the kingdomes of Adel and of Xoa consisteth the greatest parte of champion groundes which yeelde wheate barly and other graine most plentifully In this kingdome standes an exceeding high mountaine on the toppe whereof is a lake of twelue miles in compasse abounding with great varietie of fish and from this mountaine 〈◊〉 many riuers stored with fish also The kingdome of Damut as Sanutus affirmeth doth border vpon the kingdome of Xoa and is enclosed on either side with the lake of Barcena and the lande of Zanguebar Howbeit others place Damut betweene the kingdomes of Vangue and Goiame towarde the west which opinion seemeth most probable This countrey aboundeth with golde ginger grapes corne and beasts of all sortes The slaues of this kingdome are much esteemed and are commonly solde throughout all Arabia Persia and Egypt where they prooue most valiant soldiers The greater part of the people of Damut are Gentiles and the residue Christians who haue certaine monasteries In this kingdome is that exceeding high and dreadfull mountaine hauing one narrow passage onely to ascend by whither the Prete sendeth his nobles which are conuicted of any heinous crime to suffer ignominious death with hunger and cold About the fountaines of Nilus some say that there are Amazones or women-warriers most valiant and redoubted which vse bowes and arrowes and liue vnder the gouernement of a Queene as likewise the people called Cafri or Cafates being as blacke as pitch and of a mightie stature and as some thinke descended of the Iewes but now they are idolaters and most deadly enimies to the Christians for they make continuall assaults vpon the Abassins dispoiling them both of life and goods but all the day-time they lie lurking in mountaines woods and deepe valleies The stile vsed by Prete Ianni in his letters I the king whose name the lions doe reuerence and who by the grace of God was at my baptisme called Athani Tingil that is The incense of the virgine but now at the beginning of my raigne tooke vpon me the name of Dauid beloued of God the piller of faith descended of the tribe of 〈◊〉 the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Salomon the sonne of the piller of Sion the sonne of the seede of Iacob the sonne of the hand of Marie the sonne of Nahu according to the flesh the sonne of the holy Apostles Peter and Faul according to grace Emperour of the higher and greater 〈◊〉 and of most large kingdomes territories and iurisdictions the king of Xoa Caffate Fatigar Angote Barú Baaliganze Adea Vangue and Goiame where the fountaines of Nilus are as likewise of 〈◊〉 Baguamedri Ambea 〈◊〉 Tigremahon Sabaim the countrie of the Queen of Saba of Barnagasso and lorde as farre as Nubia which confineth vpon Egypt Certaine answeres of Don Francisco Aluarez who from the yeere 1520. for the space of sixe yeeres next ensuing had trauailed and remained in the countrey of PRETE IANNI with the Portugall ambassadour Rodrigo de Lima made vnto sundrie demaunds or questions of the Archbishop of Bragança concerning the state of the foresaide countrey and prince and of the disposition manners and customes of the people Io. Bap. Ramusius vol. 1. delle voiag fol. 254. 255. THe Ethiopian Emperour called Prete Ianni hath no setled place of abode where he continually resideth but is alwaies flitting vp and downe sometimes to one place and sometimes to another and liueth in tentes set vp in the fields enuironed with a kinde of fortification of which tents there may be in his campe of all sorts to the number of 5000. or 6000 and of horsemen and mules 50000. and vpwards It is a generall custome of the Prete and of all his subiects not to passe on horsebacke by any church so great is their reuerence to holy places but so soone as they approch thereunto they light vpon the ground and hauing passed by they mount on horsebacke againe Whensoeuer the Prete marcheth with all his troupes there is carried before him vpon the shoulders of certaine priests an altar and a consecrated stone whereon they vse to administer their communion the priests appointed to cary it vpon a frame of wood are eight in number seruing fower and fower by turnes before whom goeth a clerke with a censer and a little bell sounding at the sight and noise whereof all persons forsake the way and such as are on horsebacke dismount In all this countrey there is not any towne consisting of aboue 1600. families there are very few that haue so many neither are there any castles or walled places but 〈◊〉 manie villages and infinite numbers of people Their houses are built round al of earth flat-roofed and couered with a kind of thatch which wil last the time of a mans life being compassed about with courts or yards They haue no bridges of stone vpon their riuers but all of wood They sleep commonly vpon oxe-hides or else vpon certaine couches corded sustained with thongs made of the said hides They haue no kind of tables to eat their meat vpon but haue it serued in vpon plaine very broad platters of wood without any table-cloth at al. Also they haue certaine great deep dishes like basons made of black earth shining in maner of Iet with other cups of the same earth out of which they vse to drinke water wine Many of them eate raw flesh but others broile it vpon the coles or firebrands and some places there are so destitute of wood that the people are faine to dresse their meate with oxe-dung Their armour and weapons be Azagaie or short darts some few swords and certaine shirts of male verie long and streight and as some of our men which haue seene them doe report made of naughtie and vnseruiceable matter They haue bowes and arrowes great store but not with feathers as ours be as likewise helmets and head-peeces but very few and first brought in since they began to haue traffique with the Portugals howbeit they haue manie strong targets Of artillerie they had at our departure foureteene small yron-peeces which they had bought of certaine Turkes that vsually came to trafficke vpon the coast for which peeces the Prete willed that they should haue their vttermost demande to the end they might be the willinger to returne and bring more and he caused some of his seruants also to learne how to discharge them The riuer of Nilus I my selfe neuer saw although at one time I was within thirtie miles thereof howbeit some of our Portugales haue trauelled to the very fountaines of Nilus which are two great lakes comparable to seas situate in the kingdome of Goiame out of which hauing conueyed it selfe a small distance this riuer embraceth certaine Islets and then holdeth on his course to Egypt The reason why Nilus yeerely ouerfloweth Egypt is because the generall winter of Ethiopia holding on with most mightie and continual raines from the middle of Iune to the midst of September doth make the
Monomotapa to the riuer Coauo and beyond west with the riuer Nilus North vpon the dominions of Prete Ianni and east vpon the kingdomes of Melinde Mombaça and Quiloa hath not many yeeres ago bin discouered or at least heard of by the Portugales vpon occasion perhaps of the warres which with vnfortunate successe they haue waged against Monomotapa The emperour of this country holdeth a continuall league with the princes of Melinde Mombaça and Quiloa towards the sea for traffiques sake for they prouide his dominions with cloth of cotton cloth of silke and sundrie other commodities brought from Arabia Persia Cambaya and India which are very well esteemed in those parts but among the rest they bring especially certaine little balles of a red colour and in substance like vnto glasse being made in Cambaya of a kinde of Bitumen or clammie claie which balles they vse to weare like beades about their necks They serue also to them in stead of money for gold they make none account of Likewise with the silkes that are brought vnto them they apparel themselues from the girdle downward In exchange of all the foresaide wares and commodities they giue gold siluer copper and iuorie Howbeit vpon his Inland frontiers to the south and southwest he maintaineth continuall and bloudie warres against the emperour of Monomotapa his principall and greatest forces consisting of a most barbarous and fierce nation called by the people of Congo Giachi but by themselues Agag who inhabite from the first great lake which is the fountaine of Nilus for a certaine space vpon both sides of the said riuer and then afterward on the westerne banke as farre as the second great lake from whence Zaire hath his chiefe original thence euen to the confines of Prete Ianni They are a wilde and lawles people liuing after the manner of the ancient Scythians and Nomades and like the Tartars and Baduin-Arabians of these times a vagrant kind of life vnder cabbins and cottages in the open forrests They are of stature tall and of countenance most terrible making lines vpon their cheekes with certaine iron-instruments and turning their eie-lids backward whereby they cast vpon their enimies a most dreadfull and astonishing aspect They are man-eaters and couragious in battaile For their armour of defence they vse certaine Pauises or great targets wherwith they couer their whole bodies being otherwise naked and their offensiue weapons are dartes and daggers It is not many yeeres since these cruel sauages ranging westward from Nilus inuaded the kingdome of Congo vanquished the inhabitants in sundrie battels tooke the head citie and forced the king Don Aluaro to flee for succour and safetie vnto the isle of horses in the mouth of the great riuer Zaire being one of the extreme frontiers of his dominions Where the king himselfe was taken with an incurable dropsie and his people in great numbers died of famine who to relieue their extreme necessities sold their wiues their children and their owne selues for slaues vnto the Portugals Howbeit these warlike Giacchi notwithstanding their hautie courage and great exploits are no whit feared but rather most boldly encountered and sometimes vanquished by the Amazones or women warriers of Monomotapa Which two nations what by warlike stratagems and what by open and maine force do often fight the most desperate and doubtfull battailes that are performed in all those southern parts The empire of Monomotapa the fourth generall part of the lower Ethiopia BEnomotapa Benomotaxa or Monomotapa is a large empire so called after the name of the prince thereof who in religion is a Gentile and for extension of dominions and military forces a renowmed and mightie emperour in the language of whose subiects an emperour is signified by this word Monomotapa This empire of his lyeth as it were in an Island which containeth in compasse seuen hundred and fiftie or as some thinke one thousand leagues being limited on the north-west by the great lake whereout Nilus springeth on the south by the riuer Magnice and the tributarie kingdome of Butua or Toroa on the east it hath the sea-coast and the kingdome of Sofala which in very deed is a member thereof and the North part abutteth vpon the riuer of Cuama and the empire of Mohenemugi That part of this great Island which lyeth betweene the mouth of Cuama and the cape de los Corrientes is a very pleasant holesome and fruitfull country And from the said cape to the riuer of Magnice the whole region aboundeth with beasts both great and small but it is cold by reason of the sharp brizes which come off the sea and so destitute of wood that the people for fewel are constrained to vse the dung of beasts and they apparel themselues in their skinnes Along the banke of the riuer Cuama are diuers hilles and downes couered with trees and vallies likewise watered with riuers being pleasantly situate and well peopled Here are such plenty of Elephants as it seemeth by the great quantitie of their teeth that there are yeerely slaine betweene foure and fiue thousand Their elephants are nine cubites high and fiue cubites in thicknes They haue long and broad eares little eyes shorte tailes and great bellies and some are of opinion that Ethiopia yeeldeth as many elephants as Europe doth oxen The townes and villages of this empire are very few and their buildings are of wood and clay couered with thatch None may haue doores to their houses but onely great personages Their principal cities are Zimbas and Benamataza the first whereof is one and twentie and the second fifteene daies iourney from Sofala They serue this emperour at the table vpon their knees to sit before him is all one as with vs for a man to stand vpon his feete neither may any presume to stand in his presence but onely great lords He is tasted vnto not before but after he hath eaten and drunke For his armes he hath a spade and two dartes Tribute he taketh none but onely certaine daies seruice and giftes presented vnto him without which there is no appearing in his sight Hee carrieth whithersoeuer he go foure hundred dogs as a most sure and trustie guard Hee keepeth all the heires of his tributary princes as vassals and as pledges of their fathers loialtie There are no prisons in al his empire for sufficient testimonie being brought of the commission of any crime iustice is executed out of hand and of all offences none are punished with greater seueritie and rigour then witchcraft theft and adulterie His people are of a meane 〈◊〉 blacke and well proportioned They are Gentiles in religion hauing no idols but worshipping one onely God whom they call Mozimo They go apparelled in cloth of cotton either made by themselues or brought from other countries howbeit the king will in no case weare any forrein cloth for feare of poison or such like trecherie and the meaner sort of his subiects are clad in beasts skins Among all the armies and
generally vneuen and mountainous but the valleis are passing fertile and throughly inhabited and here is sowed abundance of rice and Saburro which groweth to ripenes in fortie daies Howbeit the soile will beare no wheat Here is store of cotton also the cloth whereof is dispersed along the coast of Africa The shee-gotes here as likewise in all the isles adiacent bring forth three and more kids at a birth euery foure moneths When the sunne is in Cancer it raineth here in a manner without ceasing To the west of Sant Iago stand the isles of Fogo and Braua being but of small importance albeit that of Fogo is in some parts thereof inhabited and to the North of the same is situate the isle of Maio where there is a lake of two leagues long which is full of salt the which is a common thing in all these islands but in one more then in any of the other in that it is full of such like salt pits and is therefore called The island of salt being destitute of all other liuing things saue onely of wild gotes The isle of Buena vista hath a name contrary to the quality for it is without all shew of beauty Of the others I haue nothing woorthie the obseruation Of the Isles of Arguin A Little to the south or on the backside of Cabo blanco within a certaine gulfe or baie which entereth thirtie miles into the maine lie the isles of Arguin which were discouered in the yeere 1443. so called after the name of the principall of them which hath great store of fresh water whereof all the residue are destitute Heere the king of Spaine hath a fortresse for the traffique of gold and other rich commodities of those countries These isles are sixe or seuen in number all little ones being inhabited by the Azanaghi who liue of fish whereof there is plentie in that baie They go to sea in certaine small botes which they call Almadies The names of the other isles as farre as I coniecture are The isle of Penguins The isles of Nar Tider and Adeget Of the Isles in the Atlantick Ocean and first of the Canaries FOr so the isles named of olde Insulae fortunatae which euer since the decay of the Romaine empire till within these two hundred yeeres lay vndiscouered are at this present called They are in number twelue although the ancient writers make mention but of sixe that is to say Canaria Lançarotta 〈◊〉 ventura Hierro Palma Gomera Santa Clara Isla de lobos La Roca Gratiosa Alegrança and Infierno They 〈◊〉 abound with barly sugar hony goates cheese hides and Orchel being herbe commodious to die cloth withall and whereof they make great merchandise Amongst other beasts they haue also camels The natural inhabitants of the countrey are of a good disposition and notable agilitie but before they were discouered they were so grosse and rude as they knewe not the vse of fire They beleeued in one creatour of the world who punished the 〈◊〉 and rewarded the good and in this point they all consented but in other matters they were very different They had no iron at all but yet esteemed it much when any came to their hands for the vse thereof They made no accoūt of gold or siluer iudging it a folly to esteem of that mettal which could not serue for mechanicall instruments Their weapons were stones and staues They shaued their heads with certaine sharpe stones like to 〈◊〉 The women would not willingly nurse their owne children but caused them to be suckled by goates They were and are at this day delighted with a kinde of dance which they vse also in Spaine and in other places and because it tooke originall from thence it is called The Canaries From hence also they bring certaine birds which sing at all times of the yeere The greatest of all these isles is the Gran Canaria containing fower-score and ten miles in circuit and it hath to the number of nine thousand inhabitants Tenerif is not altogither so great This is esteemed one of the highest islands in the world by reason of a mountaine therein of the forme of a diamond being as it is reported fifteene leagues high it may be seene more then threescore leagues off Hierro hath neither spring nor well but is miraculously furnished with water by a cloud which ouer-spreadeth a tree from whence distilleth so much moisture as sufficeth both for men and cattell This cloud ariseth an hower or two before the sunne and is dissolued two howers after sunne rising The water falleth into a ponde made at the foote of the tree The isle of Palma is little but beautifull and abundant in sugar wine flesh and cheese wherefore such ships as go from Spaine to Terra firma and Brasil do there ordinarily prouide themselues of fresh victuall It is from Lisbon a thousand miles by sea being much subiect to tempests and especially those which come from the northwest Of these islands Lançarota Hierro and Gomera are in the hands of priuate men the others belong to the crowne Of the Isles of Madera and Puerto santo MAdera is the greatest and most principal of all the isles in the Atlantick Ocean It standeth in two and thirtie degrees and an halfe fortie miles to the southwest of Puerto santo So it is called because at the first discouerie thereof it was all ouergrowen with mightie thick woods Wherfore to waste the said woods and to make it fit to be manured the first discouerers set them on fire which continued burning as some report for the space of certaine yeeres together whereupon it grew so exceeding fertile that of corne it yeeldeth sixtie folde for one and for a certaine space the fifte part of the sugars amounted yeerely to threescore thousand Arrouas one of which Arrouas containeth fiue and twentie pounds of sixteene ounces the pound but now it cometh not to the one halfe of that reckoning This isle containeth in compasse an hundred sixtie miles It is dided into foure regions or quarters that is to say Comerico Santa Cruz Funcial and Camara de los Lobos It aboundeth with water and besides diuiuers sundry fountaines it hath eight small riuers which make it as fruitfull and pleasant as a garden It yeeldeth euery thing in such perfection that Cadamosta in regard of their excellency affirmeth all commodities which are there gathered to be gold It produceth infinite store of fruits excellent wines and sugars which cannot be matched Heere is likewise great abundance of cedars whereof are made fine chestes and other works of account for which purpose there are diuers sawing milles vpon the foresaid riuers This isle is very scarce of oile and of corne The head or principall citie hereof is Funciall being the seat of an archbishop who hath 8000. ducates of reuenue Here are two fortresses built which command the hauen Fortie miles to the northeast of Madera lieth the isle of Puerto santo so called
the kings brother will make a truce Which the Portugals no sooner yeelded vnto but the sauage and merciles Moores put them euery one to the sword sauing three or fower onely who were saued at the request of a captaine in the Moores campe The Portugals Generall being sore dismaied with this slaughter for thereby he had lost all his principal soldiers craued aide of a certaine other captaine which by chance arriued there with a mightie fleete being accompanied with a great number of noblemen and gentlemen Howbeit he was so hindred by the Moores who daily did him all the villanie they could and sunke diuers of his ships that he was not able to performe that which he desired In the meane space newes was published among the Portugals of the king of Spaines death whereupon diuers ships were prouided and many Portugals were sent into Spaine Likewise the captaine of the said new forte seeing himselfe destitute of all succour leauing the forte embarked himselfe in those ships which then lay vpon the riuer But the greatest part of the fleete were cast away at their setting foorth and the residue to escape the Moores shot ran themselues a-ground on the flats and shouldes of the riuer and were there miserably slaine by the Moores Many of their ships were here burnt and their ordinance sunke in the sea So many Christians were then slaine some say to the number of ten thousand that the sea-water in that place continued red with their blood for three daies after Soone after the Moores tooke vp fower hundred great peeces of brasse out of the sea This huge calamitie befell the Portugals for two causes first because they would with such a small number make so rash an assault vpon the Moores whom they knew to be so strong and secondly whereas the Portugall-king might at his owne cost haue sent another fleete for a new supply he would by no meanes ioine his owne people and Castilians together For by reason of the diuersitie of counsels and of people there is nothing more pernicious then for an armie to consist of two nations yea the Moores certainly expect the vpper hand when they are to fight with such an armie I my selfe was present in the foresaid warre and sawe each particular accident a little before my voyage to Constantinople Of the towne called Tefelfelt THis towne is situate vpon a sandie plaine fifteene miles eastward of Mahmora and almost twelue miles from the Ocean sea Not far from this towne runneth a certaine riuer on both sides whereof are thicke woods haunted with more fierce and cruell lions then the last before mentioned which greatly endanger those trauellers that haue occasion to lodge thereabout Without this towne vpon the high way to Fez standeth an olde cottage with a plancherd chamber therein here the mulettiers and carriers are said to take vp their lodging but the doore of the said cottage they stop as sure as they can with boughes and thornes Some affirme that this rotten cottage while the towne was inhabited was a most stately inne But it was defaced in the foresaid war of Sahid A description of Mecnase THis towne was so called after the name of the Mecnasites who were the founders thereof From Fez it is 36. miles about fiftie from Sella and from Atlas almost 15. miles distant It is exceeding rich and containeth families to the number of six thousand The inhabitants hereof while they dwelt in the fields liued a most peaceable life howbeit at length they fell to dissension among themselues and the weaker part hauing all their cattell taken from them and hauing nothing in the fields to maintaine their estaste agreed among themselues to build this citie of Mecnase in a most beautifull plaine Neere vnto this towne runneth a little riuer and within three miles thereof are most pleasant gardens replenished with all manner of fruits Quinces there are of great bignes and of a most fragrant smell and pomegranates likewise which being very great and most pleasant in taste haue no stones within them and yet they are sold exceeding cheape Likewise here are plentie of damascens of white plums and of the fruite called Iujuba which being dried in the sunne they eate in the spring and carrie a great number of them to Fez. They haue likewise great store of figs and grapes which are not to be eaten but while they are greene new for their figs being dried become so brittle that they waste all to powder and their grapes when they are made raisins prooue vnsauorie Peaches and oranges they haue in so great quantitie that they make no store of them but their limons are waterish and vnpleasant Oliues are sold among them for a duckat and a halfe the Cantharo which measure containeth a hundred pounds Italian Moreouer their fields yeeld them great plentie of hempe and flaxe which they sell at Fez and Sela. In this towne are most stately and beautifull temples three colleges and ten bath-stoues Euery monday they haue a great market without the towne-walles whereunto the bordering Arabians doe vsually resort Here are oxen sheepe and other such beastes to be sold butter and wooll are here plentifull and at an easie rate In my time the king bestowed this towne vpon a certaine noble man of his where as much fruits are reaped as in the third part of the whole kingdome of Fez. This towne hath beene so afflicted by warres that the yeerely tribute thereof hath beene diminished sometime fortie thousand and fiftie thousand duckats and somtimes more and I haue red that it hath beene besieged for sixe or seuen yeeres together In my time the gouernour thereof the king of Fez his cozen relying vpon the fauour of the people rebelled against his kinsman and soueraigne Whereupon the Fessan king with a great armie besieged the towne two moneths together and because it would not yeeld so wasted and destroied all the countrie thereabout that the gouernour lost by that means fiue and twentie thousand duckats of yeerely reuenue What then shall we thinke of the sixe and seuen yeeres siege before mentioned At length those citizens which fauoured the king of Fez opened the gates and stoutly resisting the contrarie faction gaue the king and his soldiers entrance Thus by their meanes the king wan the citie carrying home to Fez the rebellious gouernour captiue who within fewe daies escaped from him This most strong and beautifull citie hath many faire streetes whereinto by conducts from a fountaine three miles distant is conueied most sweet and holesome water which serueth all the whole citie The mils are two miles distant from the towne The inhabitants are most valiant warlike liberall and ciuill people but their wits are not so refined as others some of them are merchants some artificers and the residue gentlemen They count it vnseemely for any man to send an horse-lode of seede to his husbandman or farmer They are at continuall iarre with the citizens of Fez
