to Salee the fourth of September The sixteenth of June in the Year Sixteen hundred sixty and six Gailand Lord of Alkazir drew into the Field against Muly Resis King of Tafilet Brother to the King of Fez but three Days after came back again to Alkazir About two Days after he drew into the Field again was met by the King of Tafilet routed and put to Flight with the loss of many and revolt of more Soldiers to the Kings side Gailand himself wounded with a Semiter escaping to Alkazir but not daring to trust himself there within an hour fled to Arzile The King without any opposition took in Alkazir whereupon Tituan and Old and New Salee fell to him so that now the City and Castle was once more reduced under the Power of the King of Fez. Once before the Portugues took it but were not able to hold it long ere it returned to the right Owner When Sydan the third Son of Hamet after the Death of his Father and Brothers had possest himself of the Kingdom of Fez though afterwards stripped both of that and Morocco for a time by the several opposite Factions in those Kingdoms commanded by Hamet Ben Abdela a Religious but hypocritical Heremite who hoping to get all for himself was opposed by Sid Hean that took part with Sydan by which assistance the Tumults at last were pacified in some measure yet nevertheless a rabble of Pyrates invested themselves in this chief Port of Fez inabling themselves thereby to do him infinite mischief both by Sea and Land and not to him only but all others whose business of Trade drew them into those infested Seas Many fruitless Attempts he made upon them so that considering his own weakness at Sea for want of Shipping he sent an Embassador unto King Charles the First of England to desire his Assistance Nor did that Pious Prince need much Importuning to put his hand to so good a Work for he soon dispatched thither the requested Aids by whose Assistance Sydan became Master of the Town unroosted and punished the Pyrates and sent Three hundred Christian-Slaves freed for a Present to his Majesty Nor staid he there but raising his thoughts to a higher Pitch of General Good he sent another Embassador with a Letter to His Majesty to give him the like Assistance against Algiers who Roved with as much Cruelty through the Mediterrane as the Salee-Men before had done over the Atlantick The which Letter savouring of more than Mahumetan Piety and much conducing to the King of Great Britains Honour we will Insert for Satisfaction THE King of Moroccos Letter TO KING CHARLES The FIRST of ENGLAND WHEN these our Letters shall be so happy as to come to Your Majesties Sight I wish the Spirit of the Righteous God may so direct your Mind that you may joyfully embrace the Message I send The Regal Power allotted to Us makes Us common Servants to our Creator then of those People whom we Govern So that observing the Duties We owe to God We deliver Blessings to the World in providing for the publick good of Our Estates We magnifie the Honour of God like the Celestial Bodies which though they have much Veneration yet serve only to the Benefit of the World It is the excellency of Our Office to be Instruments whereby Happiness is delivered unto the Nations Pardon me Sir This is not to Instruct for I know I speak to one of a more clear and quick sight than my self but I speak this because God hath pleased to grant Me a happy Victory over some part of those Rebellious Pyrates that so long have molested the peaceable Trade of Europe and hath presented further occasion to root out the Generation of those who have been so pernitious to the good of Our Nations I mean since it hath pleased God to be so cuspicious to Our beginnings in the Conquest of Sale that We might joyn and proceed in hope of like Success in the War of Tunis Algiers and other Places Dens and Receptacles for the inhumane Villanies of those who abhor Rule and Government Herein whilst We interrupt the corruption of Malignant spirits of the World We shall glorifie the great God and perform a Duty that will shine as glorious as the Sun and Moon which all the Earth may see and reverence a Work that shall ascend as sweet as the Perfume of the most precious Odours in the Nostrils of the Lord a Work grateful and happy to Men a Work whose Memory shall be reverenced so long as there shall be any remaining amongst Men that love and honour the Piety and Vertue of Noble Minds This Action I here willingly present to You whose Piety and Vertues equal the Greatness of Your Power that We who are Vicegerents to the Great and Mighty God may hand in hand triumph in the Glory which the Action presents unto us Now because the Islands which You Govern have been ever Famous for the unconquered Strength of their Shipping I have sent this my trusty Servant and Ambassador to know whether in Your Princely Wisdom You shall think fit to assist Me with such Forces by Sea as shall be answerable to those I provide by Land which if You please to grant I doubt not but The Lord of Hosts will protect and assist those that Fight in so glorious a Cause Nor ought You to think this strange that I who so much reverence the Peace and Accord of Nations should exhort to a War Your Great Prophet CHRIST JESUS was the Lion of the Tribe of JUDAH as well as the Lord and Giver of Peace which may signifie unto You That he which is a Lover and Maintainer of Peace must always appear with the Terror of his Sword and wading through Seas of Blood must arrive to Tranquility This made JAMES Your Father of glorious Memory so happily Renowned among all Nations It was the Noble Fame of Your Princely Vertues which resounds to the utmost corners of the Earth that perswaded me to invite You to partake of that Blessing wherein I boast my self most Happy I wish God may heap the Riches of his Blessings on You increase Your Happiness with Your Days and hereafter perpetuate the Greatness of Your Name in all Ages But now to return to the Course of our History Two large Miles from Salee Tefensare there lyeth another antient City call'd Tefensare or according to Sanutus Fansare and by Marmol suppos'd to be Ptolomy's Banasse In the same Place Mahmore at the Mouth of the River Subu stood formerly the City Maamore or Mahmore destroyed in the Moorish Civil Wars Emmanuel King of Portugal sailing into that Countrey pleased with the situation erected a Fort there Anno Fifteen hundred and fifteen which e're made well defensive the King of Fez his Brother came with an Army of Fifteen thousand strong with which defeating the Portugues he utterly raised King Emmanuels new erected Work But the King of Spain in the Year Sixteen
beholden to Bosio Megisaer Hieronymo Alexandrinus de Naberat besides one a great Observer that long Inhabited there AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF AFRICA The Induction THE Terraqueous Globe whereof Africa shares no narrow Limits seems but an Imaginary Point to the vast Expansions of the Universe though in it self of a Great Magnitude for its Girdle or Equinoctial Circle contains in length 21600 English Miles or rather such as 60 make * Concerning this see Mr. Norwoods Experiment or Sea-mans Practice As likewise Mr. Oughtred's Treatise of Navigation at the end of his Circles of Proportion a Degree And the Diameter or Axis of the Earth according to the same measure amounts to 6875 Miles The Semidiameter 3438. But the Superficies of this Mighty Ball if by a General Survey set forth in square Miles reckons up 148510584 of the like Miles which is the product of the Circumference multiplied by the Diameter not omitting its Fractional part The Earth is divided into three Parts or rather Islands remoted from each other by Circum-ambient Sea though their Largeness nominates them Continents The first contains Europe Asia and Africa the second America and the third Isle Magellanica The first being the then onely known World The Old World Antiquity confers on the three Sorts of Noah to Sem * Who some say though the eldest shared the least part being contented with his Patrimonial Improvements whilest his younger brothers roamed through settling their several Plantations in the un-inhabited world Asia to Ham Africa and gave Japhet Europe yet later Ceographers make of this onely two parts casting Africk into Europe supposing the †Gades or Hercules Pillars Mountains Calpe and Abyle now the Jaws of Gibraltar were opened by an Earthquake receiving then also an Inundation from the Atlantick which now makes the Mediterranean Sea being before all continued Land Others divide by the Mid-land Sea from the Straights of Gibraltar unto Tanais placing Europe on the North and spreading Asia on the other side over the utmost Extent of Africa Some double this again making four Divisions of this our first Part of the World viz. Europe Asia Africa and Egypt Others later have once more reduced them to three joyning Egypt to Asia yet very improperly making the Nile bound Asia and Africa so that Egypt striding the River extends her Limits into both But the most modern Geographers make the Arabian Gulf the Meer betwixt Asia and Africa casting Egypt into the last Concerning the several Divisions of this our old World much hath been said both by Greek and Latine Writers not pertinent in this place to be taken notice of The second Island of the Globe The New World call'd America from Americus Vesputius a Florentine who by a lucky hit * Or the gingle of his Name Americk with Africk though signifying no more in English than Harry Wasp obtained the Denomination of this New World from the first Discoverer Christopher Columbus a Genöese employed by Ferdinand and Isabel King and Queen of Castile and Arragon in the Year 1492. The Southern Parts Peru that vast Empire was after penetrated by Pizarro Anno 1525. Magellanica The Unknown World the Unknown World or third Island was so called from her first Discoverer Ferdinand Magellanus being found by him in 1520. Sir Francis Drake our Famous Navigator forty five years after made a farther Inspection and in 1557. Sir Thomas Candish next Oliver van Noord a Hollander but the latest and last who made a far deeper incision than all the rest was Ferdinando de Quier a Spaniard Thus much in brief concerning the Division and Dimension of the Universal Globe which we are hereafter to treat of henceforth we shall onely speak of Africa the chosen Argument of this our First Volume of which ere we particularize thus in general Africa in general AFRICA Names of Africa so called from the Grecians according to Festus and the most Eminent Geographers signifies wanting or devoid of Cold though by some the whole was taken for Lybia which is now but a single Province Also they call'd it Olympia Oceania Coryphe Hesperia Ortygia Ammonis Aethiopia Cyrene Ofiusa Cefenia and Eria but the Romans call'd it onely Lybia and Africa Lybia from Lybia Daughter of Epaphus son of Jupiter and Africa from Afer the son of Hercules The Moores if you consult Thebets Geography call it Alkebulan and the Indians Bezecath the Arabians who formerly over-ran the major part knew their Conquests by the Name of Ifriquia derived from the word Faruch which signifies Separation because it is visibly more separated not onely from theirs but from all other Countreys than any other part of the whole World for the Mid-land Sea parts it from Europe the Arabian Gulf from Asia and the Atlantick Ocean from our later Discoveries Some Arabians as Marmoll tells us call it Ifiriquia The West-Indies in honor of Melek Ifiriqui an ancient King of Arabia Felix who driven from his own planted here a New Kingdom which after grew great and populous The Turks as some write call it * The West Countrey as to the Arabians who penetrated that way Magribon from Magrip though this Name properly belongs onely to the Western Sea AFRICAE ACCURATA TABULA ex officina IACOBUM MEURSIUM As Claudian Tot mihi pro meritis Libyam Nilumque dedêre Ut dominam plebem bellatoremque Senatum Classibus aestivis alerent geminoque vicissim Littore diversi complerent horrea venti Stabat certa salus Memphis si forte negasset Pensabam Pharium Getulis messibus annum Frugiferas certare rates lateque videbam Punica Niliacis concurrere carbasa velis They gave me Libya De Laud. Stil Lib. 2. and th' Aegyptian Shore For my deserts that they might with their Store The People and the Warlike Senate feed And with contrary Winds supply their need Famine farewel if Memphis should deny Getulian Harvests will our Wants supply Freighted with Corn I saw the Punick Fleet And Ships from Nilus in our Harbours meet And Prudentius Respice num Libyci desistat ruris arator Frumentis onerare rates ad Ostia Tibris Mittere triticeos in pastum plebis acervos See if the Libyan Swain neglects to load In Symmach Our Ships with Corn and to the Ostian Road Sends Wheaten Mountains for the Peoples Food And Horace Illum si proprio condidit horreo Quicquid de Libycis veritur areis Gaudentem patrios findere sarculo Agros Attalicis conditionibus Nunquam dimoveas ut trabe Cypria Myrtoum pavidus nauta secet mare Perswasions him shall never charm Hor. Ode 1. Grown proud of his Paternal Farm Where Lybick Harvests thwack his Grange Not for King Attalus Wealth to change His plenteous state to furrow Brine And cross rough Seas in brittle Pine But next to those who derive the Name from the Hebrew word Epher or Aphar Festus seems to have hit the Etymology of the word Africa ¶ JUdea and the
unplanted grows the fertile ground With beds of Aromatike Roses crown'd There Youth and Virgins drawn Love-battels fight And never fainting keep up full delight These amorous encounters being the top of his Paradise Mahomet by the help of Sergius an Apostate Monk imping the Poets fancies introduced as the greatest of all allurements setting forth Beauties most admir'd by the Asiaticks with full and black Eyes who shall alone regard their particular Lovers not such as have lived in this world but created of purpose which daily shall have their lost Virginities restored ever young and Feasting with all variety of Delicacies They have three sorts of Marabouts or Saints The first affirming that a man by good works and fasting and abstinence from Meat may attain the nature of an Angel the heart by these Duties say they being so cleansed from all infection of evil that although it would it can sin no more and that to attain happiness they must ascend by the steps of fifty Sciences They live very strictly at first and torment themselves with fasting keeping a long Lent after which the Scene changing their abstinence and mourning turns to all Feast and Merriment and their whole life is a continual * Parallel to those Bacchanalian Revels mentioned by Virgil. Carneval which they spend in Maskings and Serenaids and all manner of dissolute and intoxicated pleasures whereof four Books are written by Eseb-ravardi Schravarden Sein a Learned man born in the City of Corasan Ibnul Farid another Author hath described their whole Religion in a Poetick stile upon which one Elfargari made an Exposition collecting the Rules of the Sect and discovering the steps to attain happiness These Verses are made in so sweet and elegant a stile that they will sing no other at their publick Feasts and Merry-meetings Some of their Tenets are as follow viz. That the Heavens Planets and fixt Stars are holy that no Law or Religion is erroneous every one being at liberty to pray to what his mind is most enclined to That all knowledge of God was infused into the first man whom they name Elchot and that man elected by God is made like him in knowledge After this Elchot's death forty men called Elanted that is the Heads or Chief choose another out of their own number and when any of these forty happen'd to dye then they choose another out of the number of seven hundred sixty five These Vagabond Sectaries are by certain rules of their order to go alwayes unknown in poor and despicable rayment so that whoever sees them would judge them to be Mad-men and void of all honesty and humanity rather than Marabouts or Saints for they run naked and wilde all over Africa and force Women publickly as beasts without modesty or shame Leo saith that many of them are in Tunis but more in Egypt at Alcair where I saith he upon the Market-place Bain Elkasraim saw a Matron-like Woman coming out of a Bath Ravish'd by one of these Fanaticks in the presence of many people who thereupon ran in great numbers to touch her Garment as a Holy thing and the Womans Husband with silence manifested his thankfulness towards the Ravisher by a great Feast and liberal Gifts The second sort called Cabalists fast very severely eat not the flesh of any living creature but have a peculiar Dyet and Clothing They have Set-Prayers for every hour of the day and night according to the diversity of the Days and Moneths and wear small square Tablets Engraven with Characters and Figures They feign daily to converse and discourse with Angels who as they say teach them the knowledge of all things Their chiefest Teacher was one Boni who set them Rules and invented those Prayers and Tablets Their Rule is divided into eight parts the first whereof is call'd Elumha Ennonaritae that is the Demonstration of Light containing their Prayers and Fast-dayes The second Semsul Meharif the Sun of Sciences wherein are the aforesaid square Tablets with their use and advantages The third Lesme Elchufne and in it a Table of the Ninety nine Vertues which as they conceive are comprehended in the name of God each other part of the eight having a particular name and matter whereof it treateth The third sort termed Sunachites reside in the Wildernesses like Hermits living onely upon Herbage and Leaves They have a little smatch of Idolatry and Gentilism using no Circumcision till the thirtieth year yet they Baptize in the Name of the living God so that they have a smack both of Christianity Judaism and Gentilism Thus far of Africa in general we will now descend to particulars beginning first with Egypt having obtain'd the pre-eminence and place both from Antient and Modern Writers and also being so often mentioned in Sacred Scripture Egypt is divided into Erriff containing the Cities and Towns of Plintina or the Arabian Tower Monestor Busiris now Bosiri Heliopolis or Rameses Alexandria the Island Pharos Bocchir or Canopus Casar and Athacon Rosetta now Rassit Natumbes Fuoa or Foa Gezerat Eldekab or the Golden Island Mechella Derota Michellat Cays besides many Villages Elheatrye or Beheyra comprehends The Cape Brule Damiata Tenez or Tenex and the Lake Stagnone Arris or Ostracine Pharamide Seru and Rascaellis Masura or Masur Demanora Fustatio or Fustat Meny Cambri Caracania Bulbaite Abessus and Souta besides many other Villages and inconsiderables Places not worth the naming Sahyd Grand-Cair or Memphis and therein Bulach Charaffa Old Cair and Grand-Cair Mattaria or El-Mattharia The Ruines of Heliopolis The famous Pyramids The Island Michias Niffralhetick Geza Nukullaca The Lake Mani The City Changa Suez Bethsames Mukaisira Benesuait Munia Fyum Manfloth or Menf-loth Azuth formerly Bubastis Ichrim Anthinoe Barnaball Thebes Munsia or Munza with a Cloyster of St. George El-chiam now waste Barbana Cana Cessir a Port-Town by the Red-Sea Conza and Asna Assuan Suaquen Thura Sachila Phogono Narmita Nitriota Elmena Libetezait Saguan Dakat Pharaoh's-Angle The Seven-Wells Menviae and Cosera Veneria and Ansena Cynopolis or Monphalus Heracleopolis besides 24000 Villages The Nyle-River EGYPT EGYPT as we said before Antient Geographers who parted Asia and Africk with the Nile established amongst the Asiatick Territories but the Modern who since disterminated these two Quarters of the World with the Arabian Gulph have totally reduc'd and carried over into Africa as no small Region thereof ¶ EGypt according to Diodorus Strabo and others had that Appellation from their first King Egyptus the Son of Belus the Assyrian Monarch who secluding his Brother Danaus setled the Government of that Realm upon himself and then Reigned sixty eight years the Countrey before call'd Nilea Aeria and Osserina though others assert this Denomination sprung from Nilus whose antient name was Egyptus And as this Countrey hath confounded Chronologers with the strange Vicissitudes and main Alterations of its Government The Antient names so hath it puzel'd them with the numerous variety of its Denominations Berosus calls it Oceania from * A
Sea-god or rather some Antike Prince Oceanus Xenophon Ogygia from †An Egyptian King Ogyges Herodotus names it from the Nile Potamitis that is River-land Lucian in Greek Melambolos from the darkness of the Soil several Writers and the bordering Moors stile this Region Ethiopia or the Land of Chus Homer will have it to be Hefestia from Hefestes or Vulcan The Modern names the Modern Turks call it El-Kebit or Cover'd-land the Arabian Mesra the Caldeans Mesrai the Assyrians Misri the Moors Gabara and Mesra the Romans from Augustus Caesar Augustanica but the antient Inhabitants call it after Ham the Son of Noah Hamia Lastly the Jews stile this Countrey Mizraim from Mizraim the Son of Ham being there the first Plantet The later Assyrians call the Egyptians Egoptes and the Mahumetans call the Christians there El-hibit and Elcupti sometimes leaving out the Article El contracting to Cupti or Ecupti but the Moors call them plain Giptu or Gibitu Herodotus makes Egypt a Present from the Nile Egypt covered with water being all Sea formerly so conjecturing from the various shells found on Summits and more rising grounds from the brackishness of the water in Pits Ponds and Trenches from the dusky soil much differing from the Neighbouring Territories but more especially from the Nile Pillar whereon formerly flowing eight Degrees prognosticated fertility when in his time rising to * Heretofore sixteen Cubits was the most it attained to as is to be seen in that Image of Nilus having sixteen Children playing about it brought from thence and Dedicated by Vespasian in the Temple of Peace but since that at Cairo it hath usually risen 23. particularly in 1610. Mr. Ge◠Sandys sixteen gave but a doubtful conjecture of a plentiful Harvest Such and the like instances not improbable intimate that the greatest part of Egypt especially where descending from the Mountains about Gran Caire it stretcheth down towards the Sea lying annually under the overflowing of the Nile rais'd its depress'd Morass from the sediments of these pudly inundations the River leaving in his retreat the fertile plunder brought from the High Lands upon the Low Countreys which mud and marling slime filling up stagnated ponds and plashes when dry'd into a swarf improv'd the soil for manuring and better confirm'd for Plantation It is to be supposed that much of it was then covered with water Most Writers with Aristotle concur in this assertion and Homer also seems to hint the same mentioning onely Thebes of this most rich and populous Countrey The Boundaries of Egypt according to the variety of Writers The Boundaries are diversly set forth Scaliger with some few placing part of Arabia with the Gulf on the East the Ethiopian Wildes and Mountains to the South the Desarts of Lybia Westward and the Mid-land Sea North. Others prescribe different limits But Ptolomy though he would seem not to meddle much in this matter yet when more nearly considered we may find him in some manner agreeing with the former bounding it Westward with Marmarica and the inner Lybia to the East with the Red Sea and part of Judea Southerly with Ethiopia and on the North with the Mid-land Sea by which Description he hath rectifyed the mistakes of sundry antient Geographers who accounted Egypt as we have said a part distinct from the other three the then known Regions of the World The Africans themselves who should know their own Countrey best bound Egypt on the South with Nubia on the North with the Mediterranean now the Sea of Damasco the Arabian Gulf washing the East and Alvahat fronting the West But Maginus a very able Geographer gives it for borders the Desarts of Arabia East the Lybian Mountains and Desarts of Barka and Nubia West Ethiopia or the Abyssines Countrey the Wastes of Bugie and Cataracts of Nile South And the Mid-land Sea North. And herewith in effect agreeth Marmol By all which it may appear that Egypt is encompassed with sandy Desarts but where it touches the Mid-land Sea Easterly towards the Red Sea lyes the Country of * The regal Metropolis was also called Thebes destroyed by Cambyses eighty furlongs long and built all upon Vaults Qua centum portarum sunt ducenti autem per unamquamque Viri egrediantur cum equis curribus Vbi multa in domibus opes reconditae jacent Hom. 11.9 Nor Thebes so much renown'd Whose Courts with unexhausted wealth abound Where through a hundred Gates with Marble Arch To battel twenty thousand Chariots march Thebes whose Wilderness being of three or four days journey in former ages becoming a retreat for divers Recluse Orders of Christians contained many Towns which were far better furnished with Monasteries and Cloysters than Houses ¶ THe Desarts of Barka Westward are a tract of ground of fifteen days journey where stood the Temple of Jupiter Hammon to whom Alexander the Great affecting the honour to be stiled his Son gave a Solemn visit Beyond the Red Sea to the South from Caire is a great Wilderness extending even to Judea and supposed to be the same wherein the Israelites made their wandering peregrination of forty years The ground here is not surfac'd with yellow Sand as that of Sahid in Egypt where the stupendious Pyramids and the Mummies so fam'd among us are to be seen but with a kind of soil whose germinating faculty or moisture being utterly exhausted with perpetual and excessive heats leaves no products unless here and there an inconsiderable shrub Another sandy Desart and more dangerous Mummies found stretches it self between Caire and the well-known Village Delbogui twenty eight days journeys and destitute of all accommodation where many casual Mummies are found supposed to be Travellers perishing there under accumulated drifts of Sand raised by sudden Tempests but now to avoid such eminent hazards all that journey those ways are convey'd in close Wooden Boxes which neither air nor light transpierceth otherwise than through small crannies ¶ THe divisions of Egypt are as various Egypt how divided as the opinions of Authors are differing Jaques Albert reckons thirteen Provincial Jurisdictions by the Inabitants called Kasssiffs or Meltoscemines six of which viz. the Kasssiffs of Girgio or Sahid Manfelout Benesuef Fiam Gize Bouhera or Baera lye toward the West from the Nile the other seven as Garbia Menoufia Mansoura Kallioubith Minio Cherkeffi and Kattia wholly to the Eastward The Kassiffe of Girgio or Sahid Kassiffes thirteen the first of the Western Provinces is a vast tract sub-divided into twelve or fourteen lesser Governments call'd there Kassifillix whereof every one hath its particular Regent or Lieutenant About a hundred years since this was accounted as a distinct Kingdom for the Government whereof a Bassa with the title of Vice-roy was usually sent thither from the Grand Seigneur at Constantinople but of late brought under the Bassa of Cairo who sends thither a Sanjacke as his Deputy The Kassiffe of Manfelout joyns to that of Girgio
