into the Press and the Liquor squeesed out is put to the fire where 't is boiled over and over in vessels like those which the Dyers use so that all the moisture may be wholly consumed and so having refined it they clap it into Sugar-loaves Earthen-moulds where it is formed into Sugar-loaves as 't is brought us The substance or husk that remains is a redish and blackish sugar which they call Meleche that is to say black I saw there the French Consul Named Jean de Chux who had married the Niece of Don Christoval de More Vice Roy of Portugal He is very rich and curteous and did me and my companions a great deal of favour There are always a great many Factors as French English Dutch and others who are to Load the Ships that trade there They make there a great quantity of excellent sweet meats that are carried from thence as Marmelades quidnies Candid Lemmon and several other curious Pastes But to return again to our departure we were not gotten Thirty Leagues from the I le when we were overtaken with such a great tempest that we were forced to return back to Madera which was the Twenty fifth of January 1602. and did not go out again till the Ninth of February and made such hast that we Arrived at St. Lucar de Baramede in Spain where being come our Captain was presently made Prisoner in the Real des Galleres saying for these Reasons that in some of the former Voyages he had sold Corn and Arms to the Moors of Barbary at Cap-blane upon which they brought informations with the deposition of the Moors The Adelandate not being willing to give Credit to the Moors Let go our Captain with his Ship but our Fish was all spoiled which was a great Loss to us We went from thence to Lisbon to sell it where only we sold part of it but the Visitor of health being come on board our Ship and finding it bad commanded us to sell no more of it upon great penalty so that we were forced to cast the rest into the Sea About this time our Captain found Vâ—yâ—ges to Mazagâ—n an opportunity to Fraight his Ship to go to Mazagan in Afrique to carry Corn and biscquet to the Portugal Souldiers who are there in Garison to make war in Barbary With this Lading we parted from Lisbon the Twenty third of April the next day after Easter and that in all diligence to go succour these Poor people who were ready to die with hunger There had been before several Ships sent with Victuals but had been taken by the Pirates Being Arrived there we fired a Cannon to give them notice to send us a Pilot to come nearer they answered us with another shot and sent the said Pilot we approached as near as we possibly could and cast Anchor about three or four Leagues from Mazagan with that a great number of boats came on board to unlade us It was a great pity to see these poor people Great hunger of the Spaniard how they were starved and if these Victuals had not come so seasonably as they did I believe they had been either dead or otherways had been forced to have yielded themselves slaves to the Barbarous-moors I could not hinder the children nor the great ones themselves from boring holes in the sacks where the biscquet were that they might eat or rather allay their hunger I did my utmost endeavour to keep them away tho' I was very sorry to see them so faint and look so dreadfully with hunger My Captain had given me the charge of the biscquet for to return him the same weight that he had delivered to me at Lisbon This being all unladed and put into the
look for so far and besides there is but little to be found the Weather being so excessive hot for all their Matamores were dried up at that time Having a little refreshed our selves we went to rejoyn the Camp of the Almahalle and pitched our Tents near the River Tensif a little days Journey from Morocco We met a great Tensif â—iver many Arabians all on Horseback with their Launces who came about us to Salute their General Abdassis and others of their Friends who were in our Company I saw them again come with great Humility to Kiss the Hands of this their Chief Abdassis as before There we quenched our Thirst a little with this Water though it was very hot All the Land in these Countries is various some part good and others bad but for the most part Incultivated except that which is near some Water which they Till This River Tensif Breeds the most excellent Trouts of any in the World being very little and their Flesh red but of an excellent Taste and are mightily esteemed at Morocco The next morning going a little Morocco further we discovered Morocco in a great Campagne and this City seems to be situated near to Mount Atlas Mountain Atlas though it is above 7 Leagues distant VVe found by the way some Christians who came about us These are People that Traffick there and when they hear that any other Christians come with the Casile they are very glad and meet them by the way They bring with them a little Mule laden with Victuals Now the most part of the Christians of this Casile were English Prisoners with Irons upon their Feet and had been English Prisoners at Morocco Arrested at Saffy upon the account of an Alcayde named Abdelacinthe who was a Portuguese by Nation but a Renegado And for his Capacity and VVorth he had given him the Command of the Casile who returned from Morocco to Saffy with about 500 Soldiers under his Charge Now it happened by chance that Abdelacinthe and 〈…〉 to him Antonio de Soldaigne and Petro Caesar Portuguese Gentlemen had been both taken at Tangier in Africa and brought to Morocco and being there detained Captives 13 or 14 years until such time that they were Released by the Sieur de l' Isle a Physitian and at that time Agent there for King Henry the Great As these two Portugueses were returning in liberty this Alcayde Abdelacinthe had Negotiated with them to save himself in their Vessel wherein they were to Embark For this cause he went to Pitch his Almahalle towards the place where they come to take Water for the Ships near to the Cape of Cantin and being Cape of Cantin there one night he told his Men that he had caused a Moorish-Woman to be brought him with whom he desired to speak in Secret a good way off from the Camp and took none along with him but a Slave of his When he was near to the Sea-side he fired a Fuzee which was the signal that he had given to those of the Ship As soon as they heard this presently the People of Boat who were hid in the Bushes came to seize upon his Person and took him and carried him away in their Vessel by which means he saved himself The Slave fled to the Almahalle to give them notice of the taking of his Master at which they were mightily astonished and presently retired to Saffy But as the People of an English Boat at the same time were come on Shore for some things they had then occasion for they were Arrested and had Irons clapt upon their Feet as I saw them in the Castle of Saffy in very poor Equipage and were since carried to Morocco where the Merchants paid for them I don't know how many Ounces of Gold which was very near the Ransom of the Alcayde Abdalacinthe who had escap'd For those Kings will not loose any thing it being the Custom at Marocco that when a Slave runs away all the others assemble together and pay for him cautioning one another to go freely about Cautioning of the Slaves at Morocco the City without Irons which is meant of the poorer sort But as for the Rich they are put into the Sisane which is the Kings great Prison Sisane where they are well guarded as these two Portuguese Gentlemen vvere of vvhom I have already spoken To return to the Christians of Morocco who met us by the way they made us very good chear in a Garden along by a pleasant Water running some two Leagues from Morocco The Almahalle entered not into Arrival at Morocco Morocco this day but I left it where it was pitched and went to lie within the City in the House of the Christians paying for my entrance to the Talbe or Register This was the 2d of September 1606. As soon as I was arrived I failed not to go visit the Sieur de l'Isle Physitian who was lodged in a very fine House in the Juderie or Jews-Place The Sieur de l'Isle was a long time near to the Person of the King of Morocco in Quality of an Agent for our King Henry the Great And there had been since sent the Sieur Hubert the King's Physitian in the room of the Sieur de l'Isle Then both went into France but since that the said Sieur de l'Isle returned there again The Sieur Hubert lived about a year at Morocco practising Physick near the King and there following his principal design that is the Learning the Arabick Tongue so that since he rendered himself very expert therein as he hath made publick Profession thereof at Paris it self with great Solemnity He contented himself to depart out of this Country more laden with Science and Arabick Books than with Riches or any Commodities in which the Sieur de l'Isle was more happy than he Being then in the Juderie I was there conducted by a Jew who Cozened me of some Rials giving me falsly to understand that I was to pay some at the Door of this place where we were to enter and indeed he brought one who came to demand it and I was forced to Content them This Juderie or Jews-Place is above Juderie of Morocco a good League from the Douane where the Christians inhabit and near the King's Palace and is like a City by it self encompassed with good Walls having but one Gate guarded by the Moors It may be as big as Meaux There the Jews inhabit to the number of above 4000 and pay Tribute There is also some Christians And in this place also live the Agents and Ambassadors of strange Princes As for the rest of the Christians Trafficking and others they live in the Douane The City of Morocco is very great Desâ—â—iâ—tion of the City of Morocco and is much bigger than that at Paris which is called the City being wonderful populous containing above 400000 Inhabitants of all sorts of Religions and such Streets that for the great multitude