buildings to be seene The towne wall is built of most excellent marble Euer since the Marin-familie enioied the westerne kingdome of Fez this towne was an occasion of great warres for the Marin-family woulde haue it belong to the crowne of Fez but the king of Telensin chalenged it as his owne Of the towne of Haddagia THis towne was built by the Africans in manner of an Isle for it is enuironed with the riuer Mululo which not far from hence falleth into the riuer Muluia It was in times past a most populous flourishing towne but after the Arabians became lords of the west it fell by little and little to decay for it bordereth vpon the desert of Dahra which is inhabited with most lewde and mischieuous Arabians At the same time when Teurerto was sacked this towne was vtterly destroied also whereof nothing remaineth at this day but the towne wals onely Of the castle of Garsis IT standeth vpon a rocke by the riuer Muluia fifteene miles distant from Teurerto Here as in a most impregnable place the familie of Beni Marin laide their prouision of corne when as they inhabited the deserts Afterward it became subiect vnto Abuhenan the fift king of the Marin-familie It hath no great quantitie of arable or pasture ground belonging thereto but it hath a most pleasant garden replenished with grapes peaches and figges and enuironed on all sides with most thicke and shadie woods so that it is a paradise in respect of other places thereabout The inhabitants are rude and vnciuill people neither do they ought but keepe such corne as the Arabians commit vnto their custodie If a man behold the castle a farre off he woulde thinke it rather to be a cottage then a castle for the wall being in many places ruined maketh shew of great antiquitie and the roofe is couered with certaine blacke stones or slates Of the towne of Dubdu THis ancient towne was built by the Africans vpon an exceeding high and impregnable mountaine and is inhabited by certaine people of the familie of Zeneta From the top of this mountaine diuers springs come running into the towne From this towne the next plaines are distant almost fiue miles and yet they seeme to be but a mile and an halfe off for the way is very crooked and winding All the iurisdiction longing to this towne is onely vpon the toppe of the mountaine for the plaine vnderneath is vnpleasant and barren except certaine gardens on either side of a little riuer running by the foote of the hill neither haue the townesmen corne growing vpon the same hill sufficient for their prouision vnlesse they were supplied with great store of corne from Tezza so that this towne was built for a fortresse onely by the family of Marin what time they were dispossessed of the westerne kingdome Afterward it was inhabited by a certaine family called Beni Guertaggen who are lords of the saide towne euen till this day But when the Marin-family were expelled out of the kingdome of Fez the next Arabians endeuoured to winne the towne howbeit by the aide of one Mose Ibnu Chamu who was one of the saide family the Arabians were so valiantly resisted that they concluded a truce with the people of Marin and so Mose Ibnu remained gouernour of the towne after whose death his sonne Acmed succeeded him who treading iust in his fathers vertuous steps kept the saide towne in great tranquillitie euen till his dying day After him succeeded one Mahumet a man highly 〈◊〉 for his noble valour and great skill in martiall affaires This Mahumet had before time conquered many cities and castles vpon the foote of the mount Atlas southward whereof bordereth the land of Numidia But hauing gotten this towne in possession he beautified it exceedingly with store of faire houses and buildings likewise he greatly altered and reformed the gouernment of this towne and shewed such extraordinarie curtesie vnto al strangers that he grew very famous Moreouer the saide Mahumet consulted howe to get Tezza from the king of Fez offered great matters to the performance of his intent and that he might the easlier attaine his purpose he determined to go to the market of Tezza in a simple habite and so to make an assault vpon the captaine of the towne for he hoped that a great part of the townesmen whom he knew to be his friends woulde assist him in that enterprise Howbeit this practise was at length discouered vnto the king of Fez which king was called Saich and was the first of the family of Quattas and father vnto the king that now reigneth who presently assembled an huge armie and marched of purpose against Dubdu vtterly to destroy it and so comming vnto the foote of the mountaine he there encamped The people of the mountaine hauing gathered an armie of sixe thousand men hid themselues craftilie behinde the rockes suffering their enimies to ascende by certaine difficult streite passages from whence they were sure they could hardly escape so at length they brake foorth on the sodaine encountred their said enemies being wearie of ascending and because the way was very troublesome and narrow the king of Fez his soldiers could not endure their assaults but being constrained to giue backe were moe then a thousand of them throwne downe headlong and slaine In this skirmish were slaine in all to the number of three thousand Fessan soldiers and yet the king not being dismaied with so great an ouerthrow prepared foorthwith a band of fiue hundred crossebowes and three hundred Harquebuziers and determined to make a newe assault vpon the towne But Mahumet seeing that he could no longer withstand the king resolued to goe himselfe vnto him that he might if it were possible obtaine peace and to release his countrie from the furie of the enemie Wherefore putting on the habit of an ambassadour he went and deliuered a letter with his owne hand vnto the king Which the king hauing perused asked him what he thought concerning the gouernour of Dubdu Mary I thinke quoth Mahumet he is not well in his wits in that he goeth about to resist your Maiestie Then said the king if I had conquered him as I hope to doe within these few daies I would cause him to be dismembred and torne in peeces But what if he should come hither saith Mahumet to submit himselfe and to acknowledge his offence might it then please the king to admit him into fauour Then the king answered I sweare vnto thee by this my head that if he will come and acknowledge his fault in manner as thou hast said I will not onely receiue him into fauour but will espouse my daughters vnto his sonnes and will bestowe most ample and princely dowries vpon them But I am sure being distraught of his wits as thou hast said that he will by no meanes come and submit himselfe Then said Mahumet he would soone come I assure you if it pleased the king to protest this for a certaintie
Numidian desert two hundred and fiftie miles eastward of Segelmesse and an hundred miles from mount Atlas hath fower castles within the precincts thereof and many villages also which stand vpon the confines of Lybia neer vnto the high way that leadeth from Fez and Telensin to the kingdome of Agadez and to the land of Negros The inhabitants are not very rich for all their wealth consisteth in dates and some small quantitie of corne The men of this place are black but the women are somewhat fairer and yet they are of a swart and browne hue Of the region of Tegorarin THis great and large region of the Numidian desert standing about an hundred and twentie miles eastward of Tesebit containeth fiftie castles and aboue an hundred villages and yeeldeth great plentie of dates The inhabitants are rich and haue ordinarie traffique to the land of Negros Their fields are very apt for corne and yet by reason of their extreme drouth they stand in neede of continuall watering and dunging They allow vnto strangers houses to dwell in requiring no money for rent but onely their dung which they keepe most charily yea they take it in ill part if any stranger easeth himselfe without the doores Flesh is very scarce among them for their soile is so drie that it will scarce nourish any cattell at all they keepe a few goates indeede for their milks sake but the flesh that they eate is of camels which the Arabians bring vnto their markets to sell they mingle their meate with salt tallow which is brought into this region from Fez Tremizen There were in times past many rich Iewes in this region who by the meanes of a certaine Mahumetan preacher were at length expelled and a great part of them slaine by the seditious people and that in the very same yeere when the Iewes were expelled out of Spaine and Sicily The inhabitants of this region hauing one onely gouernour of their owne nation are notwithstanding often subiect to ciuill contentions and yet they do not molest other nations howbeit they pay certaine tribute vnto the next Arabians Of the region of Meszab THis region being situate vpon the Numidian desert 300. miles eastward from Tegorarin and 300. miles also from the Mediterran sea containeth sixe castles and many villages the inhabitants being rich and vsing traffike to the land of Negros Likewise the Negro-merchants togither with them of Bugia and Ghir make resort vnto this region Subiect they are and pay tribute vnto the Arabians Of the towne of Techort THe ancient towne of Techort was built by the Numidians vpon a certaine hill by the foote whereof runneth a riuer vpon which riuer standeth a draw-bridge The wall of this towne was made of free stone and lime but that part which is next vnto the mountaine 〈◊〉 instead of a wall an impregnable rocke opposite against it this towne is distant 〈◊〉 hundred miles southward from the Mediterran sea and 〈◊〉 300. miles from 〈◊〉 Families it containeth to the number of fiue and twentie hundred all the houses are built of sunne-dried brickes except their temple which is somewhat more stately Heere dwell great store both of gentlemen and artificers and bicause they haue great abundance of dates and are destitute of corne the merchants of Constantina exchange corne with them for their dates All strangers they fauour exceedingly and friendly dismisse them without paying of ought They had rather match their daughters vnto strangers then to their owne citizens and for a dowry they giue some certaine portion of lande as it is accustomed in some places of Europe So great and surpassing is their liberalitie that they will heape many gifts vpon strangers albeit they are sure neuer to see them againe At the first they were subiect to the king of Maroco afterward to the king of Telensin and now to the king of Tunis vnto whom they pay fiftie thousand ducats for yeerely tribute vpon condition that the king himselfe come personally to receiue it The king of Tunis that now is demanded a second tribute of them Many castles and villages and some territories there be also which are all subiect vnto the prince of this towne who collecteth an hundred and thirtie thousand ducates of yeerely reuenues and hath alwaies a mightie garrison of soldiers attending vpon him vnto whom he alloweth very large paie The gouernour at this present called Habdulla is a valiant and liberall yoong prince and most curteous vnto strangers whereof I my selfe conuersing with him for certaine daies had good experience Of the citie of Guargala THis ancient citie founded by the Numidians and enuironed with strong wals vpon the Numidian desert is built very sumptuously and aboundeth exceedingly with dates It hath some castles and a great number of villages belonging thereunto The inhabitants are rich bicause they are neere vnto the kingdome of Agadez Heere are diuers merchants of Tunis and Constantina which transport wares of Barbarie vnto the lande of Negros And bicause flesh and corne is very scarce among them they liue vpon the flesh of Ostriches and camels They are all of a blacke colour and haue blacke slaues and are people of a courteous and liberall disposition and most friendly and bountifull vnto strangers A gouernour they haue whom they reuerence as if he were a king which gouernour hath about two thousand horsemen alwaies attending vpon him and collecteth almost fifteene thousand ducates for yeerely reuenue Of the prouince of Zeb ZEb a prouince situate also vpon the Numidian desert beginneth westward from Mesila northward from the mountaines of Bugia eastward from the region of dates ouer against Tunis and southward it bordereth vpon a certaine desert ouer which they trauaile from Guargala to Techort This region is extremely hot sandie and destitute both of water and corne which wants are partly supplied by their abundance of dates It containeth to the number of fiue townes and many villages all which we purpose in order to describe Of the towne of Pescara THis ancient towne built by the Romans while they were lords of Mauritania and afterward destroied by the Mahumetans at their first enterance into Africa is now reedified stored with new inhabitants and enuironed with faire and stately wals And albeit the townesmen are not rich yet are they louers of ciuilitie Their soile yeeldeth nought but dates They haue beene gouerned by diuers princes for they were a while subiect vnto the kings of Tunis and that to the death of king Hutmen after whom succeeded a Mahumetan priest neither coulde the kings of Tunis euer since that time recouer the dominion of Pescara Here are great abundance of scorpions and it is present death to be stung by them wherefore all the townesmen in a manner depart into the countrey in sommer time where they remaine till the moneth of Nouember Of the citie of Borgi ANother towne there is also called Borgi which standeth about fowerteene miles eastward of Pescara Heere are a great many of
assaults He is at perpetuall enmitie with a certaine people inhabiting beyond the desert of Seu who in times past marching with an huge armie of footemen ouer the saide desert wasted a great part of the kingdome of Borno Whereupon the king of Borno sent for the merchants of Barbary and willed them to bring him great store of horses for in this countrey they vse to exchange horses for slaues and to giue fifteene and sometime twentie slaues for one horse And by this meanes there were abundance of horses brought howbeit the merchants were constrained to stay for their slaues till the king returned home conquerour with a great number of captiues and satisfied his creditors for their horses And oftentimes it falleth out that the merchants must stay three moneths togither before the king returneth from the warres but they are all that while maintained at the kings charges Sometimes he bringeth not home slaues enough to satisfie the merchants and otherwhiles they are constrained to awaite there a whole yeere togither for the king maketh inuasions but euery yeere once that at one set and appointed time of the yeere Yea I my selfe met with sundrie merchants heere who despairing of the kings paiment bicause they had trusted him an whole yeere determined neuer to come thither with horses againe And yet the king seemeth to be marueilous rich for his spurres his bridles platters dishes pots and other vessels wherein his meate and drinke are brought to the table are all of pure golde yea and the chaines of his dogs and hounds are of golde also Howbeit this king is extreamely couetous for he had much rather pay his debts in slaues then in gold In this kingdome are great multitudes of Negros and of other people the names of whom bicause I tarried heere but one moneth I could not well note Of the kingdome of Gaoga GAoga bordering westward vpon the kingdome of Borno and extending eastward to the confines of Nubia adioineth southward vnto a certaine desert situate vpon a crooked and winding part of Nilus and is enclosed northward with the frontiers of Egypt It stretcheth from east to west in length fiue hundred miles and as much in bredth They haue neither humanitie nor learning among them but are most rusticall and sauage people and especially those that inhabite the mountaines who go all naked saue their priuities their houses are made of boughes rafts and are much subiect to burning and they haue great abundance of cattel whereunto they giue diligent attendance For many yeers they remained in libertie of which libertie they were depriued by a certaine Negro slaue of the same region This slaue lying vpon a certaine night with his master that was a wealthie merchant considering that he was not far from his natiue countrey slue his saide master possessed his goods and returned home where hauing bought a certaine number of horses he began to inuade the people next adioining and obtained for the most part the victorie for he conducted a troupe of most valiant warlike horsmen against his enimies that were but slēderly appointed And by this means he tooke great numbers of captiues whom he exchanged for horses that were brought out of Egypt insomuch that at length the number of his souldiers increasing he was accounted of by all men as souerainge K. of Gaoga After him succeeded his son being no whit inferiour in valour high courage vnto his father who reigned for the space of fortie yeeres Next him succeeded his brother Moses after Moses his nephew Homara who beareth rule at this present This Homara hath greatly enlarged his dominions and hath entred league with the Soldan of Cairo by whom he is often presented with magnificent gifts which he most bountifully requiteth also diuers merchants of Egypt and diuers inhabitants of Cairo present most pretious and rare things vnto him and highly commend his surpassing liberalitie This prince greatly honoureth all learned men and especially such as are of the linage of Mahumet I my selfe being in his court a certaine noble man of Damiata brought him very rich and roiall gifts as namely a gallant horse a Turkish sworde and a kingly robe with certaine other particulars that cost about an hundred and fiftie ducates at Cairo in recompence whereof the king gaue him fiue slaues fiue camels fiue hundred ducates of that region and an hundred elephants teeth of woonderfull bignes Of the kingdome of 〈◊〉 NVbia bordering westward vpon the kingdome last described and stretching from thence vnto Nilus is enclosed on the southside with the desert of Goran and on the north side with the confines of Egypt Howbeit they cannot passe by water from this kingdome into Egypt for the riuer of Nilus is in some places no deeper then a man may wade ouer on foote The principall towne of this kingdome called Dangala is exceeding populous and containeth to the number of ten thousand families The wals of their houses consist of a kinde of chalke and the roofes are couered with strawe The townesmen are exceeding rich and ciuill people and haue great traffike with the merchants of Cairo of Egypt in other parts of this kingdome you shall finde none but villages and hamlets situate vpon the riuer of Nilus all the inhabitants whereof are husbandmen The kingdome of Nubia is most rich in corne and sugar which notwithstanding they knowe not how to vse Also in the citie of Dangala there is great plentie of ciuet and Sandall-wood This region aboundeth with Iuory likewise bicause heere are so many elephants taken Heere is also a most strong and deadly poison one graine whereof being diuided amongst ten persons will kill them all within lesse then a quarter of an hower but if one man taketh a graine he dieth there of out of hand An ounce of this poison is solde for an hundred ducates neither may it be solde to any but to forraine merchants whosoeuer buieth it is bound by an oath not to vse it in the kingdome of Nubia All such as buy of this poison are constrained to pay as much vnto the king as to the merchant but if any man selleth poison without the princes knowledge he is presently put to death The king of Nubia maintaineth continuall warre partly against the people of Goran who being descended of the people called Zingani inhabite the deserts and speake a kinde of language that no other nation vnderstandeth and partly against certaine other people also dwelling vpon the desert which lieth eastward of Nilus and 〈◊〉 towards the red sea being not farre from the borders of Suachen Their language as I take it is mixt for it hath great affinity with the Chaldean toong with the language of Suachen and with the language of Ethiopia the higher where Prete Gianni is said to beare rule the people themselues are called Bugiha and are most base and miserable and liue onely vpon milke camels-flesh and
as it were out of his crowne-landes another part he leuieth of the people that pay him so much for an house and the tenth of all those mines that are digged by others then by himselfe and a third reuenue he draweth from his tributarie princes and gouernours and these giue him the entire reuenues of one of their cities so as he choose not that citie wherein they make their residence But though his wealth and reuenues be great yet are his people of little worth as well because he holdeth them in the estimation of slaues by meanes whereof they want that generositie of minde which maketh men ready to take vp armes to be couragious in dāgers as also it seemeth they haue euer their handes bound with that awefull reuerence which they beare towards their Prince and the feare they haue of him and further in that they haue no armes of defence but bad headpeeces halfe sculles and coats of maile carried thither by the Portugals Hereunto may be added his want of fortresses for neither hauing strong places whither to retire nor armes to defend themselues they and their townes remaine as a pray to the enemie their offensiue armes being vnfeathered arrowes and some darts They haue a lent of fiftie daies continuance which through the great abstinence wherein they passe all that time doth so weaken and afflict them that neither for those daies nor many other following they haue the strength to stirre abroad whereupon the Moores attend this opportunitie and assaile them with great aduantage Francis Aluares writeth that Prete Ianni can bring into the field an hundred thousand men neuerthelesse in time of neede it hath beene seene that he could make nothing so many He hath a militarie religion or order of knighthood vnder the protection of Saint 〈◊〉 whereunto euerie noble man must ordaine one of euerie three male children but not the eldest And out of these are constituted twelue thousand knights or gentlemen for the kings guarde The ende of this order is to defend the confines of the empire and to make head against the enimies of the faith Princes confining vpon the Prete Ianni THis Prince as farre as we can certainly vnderstand confineth especially with three other mightie princes one is the king of Borno another the great Turke and the third the king of Adel. The king of Buruo ruleth ouer that countrey which extendeth from Guangara towards the east about fiue hundred miles betweene the deserts of Seu and Barca being of an vneeuen situation bicause it is partly mountainous and partly plaine In the plaines there dwelleth a very ciuill people in populous and much frequented villages by reason of the abundance of graine as also there is some concourse of merchants thither On the mountaines shepheardes of great and smal beasts do inhabite and their chiefe sustenance is mill They lead a brutish life without religion with their wiues and children in common They vse no other proper names but those which are taken from the qualitie or forme of mens persons the lame the squint eied the long the stuttering This king of Borno is most mightie in men vpon whom he laieth no other imposition but the tenth of their fruits their profession is to robbe and steale from their neighbours and to make them slaues in exchange of whom they haue of the merchants of Barbarie horses He hath vnder him many kingdomes and people partly white and partly blacke He molesteth the Abassines exceedingly with theftes leadeth away their cattell robbeth their mines maketh their men slaues They fight on 〈◊〉 backe after the Gynnet fashion they vse lances with two heads darts arrowes they assaile a countrey sometimes in one part and otherwhiles in another suddenly but these may rather be termed theeues and robbers then right enimies The Turke confineth with Abassia on the east as likewise the king of Adel who hemmeth it in betweene the east and the south They disturbe the Prete exceedingly restraining the limites of his Empire and bringing his countrey into great miserie For the Turkes besides the putting of a great part of Barnagasso to sacke and spoile vpon which they entred the yeere of our Lord 1558. although they were driuen out againe haue further taken all that from the Prete which he possessed on the sea coast especiallie the portes and townes of Suaquen and Ercoco In which two places the mountaines lying betwixt Abassia and the red sea doe open and make a passage for conueiance of victual and trafficke betweene the Abassins and the Arabians And it is not long since the Lord Barnagasso was constrained to accord with the Turke and to buie the peace of his countrie with the tribute of a thousand ounces of gold by the yeere Also the King of Adel procureth hym no lesse molestation This man confineth with the kingdome of Fatigar and extendeth his dominion euen to the Red sea where he hath Assum Salir Meth Barbora Pidar and Zeila At Barbora manie shippes of Aden and Cambaia arriue with their marchandize for exchange from whence they receiue much flesh honie wax and victuals for Aden and gold Iuorie and other thinges for Cambaia A greater quantitie of victuall is carried from Zeila because there is aboundance of waxe and honie with corne and diuers fruites which are laden for Aden and for Arabia and beastes also as namely sheepe with tayles wayghing more then fiue and twentie poundes with their heads and necks all blacke but the rest of them is white as also certaine other all white with tayles a fathome long and writhen like a vine branche hauing thropples vnder their throtes like bulles There be also certaine kine with branched hornes like to wild hartes being blacke in colour and sorne others red with one onely horne vpon their foreheads of an handfull and an halfe long turning backward The chiefe city of this kingdome is Arar eight and thirtie leagues from Zeila towards the South east This king being a Mahumetan by a perpetuall profession of making war against the christians of Abassia who are the subiects of the Prete hath obteined of those Barbarians the surname of Holy He stayeth his óportunitie while the Abassins be weakened and brought downe with that long and hard fast of fiftie daies when they can scarcely go about their domesticall affaires and then he entreth into the countrey sacketh the townes leadeth the people away into seruitude and doth a thousand iniuries vnto them The Abassin slaues are of great valew out of their owne countrey whereupon the bordering and other Princes both farre and neere esteeme them much and many of them by meanes of their industrie in seruice of slaues haue become captaines and great Commanders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra Bicause the Mahumetan princes of the east being all tirants ouer kingdomes vsurped from the Gentiles for securitie of their state put no trust in their owne subiects but arme themselues with a multitude of strange slaues to whom they commit their
intreated them most barbarously as also those Abassins whom they had conuerted He likewise was afterwards ouerthrowne in battaile by the Turkes who stripped Ouiedo and his companions of all things that they had Whereupon they grew into such pouertie and miserie as all helpe failing them they were enforced to get their liuing with the plough and spade till they all died one after another This Ethiopian Christianitie is brought at this day to an hard point by the inuasions of the Turkes and Mores as is before declared Notwithstanding their religious men affirme that they haue prophesies of the comming of a Christian nation to their Ports from farre countries with whom they shall go to the destruction of the Mores and these they hold to bee Portugals They haue farther certaine presagements of Saint Sinoda who was an Egyptain Hermite of the ruine of Meca the recouerie of the holy sepulcher and the taking of Egypt and Cairo by the Abassins vnited with the Latines Of the Christians of the isle of Socotera VIcinitie of place and conformitie of customes inuite me to crosse the sea and to visite the Christians of Socotera This island is sixtie miles long and fiue and twentie in bredth It is situate ouer against the Red sea The people thereof receiued the faith from Saint Thomas the Apostle for they affirme that heere he suffred shipwracke and that of the broken and battered ship he built a church which is as yet extant They imitate for the most part the rites customes and fashions of the Abassins but with great ignorance and errour for being separated from all commerce with the Christians of these parts they remaine depriued of that spirituall helpe which the westerne church by communication might impart vnto them They retaine circumcision and some other Moisaicall ceremonies Also they pray for the dead and obserue ordinarie fasts hauing prefixed howers for praier and bearing great reuerence to their religion in honour whereof they build chappels wherein assembling togither with an high and loude voice they make supplications and praiers in the Hebrew toong But their farre distance as I said from these parts of Christendome the sterilitie of the island and the pouertie of the people are occasions that the little light of truth which they haue is in a manner quite eclipsed by multitudes of errors Vnto other things may be added the tyrannie of the king of Fartac a Mahumetan who subdued them about the yeere of our Lord 1482. and partly by dominion partly by affinitie and kinred and partly also by conuersation brought in amongst them the deadly poison of Mahumet From this seruitude they were deliuered by Tristan d' Acunna one of the king of Portugals captaines sixe and twentie yeeres after they fell into the same And for their better securitie he repaired the fortresse leauing therein a Portugall garrison But bicause the charges farre surmounted any benefite that came of the island not long after the said fortresse was ruinated and the island abandoned by the Portugals Iohn the third king of Portugall had a great desire to assist and free them from the tyrannie of the Turkes whereunto after the taking of Aden they were subiect But for feare of prouoking the great Turke or giuing him occasion to disturbe and molest those seas with his fleetes as also for the dispatching of other affaires he had in hand he neuer went about that enterprise Of the Christians of Nubia FRantis Aluarez in his Aethiopicke relation writeth that he being at the court of Prete Ianni there arriued certaine ambassadors frō Nubia to make 〈◊〉 vnto that prince for some priests and ministers of the Gospell and sacraments by whom they might be instructed in the Christian faith But Prete Ianni answered them that he had not enough for his owne countrey whereupon they returned home very discōtent so that hauing no helpe from the Christians on the otherside being daily sollicited by the Mahumetans vpon whom they border on many sides it is thought that at this present they remaine in a manner without any religion at all Notwithstanding at this day there are more then an hundred and fiftie churches standing with diuers other notes and signes of Christianitie Their language partaketh much with the Egyptain and no lesse with the Chaldean and Arabick Of the Christians in the king dome of Congo HItherto we haue described that little which remaineth of the ancient Christianity of Africk It now resteth that we giue some notice of that which hath beene brought in of late Congo is a kingdome about the bignes of France situate as is before said beyond the equinoctiall betweene Cabo da Catherina and Bahia das vacas It was conuerted to Christian religion by the meanes of Don Iohn the second king of Portugal in manner following Don Diego Cano a captaine of that king by his commission coasting along Africa after a great nauigation arriued at length in the great riuer of Zaire and 〈◊〉 to saile vp into it he discouered along the banks thereof many townes where he found much more affability in the inhabitants then in those of other countries which before he had discouered And that he might be able to giue the more faithfull aduertisement thereof to his king his hart moued him to go to the court of that kingdome Whither bein̄g come and courteously brought to the kings presence he shewed them the vanity of their Idolatry the high reuerence of christian faith And he found in that Prince so good a disposition as returning into Portugal besides an ambassador he was permitted to carry with him certaine youths of noble parentage to the end they might learne the Christian doctrine and be well instructed therein and being baptized also might afterwards be sent back with Portugall priests to preache the gospel and to plant the Christian faith in that kingdome These youthes remained in Portugal two yeeres and were there liberally entertained and with all diligence instructed in matters of religion and were at length with great solemnity baptized When they came to riper yeeres king Iohn sent them backe againe into their owne countrey with an honorable ambassage in whose company went for teachers and instructers of that nation three Dominick-Fryers reputed for men of exquisit learning and holy life Being arriued in Congo they first cōuerted Mani-Sogno the kings vncle with one of his sonnes After that ensued the baptisme of the king and Queene for which cause in short time there was a goodly Church erected vnder the name and title of Santa Cruz. And in the meane while there were infinit Idols burnt The king was called Iohn the Queene Leonora and his eldest sonne Alonso This Alonso was a singular good man who not being satisfied in his owne conuersion laboured also with a kind of Apostolicall zeale for the conuersion of his subiects But let no man thinke that the planting of religion can euer passe without some labour and trouble These Dominick-Fryers besides the intemperature of
