cold Next Adel to the side of Mombaza you arrive at Bahali or Bali Daâ—ali or Bali then to that of Oecie shooting inwardly to the Main-Land then to Ario or Aro limited in the North by Dunkala and in the West by the Territory of Oifate Fategar hath in the North the River Aoaxe in the West Fategar the Kingdom of Oge and in the South the Territory of Gamat Sanutus places at the utmost borders hereof Adel and adds also Xaoa In this Kingdom on the Borders of Adel stands the Ague-Mountain near a place by the people of Europe call'd The Market because the Inhabitants of both Realms come thither to Trade Then you come to the Mountain of the Lake whose sides boast the Ornament of many Churches and Cloysters and the top shews a Lake three miles in circumference Zengero comes next and after that Rozenagus Zengero from thence travelling Northerly into the Countrey you come to Roxa or Boxa bordering upon Zingero and Eastwards on Goiame Close to Narea lieth Zeth or Zesta deep into the Countrey upon which the Kingdom of Konche borders as that upon Mahaola Faskulon takes place between two Branches of the Nyle Eastward of Goiame and Dambea and Southward of Bizamo Jarrik reckons from Dambea to Faskulon five days journey Thus we have handed you through the Kingdoms we will now set out the Provinces remaining and so proceed to other matter The Territory of Magaza the Northern part of this Kingdom Territories scituate between the River Mareb and Takasa borders towards the North upon Nengini and in the West touches Fungi or Bugihe Seguede the next borders North-East upon Magaza North with Fungie West at Olkait and South at Semen and Salait Olkait conterminates in the East Sequede in the North Fungie in the West Dambea and in the South Salait Salait hath for limits to the North the Territory of Seguede in the West that of Seinen and the Kingdom of Dambea and in the South Abargale Cenen or Semnen so call'd by Balthazar Tellez in stead of Ximench or Ximen but by Sanutus Terra di Giudei Jewen-Land and by the Abyssines themselves Xionenche borders in the North at Seguede in the East at Salait Sanutus saith this Jews Countrey lieth Inclos'd between Mountains and Wildernesses which in the East spread towards the Nyle and Abyssine and South to the Equinoctial from whence they shoot to Congo in the West are unknown Mountains and Wildernesses towards Benin and in the North a ridge of great Hills over-topping the edges of Dauma and Medra Abargale stands bounded in the North by Salait in the East by the River Takara and in the South by the Territory of Salaoa The limits of Salaoa are in the North at Abargale in the East at the foremention'd River Takaze in the South Bagameder and in the West Dambea Ozeka hath the neighborhood of Amaza North Marabett East Upper-Xaoa South and in the West Goiame Doba lieth in the middle of Bagameder all the other Southern Territories formerly belonging to Abyssine the Gala's possess as the Turks do the Eastern Countreys towards the Red-Sea Most Geographers have plac'd in Abyssine two Arms of the Nyle The Island Meâ—â—e anciently by Ptolomy nam'd Astapus and Astaboras The first of these two at present Niger calleth Abani Barros Abansi and Vossius Mareb The other being Takaze or Takassen lies in fifteen Degrees and twenty Minutes Northern Latitude and fifteen days Sail from Siena wherein lies the Island Meroe often remembred by ancient Greek and Latin Writers Diodorus thinks it took that Name from Meroe the Mother of Cambyses King of Persia But Strabo from his Sister which died there The Inhabitants denominate it Naulebahe that is The Mother of Good Havens and Marmol Neuba Some differ from all before and will have it nam'd in the Countrey Idiom sometimes Saba then Bed Amara and anon Tevet Many others intitle it Gueguere which Jovius denies maintaining Gueguere to be the same with Syene Sanutus reckons the length of this Island to be three hundred and fifty Italian Miles or seventy Dutch Miles But Jovius makes it bigger than England though without any Reason and contrary to the Vogue of all Ages and Authors Some Modern Writers seem to make the Kingdom of Goiame Balthazar Tellez almost surrounded by a Branch of the Nyle to be this Island Meroe but Vossius contradicts both the first and last Opinions affirming That the Ancients never had any true knowledge of this Island but have