of People you can scarce oass along The most part of the ordinary Houses there are low little and but badly built with Earth and Lime But the Houses of the Alcaydes Lords and other Persons of Quality are great and high built with Stone environed with Walls with a high Tower in the middle to go take the fresh Air and a great many little Windows and Wickets The upper-parts of the Houses are flat and in Cotees The King 's Palace is built with little Stones like in-laid work and a great many Pillars of Marble Fountains and other Ornaments Their Mosques in great number well built with Marble and covered on the top with Lead There are a great many Halls or Vaults where the Merchants are and amongst others those which Sell the Alhec or Clothes like Brokers There is also several Colleges where they teach Law There is no River which passes by the City of Morocco but a great many Water-Ditches and Channels on Land to guide the Waters Water which come in abundance from the Mountains of Atlas partly from the Springs and partly from the melted and make this Water run here and there for their Gardens and Fountains They have also Wells and Cisterns They serve themselves dexterously with this Water to sprinkle their Gardens and Land Without the City about the Fields are a great number of Gardens with all sorts of Fruits and Vineyards with Water and a little Habitation to go recreate themselves They keep their Slaves at work All the Ground is very good and fertile and the Seed presently ripens The Mountains are on every side of the City except on that towards Saffy which is level There are the Mountains of Draz towards Lybia from whence comes the good Dates There are no Trees in the Fields except some Palms All the Trees are in the Gardens which are like unto Orchards As for Justice there is in Morocco Justice but one only Judge which they call Haquin who does ready Justice most commonly upon the place and hath continually his Citeres or Sergeants on Foot armed with Cudgels and Alfanges or Cimmeters and as occasion requires when it appears to be some notorious Offence they Behead also upon the very place for they who are offended cry Quoavac quovac c. to the help of the King in demanding Justice The King besides his ordinary Taxes which he sends to gather about the Country by his Guards and in the Mount Atlas by force of Arms he takes also upon all Merchandizes and Traffick the Tenth part The Women of Morocco are very beautiful and white the others who are of Quality and who stir not much abroad are more Tann'd and Sun-Burnt Every one hath 2 or 3 Wives and as many Concubines as they can keep and give to these Concubines so much by the day 2 or 3 Tomins to live upon each Tomin worth half a Rial The King hath four Wives and Concubines without number whom he keeps in his Seraglio or Palace and when he hath a mind to lie with any of them he causes them all to come before him stark Naked then he chooses her which pleases him best for that time The Moors have but sew Houshold Goods except some Alcatifs or Carpets upon which they Eat and Lie and have some Covers and sleep very low Very few have Couches and Linnen The Jews have such Beds as we use As for Victuals they are good and Victuals cheap and all whether Flesh Fish Fruits and other things to Eat are sold by weight and the Pound As for Flesh 't is Beef Mutton Poultry Venison which comes from the Mountains Some Fish as the excellenâ— Trouts which come from the Mountains of Atlas and from the River Tensif The Wines there are excellent and wonderful strong of which the Moors do not Drink but only the Grapes When a Moor makes himself drunk at any Jews or Christians who sell the Wine the Judge comes to Stave all the Vessels of Wine which are upon the Ground and besides lays an Avarice or fine upon the Master Vintner I will content my self to have said this little of several other things which I could describe concerning this City and Country of Morocco since they are so well known to every one only I will add to this that about 6 Leagues from Morocco near to Atlas is a City called Angoumet where are still to be seen a great Angoumet many ruinous Buildings of the Roman and Antique Letters * half worn out The City is little and nothing but Ruins The Moors say that there is Interred some Holy Personage of the Antients and for this Reason will not suffer the Christians to enter And besides in the Mountains of Atlas are certain People which they call Brebbes Brebbâ— who cut their Cheeks in the manner of a Cross and have a Language by themselves besides the Arabick and are very strong in these Mountains They pay Tribute to the King of Morocco who sends Forces to raise it There is some signs that these People should be the relicts of the antient Africans Inhabitants of the Country before the Arabian Saracens entered there and that they retired there for security being also in some manner Christians but since the society and imperiousness of the Arabians have corrupted them As for the rest when I arrived at Morocco the Affairs of the Country were thus That Muley-Boufairs the then King of Morocco one of the Sons of Maley-Hamet had War with his War betwixt the Cheâ—ifs of Morocco Brother Muley-Chec and Muley-Abdalla his Nephew and with Muley Zidan his other Brother For all these three Brothers made cruel War upon one another for the Kingdom of Morocco Now this Muley-Boufairs trusting wholly upon his Bassa-Joda lost all For Muley-Abdalla the Son of Muley-Chec King of Fez won a Battle of his Uncle Boufairs who sled in the night time to the Mountains of Atlas in the House of the Alcayde of Asur which is an exceeding strong Alcayde of Asur Castle But the Brebbes Robbed him and did him a great deal of mischief before he could get conveniently there After that he sent some of the Alcaydes his great Favourites to go fetch his Wives and his Daughter who brought along with them all his Treasure but they were Robb'd before day near to Angoumet in a place where they had sat down to take a little rest from the fatigue of the way The Brebbes had his Wives and Daughters at their pleasure and carried his Daughter to Muley-Abdalla because he desired her to Wife though she was his Cousin The Alcaydes or Conductors of these Women seeing themselves thus Rob'd and without any means to recover their loss did enter themselves into an Asoy or Mosque to the Alforme or Sanctuary of a Saint Marabou But Muley-Abdalla hearing of it sent to fetch them out with the Marabou also who earnestly desired Abdalla to give them their Lives which he promised to do But before they arrived
at his Micouart or Palace he commanded all their Heads to be chopped off African Faith which he sent to his Father at Fez who was not so well pleased thereat as he expected because he had deceived the Marabou This was the State of the Affairs of these Princes Now as I passed one day about the Alcasaue which is the King's House I saw a Cannon cast of a wonderful bigness and being surprised at the greatness of the size I was told that it had been made for a certain Alcayde Story of an Alcayde a great Favourite who had a mind to betray a King of Morocco But the King having discovered the Treason by the means of one of his Letters Hereupon one day without making shew of any thing demanded by way of question of this Alcayde if there was a Servant dearly Beloved of his Master and nevertheless who sought to Kill what such a Servant would deserve The Alcayde presently answered that he deserved to be put alive into a Cannon and to be shot out like a Ball to which the King replied That he himself deserved Justice of a â—raytor the same Punishment and thereupon shewinâ— him the Letter writ by his own Hand the other remained all astonished and benummed and then the King ordered this Cannon to be made in which he commanded to be put this â—lcayde to fire him out as he himself had fore-judged by his own Mouth according as the Treason deserved In the City of Morocco there are a great number of Christian Captives as well Men as Women who are brought there to be sold from all Parts of Barbary Now it happened upon a time that a Christian Maid History of a Christian Maid and hâ—r Martyrdom being Slave in a great House of the City instructed a young Woman of the same House in the Christian Religion teaching her secretly her Belief insomuch that this Damsel engrafted so well the Law of the True God in her Heart that it was impossible for her former Teachers to make her learn any more of the Alcoran or Law of Mahomet and kept her self constant in the Religion of the Slave without going any more to the Mosque The King being informed thereof sent for this New Convert to come before him and Threatning her that if she would not renounce the Law of the Christians he would put