Sea whereas Heliopolis lyes up within the Land many Miles from the Sea Damiata lyes in a bottom Damiata about two Miles from the Mediterranean on the shore of Nile which runs through and waters it on both sides on whose Banks there stands a Fort upon one side but on the other are onely Houses for having no Walls the lowness of its scituation makes it strong and tenable enough by reason thereof it becomes also most delightful and fertile the Inclosures and Gardens abounding with Trees of Cassia Limons Vines Musae and all manner of other delicious Fruits which here according to their several kinds are more delighted with the soil than all the rest of Egypt for by the Trenches here which is so no where else after the retreat of the Nile the waters are let in to moisten the thirsty Lands in the time of Drowth In these Trenches grows a Weed that moves to and fro upon the water resembling that we call Ducks-Meat or Ducks-Madder without Stalk or Root shooting downward onely many small strings and threds The Leaves are of a pale green like those of Dogs-tongue but shorter broader thicker whiter more bristly and stinging This Plant is the true Stratiotes Milfoyl or Souldiers-Herb of the Antients having Leaves like Houseleek Water House-leek and is therefore call'd by the Egyptians Hay-alem-Emovi that is Water House-leek The juice or powder good to stop Blood It has no smell and in taste is choaky and dry The Egyptians use the Leaves for the same Diseases The juice or powder good to stop Blood for which we take Mallows The Bedori or Countrey-women use the Juice or Powder of the dry Leaves daily a quarter of an Ounce The Leaves cure wounds against all immoderate Fluxes of Blood The Countreymen cure all Wounds with the Leaves The Leaves cure wounds which they apply stamped or crushed in a strange manner Next in the East stands Tenez Tenez or Tenex by Burchard call'd Taphnis and taken for Tanis in Holy Scripture The Lake Stagnone being in the Land of Goshen Adjacent thereto is the Lake by Mariners as Pinetus reports call'd Stagnone or Barathra by the Inhabitants Bayrene and by Montegarze in his Travels Marera This Lake is very dangerous because of the Sands whereof some appear above and others treacherously sculking underneath The next in course is Arrise Arrise formerly Ostracine and in many old Maps Ostraca and Ostraci then comes Pharamide by some stil'd Pharamica and formerly Rhinocura and by Strabo placed on the Coast of Egypt and Syria Burchard thinks it is Pharma which he saith is large and well built but in a manner deserted by the Inhabitants overpowr'd by the encrease of Serpents From thence passing Southward by the point of Nile towards Cairo Seru. Rascaillis there are two antient places call'd Seru and Rascaillis near Neighbors There is here Masura or Masur Masur formerly Miscormus near a branch of Nile call'd by the Inhabitants Batsequer Here Lewis the Ninth King of France was taken Prisoner in the Battel which he fought against the Soldan of Egypt After Masura followeth Demanora and many other places of which the most worthy of note is Fustatio or Fostat Fustat that is A Pavilion It is a small place lying on the Nile and call'd by the Inhabitants Misreatichi that is The Old City which name by good right it challenges in respect of Cairo whose Founder was an Arabian Commander named Hanier sent thither by the Califfe his Master on the side of Chargni Mevy Cambri lyes Mevy Cambri betwixt Damiata and Grand Caire after which may be reckon'd Caracania Bulgaite Abessus and Souba Having passed the forementioned places we now come to enter the third part of Egypt call'd Sahyd otherwise according to Sanutius Thebes from Thebes once the Court and Seat of the Egyptian Kings who afterwards removed to Memphis and from thence to Alexandria and afterwards to Cairo This Province extends it self from the borders of Buchieri to Cairo and so to Assue The City CAJRVS De Stadt CAIRUS Cairo then taken for Memphis The various names of Cairo which was reputed the most antient of all Cities is call'd by the Egyptians or Coptists Monphta by the Armenians Messor by the Chaldeans Cabra by the Hebrews one while Moph otherwhile Noph or Migdal that is Wrath then again Maphez but commonly Mizraim which last name also the later Hebrews as we have said have given to the whole Countrey The Turks call it Mitzir or Missir and Alcaire Marmol Marmol and others say that Cairo is deriv'd from the Arabian word Elcahira which signifies a Society or Cloister some will have it from the Arabian and Persian Mercere or rather from the word Mesre adding moreover that an Egyptian King nam'd Mohez on the highest place of Mercere made a Bulwark and built a Castle to strengthen it against all incursions of Enemies and call'd it by his Daughters name Caireth This place at length grew so great that the first name Mercere was utterly forgotten and the name Caireth received and now known to us in Europe by no other name than that of Grand Cairo Leo Africanus Leo. Afr Marmol and others Marmol and others consent in one opinion that this City is not antient being founded by Gehoar-El-Quitib the Subject of a nameless Caliph from all which it may be concluded that the old Memphis is either quite ruin'd or had another scituation Memphis is an Egyptian word and has its derivation from Monphta The Original of the word Memphis as we said which in the Egyptian Tongue signifies The Water of God and by the Grecians chang'd into Memphis For what cause or how the City got this denomination Opinions are various one not improbable may be this Kircher Chorogr Egypt p. 27. When the Sons of Cham began to send Colonies into these parts some say they pitched their first Tents upon the Memphian Hills the Lower parts generally as afore-mentioned lying under water as a Lake but afterwards as the Ground became more dry the City was Built by Mizraim the Son of Cham upon the Shore of Nilus calling it by his own name Mizraim afterwards the Countrey and City by the fruitful overflowings of the River becoming more fertile they conceive it was call'd Monphta that is The Water of God and by variation of Dialect corrupted to Memphis Herodotus affirms in his second Book Herodot Enterpe that Memphis was Built by the first Egyptian King Menes who is held to be the same with Mizraim This Memphis now Cairo was divided into four parts viz. Bulach Charaffa Old Cairo and Grand Cairo the two first were generally accounted among the Suburbs of Grand Cairo but are now as also Old Cairo so ill furnish'd with Houses that they seem rather Villages than Cities It containeth in its circuit Beauvau the mentioned places with their Suburbs according to Beauvau is thirty Leagues though
great Katabathmus by Ruscelius named Carto a great Valley reaching to Egypt Opposite to this but more deep into the Countrey was the Oracle and Temple of Jupiter Hammon four hundred thousand Paces from Cyrene say both Pliny and Solinus in the midst of a Sandy Desart three miles in length Gramay by mistake sets it in the Desart of Lybia and Leo Africanus in Numidia between Jasliten and Teorreque but where-ever it stood they call it now in Arabick Hesachbir that is A Heap of Stone Afterwards followeth the Haven formerly call'd Selin now Soudan having but a narrow Entrance but spacious and convenient within Next appears Laguixi formerly Trifachi of late time Raxa taken for the Paresonium of Ptolomy and Strabo although Mercator rejects that opinion and maintains Paresonium to have been Alberton Farther to the In-land stands the chief City Barka from whence the Countrey taketh its Name All the whole Countrey is almost nothing but a barren Wilderness Their Soyl. that hath neither Water for refreshment or use or Soyl fit for Tillage which makes them live very poorly A few Dates they have indeed but of little consequence to supply so great a Tract of Land Some Sheep and Camels they are Masters of but make little Profit of them the scarcity of Pasturage and Fodder making them so Lean that they are unfit for use or service Nay such is the unhappy necessity of the People that Parents often send their Children over to Sicily to become Servants and undertake all sorts of Drudgery onely for their sustenance The Arabians that possess Barka are ill-favour'd and crooked of Body and Conditions driven by want continually to Rob so that no Carravan dare pass along the Sea-Coast opposite to the Desart but take their way sixty miles about to the In-land When these Arabians go to steal in Biledulgerid The Arabian's Robbery and ransack Pilgrims and Travellers they give them hot Milk to drink then lift them up by their Legs with their Heads down so that of necessity all must break forth that is in their Body which Excrements these Villainous Thieves search in hope therein to find some Ducats supposing Travellers coming that way out of fear have swallowed their Money But the places on the Sea-Coast are better ordered Their Government being subject to the Turks and under the immediate Command of the Bashaw of Tripoli who usually sends to Barka the principal City a Kadiz to administer Justice All the People are Mahumetans excepting the wild Arabs in the Desarts Their Religion who live by Rapine and Villany without any sence of Religion Honesty or Goodness Biledulgerid or Numidia 283. comprehends Sus and Ydausquerit Sus proper Cities or Towns Idrunadayf Iduguneus Argon the three chief besides Idjauson Merit Deusdisdud Deusenez Indeuzell Arrahala Ayhakeli and Tizitit Rivers Darha Ziz and Ghir Extuka Towns Targuez the Metropolis with 40 Townships and Castles subject to it Nun Towns Nun the chief City Idaguazinguel Idanbaquil Deurseumugt and Hilela Tesset Towns Tesset the head-City Ufran or Ufaran Towns It hath four Fortifi'd but not nam'd Rivers One and that but small Aka Towns None onely three Villages Dara Dara containing Towns Banesbick Quiteva Sizeri Tagumadert Tenzeda Tragadell Tenzulin Tameguerut Temerguit Tabernast and Assa Rivers Dara Mountains Atlas in part Tafilet Itata Towns Itata Tafilet prop. Towns Tafilet Sugulmesse Sugelmesse Towns Segelmesse Teneghet Tebubassan Manuun Mazalig Abuhinam and Kasayr besides 350 Cities more great and small not nam'd Rivers Ziz. Monutains Mezetazu Telde Queneg Matgara Retil Tebelhelt Togda Forkala Tezerin Berrigumi Benibesseri Guachde Fighie Terebit Tegorarin Messab Tekort Guargula Zeb Towns Zebbell Gastir and Tamarakrost besides 12 small Forts and 26 Villages Helet and some Forts on the River Fez. None nam'd but Forts Essuoihila Humeledegi and Ummelhesen Three very populous and 12 Villages Four Villages 10. Three small ones and 4 Villages Six small ones and 15 Villages Eight of considerable strength besides 15 Hamlets Three Fortifi'd places Three fair ones The River Ghir Three strong ones Four Villages eight Three and fifty Fortresses and 100 Villages Six Strong-Holds besides Villages Tekurt the Turaffilum of Ptolomy Guargala Zeb Peskare Nefta Teolocha and Deusca Biledulgerid proper Biledulgerid Cities Teusar Kafza Nefzara Teoreque Three good Forts 26 Villages Jasliten Towns Jasliten Gademez Towns Sixteen Wall'd and ninety two Villages Fassen Towns Augele besides 58 Wall'd Cities and a hundred open Villages NUMIDIA OR BILEDULGERID ANtient Numidia by Ptolomy call'd New Numidia Antient Numidia and by the Grecians according to Pliny Metagonites takes its beginning as the same Pliny at the River Ampiaga now named Sufegnia and endeth at the River Tuska now call'd Guadel Barbar which Region some now comprise under the Kingdom of Telensin or Tremecen But some observe that Ptolomy hath not set forth in particular the proper Bounds of Numidia though they may well say that he hath conterminated this Countrey with the Rivers Sufegmar and Jadogh by the Moderns call'd Ampsiaga and Rubrikat near Bona which Territory containeth part of Constantine and a part of Bugie But Maginus settles Numidia otherwise that is between the River Magior formerly known by Audus where Ptolomy fixeth his Numidian-Bay and the River Megerada or Magrada call'd Bagrada near Carthage under which also a part of the Kingdom of Tunis may be comprised The Numidia which now we know is that part of Africa Modern Numidia which by some is placed between Lybia and the Mountain Atlas Leo Africanus and likely takes in no little share of Ptolomy's antient Description for some endeavour to make out that its Borders extend farther taking in most part of Bugie and the Kingdom of Tunis and a good share of the Caesarian Mauritania in the Territory of Dara ¶ THe spacious Dominions of this vast Countrey Numidia Name the Arabians call Biledulgerid from the chief Province thereof or according to Anani Guaten-Tamar both signifying Date-land so named from the abundance of that Fruit which that Countrey produceth more than any other part of Africa ¶ NUmidia takes its beginning Eastwards at the City of Elokar Borders five and twenty Spanish miles from Egypt stretching Westward to Nun whose utmost Confines Border the Atlantick Ocean its Northern Boundaries are the Skirts of Mount Atlas the South the Desarts of Lybia ¶ THe most eminent Regions which this World of Ground contains Territories are Tesset Dara Tafilet Segelmesse Zeb and Biledulgerid This last as we said gives the Denomination to all Numidia But there are other Countreys within this its spreading Circuit especially Westward as shall appear hereafter ¶ BIledulgerid Bigness or Numidia reckons in length six hundred miles in breadth where at widest three and fifty The chief People which now Plant this large Countrey on the West are according to Marmol the Musamades Hilels Zaragans and Quicimas and the meaner sort are call'd Gemis signifying a Masseline of several Nations ¶
the Densans are Stout and Warlike Borgia feeds many Artificers but more Husbandmen ¶ ONe part of this Territory stands under the Jurisdiction of the Arabians Their Government another under the Kings of Kouko and Labez the third the Turk lays his claim to But Paskare Anno Fifteen hundred sixty two was rent from the King of Tunis by the practises of one Tachea a Marabout who making himself Master they could never be reduced to the former Government THE TERRITORY OF BILEDULGERID BIledulgerid The Territory of Biledulgerid or Beledulgerid which is a single Province yet gives Denomination to all Numidia as we said before signifying Date-Land extendeth to the Realm of Tunis beginning at Teskare so reaching to the Coasts belonging to the Isles of Zerbes bordering on the East at Cyrene one Point shoots far from the Mediterrane for Tousar and Cafta two stretched-out Arms of the Province reckon seventy five Miles from the Midland-Sea This Countrey hath onely three Cities Teusar The first Teusar antiently erected by the Romans near a Desart and water'd by a small River replenished from the Southern Mountains is divided in two Divisions one stands possest by the Natives and the other by the Arabians since the Mahumetans deserted it having destroy'd the place The second Kafsa Kafsa also a Colony of the Romans stands in Longitude forty and in Latitude twenty seven Degrees and ten Minutes and hath a strong Fort with Walls of Touch or Black-Stone being five and twenty Cubits high and five broad There are also stately Mosques and spacious Streets pav'd with Black-Stone The middle of the City is adorn'd with several Fountains standing within a Quadrangular Wall The City Nefzara in Longitude forty two Degrees and fifteen Minutes and in Latitude thirty Degrees consisting of three inclos'd or wall'd Villages close together is very populous ¶ THe Air of this Province is generally hot and that of Kafza is so bad The Air. that the Inhabitants are always troubled with Agues and Feavers The whole Tract of Land of Tousart is befriended with a handsome River and that of Kafza onely by a warm Stream not potable unless it stands an hour or two cooling This Countrey also dry bares no Corn but abounds in Dates But the Kassan Countrey hath not onely the best but the greatest quantity of Dates and also Olives of all the adjacent Territories Neither want they store of Flax and are well provided with Potters Earth of which they make very fine Earthen War This Countrey as far as Tripoli is under the Government of Tunis Teorregu TEorregu borders on Tripoli nearest to the Desarts of Barka having three good Forts and six and twenty Villages The Inhabitants distanced far from other well-peopl'd places are very poor Jasliten or Jassitin JAsliten or Jassitin is a small Canton near the Mediterrane-Sea between Kafza and Trioply in Longitude two and forty Degrees and fifty Minutes and in Latitude eight and twenty This Countrey hath also store of Dates and is under the Jurisdiction of Tripoli Gademez GAdemez a Countrey Southward from the Midland-Sea sixty miles containing sixteen wall'd Cities and ninety two Villages Zieglerus the chiefest Seat is Gademez by Zieglerus taken for the Oasis of Ptolomy This Territory also rich in Dates is slenderly accommodated with Grain and Flesh The Inhabitants deal much in Negro-Land They were under the Kingdom of Tunis but now forsooth boast themselves a Free-State Fassen or Ferssen FAssen a great Countrey borders Agadez and the Lybick Desarts There is no other inhabited place in those Wilds but onely Augele but the whole Countrey contains eight and fifty Wall'd Towns and a hundred open Villages the chief Seat being in Longitude forty four and in the Latitude twenty six These want no Dates though Corn and Flesh which other places supply except Camels which there they make their usual Food They obey a Supream Authority who receives and pays all that belongs to the Publick Lybia or Zaara 305. Lybick Nun Towns Nun the Metropolis besides a Cape of the same Name Zenega Towns Zenega Anterobe Arquin Port Cavallero Rivers Rio de Oro or Golden-Stream Mountains Mountain of the Sun or Bojador Tagaza Towns Tegaza the chief with many Salt-Pits and divers Villages Zuenziga Towns Zuenziga Gogden Hayr or Terga Towns Terga Agadez Lempta Towns Iguidi Berdoa Towns Three fortifi'd and six Villages Augele Towns Three inclos'd with Walls besides many Villages Syrte Towns One onely nam'd Syrte and that in effect a heap of Ruines Algequet Towns Three inclos'd for defence besides many Villages LYBIA OR ZAARA THe Antient Grecians as Herodotus Diodorus and others Several meanings of the Name Lybia call'd all Africa Lybia but afterwards this general Name was contracted into a narrower Circuit and Signification Ptolem. Geogr. lib. 4. and appropriated onely to a small part of this vast Region and this also divided into the proper or Exterior and Interior-Lybia whereas some call onely the Exterior Lybia The peculiar Lybia was properly that part of Africa which reaches from Alexandria to Cyrene Procop. de Edit Just lib. 6. compassing the Countrey of Barka This is that part of the Countrey which Ptolomy expresseth under that Name whereas some as Philippus and also Cluverius call this proper antient Lybia Exterior Lybia taking in the Desart of Delphocat and Gaoga and place it on the West side of the Nyle and spread it to the Negro's Countrey ¶ LYbia Interior or Inward Lybia according to Ptolomy hath in the North The Borders of Inward Lybia the two Mauritania's that is the Caesarian Mauritania and the Tingitana Tangâ—ian-Moors Countrey the East a part of Marmarica and Ethiopia below Egypt in the South Inward Ethiopia and in the West the Atlantick Ocean But the Modern Lybia which contains a part of Interior Lybia agrees not with the Antient Lybia Bounds but is by the late Geographers included within other Borders as hereafter ¶ THe New Lybia hath for North Confines the Desart of Numidia The Borders of the Modern Lybia or Biledulgerid with a part of their Nun Eastward Egypt the City Elockat and the Kingdom of Gaoga conterminate to the South Negro-Land the West washed with the Atlantick Ocean along whose Coast it reacheth from that part of Nun which belongeth to Biledulgerid or Numidia to the River of Zenega or Niger which divides the Whites and Blacks A Partition between the Whites and Black But to set forth the Bounds thereof more accurately its Northern Confines range all along with that Negro-Land that hath the River Zenega which passeth on by these Countreys in the form of a long narrow Towel almost to the Nyle it is a Tract of sixty Spanish Miles ¶ THe original of the Name Lybia the Grecians derive from a Woman The original of the Name of Lybia Herodotus Aldrete Antigued lib. 3. cap. 6. a Native of that Countrey call'd Lybia some from a greater Lady Lybia the Daughter
Complainant be a great Lord then being come at the Palace he winds his Horn to acquaint the Servants of his coming before the King If upon examination he finds both have offended then the least Offender is sent to the Lords of the Justice who punish him corporally by beating with Cudgels but the greatest he condemns in a pecuniary mulct But if onely one great Lord hath committed any offence being brought before the King in his Chamber he is stripped stark naked and laid upon the Ground where upon his humble submission and begging of pardon he receives some blows with a Wand from the King 's own Hand more or less according to the bigness of the Crime After which he takes up his Clothes kisseth the King's Feet and in all humility thanks him for the favor receiv'd then he attends the King into his Hall who forgives him in the presence of all the Court with a Command to do Justice and afterwards goes out of the City in publick with honorable attendance and returns into his Countrey with as great satisfaction as if he had received some great Present When the King travels abroad to view his Concerns he rides upon a Horse richly furnished and going out of the Palace treads over a new-kill'd Deer whereupon all the People give a loud shout and at the same time the Priests inspect the Intrails to know whether his Progress will be prosperous or not When he makes his entrance into any City then all the handsomest Ladies and Maids meet him some singing his praise others carrying and burning Perfumes before him others playing with small Sticks on a Bason and every one striving to recreate and please him When any Native Prince sends an Agent to Treat about some weighty Matters they also kill a Deer which the King steps over thrice the Soothsayer in the interim viewing the Inwards to enquire of the effect that may be produced thereby Some report the Inhabitants of the City Melinde for Heathens Religion others for Mahumetans but Linschot says they are of both sorts among which are many Christians The Mahumetans incline to the Sect of the Emoraydes which disesteeming the Alcaron follow the Doctrine of Zayd the Son of Hoiem The Christians have a strong Congregation as a proof whereof they have erected a great Gilded Marble Cross and have seventeen Churches or Chappels there The Kingdom of Lamo. MOre Northerly lieth the Kingdoms of Lamo or Lamen and Pate but that of Lamo spreads more to the West as bordering upon the River Quilmanzi having in the North Melinde and in the East Pate The chief City Lamo lying a little Northward of the Line hath a good defensive Wall against the Invasion of the In-land People with whom though in War yet as occasion offers Trade together Both King and People are all Mahumetans but pay Tribute to the Portuguese Government to whose Power they submit in all things The Kingdoms of Pate Sian Chelicie and Ampaza THe Kingdom of Pate extends all along the Sea-Coast on both sides the Bay in Portuguese call'd Baya Formosa and the City is handsom and large and hath a good Haven The Jurisdictions of Sian Chelicie and Ampaza neighbor it on all sides having indeed peculiar Lords of their own but so inconsiderable that their whole Strength cannot defend them from being miserable Slaves to the Portuguese they Lording over them nor can the greatness of the Turks to whose Protection they sometimes flye give them either a Relief or Relaxation The Portuguese have a Castle at Pate and another between that and Sian call'd Mondra But because the Mahumetans shewed themselves unwilling to pay Tribute and began to raise some Mutinies and Disturbances the Portuguese Admiral Thomas Sousa in the Year Fifteen hundred eighty nine pull'd it down to the Ground And Alphonso de Mello laid waste the City of Ampaza in Fifteen hundred eighty seven for the like Rebellion yet the King after he had made Peace with the Portuguese remain'd in the ruin'd City The Countrey of Ajan THe Countrey of Ajan or Axam as the Arabians call it according to the testimony of Marmol or rather Habaxa or Habex some take for the antient Trogloditica extending along the Shore of the Arabian and Avalitian Gulf to the Mountain Elefas Fellos This Countrey hath for Borders in the South the great Arm of the River Quilmanzi and the last described Kingdoms in the North Abyssynie or Prester-Johns Countrey and the Straights of Mecha in the West the Mountains out of which the River Quilmanzi shoots and also the same River with part of Abyssinie and in the East the Ocean It concludes within its compass from the South to the North the Republick of Brava the Kingdoms of Madagaxo Adea or Adel and some other more unknown Places This Countrey affords plenty of all Necessaries for the preservation of Man's life but most famous for a Breed of good Horses From the River Quilmanzi they extract Gold The People living at the Sea-shore are most of them Whites but those in the Countrey Cole-black with whom the Beduines a white People commixing produce Mulatto-Children neither perfectly white nor absolutely black These Beduines live a toylsom and beastial life ranging along the Shore of the River lodging under the open Canopy of Heaven and maintaining themselves by Robbing and Stealing The Inhabitants of this Countrey maintain a continual War against the People of Abyssinie and sell all those they take Prisoners to the Arabians living beyond the Red-Sea in Asia The Merchants of Kambaye Aden and all the Arabians come into the Haven of Ajan to Traffick carrying thither all sorts of colour'd Stuffs and Cloth with Glass-Beads and other Commodities From Ormus they bring Raisins and Dates which they exchange in the Havens of Zoila and Barbore for Gold Ivory and Slaves The People inhabiting this Coast are all Mussulines but those farther into the Countrey are Emoraides otherwise call'd Beduinen a sort of Mahumetan Sectaries The City and Republick of Brava BEyond Quilmanzi at the Coast of Ajan not far from the Sea-shore in ten Degrees and thirty Minutes North-Latitude lieth the City Brava surrounded with strong Walls and full of stately Houses built after the Moorish fashion It is a Place of great Trade and hath abundance of Gold and Silver The Inhabitants pay yearly a Tribute of five hundred Metigals of Gold to the Portuguese every Metigal reckon'd worth a Ducket and a third part of one We may read in Texcira that on the Coast of Zanguebar near Brava was a piece of Ambergreece found so big that one standing at one side of it could not see a Camel on the other side This is the onely Republick of Africa being Govern'd by twelve Xeques Government chosen by the antientest People out of the Family of the Brothers aforemention'd who to escape the Persecution and Tyranny of the Kings of Lakah Religion fled out of Arabia Felix hither where they still retain the Mahumetanism which