the emperour let Gonsaluo to vnderstand that he and his mother were resolued to become Christians and that therefore he should come to baptize them But he to instruct them better in the faith deferred it off for some daies Finally fiue and twentie daies after his arriuall with vnspeakeable 〈◊〉 and preparation he gaue the water of baptisme to the king and to his mother He was called Sebastian and shee Maria. And presently after about three hundred of the principall in this emperours court were baptized Gonsaluo for his wonderfull abstinence charity wisedome and for many other his singular vertues was so reuerenced and esteemed by those people as if he had come downe from heauen among them Now as matters proceeded thus prosperously and with so desireable successe behold an horrible tempest arose which drowned the ship There were in the court fower Mahumetans most deere vnto the king These men finding out some occasion suggested vnto him that Gonsaluo was a Magioian who by witchcraftes and 〈◊〉 could turne kingdomes topsie turuie and that he was come to prie into his estate and to stir vp his people to rebellion and so by this meanes to bring his kingdome vnder subiection to the Portugals With these and such like suggestions they brought the king who was but a young man to determine the death of Gonsaluo The effect whereof was that after long praier reposing himselfe a little he was by eight of the kings seruants slaine and his body throwne into the riuer Mensigine Neere vnto the same place were with like violence put to death fiftie new-conuerted Christians This rage and furie being ouer the king was aduertised by the Principall of his kingdome and then by the Portugals of the excesse and outrage he had therein committed He excused himselfe the best he could causing those Mahumetans to be slaine who had seduced him and he sought out some others also who lay hid to put them to death Whereupon it seemed that by the death of father Gonsaluo the conuersion of this great king and of his empire should haue bin furthered and no whit hindered if the Portugals would rather haue preuailed by the word of God then by force of armes The which I say bicause insteed of sending new preachers into those countries to preserue that which was alreadie gotten and to make new conuersions they resolued to reuenge themselues by warre There departed therefore out of Portugall a good fleete with a great number of noble Portugals therein conducted by Francisco Barretto At the fame of this warre mooued against him the Monomotapa full of feare sent to demaund peace of Barretto But he aspiring to the infinite mines of gold in that kingdome contemned all conditions offered him The effect of this enterprise was that this armie which was so terrible to a mightie Monarke was in fewe daies consumed by the intemperature of the aire which is there insupportable to the people of Europe Of the fortresses and colonies maintained by the Spaniards and Portugals vpon the maine of Africa by meanes whereof the Christian religion hath there some small footing VVhich albeit in other respects they haue beene mentioned before yet heere also in this one regard it seemeth not from our purpose briefely to remember them TO the propagation of Christianity those fortresses colonies woonderfully helpe which the Castilians but much more the Portugals haue planted on the coast of Africa For they serue very fitly either to conuert infidels vpon diuers occasions or by getting an habite of their languages and customes to make a more easie way to their conuersion For those who are not sufficient to preach serue for interpreters to the preachers And thus God hath oftentimes beene well serued and with excellent fruit and effect by the indeuour of some soldiers On the coast of Africa vpon the Mediterran sea the Spaniards haue Oran Mersalchibir Melilla c. and the Portugals Tanger and çeuta and without the streights of Gibraltar Arzilla and Mazagan and in Ethiopia Saint George de la mina They haue also a setled habitation in the citie of Saint Saluador the Metropolitan of the kingdome of Congo and in Cumbiba a countrie of Angola Beyond the cape de Buena esperança they hold the fortresses and colonies of Sena Cefala and Mozambiche Heere besides their secular clergie is a conuent of Dominicans who indeuour themselues to instruct the Portugals and the Pagans also which there inhabite and do trafficke thither Of the Islands of the Atlanticke Ocean where the Spaniards and Portugals haue planted religion THe Christian name is also augmented and doth still increase in the Atlantick Ocean by meanes of the colonies conducted thither partly by the Spaniards and partly by the Portugals The Spaniards vndertooke the enterprize of the Canaries in the yeere of our Lord 1405. vsing therein the assistance of Iohn Betancort a French gentleman who subdued Lançarota Fuerteuentura They were taken againe certaine yeeres after and were first subdued by force of armes afterwards by the establishment of religion so that at this present all the inhabitants are Christians Also the Portugals haue assaied to inhabite certaine other islands of that Ocean especially Madera which was discouered in the yeere 1420. This at the first was all ouer a thicke and mightie wood but now it is one of the best manured islands that is knowne There is in the same the citie of Funcial being the seate of a bishop Puerto santo which is fortie miles distant from Madera was found out in the yeere 1428. and this also began presently to be inhabited The isles of Arguin being sixe or seauen and all but little ones came to the knowledge of the Portugals in the yeere 1443. Heere the king hath a fortresse for the traffike of those countries The islands of Cabo Verde were discouered in the yeere 1440. by Antonio di Nolli a Genoway or as others affirme in the yeere 1455. by Aloizius Cadamosto These be nine in number the principall of them is Sant Iago being seuentie miles in length where the Portugals haue a towne situate vpon a most pleasant riuer called Ribera grande which consisteth at 〈◊〉 least of fiue hundred families The isle of Saint Thomas being somewhat greater then Madera was the last island discouered by the Portugals before they doubled the cape De buena Esperança They haue heere a colonie called Pouasaon with a bishop who is also the bishop of Congo and it conteineth seuen hundred families Vnder the gouernment of Saint Thomas are the neighbour islands of Fernando Pó and that del Principe which are as it were boroughs belonging to the same The island Loanda though it be vnder the king of Congo yet is a great part thereof inhabited by the Portugals For heere is the famous port of Mazagan whither the ships of Portugall and Brasile do resort Heere the fleetes are harboured and the soldiers refreshed and heere they haue their hospitall As also heere the Portugall
briefe iournall of his trauels you may see in the end of his eight booke what he writeth for himselfe Wherefore saith he if it shall please God to vouchsafe me longer life I purpose to describe all the regions of Asia which I haue trauelled to wit Arabia Deserta Arabia Petrea Arabia Felix the Asian part of Egypt Armenia and some part of Tartaria all which countries I sawe and passed through in the time of my youth Likewise I will describe my last voiages from Constantinople to Egypt and from thence vnto Italy c. Besides all which places he had also beene at Tauris in Persia and of his owne countrey and other African regions adioining and remote he was so diligent a traueller that there was no kingdome prouince signorie or citie nor scarcelie any towne village mountaine valley riuer or forrest c. which he left vnuisited And so much the more credite and commendation descrueth this woorthy Historie of his in that it is except the antiquities and certaine other incidents nothing else but a large Itinerarium or Iournal of his African voiages neither describeth he almost any one particular place where himselfe had not sometime beene an eie-witnes But not to forget His conuersion to Christianitie amidst all these his busie and dangerous trauels it pleased the diuine prouidence for the discouery and manifestation of Gods woonderfull works and of his dreadfull and iust iudgements performed in Africa which before the time of Iohn Leo were either vtterly concealed or vnperfectly and fabulously reported both by ancient and late writers to deliuer this author of ours and this present Geographicall Historie into the hands of certaine Italian Pirates about the isle of Gerbi situate in the gulfe of Capes betweene the cities of Tunis and Tripolis in Barbarie Being thus taken the Pirates presented him and his Booke vnto Pope Leo the tenth who esteeming of him as of a most rich and inualuable prize greatly reioiced at his arriuall and gaue him most kinde entertainement and liberall maintenance till such time as he had woone him to be baptized in the name of Christ and to be called Iohn Leo after the Popes owne name And so during his abode in Italy learning the Italian toong he translated this booke thereinto being before written in Arabick Thus much of Iohn Leo. Now let vs acquaint you with the Historie it selfe First therefore from so woorthy an author how could an historie proceed but of speciall woorth and consequence For proofe whereof I appeale vnto the translations thereof into Latine Italian Spanish French English and if I be not deceiued into some other languages which argue a generall 〈◊〉 of the same I appeale also to the grand and most iudiciall Cosmographer Master Iohn Baptista Ramusius sometime Secretarie to the state of Venice who in the Preface to his first volume of voiages so highly commendeth it to learned Fracastoro and placeth it euery word in the very forefront of his discourses as the principal most praise-woorthy of thē all And were renoumed Ortelius aliue I would vnder correction report me to him whether his map of Barbarie and Biledulgerid as also in his last Additament that of the kingdomes of Maroco and Fez were not particularly and from point to point framed out of this present relation which he also in two places at the least preferreth farre before all other histories written of Africa But to leaue the testimonies of others and to come neerer to the matter it selfe like as our prime and peerelesse English Antiquarie master William Camden in his learned Britannia 〈◊〉 exactly described England Scotland Ireland and the isles adiacent the which by Leander for 〈◊〉 by Damianus a Goez briefly for Spaine by Belforest for France by Munster for vpper Germanie by Guiccardini for the Netherlandes and by others for other countries hath beene performed so likewise this our author Iohn Leo in the historie ensuing hath so largely particularly and methodically deciphered the countries of Barbarie Numidia Libya The land of Negros and the hither part of Egypt as I take it neuer any writer either before or since his time hath done For if you shall throughly consider him what kingdome prouince citie towne village mountaine vallie riuer yea what temple college hospitall bath-stoue Inne or what other memorable matter doth he omit So doth he most iudicially describe the temperature of the climate and the nature of the soile as also the dispositions manners rites customes and most ancient pedigrees of the inhabitants togither with the alterations of religion and estate the conquests and ouerthrowes of the Romaines Goths and Arabians and other things by the way right woorthie the obseruation So that the Africans may iustly say to him and the English to master Camden as the prince of Roman oratours did vnto Marcus Varro the learnedst of his nation Nos in patria nostra peregrinantes errantesque tanquam hospites tui libri quasi domum deduxerunt vt possemus aliquando qui vbi essemus agnoscere Tuaetatem patriae tu descriptiones temporum tu sacrorum iura tu domesticam tu bellicam disciplinam tu sedem regionum locorum c. Which may thus be rudely 〈◊〉 Wandring vp and downe like Pilgrimes in our owne natiue soile thy bookes haue as it were led vs the right way home that we might at length acknowledge both who and where we are Thou hast reuealed the antiquitie of our nation the order of times the rites of our religion our manner of gouernment both in peace and warre yea thou hast described the situations of countries and places c. Now as concerning the additions before and after this Geographicall Historie hauing had some spare-howers since it came first vnder the presse I thought good both for the Readers satisfaction and that Iohn Leo might not appeere too solitarie vpon the stage to bestowe a part of them in collecting and digesting the same The chiefe scope of this my enterprize is to make a briefe and cursorie description of all those maine lands and isles of Africa which mine author in his nine bookes hath omitted For he in very deed leaueth vntouched all those parts of the African continent which lie to the south of the fifteene kingdomes of Negros and to the east of Nilus For the manifestation whereof I haue as truely as I could coniecture in the mappe adioined to this booke caused a list or border of small prickes to be engrauen which running westward from the mouth of Nilus to The streights of Gibraltar and from thence southward to the coast of Guinie and then eastward to the banks of Nilus and so northward to the place where it began doth with aduantage include all places treated of by Leo and excludeth the residue which by way of Preface we haue described before the beginning of his African historie Likewise at the latter end I haue put downe certaine relations of the great Princes of Africa and of the Christian
interior Mauritania Tingitana the most rich and beautifull couutrey of Africa so named of the citie Tingis which we at this day call Tanger was sometimes also as Plinie witnesseth called Borgundiana moreouer others haue called it by the names of Mauritania Sitiphensis Hispania Transfretana and Hispania Tingitana but Solinus termeth the same Mauritania inferior The inhabitants were of old named by the Graecians Maurusij and by the Romaines Mauri but the Spaniards at this present terme them Alarabes In this part of Africa are now contained two stately kingdomes namely the kingdome of Maroco 〈◊〉 the kingdome of Fez both which are enuironed with the mountaines of Atlas the Ocean and the Mediterran seas and to the east with the riuer of Muluia Mauritania Caesariensis named according to the citie of Caesaria which was so called after the name of Claudius Caesar at this present bearing the name of Tiguident or Tegdemt which worde in the Arabian toong signifieth ancient was by Victor Vticensis termed Mauritania maior by Strabo Massilia and Massaesilia and the inhabitants thereof by Plinie Massaesuli At this present it containeth the kingdome of Tremizen as Dominias Niger and Giraua are of opinion Numidia the ancient called in the time of Ptolomey The new but by the Greekes as Plinie testifieth Metagonitis and the inhabitants thereof Numidae and Nomades is that region which lieth betweene The great riuer and the riuer Megerada ouer which countrey king Masinissa bare rule It containeth now as I coniecture the prouinces of Bugia Constantina Bona and Mezzab Howbeit at this present we vnderstande by Numidia that region which lieth betweene the mountaines of Atlas and the Libyan deserts called by Iohn Leo and Marmolius Biledulgerid or the lande of Dates bicause this is the onely region for plentie of Dates in all Africa Africa propria situate vpon the Mediterran sea betweene the regions of old Numidia and the Cyrene is called by Plinie Zeugitania who diuideth it into the ancient and the new At this present it is the kingdome of Tunis for it containeth Byzacium which by Strabo is accounted a part of Africa propria The head of this prouince in times past was Carthage whereof at this present there are nothing but ruines extant Cyrene or Cyrenaica by Plinie called Pentapolis and by the Hebrews Lebahim is esteemed by Giraua to be at this present called Corene and by Andrew Theuet Assadib but Iohn Leo and Marmolius name it Mesrata Marmarica is called by Plinie Mareotis and Libya howbeit at this present the desert of Barcha described by Iohn Leo in his sixt booke containeth a great part of Cyrenaica and all Marmarica But Libya propria retaineth till this present the name of Libya and is that part which the Arabians call Sarra which worde signifieth a desert Both the ancient Ethiopias are now possessed by the Abassins vnder the dominion of Prete Ianni Egypt retaineth euen till this day the ancient name The best moderne diuision of Africa for these our times is to adde vnto the foure general partes Barbaria Numidia Libya and the land of Negros set downe by Iohn Leo three other generall partes to wit Egypt the inner or the vpper Ethiopia containing Troglodytica Nubia and the empire of Prete Ianni and the lower or the extreme Ethiopia stretching from the said empire along the sea-coast and through the Inland euen to the Cape of Buena Esperança Thus much of Africa in generall Now it remaineth that we briefly describe in particular all the principall maine landes and islands vndescribed by Iohn Leo which thereto belong or adioyne beginning first with the Red sea one of the chiefe limites of Africa and from thence shaping our course along the easterne or farthest quarters thereof through the dominions of Prete Ianni the lande of Zanguebar the empires of Mohenemuge and Monomotapa and the region of Cafraria and then hauing doubled the cape of Buena esperança range we along the westerne partes by the kingdomes of Angola Congo Anzichi Benin Ghinea and by the capes of Sierra Leona Capo verde and the castle of Arguin till we haue brought our selues to finish our course vpon the most southwesterne partes of Barbarie from whence our author Iohn Leo beginneth his A particular description of all the knowne borders coastes and inlands of Africa which Iohn Leo hath left vndescribed collected out of sundry ancient and late writers Of the red sea THe red sea called by others the Arabian gulfe and the streight of Mecha containing in length twelue hundred miles and in bredth but one hundred is deuided into three partitions or chanels the middlemost whereof being called The large or deepe sea is without danger nauigable both day and night because it hath from fiue and twentie to fiftie fathomes water especially from the isle of Camaran euen to Suez stāding at the very bottome of the gulfe the other two partitions which are the easterne and westerne extremities are incumbred with so manie little isles and rockes as it is impossible to saile ouer them but onely by day-light and with most expert pilots which are to be hired at a small island lying ouerthwart the very mouth or entrance of the red sea which the ancient kings of Egypt if the report of Strabo be true barred with a chaine from the African to the Arabian side This sea is very skarce of fish perhaps because there fall no riuers thereinto which with their fresh and sweete waters doe much delight and nourish the fish and the strand or shore thereof is destitute of all greene grasse herbes or weedes The portes and hauens of this sea are for the most part very dangerous and difficult to enter by reason of the manifold windings and turnings which must be made to auoide the rockes At the very head or North end of this gulfe standeth Suez which heretofore seemeth to haue bin called Ciuitas Heroum and in the times of Dauid and Salomon Hazion-Geber from whence the fleetes of those partes were sent to Ophir for golde and other rich commodities Vnder the Egyptian Ptolemeys and the Romans this towne flourished exceedingly by reason of the infinite quantitie of merchandize brought thither from the east Indies and Arabia But now it is nothing so frequented partly in regard of the mighty concurse and traffique which Mecha draweth vnto it selfe and partly by reason of the Portugales conueiance of spices and other Indian commodities about the cape of Buena esperança At this present the great Turke hath there an Arsenale with certaine gallies for feare of the Portugals aforesaid against whome there haue bin dispatched from this place two greate fleetes one for the assailing of 〈◊〉 and another for Ormuz Howbeit because all the countries round about are vtterly destitute of wood it is a matter of infinite charge to furnish foorth a fleete from hence for they are constrained to fetch their timber as far as Caramania partly by sea and partly vpon
camels backs At this towne of Suez they haue no fresh water but all their water is brought them from a place sixe miles distant vpon camels backs being notwithstanding brackish and bitter The western shore of the Red sea is inhabited with people called in old time Troglodytae which at this present do all of them yeelde obedience to the great Turke who considering that the fleets of the Portugales entered very often into the Red sea and were there receiued by the subiects of Prete Gianni and did him great domage hath thereupon taken occasion not onely to conquer the Troglodytae but also to wast and subdue a great part of Barnagasso the most Northerlie prouince of the said Prete So that the audacious attempts of the Portugales in those partes haue bred two most dangerous and bad effects the one is that the Arabians haue most strongly fortified all their sea-townes which before lay naked and without fortification the other for that the Turke also hath bin occasioned thereby to make warre against the Prete Wherefore they ought not to haue vndertaken any such enterprise but with full resolution and sufficient forces to accomplish the same for lesser attempts serue to no other end but onely to rouze and arme the enimie which was before secure and quiet Neither is it heere to be omitted that in the foresaide sea a man can saile in no ships nor barks but only those of the great Turke or at least with his licence paying vnto him for tribute a good part of the fraight For this purpose he hath certaine Magazines or store-houses of timber which is brought partly from the gulfe of Satalia and partly from Nicomedia and other places vpon the Euxin sea vnto Rosetto and Alexandria from whence it is afterward transported to Cairo and thence to Suez This sea is called the Red sea not in regard that the waters thereofbe all red but as some thinke from certaine red rushes which growe vpon the shore and as others are of opinion from a kinde of red earth which in sundry places it hath at the bottome which earth dieth not the very substance of the water red but by transparence causeth it especially neere the shore to appeere of that colour Africa Troglodytica THat sandie barren and desert part of Africa which lieth betweene Nilus and the Red sea especially to the south of the tropike was in old times inhabited by the Troglodytae a people so called bicause of their dwelling in caues vnder the ground Along this westerne coast of the Red sea runneth a ridge of mountaines which being an occasion that the inland riuers can not fall into the saide sea they are forced to discharge themselues into Nilus The foresaide mountaines and sea coast are now inhabited by Mahumetans being partly Arabians and partly Turkes which not many yeeres ago haue attempted to saile that sea and to inuade the regions adioining The naturall inhabitants are a rude barbarous people and very poore and beggerly The chiefe places of habitation are Corondol a speciall good porte Alcosser a place well knowne bicause that neere vnto it the saide mountaines open themselues and giue passage to the bringing in of the fruits and commodities of Abassia Suachen esteemed one of the principall ports in all the streights and being made by an island Here resideth the Bassa of the great Turke which is called the gouernour of Abassia with three thousand soldiers or thereabout Next followeth Ercoco the onely hauen towne of the Prete lying ouer against the little isle of Mazua and heere the mountaines make an other opening or passage for transporting of victuals out of the lande of the saide Prete Ianni From hence almost to the very entrance of the Red sea the coast is at this present vninhabited forlorne and desert Likewise from Suachen to Mazua is a continuall woode the trees whereof are but of small woorth Iust within the saide entrance standeth the towne and port of Vela vnder the iurisdiction of the king of Dancali a Moore Vpon all this west shore of the Red sea as likewise vpon the contrary east shore scarcitie of water is the cause why there are so fewe and so small places of habitation and the people runne and flocke togither where they may finde any pit or fountaine of water Some curious reader might here expect because I haue nowe passed so neere the frontiers of Egypt that I should make an exact description of that most famous and fruitefull prouince and likewise of the great city of Alcair and of the inundation and decrease of Nilus all which because they are expressed in most orient liuelie colours by our author Iohn Leo I should shew my selfe both iniurious to him and tedious to all iudiciall readers in anticipating and forestalling that before the beginning of his booke which he so neere the end doth in such large and particular wise intreate of Now therefore let vs proceed to the vpper or inner Ethiopia beginning with the first and most northerly prouince thereof called Nubia Nubia PAssing therefore westward from the Island of Siene you enter into the prouince of Nubia bordering on the west vpon Gaoga eastward vpon the riuer Nilus towards the North vpon Egypt and southward vpon the desert of Goran The inhabitants thereof called by Strabo 〈◊〉 liue at this present as Francisco Aluarez reporteth a most miserable and wretched kinde of life for hauing lost the sinceritie and light of the gospel they do embrace infinite corruptions of the Iewish and Mahumetan religions At the same time when the foresaid Aluarez was in Abassia there came certaine messengers out of Nubia to make suit vnto the Prete that he would send them priests and such persons as might preach and administer the sacraments vnto them But he returned answere that he coulde not in regard of the scarcitie of great cler-giemen in his dominions The said messengers reported that the Nubians had sent often to Rome for a bishop but being afterward by the inuasions of the Moores and the calamitie of warre cut short of that assistance they fell for want of teachers and ministers into extreme ignorance of Christian religion and by little and little were infected with the impious and abominable sects of the Iewes and Mahumetans Some Portugals trauailing to those parts sawe many churches destroied by the handes of the Arabians and in some places the pictures of saints painted vpon the wals They are gouerned by women and call their Queene Gaua Their principall citie called Dangala and consisting of about ten thousand housholds is a place of great traffike bicause it is so neere vnto Egypt and the riuer Nilus All their other habitations are villages and base cottages Their houses are built of claie and couered with strawe The chiefe commodities of this region are rice stone-sugar sanders iuorie for they take many elephants as likewise abundance of ciuet and golde in great plentie The countrey is for the most part sandie howbeit there