made one in Imagination where never was any contrary to Strabo and many others The City Meroe situate by Ptolomy at the North end of the Island Pliny and others set seventy thousand Paces more to the South and Vossius thinks that 't is the same at this day call'd Beroa or Baroa the Head-City of Barnagas and adds moreover That the Netherlanders have greatly mistaken in setting it so far from the Red-Sea an Error caus'd as he imagines by the tedious uncouthness of the Way For the whole Coast lies so full of craggy and high Mountains as makes it almost unpassable and their Backs so chain'd together that you have no way to it but by the Haven of Ercocco and Suachem and that so troublesom that Travellers can scarce ride above three or four thousand Paces in one day And therefore saith he it is no wonder Ancient Geographers who in a few known Countreys were necessitated to take the Distance of Places by the Days-Journey should extend the Countrey between Meroe and the Red-Sea so far This Empire of the Abyssines may justly claim the advantage of divers good Rivers especially the middlemost and principal Channel of the Nyle Rivers and other fertilizing Branches thereof as Mareb or Morabo Tacaze Anquet and Malegh The River Mareb takes its Rise in the Kingdom of Tigre The River Mareb two small Miles from Baroa on the West-side and runneth on to the South passing into the dry Countrey of the Caffers where one Branch burying it self under ground for a while and afterwards re-appearing with an inverted Course turns back towards its Head till at last it shoots in a direct Line to the Kingdom of Denghini and so at last unites with the River Tacaze Tacaze which Mercator according to Tellez holds to be the Assabaras mention'd by Ptolomy hath its Head-Fountain in the Borders of Angote The River Tacaze in the Mountains of Axgua near Bagameder from three Head-springs about a stones cast one from another whose Waters conjoyn'd make this River It takes a Course a days Journey to the West between the Precinct of Dagana and Hoaga running from thence beyond the Kingdom of Tigre then cuts through the Territory of Sire having on the East-side Fruitful and Tilled Grounds and on the West the Wilderness or Desart of Oldeba formerly boasting many Cloysters like Egyptian Thebes from thence taking a view of Holcait it falls through the Caffers Countrey with a great contribution of Water
Valetta Citta Vecchia or Old Malta Burgo St. Angelo or Citta Vittoriosa and the Town of St. Michael besides 60 good Villages Comin and Cominot Onely one Fort. Goze or Gozo One Castle and a good Fort and about 5000 Inhabitants Lampadowze Altogether desolate Linose Lies desolate Pantalaree Towns Pantalaree An Abyss call'd Fossa AN EXACT DESCRIPTION OF THE AFRICAN ISLANDS AS Madagascar or Saint Laurence Saint Thomas the Canary-Islands Cape de Verd Malta and others With their Names Scituations Cities Rivers Plants Beasts Manners Habits Languages Riches Religions and Dominions AFter the Description of the Main Land of Africa the Subjected Islands belonging to the same must be taken notice of and they are found partly in the Atlantick Ocean partly in the Mid-Land and partly in the Red-Sea The Isles in the Atlantick on the East of Africa are these Zokotora Madagascar or St. Laurence the greatest of all Nossihibrahim or St. Mary Bouebon or Maskarenhas or Maskareign Almirante St. Francis As Sete Jemanas Os tres Irmanas Roque Piz do Natal do Arko Don John of Miz Pemba Monfia Zanzibar Anisa Quezimba Mozambike Don John of Castro Cosmoldo As doze Ilbeos John da Novo Ilhas Primuras Angoxas Galaga Comoro or Thieves Island Aliola St. Spirito St. Christophano Mazare dos Gorajos St. Brandaon St. Apolonu Mauritius or do Ciene Diego Rois John of Lixbon dos Romaros dos Castellianos By the Cape of Good Hope lieth the Island St. Elizabeth Korwli or Robben and Dassen Island South-Westward from the Cape of Good Hope lieth the Island of Tristano Kunha but more Southerly are the Islands dos Pikos Martyn Vaz St. Maria de Agosta de Trinitad Ascension St. Helen New St. Helen Annoban St. Thome Rolletjes Princes Island Carakombo Ferdinando do Po St. Matthias Ferdinand Noronho Penedo de St. Paulo the Salt or Cape de vard Islands the Canary Islands the Islands of Borodon Madera Porto Santo The Islands in the Mediterrane are Galatha Tabarka Pantalerce Malta