Shores just the contrary yet both scituated alike under the Torrid Zone in which Season happen great Floods both from the Ocean and sudden Falls from the Mount Gatis not far distant The like is found also at Cape Rosalgate and Guardafuy the utmost Eastern Point of Africa ¶ BUt to make a deeper and more exact Disquisition is that all Arabia towards the East of Africa lies enclosed with Mountains whose Rocky Battlements appear above the Clouds their swoln Ridges extending themselves in a long continued Wall reach from the bottom of the Arabian Gulf to the Islands of Curiamurie these towery Hills of so prodigious height not onely put to a stand all Windes and Rain but turn them in their hurrying Eddyes so dispersing every way as well as in the two out-stretching Capes of Mosamde and Rosalgate though they lye much lower than the rest of the Sea Coast On these Rocky Ascents appearing to Sea-ward rough and rugged the poor Arabians in a very sad condition make their residence These people have Winter with those of Coromandell for their remoter Suns brings them Cold and Wet but those who dwell on the other side of the Mountains towards the Coast of Frankincense have the same seasons with those of Malabar so these Mountains work the like effect on the Arabians as Gatis on the Indians their Winter falling in June July and September both in the Land of Frankincense Arabia Felix and the whole Coasts of the Curiamurian Isles unto the Lake Babalmandab Near the Arabian Gulf in Ethiopia you will meet there also the like alterations and the same seasons of the year as at Guardafuy and the Kingdom of Adell and all along the Ethiopick Coasts to the Mouth of Babalmandab as we have or those of Coromandell finding in December and January their hardest weather Then they which live betwixt twenty and thirty miles off the Coast have their Colds more milde and their Rains so temperate and harmless they seem rather a comfort than a disturbance Nature conferring on them such refreshing Coolness but if you venture farther up into the Countrey then the Scene changing you are tormented with excessive Heat for at the same instant while Winter smiles on the Shore it rages farther up and their gentle Rains below so unequal to their deluging Showres above that then there is no travelling any way all Passages being obstructed with Floods so sudden and violent that many perish there with extream Cold meerly from the raw Defluxes of chilling waters such alterations the Mountain Dabyri Bizan causes The Portugees and Hollander have also discovered many more such places in Congo and Angola where their Winter and violent Rains commence in the Vernal Equinox and continue March April and May their milder showres in the Autumnal September and October so that in some places they have two Seasons their former and later Rain for those steep Mountains whence Zaire Coansa Bengo and other great Rivers descend obstruct the course of the Air and the Land-windes being hot and dry but the South-west winde coming from Sea brings Rain hence it is manifest that Africa under the Torrid Zone is for the most part Habitable ¶ AMongst the Ancients Ancient Discoveries of it Hanno a Carthaginian set forth by that State discovered long since much of the Coasts of Africa but pierced not far the Inland Countrey nor did his Voyage give any great light that they might after steer by though translated from the Punick Language into Greek and published by Sigismund Gelenius at Bazill in 1533. and in the Reign of Necho King of Egypt some Phenicians from the Red-sea sayl'd by the Coast of Africa to Gibraltar from thence returning the same way they came Of which * Herodotus wrote nine Books of History according to the number of the Muses entituling them in order by one of their Names Herodotus in his †Fourth Book Melpomene says The Phenicians sayling from the Red-sea came into the Southern Ocean and after three years reaching Hercules Pillars return'd through the Mediterranean reporting wonders how that they had the Sun at Noon on their Starboard or North-side to which I give little Credit and others may believe as they please Nor did Sataspes Voyage in the Reign of Xerxes King of Persia in the year of the world 3435. give us any better Hints of which thus Herodotus in the same Book Sataspes Teaspes son ravishing a Virgin and Condemned to be Crucified by the Mediation of his Mother Darius Sister was to suffer no more than to undertake a Voyage round Africa which he but sleightly perform'd for passing Gibraltar he sayl'd to the utmost Point called Siloe * Perhaps Bon Speranza or Cape de Verd. from thence sayling on Southward but being weary returning the same way he came made a strange Relation to Xerxes how he had seen remote Countreys where he found few People in Tyrian Purple but such as when they drew near Land forsook their Abodes and fled up into the Mountains and that they onely drove some of their Cattel thence doing them no further Damage Adding also that he had sayl'd round Africa had it not been impossible To which the King giving small credit and for that Sataspes had not perform'd his Undertakings remitted him to his former Sentence of Crucifying ¶ AS little avail'd that Expedition of the * A People inhabiting Tunis Nasamones to this Discovery who as Herodotus relates in his †Second Book Euterpe chose by lot five young men of good Fortunes and Qualifications to explore the African Desarts never yet penetrated to inform themselves of their Vastness and what might be beyond These setting forth with fit Provision came first where onely wilde Beasts inhabited thence travelling west-ward through barren Lands after many days they saw a Plain planted with Trees to which drawing near they tasted their Fruit whilest a Dwarf-like People came to them about half their stature neither by speech understanding the other they led them by the hand over a vast Common to their City where all the Inhabitants were Blacks and of the same size by this City ran towards the East a great River abounding with Crocodiles which Etearchus King of the Ammonians to whom the Nasamones related this supposed to be the Nile This is all we have of Antiquity and from one single Author who writ 420 years before the Incarnation which sufficiently sets forth the Ignorance of the Ancients concerning Africa ¶ BUt what they knew not and thought almost impossible to be known is common for the secrets of the Deep and remotest Shores are now beaten and tracted with continual Voyages as well known Roads are since Vasques de Gamma a Portugees Anno 1497. first opened the Discovery and finish'd to the no small Honor of the Nation his intended Design for that People having got ground upon the Spaniard widening the bredth of their commodious Sea-coasts first fell on the Moors in Africa taking several of their best
the City from the Serpent Python This proof of Delta's lying under water heretofore makes us rightly to interpret Herodotus Strabo and others who maintained all Egypt to have been in the same condition whereas they must be understood by a Synechdoche to have taken a part for the whole for that Egypt in general was not drown'd with the Sea will appear from hence that it was very Mountainous and upon a continual ascent upwards to the Nile even as far as the Cataracts thereof and Ethiopia And now the Series of our Discourse having brought us to the Nile we will with as much brevity and exactness as possible describe the same by discovering his first rise and heads with his several branches and sources and setting down the Genuine causes of his annual Fluxes from the crediblest of our Modern Authors This River famous for his greatness and faecundity According to some the name of Nilus is derived from Nâ—â—â— Owâ— id est drawing new slime which may make the Earth fertile See Virg. Georg. 2. hath by antiquity many several names attributed to him The Hebrews call him Nahar-Mitzraim that is the River of Egypt the Inhabitants Nuchal which agrees with Pomponius Mela who give the same to the Head-spring of Nile and is but little different from the Hebrew Nahal or Nachal 'T is also by the Jews named Shickor or Sihor signifying black from the colour of the sediment for the same reason call'd by the Greeks Melas black And the Antients represented his Figure in black stone though all other Rivers were denoted by white Statues Some would fancy this to be Gihon mentioned in Holy Writ but with how little probability may easily be conjectured if we consider that Gihon was one of the four great Rivers that watered the Terrestrial Paradise and consequently in Asia whereas this is in Africk Homer Diodorus Xenophon and others give him the common appellation of the Countrey that is Egyptus and Plutarch names him Osyris and Syris Apollonius Triton Pliny Astraton Diodorus Aquila because of his swiftness it seems Cedrenus Chrysorrhoe Golden stream and Dyonisius Syene In the Reign of King Orus there eight hundred years before the building of Rome the same was by his Subjects known by the title of Noym or Num. Upon the Coasts of Lybia towards Syene from the name of a Princes Child there drown'd it was first call'd Nilus which also the Africans do The Abyssines stile it Abanha Father of Rivers The Negroes or Moors Takkui and from them the Abyssines Nil Takui and the two branches thereof Tagazi and Abanhi Lastly by the report of Sanutius the people of the Kingdom of Goyame call it Gihon This famous River thus severally known by variety of Names by yearly inundations doth so fertllize and fatten the earth that it provides for and furnishes the Inhabitants even with an exuberance of Plenty which proceeds from three remarkable Prerogatives wherewith Nature hath endowed him beyond all other Rivers The first is that he sends forth no foggy vapors which makes the Air very healthful and serene being continually free either from Rain Clouds Mists or Fogs Secondly he runs with so even and undisturbed a stream that there never accrews any danger from his Waves or Billows to any Boats Barks or Passengers sailing thereon but a satisfactory pleasure from his continual calm Lastly his faecundating vertue which is so great that it causeth not onely an infinite encrease in all sorts of Cattel that water there and breeds a prolifick faculty in Men and Women but produces of all things growing from the earth a Harvest plentiful even to admiration And this fertility without dispute was the cause why Egypt of old exceeded all other Nations almost for multitude of people and yet to this day after so many direful depopulations may compare with those that boast the greatest number of Inhabitants As a testimony whereof Diodorus records that there were once in it eighteen thousand strong Cities many of which as it seems were either by Time or War lay'd waste and desolate because we find in the Reign of Ptolomy Lagus onely three thousand Registred no more then remaining which by Suidas his account was in the Empire of Caesar Augustus when Diodorus lived The same Author reports that in Elder times the number of its Inhabitants were seventeen hundred thousand and that in his own time they were no less in general esteem than thirteen hundred thousand which wonderful encrease might be effected by the constant drinking the water of this River whose vertue had the power as some believed to make the Egyptian Women bring forth so often not onely two or three but sometimes six or seven nay eight Children at a Birth And this may a little abate the wonder how the Children of Israel in so short a time as two hundred years * Broughton which was all the space they sojourned in Egypt multiplyed from but seventy souls to above six hundred thousand men on foot besides Women and Children nor may those stupendious Monuments of Grandeur which even to this day bear the name of Wonders seem so strange to have been erected by the Antient Kings of this Countrey as a Remonstrance of their glorious Greatness and Magnificence if we lay into the other Scale the infinite number of people that were under their Commands all whose hands at the Princes Fiat being employed made things otherwise seeming impossible to become facile according to that of the Poet Multorum manibus grande levatur opus From these unusual Excellencies and rare Qualifications of this River the Gymnosophists of Egypt made it one of their chief Numens which they worshipped with particular Solemnities under the name of the Goddess Isis to whose care and kindness they ascrib'd their continual freedom from the terror and danger of Earthquakes and that they were never infested with any Pestilential Contagion but alwayes enjoyed a Serene wholesomeness of Air not subject to any impetuous storms or alterations of weather either from the Clouds or Windes This was the cause of those many honorable Epithetes bestowed on it by Antiquity among which one was the flowing of Osiris or rather as Abenefius an Arabick Writer hath it Osiris Arm because it did as it were reach forth to Mankind so great a Plenty of Provisions For observing that Egypt enclosed with Mountains did resemble an Arm and that the several partitions at the end seemed Fingers he appointed to the Nile the place of the Mediana or Liver-vein This like that in the body sending forth its quickning moisture by whose motion and circulation it fertilitates the whole even to such an height of abundance as makes Wonder stand amaz'd to see Nature turn Prodigal This agrees well with the Antient Poets who gave to this River many notable attributes Homer the Prince of them says it fell from Heaven out of Jupiter's Bosome from whence happily sprung the belief not onely of the old Egyptians but the later Greeks that
more his torrent with impetuous waves Drawn up against his rage A second the Ocean from whence they supposed that superabundance of water came at that season The third was rain because as Democritus writes at that time in the Southern parts great quantities of rain pours down the Trade-winds driving the clouds that way Anaxagoras a great Naturalist holds the melting of the snow in the Ethiopian Mountains as a cause agreeing therein with Euripides Aquam pulchram deserens Fluminis Nili quae extera defluit Nigrorum hominum tunc tumefacit undas Quum Aethiopicae nives liquuntur Then leaving pleasant streams of Nile Issuing from the Negro soil Who annually his Banks o'reflows At Thaws of Aethiopian Snows But Ephorus a Scholar of Isocrates says it proceeds from an abundance of moisture all the Winter retained in Subterranean Caverns which at the approach of the Summer solstice break forth and evaporate like Sweat by an insensible transpiration to such a quantity as produces the rising of the River Contrary to which Lucan l. 10. says thus Vana fides veterum Nilo quod crescat in arva Aethiopum prodesse nives non Arctos in illis Montibus aut Boreas testes ubi Sole perusti Ipse color populi calidisque vaporibus Austri Adde quod omne caput fluvii quodcunque soluta Praecipitat glacies ingresso Vere vanescit Prima tabe nivis Slight antient Saws that Nile his banks o'reflows From melting swoln of Ethiopian Snows No Boreas hoars those hills their people tan'd With sweltring Southern Windes and scalding Sand No streams in brimmers from their Fountains post Till Spring dissolves the hoards of Winter frost Kircher in his Enquiries upon this subject first makes the natural scite and disposition of the Ethiopian Mountains a prime and the condition of the Channel a second cause but after coming more home to the point he gives two more probable One when their mouths are so obstructed they cannot discharge their Water Another when the Channels receive more than they are wont or can contain This later happens either through molten Snow or the falling of excessive Rain Thales one of the seven Grecian Sages asserts the former opinion Anaxagoras and most other Philosophers the second and in truth the belief that the increase of Rivers proceeds from violent Rains hath obtained the greatest credit being manifest not onely in Countreys lying under the North-Pole but even in Mountainous parts under the Line such as tâ—â— Hills of Andes in America and the Mountains of the Moon in Africk These great Rains come not from the Clouds driven thither by annual Windes but from those exhaled in Ethiopia it self which are so much the greater as the Sun-beams there in a perpendicular line have the greater vigour to attract for which reason at the Suns coming out of Gemini the matter causing Nile to overflow is onely preparing but when the Sun enters Cancer then the Nile and other Rivers pass over their Banks among whom the great African River Niger then passing between mighty Mountains in West-Ethiopia dischargeth himself into the Ocean With this of Kircher agrees Odoardo Lopez saying Odoardo Lopez there Rains fall from the beginning of March till August not by drops as with us in Europe but pouring down as it were by whole Payls or Buckets full with such impetuousness that they cause all streams to swell above their Banks The reasons of the overflowing of Nile being thus shewn Kircher starts up two new Difficulties viz. Why the mentioned Rains fall the Sun passing the Northern Signs and not at any other time The second Why the Rains which fall in the Moors Countrey do not cause the same overflowing Or why Egypt onely in the overflowing of Nile should so much participate of it as to seem no Land but all Main Sea As to the first it is to be observ'd Why the Rain falls in the Moors Countrey when the Sun is in the North. that a constant effect cannot be produced without a certain and constant cause Now the Position of the Sun and natural Scituation of the Ethiopian Mountains are the chiefest and greatest cause of these Rains and the overflowing of Nile and some other Rivers for wise and provident Nature hath made these Mountains especially those between the Equinoctial and the Winter Tropick in 22 degrees of Southern Latitude and which encompass the Southerly Ethiopia on the East South and West to be as hollow or concav'd Burning-glasses which lying to the Sun in his Northern Latitude fitly gathers and so concenters his Beams that they reverberate such a fiery heat as makes extraordinary Exhalations by which abundance of thick Clouds are consequently engendred which crouded and thrust together by the Trade-windes at that time always Northerly and beaten towards the capacious Receptions of the aforesaid Mountain Convexities are dissipated thence at length by the fervent cold descending from the tops of the Hills and so are dissolved and come pouring down in hideous Showres or rather in Streams Floods or Rivers of Rain from whence it appears that Nature hath set them as Receptacles of Vapors and Clouds for how much the scituation of Mountains not onely in Ethiopia but also in other parts of the World conduce to the breeding of Windes and Rain is not strange to any who have made search into Natural Causes To the second 't is answer'd Why the Nile overflowâ— onely in Egypt and not in the Moors Countrey That the Channels of Nile are the cause of its overflowings For as the Channels of Rivers running between the sides of Mountains are deeper so they can swallow the greater quantity of waters because the Mountains hinder their overflowing and running away On the other side where the Channels are shallow and go through flat places and wide extended Grounds with Banks low the more overflowing they are subject to The great Mountains therefore pouring down waters between their narrow Openings and Precipices into the Nile makes it flow far and near over its shallow Channels not able to contain that abundance And for this reason all the flat Grounds in the Moors Countrey are subject to the like Nilian overflowings As therefore the natural Scituation and Position of the Mountains which are so conjoyn'd as we before said and the Plains surrounded by them serving for a Laboratory as it were The shallowness of the banks in Egypt a cause of the overflowing of Nile to make Rain in is an infallible cause of Showres at set-times So also must the Natural Position and Constitution of the Channel of Nile be held for a certain cause of his overflowing Now the reason why these Rains fall when the Sun is in the Northerly Signs Why it rains when the Sun is in the Northern Signs must be attributed to Annual Winds call'd by the Portuguese General or Trade-Windes which at the Suns entrance into Capricorn come blustering out of the North and turn the Clouds to Rain but when the
dangerous the later more secure than convenient The City appears in the form of an * The form of the City like a Market-Cross oblong Cross and divided into the old and new Town which being three Miles in length incloseth two or three sandy Hills but Villamont makes the City four-square and saith that it is encompass'd with two old Walls of a large circuit The Walls after so many terrible shocks What manner of Walls it hath in part remain standing which Alexander himself rais'd strengthened with very many Turrets and beautified with ranks of stately Pillars The inserted Draught representing the antient state of the City to the life onely mentions one hundred and eighteen each of which is four Stories high and built more for ornament than strength yet some of them still spacious enough to receive some hundreds of Souldiers to quarter in In the Walls of the old City were four principal Gates The Gates of the City all fortified with strong Iron Bars One on the East side call'd Cairo-gate The second to the West leading towards the Wilderness of Barca The third named the Popes Gate on the South-side leads out to the great Sea of Elbucharia or Bouchaira The Sea Elbucharia formerly Mareotis and about half a Mile from the City shadowed round with Palm Trees in this Sea which is of a large extent lye several small Islands to which the Inhabitants for fear of the Enemy sometimes fly for shelter some name this Sea abounding with various kinds of Fish yielding a great yearly Revenue Antaca from another City near it The fourth is the Sea-gate opening to the Sea-side The new City appears somewhat pleasanter The New City having on its left side the Old Haven now Porto Vecchio and for its defence hath one Castle belonging to the old Town which though not of so good use because of the cumbersome passage into it yet affords a convenient Rode and Haven for the Turks Galleys and other small Vessels And if it were not for the Neighboring Sea it would without doubt be quite void of Inhabitants because of the bad Air And as it is the Buildings are mean and few inhabited by Jews Turks Moors Copties and Greeks who reside there onely for Merchandize little else inviting them thither This City hath been several times besieg'd and as often ruin'd The City often Ruin'd and Rebuilt but never so fatally as in the year 1624. when the Pyrats of Barbary who in great Multitudes ranged over the Mid-land Sea seizing and enslaving all persons without difference of Nations Sex or Religions lay'd it almost utterly waste falling on like Wolves whose implacable rage was never satisfy'd till 't was lay'd in ashes so that nothing could be seen but Walls decay'd and Streets buried under the rubbish of their demolish'd Buildings since which time 't was begun to be Re-built but so tediously that in the year after its Destruction there were onely four small Huts erected however not long after they proceeded with such vigor and diligence Turks encourage its Building that many new Fabricks were rais'd and by the Turks encouragement at length became a stately City And indeed the Turks endeavor to raise this place to the former lustre by continual additions of new Edifices but they take so little notice of the old that they let them fall down for want of repair which makes several Houses Churches and other Buildings there seem half destroy'd by their heaps of rubbish testifying their antient greatness and glory Agathias opinion refuted contrary to the opinion of Agathias who says that in his time the Buildings of Alexandria were neither firm nor large The Houses are not ridged with Gable ends Houses but flat like those of the east-East-Countrey for several conveniencies especially the pleasure of walking for the Inhabitants after Meals take great delight to expatiate there or take repose both Winter and Summer They all seem to be founded on great Arches and Marble Pillars with Vaults and Sluices underneath to receive the Nile water when it overflows which Flood-gates are so many and great that the whole City seems to stand on Arches and Pillars for a branch of the River from between Cairo and Rosetta runs thither through certain Drains or Common-Sewers under the City Walls to fill the Brooks This water when the muddy slime is sunk to the bottom becomes clear and is used by many Eminent Citizens and Gentlemen upon all occasions But that which is muddy and dirty the common people use and are content with because in all the City there is no publick Spring or Well to repair to There are three small Hills Three Hills resembling that named Testacio at Rome and where many Earthen Vessels Urnes Pots and old Medals are found Heretofore near the old Palace of Alexander were two * Two Obelisks Both these were erected by the Egyptian King Sothis about 1058. years after the Flood Dr. Brown Obelisks each an hundred foot high and eight broad of one entire Stone of Thebane Marble intermix'd and speckled with Veins of two other Colours One of these remains yet entire but sunk deep into the earth yet seems to exceed that of St. Peters at Rome but the other is quite ruin'd Upon a small Hillock about two hundred paces from the City surrounded with Palm Trees and from whence is a prospect both of the Buchairan Lake and Mid-land Sea * Perhaps from its being hem'd in with Palms stands Pompey's Pillar by the Arabians call'd Hemadussenar that is The Trees-Pillar though hewen out of one entire rough Stone the same with that of the Pyramids and of so exceeding height and thickness that to this day no Artificer could ever be found that would undertake to remove it thence to any other place The height and bigness of Pompey's Pillar It is a hundred and five and twenty foot high the Pedestal fifteen foot in compass remaining yet firm and whole why it is so call'd we can with no certainty affirm unless it were erected for a Remembrance of the Magnificence of * It is said to have been reared by Caesar as a Memorial of his Pompeyan victory Mr. Sandy's in his Travels Caesar or Pompey It is Fabled that a certain Egyptian King set it there to defend the City against Naval incursions having placed a Magical Burning-glass on the top that being uncover'd had power to set fire on all Ships sailing by In the Suburbs is a place where 't is reported St. Athanasius hid himself to escape the Arrian persecution Here also between three Columns of Porphiry is shewn the place where 't is said St. Catharine was Beheaded to whose Memory the Christians formerly erected a Church now by the Turks converted to a Mosque In the adjoyning Street is a Cross on the spot where they say the Evangelist St. Mark suffer'd Martyrdom to whose honour St. Mark 's Church the Patriarchal See a Church was built formerly