remaine euen til this present notwithstanding their many yeeres antiquitie Likewise there are in this countrie diuers churches and oratories hewen out of the hard rocke consisting but of one onely stone some sixtie some fortie and some thirtie fathomes long being full of windowes and engrauen with strange and vnknowne characters Three such churches there are of twelue fathomes broade and eightie in length The Abassins which are subiect to the Prete hold opinion that their prince deriueth his petigree from 〈◊〉 the sonne of Salomon which as they say he begot of the Queene of Saba and that themselues are descended from the officers and attendants which Salomon appointed vnto this his sonne when he sent him home vnto his mother which seemeth not altogether vnlikely if you consider the Iewish ceremonies of circumcision obseruing of the sabaoth such like which they vse vntill this present likewise they abhorre swines flesh and certaine other meates which they call vncleane The Prete absolutely gouerneth in all matters except it be in administring of the sacraments and ordaining of priests Hee giueth and taketh away benefices at his pleasure and in punishing offenders maketh no difference betweene his clergie and laitie The administration of their sacraments is wholie referred to the Abuna or Patriarke The Prete is lorde and owner of all the lands and possessions in his empire except those of the church which are in number infinite for the monasteries of saint Antonie besides which there are none of any other order and the colleges of the Canons and of the Hermites togither with the parishes are innumerable They are all prouided by the king both of reuenewes and of ornaments They haue two winters and two summers which they discerne not by colde and heate but by rainie and faire weather They begin their yeere vpon the 26. of August and diuide it into twelue moneths each moneth containing thirtie daies whereunto they adde euery common yeere fiue daies and in the leape yeere sixe which odde daies they call Pagomen that is The end of the yeere Their ordinarie iourneies in trauelling are twelue miles a day The common harlots dwell without their townes and haue wages allowed them out of the common purse neither may they enter into any cities nor apparell themselues but only in yellow The soile of Abassia aboundeth generally with graine and in especiall with 〈◊〉 and all kindes of Pulse but not so much with wheate they haue 〈◊〉 likewise not knowing how to refine it and hony and cotton-wooll orenges cedars and limons grow naturally there They haue neither melons citrons nor rape-roots but many plants herbes different from ours Their drinke is made of barley and millet neither haue they any wine made of grapes but onely in the houses of the emperour and the Abuna They are not destitute of Elephants mules lions tygres ounces and deere Their owne countrey horses are but of a small size how beit they haue also of the Arabian and Egyptian breed the coltes whereof within fower daies after they be foled they vse to suckle with kine They haue great and terribles apes and infinite sorts of birds but neither cuckowes nor Pies so farre as euer could bee learned Heere are likewise great store of mines of gold siluer iron and copper but they know not how to digge and refine the same for the people of this countrey are so rude and ignorant that they haue no knowledge nor vse of any arte or occupation Insomuch as they esteeme the carpenters or smithes craft for an vnlawfull and diabolicall kinde of science and such as exercise the same liue among them like infamous persons neither are they permitted to enter into any of their churches In the kingdome of Bagamidri are founde most excellent mines of siluer which they knowe none other way how to take from the ore but onely by melting it with fire into thinne plates Goiame aboundeth with base gold In the kingdome of Damut they digge and refine it somewhat better They haue neither the arte of making cloth for which cause the greater part of them go clad in beasts skins nor yet the manner of hauking fowling or hunting so that their countries swarme with partridges quailes fesants cranes geese hens hares deere and other like creatures neither knowe they how to make any full vse or benefite of the fruitefulnes of their countrey nor of the commoditie of riuers They sowe mill for the most parte sometimes in one place and sometimes in another according as the raine giueth them opportunitie In summe they shew no wit nor dexterity in any thing so much as in robbery and warre vnto both which they haue a kind of naturall inclination Which is occasioned as I suppose by the continuall voiages made by the Prete and by their vsuall liuing in the wide fields and that in diuers and sundry places For to trauaile continually and remaine in the fields without any stable or firme habitation compelleth men as it were of necessitie to lay holde on all that comes next to hande be it their owne or belonging to others They are not much subiect to tempests but to an inconuenience far more intollerable namely to innumerable swarmes of locusts which bring such desolation vpon them as is most dreadfull to consider for they consume whole prouinces leauing them quite destitute of succour both for man and beast They vse no stamped coine in all this empire but insteede thereof certaine rude pieces of golde and little balles of iron especially in Angote as likewise salt and pepper which are the greatest riches that they can enioy Hence it is that the tributes which are payed to the prince consist onely of such things as his owne dominions do naturally afforde as namely of salt gold siluer corne hides elephants teeth the horne of the Rhinoceros with slaues and such like Which forme of tribute being most agreeable to nature is vsed also in other parts of Africa Their salt is taken out of a certaine great mountaine in the prouince of Balgada and is made into square pieces The most populous place in all Abassia is the court of the Prete wheresoeuer it resideth and there are erected fiue or sixe thousand tents of cotton of diuers colours with so notable a distinction of streetes lanes market-places and Tribunals that euen in a moment euery man knoweth his owne station and the place where he is to doe his busines A man may coniecture the greatnes of this courte if he doe but consider that according to the report of some who haue there bin personally present besides the camels which carry the tents the mules of carriage exceede the number of fiftie thousand Their mules serue them to carry burthens and to ride vpon but their horses are onely for the warres The Mahumetans haue now brought this prince to great extremity but heretofore while he was in his flourishing estate he liued so maiestically that he neuer spake but by an interpreter nor would
said riuer so exceedingly to swel that the waters thereof couer al the plaine countrie of Egypt In all the foresaid dominions of the Prete they vse not to write one to another neither do the officers of Iustice commit any of their affaires to writing but all matters are dispatched by messengers and by wordes of mouth onely it was told me that the reuenues and tributes of the Prete are put downe in writing both vpon the receite and at the disbursement The emperour Prete Ianni hath two speciall princely names to wit Acegue which signifieth an emperour and Neguz a king The Patriarke or arche-prelate of all Abassia is called Abuna that is to say Father neither is there any in all the whole empire which ordaineth ministers but onely hee There is no wine of the grape made publiquely in any place but onelie in the houses of the Prete and of the Patriarke for if it be made anie other where it is done by stealth The wine which is vsed in their communions they make of raisins steeped ten daies in water and afterward streined in a wine-presse and it is a most cordiall delicate and strong wine In this countrey is great abundance of golde siluer copper and tinne but the people are ignorant how to worke it out of the mines neither haue they any coine of golde or siluer but all their bargaines are made by bartering of one commoditie for another Also they trucke little peeces of gold some weighing a dram and some an ounce But salt is the principall thing which runneth currant for money throughout all the emperours dominions Some places there are which yeeld wheat and barly and others millet in great plentie and where the saide graines are not reaped there groweth Tafo daguza a seede vtterly vnknowne in these parts as likewise lentiles beanes pease fitches and all kinde of pulse in abundance Heere are infinite store of sugar canes which they know neither how to boile nor refine but eate it rawe There be great plentie of faire grapes and peaches which are ripe in the moneths of Februarie and Aprill Of orenges limons and citrons the quantitie is innumerable for they growe most naturally out of the Abassin soile garden-herbes there are but fewe bicause the people delight neither to set nor sowe them All the whole countrey is full of Basill which groweth very tall both in the woods and vpon the mountaines so are there likewise other odoriferous herbes of diuers sorts but vnknowen vnto vs. Of trees common with vs I remember none other kinds growing there but onely Cypresses damsin-trees sallowes by the waters side and trees of Iuiubas Honie there is exceeding great plentie all the countrey ouer neither are their bee-hiues placed abroad in the open aire as ours are but they set them in chambers where making a little hole in the wall the bees go thicke in and out and come home laden with honie Wherefore there is great quantitie gathered in all the empire but especially in the monasteries where they make it a great part of their sustenance There are founde also swarmes of bees in the woodes and vpon the mountaines neere whom they place certaine hollowe boxes made of barke which being filled with honicombes they take vp and carrie home to their houses They gather much waxe whereof they make their candles because they haue no vse of tallow They haue no oyle of oliues but of another kinde which they call Hena and the hearbe whereout they straine it is like a little vine-leafe neither hath this oyle any smell at all but in colour it is as beautifull as gold Heere likewise they haue store of flax but they know not how to make cloth thereof Here is also great plenty of cotton whereof they make cloth of diuers colours One countrie there is so extreamely colde that the people are inforced to clad themselues in very course cloth of a darke tawnie Concerning phisicke and the cure of diseases they know verie little or nothing but for aches in any partes of their bodies the onely remedy which they vse is to apply cupping-glasses and for head-aches they let the great vaine of the temples bloud Howbeit they haue certaine herbes the iuice whereof being drunke serueth them in steede of a purgation There would in this conntrie be gathered infinite store of fruit and far greater quantitie of corne were not the poore commons most miserablie oppressed by their superiours who extorte all their substance from them so that they neuer till nor plant any more then they must of meere necessitie In no place wheresoeuer I trauelled could I see any shambles of flesh but onely at the court of the Prete for in other places no man may kill an oxe though it bee his owne without licence from the gouernour of the countrie As touching their ordinary proceeding in iustice they vse not to put any to sudden death but beate them with bastonados according to the quality of the offence and likewise they plucke out their eyes and cut off their handes and feete howbeit during mine abode there I saw one burnt for robbing of a church The common sort speake truth very seldome though it bee vpon an oathe vnlesse they be forced to sweare By the head of the King They feare exceedingly to be excommunicated so that being enioined any thing that tendeth to their preiudice if they do it at all it is done for feare of excommunication Their depositions or othes are performed in this manner The partie to be deposed goeth accompanied with two priests carrying with them fire and incense to the church-doore whereon he layeth his hande and then the said priests adiure him to tell the truth saying If thou sweare falsly as the lyon 〈◊〉 the beasts of the forest so let the diuell deuoure thy soule and as corne is ground vnder the mill-stone so let him grinde thy bones and finally as the fire burneth vp the wood so may thy soule burne in the fire of hell and the partie sworne answereth to euery of the former clauses Amen But if thou speake truth let thy life be prolonged with honour and thy soule enter into Paradise with the blessed and he againe answereth Amen Which being done hee giueth testimonie of the matter in question No person may sit in their churches nor enter into them with his shooes on nor spit within them neither may any dogge or any other creature voide of reason come within them They confesse themselues standing vpon their feete and so standing likewise receiue absolution They 〈◊〉 their forme of publike praier after one and the same manner both in the churches of their Canons and of their friers which friers haue no wiues but the Canons and priests are permitted to haue Where the Canons liue togither they go each man to diet at his owne house but the friers eate their meate in common Their ecclefiasticall gouernours are called Licanati The sonnes of the Canons are as it were by
1595. that those seas are at sometimes not onely free from stormie tempests but most pleasant also to saile vpon with faire and gentle weather And as the Spaniards for a long time that they might discourage all other nations from attempting nauigation vpon The south sea beyond America blinded all Christendome with a report that the streights of Magellan were vnrepasable so perhaps the Portugals to terrifie all others from sailing to the east Indies and to keepe the gaine and secrets of that rich trade entire vnto themselues haue in their writings and relations made the doubling of the cape of Buena Esperança and the crossing ouer those seas a matter of farre greater difficultie and danger then it is of late manifestly found to be The name of Buena esperança or good hope was giuen vnto this promontory by Iohn the second king of Portugall bicause that when his fleetes had once doubled this cape either outward or homeward they then stedfastly hoped in good time to performe the residue of their voiage otherwise not In the midst of this cape lieth a plot of ground of that beautie and delight as that without any humane industrie it may compare with the most artificiall gardens of Europe On the top of this place nature minding as it were to excell her-selfe hath framed a great plaine which for beautifull situation fruitfulnes of herbes varietie of flowers and flourishing verdure of all things seemeth to resemble a terrestriall paradise The Portugals terme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfitly The table of the cape And to the end they might not faile of the meanes to enioy so pleasant a place there is close vnder it a very good harbour which is called The port of Conception The people of this place called in the Arabian toong Cafri Cafres or Cafates that is to say lawlesse or outlawes are for the most part exceeding blacke of colour which very thing may be a sufficient argument that the sunne is not the sole or chiefe cause of their blacknes for in diuers other countries where the heate thereof is farre more scorching and intolerable there are tawnie browne yellowish ash-coloured and white people so that the cause there of seemeth rather to be an hereditarie qualitie transfused from the parents then the intemperature of an hot climate though it also may be some furtherance thereunto The Hollanders in the yeere 1595. entering the harbour of Saint Bras somewhat to the east of Cabo das Agulhas had conuersation truck with some of these Cafres whom they found to be a stoute and valiant people but very base and contemptible in their behauiour and apparell being clad in oxe and sheeps skins wrapped about their shoulders with the hairie sides inward in forme of a mantle Their weapons are a kinde of small slender dartes or pikes some whereof are headed with some kinde of mettall the residue being vnheaded and hardened onely at the points with fire They couer their priuie parts with a sheepes tayle which is bound vp before and behinde with a girdle Their horne-beasts are like those of Spaine verie well limmed and proportioned Their sheepe are great and faire not hauing any wooll on their backes but a kinde of harsh haire like goates Other particulars by them obserued for breuities sake I omit Now that we may proceede in describing the residue of Cafraria hauing sayled about the cape of Buena esperança westward albeit the coast in regard of the greatnes thereof may seem to ly directly north yet for the space of seuenteene degrees till you come to Cabo Negro the farthest Northwesterne bound of this fift part of the lower Ethiopia it trendeth somewhat to the west along which coast somewhat within the lande appeareth a mighty ranke or ridge of mountaines called by the Portugales Os picos fragosos that is the ragged points or spires being besides their excessiue height craggie rough and steepe lying bare desolate and vtterly voide of all succour and seruing for no other end but for an obiect to the windes and a mark for the tempests The residue of the coast till you come to Cabo Negro sometimes lying lowe and sometimes high sometimes shooting into the sea and sometimes again gently retiring containeth many plaines hils vallies and places most fertile and delightful some of them being alwaies of so fresh and pleasant view as they seeme to represent a continuall spring The sixt and last part of the lower or extreme Ethiopia containing the kingdome of Congo whereunto in times past were tributarie and subiect the kingdomes of Matama and Angola to the south the kingdomes of Quisama and Pangelungos to the east and to the north the kingdome of Anzicana inhabited by the Anzichi and Loango peopled by the Bramas FIrst therefore according to our proposed order that we may begin with the most southerly parts The kingdome of Matama so called after the name of the king thereof who being a Gentile ruleth ouer diuers prouinces named Quimbebe bordereth north vpon the first great lake whereout Nilus springeth and vpon the south frontiers of Angola east it abutteth vpon the western banke of the riuer Bagamidri and stretcheth south as far as the riuer Brauagul which springeth out of the mountains of the moone This coūtrey standeth in a good holesome aire aboundeth with mines of cristall other metals hath victuals great plenty And although the people thereof their neighbour-borderers doe traffike togither yet the king of Matama and the king of Angola wage war oftentimes one against another also the said riuer Bagamidri deuideth this kingdome of Matama from the great empire of Monomotapa before described which lieth to the east thereof Next followeth Angola a kingdome subiect in times past to the king of Congo the gouernour whereof not verie many yeeres ago growing exceedingly rich mightie rebelled against his soueraigne by diuers attempts shaking off the yoke of superioritie became himselfe an absolute prince This countrey by reason that the people are suffered to haue as many wiues as they list is a place most woonderfully populous They goe whole millions of them to the warres not leauing any men of seruice behinde but for want of victuals they are often constrained to leaue their enterprises halfe vndone Vpon this king Paulo Diaz who remained gouernour in these parts for the king of Portugall waged warre the reason was bicause certaine Portugall merchants and others going by way of traffike to Cabaza a towne situate an hundred and fiftie miles from the sea where the king of Angola vsually resideth they were by order from this king the same yeere that king Sebastian died in Barbarie sodainly spoiled of their goods and part of them slaine it being alleaged that they were all spies and came to vndermine the present state Whereupon Paulo Diaz prouided himselfe and with two galeots did many notable exploits on both sides of the riuer Coanza Finally hauing built a forte in a very commodious and hillie ground
at the confluence or meeting of the riuer last mentioned and the riuer Luiola with a small number of Portugals ioined to the aide sent him from the king of Congo and from certaine princes of Angola his confederates he gaue the foresaid king notwithstanding his innumerable troupes of Negros diuers sundry ouerthrowes The said riuer Coanza springeth out of the lake of Aquelunda situate westward of the great lake whereour Nilus takes his originall In this kingdome are the mountaines of Cabambe abounding with rich and excellent siluer mines which haue ministred the chiefe occasion of all the foresaid warres This region aboundeth also with other minerals and with cattell of all sorts Most true it is that dogs-flesh is heere accounted of all others the daintiest meate for which cause they bring vp and fatten great plentie of dogs for the shambles Yea it hath beene constantly affirmed that a great dogge accustomed to the bull was sold in exchange of two and twentie slaues the value of whom coulde not amount to much lesse then two hundred and twentie ducats The priests of Angola called Gange are helde in such estimation and account as the people are verily perswaded that they haue in their power abundance and scarcitie life and death For they haue knowledge of medicinable hearbes and of deadly poisons also which they keepe secret vnto themselues and by meanes of their familiaritie with the diuell they often foretell things to come Towards the lake of Aquelunda before mentioned lieth a countrey called Quizama the inhabitants whereof being gouerned after the manner of a common wealth haue shewed themselues very friendly to the Portugals and haue done them speciall good seruice in their warres against the king of Angola Thus hauing briefely pointed at the former three bordering countries let vs now with like breuitie passe through the kingdome of Congo it selfe This kingdome therefore accounting Angola as indeede it is a member thereof beginneth at Bahia das vacas in thirteene and endeth at Cabo da Caterina in two degrees and an halfe of southerly latitude True it is that the coast neere vnto the saide Bay of Cowes is subiect to the king of Congo but the inland is gouerned by him of Angola East and west it stretcheth from the sea in bredth as farre as the lake of Aquelunda for the space of sixe hundred miles and is diuided into sixe prouinces namely the prouince of Pemba situate in the very hart and center of the whole kingdome Batta the most easterly prouince where the ancient writers seeme to haue placed Agisymba Pango which bordereth vpon the Pangelungi Sundi the most Northerly prouince Sogno which stretcheth ouer the mouth of the great riuer Zaire and Bamba which is the principall of all the rest both for extension of ground for riches and for militarie forces In the prouince of Pemba or rather in a seuerall territorie by it selfe standeth the citie of Sant Saluador in former times called Banza being the metropolitan of all Congo and the seate of the king situate an hundred and fiftie miles from the sea vpon a rockie and high mountaine on the verie top whereof is a goodly plaine abounding with fountaines of holesome and sweete water and with all other good things which are requisite either for the sustenance or solace of mankinde and vpon this plaine where Sant Saluador is seated there may inhabite to the number of an hundred thousand persons In this citie the Portugals haue a warde by themselues separate from the rest containing a mile in compasse and about that bignes also is the palace or house of the king The residue of the people dwell for the most part scatteringly in villages It is a place enriched by nature with corne cattell fruits and holesome springs of water in great abundance The principall riuer of all Congo called Zaire taketh his chiefe originall out of the second lake of Nilus lying vnder the Equinoctiall line and albeit this is one of the mightiest riuers of all Africa being eight and twentie miles broad at the mouth yet was it vtterly vnknowen to ancient writers Amongst other riuers it 〈◊〉 Vumba and Barbela which spring out of the first great lake In this countrey are sundry other riuers also which fetch their originall out of the lake of Aquelunda the principall whereof are Coanza which diuideth the kingdome of Congo from that of Angola and the riuer Lelunda which breedeth crocodiles water-horses which the Greeks call Hippopotami of which creatures the isle of horses in the mouth of the riuer Zaire taketh denomination The Hippopotamus or water-horse is somewhat tawnie of the colour of a lion in the night he comes on lande to feed vpon the grasse and keepeth in the water all the day time The Africans tame and manage some of these horses and they prooue exceeding swift but a man must beware how he passe ouer deepe riuers with them for they will sodainly diue vnder water Also in these riuers of Ethiopia are bred a kinde of oxen which liue euery night vpon the lande Here likewise breedeth another strange creature called in the Congonian language Ambize Angulo that is to say a hogge-fish being so exceeding fatte and of such greatnes that some of them weie aboue fiue hundred pound This abūdance of waters togither with the heat of the climate which proceedeth from the neerenes of the sunne causeth the countrey to be most fruitfull of plants herbes fruits and corne much more fertile would it be if nature were helped forward by the industrie of the inhabitants Heere also besides goates sheepe deere Gugelle conies hares ciuet-cats and ostriches are great swarmes of tigres which are very hurtfull both to man and beast The Zebra or Zabra of this countrey being about the bignes of a mule is a beast of incomparable swiftnes straked about the body legges eares and other parts with blacke white and browne circles of three fingers broad which do make a pleasant shew Buffles wilde asses called by the Greekes Onagri and Dante 's of whose hard skins they make all their targets range in heards vp and downe the woods Also here are infinite store of elephants of such monstrous bignes that by the report of sundrie credible persons some of their teeth do weigh two hundred pounds at sixteene ounces the pound vpon the plaines this beast is swifter then any horse by reason of his long steps onely he cannot turne with such celeritie Trees he ouerturneth with the strength of his backe or breaketh them between his teeth or standeth vpright vpon his hinder feete to browse vpon the leaues and tender sprigs The she elephants beare their brood in their wombes two yeeres before they bring foorth yoong ones neither are they great with yoong but onely from seuen yeeres to seuen yeeres This creature is saide to liue 150. yeeres hee is of a gentle disposition and relying vpon his great strength he
hurteth none but such as do him iniurie only he will in a sporting maner gently heaue vp with his 〈◊〉 such persons as he meeteth He loueth the water beyond measure and will stande vp to the mid-body therein bathing the ridge of his backe and other parts with his long promuscis or trunke His skin is fower fingers thicke and it is reported that an elephant of this countrey being stricken with a little gunne called Petrera was not wounded therewith but so sore brused inwardly that within three daies after he died Heere are likewise reported to be mightie adders or snakes of fiue and twentie spannes long and fiue spans broad which will swallow vp an whole stagge or any other creature of that bignes Neither are they here destitute of Indie-cockes and hens partridges feasants and innumerable birds of praie both of the lande and of the sea whereof some diue vnder the water which the Portugals call Pelicans Ouer against the most southerly part of the said kingdome of Congo where it confineth with Angola lyeth an Isle called Loanda being twentie miles long and but one mile broad at the most betweene which and the maine land is the best port of all that Ocean About this Isle do haunt infinite store of whales where notwithstanding no amber at all is found which is a manifest argument that it proceedeth notfrom these creatures Here they fish for certaine little shels which in Congo and the countries adioyning are vsed in steed of mony The well-waters of this Isle when the sea ebbeth are salte but when it floweth they are most fresh and sweet In this Isle the Portugals haue a towne from whence they traffique to Congo and Angola and amongst other commodities they get euery yeere in those parts about fiue thousand slaues the custome of which trade belongeth by ancient constitutions vnto the crowne of Portugale To the north of Congo vpon the sea coast beginneth the kingdome of Loango tributarie in times past to the king of Congo It aboundeth with elephants and the inhabitants called Bramas are circumcised after the Iewish manner Next vpon them doe border the Anzichi who are possessed of large countries namely from the riuer Zaire euen to the deserts of Nubia They abound with mines of copper and with sanders both Red and Gray which are the best and some are of opinion that here groweth the right Lignum Aquilae which is of so excellent vertue in phisick They haue one supreme king with many princes vnder him They traffique in Congo and carrie home from thence salt and great shels to be vsed for coine which are brought thither from the Isle of San Tomé in exchange of their cloth of the palme tree and of Iuory but the chiefe commodities which they part from are slaues of their owne nation and of Nubia and the said shels they vse also insteed of Iewels and ornaments Both they and the Bramas before mentioned do carry for their defence in the warres certaine targets made of the skin of a beast which in Germany is called Dante their weapons offensiue be little bowes and shorte arrowes which they shoot with such woonderfull celerity as they will discharge twentie one after another before the first arrow fall to the ground They haue shambles of mans-flesh as wee haue of beeues and muttons They eat their enemies which they take in the warres their slaues which they cannot make away for a good round price they sell vnto the butchers and some will offer themselues to the slaughter for the loue of their princes and patrons so sillie they are that to do their lordes a pleasure they will not refuse present death wherefore the Portugals repose not so much trust in any kinde of slaues as in them and they are very valiant also in the warres But to returne vnto the sea-coast from the mouth of the riuer Zaire Northward the land bearing out somewhat more to the west is framed into three headlands namely Cabo primero Cabo da Caterina and the cape of Lopo Gonsalues which is a cape very well knowen in regard of the eminency and outstretching thereof Itlyeth in one degree of southerly latitude Ouer against which cape within the land do inhabite the people called Bramas in the kingdome of Loango beforementioned From hence for the space of fiue or sixe degrees till you come to Punta delgada or The slender point the coast lyeth in a manner directly North most of which tract is inhabited by a nation of Negros called Ambus North of the said slender point you haue Rio dos Camarones or the riuer of shrimpes which is full of little Isles not far from which riuer are The countries of Biafar and Medra inhabited with people which are addicted to inchantments witchcrafts and all kind of abominable sorceries Much more might be said concerning this sixt part of the lower Ethiopia but because it is in so ample and methodicall a manner described in the historie of Philippo Pigafetta most iudiciously and aptly Englished by the learned Master Abraham Hartwell I refer the reader thereunto as to the principal and the very fountaine of all other discourses which haue bin written to any purpose of Congo and the countries adioyning Of the countries of Benin Meleghete Ghinea and Sierra Leona WEstward from the countries last mentioned lyeth the kingdome of Benin hauing a very proper towne of that name and an hauen called Gurte The 〈◊〉 liue in Idolatry and are a rude and brutish nation notwithstanding that their prince is serued with such high reuerence and neuer commeth in sight but with great solemnity many ceremonies at whose death his chiefe fauorites count it the greatest point of honour to be buried with him to the end as they vainely imagine they may doe him seruice in another world This countrie aboundeth with long pepper called by the Portugals Pimienta dal rabo which is as much to say as ppeper with a tayle This tailed or long pepper so far excelleth the pepper of the east Indies that an ounce therof is of more force then halfe a pound of that other For which cause the kings of Portugale haue done what lay in them to keep it from being brought into these parts of Europe least it should too much abase the estimation and price of their Indian pepper All which notwithstanding there hath bin great quantitie secretly conueied from thence by the Portugals as likewise the English and French nations and of late yeeres the Hollanders haue had great traffique into those parts Next follow the kingdomes of Temian and Dauma and lower to the south the prouince of Meleghete a place very famous and well knowne in regard of a little red graine which there groweth being in shape somewhat like to the 〈◊〉 of Italy but of a most vehement and firy tast and these little graines are by the apothecaries called Grana Paradisi Here also is made of 〈◊〉 and the ashes of the Palme-tree a kind of