Goze c. In the Red-Sea Primeiras Delacca Masuan Magot Mirt Suachen c. But here we must observe that some of these being close by the Main Land of Africa are already describ'd in the foregoing part such be Zokotora Quirimba Zanzibar Mozambike Robben and Dassen Islands Corisco the Islands Amboises Bisegos De los Idolos Bravas c. The Island of MADAGASCAR or St. LAURENCE THe Island commonly by Geographers call'd Madagascar and in the Countrey Language Madecase by Theuck Albazgra by the Persians and Arabians Sazandib by the Portuguese Ilha de sam Lourengo from the first Discoverer Laurence Almeide Son of Francois Almeide Viceroy of the East-Indies for the King of Portugal who in the Year Fifteen hundred and six put with eight Ships first of all into this Island of St. Laurence Gaspar de St. Bernardino in his Journey through India by Land affirms That in the Year Fifteen hundred and eight with whom agrees Damianas de Goez it was discover'd on the outside and a little afterwards the inside scarifi'd by one Ruy Pircira de Kontinho and afterwards by Tristano da Kunha who Sail'd quite round it upon the Command of Alfonso d' Albuquerque There are that report this Island was known to the Antients Merkat Magin Ortel and that Pliny call'd it Cerne Ptolomy Menuthias and Diodorus The Island of Merchant Jol but this cannot be because they never had any knowledge of the Countreys lying Southward above Serre-Lions It spreads in length North North-East Situation Flakkourt Fraxscis Canche and South South-West Southward of the Equinoctial Line and begins with its North end from the eleventh or twelfth degree and odd minutes or according to Pyrad from the fourteenth degree and ends with its South end in the six and twentieth that is from the Cape of St. Sebastian to the Cape of St. Mary Linschot places it a hundred six and twenty Leagues from Cabo das Corinthas on the Main Coast of Africa a hundred and ten from Sofala and four and forty from Mozambike It is one of the greatest Islands in the World for the length from South to North hath been reckon'd to twelve hundred Spanish or two hundred Dutch Miles though Linschot says two hundred and twenty the breadth seventy and the Circumference nine hundred The Sea between the Island and the Main Land towards that side of the Cape of Good Hope sets with a strong Current and goeth with a mighty Tide of Ebbing and Flowing making a Channel at the Westerly entrance eighty five Miles broad and in the middle where it is narrower over against the Island Mosambike four and forty Dutch Miles but it grows wider again towards the East The Ships which go from Europe to the Indies and from thence back again Sail commonly through this Channel unless Storms and Tempests force them to Steer another course This Island hath been Canton'd into many Divisions Divided into Territories whose names we will endeavor to give you viz. Anossi or Karkanossi Manatensi or Manapani the Valley of Amboulle the Countrey of Vohitsbang Itomampo Ikondre Vattemahon Manamboule INSVLA S. LAVRENTII vulgo MADAGASCAR Anachimonssi Gringdrane Vohitsanghombe Manakargha Matatane Antainare Galemboulou Tametavi Sahaveh Vouloulou Andouvoche Manghabei Adcimoi Mandrerci Ampatre Karemboule Mahafalle Houlouve Siveh Ivoronheok and Machicore All large Territories but the biggest is Machikore being seventy French Miles long and forty broad and the most populous are Vohitsanghombe and Erindrane We will give you a particular account of each with what is remarkable therein Beginning first with Carkanossi and from thence will run up Northward to the Bay of Antongil so turn back to the South from Carkanossi to the River Ongelahe To the Northward of this great Island two or three smaller as Nosey Ibrahim or Abraham's Isle by the French nam'd St. Mary and another to the South call'd Maskarenhas or Maskareigne and by the French Bouchon The whole Coast of this Island on the East-side The spreading of the Coast spreads due North North-East and South South-West that is from the Cape of Itapere otherwise call'd Fitorah in five and twenty degrees and six minutes South-Latitude to the Bay or Inlet of Antongil and from thence to the Lands-end due North from the Cape of Itapere to the Island of Karenboule Westerly From Karemboule to the Mouth of the River Sakalite the Coast runs North-West and from thence to the seventeenth degree South-Latitude North North-East and thence to the fourteenth degree being the Road of the Island due North. The whole extent comprehends many beneficial and large Rivers that having their heads within the Land irrigate the same to a rich fecundity and at last emit their Waters into the Sea by which means there appear divers fine Bays which make convenient and safe Roads for Ships The South-side from the Cape of Itapere to Karemboule the People of Europe best know by most of whom frequented but especially by the French who have to the chief Bay assign'd the Name of Dauphin