Stones as the Cornalines or Cornelians the Sardis or Sardonicks ¶ THe Antient Egyptians observed onely a Lunar Year But seeing this manner of Reckoning did not agree with their Affairs but was discommodious they brought it according to Censorinus from one to three Moneths and after that to four But here we must observe all the Egyptians did not compute their Year according to the Course of the Moon for a great part observed the Solar Year but yet not the same that is now in use for it contained no more than three hundred and sixty Days which they divided into twelve Moneths giving each Moneth thirty Days This Computation was a long while used then at length growing skilfuller by experience in the Course of the Heavens and the Suns Annual Motion they added to the said three hundred and sixty five more which they call'd Nisi which year afterward was generally received for the true Civil Year and according to Horapolla call'd Gods Year Plutarch For the Egyptians call'd the Sun God and therefore it is not strange that the Sun's Year by them should be call'd The Year of God Every four years with them consisted barely of fourteen hundred and sixty Days But Gods Year fourteen hundred and sixty one Days Then at length among the Egyptians the Civil Year was brought to the Solar or Sun's Year that is every Year was lengthened a quarter of a Day that is to three hundred sixty five Days and six Hours for in so much time the Sun finisht his Course round the Zodiack and the fourth Year with the lengthening of one Day by the putting together of the four-times six hours made it a Leap-year Now that the making a Leap-year in this manner was in use among the old Egyptians among others Diodorus Siculus gives us to understand in these words Diodorus Siculus where he says That the days among the Egyptians were not reckoned by the Moon but according to the course of the Sun so that they gave every Moneth thirty days and to the twelfth Moneth they added five days with a quarter of a day that in this manner they might have a perfect course or circuit of the Year And this among the Egyptians was so antient that they had it long before Alexander the Great 's coming thither not learning it from but rather teaching it to the Romans as Eudoxus Plato's Disciple testifies who having by Services and by great Study dived into this knowledge taught it the Grecians in his own Countrey as Strabo affirms As the Year so settled was generally call'd Gods Gods year so was also every year of the four call'd by the name of one of the chiefest of their Gods The first they call'd Sothis or Thoth that is Dog from the Dog-Star for that they began their year at the rising of that Star The second bore the name of Isis or Serapis The third of Osiris and the fourth of Horus which the Egyptians also call'd Kemin Wherefore when they would represent the four years they made the Figure of Hermes or Mercury with a Dogs Face standing upon a Crocodile with a Bowl in his hand At his right side Jupiter Ammon at the left Serapis with a Figure of Nilus upon his head and an Image of a Star representing according to Manilius Isis The Coptists and Abyssines keep the same reckoning onely changing the names of the Heathenish Gods into those of the Four Evangelists calling the first year Matthew the second year Mark the third Luke and the fourth John Besides this forementioned Civil and large year for Civil affairs there was by the Priests and Astronomers another current year in use which they term'd The Mystical Year and consisted of three hundred sixty and five days bare By which means in four years they lost one full day and in forty years ten Wherefore the time of their Festivals instituted for the Honor of their Gods every year came so many days earlier For Geminus affirms That the Feast of the Goddess Isis which in the time of Eudoxus fell in the Winter Solstice in his time came a whole moneth sooner This moveable Course of the Festivals was done by the Contrivance of the Priests that they might not Celebrate them always upon one and the same time of the year resolving that they should run through all the Seasons For the Gods according to their opinion in fourteen hundred and sixty years make Progress over all Countreys and Places of the World and pass through all the Degrees of the Zodiack and the days of the Moneth in process of time that no place of the World nor part of year should be debarr'd of their necessary presence Thus far of the Computation of the Year among the Old Egyptians The Modern Christian Copticks observe a threefold Accompt The Modern Accompt of the Year among the Copticks The first from the Creation of the World and with them observed by most of the Eastern People and in Arabick call'd Abrahams Epocha The second accounts from the beginning of the Grecian Monarchy The third from Nabonassar King of the Caldees But this used by the Astronomers onely was little known There is a fourth Accompt used by the Abyssines and that is the Emperour Dioclesian's introduced by him in the nineteenth year of his Reign being the year of Christ Three hundred and two It begins the twenty eighth of August Old or the Eighth of September New Stile in the first Moneth Thoth They call it in the Arabick from the City Captos Tarich Elkupti that is The Coptick Calendar and by the Copticks The holy Martyrs Calendar or The Year of Grace and by the Abyssines in that Countrey Language Amath Mahareth that is The Year of Grace and Mercy because of the great Persecution which the Christians at that time suffered under the same Dioclesian when about Coptos onely were Martyr'd an hundred and forty four thousand The reason of introducing which Accompt we will in short set down When Dioclesian reign'd seiz'd with a raging Fury he not only insulted with strange arrogance over the Christians casting them to wilde Beasts and exercising against them all other kinds of savage Cruelty but endeavoured by all means to extirpate their Name and to that purpose he put in practise and commanded to destroy and burn up all their Religious Books supposing when that was done they would easily be brought to the practise of their Heathen Rites and accordingly upon the twenty fifth day of March being then Easter-day the said Dioclesian and his Colleque Maximian commanded and published Edicts to that end that all the Churches of the Christians in Egypt especially and about Thebes should be thrown to the Ground and the Books of their Religion destroyed And in the second place the antient manner of the Years used by the Egyptians he made to be fitted to the Roman Stile and that Account he named from himself Dioclesian in which last he so far prevailed that it took place even
Teacher of all Christians I confess that Power is given to him from our Lord Christ through St. Peter to keep and govern the Universal Church as also that none can be Saved out of that Universal Church This was the Confession which they stand to at this day The Pope is by these Patriarchs in their Letters to Him commonly thus Entituled To the Greatly Esteemed Pope Father of the Priesthood Successor in the Universal Apostolick truly Believing Church Father and Prince of Princes Christs Vicegerent on Earth Sitting upon the Seat of St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Lord Urban the Eighth After the Death of one Patriarch another is chosen out of the number of Monks residing in the Cloisters And here observe That ever since the Beginning of Christianity there were three Patriarchs by the Apostle Peter Erected in the most Famous Cities of the Roman Empire The Roman the Alexandrian and the Antiochian whereto afterwards was added the Constantinopolitan by the Councils of Constantinople and Chalcedon And lastly the Jerusalemitan by the same Council of Chalcedon The Sixth Canon of the Council of Nice held in the Year after the Birth of Christ Three hundred twenty and five annexed to the Patriarch of Alexandria Egypt Lybia or Pentapolis Arcadia and Augustanica to which afterward were added Upper and lower Egypt both Thebes and other so that at last Egypt contain'd ten Arch-Bishopricks For so many Metropolitans it pleased the Emperor Theodosius and Valentinius to call together out of this Patriarchat in a Letter to Dioscorus And indeed so far hath this of Alexandria extended it self of late that now it includes the utmost Bounds of the Abyssines There are in Egypt likewise many Calogers that is shaved Monks which follow the Greek Religion and possess many Churches and Cloisters All which live poorly sleep upon the Ground and drink no Wine but meerly so much as is necessary for the Mass  The Years of their Government The beginning of their Government after the Birth of Christ THe Archbishop or  45 Evangelist S. Mark 19 64 Anianus 22  Miliut alias Abilius 13 87 Cerdi 11 110 Ephrim otherwise the First 12 112 Justus 11 124 Eumenius 11 133 Marcianus 6 144 Claudianus 15 150 Agripini 17 165 Demetrius an Opposer of Origen 44 190 Hieroclas Follower of Origen 12 234 Dionysius a Scholar of Origens 18 248 Maximus 19 266 Theonas a Pillar of the Church 15 285 Peter the first Martyr 10 300 Here began the Accompt of the Martyrs under Dioclesian   Archillas and Achillas 1 310 Alexander 15 311 Athanasius great Dr. of the Church 42 326 Peter 12 368 Timothy 5 380 Theophilus 27 385 Cyril the Great 33 412 Dioscorus under whom began the first Rent from the Alexandrian Church 7 445 Timothy a Scholar of Eutiches 25 452 Peter alias the Heretick Gnapheus 9 477 Athanasius a false Heretical Bishop 20 486 John of which there were three viz. 10 506 Mela   Tabida   Machiota   Dioscorus the young  516 Timothy   Theodatius an Arch-Heretick   Peter alias Mogus a false Bishop   Dimanus   Anastatius  622 Andronicus  639 Benjamin  645 Agathus 19 664 John this built the Church of St. Mark in Alexandria 8 672 Isack 3 675 Simon the Syrian   Alexander 20  Cosmas 13 718 Theodorus 11 703 Choel 23 763 Mena 9 772 John 13 791 Mark 10 817 Jacob this is said to have raised the Dead to Life 10 890 Simeon 1 822 Joseph 18 845 Chael 1 864 Cosmas 7 866 Sanodius otherwise Sanitius  875 Chael otherwise Michael 25 885 Gabriel 11 923 Macarius 12 931 Theophanius killed 4 967 Mena 11 972 Abraham died poison'd by his Amanuensis or Secretary 3 976 Philotheus 24 919 Zacharias 28 1015 Senodius 25 1043 Serius Christus 30 1068 Cyrillus 14 1098 Michael 8 1112 Maccearius alter'd the Church Ceremonies 26 1246 Gabriel   John   Mark here the Years of Government are wanting   John   Benjamin   Peter   Mark   John   Gabriel   Mathew   Gabriel   John   Mathew   Gabriel   Michael   John   Gabriel   John   Gabriel this sent a Messenger to Pope Vrban the Eight  1593 Mark   John   Mathew  1635 BARBARY THis Countrey was not unknown to the Antient Romans by the Name it bears at present of Barbary since their Writings signifie they had settled therein several Colonies The Original of the Name Barbary The Arabians according to the Testimony of Ibnu Alraquiq have given to this Countrey by Marmol call'd Berbery the name of Ber that is Desart or Wilderness from whence the Inhabitants themselves were afterwards stiled Bereberes But others will have it so nam'd by the Romans who having subdued some parts of Africa this part lying opposite to them they call'd Barbary because they found the Inhabitants altogether Beastial and Barbarous Nor is it at all improbable Herodotus considering that among us it is usual to call such as lead a wilde and ungovern'd life and not civiliz'd by Education Barbarians so of old the Grecians call'd all people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 barbarous that agreed not with them in Manners and Customs But Jan de Leu saith the White Africans were call'd by the Arabs Barbarians from the word Barbara in the Arabick Tongue signifying Murmuring because their Language in this Region did seem to them a kinde of confused murmur or noise The Bounds of it like that of Beasts Barbary lieth inclosed between Mount Atlas the Atlantick and Midland Seas the Desart of Lybia and Egypt For it begins at the Mountain Aidvacal the first Point of the Great Mount Atlas containing the City Messe and the Territory of Sus and reacheth from thence Westward along the Sea-Coast of the Great Ocean on the North by the Straits of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean to the Borders of Alexandria Eastward by the Wilderness of Barcha near Egypt and on the South The Contents of it passing from thence to the Mountain of the Great Atlas The Length taken from the Great Atlantick Ocean to the Borders of Egypt is by some accounted six hundred Dutch Miles and the Breadth from Mount Atlas to the Midland-Sea about eighty two Dutch Miles which Breadth is not every where alike in it self but according to the Cantles and Indentings of the Sea-Coast and the going out and in of the Borders on the Land-side which are very unequal Other Contents of it Marmol makes Barbary much bigger accounting from the City Messe lying on the Western part of Barbary to Tripolis under which the Kingdom of Morocco Fez Tremesin and Tunis lye above twelve hundred and that part of the Sea-Coast extending to the Sandy Desart of Lybia broader than an hundred and eighty Spanish Miles To which
with Horses and Asses intermixt and contrary to most in these parts their Women go with their Faces bare SUS THE Territory of Sus or Sous Its Borders formerly a Kingdom took name from the River Sus which bounds on the West as far as the Great Bay of * That is of great Cattel Juments or de la Yeguas Northward it reaches to Mount Atlas where touching on the Side of Hea on the South lyes the sandy Desart of Biledulgerid on the East bordering upon Guzula In this Territory on the Sea-shore lye three small Cities all known by one common name Messe being indeed rather one City divided into three parts each separated and surrounded with a Wall This was heretofore call'd Temest being seated on the shore of the great Ocean at the foot of Atlas or Aidvacal as they call it The River Sus running through the Messe A strange Temple at a place call'd Guertesen falleth into the Sea on whose shore a Temple appears whose sparrs rafters and beams are said to be the bones of the Whale which swallowed the Prophet Jonas who was thrown up again in this place The learned among them stick not to affirm That this our Minor Prophet shall appear in this Temple being so declared by their great Prophet Mahomet for which Reason they all highly reverence and preserve it with extraordinary care Hereabout are many large Whales often begrounded which the common People fancy happeneth by an occult quality of that Temple which kills all those Monsters coming that way and endeavouring to swim by it Teceut Teceut an antient City a Mile from Messe Triangular and contains four thousand Families In the middle of it stands a fair Temple through which runs an Arm of the River Sus. The Countrey hereabout is full of Hamlets and Villages but more Southerly is not inhabited but over-run by the wilde and wandring Arabs One Mile from Teceut lyeth Gared Gared founded by the Cerif Abdala about the Year Fifteen hundred on a Plain by a great Spring call'd Ayn Cequie Here is a sort of excellent * Moroquines Kids-Leather which in such great quantities is transported into Europe that the Custom of it yearly to this City produceth Thirty thousand Ducats The Principal City of all is Tarudant by the Moors call'd Tourant Tarudant twelve Miles East from Teceut and two Miles South from Atlas in a pleasant Valley eighteen or twenty Miles long This City water'd by the River Agur was formerly the Metropolis of the whole Kingdom and the Royal Seat and Chamber of the Kings of Sus. Half a Mile from Tarudant stands Faraixa built by Mahomet Cherif Taraixa before he was King of Morocco Tedsi twelve Miles Eastward of Tarudant twenty from the Ocean Tedsi and seven to the South of great Atlas was in former times very rich containing above four thousand Families but is now by their Civil Wars almost ruined Togoast the greatest City of this Territory twenty Miles from the Atlantick Togoast eighteen from Atlas and three from the Sus contain'd in former times six thousand Houses which at present are reduced to a far smaller Number Volateranus says this was the Birth-place of the antient and famous Doctor St. Augustine On the Westerly shore of the River Sus lyeth Cape Aguar Cape of Aguar taken by Ptolomy for the Cape Usagium This place in former times belong'd to the Portugues who erected there a very strong Castle by them call'd Santa Cruce and by the Moors Darumnie that is Christian-House Afterward the Portugals founded a strong City in the same Place which they possess'd a long time but at last were driven out of it by the Cherif in the Year Fifteen hundred thirty and six On a cutting Skirt of Atlas by the great Ocean Gantguessen at the Mouth of the River Sus stands Gantguessen a very strong place and more Southerly on the Sea-Coast these places Aguilon Alganzib Samotinat with the Capes of Guilon and Non or Nun in twenty seven Degrees Northern Latitude ¶ THe Mountains of Sus are Henquise The Mountains reaching from West to East twelve Miles in length Ilalem or Laalem Guzula beginning at the end of Henquise and stretching Eastward to Guzula South to the Plains of Sus Ilde the Western boundary between Guzula and Sus. All the Inhabitants of Messe maintain themselves by Husbandry The Nature of the ground of the Territory Sus. encouraged thereto for that in April and September the River Sus rises and overflows its Banks which causes a plentiful Harvest whereas if it fail in one of the aforemention'd Moneths then generally follows a Scarcity or dear Year On the shore by Messe is found very good Amber in great plenty All about the City of Teceut the Grounds abound with Wheat Barley and many other sorts of Grain as also Sugar-canes besides Dates Figs and Peaches Mount Henquise is cold and continually cover'd with Snow Mount Laalem abounds with Horses and holds in her bosom a rich Vein of Silver From Tarudant is brought Ostridge Feathers and Amber and so transported into Europe The People of Tedsi live orderly and behave themselves with great Trust and Civility The like do the Inhabitants of Tagoast whose Women for the most part are white and Handsom nevertheless there are Blacks and Tauny-Moors among them They of Messe are Husbandmen but those of Teceut ill natured proud and pervicacious Those of Henquise and Ilalem are Valiant and Generous but maintain old Feuds about their Silver Mines Lastly The Mahumetans themselves living in this Territory shew great Honor to the Body of St. Augustine which they report lyeth Buried near the City of Tagoast DUCALA THE Territory of Ducala hath for Borders Limits of the Territory of Ducala on the East the River Umarabea or Omniâ—abih and the Country of Temesne on the East the Tenzift and Cape of Cantin with part of Hea on the North the great Ocean and on the South the Province of Morocco and the River Habid The greatest length from West to East is Thirty It s Bigness and the breadth according to Marmol Twenty four Miles The Cities and Places of Note in it are First Azamor Azamor a City lying at the Mouth of the River Umarabea three Miles from Mazagan In the Year Fifteen hundred and thirteen Emmanuel King of Portugal to revenge himself of the Injury which Zeyam the Governor of this City had done him Was won by the Pertuguese in disappointing of his Marriage sent a Fleet of two hundred Ships with great Forces who coming to this City begirt it with a strong Siege and compell'd the Inhabitants to surrender The Portuguese who entred Ruin'd and Plunder'd it and not so contented proceeded further and took and wasted divers other Places The Town before this War contain'd above Five thousand Houses and is still large and populous being subject to the Moors who keep a strong Garrison in
Asgar Elhabat Erif Garet and Cuz or Chaus or Sau. The Rivers which run through or rising there water this Kingdom The Rivers and after fall either into the Ocean or Midland-Sea are the Burregreg or Burregrag Subu Fez Bath Likus Homar Guir Gomer Cherzer Melulo Melukan and Muluye The River Burregreg or Burregrag formerly call'd Sala taketh the Original in the greater Atlas from whence passing through many Woods and Valleys at last dischargeth it self into the Sea between the Cities of the old and new Salle The River Subu by Ptolomy call'd Suber one of the greatest in Barbary Subu springs from Mount Ciligo or Selego a Branch of Atlas in the Dominion of Cuz or Chaus from whence it descends with so strong and swift a Current that a Stone of a hundred weight cast into it is presently thrown out again Not far from its Head is a stately Bridge made over it After a long Course and various Meandrings it runs for two miles along by Fez enriching that City and Countrey as also Asgar with its Waters So running on till it falls into the Sea by Morocco Many lesser Streams and Brooks and particularly Guarga Sador Yuavan and Halvan as also the River Fez contribute their Streams to the augmentation of this River The River Fez runs through the City Fez the Neighbours give it an Arabick Name signifying The Pearly River known to Pliny by the title Fut as to Ptolomy by that of Phuth or Thuth The Bath rises out of Atlas and gliding through Asgar receives Incremental Helps of Gurgivora and Bunzar joyning at last with Subu Lucus heretofore call'd Licos derives from Mount Gomere running from the West through the Plains of Habat and Asgar so looking at Naravigia and Basra about two miles from the Sea makes the Island Gezire then washing the Walls of Alkasar Elquikie it pours into the Ocean by L'aracch a City of Asgar making there an excellent Haven The Homar Homar so call'd from a City of the same Name by which it flows begins in the Mountain of Habat and runs into the Ocean by Taximuxi The Guir Guir by Ptolomy call'd Dyos a small Rivulet comes out of the Mountain of Temesne and loses it self in the Ocean near Almansor The Gomer Gomer springing a Mount of that Name falls into the Midland-Sea by a place call'd also Gomer The River Cherzar descends out of Errif Cherzar and enters the Sea a little way distant from Cherzar Nokar Nokar by Ptolomy call'd Mokath and by Peter Daviyte Milukar takes its Rise out of Mount Elchaus so running towards the North and dividing Errif from Gared falls into the Mediterranean Melulo Melulo a great River descended from Atlas between Sezar and Dubudu from whence visiting the barren Desarts of Tesreft and Tafrata empties it self into the Mulukan taking Head from Atlas six or seven miles from Garcylain a City of Chaus so watering the Desarts here as also Angued and Garet falls into the Mediterranean by the City Cacasa having first received the Waters of Melulo and some others Lastly Muluye The Muluye from Atlas runs from West to East till disemboguing into the Midland-Sea by the City Ona it makes a handsome Haven by Ptolomy call'd Malva FEZ THe Province of Fez hath for Boundaries in the West The Territory of Fez Burrogreg or Burragrag as it comes from Temesen and stretcheth Eastward to the River Imnavan on the North Subu and part of the Sea between Salle and Mamorbe on the South the Mountains of Atlas Its Length from East to West about seventeen Miles The most Antient City of this Countrey is Sale Sale by Ptolomy Sala and by some Geographers Sella on the Northerly Shore of the Sea where the River Buragrag Beregreg Sala or Kumer flow into it Southerly and toward the South opposite to Rabat or Rabald which also is stil'd Salle so making the Old and New Sale Nor do the Cities onely differ in Name but the Inhabitants also those of Old Salle being call'd Slousi those of New or Rabald Rabbati being for the most part Andaluzians formerly driven with the Moors out of Spain Both these Cities are strongly Wall'd and Fortifi'd The Old in a Quadrangular Form with four Gates one of which towards the North is call'd Sidimusa Ducala from a Saint whose Sepulchre stands about an half hours Journey from thence and on the same side a less Gate by a Redoubt On the Land-side towards the East are two Gates one opening to the Burying-place of the Jews and the way leading to Mikanez the other a Percullis'd Gate like a square Watch-Tower SALEE The Arabians keep a daily Market in the Old City bringing thither Butter Wheat Barley Oyl Cows Sheep and other necessary Provisions In this Market under the Ground lies the Masmora or Common Prison for the Slaves receiving all its Light with divers inconveniences from Iron Grates lying even with the earth This was heretofore a large place of Receipt as appears by the Ruines of the Walls and Buildings but at present both in Buildings and Beauty falls short of New Sale Rabad or Rabald now New Sale almost also Four-square New Sale stands in a Valley between two high Precipices those on the Land-side much higher and uneasier to ascend than those on the Sea-shore A double Wall guards the Land-side the one old the other new between which they reserve a proportion of Land half as big as the Town wherein they Sow yearly several Grains The outer or new Wall defending the Entrance between the aforemention'd great Hills boasts an extraordinary Thickness and the Heighth of thirty Foot or thereabouts but towards the Sea lies in a manner open Three Gates on the Land-side give entrance into it one on the East The Gates and two on the South viz. The Gate of Morocco and the Gate of Temsina Close by the River upon a rising Ground standeth Asan Tower Asan a Four-square Tower so call'd adjacent to which is a Church built without a Roof above and without are Arches about fourteen hundred Foot long and three hundred broad with a square Steeple of Stone two hundred Foot in Compass the Ascent to whose Top is so easie and broad that sometimes attempting they scale the Top with Waggons and Horses The South Point of the Steeple being towards the Church stands with a gaping Rent receiv'd by a dreadful Thunderbolt Through the Church runs a Brook about thirty Foot deep and a hundred broad made in a Channel or Trough of Stone guessed to be intended as a Bathing-place for the Moors Here also a strong Castle call'd Alkassave Castle Alkassave seems proudly to swell into the bigness of a little City encompassed with thick Walls and a deep dry Trench Formerly it inclosed two hundred Houses which at present are most of them faln or falling onely one Tower remains whose Top is adorned with Mahumetan's Crescents This Castle was heretofore as a Seraglio for the King