her to Death She generously answered that she did not fear Death and that all the Torments of the World should not make her quit the Belief she had acquir'd The King seeing this commanded her to be put into the Hands of the Haquin or great Judge to be put to Death But she being resolved not to make any shew that she feared Death and about to be executed the King asked her again if she would not be Converted to their Law again But she answered that their Law signified nothing in reference to Salvation and that she would Die for the Love of him who had suffered Death for us When this barbarous King saw that all these Prayers and Remonstrances were in vain he endeavoured once more to divert her from this Resolution promising to Marry her to one of his highest Court Favourites But she mocked the more at all his Promises at which the King being enraged commanded her to be Beheaded which was done accordingly And thus Christianly and constantly this innocent and vertuous Damsel suffered Martyrdom Now as I curiously visited this City of Morocco I entered one day into Kings-Palace the Micouart or Palace of the King and saw in the first Court extraordinary fine Buildings A-la-Moresque with Fountains and a great many Orange and Lemon-Trees laden with Fruit But at the second Court where I also entered were little Galleries sustained with Pillars of White Marble so well cut and contrived that the best Workmen would admire the Workman-ship thereof and upon the Ground were a great number of Vessels of Marble full of clear and fresh Water where I saw the Moors wash themselves before their going to Rehearse their Sala or Prayers But as soon as they espied me they began to cry out and run after me which made me mend my pace in good earnest to get presently from thence I saw in another Garden a very fine Fish Pond of Stone Work where the Moors Bath themselves and found there some Moorish Women who were washing their â—lquisayes or Vails after that they had washed their Bodies After this I went to see the Lions Lions And the History of a Lion and a Dog which were shut up in a great ruinous House open at the top and to be mounted one pair of Stairs and saw there many remarkable things but one more particularly which was concerning a Dog who had formerly been cast to the Lions for their Food for one of the Lions and the oldest of all the others who feared him took this Dog that had been cast in under his Paws as if he would have devoured him but having a mind to play a little with him before it happened that this Dog flattering the Lion as knowing his Strength began to scratch him gently with his Teeth upon a Scab which the Lion had upon his Throat at which the Lion took such pleasure that he not only suffered the Dog patiently so to do but also defended him from the others So that when I saw him he had been then seven years with these Lions as the Christian Slave told me who look'd after them and told me also that when they gave the Lions any thing to Eat the Dog fed with them and would sometimes snatch the Meat from their very Chops And when the Lions would fight together for their Food the Dog did all he could to part them and when he saw he could not do it by a Natural Instinct he began to howl after such a manner that the Lions who fear the cry of Dogs presently would part themselves and agree together This example of Animals shews that we ought to be humble and obedient towards those who are greater than our selves and how noble and generous the Lion is amongst other Beasts At my going from these Lions I went to see the Kings Horses who Horses were in Stalls after their manner and were fat and extraordinary well Dress'd and clean Skin'd They are Christian Slaves who look after them and have a great and lesser Stable also well ordered that it is impossible for any to be better They are all Barb-Horses the finest in the World After having walked enough about the City for this time I returned back to the Douane which is the place where the Christians are oblig'd to retire themselves a good League from the Alcasave or Palace Royal which is near the Juderie I was there told a very pleasant History of a Son of the King of Morocco History of a King of Morocco who having upon a time sent one of his Sons with an Army to conquer the Kingdom of Gago
Tickets like Countercharms and Notes for it We had there great Rains which we were forced to endure Day and and Night very patiently without having any thing to shelter us But seeing it continued without ceasing I placed my self with these Three Turkish Brethren not trusting my self any longer with my Turk and followed them into the City with my little Baggage not knowing then where this my gallant Mouquary was We took up our Quarters in an old Vault full of Spiders This Vault is An Ancient Vault so ancient that they say 't is above Three Thousand Years since it was made In this Place lodge the Camels and the Caravans which go and come I tarried thus in this dark Hall amongst the Mules and Asses not having my self so much as a Wisp of Straw to lie upon and being so crowded that I could not lie down but was forced to remain close by my Ass who was very impatient for I cou'd get him nothing to eat Having there passed this bad Weather the next Day my Turk came to seek me out pretending himself to be mighty busie in looking for me but he was a Drunkard and minded nothing else but drinking of Shirbet which was sold in the Tents from which he never stirred all the Day long nor the very Night and would fain have perswaded me also to go there to drink of this Liquor which they swallow down hot It 's of a very unsavoury Tast and blackish Colour the Syrians call it Cody In Tripoly are a great many Vaults like Taverns where they most commonly go to drink this Shirbet which is made of Seed and Water boiled together Leaving this Place we went to pitch our Tents two or three Leagues from Jerusalem in a Place where formerly was a Chapel which is half ruined and there is a pleasant Fountain hard by upon the way The 27th of April 1612. we arrived Arrival at Jerusalem at Jerusalem and were there first Not far from the City I met with the Soubachy or Governour who came out with a great Number of Cavaliers and all in good order going to meet the Chec-Marabou This Soubachy ask'd me if I was a Christian and having answered Yes he commanded my Turk to take me to the Gate of Jafe and to leave me there at the Gate until he had fetched me a Trucher-Man which was a Greek belonging to the Cadi or Judge My Turk failed not to do what the other had commanded him and made me tarry at the Gate of Jafe where I was a long time waiting for the Trucher-Men and an Officer of the Cadi to visit my Baggage They being come caused me to enter into the City and led me where the Religious dwell where they view'd my things leaving me with these good Men whom I saluted After Dinner they gave me a Greek Trucher-Man to accompany me to Bethlehem whither Bethlehem I went passing by the Fish-pond of Bersabee and drank at a Fountain which is upon the Bridge From Description of several Holy Places thence we went to the Turpentine-Tree where the Blessed Virgin reposed her self going from Bethlehem then to the Cistern or Well where the Star appeared to the Three Kings going to Worship our Lord my Trucher-Man made me to drink of the Water which is very good Not far from that Place we saw Jacob's Tower which is almost quite ruined after that the Place where the Prophet Ely slept upon a Rock along by the Highway they shewed me still the Mark of his Body in the Rock From thence we went to see the Field of the Shepherds and near to that the Five Cisterns which David caused to be made there are Three of them open and the other Two stopped up they are all round in a Ring some Three or Four Foot one from the other about a little Stone's-cast from the Highway We there found some Grecian Women and Maids who were drawing Water which my Trucher-Man caused me also to drink of being very excellent When we came to Bethlehem we went into the Monastery of Bethlehem Monastery which is a Place very agreeable and then the Father Guardian a good and devout Religious Old Man put on his Ornaments and gave me a lighted Wax-Tapor shewing me all the Holy Places and amongst others the Place where our Lord was born then the Place where the Three Kings worshipped and and that where St. Jerome was buried and other Places But should I give an Account of all I wou'd never have done I therefore remit my Reader to the more particular Descriptions which have been made of these Places After having visited this Holy Place on Saturday Morning the 28th of April and heard Mass which was said upon the Manger and bought some Beads which the Greeks make there I went to see the Grotto where the Virgin fled when Herod slew the Innocents As I was coming out of this Place I met some Greek Women who came to desire me to give some Remedy to their sick Children because they had heard that I was a Haquin or Surgion I instructed them according to my small Capacity and as that Place would permit Round about the City of Bethlehem are Vineyards It is now nothing but a lttle Village full of old Ruines and not far from thence is a Monastery the Ruines of the City of Bethuly where there is no Habitation Bethuly As for the Place of the Manger it is at this Day nothing but an old strong Vault sustained with little Pillars of Marble to keep it from falling The Vault is gilt with counterfeit Gold they descend by ten or a dozen Steps In the Place of the Manger is a great Marble-Stone After that I reassumed my way to Jerusalem where being come it behoved me to sell my Ass to maintain me as well at the entrance of the Holy Sepulchre where I was to give 14 Sequins which are about Twenty Crowns as also to give my Turk who so insulted over me that I could scarce find Money enough to content him He brought one of the Citiers or Serjeants of the Cadi to have me before his Master When I had payed him by the Hands of my Trucher-Man yet he almost deny'd that I had given him any thing and would have done it had not this Trucher-Man been with me to witness that I had payed him and he was then contented yet he alledged that he had bought me an Ass not having Money enough to pay for him as if it behoved me to pay it as if I had been obliged thereto and that I had not given him enough for the Courtesie which he would shew to be as much as the Principal which I had agreed with him for a Month. In the end seeing my self so pestered with this Man who threatened to have me before the Cadi or Judge of Jerusalem I was forced to pluck a Ring from my Finger and give it him in the presence of the Trucher-Man But I saw him no The