up with the Hand and gaze at their Surprizers till knock'd on the head with Sticks From the Salt-Water beating against the Cliffs a Froth or Scum remains in some Places which the heat of the Sun so purifies that it becomes white and good Salt Some of the Mountains yield Bole Armoniack and a fat Earth like Terra Lemnia The Sea will answer the pains of a patient Fisherman who must use an Angle not a Net because of the foul Ground and beating of the Sea The chief are Mackrels Roaches Carps but differing in colour from those among us Eels as big as a Mans Arm and well-tasted Crabs Lobsters Oysters of as good a rellish as our English and very good Mussles Yet all these Conveniences have not brought thither any setled Colony the King of Portugal as they say not permitting any of his Subjects to dwell there lest they should appropriate it to themselves The Cape de Verd or Salt-Islands THe Cape de Verd Islands are so call'd for their nearness to Cape Verd on the Main Coast of Africa but the Portuguese name them Ilhas Verdes Green Islands because the Sea thereabouts is always cover'd with green Weeds so thick that one can scarce discern the Water and the Ships can hardly Sail through them They are also commonly known by the name of the Salt-Islands because of the many Salt-Pans especially in Ilha del Sal Boavista Mayo and St. Jago Some take them for the Gorgons in the Atlantick Sea spoken of by Mela others for the Gorgades of Pliny an ancient Dwelling-place as the Poets feign of three Sisters the Daughters of Forkus viz. Medura Sthenio and Euryale and some stick not to believe that they were antiently call'd Hesperides from the neighboring Cape of Hespiere mention'd by Ptolomy They lie over against the Main Coast of Africa Situation between Cabo Blank and Cabo Verd from the nineteenth to the fifteenth degree of North-Latitude about two and forty Miles from the Shore Writers differ about their number very frequently Number for some reckon them twelve others eleven some nine but most agree upon ten generally known by the corrupt Portuguese names as follows Ilha del Sal Ilha Bovista Ilha Mayo Ilha del St. Jaga Ilha del Fogo Ilha del Brava Ilha del St. Niklaos Ilha del St. Lucie Ilha del St. Vincent and Ilha del St. Antonio besides some other nameless Islands The most Westerly is St. Antonio next those of St. Vincent and St. Lucie and the most Easterly Boavista All these or at least some of them are said to have been discover'd in the Year Fourteen hundred and forty by a Genoes call'd Anthonio Nolli thou Jarrik affirms the Portuguese had that honor six years after whereas Sanutus gives it to a Venetian call'd Lovis Extracted out of the House of Cadamosto sent abroad by the Infanta of Portugal to discover new Countreys The salt-Salt-Island salt- salt-Salt-Island or Ilha del Sal lies with its South end on the North-Latitude of sixteen degrees and eight and thirty minutes and with the South-East Point in sixteen degrees and forty minutes It shews coming out from the Canaries or out of the North afar off very high like a Hill but nearer appears low On the North side runs a River and in the South-West a small Haven and close by that another small Island A Musket shot to the Southward of the West Point where by a long Sandy Valley fresh Water cometh out of the Mountains is a good Road for Ships Buena The Island Boavista or Boavista that is a pleasant sight perhaps for its pleasant appearance afar off at Sea they make its North Point eight Miles and its South seven Miles from the salt-Salt-Island It may be distinguish'd at Sea from the salt-Salt-Island by the many white Banks on the North Coast which the other hath not on that side twenty Miles some have guess'd but none know certainly its circumference There is a