Tapestry entertaining one another with Discourses or else in Visits of their Friends going to the Bannia's Recreating themselves in the Gardens without the City or at Feasts ¶ THe Habits here are several for Christians and free People as English Their Habits French Netherlanders and others go Clothed according to the Fashions of their several Countreys but the Slaves wear commonly a Gray Suit with a Coat or Cap like a Sea-mans The Common People wear in the Winter over their Shirts a Linen or Woollen pair of Drawers a white Woollen Coat with a white Cap fastened behind call'd Galela others have a Garment on hanging down to their Knees which they throw over their Shoulders and under their Arms like a Cloak call'd Golela commonly Dy'd Black In the Summer they have two large Frocks or Coats on which they call Adorta upon their Head is a Turban of slight Linnen or Cotton-Cloth The Apparel of the Women differs little from that of the Men onely they are much statelier and thinner their Shifts come down to their Ankles their Hair braided and ty'd up with Necklaces of Gold Bracelets of the same rich Pendants and Jewels in their Ears and square Caps on their Heads When they go abroad they have a Vail or Mantle of fine Linnen hanging over their Heads and clasp'd on their Breasts so that nothing can be seen but their eyes but in the House they wear a Silk Frock over their Linnen Shift ¶ THe Antient Inhabitants of Algier us'd the Punick Tongue Their Language and when subject to the Roman Emperors the Latine as may be observ'd from divers Inscriptions yet to be seen But when the Arabs over-ran the Countrey they brought in use the Arabick in which all publick Writings and Letters are still written more frequently than in the Turkish The Morisk also is much us'd but the common and vulgar Speech as well here as in the Levant and other Eastern Countreys as well by Mahumetans as Christians is Lingua Franca being a Medley compos'd out of the French Italian and Spanish Tongues ¶ HEre is a Custom deviating a little from the Alcoran Their Marriage the restraining Men to four Wives whiles this gives liberty for as many as one pleases but the Algerines are oblig'd by their Custom and keep within the compass of four Wives but their wanton lusts towards Concubines and Catamites are unbridl'd and without limitation Others assume the liberty of seven among whom they divide the nights and allow every one a several Chamber but this produces heart-burnings and jealousies which many times prove fatal to either or both When a Man lies upon his Death-bed he is tended by Men A Funeral Pomp. as Women are by those of their own Sex when Dead the Corps is washed with warm Water and Sope then wrapt up in white Linnen and a Turban laid upon it Thus prepared it is set upon the Bier and with the Alcaid's Licence convey'd to the Grave in the Fields without the City Gates Clothed and with the Head forward where it is Interr'd and cover'd with Earth Some few days after if it were a rich Person at his Head and Feet are Stones set up with Inscriptions and Epitaphs to the honour of the Deceased and some select Sentences out of the Alcoran laid upon him They make no shew of Sorrow by their Clothing Sorrow onely the Women wear for some days over their Faces a black Cloth and the Men for a Moneth never Shave themselves both Men and Women visit the Grave for the space of three Days bestowing on the Poor as a Benevolence Bread and Figs and continually saying over the Tomb with hideous out-cries Celam Ala that is Gods Light bless thee In the same manner almost are the Grandees and the Commanders in the Wars buried but with greater Pomp and State that is the Corpse is laid into a Coffin adorn'd with carv'd Work and other costly Ornaments and so carried to the Burying-place the Marabout going before and his Family and Servants bearing his Launce and Scimiter after him follow'd by Horses and Camels in great number of which the PRINT affords a sight Most people in Algier walk on foot few ride a Horse-back except Alkadies Governors of Provinces or other great Lords others of meaner Quality using Asses The Women seldom or never go afoot but are carri'd upon Asses cover'd with a kinde of Canopy as we have declar'd before and sitting in a four-square Box drawn round with Curtains In such like broad Frames set upon Camels many are carried in their Journeys to Mecha to visit Mahomet's Tomb partly to shrowd them from the heat of the Sun and to keep the Sand from flying into their Eyes as they go through the Sandy Desart Two Men may conveniently sit in these but with their Legs across which is not troublesom being the fashion of the Turks The general Coyn and Money current here The Coyn. both amongst the Turks Moors Jews Diegâ— de Haedo Typograph de Alg. eu Gram. lib. 1. and Christian Merchants is Outlandish being partly Turkish Gold as Sultanies of the value of a Ducat Mortikals of Fez a fifth part more in value then a Ducat partly Europaean as Spanish Pistols French Crowns Italian Zequiens somewhat more then a Venetian Ducat Ungarian Ducats and Spanish Ryals But the Moors and Arabs up in the Countrey know no other than Escues or Spanish Pistols and Ryals 't is true there is some Money Coyned there viz. Pieces of Copper call'd Burba's but thick stamped with the Arms of the King on both sides formerly six of these Burba's made an Asper but now six make but half an Asper An Asper the best Silver Coyn is four-square Printed with Arabick Letters Fourteen Aspers and a half make a Spanish Ryal and Four and twenty Doubles that is worth about Nine Shillings English Their Gold which has an allay of a little Copper is for the most part Coyned at Tremecen being round and of three sorts viz. Rubies which make Twenty five Aspers Dians or Zians each worth a hundred Aspers each of those have for their Stamps the Name of the Reigning King in Moorish Letters The Jews have the most Profit and Command of all this Money being indeed the onely Exchangers for which they pay an Annual Rent to the Bassa Every year the Algerines send into the Field three Bands or Flying-Troops of Janizaries each containing two or three hundred How the Tribute of the Level Countrey is brought in by the Arabians and Mâ—â—rs one of these marches to the West of Tremicen the second Eastward to the Coast of Bona and Constantine and the third South to the Negroes Countrey and Wilderness This last hath the greatest trouble because for the most part they continue out six or seven Moneths Every Troop is commanded by an Aga who is as much as a Collonel under whose Command and Conduct they forceably Collect those Tributes among the Moors wilde Arabs Advares and
the Summer to eat in the Winter There grow also Figs Apples Pears and very much other Fruit but above all yielding great store of good Cattel as Oxen Calves and Sheep call'd by the Arabians Nedez sufficient to give Supplies of Butter and Milk not onely to the City Bona but also to Tunis and the Island Zerbes ¶ THe Mountains for the most part lie destitute of People yet full of pleasant Springs having Water enough to give a Current to several Rivers which afterwards take their course through the Plains between the Hills and the Midland Sea The Coast hereabouts yields much Coral both white red and black being a kind of Plant or Shrub growing in the Water between the Rocks ¶ THis City and Province were-Governed by Xeques and peculiar Lords of their own It s Government till the King of Tunis having subdued them built a strong Castle on the East side of the City to keep it in awe but afterwards Aruch Barbarossa in the Year Fifteen hundred and twenty coming with two and twenty Galleys and Ships into the Haven forced the Citizens to acknowledge him by which means they became Subjects to the Kings of Algier and so have ever since continued excepting for a short space that the Emperor Charles the Fifth in the Year Fifteen hundred thirty five made himself Master of it THE FORT OF FRANCE SIx Miles to the East of Bona between the Kingdoms of Algier and Tunis Peter Davity Estat Ture on Affique and between the Black and Rosie Cape you may see a Fort Commanded by the French and call'd Bastion de France that is French-Fort Formerly near this Cape of Roses stood another Building erected in the Year Fifteen hundred sixty one by two Merchants of Marseiles with the Grand Seignior's consent call'd a Fort but indeed was onely a Flat-rooft Ware-house for a residence of the French who come thither and employ the Natives Diving for Coral and under that pretence Exported all sorts of Merchandise as Grain Hides Wax and Horses which they bought there with more liberty and for less Price than in the Island Tabarka because no Turks lay there to hinder them But many years since this Structure whose Ruines yet appear was beaten down by the Algerines oppressed with a great scarcity of Provisions which the Moors reported was occasioned by the French Exporting their Corn. Afterwards in the Year Sixteen hundred twenty eight by order of Lewis the Thirteenth French King Mounsieur d'Argen Lieutenant of Narbone and chief Engineer of France was sent thither to re-build the razed Fort who took with him all Materials necessary for the Work from Marseiles and with great speed and diligence erected this Bastion But the Work was scarce begun when the Moors and Arabians came down Armed in great numbers and forced the Mounsieur to a Retreat and at present to Fortifie himself in a Half-Moon newly cast up from whence with the first opportunity he took Shipping At length the same King employed one Samson to re-attempt the same design who brought it to some perfection and was Governour of it Since which another was formed upon the Island Tabarka in the Year Sixteen hundred thirty and three This Bastion de France hath two great Courts the one to the North where the Store-Houses for Corn and other Merchandise are with many convenient Ground-Rooms for the Officers and Chief Commanders The other being more large and spacious than the former stands on a Sandy Beach where the Ships usually come to trade for Corall as we mention'd before To this adjoyns a fair and great Vaulted Chappel call'd St. Catharina in which they Celebrate their Mass and Preach having convenient Lodgings above for the Chaplains and Priests Before it there is a Church-yard and a little on one side a Garden-house set apart and us'd onely for sick and wounded Souldiers Between these two Courts towards the South standeth a great Quadrangle built all of Stone which is the Fort or Strength with a flat Roof wherein stand mounted two Mortar-Pieces and three other Brass-Pieces supply'd with a sufficient Garrison TUNIS THe Kingdom of Tunis The antient Borders at this day subject to the Great Turk compris'd formerly the Countreys of Constantine Bugie Tunis Tripolis in Barbary and Essab and by consequence the greater part of Africa the Less together with Carthage Old Numidia and other Countreys extending above a hundred and twenty miles along the Sea-Coast But now the greatest part of Bugie Constantine and Essab are wrested from it by Arms and annexed to Algier The Kingdom of Tunis then It s present Borders taken within these narrow Borders begins at the River Guadelbarbar formerly call'd Tuska dividing it on the West from Constantine as on the East the River of Caps or Capes by the Lake of Melaetses separates it from Tripolis and on the Southern Limit is the Modern Numidia Peter Dan in his Description of Barbary joyns it on the West to Algier to Barka Bona and Tripolis on the East So that by his account the Southern Part of Tunis lies Westward of Negro-Land containing but few places of note ¶ THe Rivers which run thorow and water this Countrey Its Rivers are chiefly four Guadelbarbar Magrida Megerada and Caps or Capes Guadelbarbar Guadelbarbar which Sanutus and Marmol call Hued d' Ylbarbar takes its Original out of a Hill lying a quarter of a mile from the City Urbs or Jorbus being serviceable onely to the Citizens in driving their Mills for the Current runs in so many crooked Meanders that such as travel from Tunis to Bona are necessitated with great trouble there being no Boats nor Bridges to help them to wade over five and twenty times Lastly it disembogues into the Sea by the forsaken Haven Tabarka seven miles from Bugie Magrida Magrida formerly call'd Catadt seems to be a Branch of the former flowing thorow Choros and then entring the Mediterrane near to a place call'd Marsa Megerada Megerada or rather Maggiordekka formerly Bagradag on whose Shore Pliny Gellius and Strabo say that when Attilius Zegulus was Consul for the Romans in these parts during the Punick Wars was found a Serpent of a hundred and twenty Foot long kill'd by Attilius and his Army with Arrows It rises according to Sanutus out of a Mountain bordering on the Countrey of Seb call'd by others Ursala whence giving a friendly Visit to the City Tebesse it runs Northward till discharging its Water into the Mediterrane-Sea about ten miles from Tunis This River swells up an unusual heighth when any great Rains fall so that the Travellers sometimes are compell'd to stay three days till that the Water abates that they may wade over for there are neither Bridges nor Boats for Ferry Tâ—UNIS ¶ MOuntains in this Kingdom are Zogoan Guislet Benitefren The Mountains and Nefuse besides some others on the South Zogoan lies six miles Southward of Tunis upon whose Side and Foot may be seen the
call'd The Ornament of the World But soon after the Vandals under their King Genserick in the Year after Christ's Nativity Four hundred forty two reduced it to great misery which yet once more it recovered and remained a City of good estimation till suffering under the Gothish Devastations but at length finally destroy'd by the Arabians and made a heap of Ruines as it still continues The chief and greatest remaining Antiquity of this once so famous Place is a Water-course Vaulted over with high Arches through which it runs into the City although many remainders of the old Fortifications may yet be seen and some ruined Structures The Village Marsa which we mention'd before is the onely place that keeps up the memory of Carthage being built in part of its Ruines and a poor piece of the Skeleton of that once so glorious Body so true is that of the antient Poet Sic patet exemplis Oppida posse mori ¶ THe Valleys lying round about have a very sweet Air The Condition of the Countrey because continually cleared by fresh Breezes that come from the Sea and are full of Orchards Planted with great variety of Fruit of a pleasant taste and very large especially Peaches Pomegranates Olives Figs Citrons Lemmons and Oranges wherewith the Markets of Tunis are plentifully furnisht the rest of the Ground also being exceeding Fertile though circumscribed in narrow Limits for on the North lieth the Mountain Thesea and the Lake of Goletta and on the East and South the Plain of Byserta the rest between Carthage and Tunis for almost three miles dry and barren Land ¶ THe Ground about Arriane produceth some Wheat and St. Johns Bread Plants or Vegetables but about Naples nothing but Flax and about Kammart many Sugar-Canes ¶ SOme wild Beasts are found hereabouts as also a sort of Gray Partridges Beasts and others with black Feathers on their Breasts and Wings the remaining part Ash-coloured with the Bill and Feet much shorter than the Partridges here with us In the Lake of Goletta are Birds by the Moors call'd Louze and by the Turks Kalckavensi having Legs two Foot and a half long and all their Feathers Milk white THE DOMINION and CITY OF BYSERTA or BESERTA SOme take Byserta now a small Village for that Ituqua of Ptolomy or Utica of Caesar and Titus Livius famous by the Death of Cato who having in behalf of the Pompeyan Faction undertaken the Defence of this City when he could no longer hold it chose rather to lay violent hands on himself than fall into the Power of Caesar Marmol takes it for Porto Farnia which he says the people of Barbary call Garelmetha although some stick not to say that it hath been and is known by the Name of Mazacharus or Kallefort as being a Member of the French Garrisons in Africa However it is the Moors give it the Name of Bensart or Benserth that is Son of the Lake for Ben signifies Son and Serte A Lake from whence it is easily corrupted to Byserta It stands on the Mediterranean-Sea between Razamuza by the Antients call'd The Point of Apollo and The Mouth of the River Bagrada ten French miles from Tunis where there is a great Lake much frequented by Fishermen formerly containing within the Walls six thousand Families but now Garrison'd by the Turks who keep there two great Prisons for Slaves besides Store-Houses for Merchandise and two strong Fortifications or Sconces for the Security of the Haven Westward of the Lake lies a great Plain call'd Mater Plains of Water belonging to Byserta but bordering on Goletta Not far distant is Choros formerly call'd Clypea or rather according to Davity Kurobis because Clypea is the true Quippia and the modern Kalibbie seated on the River Magride about two miles from Tunis formerly in the Civil Wars of the Countrey laid waste but re-built and peopled by a sort of Alarbes call'd Benicheli intermixt with others so that at present it shews the face of a well-inhabited Town The Haven of Farine is famous onely by the fatal Wreck of St. The Haven of Farine Lewis King of France in his return back from the Holy Land and two great Rocks lying at its Mouth ¶ THis Countrey hath abundance of fresh Water in all Quarters The Constitution of the Countrey which afford great variety of Fish in the Lake are usually taken Dorads or Dolphins of five or six pound weight and from the end of October to the beginning of May great quantities of a Fish call'd by the Natives Elft by the Spaniards Jachas and by the Moors of Barbary Giarrafas The great Plain of Mater is a fat and marly Soyl which would yield a good Return to the painful Husbandman if he might reap the Profits free from the Incursions and Thieveries of the Arabs Choros also is not backward in a Fertile Return according to the quality of its Soyl which yields vast and lofty Groves of Olive-Trees for the great benefit of the Inhabitants ¶ THe People go almost naked Their Cloathing wearing onely a Barrakan or short Apron a half Turban a Cloth about their Necks but bare-footed and bare-legg'd ¶ THeir Food is a kind of Couscous made of Meal Their Food Eggs Salt and Water which they dry and can keep a whole year Their Bread is a sort of Cakes call'd Obs Baked on the Hearth and their Drink made of Raisins and Wine Lees boyl'd together The poorer sort have no Beds but sleep upon Mattresses of Sedge laid on the Ground The more noble have in their Chambers long and narrow Divisions higher than a Man made fast to the Walls with very fine Wicker-work which they climb up to by a Ladder when they go to sleep ¶ THe Houses and Churches are whited once a year on the out-sides Their Houses but the in-sides are slovenly enough In their Kitchins if so we may call them Fire is a stranger all their Victuals being drest and boyl'd in a sort of moveable Ovens They are much inclined to Sorcery wearing Papers Written with small Characters Sticht in Leather on their Necks and on the Heads of their Horses when they draw into the Field to Fight believing that they will free them from all Diseases and Mishap URBS and BEGGIE URbs and Beggie two several Territories comprehend these Cities Urbs Beggie Hain-Sammin and Kasba with some great Plains The City Urbs formerly Turridis The City Vrbs founded by the Romans on a delightful Plain eight and thirty miles on the South of Tunis shews yet many Remainders of Antiquity as Marble Images Borders upon the Gates with Latine Inscriptions and Walls of thick Square-hew'd Stone together with a Castle betwixt which and two adjacent Villages runs a River of fresh Water convey'd in a Trench of pure white Stone to the City Beggie also built by the Romans about six miles from the Mediterrane Beggie and twenty to the Westward of Tunis by a High-way leading from
upon it yet they keep some Goats onely for the Milk But all these Wants are amply supply'd with that which answers all things Gold found by the Inhabitants of Tivar though others say that they are thus richly supply'd from Negro-Land ¶ THeir usual Food is Milk and Camels Flesh Their Food brought by the Arabians to their Markets with Salt-Suit with which they dress and relish their Dishes It is brought thither out of Fez and Telensin ¶ THere dwelt amongst them formerly very rich Jews Riches but the people being stirr'd up by the instigations of the Mahumetan Priests they were banish'd from thence and most of them in their departure slain by the Vulgar in a tumultuous Riot which happen'd about the same time when they were driven out of Spain and Sicily by King Ferdinand Meszab MEszab a Countrey in the Numidian Desart Messab about sixty miles Eastward from Tegorarin and a like distance from the Midland-Sea in two and thirty Degrees Longitude and eight and twenty Northern Elevation containing six strong Holds and many Villages The Inhabitants are Rich they drive a great and subtle Trade with the Blacks and are Tributaries to the Arabs THE KINGDOM OF TEKORT OR TEKURT THe Kingdom of Tekort or Tekurt according to Gramay The Kingdom of Tekort is that which they call Tikarte accounted by the Turks for an In-land Territory of the Kingdom of Algier as also that of Guerguela for another because they both pay Tribute This Province derives its Name also as others from its Head City which they say lieth fifty or sixty miles from Tegorarin and ninety from Algier in two and thirty Degrees and fifty Minutes Longitude and in seven and twenty and ten Minutes Latitude This City held by some to be Ptolomy's antient Turafylum The City Tekort was built by the Numidians near a Hill at whose Foot runs a River with a Draw-bridge over The Town is well Fortifi'd with Lome-Walls mixt with Stone except on that side where the Cliffy Rocks and steep Declivings of the Hill make it inaccessible Their Houses which are above two thousand are all of Sun-baked Brick except the Mosque which is built more stately About this City are reckon'd up forty Strong-holds and an hundred and fifty Villages some of them at least four days Journey off so that this Site seems to be the Centre to the Circumference of what is under its Jurisdiction ¶ THis populous Territory wanting Corn is suppli'd sufficiently by the Arabians from Constantine The Condition of the Countrey which they Barter for Dates that grow here in abundance ¶ THe People are very Civil The Condition of the Inhabitants Affable and exceeding Hospitable to all rather bestowing their Daughters on them than the Natives Nay they are so good-natured and generous that they many times present their new Acquaintance with costly Gifts at their departing though they never expect to see them any more or receive a Return from them They are a mixt People of which the chief live like Gentlemen on their Estates the others follow Trades and are Artificers THE DOMINION OF GUARGALA OR GUERGULA THe Countrey of Guargala The Kingdom of Guargala by Gramay call'd Huergula by Marmol Guerquelen and Guergula and by the Africans Verquelen lies in the Desart of Numidia on the Borders of the Kingdom of Agadez This also hath denomination from its chief City The chief City by some taken for the antient Tamarka of Ptolomy The Centre of this Province lieth in thirty seven Degrees and a half Longitude and in twenty five and fifty Minutes Latitude This City hath no other near but surrounded with store of Villages as Gramay reckons a hundred and twenty ¶ THis Countrey The Constitution of the Countrey like the others abounds with Dates but hath scarcity of Flesh and Grain Most of the Inhabitants are black not from the temper of the Climate but their intermixing with the Negro's that are their Slaves They are also mild and of affable Conversation always kind to Strangers because most of their Necessaries and Sustenance they are supplied with from them as Corn Salted-Flesh Fat or Suet Cloth Linnen Arms and Knives In the City Guargala are both Merchants and Artificers Their Food They have their Bread Camels Flesh and Ostriches from other parts The Revenue of the Lord of this Countrey is accounted to amount to a hundred and fifty thousand Ducats yearly Revenue To this their Governour they give Supream Honor like a King Government yet he pays some Tribute to the Arabians and also acknowledges the Bashaw of Algier yearly with a Present of thirty Negro's THE TERRITORY OF ZEB THe Territory of Zeb formerly call'd The Countrey of Zebe The Territory of Zeb lying by the Mountain Auran according to Procopius runs through the midst of Numidian Wilds It s Eastern Borders are Biledulgerid Borders opposite against the Kingdom of Tunis and Tripoli on the West Messile on the North the Foot of the Mountain Bugie on the South a Desart where a Way runs along from Tekort to Guargala Here are five eminent Towns viz. Zeb Peskare Nefta Teolacha and Deusca Lee Afrie 6. Decl. besides many Villages The City Zeb from whom the Countrey hath its Name is in four and thirty Degrees Longitude and in thirty Degrees and ten Minutes Latitude it is accounted very antient being according to Africanus erected by the Romans and also destroy'd by them but after in process of time it rose to its former splendour and now also well Peopled Nefta or Neota is a City or rather a Countrey Nefta containing three great Cities especially where a Fort was built by the Romans Leo p. 6. All these three as Gramay affirms was destroy'd in the Year Fifteen hundred and fifteen but since they have returned leisurely to their former Lustre Teolacha is the antientest surrounded with sleight Walls Teolacha by which glides a River of warm Water Deusen another old City built by the Romans on the Borders of Bugie Deusen and the Desart of Numidia Not far from this last City many Antique Tombs and Monuments present themselves in which several Antique Coyns and Medals Engraven with Emblems and on the Reverse Characterized with various Hieroglyphicks are found ¶ THis Soyl is dry and sandy the Air fiery hot The Constitution of the Countrey wanting the two special Ingredients Water and Corn most of their Ground being unfit for Tillage but their store of Dates supplies all Peskare is much pestered with Scorpions in the Summer whose least bite is immediate death therefore in Summer the Citizens desert their Houses and dwell in the Countrey not returning till October ¶ THe Inhabitants of this place The Condition of the Inhabitants though poor are Civil but those of Nefta are Rough and Surly but those of Teolacha are a proud and high-minded People looking down on all Strangers as too mean for their Conversations but