very fertile in Corn Wines Oil and all sorts of Fruit and produces also those excellent Horses call'd Gennets When I was there I was told how that the Judge of that Place whom the King of Spain had established there not having a mind to do a piece of Injustice as the Gentlemen and Hidalgo's of the City desired him they had invited him to a Supper with an Intention to put an Affront upon him but he doubting of their Ill-will would not go to them At which they being vexed made his Image and burnt it in a Fire before his own Door in a Bravado and in the mean time he not daring to stir out of his House which was as it were besieged by them Upon which his Wife went strait to Court to make her Complaint to the King and to demand Justice of him which was granted her For the King of Spain commanded these insolent Hidalgo's or Gentlemen to come before him and ordered their Process to be drawn immediately and condemned them every one to have their Heads chopp'd off But when they said for Excuse that they were drunk when they put this Affront upon the Judge they were pardon'd and had his Grace except Two Brothers who never would confess themselves to be drunk when they play'd this Prank and were so glorious that they chose rather to have their Heads cut off than to confess the same as the rest had done And hereupon came the Proverb That Los Hidalgos di Xerez Son Borrachos The Gentlemen of Xerez are Drunkards After having tarried some Days at Xerez I returned to the Port St. Mary expecting to find an occasion for my Embarkment But being there I could not by my utmost Endeavour procure License to pass to the Indies in regard of the rigorous Injunction not to suffer any Strangers to go to the Indies but especially the French yet if I had had Money to give perhaps I might have had this Permission but I had not so much as a Maravedis nor Hopes to meet with any there besides that I found my self somewhat indispos'd All this with the bad Entertainment which I receiv'd amongst these People so Uncharitable and Discourteous gave me cause to desire my Return and thought to embark my self in some Aulonnoâ—â— Ships to return with them to France and indeed I gathered together some rare Plants which I put into a Vessel with some other things of which I never since could hear any notice but that they had cast all into the Sea In the mean time I wondred why this Ship did not set sail but she was hindred by the Decrease of the Moon for the Sea does so follow the course of this changing Planet that it is taken notice that the Ebbing and Flowing is in the heighth when the Moon is in Conjunction This Ship of Aulonne which I waited for was called the Gift of God and belonged to one Peter Bled In the mean time the Vessel departed without taking me in and I remain'd there in no small trouble and misery and had no other Recourse but to put my self into a Boat which I found going to Calix not far from thence and nevertheless we had no small Trouble in our Passage because of the contrary Winds We at last went on shoar in a desart Place about a League from Calix to which Place I went on foot along by the shore I there found Acquaintance but I could not stay there long because the City was filled with Soldiers belonging to the Army of Dom Lous de Fajardo Admiral of the Spanish Fleet who was just returned from Mamorre which he had taken from the Moors and had there found a great Number of Pyrates of whom some he had hanged and put the rest to the Oar the rest were partly sunk and some burnt themselves in despair rather than thoy would yield This Ciâ—y of Calix or Cadis was Calix the Gades so famous in ancient times Gadis where 't is said that Hâ—rcules after having overcome the Gerions planted his memorable Pillars as being the end and utmost Bounds of Navigation at that time but since in these last Ages the Pâ—rtugals and Spaniards have happily found the Plus Vltra which has given them Passage at their Pleasure through all the Orient and Occident These Gad tanâ—an Pillars were upon the Two Mountains Abyla and Calpe placed upon the Extremities of the Straights one in Africa and the other in Europe side now Ceuta and Algezira or else the true Ceuta Pillars compos'd of Tin Gold and Algezira Silver mixed together which were by Hercules put into the Temple of the Parques and afterwards in the Temple Parques dedicated to him in the City of Gades This Straight has since been called Gibraltar or Gabel-Tarif which signifiâ—s Mount of Tarif in Memory of that Renowned Captain who commanded in Chief in the Sarazâ—n War which began the Conquest of Spain The City of Gades in ancient times was not very Populous and is at this Day a little City celebrated for the Salt-pits and Almadraves or the Fishing for the Tonny This was formerly an Isle distant above 700 Paces from the main Land but at present there is only a little Causey which separates it therefrom Seeing then that I could not conveniently tarry at Calix I went into the Fields towards an old ruined Tower which they call the Tower of Hercules not far distant from the Straights I found there some rare Plants which I loaded my self withal and saw this Tower into which I entred though not without a great deal of trouble because the Sea beats against it and besides there came such a furious Wave that I thought it would have carried me away This Building is so well wrought and appears so entire that it seems not to have been 20 Years since it was built Now as I was amongst these Ruines I saw a great Wolf approach towards me which I thought at first to be an Ass but after having known what it was I kept my self still and let it pass along by me without stirring a Foot for I saw that it was looking for Food Not far from these Ruines I found a Temple where I enter'd and it looked like an Azoy or Mosque after the Turkish manner yet there is an Altar set up where sometimes they say Mass As I was returning towards Calix I found the Sea mightily risen so that I was a little wet in repassing the same and had I stayed but a little longer I had had a bad Nights Lodging there At last I passed over and found in my way a good old Man who discoursed a great while with me about all these Antiquities and how that in those Days there was more Men morally Good than now though they and from thence I came to a Place named Chipione where having gotten some Money by certain Cures I returned to San Lucar and from thence to Sevillia where I was forced to continue for some time and joined
Bread and finding it very short we were forced to come to parting and my part fell to about 8 or 10 pound as well good as mouldy But having a great many Parrots to feed I was in perplexity what to do being this Animal is very Gluttonous At last I was resolved to â—kill the greediest and Rost him which I did and Eat him up before I came to want more Bisquet In the mean time seeing the Wind was not favourable for us we began already to Extream Council hold Council that if this Weather continued any longer we should be constrained to cast Lots who should Eat his Companion We had in our Ship 3 or 4 Indians who would have passed the first But in the midst of these Perplexities it pleased the Divine Goodness to visit us a little after St. John's Day and to send us a fair Wind which carried us to the Isle de Flores one of the Asores where we took a little Refreshment but not being able to have as much as we desired we crossed the Coast in waiting for the Wind but as it came good in the night we quitted the Isle and happily took our Course as far as Conâ—ale in Britagne where we arrived the 15th of August 1604. for which all Praise and Glory be to the Most High The End of the Second Book A Description of the following Cutts First The manner of the Fights betwixt the Caribes and the Caripous Secondly The Indian Woman go thus about the Woods looking Fruits to Eat A Description of the following Cutts The First How the Caripous are Euiqpped going to War against the Caribes How the Caribes take Fish The First The manner