of the originall of the tawnie people that is to say of the Numidians and Barbarians For all the Negros or blacke Moores take their descent from Chus the sonne of Cham who was the sonne of Noë But whatsoeuer difference there be betweene the Negros and the tawnie Moores certaine it is that they had all one beginning For the Negros are descended of the Philistims and the Philistims of Mesraim the sonne of Chus but the tawnie Moores fetch their petigree from the Sabeans and it is euident that Saba was begotten of Rama which was the eldest sonne of Chus Diuers other opinions there be as touching this matter which because they seeme not so necessarie wee haue purposely omitted A diuision of the tawnie Moores into sundrie tribes or nations THE tawnie Moores are diuided into fiue seuerall people or tribes to wit the tribes called Zanhagi Musmudi Zeneti Hacari and Gumeri The tribe of Musmudi inhabite the westerne part of mount Atlas from the prouince of Hea to the riuer of Seruan Likewise they dwell vpon the south part of the said mountaine and vpon all the inward plaines of that region These Musmudae haue fower prouinces vnder them namely Hea Sus Guzula and the territorie of Marocco The tribe of Gumeri possesse certaine mountaines of Barbarie dwelling on the sides of those mountaines which lie ouer against the Mediterran sea as likewise they are Lords of all the riuer called in their language Rif. This riuer hath his fountaine neere vnto the streites of Gibraltar and thence runneth eastwards to the kingdome of Tremizen called by the Latines Caesaria These two tribes or people haue seuerall habitations by themselues the other three are dispersed confusiuely ouer all Africa howbeit they are like strangers discerned one from another by certaine properties or tokens maintaining continuall warre among themselues especially they of Numidia These I say are those very people as some report who had no other places then tents and wide fields to repose themselues in and it is reported that in times past they had great conflicts together and that the vanquished were sent to inhabit townes and cities but the conquerors held the champions and fieldes vnto themselues and there setled their aboad Neither is it altogether vnlikely because the inhabitants of cities haue all one and the same language with the countrie people For the Zeneti whether they dwell in the citie or in the countrie speake all one kinde of language which is likewise to be vnderstood of the rest The tribes of Zeneti Haoari and Sanhagi inhabit the countrie of Temesne sometimes they liue peaceably and sometimes againe calling to minde their ancient quarrels they breake foorth into cruell warres and manslaughters Some of these people beare rule ouer all Africa as namely the Zeneti who in times past vanquished the familie called Idris from which some affirme the true and naturall Dukes of Fez and the founders of the same citie to deriue their petigree their progenie likewise was called Mecnasa There came afterward out of Numidia another familie of the Zeneti called Magraoa this Magraoa chased the familie of Mecnasa with all their Dukes and chieftaines out of their dominions Not long after the said tribe of Magraoa was expelled in like sort by certaine others of the race of the Sanhagij called by the name of Luntuna which came also out of the desert of Numidia By this familie was the countrie of Temesna in processe of time vtterly spoiled and wasted and all the inhabitants thereof slaine except those which were of their owne tribe and kindred of Luntuna vnto whom was allotted the region of Ducala to inhabit and by them was built the citie commonly called Maroco It fell out afterwards by the inconstancie of fortune that one Elmahdi the principall 〈◊〉 preacher among them conspiring with the Hargij these Hargij were of the familie of Musmuda expelled the whole race of the Luntuna and vsurped that kingdome vnto himselfe After this mans decease succeeded in his place one of his disciples called Habdul Mumen a Banigueriaghel of the kindred of the Sanhagij The kingdome remained vnto this family about an 120. yeeres whereunto all Africa in a manner was subiect At length being deposed by the Banimarini a generation of the Zeneti the said familie was put to flight which Banimarini are said to haue raigned afterward for the space of 170. yeeres The Banimarini which descended of the Sanhagij and of Magroa waged continuall warre against Banizeijan the king of Telensin likewise the progenie of Hafasa and of Musmuda are at variance and dissension with the king of Tunis So that you see what stirres and tumults haue at all times beene occasioned in those regions by the foresaid fiue families Certaine it is that neither the Gumeri nor the Haoari haue at this present any iurisdiction at all albeit heretofore as we reade in their chronicles they had some certaine dominion before such time as they were infected with the Mahumetan lawe Out of all which it is euident that in times past all the foresaid people had their habitations and tents in the plaine fields euery one of which fauoured their owne faction and exercised all labours necessarie for mans life as common among them The gouernours of the countrie attended their droues and flockes and the citizens applied themselues vnto some manuall art or to husbandrie The said people are diuided into fiue hundred seuerall families as appeereth by the genealogies of the Africans author whereof is one Ibnu Rachu whom I haue oftentimes read and perused Some writers are of opinion that the king of Tombuto the king of Melli and the king of Agadez fetch their originall from the people of Zanaga to wit from them which inhabite the desert The agreement or varietie of the African lauguage THe foresaid fiue families or people 〈◊〉 diuided into hundreds of progenies and hauing innumerable habitations doe notwithstanding vse all one kinde of language called by them Aquel Amarig that is the noble toong the Arabians which inhabite Africa call it a barbarous toong and this is the true and naturall language of the Africans Howbeit it is altogether different from other languages although it hath diuers words common with the Arabian toong whereupon some would inferre that the Africans as is aboue said came by lineall descent from the Sabeans a people of Arabia foelix Others say that these words were euen then inuented when the Arabians came first into Africa and began to take possession thereof but these authors were so rude and grosse-witted that they left no writings behinde them which might be alleaged either for or against Moreouer they haue among them another diuersitie not onely of 〈◊〉 but of significant words also as namely they which dwell neere vnto the Arabians and exercise much traffique with them doe for the greater part vse their language Yea all the Gumeri in a manner and most of the Haoari speake Arabian
though corruptly which I suppose came first hereupon to passe for that the said people haue had long acquaintance and conuersation with the Arabians The Negros haue diuers languages among themselues among which they call one Sungai and the same is current in many regions as namely in Gualata Tombuto Ghinea Melli and Gago Another language there is among the Negros which they cal Guber this is rife among the people of Guber of Cano of Casena of Perzegreg of Guangra Likewise the kingdom of Borno hath a peculiar kinde of speech altogether like vnto that which is vsed in Gaoga And the kingdome of Nube hath a language of great affinitie with the Chaldean Arabian Egyptian toongs But all the sea-towns of Africa frō the Mediterran sea to the mountains of Atlas speake broken Arabian Except the kingdome and towne of Maroco the inland Numidians bordering vpon Maroco Fez Tremizen all which vse the Barbarian toong Howbeit they which dwel ouer against Tunis Tripoli speake indeede the Arabian language albeit most corruptly Of the Arabians inhabiting the citie of Africa OF that armie which was sent by Califa Otmen the third in the fower hundred yeere of the Hegeira there came into Africa fowerscore thousand gentlemen and others who hauing subdued sundrie prouinces at length arriued in Africa and there the Generall of the whole armie called Hucha 〈◊〉 Nafich remained This man built that great citie which is called of vs Alcair For he stood in feare of the people of Tunis least they should betray him misdoubting also that they would procure aide out of Sicily and so giue him the encounter Wherefore with all his treasure which he had got he trauelled to the desert firme ground distant from Carthage about one hundred and twentie miles and there is he said to haue built the citie of Alcair The remnant of his soldiers he commanded to keepe those places which were most secure and fit for their defence and willed them to build where no rocke nor fortification was Which being done the Arabians began to inhabit Africa and to disperse themselues among the Africans who because they had beene for certaine yeeres subiect vnto the Romans or Italians vsed to speake their language and hence it is that the naturall and mother-toong of the Arabians which hath great affinitie with the African toong grewe by little and little to be corrupted and so they report that these two nations at length conioined themselues in one Howbeit the Arabians vsually doe blaze their petigree in daily and triuiall songs which custome as yet is common both to vs and to the people of Barbarie also For no man there is be he neuer so base which will not to his owne name adde the name of his nation as for example Arabian Barbarian or such like Of the Arabians which dwell in tents THE Mahumetan priestes alwaies forbad the Arabians to passe ouer Nilus with their armies and tents How beit in the fower hundred yeere of the Hegeira we reade that they were permitted so to doe by a certaine factious and schismaticall Califa because one of his nobles had rebelled against him vsurping the citie of Cairaoan and the greatest part of Barbarie After the death of which rebell that kingdome remained for some yeeres vnto his posteritie and familie whose iurisdiction as the African chronicles report grew so large and strong in the time of Elcain the Mahumetan Califa and patriark of Arabia that he sent vnto them one Gehoar whom of a slaue he had made his counsellour with an huge armie This Gehoar conducting his armie westward recouered all Numidia and Barbarie Insomuch that he pierced vnto the region of Sus and there claimed most ample tribute all which being done he returned backe vnto his Calipha and most faithfully surrendred vnto him whatsoeuer he had gained from the enemie The Calipha seeing his prosperous successe began to aspire vnto greater exploites And Gehoar most firmely promised that as he had recouered that westerne dominion vnto his Lord so would he likewise by force of warre most certainly restore vnto him the countries of the East to wit Egypt Syria and all Arabia and protested moreouer that with the greatest hazard of his life he would be auenged of all the iniuries offered by the familie of Labhus vnto his Lords predecessors and would reuest him in the royall seate of his most famous grandfathers great-grandfathers and progenitors The Calipha liking well his audacious promise caused an armie of fower-score thousand soldiers with an infinite summe of money and other things necessarie for the warres to be deliuered vnto him And so this valiant and stout chieftaine being prouided for warfare conducted his troupes through the deserts of Aegypt Barbarie hauing first 〈◊〉 to flight the vice-Califa of Aegypt who fled vnto Eluir the Califa of Bagdet in short time he subdued very easily all the prouinces of Aegypt and Syria Howbeit he could not as yet hold himselfe secure fearing least the Califa of Bagdet would assaile him with an armie out of Asia and least the garrisons which he had left to keepe Barbarie should be constrained to forsake those conquered prouinces Wherefore hee built 〈◊〉 and caused it to be walled round about In which citie he left one of his most trustie captaines with a great part of the armie and this citie he called by the name of Alchair which afterward by others was named Cairo This Alchair is saide daily so to haue increased that no citie of the world for buildings and inhabitants was any way comparable thereunto Now when Gehoar perceiued that the Calipha of Bagdet made no preparation for warre he foorthwith wrote vnto his Lord that all the conquered cities yeelded due honour vnto him and that all things were in quiet and tranquillitie and therefore that himselfe if he thought good should come ouer into Aegypt and thereby with his onely presence should preuaile more to recouer the remnant of his dominions then with neuer so huge an armie for he was in good hope that the Calipha of Bagdet hearing of his expedition woulde leaue his kingdome and prelacie and would betake himselfe to flight This notable and ioyfull message no sooner came to the eares of Califa Elcain but he being by his good fortune much more encouraged then before and not forethinking himselfe what mischiefe might ensue leuied a great armie appointing for vice-roy of all Barbarie one of the familie of Sanagia aforesaid finding him afterward not to be his trustie friend Moreouer Califa Elcain arriuing at Alchair and being most honorably entertained by his seruant Gehoar began to thinke vpon great affaires and hauing gathered an huge armie resolued to wage battell against the Califa of Bagdet In the meane season he that was appointed vice-roy of Barbarie compacting with the Calipha of Bagdet yeelded himselfe and all Barbarie into his hands Which the Califa most kindly accepted and ordained him
and distressed life differing much in this regard from those Africans whom wee affirmed to dwell in Libya Howbeit they are farre more valiant then the said Africans and vse commonly to exchange camels in the lande of Negros they haue likewise great store of horses which in Europe they cal horses of Barbarie They take woonderfull delight in hunting and pursuing of deere of wilde asses of ostriches and such like Neither is it here to be omitted that the greater part of Arabians which inhabite Numidia are very wittie and conceited in penning of verses wherein each man will decipher his loue his hunting his combates and other his woorthie actes and this is done for the most part in ryme after the Italians manner And albe it they are most liberally minded yet dare they not by bountifull giuing make any shew of wealth for they are daily oppressed with manifold inconueniences They are apparelled after the Numidians fashion sauing that their women differ somewhat from the women of Numidia Those deserts which they doe now enioy were woont to be possessed by Africans but rhe Arabians with their armie inuading that part of Africa draue out the naturall Numidians and reserued the deserts adioining vpon The land of dates vnto themselues but the Numidians began to inhabite those deserts which border vpon the land of Negros The Arabians which dwell betweene mount Atlas and the Mediterran sea are far wealthier then these which we now speake of both for costlines of apparell for good horse-meate and for the statelines and beautie of their tents Their horses also are of better shape and more corpulent but not so swift as the horses of the Numidian desert They exercise husbandrie and haue great increase of corne Their droues and flockes of cattell be innumerable insomuch that they cannot inhabite one by another for want of pasture They are somewhat more vile and barbarous then those which inhabite the deserts and yet they are not altogether destitute of liberalitie part of them which dwell in the territorie of Fez are subiect vnto the king of Fez. Those which remaine in Marocco and Duccala haue continued this long time free from all exaction and tribute but so soone as the king of Portugall began to beare rule ouer Azafi and Azamor there began also among them strife and ciuill warre Wherefore being assailed by the king of Portugall on the one side and by the king of Fez on the other and being oppressed also with the extreme famine and scarcitie of that yeere they were brought vnto such miserie that they freely offered themselues as slaues vnto the Portugals submitting themselues to any man that was willing to releeue their intolerable hunger and by this meanes scarce one of them was left in all Duccala Moreouer those which possesse the deserts bordering vpon the kingdomes of Tremizen and Tunis may all of them in regard of the rest be called noblemen and gentlemen For their gouernours receiuing euery yeere great reuenues from the king of Tunis diuide the same afterward among their people to the end they may auoid all discord and by this meanes all dissension is eschewed and peace is kept firme and inuiolable among them They haue notable dexteritie and cunning both in making of tents and in bringing vp and keeping of horses In summer time they vsually come neere vnto Tunis to the end that each man may prouide himselfe of bread armour and other necessaries all which they carrie with them into the deserts remaining there the whole winter In the spring of the yeere they applie themselues to hunting insomuch that no beast can escape their pursuit My selfe I remember was once at their tents to my no little danger and inconuenience where I sawe greater quantitie of cloth brasse yron and copper then a man shall oftentimes finde in the most rich warehouses of some cities Howbeit no trust is to be giuen vnto them for if occasion serue they will play the theeues most slyly and cunningly notwithstanding they seeme to carrie some shewe of ciuilitie They take great delight in poetrie and will pen most excellent verses their language being very pure and elegant If any woorthie poet be found among them he is accepted by their gouernours with great honour and liberalitie neither would any man easily beleeue what wit and decencie is in their verses Their women according to the guise of that countrie goe very gorgeously attired they weare linnen gownes died black with exceeding wide sleeues ouer which sometimes they cast a mantle of the same colour or of blew the corners of which mantle are very artificially fastened about their shoulders with a fine siluer claspe Likewise they haue rings hanging at their eares which for the most part are made of siluer they weare many rings also vpon their fingers Moreouer they vsually weare about their thighes and ankles certaine scarfes and rings after the fashion of the Africans They couer their faces with certaine maskes hauing onely two holes for their eies to peepe out at If any man chance to meete with them they presently hide their faces passing by him with silence except it be some of their allies or kinsfolks for vnto them they alwaies discouer their faces neither is there any vse of the said maske so long as they be in presence These Arabians when they trauell any iourney as they oftentimes doe they set their women vpon certaine saddles made handsomely of wicker for the same purpose and fastened to their camels backes neither be they any thing too wide but fit onely for a woman to sit in When they goe to the warres each man carries his wife with him to the end that she may cheere vp her good man and giue him encouragement Their damsels which are vnmarried doe vsually paint their faces brests armes hands and fingers with a kinde of counterfeit colour which is accounted a most decent custome among them But this fashion was first brought in by those Arabians which before we called Africans what time they began first of all to inhabite that region for before then they neuer vsed any false or glozing colours The women of Barbarie vse not this fond kind of painting but contenting themselues only with their naturall hiew they regarde not such fained ornaments howbeit sometimes they will temper a certaine colour with hens-dung and safron wherewithall they paint a little round spot on the bals of their cheeks about the bredth of a French crowne Likewise betweene their eie-browes they make a triangle and paint vpon their chinnes a patch like vnto an oliue leafe Some of them also doe paint their eie-browes and this custome is very highly esteemed of by the Arabian poets and by the gentlemen of that countrie Howbeit they will not vse these fantasticall ornaments aboue two or three daies together all which time they will not be seene to any of their friends except it be to their husbands and children for these paintings seeme to bee great allurements
For it cannot be that any people should haue a proper kinde of speech and yet should vse letters borrowed from other nations and being altogether vnfit for their mother-language Of the situation of Africa AS there are fower partes in Africa so the situation thereof is not in all places alike That part which lieth towards the Mediterran sea that is to say from the streites of Gibraltar to the frontiers of Aegypt is here and there full of mountaines Southward it is extended about a hundred miles albeit in some places it be larger and in some other narrower From the saide mountaines vnto mount Atlas there is a very spatious plaine many little hillocks Fountaines there are in this region great store which meeting together at one head doe send foorth most beautifull riuers and christall streames Betweene the foresaid mountaines and the plaine countrie is situate the mountaine of Atlas which beginning westward vpon the Ocean sea stretcheth it selfe towards the east as farre as the borders of Aegypt Ouer against Atlas lieth that region of Numidia which beareth dates being euery where almost sandie ground Betweene Numidia and the land of Negros is the sandie desert of Libya situate which containeth many mountaines also howbeit merchants trauell not that way when as they may goe other waies with more ease and lesse danger Beyond the Libyan desert beginneth the land of Negros all places whereof are barren and sandie except those which adioine vpon the riuer of Niger or through the which any riuer or streame runneth Of the vnpleasant and snowie places in Africa ALl the region of Barbarie and the mountaines contained therein are subiect more to cold then to heat For seldome commeth any gale of winde which bringeth not some snow therwith In al the said mountaines there grow abundance of fruits but not so great plentie of corne The inhabitants of these mountaines liue for the greatest part of the yeere vpon barlie bread The springs riuers issuing foorth of the said mountaines representing the qualitie and taste of their natiue soile are somewhat muddie and impure especially vpon the confines of Mauritania These mountaines likewise are replenished with woods and loftie 〈◊〉 and are greatly stored with beastes of all kindes But the little hils and vallies lying betweene the foresaid mountaines and mount Atlas are far more commodious and abounding with corne For ' they are moistened with riuers springing out of Atlas and from thence holding on their course to the Mediterran sea And albeit woods are somewhat more scarce vpon these plaines yet are they much more fruitfull then be the plaine countries situate betweene Atlas and the Ocean sea as namely the regions of Maroco of Duccala of Tedles of Temesna of Azgara and the countrie lying towards the straites of Gibraltar The mountaines of Atlas are exceeding colde and barren and bring foorth but small store of corne beeing woody on all sides and engendring almost all the riuers of Africa The fountaines of Atlas are euen in the midst of summer extremely cold so that if a man dippeth his hand therein for any long space he is in great danger of loosing the same Howbeit the said mountaines are not so cold in all places for some partes thereof are of such milde temperature that they may be right commodiously inhabited yea and sundry places thereof are well stored with inhabitants as in the second part of this present discourse we will declare more at large Those places which are destitute of inhabitants be either extremely cold as namely the same which lie ouer against Mauritania or very rough and vnpleasant to wit those which are directly opposite to the region of Temesna Where notwithstanding in summer time they may feede their great and small cattell but not in winter by any meanes For then the North winde so furiously rageth bringing with it such abundance of snowe that all the cattell which till then remaine vpon the saide mountaines and a great part of the people also are forced to lose their liues in regard thereof wherefore whosoeuer hath any occasion to trauell that way in winter time chuseth rather to take his iourney betweene Mauritania and Numidia Those merchants which bring dates out of Numidia for the vse and seruice of other nations set foorth vsually vpon their iourney about the ende of October and yet they are oftentimes so oppressed and ouertaken with a sudden fall of snowe that scarcely one man among them all escapeth the danger of the tempest For when it beginneth to snow ouer night before the next morning not onely carts and men but euen the verie trees are so drowned ouerwhelmed therein that it is not possible to finde any mention of them Howbeit the dead carcases are then founde when the sunne hath melted the snow I my selfe also by the goodnes of almighty God twise escaped the most dreadfull danger of the foresaid snow whereof if it may not be tedious to the reader I will heere in few wordes make relation Vpon a certaine day of the foresaid moneth of October trauelling with a great companie of Merchants towards Atlas we were there about the sunne going downe weather-beaten with a most cold and snowy kinde of hayle Here we found eleuen or twelue horsemen Arabians to our thinking who perswading vs to leaue our carts and to goe with them promised vs a good and secure place to lodge in For mine owne part that I might not seeme altogether vnciuill I thought it not meete to refuse their good offer albeit I stood in doubt least they went about to practise some mischiefe Wherefore I bethought my selfe to hide vp a certaine summe of gold which I had as then about me But all being ready to ride I had no leisure to hide away my coine from them whereupon I fained that I would goe ease my selfe And so departing a while their companie and getting me vnder a certaine tree whereof I tooke diligent notice I buried my money betweene certaine stones and the roote of the said tree And then we rode on quietly till about midnight What time one of them thinking that he had staied long ynough for his pray began to vtter that in words which secretly he had conceiued in his minde For he asked whether I had any money about me or no To whom I answered that I had left my money behind with one of them which attended the cartes and that I had then none at all about me Howbeit they being no whit satisfied with this answer commanded me for all the cold weather to strip my selfe out of mine apparell At length when they could find no money at all they said in iesting scoffing wise that they did this for no other purpose but onely to see how strong and hardie I was and how I could endure the cold and tempestuous season Well on we rode seeking our way as well as we could that darke and dismall night and anone we heard the bleating of sheepe