Serre-Lions and Bangue Mountains Mesurado Guinee Rivers Rio das Palmas and Rio Galhinas Maguibba Rio Nova Mava Plizoge and Monoch Rio Junke St. Johns River Sertos St. Andrews River Towns and Villages Kings Village Little Sestos Zanwyn Bofow Little Setter Bobowa Sabrebon Krouw Wappen Drowya Great Setter Gojaven Garway Greyway Tabo Pelicaro Tahoe Berby Assin Albin Tabat Atzyn Takorary besides 50 others Zenega or the Countrey of the Jaloffs Towns Bcere Emdoen Jandos Emduto Endir Sanqueng Magar Emboul Embar Bey-hoarte Lambay Sangay Jamesil Borsalo Tubakatum the Royal Seat of the Great Jalaffe Geroep Jawesil Rivers and Lakes Zenega Gambea Borsalo Basseangamar Rio des Ostros or Oyster River The Lake Eutan Mountains Machamala where are Crystal Rocks Gambea Cassan Cantor and Borsalo Towns Barra Nabare Bintam Tankerval Tendeba Jayre Jambay Mansibaer Barraconda Tinda Joliet Munk-baer Jair Silico Little Cassan and Jongo Rivers Gambea Buramos Towns Jarim St. Domingo Katcheo Guinala and Biguba Towns Guinala Biguba Balola Mandinga and Sousos Towns Sango Sousos Serte-lions or Bolmberre Rivers Rio Pechel Rio Palmas Rio das Piedras Pogone Cangrama Casses Catocane Capar Tambasine Tagarine Bangue Towns Serboracasa Bagos Tomby the Seat of the English Os Alagoas Baga Quoya Towns Jegwonga Fachoo Figgia Cammagoerna Jerboeffaia Falyhammaya Flomy-Seggaya Rivers Magwibba Mavah Plizoge and Menoch Guaffe Towns Aguaki or Little Commendo Ampea Cotabri Aborbi Terra Pekine Great Commendo Fetu Towns and Forts Igwa Takorari Adia and Anemabo Castel del Mina or St. George Sabou Towns Moure Sabou Fort Nassau Fantyn Akara and Labbede Towns Fantyn Kormantin Soko Little Akara Great Akara Labbede Ningo Temina Sinko Pissy Adom Towns Mompa Wassa Wanguy Abrambor Kuyforo Bono Atty Akanien Inta and Ahim Akam Aqua Sanquay Aquumboe Abunce Kuahoe Tafoe Abotra Quaho Cammana Equea Lataby Akaradi and Insoko Arder Towns Foularn Little Arder Jakkeyn Joyo Ba Great Arder Benyn Towns Benyn a City Gotton Koffo and one onely River call'd Arbo Other in a manner unknown Territories are Isago Jabo Odobo Istanna Gabo Forkado Amboyses Highland Calabare Krike Moko Bani Korisko Rivers Rio Non Rio Odo Rio St. Nicholas Rio de tres Jermans Sambreiro Calabare Camarones Jamoce Rio de Campo Rio San Benito Rio Danger and Gabon NEGRO-LAND Or the Countrey of BLACKS THis Countrey spreading from the North to the South that is from the Desart of Lybia to the Banks of the River Niger is at this day with a general Name call'd Negro-Land or The Countrey of the Blacks or Negro's which Marmol placeth in Nether Ethiopia withall adding that the Arabians call it Beledla Abid and Beled Geneva and the Africans of Barbary call it Geneva Sinch and Neuha All the Inhabitants of this Province were call'd by the Antients as Pliny and the Geographer Ptolomy Ethiopian Nigrites or according to the Orthography of Dionysius in his Book of the Scituation of the Earth calls them Negretes as some have call'd them in Greek Melanes which Stephanus de Vrbibus as the former Name signifieth Blacks perhaps derived from the colour of the Inhabitants or nature of the Soyl and because of the Desarts which spread from the Mountain Atlas to the River de Niger Callimackus Hym. in lic or else because Niger casts up a black or duskish Sedement some Rocks appearing amidst in the River which seem as if burnt The most will have it that the People have gotten their Name from the River Niger which moisteneth their Countrey however others have it yet some of the former Reasons seem to have great appearance of probability In this Countrey are placed also Ptolomy's Ethiopian Aganginers the Africans or Gamfasantins Perosers Matirers Ptoemfaners Nubians Atlanticans Garamantins and other antient People besides ¶ THis Countrey hath on the East for Borders the Nyle on the West The Borders the Atlantick on the North the Desart of Lybia on the South partly the Ethiopian Ocean and partly the Abyssine or Prester-John's Countrey being the old Borders of Congo as also the Kingdom of Lovango and other Countreys lying Southward towards the Equinoctial Line In this Countrey are many Kingdoms and Territories partly to the In-land In-Land places of the Negro's Countrey and partly to the South along the Sea-Coast the In-land Kingdoms every one having the Denomination from its Metropolitan are â—ualata Guinee Melli Tombut Gago Guber Agadez Kano Kasene Zegzeg Zanfara Guangara Burno Gaoga Nubie Bito Temiam Dauma Medra Gorhan Semen and the Desart of Seth and Seu. The first fifteen being Kingdoms lie for the most part on the Banks of the River Niger through which the Merchants of Gualata travel to Kairo and Alkair it is a long way yet commodious and without danger The other as Bito Temiam Dauma Medra and Gorhan lie far Eastward from the other The Dominions verging the Coast stretching from East to West Countrey lying at the Sea are the Kingdoms Zenega or Countrey of the Jalafs the Kingdom of the Barceziins the People Arriareos and Faluppos the Kingdom of Kasanga's or Kasamanse the People Burama's the Bisego's or Bigiohos Islands of the Kingdom of Guivale Biguba Mandinga Bena Sousas Serre-Lions or Bolmberre the Islands de los Idoles Bravas all Guinea with its Territories Coasts and Kingdoms belonging thereto as the Territory of Balm Cikon and Quiligia the Kingdom of Quoia the Green-Coast The most noted Tooth-Coast the Quaqua or Fowl-Coast five or six Bands-Coast and the Golden-Coast with the Kingdoms belonging to it the Kingdom of Arder Ulkami Beniin Isago Jaboe Odobo Istanna Gaboe Biafar Ouwerre or Forkado the Territory of Calcarien Krike Moko Bani the Territory of the Ambissines or the High-Land of Amboises and Corisco Every one of which shall here following have their peculiar place first beginning with the most In-land Countreys or Centre of all these vaste Dominions But the greatest Extent of Negro-Land from Cape de Verde The Length or Green-Head being the most Westerly Point lying at the Sea to Tangale a City in Lybia close by the Nyle 3430 English miles The Breadth reckons eight hundred fifty and five German miles or seven and fifty Degrees Longitude and accounts for its greatest Breadth being from the Kingdom of Gualata to the Cape of Lopez Gonzalvez three hundred and eighty miles and a half 1522 English miles or five and twenty Degrees and a half that is from the three and twentieth Degree and thirty Minutes North Latitude taken from the Kingdom of Gualata to the second Degree South Latitude near the Cape of Lopez Gonzalvez Amongst all the Rivers The River Niger which in great number cut through this Countrey the River Niger is the most eminent which by the Arabians is now call'd Hued Nigar Sanutus and by some is taken for the River Asana of Pliny or Asanaga of Solinus as also some hold Niger and Gambea to be one and the same River and others will have it that Niger is Rio Grande or The Great River both which opinions
many Cities Hamlets and Villages Leo p. 7. on that Plain where the King hath his Residence with his Army the chief City is Borno lying in eight and forty and a half Longitude and in seventeen Degrees and ten Minutes North Latittude ¶ THe Countrey is partly plain and partly rough and Hilly but fruitful The Condition of the Countrey the Highlands also producing Mille Corn Wheat and Tares and feed also many Beeves and Goats ¶ THose of the Plains are civilized understanding Order and Honesty The Constitution of the Inhabitants amongst whom reside Forreign Merchants both Blacks and Whites and there also the King keeps his Court and Camp but the Mountains are possessed with rough Herdsmen which go almost stark naked they are hard to be distinguished from their own Cattel going in Beasts skins with Hair in which they also sleep Their course of life seems void of all humanity for their Women and Children are not appropriated but in common none acknowledging either as his peculiar but pick where they please out of the Herd according to the manner of the antient Garamantes and like those of Mount Atlas have no proper Names to be distinguished by one from the other but every one hath his Nick-name or Denomination derived from the shape of his person whether deformed or comely for Tall they sur-name Long the Short Kort the Bunch-shoulder'd Crook-backs c. This King of Borno is said to be very rich for his Utensils both for Quirry Vessels of massie Gold Kitchen and Table are all of massie Gold These Natives are not superstitious neither Quarrel nor Dispute about Religion for having none at all Jews Christians and Mahumetans seeming to them all one stand alike in their esteem THE KINGDOM OF GAGO THe Kingdom of Gago The Kingdom of Gago thus call'd from its Metropolitan Gago hath in the East the Kingdom of Guber but is divided by a Desart The chief City Gago The chief City Gago standing by the River Zenega about a hundred miles from Tombut South-East in thirty five Longitude and eight and a half Latitude hath for the most part mean and ordinary Houses yet some of them shew well as among others the Kings Palace and Seraglio The rest of the inhabited places consist in Villages and Hamlets in which the Countreymen and People of meaner state have their abode The Countrey abounds in Corn Rice and Cattel but they have no Grapes nor other Fruits except Mellons Cucumbers and Citrons which are much used having more than an ordinary relish This City like others is not without an inconvenience being destitute of fresh Water which they are forced to fetch out of Pits forty or fifty miles from the Town yet this want is plentifully suppli'd by the abundance of Gold that is in this Kingdom which according to Meguet is fetch'd from thence by the Moroccoans The Countrey people are not Bookish taking no delight in Literature for not one in three days Journey is to be found that scarce knows one Letter of the Book yet the Citizens are much civiller and better taught than these Rusticks ¶ THe Barbary Merchants drive a successful Trade here in this City Their Trade vending all sorts of European Wares as Cloth and the like but that which goes off best and yields most profit is Salt These Morocco Merchants travelling thither go never less than two or three hundred in company and are six Moneths in their Journey of which they spend two in desolate and sandy Desarts directed in their course onely by the Sun Moon and Stars which if not well observed they are utterly lost perishing with Hunger especially Thirst Those that suffer there casually their Bodies decay not being dri'd by the parching heat of the Sand but become a kind of Mummy and sold in many places of Europe for the right ¶ THis Countrey is Governed by a King Their Government who pays Tribute to the King of Morocco since Muley Hanef in his Wars against the Negro's over-powering him with a great Army under the Command of Juder Bassa took by force the chief City Gago THE KINGDOM OF NUBIA THis Countrey Ptolomy calls Nubes or Nubiers and Strabo Nubea The Kingdom of Nubea which Stephanus places as a Neighbor to the Nyle which perhaps might cause Ptolomy to denominate the people Arabick Egyptians and Mela hath plac'd other Nubiers by the Bay of Aralites At this day all Geographers call it Nubie after the Moors who as Marmol says gave it the Name Neuba and some stile it Little Egypt It borders on the West on the Desart of Gaoga extending to the Nile The Borders which takes a long Course through this Kingdom dividing it in the middle On the East bounded partly by some people of Bagamedri call'd Belloes and partly by the Countreys of Dafila and Kanfila being Members of Barnagas a Territory in Abyssine in the South by the Desart of Gorhan and on the North by Egypt The Length is by the Inhabitants accounted two * That is 1800 English miles Moneths Journey The Length and somewhat more Pliny says the Chief City of Nubia was Tenupsus Antient chief City but the latter and more modern Writers give the Priority to Kondari Leo Africanus makes Dangala the Metropolis which he says containeth near ten thousand Houses but very meanly built and that all the rest are poor Villages and Hamlets scattered about the Nyle The Natives of this Countrey Nubian Geographers who have left us some Descriptions thereof affirm Nubia the Principal and the others pretending to any Eminency Nubie Kusa Ghalva Dankala Jalak and Sala Kusa lies under the Equinoctial six days Journey from the City Nubia Kusa Ghalva seated on the Nile below Dankala five days journey Jalak is ten days journey from Ghalva hither Shipping comes up the Nile Ghalva but they that will go from hence into Egypt must hard by unlade their Goods and carry them on Camels over Land by reason of the Cataracts of Nile ¶ THis Countrey like Egypt in many places once a year participates of the Benefits accrewing by the Overflux of that River The Nature of the Soyl. whereby it becomes exceeding fertile producing besides great store of Cattel and Sugar-Canes which the unskilfulness of the Inhabitants make little advantage of because in the boiling it becomes black and unpleasant in taste Here is found a very strong and deadly Poyson Mortal Poyson of which one Grain is enough to kill ten persons in a Quarter of an hour which they sell for fifty Ducats an Ounce and to Strangers onely whom upon delivery they oblige by Oath not to use in their Countrey Marmol says here is much fine Gold Speckled-Wood Civet and Ivory especially the last by reason of the great number of Elephants which breed in all parts of it ¶ THe Townsmen for the most part deal as Merchants Their Maintenance but the Countrey People live by Tillage
Countrey of Tuchusor whose Inhabitants Jarrik makes the Negro-Jalofs to the West side on the Ocean the North bounded by the River Zenega and the South by the Kingdom of Gambea Ala The Bigness Jarric l. c. 44. and Brokallo The Length is from East to West Seventy six miles and upon the Sea-Coast forty Under the Name of Gelofs Marmol compriseth many People What People by Marmol are comprised under the Name of Gelofs the chiefest whereof which dwell on the Shore of the River Zenega are the Barbasins by Jarrik call'd Berbesins Tukurons Karagols Baganosen the People of Mani-inga Mossen and others beside ¶ THe Kingdom of Zenega The Subordinate Kingdoms under Zenega or Great Joalof holds several other inferior States subjected as Baool Cayor Ivala and Ale although others repute them for several and free Kingdoms because most of the Kings rule with absolute Power and no less than the Great Jalof himself without acknowledging any above them though in antient times they pay'd Tribute And not onely these but also all the Places from Cape de Verde to Kassan the Great Jalof writing himself King over thirteen or fourteen Kingdoms among which also the Barbasins are numbred ¶ THe Countrey of the King of Baool The Kingdom of Baool call'd Louchi Four by the Inhabitants begins on the East-side of the Village Kamino lying from Porto d' Ale about sixteen miles The King keeps his Court two days Journey from the Sea-Coast in Lambaya the chiefest City of the Kingdom taking to himself the Title of Tain ¶ THe King of Cayor The Residence and Court of the King of Kayor who also commands Cape de Verde and the Places round about hath his Residence in like manner two days Journey within the Countrey ¶ THe Dominion of Ivala The Kingdom of Ivala severed by the River De la Grace from that of Ala contains not above twenty miles whose chief Governor call'd Walla Silla dwelleth also two days Journey up into the Countrey but is indeed of little Power ¶ THe Countrey of Cayor The Extents of the Countreys of Cayor and Barsalo together with the Region of Barsalo border upon the North with the Kingdom of Ale and Ivala ¶ THe utmost Borders of these two Jurisdictions The Borders of Cayer and Borsalo are two Villages the one call'd Yarap belonging to Cayor and the other Banguisca to Borsalo divided one from the other by a woody and desolate Wilderness of eight or ten miles ¶ THe Principalities of Ale and Brokallo The Kingdom of Ale and Brokallo which last is much the bigger and bordereth on the River Gambea are inhabited by the Barbasins In Zenega In Zenega there are no strong Cities and the other inferior Dominions belonging to it there are neither fortifi'd Towns or wall'd Cities but onely sleight Villages and Hamlets The Countrey that runs out between the Rivers Zenega and Gambea Cape de Verde maketh that eminent Point call'd for its delightful Verdure seen afar off at Sea Cape Verde but the Inhabitants name it Besecher and Ptolomy Arsinarium which they place in the height of ten Degrees and forty Minutes North Latitude This Cape is very Hilly on the North-side dry and sandy shooting far into the Sea and containing many populous Villages and Hamlets upon the Sea-Coast ¶ ABout a Bow-shot from the Main Land The Island Goree in fourteen Degrees and thirty five Minutes North Latitude appears an Island to which the Hollanders have given the Name Goree Refrisco a Hamlet about three miles from Cape Verde Refrisco within half a mile of which lieth a high Rocky Cliff encompassed with dangerous Shoals and undiscernable Sands which the famous Pyrate Claes Campaen first adventuring to approach gave it the Name of Campaens Cliff Kampaens-Cliff A mile Eastward from Refrisco stands Camino between Cayor and Baool Kamino Two miles to the South-East lieth Endukura Endukura Gunihemeri-Punto and at like distance Gunihemeri beyond that close by Rio Picena the Village Punto that is a Corner Point which leads directly to Porto d' Ale eight miles from Goree and six or seven from Refrisco close adjoyning to which in the way to Ivala lieth the Wood Tapa The Wood Tapa On the Haven of Ale standeth a high Rock call'd The Whale The Whale which Sea-men Sailing out and in seek to avoid by all means by reason of the danger in coming too near it On the same Shore not far distant Cape Mast shews it self Kaho Maste so call'd from the breaking of Masts of Ships that Sail by which is done by the Wind furiously breaking forth from the two adjacent Mountains to prevent that mischief the Mariners always strike Sail beforehand The Sea-Coast from Frisko to Cabo Maste is clear and deep The Sea-Coast from Refricco to Cabo Maste and further so that the Ships may go close by the Shore but about Porto d' Ale the Coast is very foul scarcely having six or seven fathoms Water so that no Vessels of Burden can come within a League of the Haven Three miles from Porto d'Ale Porto Novo that is New Haven Porto Novo and a mile and a half farther up Punto Sereno and Punto Lugar Punto Sereno seven miles forward stands Ivala an open Town inhabited by Portuguese and Mulata's a Tawny People Ivala generated out of a white Father and a Negro-Woman which both Trade here for all Commodities of the neighbor Regions Four miles Eastward of Ivala lieth Candima Kandima and six miles farther within the Land Geroep where an Alkayor entituled Embap resideth with some Portugueses ¶ THis as to the Maritime Parts The In-land Places We will now proceed to set down the In-land Places To travel from the Shore to the In-land there are but two convenient and passable ways the one extends it self towards the North-West of Refrisco and the other full North. Upon the Edge of the first way a mile from Refrisco lieth Beer Beer a Town so call'd and on the second at like distance a mile also from Refrisco Emdoen Emdoen a Lordship and the Dwelling-place of a Great Man entituled Amarbulebu but a Vassal to the King of Ivala Two miles from thence towards the North stands Jandos Jandos under the Subjection of the beforemention'd Amarbulebu where grow many Palmito or Date-Trees A little more to the North may be seen the Lake Eutan The Lake Eutan nearly neighbor'd by Emduto where always one of the Antientest is elected as a Magistrate over the rest being a place of good Accommodation and Rest for all persons travelling those Parts Six miles further East lieth a Hamlet where the Licherins their Priests reside whose Superior is call'd Alletrop Thence you pass to Endir Endir where together with the Blacks four or five Portugal Families dwell and some Mulata's who maintain themselves by Merchandise Half a mile onwards lies Sangueng Sangueng where
Lords Government but own for their Superior the King of Quoia whose Predecessors subdued them by Arms by the Assistance of the Folgia's as hereafter we shall more fully declare Fourteen miles from Rio de Galinas to the South-East appears Cabo Monte in five Degrees and three and forty Minutes North Latitude THE KINGDOM OR COUNTREY OF QUOIA THis Kingdom scituate by Cape de Monte containeth especially two Countreys viz. Vey-berkoma and Quoia-Berkoma Vey-berkoma that is the Countrey of Vey Vey-Berkoma the Antient Name of the Inhabitants is that Tract which lieth at Cape de Monte near the River Mavah below which lieth Dauwala wherein the same River Northward of the Cape hath its Exit into the Sea The Antient Inhabitants as we said Vey are by Wars reduc'd to a small number possessing onely a parcel of ruin'd Villages or Towns insomuch that their Name is almost forgotten Another People nam'd Puy-monou Puy-Monou dwelt antiently before the Wars and Conquest of the Countrey by the Karou's in the Island Boebelech and along the Banks of the River Mavah But few of this Posterity are at present to be found being for the most part by Inter-marriages with the Karou's so united as if but one in Name and Nature Quoia-Berkoma begins at the Sea-Coast of the New-River or Rio Novo Quoia-Berkoma by the Inhabitants stil'd Magwibba and extends to Rio Paulo a Boundary between this and the Territory of Gebbe shooting out into the Land above twenty miles This Kingdom boasts great numbers of Towns and Villages most of them pleasantly seated on the Banks of the River Magwibba The first appearing in five Degrees and three and forty Minutes-North Latitude Cape de Monte. by the Inhabitants is call'd Wachkongo and by the Portugals Cabo Monte although the Countrey both on the West and East is low and over-grown with Bushes This Point to Ships sayling out of the West shews its self in the shape of a Helm but coming near it appears long with a gap in the middle Westward of this is the Road where the Ships Ride that put in to trade upon this Coast Half a mile upwards from Magwibba on the left side Jegwonga stands a Village call'd Jegwonga where the King Flamboere settled his Royal Mansion when he first left Tomvy but at present he resides on the Island Massagh in the Lake Plizoge whither he retired to avoid the hazards of the people of Dogo that invaded his Territories On the other side of the River stands the fair Town Fachoo Fachoo signifying I watch the Dead which Flamboere fortifi'd and retir'd to as a place of security upon intelligence that the Land of Folgia would make War upon him though afterwards he found it but a rumor A mile and half farther up Figgia on the same side Figgia discovers its self being formerly the Dwelling of Figgi one of King Flamboere's Brothers A mile beyond that Cammagoereia on the same Shore is seated Cammagoereia and half a mile from thence the handsome Town Jerboeffaia where the Prince of Quoia who commands the Countrey round about keeps his Court opposite to this last King Flamboere about a year since began to lay the Foundations of a new Town From thence going along the Sea-Shore lie dispersed some Salt-Towns where the Inhabitants boyl Salt out of Sea-Water In the Vales of Tomvy water'd by the River Plizoge stands a great Town or Village beset with Trees sprung up out of the Rubbish of its decayed Walls From thence to Cape de Monte lye some forsaken and wasted Villages On a Branch of the River Menoch or Aguado is scituate Faly-hammaia and two miles farther another call'd Flomy-Seggaya The Region of Quoia hath the benefit of four excellent Rivers The Countrey of Quoia is watered by four Rivers the first in the West Magwibba or Rio Novo the second Mavah the third Plizoge the fourth Menoch or Aguado The River Magwibba in Summer bears two miles and a half in breadth The River Magwibba but in Winter is broader and fuller of Water It runs from the Sea up into the Land taking a North-Easterly Course up into the Countrey in the Mouth of it are so many Banks or Shelves as great Bars that make it dangerous to be passed with small Boats although the English Portuguese and French have and still venture over it in their little Skiffs As far as Davarouia it may conveniently be passed with reasonable Vessels being very deep and four hundred foot wide but above that place by the interposition of divers Rocks which cause great Water-falls there is no passing The second call'd Mavah The River Mavah or Maffah on whose Shore formerly the Puy-monou dwelt springs from a Mountain four and twenty miles within the Countrey The Channel is wide and deep making its Exit into the Sea in the broken Land of Dauwala almost a mile Northward of Wach-kongo or Cape de Monte. Between these two Rivers along the Sea-Coast here and there they say stand certain Towns where the Inhabitants make Salt The third Plizoge meets with the Sea a mile Northward of Cabo de Monte. The River Plizoge This is sometime in dry weather very empty of Water but so continues not long being soon fully replenisht Three miles from this River appears a great Lake a mile and a half broad wherein stands the Island Massagh the Courtly Residence of the present King Flamboere on whose South-side flourish many stately Palmito-Trees The fourth Menoch or Rio Aqâ—ado The River Menoch cometh out of the Countrey above the Hondous and six or seven miles Eastward of Cape de Monte poures into the Sea It is a deep and wide River yet unpassable because of several Water-falls Cliffs and Shelves of Sand that choak it It hath on both sides Red-wood Trees Having thus given you the Scituations of Towns and Rivers in this Kingdom we will now proceed to describe the Vegetables or Plants Beasts and then the Customs or Manners of the People but by the way in regard Gala-Vy Hondo Konde Quoias Manou and Folgia lying round about participate of the same qualities with Karou already mention'd or at least with very small difference we will give you a cursory glimpse of these in particular and then carry on our intended method Gala-vy a member of Quoia shews the original source of Mavah Gala-vy near a great Wood of eight or ten days Journey in length It bears the Names of Gala-vy from its Inhabitants sprung at first from Galas but being driven out of their Countrey by the People of Hondo sought new Habitations in those places whence they were neither call'd Vy as those with whom they intermixt nor Galas their old Name but Gala-Vy that is half Galas and half Vy On the Borders of Hondo and Manoe beyond the fore-mention'd great Wood dwell the right Galas who are under the Jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Manoe and have a Prince