of the Dances of the Caribes Amazons going to the Wars A Description of the following Cutts The First The manner of the Cannoes or Boats of the Caripous and other Indians The Second How the Caribes Roast and Eat the Flesh of their Enemies A Description of the following Cutts The First How the Caribes Eat the Flesh of the Caripous and Feast together therewith The Second Amaca 's or Hanging-Beds of the Caripous THE TRAVELS AND VOYAGES OF John Mocquet INTO MOROCCO And other Places of AFRICA BOOK III. THE Voyage that I had made the former year to the West-Indies had left me such a desire to see also the rest of the World that I was resolved to go to the East-Indies if I found any fit opportunity For this effect I parted from Paris the 12th of April 1605. and taking my way straight to Britagne I went to Embark at St. Lezer St. Nazare in a Ship of Poligain where we were not above twenty Persons in all We were at the beginning of this Voyage so beaten with contrary Winds that we were forced to the Coast of Galice a little below Cape dâ— Vere Having continued there for some time we set sail with the Wind and arrived at Lisbon in Portugal at such time as they were Rejoycing for the Birth of an Infant of Spain which was a very fine sight For after having Rejoycing at Lisbon a long time run the Bulls according to their manner of Pastime where there was a great many Horses maimed and Cavalliers overturned Lamed to the Ground they laded a Bull with Crackers but there was such a great number of them on him that he fell down under the Burthen and they were forced to fetch a strong Ox to carry them and yet he stoop'd under so heavy a Load These Crackers were fastened one to another so that they covered all the Body of this Ox then there was others tied to his Horns When the Feast was ended fire was put to these Crackers and then you would have said that the Ox flew in the Air with such an Impetuosity which looked like Lightning for Ten Thousand Muskets would not have made so great a noise each Cracker answering one another so that the Ox remained quite roasted I made some stay at Lisbon upon the hopes that I should as I have said Dutch Army towards Lisbon find passage to the East-Indies if the Fleet had gone there that year But as it was ready to part the Dutch Fleet came to cast Anchor about the Bar of Lisbon where they stayed a long time waiting for the said Fleet but the Portuguese were not so foolish as to venture out After that Don Louis Fajardo General of the Army knowing that the Hollanders were now retired riged out a Fleet of 35 sail to follow after and went a good way out into the Sea sending a little Ship before called the Pearl taken from the Rochellers to discover'em But this Vessel meeting with the Hollanders was taken by them and all the rest returned to the Haven of Lisbon without doing any thing Having then lost this occasion of passing to the East-Indies at that time I was resolved to go to Barbary and for this Cause Embarked at Cascais in a Vessel belonging to Captain Poulâ—t of Rochelle We bore South East and passed Voyage into Barbary along by Azamor near to the City of Lions which is a place ruined having still very high Towers On Wednesday the 8th day of the month we cast Anchor in the Road of Saffy Saffy where I tarried some time without going on Shore at all But Cidi-Hamet Talbe or Secretary to the King of Morocco Mulei-Boufairs being come to Saffy with his Almahalle or Almahalle little Army to conduct the Caravan which was come to Morocco and to reconduct the other which was going there he sell Sick and having heard that there was a Tabibe or a Physitian on board our Ship he sent some Moors immediately to fetch me I went with them on Land not knowing what they would do with me and coming there upon the Port I found this Cidi-Hamet sitting with a great number of Moors along the Walls of the Castle and as soon as he saw me he rose up and taking me by the Hand led me into his Camp which was without Saffy into his Tent being very fine and curiously Embroidered with Figures after the Moresque There I found a Jew which served for Interpreter in the Gemique which is Spanish or corrupted Portuguese which I understood and having discoursed with me about his Disease I resolved upon that which I thought best for his Cure and for this cause went on board our Ship to look for Drugs fit for this purpose In short I Purged him so that I caused him to Vomit up Worms like little Serpents which made me not a little admire for they were so very great and long that it was almost impossible to imagine that such odious and horrible things could be in Human Bodies Since that he was very well and was my great Friend and he and his Alcades shewed me all the kindness imaginable He gave me a Horse to go to Morocco making very much of me by the way Thus we parted from Saffy to go to Morocco the 28th of August and went
discoursed with her of his amorous Passion she was no less enflamed than he being of an Age fitting to pass her time and in a Country so hot that where any Man can only have the means to speak with a Woman or Maid he is sure to obtain of them what he desires if the least occasion present it self In short they both resolved to fly away together in some clear night with the Woman Slave which they after perform'd and the young Woman taking her Rings Jewels and store of Silver they Embarked for Goa where being come and having taken a Lodging somewhat private they there for some time led a very pleasant Life But the Soldier who was mightily addicted to Gaming soon found an end of what his Mistress brought with her and beginning to be a weary of her he conspired the Death of these two Women seeing they had no longer wherewithal to keep him in his Rioting and having sent the Slave into the City he Strangled the Mistress and hid her and the Slave returning he did the same to her and Buried them in a private place in the Lodging These Murders continued a long time without being known until the same Wretch was taken for another Crime and Condemned to be Hanged as he was upon the Ladder he confessed this lamentable and cruel Tragedy which mightily astonished all the People and heaped an eternal Regret upon the Disconsolate Father who had made search in every place for his dearly Beloved Daughter I saw another at Goa who often came to the Lodging where I was who suspecting that his Wife had played a false trick with a Mate of a Ship so watched his opportunity basely disguising himself Another Tragical Act. that he caught the other near the Church of Misericordia and Stab'd him with a Kniâ—e in the Groin when he was not at all thinking of him tho' he had notice enough of the other's intention and for this cause wore a Coat of Mail with two Pistols but that stood him in no stead For the Indian was more nimble in Stabing than he to avoid it and from thence went straight home to his House to do as much to his Wife also who was soon advertised of the Death of her Friend and seeing no way to save her self her Husband being already come to the Door out of Dispair she cast her self out of the Window where he receiving her upon the point of his Sword left her stark-dead on the place then he retired into the Main-Land until they had need of Soldiers at Goa for there are Edicts and Proclamations of Pardon made for all those who are accused of any Crime whatsoever so that they may return securely to their Houses Such is the Justice of those Countries where they kill one another for every small trifle If they have a Quarrel with any one of low Condition and but little Credit they take not the trouble to be Revenged upon them themselves but send their Slaves to Slash or Cudgel with a Bamboo those who have not saluted them very low or unawares have not taken of his Hat before them They are Covetous of such Vanities with which they feed themselves very much To this I will add that of the Daughter of the King of Siam who having a White Elephant a thing very rare in the Indies the King of Pegu his Neighbour made cruel War upon him to have him and had him in the end overcoming Adventure of the Daughter of the King of Siam this King of Siam whose Daughter was taken in the War and carried Captive to Goa where I have often seen her she being then not very young and came to see my Hostess who was a Chinese for they were great Friends and commonly Eat with us comforting her self at the recital of her Miseries and how she had been sold to a great Portugal Lord by one of those of Pegu who had first taken away from her all her Jewels and precious Stones she not being then above 8 or 9 years of Age altho' great search had been every where made for her but that the Soldier not having a mind to discover her for fear of being constrained to restore all these Riches had come to sell her to the Portugals her Father 's great Enemies who also uses them no better when he can catch them For some of them he causes to be put stark-naked Cruelties of the King of Siam in Frying-Pans of Copper upon the Fire and thus to be roasted by little and little Others he causes to be put betwixt two great Fires and set down and thus to Die in Torments others he exposes in the Park of his Elephants to be crushed and knocked down by by them and a thousand sorts of barbarous Cruelties which he exercises upon these poor Portugals This King of Siam once having