mattresse some of which beds are ten elles in length some more and some lesse yea some you shall finde of twenty elles long but none longer one part of these mattresses they lye vpon insteed of a couch and with the residue they couer their bodies as it were with 〈◊〉 and couerlets In the Spring-time alwaies they lay the hairie side next vnto their bodies because it is somewhat warmer but in Sommer-time not regarding that side they turne the smooth side vpwarde and thereon they rest themselues Likewise of such base and harsh stuffe they make their cushions being much like vnto the stuffe which is brought hither out of Albania and Turkie to serue for horse-cloathes The women of Hea goe commonly with their faces vncouered vsing for their huswifery turned vessels and cups of wood their platters dishes and other their kitchin-vessels be for the most part of earth You may easily discerne which of them is married and who is not for an vnmarried man must alwaies keepe his beard shauen which after hee be once married hee suffereth to grow at length The saide region bringeth foorth no great plentie of horses but those that it doth bring foorth are so nimble and full of mettall that they will climbe like cats ouer the steepe and craggie mountaines These horses are alwaies vnshod and the people of this region vse to till their ground with no other cattell but onely with horses and asses You shall here finde great store of deere of wilde goats and of hares Howbeit the people are no whit delighted in hunting Which is the cause as I thinke why the said beasts do so multiply And it is somwhat strange that so many riuers running through the countrey they should haue such scarsitie of water-mils but the reason is because euerie houshold almost haue a woodden mill of their owne whereat their women vsually grinde with their hands No good learning nor liberall artes are heere to be found except it bee a little skill in the lawes which some few chalenge vnto themselues otherwise you shall finde not so much as any shadow of vertue among them They haue neither Phisition nor Surgeon of any learning or account But if a disease or infirmitie befall any of them they presently seare or cauterize the sicke partie with red hot yrons euen as the Italians vse their horses Howbeit some chirurgians there are among them whose duty and occupation consisteth onely in circumcising of their male children They make no sope in all the countrey but instead thereof they vse to wash with lee made of ashes They are at continuall warre but it is ciuill and among themselues insomuch that they haue no leisure to fight against other nations Whosoeuer will trauell into a 〈◊〉 countrey must take either a harlot or a wife or a religious man of the contrarie part to beare him companie They haue no regard at all of iustice especially in those mountaines which are destitute of gouernours or princes yea euen the principall men of this verie region of Hea which dwell within townes and cities dare scarce prescribe any law or good order vnto the people so great is their insolencie in all places The cities of Hea are few in number but they haue great store of villages townes and most strong castles whereof God willing we will hereafter speake more at large Of Tednest one of the cities of Hea. THE auncient citie of Tednest was built by the Africans vpon a most beautiful and large plaine which they inuironed with a loftie wall built of bricke and lime Likewise a certaine riuer running foorth of the citie serueth to fill vp the wall ditch In this citie are certaine merchants that sell cloath wherein the people of the same place are clad Here is likewise vttered a kinde of cloth which is brought thither out of Portugall howbeit they will admit no artificers but taylors botchers carpenters and a few gold-smithes which are Iewes In this citie there are no innes stoues nor wine-tauerns so that whatsoeuer merchant goes thither must seeke out some of his acquaintance to remaine withall but if he hath no friends 〈◊〉 acquaintance in the town then the principall inhabitants there cast lots who should entertaine the strange merchant insomuch that no stranger be he neuer so meane shall want friendly entertainment but is alwaies sumptuously and honourably accepted of But whosoeuer is receiued as a guest must at his departure bestow some gift vpon his host in token of thankfulnes to the ende he may be more welcome at his next returne Howbeit if the saide stranger bee no merchant he may chuse what great mans house he will to lodge in beeing bound at his departure to no recompence nor gift To be short if any begger or poore pilgrim passé the same way he hath some 〈◊〉 prouided for him in a certaine hospitall which was founded onely for the reliefe of poore people and is maintained at the common charge of the citie In the middest of the citie stands an auncient temple beeing most sumptuously built and of an huge bignes which was thought to bee founded at the verie same time when as the King of Maroco bare rule in those places This temple hath a great cestern standing in the midst thereof and it hath many priests and such kinde of people which giue attendance thereunto and store it with things necessarie In this citie likewise are diuers other temples which 〈◊〉 they are but little yet be they most cleanly and decently kept There are in this citie about an hundred families of Iewes who pay no yeerely tribute at all but only bestow each of them some gratuitie vpon this or that nobleman whom they thinke to fauour them most to the ende they may enioy their fauour still and the greatest part of the said citie is inhabited with Iewes These Iewes haue certaine minting-houses wherein they stampe siluer coine of which 170. Aspers as they call them doe weigh one ounce beeing like vnto the common coine of Hungarie sauing that this Asper is square and the Hungarian coine is round The inhabitants of Tednest are free from al tributes yeerely taxations howbeit if any summe of money be wanting for the erection of a publique building or for any other common vse the people is foorthwith assembled and each man must giue according to his abilitie This citie was left desolate in the yeere 918. of the Hegeira At what time all the citizens thereof fled vnto the mountaines and from thence to Maroco The reason they say was because the inhabitants were informed that their next neighbours the Arabians ioyned in league with the Portugall Captaines who as then held the towne of Azaphi and promised to deliuer Tednest into the hands of the Christians which thing so danted the citizens that they presently sought to saue themselues by flight My selfe I remember sawe this citie vtterly ruined and defaced the walles thereof beeing laide euen with the ground the houses
him For saith he there is some recompence due vnto me sithens ten of my people haue beene slaine and but eight of this my neighbours Whereunto the other replied that the saide ten persons were iustly slaine because they went about by violence to dispossesse him of a certaine piece of ground which his father had left him by inheritance but that his eight were murthered onely for vniust reuenge against all equitie and lawe With these and such like friuolous allegations we spent that whole day neither could we decide any one controuersie About midnight we sawe a great throng of people meet in the market-place who made there such a bloodie and horrible conflict that the sight thereof would haue affrighted any man were he neuer so hard harted Wherefore the saide Seriffo fearing least those lewd varlets would make some trecherous conspiracie against him and thinking it better to depart thence immediately then to expect the conclusion of that fraye wee tooke our iourney from that place to a towne called Aghilinghighil Of the towne of Teijeut in Hea. MOreouer the tower of Teijeut standing vpon a plaine ten miles Westward of Ileusugaghen containeth about three hundred housholdes The houses and wall of this towne are built of bricke The townesmen exercise husbandrie for their ground is most fertile for barley albeit it will scarcely yeeld any other graine They haue pleasant and large gardens stored with vines fig-trees and peach-trees also they haue great abundance of goates About this towne are many lyons whereby the townesmen are not a little endamaged for they pray continually vpon their goats and vpon other of their cattell Certaine of vs vpon time comming into these parts for want of a lodging were cōstrained to repayre vnto a little cottage which we escried being so olde that it was in danger of falling hauing prouided our horses of prouender we stopped vp all the doores and passages of the said cottage with thornes and wood as circumspectly as possibly we could these things happened in the moneth of Aprill at what time they haue extreme heat in the same countrey Wherefore we our selues got vp to the top of the house to the end that in our sleep we might be neere vnto the open ayer About midnight we espied two monstrous lyons who were drawen thither by the sent of our horses and endeuored to breake downe that fence of thornes which we had made Whereupon the horses being put in feare kept such a neighing and such a stirre that we misdoubted least the rotten cottage would haue fallen and least our selues should haue become a pray vnto the lyons But so soone as we perceiued the day begin to breake we foorthwith sadled our horses and hyed vs vnto that place where we knew the Prince and his armie lay Not long after followed the destruction of this towne For the greater part of the townesmen being slaine the rest were taken by the Portugals and were carried as captiues into Portugall This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira 920 and in the yeere of our Lord 1513. Of Tesegdelt a towne of Hea. THe towne of Tesegdelt being situate vpon the top of a certaine high mountaine and naturally enuironed with an high rocke in steade of a wall containeth more then eight hundreth families It is distant from Teijeut southward about twelue miles and it hath a riuer running by it the name whereof I haue forgotten About this towne of Tesegdelt are most pleasant gardens and orchards replenished with all kinde of trees and especially with walnut-trees The inhabitants are wealthie hauing great abundance of horses neither are they constrained to pay any tribute vnto the Arabians There are continuall warres betweene the Arabians and them and that with great bloudshed and manslaughter on both parts The villages lying neere vnto Tesegdelt do vsually carry all their graine thither least they should be depriued thereof by the enimie who maketh daily inrodes and inuasions vpon them The inhabitants of the foresaid towne are much 〈◊〉 vnto curtesie and ciuilitie and for liberalitie and bountie vnto strangers they will suffer themselues to be inferiour to none other At euery gate of Tesegdelt stande certaine watchmen or warders which do most louingly receiue all incommers enquiring of them whether they haue any friends and acquaintaine in the towne or no If they haue none then are they conducted to one of the best Innes of the towne and hauing had entertainment there according to their degree and place they are friendly dismissed and whatsoeuer his expences come to the stranger paies nought at all but his charges are defraied out of the common purse This people of Tesegdelt are subiect also vnto iealousie howbeit they are most faithfull keepers of their promise In the very middest of the towne standes a most beautifull and stately temple whereunto belong a certaine number of Mahumetan priests And to the ende that iustice may be most duly administred among them they haue a very learned iudge who decideth all matters in the common wealth except criminall causes onely Their fieldes where they vse to sowe their corne are for the greater part vpon the mountaines Vnto this verie towne I trauelled with the foresaide Seriffo in the 〈◊〉 of the Hegeira 919. that is to say in the yeere of our Lord 1510. A description of the citie of Tagtess THE most ancient citie of Tagtess is built rounde and standeth vpon the toppe of an hill on the sides whereof are certaine winding steps hewen out of the hard rocke It is about foureteene miles distant from Tesegdelt By the foote of the saide hill runnes a riuer whereout the women of Tagtess draw their water neither haue the citizens any other drinke and although this riuer be almost sixe miles from Tagtess yet a man would thinke looking downe from the citie vpon it that it were but halfe a mile distant The way leading vnto the said riuer being cut out of the rocke in forme of a payre of stayres is verie narrow The citizens of Tagtess are addicted vnto theft and robberie and are at continuall warre with their neighbours They haue no corne-fields nor any cattell but onely vpon the said mountaine they haue great store of bores but such scarcitie of horses that there is not one almost to bee found in the whole citie The way through their region is so difficult that they will suffer none to passe by without a publique testimoniall While I was in that countrey there came such a swarme of Locusts that they deuoured the greatest part of their cornes which were as then ripe insomuch that all the vpper part of the ground was couered with Locusts Which was in the yeere of the Hegeira 919. that is in the yeere of our Lord 1510. The towne of Eitdeuet FIfteene miles Southward from Tagtess stands another towne called Eitdeuet being built vpon a plaine and yet vpon the higher ground thereof It containeth to the number of seuen hundred families and hath
whereof in due place we will discourse more at large Wherefore hauing described all the cities and mountaines of Maroco bordering southward vpon Atlas let vs now passe ouer the said mountaine of Atlas and take a view of the region beyond it commonly called Guzzula Of the region of Guzzula THis region is exceding populous westward it abutteth vpon Ilda a mountaine of Sus northward it ioineth vnto Atlas and eastward it stretcheth vnto the region of Hea. It is inhabited with sauage and fierce people beeing most needie of money and yet abounding greatly in cattell Great store of copper and yron is here digged out of mines and here are brasen vessels made which are carried into other countries to be solde and these vessels they exchange for linnen and woollen cloth for horses and for other wares necessarie for the said region In all this whole region there is neither towne nor castle enuironed with walles Great villages they haue which containe many of them more then a thousand families a peece They haue neither king nor gouernour to prescribe any lawes vnto them but euerie one is his owne captaine and commander whereupon they are at continuall warres among themselues neither haue they any truce at all but three daies onely euery weeke during which time euery man may safely and freely bargaine with his enemie and may trauell whither he listeth But these daies of truce being past the wretched people of this region do continually commit most horrible slaughters The foresaide daies of truce a certaine Hermite appointed vnto them whom they honoured and reuerenced like a god This Hermite with one eie I my selfe saw and found him to be a trustie sincere courteous and most liberall person The common attire of the people of Guzzula is a woollen iacket streight to their bodies without 〈◊〉 They weare crooked broad and two-edged daggers and their swords are like vnto the swords of Hea. Once euery yeere they haue a faire of two moneths long all which time though the number of merchants be neuer so great they giue free entertainment vnto all such as either bring wares with them or come thither to fetch away their wares When the time of their faire approcheth they foorthwith make truce and each faction appointeth a captaine ouer an hundred soldiers to the end they may keepe themselues in safetie and may defend their said faire from the inuasion and iniurie of all lewd persons If any offence be committed the captaines immediately giue sentence vpon the guiltie person and whosoeuer bee conuicted of theft is foorthwith slaine like a brute beast and his theeues carcase is throwne out to be deuoured of dogs wilde beastes and rauenous foules The saide faire is kept in a certaine plaine or valley betweene two hils All the wares are contained in tents and in certaine cottages made of boughes so that each particular kind of merchandize hath a seuerall place to lie in by it selfe They which sell droues of cattell are remooued farre from the tents And euery tent hath a cottage made of boughes belonging thereunto for their principal and head men to repose themselues in And in the said cottages or bowers are merchant strangers as we noted before freely entertained and bourded Also they haue certaine Caters purueiers among them which make prouision of victuals and take vpon them the friendly and well entertaining of strangers And albeit an huge deale of money is spent for this behalfe yet make they a good gaine thereof for thither doe resort all the merchants of that region for traffiques sake yea and a great number out of the land of Negros who bring with them maruellous plentie of all kindes of wares And although they are men of a dull and grosse capacitie yet are they very industrious in gouerning and maintaining the said faire the beginning whereof is vpon the birth-day of that great deceiuer Mahumet that is vpon the twelfth day of their moneth called Rabih which is the third Haraba of the yeere according to their account I my selfe was present at this faire in the companie of my Lord the 〈◊〉 for the space of fifteene daies in the yeere of the Hegeira 920. which was in the yeere of our Lord 1511. Abriefe description of the region of Duccala THis region beginneth westward from the riuer of Tensift northward it is bounded with the Ocean sea the south part thereof lieth vpon the riuer of Habid and the east part abutteth vpon the riuer Ommirabih It is three daies iourney long and about two daies iourney broad Very populous it is the inhabitants being a rude people and most ignorant of all ciuilitie and humanitie Walled cities it hath but a few of all which we will in their due places particularly discourse neither wil we by Gods helpe omit any thing which may seeme woorthie of memorie Of the towne of Azaphi IT was built by the Africans and standeth vpon the shore of the Ocean sea containing fower thousand families inhabitants there are great store being for the most part very vnciuill and barbarous In times past there dwelt many Iewes in this towne which exercised diuers handy-crafts Their soile is exceeding fertill but so grosse is their owne vnskilfulnes and negligence that they know neither how to till their ground to sow their corne or to plant vineyards except perhaps some few of them who would seeme to be more prouident then the residue sow a quantitie of pot-herbes in their smal gardens After the kings of Maroco gaue ouer the gouerment of the saide region the citie of Azafi was vsurped by certaine which were said to fetch their originall from Farchon Howbeit in our daies the said citie was gouerned by a certaine prince called Hebdurrahmam this man for a greedy and ambitious desire of raigning murthered his owne vncle after whose death he gouerned the towne for certaine yeeres He had a daughter of most excellent beauty who falling in loue with a certaine courtier whose name was Hali being sonne vnto one Goesimen by the helpe of her mother and her wayting maide enioyed oftentimes the companie of her paramour Which when her father had intelligence of hee rebuked his wife threatening death vnto her if shee reformed not the manners of her daughter howbeit afterwarde hee dissembled his furie But the mother throughly knowing her husbandes intent tolde her daughters paramour that the prince was not to bee trusted and therefore aduised him to take heede vnto himselfe Whereupon Hali fearing least some mischiefe might light vpon him began to determine with himselfe the princes death and for his associate in this conspiracie he tooke a trusty friend of his who had been most familiar with him from his childhoode and was captaine ouer a certaine band of footemen Wherefore both of them being alike mischieuously bent against their prince expected nothing else but a fit place and oportunitie to put their bloudie determination in practise Contrariwise the king seeking by all meanes an
ciuilitie Their apparell indeed is somewhat decent by reason that they continually haue so great traffique with the Portugals At the same time when Azamur was subdued this citie also yeelded it selfe vnto the kings captaine and for certaine yeeres paied tribute vnto the king In our time the king of Fez attempted to set Duccala at libertie howbeit not speeding of his purpose he caused a certaine Christian which was his owne treasurer and a Iewe to be hanged And that companie which remained with him he brought vnto Fez giuing them a certaine portion of grounde to dwell vpon which was destitute of inhabitants being distant about twelue miles from Fez. Of the famous citie of Elmedina in Duccala ELmedina being in a manner the chiefe citie of the whole region is according to the manner there enuironed with wals of no great force The inhabitants are homely as well in witte and behauiour as in apparell wearing such cloth as is wouen in their owne countrie Their women weare certaine siluer ornaments the men are valiant and haue great store of horses They were all of them banished by the king of Fez out of his dominions for that he suspected them to be friends to the Portugals For he had heard that a certaine gouernour of that region had counselled his subiects to pay tribute vnto the Portugall king This gouernour I sawe barefoote led so miserablie captiue that I could scarce refraine from teares because he did not ought vpon trecherie but being constrained For good man he thought it much better to pay a little tribute vnto the Portugals then sodainly to lose both his life and his goods For the restoring of whom vnto his former libertie diuers noblemen greatly laboured and so at length for a great summe of money he was released But afterward the citie remained voide of inhabitants about the yeere of the Hegeira 921. Of the towne of Duccala called Centumputei THis towne is built vpon a rocke of excellent marble in the suburbes whereof are certaine caues wherein the inhabitants vse to lay vp their corne which is there so woonderfully preserued that it will continue an hundreth yeeres without any ill sauour or corruption Of the number of which caues resembling pits or wels the towne it selfe is called Centum putei The inhabitants are of small reckoning or account hauing no artificers dwelling among them but certaine Iewes When the king of Fez had forced the inhabitants of Elmadin to come into his dominions he attempted also to bring thither the inhabitants of this towne but they refusing to go into a strange place chose rather to inhabite neere vnto the towne of Azafi then to forsake their owne natiue soile Which when the king vnderstoode he presently caused the towne to be sacked wherein nothing was found but corne hony and other things of small value Of the towne of Subeit in the same region SVbeit is a small towne built vpon the south side of the riuer of Ommirabih It is distant from Elmadin about fortie miles and is said to be subiect vnto certaine Arabians dwelling in Duccala Honie and corne they haue great abundance but such is their vnskilfulnes and ignorance that they haue neither gardens nor vineyardes At the same time when Bulahuan was woon the king of Fez brought all the people of Subeit into his dominion and allotted vnto them a certaine peece of grounde neere vnto Fez which was neuer before inhabited so that Subeit remaineth waste and void of inhabitants euen vntill this day Of the towne of Temeracost ALso in Duccala neere vnto the riuer Ommirabih standeth a certaine small towne which was built by the founder of Maroco from whom the name thereof is thought to be deriued Inhabitants it hath great store and containeth more then fower hundreth families It was subiect in times past vnto the people of Azamur but Azamur being spoiled by the Portugales this towne also came to nought and the people heerof went to Elmadin Of the towne called Terga THis towne being distant about thirtie miles from Azamur is situate neere vnto the riuer Ommirabih it is well peopled and containeth about three hundreth families In times past it was subiect vnto the inhabitants of Duccala but after the sacking of Azafi Hali which fought against the Portugals for certaine daies lay with his armie in this towne But afterward being repelled thence by the king of Fez the towne became so waste and desolate that from thencefoorth it was an habitation for owles bats Of the towne of Bulahuan THis towne likewise standeth vpon the banke of Ommirabih containeth about fiue hundreth families in times past it had most noble and woorthie inhabitants especially in that streete which lieth next vnto the riuer vpon the high way to Maroco In this towne was a famous hospitall built which had manie roomes and mansions wherein all strangers trauailing that way were sumptuously and freely entertained at the common charge of the towne The inhabitants are most rich both in cattell corne Euery cititizen almost hath an 100. yoke of oxen and some of them yeerly reape two thousand some three thousand measures of corne so that the Arabians do carrie graine from thence sufficient to serue them all the yeere following In the 919. yeere of the Hegeira the king of Fez sent his brother to gouerne and defende the region of Duccala who comming vnto this towne was informed that the captaine of Azemur approched thither with a great armie of purpose to destroy the towne and to lead the people captiue Whereupon the king of Fez his brother sent immediately vnto the saide towne two captaines with two thousand horsemen and eight hundreth archers But the very same time when they entred the towne they met there the Portugall soldiers accompanied with two thousand Arabians by whom being fewer in number they were so miserablie slaine that scarcely twelue archers of all the eight hundreth could escape with the horsemen vnto the next mountaines Howbeit afterward the Arabians renewed the skirmish 150. of the Portugall horsemen being slaine they put the enimie to flight Whereupon the king of Fez his brother passed on to Duccala requiring tribute of the people and promising that as long as he liued he would stand betweene them and their enemies Afterward being vanquished he returned home to Fez vnto the king his brother But the inhabitants seeing that the kings brother had receiued tribute of them and had stood them in no stead they presently forsooke the towne and fled vnto the mountaine of Tedles for they feared least the Portugals armie would come vpon them and exacting a greater summe would lead them presently captiue which could not disburse it At all these accidents I my selfe was present and saw the foresaid slaughter of the archers for I stood about a mile distant from them and was mounted vpon a swift courser At the same time I was trauelling to Maroco being sent by the king of Fez to declare vnto the