and a strong Fort Tintonas a Port-Town Rivers Mekingate Quiloa Towns Rapta a stately City old Quiloa Rivers Cuavo Mombaza Towns Mombaza and a Fort besides abundance of Villages Rivers Onchit Mountains Amara Melinde Towns Melinde a neat City with a good Haven Lambo Pate where a Castle possess'd by the Portuâ— guese and Ampaxa Rivers Quilmami Ajan Towns Ajan a Sea-Port Zoila Barbore Brava Madagaxo Barraboa Barramaâ— Ogabra Rivers Quilmanzi yielding Gold Oby Adel or Zeila Towns Ara Adel the Royal City Orgabra Migiate Sequeta Bali Mautra Doara Comezara Novecaru and Soceli Asuin Guardafuy Salir Barbara Methi Zeila Dalacha and Malacha Rivers Hoax Macli Socotora Island Towns Sicuthora Trogloditica Ercocco The Point of Phares Sette Pozzi Alkosser Haven Batrazan The Haven of the same name the Islands Mazula Dalaca and Bebâ—lmanâ—â—l Suachem and Fartaqâ—e NETHER ETHIOPIA HAving perform'd a serious Journey through Negroland Nether Ethopia we come of course in the next place to a large spreading Countrey by Geographers call'd Nether Ethiopia containing divers Kingdoms Countreys and People as amongst others those of Lovango Cakongo Goykongo Congo Angola the Region of the Caffers the Regal Commandries of Monomotaya and Monemugi and the Territory of Zanguebar with many other It begins Northward of the River Faire close by the Line and spreads it self broad to the East and South where it shoots into the Sea with the most famous Promontory in Portuguese call'd Cabo de bona Esperanca that is The Cape of good Hope This as to the extent wherein we shall more narrowly particularize as we come into the several Parts The first therefore presented to our view is The Kingdom of LOVANGO OR THE Countrey of the BRAMAS LOvango or as Pigafet and other Geographers call it Lovanga Borders of the Kingdom of Lovango and the Inhabitants at present Lovangas though formerly Bramas takes beginning below the Cape of St. Catherine and spreads South wardly to the small River Lovango Lonise in six degrees South Latitude by which divided from that of Cakongo upon the West wash'd by the Ethiopick Sea Or Spanish miles Others and touch'd in the East by the Countrey of Pombo about a hundred leagues from Lovango but Pigafet borders it on the South with the Cape of St. Catherine and spreads that Northerly to Cape Lope-Gonzalvez and near one hundred leagues up into the Countrey Samuel Bruno sets for Boundaries in the South the River Zair or Kongo and in the East the People Ambois and Anzikos This Kingdom contains many Provinces among which the four chiefest are Lovangiri Lovangiri Lovangomongo Chilongo and Piri Lovangiri hath the advantage of many small Rivers to water and refresh the Soyl and by that means very fruitful and exceeding full of People The Inhabitants use three manner of ways for their support viz. Fishing Weaving and the Wars That of Lovangomongo is a large and Hilly Countrey Lovangomongo but hath much Cattel and Palmito-Trees so that Palm-Oyl may be had cheap The Inhabitants are either Weavers or Merchants From this Province the Kings of Lovango drew their original but Time and the vicissitudes of Affairs hath almost deleated it but at last having fresh information and finding themselves more Potent in Arms they invaded them and reduced the Countrey to their subjection Chilongo exceeds all the other in bigness Chilongo being also very populous in some places Mountainous and in others Carpetted with verdant and delightful Plains and Valleys The People though naturally rude and clownish yet utter great store of Elephants-Teeth Trade The Countrey of Piri lies plain and even The Countrey of Piri full of Inhabitants well stor'd with Fruits and Woods and stock'd with great abundance of Cattel besides innumerable Poultry The Inhabitants are a quiet People averse from Wars and for their Carriage well belov'd by their King and surpassing all their Neighbors in richness of Commodities yet their chief Maintenance drawn from Pasturage and Hunting Lovango The antient division of the Countrey of Lovango according to the best intelligence that the Europeans can draw from the antientest and most experienc'd Blacks hath been divided into divers Territories as Majumba Chilongo Piri Wansi and Lovango each inhabited by several People and Rul'd by a particular Governor who with or without any respect The Manners of the old Inhabitants Warr'd upon his Neighbors In elder time the Natives were all wild and Man-eaters as yet the Jages are They us'd for Bread Bananos and for other Food that which they take in the Woods by Hunting as Elephants Buffles wild Boars Bucks and such like and likewise Fish which the In-landers catch in the Rivers and the Seacoasters out of the Sea When the aforemention'd Governors had these Mani signifies Prince as it were private Feuds Mani Lovango who boasted his Extract from Lerri in Kakongo politickly made Leagues with some who by their joynt force being subjected an occasion of Quarrel was soon pickt with the rest who all but Mani Wansa though with great hazard admitted the Yoke But much trouble he had with Mani Wansa and afterwards anew with Mani Piri Mani Chilongo by whom twice beaten but by his great Power at last made his Vassals Hereupon Mani Majumba who most depended on Mani Chilongo now seeing him enslaved would not expect the Conquerer in Arms but yielded himself to his Command after whose example all the Places lying Northerly as Docke Seere and others rather stooped under the Power of so successful and victorious a Lord than suffer by the force of his Arms followed the same course and timely submitted The City of Lovango DE STADT VAN LOUANGO Of which Piri the Inhabitants were call'd Mouvirisser or Mouviri Original of the Name of Lovangiri a compound Word of Moutsie and Piri Moutsie being a common Word signifying People so Moutsie Pir signifies People of Piri and for brevity pronounced Mouviri So likewise Lovangiri shews the contraction of Lovango and Piri which join'd together makes Lovangopiri and for quickness of speech Lovangiri Moreover the better to secure his new gotten State Mani Lovango setled his Brothers or Sisters in the greatest Cities or Towns about him viz. in Cape to have a vigilant eye over whatever might threaten danger from above and in Bocke Chilongo and Salaly to supervise and prevent any sudden Onslaught from below The chiefest Towns and Villages of Lovango are Cape Bocke Solansa Mokonda where the King's Mother lives Soku Catta the Residence of the King's Sisters Lovanga his own peculiar Cango Piri two Chilongo's Jamba Cotie Seny Gonmo Lanzy the chiefest Villages lie a days or a day and a halfs Journey from Lovango besides many small ones farther into the Countrey as Jamba Cango Cayt Bocke Piri Cotie and the Chilongo's The Metropolis and Imperial Chamber of this Kingdom The chief City of Lovango lying in four Degrees and a half South Latitude about a mile from the Sea hath
he proposes somewhat saying the Oracle by the Fetisie has given him to know that the child shall have such an injunction not to do so and so wherein the Mother takes care to instruct the child from its youth that when it shall come to years it may be able to keep it These injunctions are manifold as that they may eat no such Flesh Herbs Injunctions how manifold they are nor Fruits or eating thereof they must eat it alone leaving none and besides bury the bones in the ground that they may not be scrap'd up again and eaten by any Dog Cat or other living Creature Some are enjoyn'd not to go over any water others may not pass over a River with a Canoo yet admitted to walk swim or ride thorow some must not shave the hair of the Head others may as also their Beards which again in divers is an offence beyond pardon Several are commanded to forbear all Fruits indulging to others a liberty to devour all yet again restraining many In relation to Garments the commands are general Injunctions about mens Clothes for all men must wear a Girdle made of the skin of some living Creature which must be fasten'd in a peculiar manner above their Belly Caps upon their heads or else in stead thereof a Cord or some Covering of Clothes call'd Libonges or otherwise The Women must go with their heads always uncover'd Of the Women and wear four or five Clothes of Kimbi or Sambes or Libonges sew'd together beneath their Waste before the Belly in stead of a Girdle When a man at any time comes into a house and sits down unawares upon the corner of a Bed wherein a man and woman have lain together when he hath receiv'd information of his fault he must go instantly to a Smith which commonly sit with their tackling under the open heaven and tell him the cause of his coming who then blows up a fire and taking him by the little finger of his left hand turns it over his head then striking two or three strokes with his Hammer and blowing with his mouth upon his hands put together he pronounces some words with a low voice wherewith the promise unwittingly transgress'd is cleans'd This ceremony they call Vempa-Momba that is A Benediction or Purification If an unmarry'd man have gotten a foolish child he may not eat of the breast or udder of a Buffle but by getting another more witty becomes free again to eat as at first These and the like Fopperies they observe with all exactness The vertue ascrib'd to these Injunctions believing that none have any sickness sorrow or affliction but for breaking the same Now because the word Mokisie will sometime be mention'd it is necessary to shew the meaning thereof and how they use it By the word Mokisie What Mokisie fignifies they mean a natural Superstition and firm Perswasion that they have of something to which they ascribe an invisible power in working good to their advantage or evil to their prejudice and detriment or from whom they expect to learn the knowledge of past or future things It cannot properly be call'd Idolatry because these people have no knowledge of any Deity or Diabolical Spirit having no particular name for the Devil onely call all Mokisie where they suppose an over-ruling power Whatever they effect by it The vanity of the Mokisie is done by meer imagination or if by natural means it happens more by chance than any knowledge they have Any man that is sound and determines to live after the manner of his Mokisie observing temperance and chastity takes the natural course to preserve his health but their ignorant stupidity ascribes it to the operation of the Mokisie On the other hand if any be sick and use means for the recovery of health the good success thereof the Mokisie gets the praise of although the cause of the sickness were remov'd by the goodness and bounty of nature or the strength of his constitution But if the person by the violence of the sickness happen to die they certainly believe him kill'd by Sorcery for transgressing against his Mokisies The ancient use of this Common Custom seems an infallible demonstration to the besotted people of the great vertue of the Mokisies and it confirms them not a little in their foolish belief because they see their King and the Grandees of the Countrey make it their work The King hath the general stile of Mani-Lovango Why the King is call'd Mokisie but the people call him Mokisie because he hath as they say a great power to kill any body with a word speaking and can spoil the whole Countrey and prefer and put down make rich or poor at his pleasure cause rain transhape or metamorphose himself into the shape of a beast and innumerable such like which all serve to manifest his greatness and strike an awe into the Subjects of his Potency Thus also it stands with the other Lords The higher a man is the more Mokisies he hath whose might honor and esteem grows from the same root As for example the King's Sister as soon as she hath a child holds by assignment the Village Kine for a dwelling-place and may not eat Hogs flesh when the child hath attain'd age and growth it visits the Moansa and dares not eat the fruit call'd Kola with company but onely alone Afterwards it goeth by the Ganga Simeka and then it dare eat no sort of Poultry but those kill'd and boyl'd by himself and must bury the remainder when he comes in Sallasy he hath other and more Mokisies and so in Boeka and Kaye till brought to the King Then is he advanc'd in all power and wisdom as having in imagination attain'd the active intelligence of the Mokisies All Conjurers and Priests are call'd Ganga All Conjurers are call'd Ganga or Ganga Mokisie otherwise Ganga Thiriko Ganga Boesy-batta Ganga Kyzokoo Ganga Bombo Ganga Makemba Ganga Makongo Ganga Nijmy Ganga Kossy Ganga Kymaye Ganga Injami Ganga Kytouba Pansa Pongo and Mansy and innumerable other such names either given to or assum'd by them from the Mokisies they serve The Mokisie Thiriko is a great Village four miles Northward of Boaryâ— wherein is a great house built on Pillars resembling a man The Ganga of this Mokisie being Lord of the Village performs every morning his Service and Ceremony with some words and Conjurations being answer'd in the mean time by a youth that stands by him this Ganga commends to his Mokisus the health of the King the wellfare of the Countrey the good flourishing of the Seed success for the Merchants and full Nets for Fishermen All the by-standers at the mentioning the King 's long life and health clap their hands in token of their affections and assent The Mokisie of Boesy-batta hath many standing round about him Mokisie Boesy-batta when he sets himself to his Devotion viz. Drummers Singers Dancers and the like but he chiefly
Fighting they defend themselves from the Enemies Arrows with the flat Sides thereof in stead of a Shield and turn every way with such readiness that they void all the Shafts aimed at them They wear also Ponyards in Scabbards of Serpents-skins in Belts of Elephants-hides three Fingers broad and two thick Some have Shields made of Wood cover'd with the Skin of the Beast Dant They worship the Sun as their chief Deity in the Shape of a Man Religion next to that the Moon in the Figure of a Woman But besides these every one hath his peculiar Idol When they go to Battel they sacrifice to their Idol out of which their Devil speaks very plain and tells them what they must do The Anzikos live under a peculiar King call'd the Great Makoko Government whom they report to possess thirteen Kingdoms making him one of the most Puissant in Africa The Jages have three Governors the first entitul'd Singe the second Kobak and the third Kabango of which every one leads a distinct Army They maintain continual Wars against other Blacks and eat as is before-mention'd all the Slain but sell the Prisoners and in defect of Buyers kill and eat them also Such as desire to List themselves in their Companies must first receive the usual Marks viz. knock out the two upper and the two lower Teeth before and make a hole through the middle of their Noses into which they thrust Feathers There are at present no Jages to be found of the first Race but those that now assume that Name derive their Extract out of the several Countreys wherein they have Warred and been Victorious being chosen thereto in this manner So soon as they have won a Battel The Jages how they are bred they search among the Prisoners for the handsomest Youths of whose Courage they make tryal by shooting at them by and over their Heads Wherein if any discover a fear of the Arrows as Cowards and unfit for Service they knock on the Head and eat but those that appear fearless and undaunted they make holes through their Noses and Ears knock out their Fore-teeth and so bring them up to all Savage Cruelty who by practice at last stray so far from Humanity that they exceed the natural Jages These possess not only this Countrey of Ansiko but wander almost through all Africa although now they have their chief Residence here and in the South-East of Angola The Natural Jages as the Ancientest People of Angola relate are not the Indigene of that Countrey but came many years since with an Army of an hundred thousand out of Serre-Lyons and over-ran the whole Coast beyond the Kingdom of Benguella But finding themselves too weak to make further way and not willing to return they setled hereabouts but not contented with that Resolution they ranged till they came to the Kingdom of Monomotapa who overcame them in a Fight and made them retreat Others contradict this averring it improbable at least that the Jagos should first come out of Serre-Lyons and conquer as far as the Kingdom of Benguella a Tract of above seven hundred Leagues wherein they must pass so many Kingdoms great Rivers and Mountains The Jurisdiction of KAKONGO KAkongo takes beginning in the North at the River Lovango Lovize Boundaries of the Kingdom of Kakongo in about fourteen Degrees and a half South Latitude and borders in the South and West at the Kingdom of Goy and ends at the River Sambo some Miles up in the Countrey The Chief City is pleasant and well built Chief City abounding with all sorts of Provisions From Kakongo Southwards all the Countrey by the Sea-coast for thirteen Miles and for two Miles and a half Northward of the before-mention'd River Lovango Lovize lies very low but afterwards grows Mountainous beyond this rising still higher The Blacks call it Kaskais but the Europeans the Highland of Kaskais about which place a Mile Southerly a great Water falls into the Sea This Kingdom can shew onely one good River The River of Kakongo call'd also Kakongo which mingles with the Sea in five Degrees South Latitude gliding some eighteen Leagues through the Countrey A Mile Southward of this Stream lieth the Village Molemba The Village Molemba upon a great Bay making a convenient Haven or Road for Ships The Countrey thereabouts call'd Little Kaskais spreads the Bay of Cabinde in five Degrees and five and twenty Minutes South Latitude being both before and all along the Coast very Rocky and full of Cliffs yet between the chief City and the River Sonho full of Woods pleasant Fields and high Mountains but cannot boast any Fertility because for the most part untill'd although so Populous that it dares number Inhabitants with Lovango it self The Natives are treacherous Constitution of the Inhabitants revengeful turbulent and quarrelsom yet shew but little Spirit in the Wars all their Neighbours especially those of Goy continually infesting them without fear of revenge and perhaps would utterly destroy them but that the King of Lovango interposes in their behalf whose Mediation in such Cases prevails much with all his Neighbors Trades and Handicrafts are common with these People and those of Lovango Trade such are Husbandry Fishing and dealing in Clothes black stitch'd Caps broad Irons Beetles Hammers or Mattocks Tobacco Red-wood or Takoel and Linnen which Commodities they carry to Congo Sonho and other Places and there exchange for Slaves The Merchandises brought thither out of Europe and desired by the Inhabitants are one and the same with those Vented in Lovango but the Presents given for the permission of Trade are less Their Customs Shape Cloathing Riches Administration of Justice Inheritance Government and Religion differ little or nothing from what we have already described we will not therefore nauseate the Reader with a needless Repetition The King of Cakongo may not touch or wear any European Wares A Command on the King nor dares any habited therewith touch him because forsooth commanded by the Moquisie In all other things agreeing with Lovango At the River Sonho the Kings of Lovango and Cakongo keep a continual Watch to receive the Custom of the travelling Merchant and to observe that none should act any thing prejudicial to the Countrey At the side of the River Cakongo lieth the Territory of Serre or Sarri The Territory of Sarri subject to the King of Cakongo but was some years since for a Mutiny and Rebellion against him in a manner totally laid waste Upon the Edge of this and near neighboring to Goy The Territory of Lemba a Territory call'd Lemba claims a situation being a High-land comprehending onely one Village of the same Name whither the Whites come to Trade for Elephants-Teeth Slaves and Copper the last of which they bring from more adjacent Mynes that produce every year no small quantities The Dominion of GOY. GOy borders in the West upon the Shore on the South
with other Mahumetans coming over-Sea in small Ships call'd Zambuks and bringing thither Silk Stuffs and Ash-colour'd Yellow and Red Kambaian Beads which they exchange for Gold as those of Sofala barter these Wares again with them of Monomotapa for Gold which they receive without weight They have also abundance of Ivory which they sell into Kambaya Voyage of Spilb. and Ambergreece which they get from the adjacent Islands of Usiques When the Inhabitants lying near the Sea see any Out-Landish Ships they declare by kindling of Fires their coming acceptable They weave many white Cotton Clothes For the Art of Dying they have no skill in sometime they unravel the Kambaian colour'd Clothes and Weave that among their white Yarn and make Cloth of several Colours Their Weapons were onely Daggers Bowes and Arrows Arms. Osor lib. 4. Spilber but now they have the use of Guns Powder and Bullets by instructions from the Portuguese Pigafet holds an opinion that the King of this Countrey was a Mahumetan Dominion and Vassal to the Emperor of Monomotapa with whom being at War he entred into a League with the King of Portugal But in the Voyage of Spilbergen we find that the King was a Portuguese by Birth contrary to what Jarich mentions viz. that he is meerly Tributary to the Portuguese but Marmol says that in his time he obey'd the Emperor of Monomotapa The people saith Pigafet have imbrac'd Mahumetanism Religion which Osorus also confirms although Jarick saith they know no Religion at all In the fourth Book of the Expedition of the King Emanuel but are like a piece of Wax fit to receive any Certain it is that for above two hundred years the Mahumetans flourish'd there and have built a City call'd Sofala upon an Island of the River Quama who though but intruders keep under the native Caffers And now it coming just in our way The differences about the right place of Ophir and seeing both Expositors of holy Scripture and Geographers understand this Countrey of Sofala to be the Golden Ophir to which King Solomon sent a Fleet of Ships Man'd with the Servants of Hiram King of Tyrus from Ezion-geber a Haven lying at the Red-Sea returning again after three years Voyage loaden with Gold and Elephants-Teeth We conceive it not unfit in brief to relate the difference of the ancient Contest about this place hitherto clearly decided with the Arguments on both sides Arias Montanus Baftellus Goropius and others are of opinion that Ophir was that part of America commonly call'd Peru and divided North and South Peru therefore they conclude from the word Parvaim in the Hebrew Text being the Plural Number and that this Gold was brought from the two Peru's but many opposite Arguments refel this Opinion First It is probable that Peru in the time of Solomon was not known nor which is more the Voyage to Peru over so wide a space of Seas not possible to be perform'd especially for want of the use of the Load-stone and Compass Secondly There are in Peru no Elephants so that by consequence from thence no Ivory or Elephants Teeth could be brought Thirdly If Solomon were to go with a Fleet to Peru in America it might have been sent more conveniently out of some Haven of the Mediterranean-Sea as being nearer than out of Ezien-geber at the Red-Sea to fetch so long a compass by the Cape of Good Hope and the whole Guinee-Coast St. Jerome an ingenious Expounder of the Hebrew who in the year Four hundred twenty two in the Nineteenth year of his Age departed this world under Theodosius the Emperor by the word Ophir understands good or pure Gold and in his Translation sets down very good Gold and not Gold of Paruaen or of any Countrey but this opinion also is long ago rejected Athanasius Kircher in his Book of the Coptick or Egyptian Language asserts that Ophir is a Coptick or Egyptian word whereby the ancient Egyptians understood the Indies containing the Kingdoms of Malabar Scilon and the Golden-Chersonesus or the descending Countrey of Ptolomy about the River Ganges Eastward of a Bay by him call'd The Great as also Sumattra the Molucca Islands Great and Little Java and other adjacent Islands full of Gold whither King Solomon's Fleet went with King Hiram The Gold of Parvaim Kircherus judgeth was the Gold of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Javim that is of the Islands of Java having read in the Rabbins these two Islands by the same name In setting Ophir in East-Indie as Kircher doth and not in America the chiefest Geographers agree as Ortelius Volaterranus Gramas and others yet divers make Ophir the same with Sofala because it has much Gold and Ivory And if all the main Land included between the Rivers Magnice and Quama and submitting unto Monomotapa be all as Barros Calles or Sofala as well as the rest on the Sea-Coast it may with great reason be judg'd that this Countrey can be no other than the Golden Ophir of Solomon partly because of the Houses there to be found near the Gold-Mines not built after the manner of the Countrey but seem the work of Foreigners and partly because of the Inscriptions in strange and unknown Letters Moreover Thomas Lopez in his Voyage to the Indies affirms that among the Inhabitants of this Countrey there remain Books which shew that Solomon every three year had his Gold thence Besides the Septuagint Interpreters have Translated the word Ophir into the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which agrees very near with Sofala And Josephus the Jewish Historiographer calleth it Indian-Ophir adding moreover that in his time it was call'd The Gold-Countrey A certain Writer call'd Eupolemeus mention'd by Eusebius calleth it Ophir Ureten and saith 't is an Island of the Red-Sea from whence they used to Fraight Ships to Melanis a City in Arabia The Countrey of ZANGUEBAR THis Countrey some will have to be the same which Ptolomy calleth Agysynima and Paulus Venetus calleth Zengibar Jan. Barr. lib. 13. c. 4. but the Persians and Arabians Zanguebar Zangue in their Language signifying Black and the Inhabitants Zanguy or Neorroes Jan de Barros extends this Countrey along the Sea-Coast Lib. 12. Borders from the Cape das Correntas to the River Quilmanzi but Sanutus sets the Southerly borders thereof at Sofala and Monomotapa and the River Quama and the Northerly borders at the River Quilmanzi But Marmol extendeth it from the South to the North to the Cape of Guardaseu in about twelve degrees North-Latitude It contains the Kingdoms of Angos or Angoche Mongalo Mozambika Melinde Mombaze Quiloa and some Islands The River Quilmanzi by Ptolomy with the near adjoyning Cape call'd Rapte The River Quilmanzi and the great River of Africa takes its original out of a certain Mountain in Abyssina which the Inhabitants call Graro as also the River Obi But the Moores lying at the Mouth thereof call it Quilmanzi from the name of a place they possess