a mind to make War upon another King his Enemy was resolved to send for some of the greatest Lords of his Kingdom to be Commanders of his Army But some making shew as if they were Sick by the Counsel of their Wives who could not endure them out of their sight of which the King being advertised sent for these Women and having caused their Privy Parts to be cut off and to be fastned upon their Husbands â—trange Cruelties Foreheads he caused them thus to walk about all the City and then to have their Heads choped of This same King hearing that his Concubines exercised amongst them the Sin against Nature with Counterfeit Members he commanded them to come before him and having caused every one to have a Viril-Member to be painted upon their Thigh forced them thus to go about the Streets and than commanded them all to be burnt Thus you may see what cruel Punishments these Gentile Kings exercise without Pity upon those whom they have a mind to be Revenged on It was a Chinese named Joan-Pay Secretary to Don Andre Furtado who related to me all these Histories to which I will add what was told me in those Countries of the Kingdom of Pegu next to that of Siam where had happened some years since the most strange and prodigious thing in the world Some Sorcerers and Witches so ordered the matter with the King of Pegu that he took such a hatred against his Subjects that he was resolved utterly to root out and extirpate them to bring this to pass he expresly commanded that none on pain of Death should either Plough or Sow the Land for the space of 2 or 3 years The Ground having thus continued Incultivated for some years without Reaping any thing there fell out such scarcity and necessity amongst these poor People of Pegu that having consumed all their Victuals and all Horrible Famine other things fit to be eaten they were forced after the manner of the Anthropophages to Eat one another And what was most prodigious and terrible and never before heard of to keep publick Shambles of the Flesh of those they
Thus was the Ship lost and all the Merchandise that was in her and afterward we arrived at Rochelle the 3d of Sept. from thence I came to Paris the 23 of the same Month when our young King Lewis XIII whom God preserve and prosper was gone to be Crowned at Rheims I had heard no News of the unhappy accident happened in the Person of King Henry the Great my good Master untill we were in sight of Lisbon for then according to the custom there came a Caravel from the Port to see and know who we were who told us that sad History which I could scarcely believe but coming to Land it was too much confirmed to my Eternal regret and sorrow THE TRAVELS AND VOYAGES OF John Mocquet INTO Syria and the Holy Land BOOK V. HAving return'd to Paris from so many long and troublesome Voyages after the Death of King Henry the Great whom I can never sufficiently lament and all other good French Men I had a desire to make a Religious Voyage into the Holy Land there to go pay like a good Christian so many Vows I had made to God for the innumerable Perils and Dangers from which it hath pleased him mercifully to preserve me so often In this Resolution I parted from Paris the 19th of July 1611. and took Coach to Marseilles where I arrived Embarkment at Marseilles the 14th Day of August and tarried there for some Days to wait for passage which at last I found in a Ship of Toulon called the St. Francis belonging to Ode Bergue and Vander Strate Merchants of Toulon and Marseilles There embarking the 8th of September we set sail and the 12th saw the Isle of Sardania which Sardania we left on the North-East and the 15th we saw the Coast of Barbary passing near the Isle of Guerite which Guerite Isle is a little Island not far from the main Land where the Robbers and Pyrates lurk as well Turks as Christians we had this Isle towards the South-West The 17th we passed along by Malta Malta then by Sicilia where we found a Sicilia Ship in the fashion of a Galiot who came directly towards us to know if they durst engage us but when they had perceived our Strength they tacked about taking their course towards Barbary seeking other Prey more easie to surprize The 21st we passed along by Candia Candia where there is a little Island called Agose Isle Agose which advances into the Sea with a Point towards the South Then the 27th we went to the Isle of Cyprus towards the City of Bafe Cyprus not far from the Coast and went to pass the Cape de Gate designing to go to Famagusta But having a sharp Gale and good for our Voyage we continued our course bearing towards Tripoly in Syria where we arriv'd Arrival at Tripoly the last Day of September the next Morning the 1sâ— of October I went on shore to lodge in the City in a Campo near the Juderie or Jews-Place Campo These Campo's are great Houses with large Courts and Fountains where Strangers retire themselves for shelter like Inns. These belong to some great Person who letts them out and he who is the Porter thereof whom they call Boabe receives the Money of the Passengers and gives it to the Master of whom he holds it upon Rent Having tarried some time at Tripoly Voyage to Mount Lebanon I had a mind to see Mount Lebanon and for this effect took a Turk with an Ass to carry our Victuals We left the City the 11th of November and went over very high Mountains and troublesome to pass and in the end arrived at the Lodging of a Chaldean Archbishop called Father George who received us after the best manner he could His House is right above Mount Lebanon his Church is under his Habitation and a Water-mill underneath his Church I saw a good Father a Chaldean Priest and Kinsman to this Archbishop who came from grinding his Corn as he shewed us by his Visage all white with Meal and seeing him in this case we knew him not to be of the Church until the next Morning which was Sunday when I saw him go with the Host in his Hand from thence to a Village there to sing Mass The Father George lived there with his Mother Sisters and Nieces making one and the same Family altogether He shewed me a Chapel above his House upon a little Rock right under Mount Lebanon and told methere was there a Hole out of which every Year upon the 1st Day of May only gushes an abundance of Water at such time as they sing Mass in the Chapel The Mountain is covered all over with Cyprus-Trees The Place is very agreeable but the Winter is there very troublesome because of the excessive Cold and great Snows which mightily afflicts these good Fathers so that they are constrained for that cause to pass the Winter near Tripoly and return there again in the Spring The next Morning after we had heard Mass we set forward towards the Place where the Cedars are about Cedars Three Leagues from thence where being come we had such a cold blast of Wind that my Turk blew his Fingers I order'd him to get upon a Cedar-Tree to break me off some Branches but he tarried there not long for the Cold soon made him to descend that he could not get me so much as I desir'd But I feared he would tumble down being half frozen and besides he had not eaten his Breakfast because of their Romadan Romadan or Fast in the which they fast till Evening not daring to eat any thing upon pain of Death except it be in private and those who observe not strictly their Law and when I saw him tremble in good earnest I presently made him come down fearing to lose him From thence we reassumed our way to return to Canibi which is a Place Canibi belonging to the Chaldean Patriarch and had very bad Weather of Rain so that we arrived there late in the Evening after having passed many little Habitations situate for the most part upon the side of inaccessible Rocks and are almost all Chaldean and Greek Christians with some few Moors amongst them We were there very well received and drank excellent Wine which grows in these Mountains The next Day having heard Mass we returned to Tripoli where I passed a very troublesome Winter because Inundations of the great Inundations of Water which came from the Mountains and so swelled a little River which runs through the middle of the City that it bore down part of the Houses with great loss of Merchandise and Water-mills which it carried quite away with the Stone-bridge This was the cause that Bread was there very scarce and dear that we had much adoe to get a little black Biscuit half spoiled which was sold me by weight and at what rate they pleased and that by halves and the People already