long River which runs from the North end North-East and North-East and by East a whole Mile and some hold that it runs into the Sea with mighty Breaks to the great hazard of adventuring Ships without a skilful Pilot. IN SULE PROMONTORII VIRIDIS Nispanis ISSAS DE CABO VERDE Belgis DE SOUTE EYLANDEN There shoots also another Rieff from the South-Point with some Rocks above and some under Water about a Mile and a half long East and East and by North from the Point Under the South-West Point where the Shore spreads West South-West and East North-East is a good Haven wherein Ships may Ride in fifteen or sixteen Fathom Water very good ground Mayo lieth eight or nine Miles South South-Westward from Boavista being the least of all and not above seven Miles in circuit It hath within some sharp Mountains and on the North side a Plain a Mile broad where a Rieff at the North-East Point shoots a good way from the Shore and likewise another to the Westward both which make a dangerous passage for Ships The common Harbor stands at the South-West side of the Shore where Ships Ride in fifteen or sixteen Fathom Water with a Sandy bottom and have the West Point of the Island North and by West and the South end of the Island St. Jago South-West On the North side lieth behind a black Point a convenient Harbor neighbour'd on the East side by a Village of ten or twelve houses The Island of St. Jago the famousest and biggest of all those of Cape de Verd Island St. Jago contains in length about twelve Miles spreading North-West and South-East at the South-East Point you come into the Road of the Island Mayo being five Miles broad From the South-East Point the Shore spreads two Miles South-West where the City Praya signifying The Strand hath its scituation on a convenient place between two Mountains on a little rising Summit surrounded with two Rivers which falling into the Sea make two Harbors one call'd Porto de Praya a spacious Bay where a hundred Ships may Ride at Anchor in fourteen Fathom Water within Musquet Shot of the Shore with a defence from the Winds Beyond Porto de Praya towards the City lieth an Out-Point in Portuguese call'd Cabo de Tubarao and North-Westward from this Cape the other Haven by the Portuguese call'd Porta Riebeirra Korea very convenient because lying between two Mountains whose middle shoots thorow by a River which takes original two Miles from thence and falls into the Sea by a Mouth a Bowe shot wide not far off which more Northward appears St. Maries Haven Jarrik places in this Island a City call'd St. Thomas seated conveniently but that 's uncertain yet the Town of St. Jago may be seen being the Metropolis of this and the other Islands and the residence of the Portugal Bishop Somewhat more Westerly on a Point a Fort or Castle shews it self two Miles from Porto de Praya and North-Westward from thence you come to Porto de Canisos
Ilha del Fogo or The Island of Fire Island del Fogo because of its Vomiting Smoke and Fire out of its highest Hills lieth in fourteen degrees and twenty minutes North-Latitude twelve Miles North-Westerly from the South-West Point of St. Jago On the West side you discover another Road with a Castle adjoyning Built at the foot of a Mountain but the Haven affords little conveniency by reason of the strong Current before it Those that Sail out of the East and intend for this Harbor must make to the Northward about the Countrey or else they will scarce fetch it for the Wind blows very hard and the ground is deep and runs down sloaping so that indeed none can be had but under the Castle Four Miles South-Westward from del Fogo Island del Brava lieth Ilha del Brava or The Desolate Island having on the West side a convenient Entrance for those that will take in fresh Water But the Haven lies to the South-East with fifteen Fathom Water so that an East-India Man may Ride there with his Starne moved towards the Shore Above the Haven stands a Hermitage with people South-Westward from Ilha Brava Island St. Nicholas in the Altitude of twelve degrees and almost thirty minutes appears a dry place two Ships length and one broad St. Nicholas-Isle seventeen Miles from the salt-Salt-Island sets its North-West end in sixteen degrees and twenty minutes at the West end three Miles broad and at the East a Mile and a half and seven or eight long M. Figuredo places the