to be built wherein is maintained a garrison of two hundred crosse-bowes an hundred Harquebusiers three hundred light horsemen Neere vnto the towne are diuers medowes and fennes where the townesmen take great store of eeles and of water-fowles Vpon this riuers side are huge and solitarie woods haunted with lions and other wilde beastes The inhabitants of this towne vse to transport coales by sea to Arzilla and Tangia whereupon the Moores vse for a common prouerbe A ship of Harais which they alleage when a man after great brags and promises performeth trifles for these ships hauing sailes of cotton which make a gallant shew are laden with nought but base coales for the territorie of this citie aboundeth greatly with cotton Of the towne called Casar Elcabir that is The great palace THis large towne was built in the time of Mansor the king and patriarke of Maroco of whom this notable historie is reported namely that the said king as he rode on hunting being separated from his companie by tempestuous weather came vnto a certaine vnknowen place where if he continued all night fearing least he should die in the fens he looked round about him and at length espied a fisher getting of eeles can you 〈◊〉 friend quoth the king conduct me to the court The court saith the fisher is ten miles distant Howbeit the king intreating hard to be conducted if king Mansor himselfe were present quoth the fisher I could not at this present conduct him for feare least he should be drowned in the fennes Then answered Mansor what hast thou to doe with the kings life or safetie Marie quoth the fisher I am bound to loue the king as well as mine owne life Then haue you obtained some singular benefite at his hands said the king What greater benefit quoth the fisher can be expected at the kings hand then iustice loue and clemencie which he vouchsafeth vnto his subiects by whose fauour and wisedome I sillie fisher with my poore wife and children liue a most quiet and contented life so that I can euen at midnight haue free egresse and regresse vnto this my cottage amidst these vallies and desert fennes no man lying in wait to doe me iniurie But gentle Sir whatsoeuer you be if you please to be my guest for this night you shall be right welcome and to morrow morning betimes I will attend vpon you at your pleasure Then the king went vnto the fishers cottage where after his horse was prouided for the fisher caused some eeles to be rosted for his supper while he sate drying of his garments by the fire but the king not being contented with this fare demanded if his host had any flesh in the house Sir quoth he I haue a shee-goate and a kid and they are all my substance of cattell but because by your countenance you seeme to be some honourable personage I will aduenture my kid for your sake and so without any more words he caused his wife to kill it roste it Thus the king remained the fishers guest all night and the next morning about sun-rise being scarcely gone out of the doores with his liberall host he espied a great companie of his gentlemen and hunters whooping and hallowing for their king amidst the fennes but when they saw him they all greatly reioiced Then Mansor turning him to the fisher told him what he was promising that his liberalitie should not be vnrewarded Neere vnto the place were certaine faire castles and palaces which the king at his departure gaue vnto the fisher in token of thankfulnes and being by the fisher requested for declaration of his farther loue to enuiron the said buildings with wals he condescended thereunto From thencefoorth the fisher 〈◊〉 lord and gouernour of that new citie which in processe of time grew so large that within these fewe yeeres it contained fower hundred families And because the soile 〈◊〉 vnto it is so fertile the king vsed to make his aboad thereabout all summer time which was a great benefit to the towne By the walles of this towne runneth the riuer Luccus which sometimes encreaseth so that it floweth to the citie-gates In this towne are practised diuers manuarie artes and trades of merchandize also it hath many temples one college of students and a stately hospitall They haue neither springs nor wels but onely cesternes in stead thereof The inhabitants are liberall honest people though not so 〈◊〉 as some others Their apparell is but meane being made of cotton-cloth and wrapped often about their bodies In the suburbes are great store of gardens replenished with all kinde of fruits Their grapes are vnsauourie because the soile is fitter for medow-ground Euery munday they haue a market vpon the next plaine whither their neighbours the Arabians vsually resort In the moneth of May they goe foorth of their towne a fowling and take great store of turtles Their ground is exceeding fruitfull and yeeldeth thirtie fold increase but it cannot be tilled for sixe miles about bicause the Portugals garrison at Arzilla which is but eighteene miles distant doth so molest and endomage them whom likewise the gouernour of this towne with three hundred horsemen continually encountereth and sometime proceedeth euen to the gates of Arzilla Of the region of Habat THis region beginneth southward from the riuer of Guarga and bordereth northward vpon the Ocean westward it adioineth vnto the fennes of Argar and eastward it abutteth vpon those mountaines which are next vnto the streites of Gibraltar In bredth it stretcheth fower score and in length almost an hundreth miles The fruitefulnes of the soile and the abundance of corne cannot easily be described it is almost a perpetuall plaine watered with many riuers howbeit heretofore it hath beene more noble and famous by reason of the ancient cities built partly by the Romans partly by the Goths and I thinke it to be the same region which Ptolemey calleth Mauritania but since Fez was first built it hath fallen into woonderfull decay Moreouer Idris the founder of Fez leauing ten sonnes behinde him bestowed this region vpon the eldest afterward ensued a rebellion of diuers Mahumetan heretiques and lords one faction of whom suing for aide at the gouernour of Granada and others seeking aide from certaine gouernours of Cairaoan they were all vanquished and put to flight by the Mahumetan patriark of Cairaoan who hauing thus subdued the region left it vnder garrison and returned home Afterward the great chancelour of Cordoua leuying an huge armie conquered all this countrey euen to the borders of the region of Zab. Fiftie yeeres after king Ioseph of the Luntune family chasing out the people of Granada obtained the saide prouince by force and last of all the king of Fez enioied it Of Ezaggen a towne of Habat THis towne was built by the ancient Africans vpon the side of a mountaine almost ten miles distant from Guarga all which distance being plaine ground serueth for corn-fields and gardens howbeit the hilles
the flesh of such beasts as are taken in those deserts Sometimes they receiue tribute of the gouernour of Suachen and sometimes of the gouernors of Dangala They had once a rich towne situate vpon the red sea called Zibid whereunto belonged a commodious hauen being opposite vnto the hauen of Zidem which is fortie miles distant from Mecca But an hundred yeeres since it was destroied by the Soldan bicause the inhabitants receiued certaine wares which should haue beene carried to Mecca and at the same time the famous port of Zibid was destroied from whence notwithstanding was gathered a great yeerely tribute The inhabitants being chased from thence fledde vnto Dangala and Suachin and at length being ouercome in battaile by the gouernour of Suachin there were in one day slaine of them aboue fower thousand and a thousand were carried captiue vnto Suachin who were massacred by the women and children of the citie And thus much friendly reader as concerning the lande of Negros the fifteene kingdomes whereof agreeing much in rites and customes are subiect vnto fower princes onely Let vs now proceed vnto the description of Egypt Here endeth the seuenth booke IOHN LEO HIS EIGHT BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein Of Egypt THe most noble and famous prouince of Egypt bordering westward vpon the deserts of Barca Numidia and Libya eastward vpon the deserts lying betweene Egypt it selfe and the red sea and northward vpon the Mediterran sea is inclosed southward with the land of the foresaid people called Bugiha and with the riuer of Nilus It stretcheth in length from the 〈◊〉 sea to the land of the people called Bugiha about fower hundred and fiftie miles but in bredth it is very narrow so that it containeth nought but a small distance betweene both the banks of Nilus and the barren mountaines bordering vpon the foresaid deserts being inhabited onely in that place where Nilus is separate from the saide mountaines albeit towards the Mediterran sea it extendeth it selfe somewhat broader For Nilus about fower-score miles from the great citie of Cairo is diuided into two branches one whereof 〈◊〉 in his chanell westward returneth at length into the maine streame from whence he tooke his originall and hauing passed about threescore miles beyond Cairo it diuideth it selfe into two other branches whereof the one runneth to Damiata and the other to Rosetto And 〈◊〉 of that which trendeth to Damiata issueth another branch which discharging it selfe into a lake passeth through a certaine gullet or streit into the Mediterran sea vpon the banke whereof standeth the most ancient citie of Tenesse and this diuision of Nilus into so many streames and branches causeth Egypt as I haue beforesaid to be so narrow All this prouince is plaine and is most fruitfull for all kind of graine and pulse There are most pleasant and greene medowes and great store of geese and other fowles The countrey people are of a swart and browne colour but the citizens are white Garments they weare which are streite downe to their wastes and broad beneath and the sleeues likewise are streight They couer their heads with a round and high habite called by the Italians a Dulipan Their shooes are made according to the ancient fashion In sommer they weare garments of particoloured cotton but in winter they vse a certaine garment lined with cotton which they call Chebre but the chiefe citizens and merchants are apparelled in cloth of Europe The inhabitants are of an honest cheereful and liberall disposition For their victuals they vse a kinde of newe and extreme salt cheeses and sowre milke also artificially congealed which fare albeit they account very daintie yet cannot strangers digest it and into euerie dish almost they put sower milke A diuision of Egypt SInce the Mahumetans were Lords of Egypt it hath beene diuided into three parts For the region from Cairo to Rosetto is called the shore of Errif and from Cairo to the lande of Bugiha it is called Sahid that is to say The firme land but the region adioining vpon that branch of Nilus which runneth towardes Damiata and Tenesse they call by the name of Bechria or Maremma All Egypt is exceeding fertile but the prouince of Sahid excelleth the two other parts for abundance of corne cattle fowles and flaxe and Maremma aboundeth with cotton and sugar Howbeit the inhabitants of Marremma and Errif are farre more ciuill then the people of Sahid bicause those two prouinces lie neerer vnto the sea and are more frequented by European Barbarian and Assirian merchants but the people of Sahid haue no conuersation with strangers except it be with a fewe Ethiopians Of the ancient pedigree and originall of the Egyptians THe Egyptians as Moses writeth fetch their originall from Mesraim the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noe and the Hebrewes call both the countrie and the inhabitants of Egypt by the name of Mesraim The Arabians call Egypt it selfe Mesre but the inhabitants Chibith And Chibith they say was the man that first tooke vpon him the gouernment of this region and began first to builde houses thereon Also the inhabitants call themselues by the same name neither are there left any true Egyptians besides a fewe Christians which are at this present remaining The residue embracing the Mahumetan religion haue mingled themselues amongst the Arabians the Moores This kingdome was gouerned many yeeres by the Egyptians themselues as namely by the kings that were called Pharao who by their monuments and admirable buildings seeme to haue beene mightie princes and also by the kings called Ptolomaei Afterward being subdued vnto the Romaine Empire this kingdome since the comming of Christ was conuerted vnto the Christian religion vnder the saide Romaine gouernment since the decay of which Empire it fell into the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople who being very carefull to maintaine this kingdome were at length depriued thereof by the Mahumetans vnder the conduct of Hamrus the sonne of Hasi being appointed captaine generall ouer the Arabian armie of Homar the second Califa or Mahumetan patriarke of that name who permitting all men to haue their owne religion required nought but tribute at their hands The said captaine built vpon the banke of Nilus a certaine towne called by the Arabians Fustato which word signifieth in their language a tabernacle for when he first vndertooke this expedition he marched through wilde and desert places voide of inhabitants so that his armie was constrained to lye in tents The common people call this towne Mesre Hatichi that is to say the auncient citie which notwithstanding in comparison of Cairo may not vnfitly be called the New citie And as concerning the situation of this towne many excellent men both Christians Iewes and Mahumetans haue in these our times beene deceiued For they thinke Mesre to be situate in the same place where king Pharao in the time of Moses and king Pharao in the time of
Flaccus Africa scarce breathing from bloudie warres an horrible and extraordinarie destruction ensued For whereas now throughout all Africa infinite multitudes of locustes were gathered togither had not only quite deuoured the corne on the grounde and consumed the herbes with part of their rootes and the leaues and tender boughes of the trees but had gnawne also the bitter barke and drie woode being with a violent and sudden winde hoised aloft in mightie swarmes and carried a long time in the aire they were at length drowned in the African sea Whose lothsome and putrified carcases being by the waues of the sea cast vp in huge heapes farre and wide along the shore bred an incredible stinking infectious smell whereupon followed so general a pestilence of al liuing creatures that the corrupt dead bodies of foules cattell and wilde beasts dissolued by the contagion of the aire augmented the furie of the plague But how great and extraordinarie a death of men there was I cannot but tremble to report for in Numidia where Micipsa was then king died fowerscore thousand persons and vpon the sea-coast next adioiningto Carthage and Vtica aboue two hundred thousand are saide to haue perished Yea in the citie of Vtica it selfe were by this meanes swept from the face of the earth thirtie thousand braue soldiers which were appointed to be the garrison for all Africa And the destruction was so sudaine and violent as they report that out of one gate of Vtica in one and the same day were carried aboue fifteene hundred dead corpes of those lustie yoong gallants So that by the grace and fauour of almightie God through whose mercy and in confidence of whom I doe speake these things I may boldly affirme that albeit sometime in our daies the locusts in diuers parts and vsually doe some domage which is tolerable yet neuer befell there in the time of the Christians so insupportable a mischiefe as that this scourge of locusts which being aliue are by no meanes 〈◊〉 should after their death prooue farre more pernicious and which also liuing the fruits of the earth would haue beene quite deuoured it had beene much better they had neuer died to the plague and destruction of all earthly creatures Hitherto Paulus Orosius The second testimonie taken out of the 32. and 33. chapters of the Ethiopian historie of Francis Aluarez which for the satisfaction of euerie Reader I haue put downe with all particularities and circumstances Of the great multitude of Locusts and the infinite domage that they procure in the dominions of Prete Ianni Chap. 32. IN this quarter and throughout all the dominion of Prete Ianni there is an horrible and great plague to wit an innumerable companie of Locustes which eate and consume the corne and trees of fruite and so great is the number of these creatures as it is not credible for with the multitude of them the earth is couered and the aire so ouerspred as one may hardlie discerne the sunne and further I affirme that it is a thing most strange to him who 〈◊〉 not seene it and if the domage they performe were generall through all the prouinces and kingdomes of Prete Ianni his people woulde die with famine neither coulde men possiblie there inhabite But one yeere they destroy one prouince and the next yeere another 〈◊〉 as if for example they waste the kingdome of Portugall or Castile this 〈◊〉 an other yeere they are in the quarters of Lenteio an other in Estremadura an other in Beira or betweene the riuer Dorus and Minius an other on the mountaines an other in old Castilia Aragon or Andaluzia and otherwhiles in two or three of these prouinces at once and wheresoeuer they come the earth is more wasted and destroied by them then if it had beene all ouer consumed with a fire These locusts are as bigge as the greatest grashoppers hauing yellow wings Their comming into the countrie is knowne a day before not for that we can see them but we know it by the sunne who is yellow of colour this being a signe that they draw neere to the countrie as also the earth looketh yellowe by reason of the light which reflecteth from their wings whereupon the people in a manner become presentlie halfe dead saying we are vndone for the Ambati that is to say the locustes are come And I can not forbeare to set downe that which I sawe three sundrie times and first in Barua where we had now beene for the space of three yeeres and heere we often heard it saide that such a countrey and such a realme was destroied by the Locusts and being in this prouince we sawe the sunne and the vpper part of the earth looke all yellow the people being in a manner halfe dead for sorrow But the day following it was an incredible thing to see the number of these creatures that came which to our iudgement couered fower and twentie miles of lande as afterward we were enformed When this scourge and plague was come the priestes of that place came and sought me out requesting me to giue them some remedie for the driuing of them away and I answered that I could tel them nothing but only that they shoulde deuoutly pray vnto God that he woulde driue them out of the countrie And so I went to the Ambassadour and told him that it would be very good to goe on procession beseeching God that hee woulde deliuer the countrie who peraduenture in his great mercie might heare vs. This liked the Ambassadour very well and the day following we gathered togither the people of the land with all the priests and taking the consecrated stone and the crosse according to their custome all we Portugals sung the Letanie and appointed those of the land that they should lift vp their voices aloud as we did saying in their language Zio marina Christos which is as much to say as Lord God haue mercy vpon vs and with this manner of inuocation we went ouer a peece of grounde where there were fieldes of wheate for the space of a mile euen to a little hill and heere I caused many of these locustes to be taken pronouncing ouer them a certaine coniuration which I had about me in writing hauing made it that night requesting admonishing and excommunicating them enioining them within the space of three howers to depart towards the sea or the lande of the Moores or the desert mountaines and to let the Christians alone and they not performing this I summoned and charged the birdes of heauen the beasts of the earth and all sorts of tempests to scatter destroy and eate vp their bodies and to this effect I tooke a quantitie of locusts making this admonition to them present in the behalfe likewise of them absent and so giuing them libertie I suffered them to depart It pleased God to heare vs sinners for in our returne home they came so thicke vpon our backes as it seemed that they woulde haue broken our heads
but the greater part are clad in sheeps skinnes and those which are more honourable in the skins of Lyons Tigres and Ounces They haue all kindes of our domesticall creatures as hennes geese and such like as also abundance of kine and wild swine harts goates hares but no conies besides panthers lyons Ounces and elephants To conclude there cannot be a countrie more apt then this for the generation and increase of all plants and creatures True it is that it hath little helpe or furtherance by the industrie of the inhabitants because they are of a sloathfull dul nature and capacitie They haue flaxe and yet can make no cloath sugar canes and know not the arte of getting the sugar thereout yron and haue no vse thereof but take all smithes to be negromancers They haue riuers and waters and know not how to better their possessions by them They conceaue not greatly of hunting or fishing whereupon the fieldes are full of birdes and wild beastes and the riuers and lakes of fish An other reason of their slacknes and negligence is the euill intreatie of the communaltie by those of the mightier sort for the poore seeing euery thing taken from them that they haue sow no more then verie necessity vrgeth them vnto Their speech also is without any rule or prescription and to write a letter requireth a great assembly of men and many dayes to deliberate thereon The nobles cittizens and peasants liue distinctly and apart and any of these may purchase nobility by some famous or worthie act The first borne inherite all things There is not in all the countrie a castel or fortified place for they thinke as the Spartanes did that a country should be mayntained and defended by force of armes and not with rampires of earth or stone They dwell for the most part dispersed in townes and villages Their trade of marchandise is performed by exchanging one thing for an other supplying the ouerplus of their prises with wheat or salt pepper incense myrrhe salt they sell for the waight in gold In their bargaines they vse gold also but by waight siluer is not ordinary among them Their greatest city is the Princes court which is neuer firme and resident in one place but remoueth here there and remaineth in the open fieldes vnder tentes This courte comprehendeth ten or more miles in compasse His Gouernment PRete Ianni his gouernment is very absolute for he holdeth his subiects in most base seruitude and no lesse the noble and great then those of meaner qualitie and condition intreating them rather like slaues then subiects and the better to doe this he maintaineth him selfe amongst them in the reputation of a sacred and diuine person Al men bow at the name of the Prince and touch the earth with their hand they reuerence the tent wherein he lyeth and that when he is absent also The Pretes in times past were wonte to be seene of the people but onely once in three yeeres space and afterwardes they shewed themselues thrice in a yeere that is on Christmas and Easter daye as also on holy Rood day in September Panufius who now raigneth albeit he is growen more familiar then his predecessors yet when any commission commeth from him the partie to whom it is directed heareth the wordes thereof naked from the girdle vpward neither putteth he on his apparrell but when the king permitteth him The people thought they bind it with an oath yet do they seldome speake truth but when they sweare by the kinges life who giueth and taketh away what great signiorie soeuer it pleaseth him neither may he from whom it is taken so much as shew him selfe agreeued therewith Except the giuing of holy orders and the administration of the sacraments he disposeth as well of the religious as of the laye sort and of their goodes On the way he rideth enuironed with high and long red curtaynes which compasse him on euery side He weareth vsually vpon his head a crowne halfe gold halfe siluer and a crosse of siluer in his hand his face is couered with a peece of blew taffata which he lifteth vp or letteth downe more or lesse according as he fauoreth them that he treateth withall and sometimes he only sheweth the end of his foot which he putteth forth from vnder the said curtaines They that carrie and returne ambassages come not to his curtaine but with long time diuers ceremonies and sundry obseruations None hath slaues but himselfe to whome euery yeere his subiects come to do homage This prince as the Abassins report descendeth from a sonne of Salomon the Queen of Saba called Meilech they receiued the faith vnder Queene Candaces in whose time the familie of Gaspar began to raigne and flourish in Ethiopia and from him after thirteene generations came Iohn called the holie This man about the time of Constantinus the Emperor because he had no children leauing the kingdome to his brother Caius eldest sonne inuested Baltasar and Melchior younger brothers one in the kingdome of Fatigar and the other in Giomedi whereupon the royall blood grew to be deuided into three families namely that of Baltafar that of Gaspar and the third of Melchior ordayning that the Empire aboue all others should be giuen by election to some one of the foresaid families soe it were not to the eldest borne For these first borne there were particular kingdomes appointed And to auoide scandale and tumult hee decreed that the Emperours brothers with his neerest kindred should be enclosed as in a strong castell within mount Amara where he would also haue the Emperours sonnes to be put who cannot succeed in the Empire nor haue any State at all for which cause the Emperour ordinarily marrieth not His forces both in reuenues and people HE hath two kindes of reuenues for one consisteth in the fruits of his possessions which he causeth to be manured by his slaues and oxen These slaues multiplie continuallie for they marrie among themselues and their sonnes remaine in the condition of their progenitors An other great reuenue cōmeth of his tributes which are brought vnto him from all those that hold dominion vnder him And of these some giue horses some oxen some gold some cotton and others other thinges It is thought he hath great treasure as well of cloaths and iewels as of gold and also that he hath treasuries and large magazins of the same riches so that writing once to the king of Portugal he offered to giue for the maintenance of war against the Infidels an hundred thousand drams of gold with infinite store of men and victuall They say that he putteth ordinarilie euerie yeere into the castel of Amara the value of three millions of ducates It is true that before the dayes of King Alexander they layde not vp so much golde because they knew not how to purifie it but rather iewels and wedges of gold Also his commings-in may be said to bee of three sorts for some he raiseth
Thomas and others neere adioining are immediately vnder his dominion These islands are maintained with their owne victuall and prouision and yet they haue also some out of Europe as in like manner they send some thither especially sugars and fruits wherewith the isle of Madera woonderfully aboundeth as also with wine And the iland of Sant Thomas likewise hath great abundance of sugars These States haue no incumbrance but by the English and French men of warre which for all that go not beyond Cape Verde At the ilands of Arguin and at Sant George de la Mina the Portugals haue planted factories in forme of fortresses by meanes of which they trade with the bordering people of Guinie and Libya and get into their hands the gold of Mandinga and other places neere about Among the adherent Princes the richest and most honorable is the king of Congo in that his kingdome is one of the most flourishing and plentifull countries in all Ethiopia The Portugals haue there two Colonies one in the citie of S. Saluador and an other in the island Loanda They haue diuers rich commodities from this kingdome but the most important is euery yeere about 5000. slaues which they transport from thence and sell them at good round prizes in all the isles and maine lands of the west Indies and for the head of euerie slaue so taken vp there is a good taxe paid to the crowne of Portugall From this kingdome one might easily go to the countrie of Prete Ianni for it is not thought to be very farre off and it doth so abound with Elephants victuall and all other necessarie things as would bring singular ease and commodity to such an enterprise Vpon the kingdome of Congo confineth Angola with whose prince of late yeeres Paulo Dias a Portugall captaine made war And the principall occasion of this warre are certaine mines of siluer in the mountaines of Cabambe no whit inferior to those of Potossi but by so much are they better as fine siluer goeth beyond that which is base and course And out of doubt if the Portugals had esteemed so well of things neere at hand as they did of those farther off and remote and had thither bent their forces wherewith they passed Capo de buena esperança and went to India Malaca and the Malucoes they had more easily and with lesse charge found greater wealth for there are no countries in the world richer in gold and siluer then the kingdomes of Mandinga Ethiopia Congo Angola Butua Toroa Maticuo Boro Quiticui Monomotapa Cafati and Mohenemugi But humane auarice esteemeth more of an other mans then his owne and things remote appeere greater then those neere at hand Betweene Cabo de buena esperança and Cape Guardafu the Portugals haue the fortresses of Sena Cephala and Mozambique And by these they continue masters of the trade with the bordering nations all which abound in gold and iuorie By these fortresses they haue speciall commoditie for their nauigation to the Indies bicause their fleetes sometimes winter and otherwhiles victuall and refresh themselues there In these parts the king of Melinde is their greatest friend and those of Quiloa and other neighbour-islands are their tributaries The Portugals want nothing but men For besides other islands which they leaue in a manner abandoned there is that of Saint Laurence one of the greatest in all the world being a thousand two hundred miles long and fower hundred and fower-score broad the which though it be not well tilled yet for the goodnes of the soile it is apt and fit to be manured nature hauing distinguished it with riuers harbours most commodious baies These States belonging to the crowne of Portugall feare no other but such sea-forces as may be brought thither by the Turkes But the daily going to and fro of the Portugall fleetes which coast along vp and downe those seas altogither secureth them In the yeere 1589. they tooke neere vnto Mombaza fower gallies and a galliot belonging to the Turkes who were so bold as to come euen thither The dominions of the great Turke in Africa THe great Turk possesseth in Africa all the sea-coast from Velez de Gumera or as some hold opinion from the riuer Muluia which is the easterne limite of the kingdome of Fez euen to the Arabian gulfe or Red sea except some few places as namely Mersalcabir Melilla Oran and Pennon which the king of Spaine holdeth In which space before mentioned are situate sundrie of the most famous cities and kingdomes in all Barbarie that is to say Tremizen Alger Tenez Bugia Constantina Tunis Tripolis and all the countrey of Egypt from Alexandria to the citie of Asna called of old Siene togither with some part of Arabia Troglodytica from the towne of Suez to that of Suachen Also in Africa the grand Signor hath fiue viceroies called by the names of Beglerbegs or Bassas namely at Alger Tunis Tripolis at Missir for all Egypt and at Suachen for those places which are chalenged by the great Turke in the dominions of Prete Ianni Finally in this part at Suez in the bottome of the Arabian gulfe is one of his fower principall Arsenals or places for the building repairing docking and harbouring of his warlike gallies which may lie heere vnder couert to the number of fiue and twentie bottomes A summarie discourse of the manifold Religions professed in Africa and first of the Gentiles AFrica containeth fower sorts of people different in religion that is to say Gentiles Iewes Mahumetans and Christians The Gentiles extend themselues along the shoare of the Ocean in a manner from Cabo Blanco or the white Cape euen to the northren borders of Congo as likewise from the southerly bounds of the same kingdome euen to Capo de buena Esperança from thence to that De los Corrientes and within the land they spred out from the Ethiopick Ocean euen vnto Nilus and beyond Nilus also from the Ethiopick to the Arabian sea These Gentiles are of diuers sorts for some of them haue no light of God or religion neither they are gouerned by any rule or law Wherupon the Arabians call them Cafri that is to say lawlesse or without law They haue but fewe habitations and they liue for the most part in caues of mountaines or in woods wherein they finde some harbour from winde and raine The ciuilest among them who haue some vnderstanding and light of diuinitie and religion obey the Monomotapa whose dominion extendeth with a great circuite from the confines of Matama to the riuer Cuama but the noblest part thereof is comprehended betweene the mightie riuer of Magnice or Spirito Sancto and that of 〈◊〉 for the space of sixe hundred leagues They haue no idols and beleeue in one only God called by them Mozimo Little differing from these we may esteeme the subiects of Mohenemugi But among all the Cafri the people called Agag or Giacchi are reputed most brutish inhabiting in woods and dens and being deuourers of