began to cry out for Famine The House of the Consul of France fell upon him and killed him Several other Houses fell also by this disaster of Inundation which came in a Night without so much as dreaming of The City of Tripoly is situated in a A Description of Tripoly Valley below Mount Lebanon and has still an old Castle with square Towers built formerly by the French the then Lords of the Holy-Land There is at present a Garrison of Turks The City may be as big as Pontoise and there is but a small River that passes that way which is very subject to break out of its Banks when the Snows of the Mountain melt and then does a thousand Mischiefs as I have seen when I happened to be there All the rest of the time one may pass almost dry upon the Stones The City is very well built the Houses low except those of the Great Ones and there inhabits a great Number of Grecian Christians Jews some French and Italians Those of Marseilles trade mightily there There is also a Bassa or Governour who in the Summer goes with his Nobility to lie in Tents in the Meadows betwixt the Port and the City and there exercise themselves at the Launce and Sword This City is about Nine Days Journey from Aleppo The Spring being come I began to Parting for Jerusalem think of going to Jerusalem and for this purpose parting the 9th of April 1612. with a Mouquary or Turkish Carrier we took our way towards Damascus and the first Night lay in a little Meadow by a River-side where we endured no small cold because of the Winds which come from these Mountains laden with Snow The next Day we raised our little Caravan which consisted of Turks and Jews and a Greek Christian and his Sister This young Grecian Girl was not above Twelve Years of Age and was very vertuous and brisk being mounted upon her little Ass which was led by her Brother We passed many Mountains and arrived at a Habitation of Arabians where we had but very bad Lodging lying along the Walls of the Houses which are in very dirty Places I made my Pillow of a Stone The next Day we went to Dine at Armel a little City of the Arabians Armel and then retired into a House of Pleasure very stately and magnificent but there was none in it it serves only for a retiring Place and Lodging for the Caravans they giving so much to the Porter who is the Keeper thereof This House is furnish'd * After the Moorish manner a la Moresque and strong enough to hold out an Assault A certain Turk who returned from the Bassa of Tripoly caused it to be built after this manner The Bassa commanded him to be taken and brought into his presence telling him That being his Subject he was greater than he in regard of the sumptuous and strong House which he had caused to be built that he might rebel against him and thereupon commanded his Head to be chopp'd off in recompence of several good and notable Services he had done him Parting from this Place we went along by a Rivolet to lodge upon a little Hill within the enclosure of certain Walls very low where there was a small Cottage of the Arabians We lay along the Wall and passed the Night with great fear of the thievish Arabs We parted from thence betimes in the Morning and came to Bailbec a very ancient City where Bailbec formerly lived Christians the Ruines of a Church remaining there yet I went into the City with my Mouquary which was the Turk that furnished me with a Horse to ride upon and there we sought for a little Wine but privately it being forbid to sell any We found some White very good at the House of a Grecian who earnestly desired us to hide it They failed not to come to search our Cloaths and other things but they could not find it for we had locked it fast up We lay without the City along the Walls which are made of great Stones not of Masons Work but roughly set one upon another each one above 12 or 15 Foot long The Bassa of this Place went out about Noon with all his Cavalry and Infantry going to some Place not far from thence upon a Quarrel which he had against the Bassa of Damascus He marched in excellent good order especially for Turks and Arabians to observe We dislodged from this Place two or three Hours before Day passing by Rocks of which the most part were Aquaeducts broke and thrown down and the Veins and Pipes bigger than ones Arm are still to be seen through which flowed the Water before they were broke down There is amongst others one of these Rocks slit in two about 3 or 4 Leagues from Damascus and the River of Jordan which comes Jordan from Mount Lebanus passes with great swiftness very near it there is a Bridge over which we passed Along by this River are places cut like Caves within the Rock where lived formerly certain Hermits and truly the Place is very proper for a solitary Life being exceeding desert and of difficult access We went to lie in a certain Habitation and the next Day we arrived at Damascus which was on Palm-Sunday Damascus Eve the 14th of April I went to take a Lodging in the House of one Ibrahim a Rabbi of the Jews to whom I had been recommended by a Cousin of his which I had known at Tripoly He received us after the best manner he could but we supped but badly because it was the Day of their Sabbath in which they dare scarce touch any thing The next Day I so ordered the Business with this Jew my Host that he gave me one of his Servants to conduct me and help me to buy an Ass They were at that time making Preparations for their Passover and I saw them buy Sheep in a Market for that purpose Passover of the Jews and this Servant chose the fattest for his Master so that I had much adoe to hale him to the place where I knew there was an Ass to be sold which had been brought from Tripoly with us I bargained for it for 19 Pataques Pataques and a half one for the Jew I exchanged my Money taking for Spanish Money Pieces of Albouquelque to give to the Cafars and gained 55 for 50 for the Cafars go for as much Cafars as those of Spain Albouquelques are pieces of German Money having the Albouquelques mark of a Lyon the Turks take it for a Dog and therefore call them Albouquelques or Dog-pieces I desired also my Jew to find me out a Turk which he did and promised him a Patache a Day but he was to find himself with Victuals As for this City of Damascus it is very fine and pleasant having most delicate Gardens and is seated in a Valley as it were in the middle of a Meadow and
the next Morning went to Jafa tarrying there Jafa all that Day waiting for the next Morning we lay under an old Vault along by the Sea-side This was a great City and a good Port but now all in Ruines and there is but Three Towers to be seen entire and some little Houses There is here nothing to be found either to eat or drink and you must bring your Provision if you have a mind to eat The Morning being come the Atelas giving order for our embarking and having given us a Greek with a great Boat like a Patache we parted from thence the 1st Day of May and came to the City of Caesarea which is quite ruined Caesarea and went to cast Anchor near Caiphas in a Place where was formerly a Monastery We went on shore to look for some fresh Water and were refreshed by bathing our selves There was with us a Turkish Chiaux and a Janisary The next Morning leaving this Place we went and cast Anchor a little below Mount Carmel where Elias Mount Carmel made his Abode then passing along by St. John of Acre formerly Pâ—olemedes Acre a very pleasant City upon the Sea-side and where dwelt formerly the Knights of Malta then we anchored before the City of Tyre where some of us went on shore for Victuals and Tyre to see the Place where they say Sampson threw down the Temple upon the Philistines This Place is all desart and ruined and there is a great Number of Marble Pillars and amongst others one of a wonderful length and breadth very smooth and almost Seven Fathoms about and seems as if there were Three in one 't is broke at one end They say it is that which Sampson cast down but that is false for the Scripture tells us that this was at Gaza another City far from Tyre so that these Pillars must be of some other ancient Building We took some Refreshments in the House of a Greek who makes Brandy under an old Vault At Evening we returned to our Petache designing to set sail after Midnight As for the rest this City of Tyre or Sur is quite ruined inhabited only by some Moors and Greek Christians which live there in Vaults under the Ground There is to be seen a great Number of Marble Pillars which keep up the Walls being placed and layed cross one upon another to hinder the Sea from undermining the Walls This City was once of a vast Extent but at present is like a Desart Parting from this Place before Day we cast Anchor at Sydon or Sayette Sydon where we saw upon a little Hill the House of the Canaanite hard by the Sea-side We went on shore for some Refreshments and dined in the Ware-House of the Christians with the Consul of that Place who told me that some Days before came there a Ship Fortune of a Ship of Malta of Malta who had a Protection from M. Joseph Facardin Governor of Sydon and that this Vessel returning into the Sea to look for some Prize had met with a Turkish Caramousin whom she took and boarded her with some Knights and Soldiers who leaving their Admiral some Leagues from thence came to Sydon to take in some Refreshments and by chance the Brother of him who had lost the Ship was there at that time who when he saw his Brother's Ship he cried out to the Moors of the City How was it possible that they would suffer those Dogs the Christian Robbers for so they call us to come thus within their very Port after having taken their Goods Whereupon those of the City immediately ran to Arms and leaping into Boats fell upon this Caramousin and fought them on all sides They within defended themselves valiantly as long as their Powder lasted but the most part of them being killed or wounded the rest were forced to yield and be carried into the City where they had their Heads chopped off being 16 in all A few Days afterwards the Admiral sent his Boat to Sydon to enquire after his Men but there was Seven or Eight of them arrested and made Prisoners while I was there The Consul told me moreover That M. Joseph Facardin had promised him to let