hundred and eighty Dutch Miles and the breadth between the Mouth of the Arabian Sea and the River Niger to four hundred and fifty but in truth the length both of Old and New Abyssine from East to West that is from the Mouth of the Arabian Sea to the Kingdom of Goiame a hundred and sixty Miles and the greatest breadth from the Territory of Alaba to Magazan or to the United Stream of the Nyle and the River Takazu that is from the eighth to the sixteenth degree of North-Latitude about a hundred and twenty miles And in this Point Joannes Barros a Portuguese seems to come nearest the truth when he gives in circumference six hundred seventy two Portuguese miles or five hundred and four Dutch The antient borders of this Kingdom some have plac'd in the North at Bughia or Fungia where it touches also on Egypt and Nubia in the West Antient Borders upon the same Nubia the Countries of Canfila Danfila and the Island Meroe the Kingdom of Medra Part of Negroland Congo and according to Marmol the Countrey of the Jews within Negroland next that of the Amozones or Maoviste das Sugetes that is The Kingdom of Women bordering of Sanutus hit right upon the Kingdom of Damout in the South the Empire of Benomotapa and as Pigafet adds Monemugi in the East the Countrey of Zanguebar and Ajan the Kingdom of Adel and others with the Arabian Gulf where at this time Prester-John doth not possess so much as one Haven But here we must observe that in this great Roll of Kingdoms are many Countreys found which do not acknowledge the Emperor of Abyssine but are onely nam'd to shew the length and to distinguish the borders more plainly Philippus Cluverius sets down almost the same boundaries that is in the East the Red-Sea with the Kingdom of Ajan and Zanguebar in the South Monomotapa in the West the Kingdom of Congo and Medar and in the North Nubia and Egypt The antient state of the Abissines according to the relation of Jarrik and Godignus compriz'd six and twenty several Kingdoms and fourteen great Territories The Kingdoms were Tigre or Tigrai Dankali Angole Boa or Noa Amara or Ammara Dambeo or Bambia or Dembea Ankaguccele Adel Dabali Oecce Ario Fatigar Zengao Rozanegus Goyame Narca Feth Koncho Mahaola Goroam Danimt or Damut Dari Damut Adaro and Faskalon The fourteen Territories being not Kingdoms are Dubane a member of Tigre Xuncho in the same Realm bordering at that of Dankali Daraita by the Kingdom of Angote Bora between Tigre and Bagamedri Calara or Calaoa near Boga Aga Arim near the Kingdom of Dahali Arbo Xankala close by the Kingdom of Zingere Xacoxa or Xankora Ambyamo by Zanut according to Peter Davitu call'd Angona Bergamo near to the other Aris on the other side of the Nile and last follows Gara lying above Aris. Balthazar Tellez reckons the Kingdoms and Territories formerly subject to Abyssine and at this day cut off from it to be Angote Doaro Ogge Balli Adea Alemale Oxelo Ganz Betezamora Guraque Buzama Sugamo Balargamo Kambate Doxa Gumar Konch Damut Mota Aura Holeka Oifate Guedom Gangk Maralet Manz Bizamo But this Kingdom hath receiv'd such diminutions by the Turks and Gala's that Prester-John at this day enjoys onely six great and ten small Provinces The great are Tigre Dambea Bagamedce Gogamo Amahara Narea and a part of Xaoa The lesser are Magaza Salemt Ogara Abargele Holkait Sagueda Semen Salao Ozeka and Dobai Hereby it may plainly be observ'd into how narrow a compass the Dominions of Prester-John are circumscrib'd from what Antiquity relates which we may believe they did but guess at We will therefore first describe the aforemention'd six Kingdoms yet remaining entire to Prester-John and afterwards those of the antient Abyssine partly to agree with the Antients in the matter of Beasts Plants and Customs and partly to survey the whole Circumference both of the Old and New Dominion Tigre The Kingdom of Tigre then otherwise call'd Tigrai and Tigremahon and by Francis Alvarez call'd Azen lies the most Easterly being eminentest biggest and best part of the whole and takes beginning according to Balthazar Tellez by the Island Makua or Mazua at the Red-Sea close by the Haven Arquiko spreading ten or twelve miles to the Haven of Dafalo Alvares Sanutus or as others shooting Northward close by Egypt Bugu or Nubie and Westerly to Dankali containing in length ninety and in breadth fifty Spanish miles This Kingdom comprizeth seventeen several Provinces Davity the most Northern of which lying at Egypt they call Barnagas or Barbarnagas which Alvarez Sanutus and others make a peculiar Dominion because govern'd by a peculiar Lieutenant of the King 's though in truth Barnagas is a part of Tigre and signifies Lord of the Sea Bar denoting the Sea in that Countrey Language and Nagas Lord. Barnagas includes according to Tellez three small Lordships of which Debaroa or Doubaroa so call'd by the Abyssines and by Maffe and Sanutus Boroa or Barvan is the chief wherein is a small City but curiously built and populous seated by the River Mareb on a pleasant and fruitful Mountain Some have taken it for the Colove of Ptolomy and Colve of Arnian and by others for the great Primis or Premnis Alvarez and Sanutus give Barnagas in the North for borders the Countrey of Bugie and Nubie in the West the Nile in the South the River Mareb with some neighboring Mountains over-looking Tigremahon and in the East the Red-Sea The same Alvarez and Sanutus place in Barnagas the Regions of Canfila and Dafila and therein a place nam'd Emacen a day and a halfs journey from Dabaroa and thirty miles from Suaquen Formerly this Province comprehended Suaquen the Island Mazua the Haven Arquiko and Dalakka But the Turks and Moors have many years ago dispossess'd the Abyssines thereof The same Writers further adds to Barnagas Cire Ximeta and Arrazie a Dominion of great consequence St. Michael d' Joco a famous Cloyster four miles from Arquiko and the Cloyster of Bizan five Besides the chiefest Palaces of the Kings and two or three Churches one of St. Michael and the other of St. Peter and Paul about which Maffe assigns some Villages and Hamlets as Camarva and Barra c. Lastly Barnagas takes in the Jurisdiction of Bur or Burro formerly the Kingdom of the Queen Candace Next Barnagas Sanutus sets Tigremahon to which he assigns for borders in the North the River Marabo in the West the Nile in the South Angote in the East the Red-Sea Then follows the Dominion of Cire and by the Red-Sea Amasen or Agamea inhabiting by a people not under Prester-John's Jurisdiction Arxa formerly a great City where they say the Queen of Sheba kept her Court and indeed the remaining Ruines do manifest an Antique Grandeur The other places are the City Tigre or Auzen the Metropolis of the Realm the Garrison of Gileitor Amba Salalam Saet Cora forty or fifty Portuguese miles
cold Next Adel to the side of Mombaza you arrive at Bahali or Bali Daâ—ali or Bali then to that of Oecie shooting inwardly to the Main-Land then to Ario or Aro limited in the North by Dunkala and in the West by the Territory of Oifate Fategar hath in the North the River Aoaxe in the West Fategar the Kingdom of Oge and in the South the Territory of Gamat Sanutus places at the utmost borders hereof Adel and adds also Xaoa In this Kingdom on the Borders of Adel stands the Ague-Mountain near a place by the people of Europe call'd The Market because the Inhabitants of both Realms come thither to Trade Then you come to the Mountain of the Lake whose sides boast the Ornament of many Churches and Cloysters and the top shews a Lake three miles in circumference Zengero comes next and after that Rozenagus Zengero from thence travelling Northerly into the Countrey you come to Roxa or Boxa bordering upon Zingero and Eastwards on Goiame Close to Narea lieth Zeth or Zesta deep into the Countrey upon which the Kingdom of Konche borders as that upon Mahaola Faskulon takes place between two Branches of the Nyle Eastward of Goiame and Dambea and Southward of Bizamo Jarrik reckons from Dambea to Faskulon five days journey Thus we have handed you through the Kingdoms we will now set out the Provinces remaining and so proceed to other matter The Territory of Magaza the Northern part of this Kingdom Territories scituate between the River Mareb and Takasa borders towards the North upon Nengini and in the West touches Fungi or Bugihe Seguede the next borders North-East upon Magaza North with Fungie West at Olkait and South at Semen and Salait Olkait conterminates in the East Sequede in the North Fungie in the West Dambea and in the South Salait Salait hath for limits to the North the Territory of Seguede in the West that of Seinen and the Kingdom of Dambea and in the South Abargale Cenen or Semnen so call'd by Balthazar Tellez in stead of Ximench or Ximen but by Sanutus Terra di Giudei Jewen-Land and by the Abyssines themselves Xionenche borders in the North at Seguede in the East at Salait Sanutus saith this Jews Countrey lieth Inclos'd between Mountains and Wildernesses which in the East spread towards the Nyle and Abyssine and South to the Equinoctial from whence they shoot to Congo in the West are unknown Mountains and Wildernesses towards Benin and in the North a ridge of great Hills over-topping the edges of Dauma and Medra Abargale stands bounded in the North by Salait in the East by the River Takara and in the South by the Territory of Salaoa The limits of Salaoa are in the North at Abargale in the East at the foremention'd River Takaze in the South Bagameder and in the West Dambea Ozeka hath the neighborhood of Amaza North Marabett East Upper-Xaoa South and in the West Goiame Doba lieth in the middle of Bagameder all the other Southern Territories formerly belonging to Abyssine the Gala's possess as the Turks do the Eastern Countreys towards the Red-Sea Most Geographers have plac'd in Abyssine two Arms of the Nyle The Island Meâ—â—e anciently by Ptolomy nam'd Astapus and Astaboras The first of these two at present Niger calleth Abani Barros Abansi and Vossius Mareb The other being Takaze or Takassen lies in fifteen Degrees and twenty Minutes Northern Latitude and fifteen days Sail from Siena wherein lies the Island Meroe often remembred by ancient Greek and Latin Writers Diodorus thinks it took that Name from Meroe the Mother of Cambyses King of Persia But Strabo from his Sister which died there The Inhabitants denominate it Naulebahe that is The Mother of Good Havens and Marmol Neuba Some differ from all before and will have it nam'd in the Countrey Idiom sometimes Saba then Bed Amara and anon Tevet Many others intitle it Gueguere which Jovius denies maintaining Gueguere to be the same with Syene Sanutus reckons the length of this Island to be three hundred and fifty Italian Miles or seventy Dutch Miles But Jovius makes it bigger than England though without any Reason and contrary to the Vogue of all Ages and Authors Some Modern Writers seem to make the Kingdom of Goiame Balthazar Tellez almost surrounded by a Branch of the Nyle to be this Island Meroe but Vossius contradicts both the first and last Opinions affirming That the Ancients never had any true knowledge of this Island but have made one in Imagination where never was any contrary to Strabo and many others The City Meroe situate by Ptolomy at the North end of the Island Pliny and others set seventy thousand Paces more to the South and Vossius thinks that 't is the same at this day call'd Beroa or Baroa the Head-City of Barnagas and adds moreover That the Netherlanders have greatly mistaken in setting it so far from the Red-Sea an Error caus'd as he imagines by the tedious uncouthness of the Way For the whole Coast lies so full of craggy and high Mountains as makes it almost unpassable and their Backs so chain'd together that you have no way to it but by the Haven of Ercocco and Suachem and that so troublesom that Travellers can scarce ride above three or four thousand Paces in one day And therefore saith he it is no wonder Ancient Geographers who in a few known Countreys were necessitated to take the Distance of Places by the Days-Journey should extend the Countrey between Meroe and the Red-Sea so far This Empire of the Abyssines may justly claim the advantage of divers good Rivers especially the middlemost and principal Channel of the Nyle Rivers and other fertilizing Branches thereof as Mareb or Morabo Tacaze Anquet and Malegh The River Mareb takes its Rise in the Kingdom of Tigre The River Mareb two small Miles from Baroa on the West-side and runneth on to the South passing into the dry Countrey of the Caffers where one Branch burying it self under ground for a while and afterwards re-appearing with an inverted Course turns back towards its Head till at last it shoots in a direct Line to the Kingdom of Denghini and so at last unites with the River Tacaze Tacaze which Mercator according to Tellez holds to be the Assabaras mention'd by Ptolomy hath its Head-Fountain in the Borders of Angote The River Tacaze in the Mountains of Axgua near Bagameder from three Head-springs about a stones cast one from another whose Waters conjoyn'd make this River It takes a Course a days Journey to the West between the Precinct of Dagana and Hoaga running from thence beyond the Kingdom of Tigre then cuts through the Territory of Sire having on the East-side Fruitful and Tilled Grounds and on the West the Wilderness or Desart of Oldeba formerly boasting many Cloysters like Egyptian Thebes from thence taking a view of Holcait it falls through the Caffers Countrey with a great contribution of Water
Valetta Citta Vecchia or Old Malta Burgo St. Angelo or Citta Vittoriosa and the Town of St. Michael besides 60 good Villages Comin and Cominot Onely one Fort. Goze or Gozo One Castle and a good Fort and about 5000 Inhabitants Lampadowze Altogether desolate Linose Lies desolate Pantalaree Towns Pantalaree An Abyss call'd Fossa AN EXACT DESCRIPTION OF THE AFRICAN ISLANDS AS Madagascar or Saint Laurence Saint Thomas the Canary-Islands Cape de Verd Malta and others With their Names Scituations Cities Rivers Plants Beasts Manners Habits Languages Riches Religions and Dominions AFter the Description of the Main Land of Africa the Subjected Islands belonging to the same must be taken notice of and they are found partly in the Atlantick Ocean partly in the Mid-Land and partly in the Red-Sea The Isles in the Atlantick on the East of Africa are these Zokotora Madagascar or St. Laurence the greatest of all Nossihibrahim or St. Mary Bouebon or Maskarenhas or Maskareign Almirante St. Francis As Sete Jemanas Os tres Irmanas Roque Piz do Natal do Arko Don John of Miz Pemba Monfia Zanzibar Anisa Quezimba Mozambike Don John of Castro Cosmoldo As doze Ilbeos John da Novo Ilhas Primuras Angoxas Galaga Comoro or Thieves Island Aliola St. Spirito St. Christophano Mazare dos Gorajos St. Brandaon St. Apolonu Mauritius or do Ciene Diego Rois John of Lixbon dos Romaros dos Castellianos By the Cape of Good Hope lieth the Island St. Elizabeth Korwli or Robben and Dassen Island South-Westward from the Cape of Good Hope lieth the Island of Tristano Kunha but more Southerly are the Islands dos Pikos Martyn Vaz St. Maria de Agosta de Trinitad Ascension St. Helen New St. Helen Annoban St. Thome Rolletjes Princes Island Carakombo Ferdinando do Po St. Matthias Ferdinand Noronho Penedo de St. Paulo the Salt or Cape de vard Islands the Canary Islands the Islands of Borodon Madera Porto Santo The Islands in the Mediterrane are Galatha Tabarka Pantalerce Malta Goze c. In the Red-Sea Primeiras Delacca Masuan Magot Mirt Suachen c. But here we must observe that some of these being close by the Main Land of Africa are already describ'd in the foregoing part such be Zokotora Quirimba Zanzibar Mozambike Robben and Dassen Islands Corisco the Islands Amboises Bisegos De los Idolos Bravas c. The Island of MADAGASCAR or St. LAURENCE THe Island commonly by Geographers call'd Madagascar and in the Countrey Language Madecase by Theuck Albazgra by the Persians and Arabians Sazandib by the Portuguese Ilha de sam Lourengo from the first Discoverer Laurence Almeide Son of Francois Almeide Viceroy of the East-Indies for the King of Portugal who in the Year Fifteen hundred and six put with eight Ships first of all into this Island of St. Laurence Gaspar de St. Bernardino in his Journey through India by Land affirms That in the Year Fifteen hundred and eight with whom agrees Damianas de Goez it was discover'd on the outside and a little afterwards the inside scarifi'd by one Ruy Pircira de Kontinho and afterwards by Tristano da Kunha who Sail'd quite round it upon the Command of Alfonso d' Albuquerque There are that report this Island was known to the Antients Merkat Magin Ortel and that Pliny call'd it Cerne Ptolomy Menuthias and Diodorus The Island of Merchant Jol but this cannot be because they never had any knowledge of the Countreys lying Southward above Serre-Lions It spreads in length North North-East Situation Flakkourt Fraxscis Canche and South South-West Southward of the Equinoctial Line and begins with its North end from the eleventh or twelfth degree and odd minutes or according to Pyrad from the fourteenth degree and ends with its South end in the six and twentieth that is from the Cape of St. Sebastian to the Cape of St. Mary Linschot places it a hundred six and twenty Leagues from Cabo das Corinthas on the Main Coast of Africa a hundred and ten from Sofala and four and forty from Mozambike It is one of the greatest Islands in the World for the length from South to North hath been reckon'd to twelve hundred Spanish or two hundred Dutch Miles though Linschot says two hundred and twenty the breadth seventy and the Circumference nine hundred The Sea between the Island and the Main Land towards that side of the Cape of Good Hope sets with a strong Current and goeth with a mighty Tide of Ebbing and Flowing making a Channel at the Westerly entrance eighty five Miles broad and in the middle where it is narrower over against the Island Mosambike four and forty Dutch Miles but it grows wider again towards the East The Ships which go from Europe to the Indies and from thence back again Sail commonly through this Channel unless Storms and Tempests force them to Steer another course This Island hath been Canton'd into many Divisions Divided into Territories whose names we will endeavor to give you viz. Anossi or Karkanossi Manatensi or Manapani the Valley of Amboulle the Countrey of Vohitsbang Itomampo Ikondre Vattemahon Manamboule INSVLA S. LAVRENTII vulgo MADAGASCAR Anachimonssi Gringdrane Vohitsanghombe Manakargha Matatane Antainare Galemboulou Tametavi Sahaveh Vouloulou Andouvoche Manghabei Adcimoi Mandrerci Ampatre Karemboule Mahafalle Houlouve Siveh Ivoronheok and Machicore All large Territories but the biggest is Machikore being seventy French Miles long and forty broad and the most populous are Vohitsanghombe and Erindrane We will give you a particular account of each with what is remarkable therein Beginning first with Carkanossi and from thence will run up Northward to the Bay of Antongil so turn back to the South from Carkanossi to the River Ongelahe To the Northward of this great Island two or three smaller as Nosey Ibrahim or Abraham's Isle by the French nam'd St. Mary and another to the South call'd Maskarenhas or Maskareigne and by the French Bouchon The whole Coast of this Island on the East-side The spreading of the Coast spreads due North North-East and South South-West that is from the Cape of Itapere otherwise call'd Fitorah in five and twenty degrees and six minutes South-Latitude to the Bay or Inlet of Antongil and from thence to the Lands-end due North from the Cape of Itapere to the Island of Karenboule Westerly From Karemboule to the Mouth of the River Sakalite the Coast runs North-West and from thence to the seventeenth degree South-Latitude North North-East and thence to the fourteenth degree being the Road of the Island due North. The whole extent comprehends many beneficial and large Rivers that having their heads within the Land irrigate the same to a rich fecundity and at last emit their Waters into the Sea by which means there appear divers fine Bays which make convenient and safe Roads for Ships The South-side from the Cape of Itapere to Karemboule the People of Europe best know by most of whom frequented but especially by the French who have to the chief Bay assign'd the Name of Dauphin
product of one Harvest to thirty thousand Venetian Measures call'd Stares every one reckon'd at three and thirty Pound The Grass and Trees shoot up so high that the Inhabitants are necessitated to cut up and burn part of it in the Ashes whereof they plant Sugar-Canes which in six Moneths bring forth Sugar for those planted in January are cut up in June and so the rest each according to the Moneth wherein they were planted MELITE INSULA vulge MASTA Here is much tame Cattel as upon the Mountains many wild Swine Partridges Doves and Quails The Inhabitants are much civiler than those of the Canary-Islands and Trade with all sorts of Countreys giving in Exchange for their Commodities Sugar Honey Wax Oranges Citrons Lemons Pomgranates Wines and Leather THe Island of Malta THe Name of Malta seems to be derived from Melite so call'd of old which not onely the antient Geographers Strabo Mela and Ptolomy but the holy Scripture it self mentions though there be another Melite near the City Ragousa and the Coast of Damiata at this day call'd Meleda Cluverius in his Description of Sicily supposes that the Iste Hiperia spoken of by Homer as the Habitation of the People call'd Phaeacians who being hunted thence by the Phenycians took their flight to Corfu or Scherie antiently Phaeacia is no other than this And assuredly the Phaeacians were the Inhabitants of Corfu which came first from Malta as Homer by placing the Mountain Melite in Corfu plainly makes manifest Cluverius endeavors to maintain by demonstrative reasons that it was the most antient Ogygia the Habitation of the Nymph Calipso Daughter of Oceanus and Thetis who receiv'd and entertain'd Ulysses suffering Shipwrack where he stay'd seven years but at last by the order of Juno was commanded to quit his Mistress and leave the Countrey This Island hath been commonly accounted in Europe but Ptolomy placeth it in Africa and the very Tongue there spoken being broken Arabick proves it African no less than its being in the Atlantick Sea though it seem nearer to Europe It lieth in six and forty Degrees of Longitude and in five and thirty and ten Minutes North-Latitude or according to Ptolomy in four and thirty Degrees forty Minutes and hath in length from East to West six Leagues in breadth three and in compass fifteen It hath on the East the Mediterranean Sea on that side next Candia in the North the Island of Sicily not above fifteen Leagues distant in the South Tripolis in Barbary and the lesser Africa in the West the Islands of Pantalaree Linose and Lampadouse The Sea which divides it from Sicily bears the Name of The Channel of Malta Ptolomy places there a City of the same Name and two Temples one of Juno and the other of Hercules At this day it contains four Wall'd Cities besides a great number of Towns the Cities are Valette Citta Vecchia that is The Old City otherwise Old Malta Biurgo Sante Angelo or The City of Angels otherwise Citta Victoriosa and the City or Town of St. Michael or Sangde Valette by the Italians call'd Terra Nuova and by the French Ville Neuve gain'd that Name from the Grand Master Jan de Valette otherwise Parisot who presently built it after the Siege of the Turks in the Year Fifteen hundred sixty five who had then straitned this Island and taken the Castle St. Elmo lying before the City The City stands founded upon a Rock and an elevated piece of Ground call'd Scebarras which severs the Haven Marza Mazetta and the Great Haven being indeed an Isthmus the Sea beating on three sides of it and a great Trench hewn out of the Rock cuts it off from the rest of the Island On the outmost Point of that Rock before it stands the Castle St. Elmo It appears very strong surrounded on the out side with Ditches cut in the Rocks fortified with Bulwarks and very delightful Out-works within beautified with straight and broad Streets of which the chiefest are Strata Reale or The High Street and Strata Merchanti The Merchants Street The Houses lofty built of hewn Stone with flat Roofs according to the manner of the Eastern Countreys to the number of about two thousand Every House had formerly a Cistern to catch Rain-water but Strangers at this day fetch it from some fair Springs neighboring the Port del Monto on the Sea-coast whither the Water hath been brought some Miles out of the Countrey by Conduits an Invention of the Grand Master Alofi Vignacourt to the great Relief and Comfort as well of the Inhabitants as Foreigners which lie with their Ships before the City for the Water spouts by the opening of an Engine in the City and by Pipes runs into the Cask in the Boats Three Gates give entrance into it one at the Haven call'd Porta del Monte and two at the Land-side viz. Porta Reale and Porta Boucheria or The Slaughter-house Gate There are seven Churches the chiefest is that of St. John the Patron or Guardian-Protector of the Order of the Knights of Malta on the right side whereof stands the Figure of that Saint in a lively Representation The other are St. Augustine St. Dominico St. Maria Jesus St. Paulo Madona de Carmine Collegio de Jesu La Madama de la Victoria There are also seven Palaces or Courts call'd Auberge or Bergia for the seven Languages for into so many Nations of several Tongues are the Knights divided in every one of which the Superiors have their Residence and live upon the Expence of the Order As Bergia or Auberge di Provence Bergia de Auvergne or Alvenia Bergia de France Bergia di Italia Bergia di Arragon Bergia de Alemagna Bergia di Castilia that is to say The Palace or Court of Provence The Palace of Auvergne The Palace of France The Palace of Italy The Palace of Arragon Germany and Spain Formerly there was a Bergia di Angliterre but at this day annihilated There are several Cloysters as of St. Ursula St. Catherine and di Repenti The Palace of the Grand-Master for here he holds his Court stands between St. Elmo and St. Johns wherein is a great Hall the usual Place for the meeting of the Grand-Master with the Counsellors or Knights of the Great Cross In the Court behind the Palace stand fix'd in the Wall the Portraictures of two very ancient Marble Heads rais'd upon an Arch bigger than the Life one with this Inscription Zenobia Orientalis Domina and the other Petesilia They were found in Malta in the Year Two hundred seventy six They have a Market-place to which the Countrey People bring all sorts of Fruit Fowl Sheep Goats Hogs and other provision to sell VALETTA CIVITAS NOVA MALTAE Olim Millitae There is an Arsenal or Magazine of Arms Magazine of Armâ—â— under the Inspection of a Cavalier or Knight wherein they have a very large and stately Hall compleatly furnish'd with all sorts of Warlike Weapons In the middle stand five square Wooden Buildings whose