Seraglios or palaces of Constantinople Pera and Andrinople Heere liuing among the Turkes farre from their parents separate from all conuersation with the faithfull and depriued of all spirituall aide and helpe without perceiuing it they are made Turkes The author of this the most diabolicall institution that euer was made was a certaine Turkish saint called 〈◊〉 as in the daies of Amurath the second and in the beginning the number was but three thousand and afterwards they exceeded not twelue thousand vntill the time of Amurath the third who increased them to the number of fower and twentie thousand But returning to their education after some time they are called home againe to the Seraglios of the Zamoglans for so are they termed till they be enrolled among the Ianissaries to remaine there vnder their heads and gouernours and in short time they become Ianissaries or Spahies and either they go to the warre or are bestowed in some garrison or else are resident in the court of the Turke They are called The sonnes of the grand Signor they liue with great license and libertie they do whatsoeuer pleaseth themselues neither can they be iudged by any but the Agaes during their liues they are seldōtimes punished and yet when it is done it is with great 〈◊〉 in buying they make their owne prizes These snares are strong enough to procure that they neuer care for returning any more to the bosome of the church But that which is woorst of all euery new Prince bestoweth on them a great larges and augmenteth their pay at the Christians charge They also kill and robbe whomsoeuer they please especially the Christians throughout the whole countrie or in marching to the warre and the Christians dare not so much as in a word finde themselues agreeued whereupon there groweth in them such a scorne and contempt of the Christian name that they remaine strangers to it That which I haue said of yoong male children taken from out their mothers bosomes who without perceiuing it become Mahumetanes hapneth in like manner vnto them whom the pirates by sea or soldiers by land make slaues presenting them to the grand Signor Besides the foresaid deuises the Turkes further spread abroad their sect with all kind of vantage and furtherance For they abase and bring to extreme miserie the Christians and Moores their subiects not permitting them to ride nor beare any kinde of armes nor to exercise any maner of iustice or gouernment They make it lawfull to take Christian women that are not married If the wife of a Christian turneth Turke and marrieth herselfe with a Turke their law permitteth that the Christian husband by turning Turke may take her againe They forbid the Christians to repaire their ruinate Churches and suffer them in no wise to reedifie them fallen downe without great bribes and so the Christians through pouertie let them come to 〈◊〉 by meanes where of the publike worship of God faileth and in progresse of time also the very Christian faith and beleefe In Asia they will not permit the 〈◊〉 the vse of their language but onely in sacred administrations to the end that togither with their language they may also loose and forget their Christian fashions and customes The Spahi being Lords for terme of life of infinite villages take such young men into their seruitude as best pleaseth them who in processe of time by cōuersation with their maisters and the fauours they hope after and by the wicked fashions and customes which they learne as also through the sinnes and vices wherein they are drowned do become Turkes And the Greekes children after the example of their companions being thus fauoured and made much of incline in such a sort vnto this euill that vpon euery light occasion they threaten their fathers and mothers to turne Turkes Further it is forbidden the Mahumetanes to make restitution of any place once taken with armes and wherein they haue built a Moschea To conclude they vse all manner of circumstances by meane of which they may amplifie or enlarge their dominion and sect Of the Mahumetans of Africa in particular THe Mahumetan impietie hath spred it selfe throughout Africa beyond measure this pestilence entred into Egypt in the yeere of our Lord 637. by the armes of Omar From whence a captaine of Odoman first passed into Africa in the yeere 650. with fower-score thousand fighting men who there defeated Gregorius Patritius But they perpetually cast out of Africk the Romaines with the people of Absimacus and Leontius the emperour in the yeere 699. and wholie impatronized themselues of Barbarie They pierced into Numidia Libya in the yeere 710. and ouerthrew the Azanaghi and the people of Gualata Oden and Tombuto The yeere afterwards 973. hauing passed Gambea they infected the Negroes and the first that drunke of their poison were those of Melli. In the yeere 1067. Iaiaia the sonne of Abubequer entred into the lower Ethiopia and by little and little subuerted those people which confine vpon the deserts of Libya and Egypt piercing euen to Nubia Guinea The Arabiās haue augmēted their sect in Africk first with force of armes by banishing of the naturall inhabitants the which they might well do by reason of their infinite multitude and of them that verse of Dauid may well be vnderstood In circuitu impij ambulant secundum altitudinem tuam multiplicasti filios hominum c. The wicked walke round about according to thy greatnes thou hast multiplied the sonnes of men Where they could not come nor giue no blow with armes there they haue ingraffed themselues by preaching and traffike The heresie of Arrius furthered their enterprize wherewith the Vandales and Gothes being then inhabiters of Africa were infected To further their designments they brought in the Arabicke language and letters They founded Vniuersities and Studies both for riches of reuenew and magnificence of building most noble especially in Maroco and Fez. But there is nothing that hath greatlier furthered the progression of the Mahumetan sect then perpetuitie of victorie the greatnes of conquests first of the Califas in the east afterwards of the Miramolines in Affrick In that the greatest part of men yea and in a manner all except such as haue fastned their confidence vpon the crosse of Christ and setled their hope in eternity follow that which best agreeth with sense and measure the grace of God by worldly prosperitie And yet Christ as Iustinus the Philosopher and glorious martyr testifieth promised no earthly reward to good works Carnal men therefore perceiuing the empire of the Califas and Mahumetans continually to encrease in the east and west taking into their hands both sea and land for this their felicitie in armes continued three hundred yeeres wherein they conquered all that which lieth betweene the riuer Abianus and the Atlantike Ocean and subdued Spaine Sicilia and a part of Italie and France and iudging that temporall prosperitie and victories were the effects and fruits or at least
Patriarke who aspiring himselfe to the Patriarkship and seeing that if he followed this vnion begun with the Romaine church he could not attaine to that dignitie but by the Popes authoritie which he altogither misdoubted he first made the decree of two natures to be deferred commanding afterwards that none should subscribe thereunto and finally caused the Patriarke wholie to giue ouer this busines and to retire himselfe into the wildernes whereas he continued for certaine months Afterwards the priests vnderstanding where he was wrot vnto him a letter signifying therein what a special desire they had to see him and what domage the retiring of himselfe would procure to the sillie sheepe recommended vnto him by God if he ratified not fully those things which were decreed vpon in the laft assemblie He curteously answered making shew that he would returne when he had visited his dioces and in the meane while they should expect him at Cairo But while he thought vpon returne his owne death interrupted him The Cofti haue a law or custome that betweene the death of one Patriarke and the creation of an other there must be in a maner an whole yeeres space for so long it is requisite say they that the church should bewaile the death of her spouse Whereupon the priests not to loose so much time determined to go home into Italy to acquaint the Pope with the successe of all things and afterwards neede so requiring to returne The Cofti vnderstanding thus much writ letters to the Pope wherin they partly thanked him for the care he had of them partly lamented that their recōciliation with the Romish church was not fully confirmed and finished While the priests were about to depart on Saint Mathewes day in the morning there came a route of armed Turkes to their lodging These layde hands suddenly on two priests and another companion of theirs and on three Fryers of the order of Saint Francis lodged in the same house No man knew the reason of this hurly burly but for as much as could be learned all this grew through the enuie of a Frenchman This man aspiring to the degree of Consull or Gouernor ouer his nation which Mariani had obtayned maliciously gaue the Bassa of Cairo to vnderstād that Mariani suborned the people against the grād Signor that he had order from the K. of Spaine to leuie Christian men And that to this end he kept in his house certaine priests who practised in this behalf with Mariani for the king There was nothing that more preiudiced the priests then the Cofties letters which bred a vehement suspition in the Turkes that such an vnion might be concluded with the Roman Church as might worke some extraordinarie innouation They were therefore cast into a filthie and stinking prison The Venetian Consull assayed first by word of mouth and after by suite and supplication to asswage the furie and anger of the Bassá Howbeit he receiued such bitter and nipping answeres that he himselfe was also afraid But nothing preuaileth further with the Turkes then money For it seemeth that with this onely their sauage furie is mitigated and their fiercenes appeased Fiue thousand crownes therefore were disbursed for the priests libertie wherein the Cofti shewed themselues verie friendly the richest of them offering one after another to lend money without any interest for the same But this matter cost Mariani more then ten thousand crownes and besides that he was depriued of his degree of Consulship The priests being thus freed out of prison and obseruing how things went returned one after another backe to Rome A relation touching the state of Christian Religion in the dominions of Prete Ianni taken out of an oration of Matthew Dresserus professour of the Greeke and Latine toongs and of Histories in the Vniuersitie of Lipsia Who hauing first made a generall exordium to his auditorie proceedeth at length to the peculiar handling of the foresaid argument in manner following NOndum saith hee vni us seculi aet as exacta est c. The space of one hundred yeeres is not as yet fullie expired since the fame of the Ethiopians religion came first vnto our eares Which because it is in many points agreeable vnto Christian veritie and carrieth an honest shew of pietie therewith is to be esteemed as a matter most worthie of our knowledge Of this therefore so far forth as the short time of an oration will permit I purpose to intreate to the end it may appeare both where and what manner of Christian church that of Ethiopia is and what were the first beginnings thereof This Ethiopian not vnfitly called The southerne church is situate in Africa far south namely vnder the Torrid Zone betweene the Tropique of Cancer and the Equinoctial some part thereof also stretching beyond the Equinoctial towards the Tropique of Capricorne Two summers they haue euery yeere yea in a manner one continual summer so that at the very same time in some fields they sowe and in others they reape Somewhere also they haue euery moneth ripe some kinde of earthlie fruits or other especiallie pulse The people are skorched with the heate of the sun and they are black and go naked saue onely that some couer their priuities with cloth of cotton or of silke The countrie is very great and containeth well nie twentie kingdomes so that it is almost as large as Europe or as all Christendome in these parts At the beginning indeed it had not aboue two kingdomes but in processe of time it was mightily enlarged by the conquest of countries adiacent For it is enuironed on all sides by vnbeleeuing gentiles and 〈◊〉 who are most deadlie enimies to the Christian religion with whome the emperour of Ethiopia is at continuall wars endeuouring by all possible meanes to reclaime them from their heathenish Idolatry to the faith of Iesus Christ. It is reported that certaine bordering Mores beare such implacable hatred against these Christians that none of them may 〈◊〉 before he bringeth testimony that he hath slaine twelue of 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 of Ethiopia is not called as some imagine 〈◊〉 or priest but Pretious Iohn For in the Ethiopian toung he is termed Belul Gian and in the Chaldean Encoe Gian both which additions signifie pretious or high so that in a maner he commeth neer vnto the titles of our princes who are called Illustres Excelsi Serenissimi c. to signifie that they are exalted and aduanced aboue other people And this is a common name to all the christian kings of Ethiopia as Pharao was to the Egyptian kings and Augustus to the Roman emperours Neither is this Pretious Iohn a priest by profession but a ciuil magistrate nor is he armed so much with religion and lawes as with military forces Howbeit he calleth himselfe The piller of faith because he is the maintainer of the Christian faith not onely enioining his owne subiects to the obseruation thereof but what in him lyeth enforcing his enemies
length into Congo with two friers and fower priests and ordered matters reasonablie well In the meane while Don Aluaro died and his sonne of the same name succeeded him who failed not to sollicite both Don Sebastian and Don Henrie kings of Portugall and the king of Spaine also that they would send him some competent number of preachers and ecclesiasticall persons for the augmentation of the Christian faith in his kingdome and amidst these determinations he died and a sonne of his called also Don Aluaro succeeded him During these tumults certaine other Portugall Priests went into Congo labouring to prune that vine which had beene long time giuen ouer and forsaken These men haue built them an house in the island of Loanda where do remaine sixe or seauen of their companie that are readie to goe sometimes hither and sometimes thither as neede requireth In the yeere of our Lord 1587. king Aluaro who bicause hee was not borne of lawfull matrimonie was but little esteemed by his people would needes haue one of these priests about him by whose meanes and authoritie he came to reputation and credite And God himselfe fauoured his proceedings for meeting a sister of his by the fathers side and one of her brothers with a great armie in the fielde he gaue him battaile and bore himselfe therein with such valour as he did not onely ouerthrow the forces of his enime but further slew the ring-leader and generall thereof and in the place where he was slaine he would needs build a church to the honour of Christianitie And the more by his owne example to mooue others himselfe was the very first man that put hand to this worke and likewise with edicts and fauourable proclamations he furthered and doth still aduance the preaching of the Gospell and the propagation of religion Who so is desirous to be more fully instructed concerning the Christianitie of this kingdome let him read the third and eight bookes of Osorius de Reb. gest Eman. the second booke of Philippo Pigafetta his story of Congo most properly and decently translated by the iudicious master ABRAHAM HARTWELL Of the Christian religion in the kingdome of Angola THose Portugal priests that remaine in the Iland Loanda as aboue we declared bend themselues more to the conuersion of Angola then of Congo The reason is as I suppose because the enterprise is new and more neerely concerneth the Portugals who there make war vnder the conduct of Paulo Diaz to get possession of the mountaines of Cabambe which abound with rich mines of very fine siluer It seemeth that god hath fauoured the amplification of his holy name in those parts with some myraculous victories For first in the yeere 1582 a fewe Portugals in an excursion that they made put to flight an innumerable companie of the Angolans And by this victory they brought in a manner the halfe of that kingdome into their handes and many Princes and nobles of the land vpon this were moued to request and make suit to be baptized Among whom was Songa prince of Banza the kinges Father in law whose brother and children were baptized already Tondella also the second person of Angola was conuerted many Idols were throwne to the ground and insteede thereof they erected crosses and built some churches And within this little while all the Prouince of Corimba is in a manner conuerted Also in the yeere 1584 an hundred and fiftie Portugals together with such succors as were conducted by Paule Prince of Angola who was not long before conuerted discomfited more then a million of Ethiopians In an other place we declared the readie meanes and oportunities that the Princes of Ethiopia and of India haue to assemble and bring togither such infinite armies They say that certaine Ethiopians being demaunded by a Portugal how it came to passe that so great a multitude turned their backes to so few men they answered that the Portugals strength did it not which with a blast they would haue confounded but a woman of incomparable beawty apparelled in shining light and brightnes and an old man that kept her company with a flaming sword in his hand who went aloft in the ayre before the Portugals and ouerthrew the squadrons of the Angolans putting them to flight and destruction In the yeere 1588 were conuerted Don Paulo Prince of Mocumba and with him a thousand persons more The Christian religion of Monomotapa IN the dominions of the Monomotapa the light of the faith being with incredible ease kindled was also as suddenly 〈◊〉 by the deuises of the Mahumetans For some Portugals going to the court of that monarche and giuing himselfe with some of his Princes and vassals a taste of the gospel were an occasion afterwards that Gonsaluo de Sylua a man no lesse famous for the integrity of his life then for his bloud and parentage went ouer thither from Goa in the yeere 1570. This man arriuing with a prosperous voiage in the kingdome of Inambane conuerted and baptized the king his wife children and sister with his Barons and nobility and the greatest part of his people Through whose perswasion Gonsaluo left his companions prosecuting his voiage towards the Monomotapa onely with sixe Portugals Thus hauing passed Mozambique and the mouth of the riuer Mafuta and of Colimane they came to Mengoaxano king of Quiloa where they were courteously receiued entertained And though they had licence in this place to preach the gospell yet would not Gonsaluo here stay iudging that vpon the cōuersion of the Monomotapa that of the neighbor kings would follow without delaie Embarking themselues therefore vpon the riuer Cuama they sailed along the coast of Africa eight daies till they came to Sena a very populous village where Gonsaluo baptized about fiue hundred slaues belonging to the Portugal merchants and prepared for the receiuing of the gospel the king of Inamor one of the Monomotapaes vassals In the ende Antonio Caiado a Portugall gentleman came from the court to guide Gonsaluo towardes the same place Whither being in short time come he was presently visited on the emperours behalfe and bountifullie presented with a great summe of gold and many oxen But he returning back these presents gaue the Monomotapa to vnderstand that he should know of Caiado what he desired The emperour was astonished at this his magnanimity receiued him afterwards with the greatest honor that could possibly be deuised And causing him to sit vpon the same carpet whereon also his owne mother sate he presently demaunded how many women how much ground and how many oxen thinges mightily esteemed of in those countries he would haue Gonsaluo answered that he would haue no other thing but himselfe Whereupon the emperour turning to Caiado who was their interpreter said that surely it could not be otherwise but that he who made so little account of thinges so highly valued by others was no ordinary man and so with much courtesie he sent him back to his lodging Not long time after
priests who indeuour the conuersion of the naturall inhabitants haue a place of residence Of the Negros MOst of the Islands inhabited by the Portugals especially those of Saint Thomas and Madera besides the Portugals themselues containe a great multitude of Negro-slaues brought thither out of Congo and Angola who till the earth water the sugar-canes and serue both in the cities and in the countrie These are for the most part gentiles but they are daily conuerted rather through continual conuersation then any other helpe that they haue and it is a matter likelie that in processe of some few yeeres they will all become Christians There is no greater hinderance to their conuersion then the auarice of their masters who to hold them in the more subiection are not willing that they should become Christians Of those poore distressed European Christians in Africa who are holden as slaues vnto the Turkes and Mores BVt the best and most sincere christianity in all Africa is that of those poore christians who are fettered by the feet with chaines being slaues to the Arabians Turkes For besides them that haue remained there euer since the daies of Barbarossa and other Turkish captaines which were brought into the mediterran seas by the French as also since the great losse at Gerbi and the battell of Alcazar wherein Don Sebastian the king of Portugal was ouerthrowne there passeth not a yeere but the rouers and pirates of those parts without graunting any league or respite to the Northren shore of the Mediterran sea take great numbers of Christians from off the coasts of Spaine Sardinia Corsica Sicilia yea euen from the very mouth of Tyber It is generallie thought that the number of slaues which are in Alger amount to eighteene thousand In Tunis Bona and Biserta there are great multitudes but many more in Fez and Maroco as likewise in Mequenez and Tarodant and in diuers other cities of those kingdomes The estate surely of these distressed people is most woorthie of compassion not so much for the miserie wherein they lead their liues as for the danger whereto their soules are subiect They passe the day in continuall trauaile and the greatest part of the night without repose or quiet vnder insupportable burdens and cruell stripes Beasts among vs labour not more nor are more slauishly intreated Yea albeit vnder those brutish Barbarians they endure all that toile which beasts do heere with vs yet are they neither so well fed nor so carefully looked vnto as our beasts commonly are They weare out the whole day in the sunne raine and winde in continuall labour sometimes carrying burdens sometimes digging or ploughing the fields and otherwhiles in turning of hand-milles feeding of beasts or in performance of other labours being bound to bring in so much euery day to their masters and they themselues to liue of the rest which many times is nothing at 〈◊〉 or if it were possible lesse then nothing They haue alwaies the chaine at their neckes and feete being naked 〈◊〉 and sommer and therefore are sometimes scorched with heate and otherwhiles frozen with cold They must not faile in any iotte of their duties and yet though they do not it can not be expressed with what cruelties they are tormented They vse for the chastizing torture of their bodies chaines of iron dried sinewes of oxen but-hoops steeped in water boiling oile melted tallow scalding hot lard The houses of those Barbarians resound againe with the blowes that are giuen these miserable men on the feete and bellie and the prisons are filled with hideous lamentations and yellings Their companions haire at this noise standes an end and their very blood freezeth within them by considering how neere themselues are to the like outrages They passe the nights in prisons or in some caues of the earth being hampered and yoaked together like brute beasts Heere the vapor and dampe choaketh them and the vncleannes and filth of their lodging consumeth them as rust doth iron euen aliue But though the labours of their bodies be so grieuous yet those of their minds are much more intolerable for besides that they want such as might feed them with the word of God with the sacramentes and might teach them how to liue and die well so as they remaine like plants without moisture it can not be expressed with whatforcible temptations their faith is continuallie assailed For not onelie the desire to come foorth of these vnspeakeable miseries doth tempt them but the commodities and delights also wherein they see others to liue that haue damnablie renounced their Christianity The persecutors of the primitiue church to induce the Martyrs to denie Christ and to sacrifice to their idols tried them first with torments and then with ease and delights which they propounded vnto them if they would become as themselues For to those who in the middest of winter were throwne into frozen lakes there were cōtrariwise appointed soft and delicate beds with a fier kindled hard by and a thousand other restoratiues and comforts to the end they might be doublie tempted both by the rigor of the cold which benummed them and by the sweetnes of thinges comfortable and nourishing which allured them The Christian slaues are at this day no lesse tormented for on the one side they are afflicted with beggerie nakednes hunger famine blowes reproches and tortures without any hope in a manner euer to come out thereof and on the other side they see them that haue reneged our holy faith for Mahumets superstition to liue in all worldly prosperitie and delight to abound with wealth to flourish in honour to gouerne cities to conduct armies and to enioy most ample libertie But amidst all these so great miseries they haue a double comfort The one is of priests who togither with themselues were taken captiue These men sometimes administring the sacraments other whiles deliuering the word of God in the best manner that they can are some helpe and assistance to others being for this greatly 〈◊〉 and respected amongst them The other is of the religious in generall who contend and labour for their freedome Wherein Spaine deserueth most high commendation For there be two most honorable orders whose exercise it is to mooue and sollicite for the freedome of captiues The one is called La orden de la merced and it flourisheth most in Aragon and the other which is farre greater is named Del Resgate or of raunsome or redemption the which although it largely extendeth ouer all France yet at this day aboue all other places it is most rife in Castilia From whence some of them haue gone into Sicilie to the kingdome of Naples and to Rome and haue there begun to lay foundations of their conuents These two religious orders gather euery yeere mightie summes of money wherewith they make speedie redemption of the forsaid captiues They send their Agents to Fez and to Alger who managing this affaire with no lesse diligence then loialtie