them escape in the Night-time without the Knowledge of the People who were exasperated against them This Emir Joseph commonly called the Ermine of Sydon or Emir de Sayede is very courteous and kind to the Christians and is said to be descended from those ancient Kings of Jerusalem who were of the Blood of the Princes of France and this is he who is said to be since come into Tuscany to the great Duke with an Intention to become Christian and to propose Means to the Christian Princes how to chase the Turks from those Parts Leaving Sydon we went to lie at Baruth which is a Place very pleasant Baruth and delectable having two little Fortresses upon the Sea-side They say that this Baruth is the Place where St. George slew the Dragon and delivered the Maid as the Pourtrayes shew which are made thereupon The next Day the 6th of May we arrived at Tripoly where I continued Tripoly for some Days employing my self in gathering certain curious Plants bearing excellent and odoriferous Flowers of which I gathered a great quantity upon Mount Lebanus and about the City of Tripoly all which I lay'd safe up to carry to the King as at my Arrival at Paris they were planted in the Garden of the Lovre which is before His Majesty's Chamber whom I shewed several excellent Flowers The Bassa of Tripoly is a Man very Proud and Cruel and I was told there That once he being amorous of a very beautiful young Woman of one of the best Houses in the City and seeing that he could not bring his Desires to pass by any sort of Artifice he resolved to use Violence and watching his opportunity when she went to the Stoves with her Mother as it was their Custom where presently going he took this poor young Barbarous Cruelty of a Bassa Woman by force and having-had his Will of her he took his Gangear or Knife made in the form of a Croisant and ript her open quite from the Privy-Parts up to the Neck Behold how these Barbarians give Satisfaction to their desires how horrible and wicked sover they be I was also told how that this Bassa at the Arrival of a certain French Ship called the Dauphin belonging to the Sieur de Moisset had a mind to go on board her where having been treated with all the Complaisance imaginable at his coming out from thence one of his Favourites reproached him for eating with the Christians at which he was in such a Fury that he cast his Gangear at him with which he so wounded him that had not the Surgeon immediately dressed him he had died thereof upon the Place They relate several other cruel Acts and Violences of this Man which are very ordinary and common to all these
in those Northern Parts is Mexico or Temistitan opulent in Riches and all manner of Delights Before she was subject to the Spaniards she contain'd as they say above 70000 Houses with an exceeding great and glorious Temple where they sacrificed Men Women and Children of all Ages and Sex to their Idols in cleaving them down the Breast and plucking out their Hearts whilst they were beating which they cast into the Faces of these Idols and sometimes they thus open'd Women with Child but especially Virgins tho' how beautiful soever were not exempt and whom they used in a most shameful manner in exposing that which Nature hath hid from the Eyes of all the World For this their great Cruelty and horrible Tyranny they acquir'd a very bad Name amongst the People their Neighbours who would never become their Friends but by Force and what was the most strange they spared not their nearest Kindred for these abominable Sacrifices and when any Man of Authority came to die they interred with him their Slaves alive to bear him Company in the other World When they had offer'd in Sacrifice their Enemies they cut the Bodies into pieces and then roast them to feast with their Friends therewith The Caribes another People towards the South do the same of which we will speak in its proper place Ferdinand Cortez who conquer'd Mexico had no small Trouble to make them quit this abominable Custom also the Hatred which their Neighbours bore them was cause of their total Destruction For they rais'd such great Numbers for the Assistance of Cortez that at last by their Help after a great Slaughter of 'em he got the Victory and took their City to the extream Joy and Contentment of these neighbouring Indians their ever sworn Enemies The Septentrional or North Part of America comprehends the Countries America of Mexico or New-Spain Florida Virginia Canada New France Estotiland the Countries of Labradâ—r and Cortereal and several other Countries towards the North to the Straights of Anian who are not yet discover'd Towards the North of New Spain were several Countries discover'd by the Spaniards in the Year 1583. as the Land of Conquas Passaguates Tiquas Toboses Jumans Quires Pattarabives Cumanes Quivora and others The Meridional or South Part of America contains several Provinces as Peru Chile Los Patagons Brazile Cariabane Cumana Dariena Vraba Castâ—llia d'Oro New-Granadae and others besides the Isles as well in the North Sea as Cuba Hispaniola and others as those in he South-Sea of Solomon and others unknown Brazil has for Limits towards the North the great River of the Amazons and towards the South Rio di la Platâ— or the River of Silver This Country is very pleasant and agreeable with a good Air and temperate for the most part hot and moist abounding in several sorts of wild Fruits and in Raisins Potato's and Cassaves of which the Inhabitants live There are a great Number of terrestrial and watry Animals which feed upon these Fruits and Serpents Wonderful Serpents of such a strange and monstrous sort that the colour of the Skin only is enough to cause Horror and Amazement They frequently eat the Armadilla which is a Creature armed with a Coat as also the Crocodile and Gouana's which is a sort of a Lizard with very long Feet The Flesh of these are savoury enough tho' sweetish and insipid The People of Brazil are great Enemies Brazilians great Enemies to the Portuguese to the Portuguese and when they can catch any of 'em they eat them without Intermission and what is most admirable they know how to find out by the sandy and dirty Ways the Portuguese above all other Nations whatsoever and can discover them by their Tract like as the Hunts-man does the wild Beasts They once took a Portugal Woman Miserable End of a young Woman young and very beautiful whom the French who were there could not save from being eaten and which was done in a strange manner for assembling a Company of them together in a Ring in the midst of whom was set this poor young Woman then having stript her stark naked not at all regarding her Modesty they viewed her from Head to Foot and after having well consider'd her Delineaments some commending one thing and some another they fell to howling and yelling like so many Devils whereupon immediately like a Company of hunger-starv'd Dogs they fell upon this poor innocent Creature and in less than two Minutes tore her into above a Thousand pieces which they as suddenly swallow'd down They are very Vindictive never pardoning but by force and not of Good-will When the French arrive there they give them their Daughters to lie withal hoping they will give them something at their Departure The Third Continent is Terra-Australis not yet discover'd which is otherwise call'd the Land of Fire of Parrots and New Guiney There towards the calm Sea and the Archipelago of St. Lazarus are the Isles of Solomon not yet fully discover'd Some Years since a Portugal Captain named Pedro Fernandes di Quieros sailed round some Parts thereof and tells Wonders of those Countries how that they abound in Beauty and Goodness insomuch that they resemble an Earthly Paradise But we ought to wait for a more certain and ample Discovery The Geographers and Portugal Pilots tell us That these Countries of Terra-Australis are greater than Europe and part of Asia This Captain Pedro-Fernandes found out there the Bays of St. Philip and St. James and the Port of Vera Crux which as they say is capable of above a Thousand Ships in the Altitude of Fifteen Degrees and a half JOHN MOCQVET THE CONTENTS Of this BOOK THE First Book of the Travels and Voyages of John Mocquet to Libia the Canaries and Barbary Page 1. The Second Book of the Travels and Voyages to the West-Indies as into the River of the Amazons the Country of the Caripous and Caribes and other Countries of the West p. 39 The Third Book of the Travels and Voyages to Morocco and other Places of Africa p. 139 The Fourth Book of the Travels and Voyages to Aethiopia Mozambique Goa and other Places of Africa and the East-Indies p. 197 The Fifth Book of the Travels and Voyages to Syria Jerusalem and the Holy-Land The Sixth and Last Book of the Travels and Voyages to Spain with an Intention to pass farther and what was the Hindrance thereof THE TRAVELS AND VOYAGES OF John Mocquet INTO Lybia the Canaries and BARBARY BOOK I. ACcording to the desire I had of a Long time to Travel about the World I had a mind to begin with Africa having occasionally found a Ship bound for Lybia I parted then from St. Malo the 9th Parting from St. Malo 16â—1 Encounter with a Ship of October 1601. and embarqued in the Ship called the Serene Laden with Salt and very well furnished with Victuals and munition of War we were 25. men in all and having born to the S-West and the