Haven at the South side giving it the name of Porto de Berguira with an Islet at the entrance and to the North-West lieth beyond the Point the Haven Fuoor Fole St. Lucie Island St. Lucie a high and Hilly Island eight or nine Miles long with its South end in the Altitude of sixteen degrees and eighteen minutes At the South-East end are two small Islands as on the East South-East end the Haven with a fine Sandy Shore On the South-West towards St. Vincent lies another Harbor of twenty Fathom Water Thirty Miles Westward from the Salt-Island Island St. Vincent and two Miles West from St. Lucie lieth St. Vincent in the Altitude of seventeen degrees five Miles long It hath at the North-West side a half Oval-Bay a Mile and a half wide and surrounded with high Mountains The high Mountains of St. Anthonys-Isle defend this Bay from the West and North-West Winds so that it seems the most convenient Haven among all the Islands yet the coming to it is dangerous by reason of the strong Winds blowing impetuously from the high Mountains The South end of St. Vincent hath a little fresh Water but elsewhere cannot be had one drop St. Anthony Island St Anthony the most Northermost of all in seventeen degrees North-Latitude two Miles and a half from St. Vincent hath two high Mountains the one almost as high as the Piek of Teneriff in the canary-Canary-Islands but both most commonly cover'd with Clouds There live about five hundred Inhabitants on this Island At the North-West end stands a Village of about twenty Huts wherein dwell about fifty Families as well Negro's as Whites Govern'd by a Captain Priest and Schoolmaster all which speak very good Portuguese but they live very poorly At the Northside is a Road in the Latitude of sixteen degrees and fifty minutes North-Latitude The unwholesomeness of the Air in all these Islands Air. breeds generally in the Inhabitants Burning-Feavers Belly-Ach and the Bloody-Flux Their Scituation being between the Equinoctial and Tropick of Cancer affords the Inhabitants two Summers When the Sun enters into Cancer which is in June it Rains there continually with Storms of Thunder Lightning and Wind which continues till the middle of October which Jarrik seems to affirm where he writes That it doth Rain there in August September and October and the Air about the middle of June gets a remarkable change growing damp and foggy with Mists out of the Sea The Portuguese find these Islands wild and desolate Plants but most of them now are Till'd and bare Rice Mayz Tares Oranges Lemons Citrons Bananoes Ignames Potatoes Cucumbers Cotton Pomegranates all sorts of Figs Coco-Nuts and Vines which bear Fruit twice a year The principal Cattel breeding here are Goats and Sheep Beasts but they have a few Oxen and Cows Fowl and Poultry increase even to admiration such are Hens Crains Turtle-Doves Turkicocks Morehens Quails and Birds which the Portuguese call Flamingo's that is Flemmings with white Feathers red Quills and a Body like a Goose Their greatest Wealth consists in Goat-skins and Salt Riches which they send in great Parcels from the Islands Del Sall Boavista Mayo and St. Lago by Shipping into Europe This as to the general we will now descend to particulars The Inland of Del Sal lies almost cover'd with Stones but without either Plants or Trees onely towards the South-East Point hard by a white Sandy Bank are seventy two Salt-Pans Many Turtels and Fish are taken between the Cliffs out of which the Slaves decoct a Train-Oil all out of the Salt-Water for they have no fresh In short such is the sterility as affords no other refreshment but poor Goats yearly kill'd in great numbers for their Skins Two Miles from the Road on the South side of the Countrey is a Pond of Salt-Water nine or ten foot deep into which a Brook runs with very clear water but not held to be very wholsome because brakish St. Jago yields all sorts of Fruits having indeed a very fruitful Soyl Trees of Cedar Colcoes Oranges and the like all along beautifie the Banks of the River Ribeira Korea They have also Rice Maiz Mille Cotton and Sugar-Canes The European Herbs and Plants sent thither grow very well there but must be every year renew'd All the Wine they drink Lisbone furnishes them with but other Provisions they can spare to their Neighbors The Cattel there breeding are Oxen Horses Asses and Goats besides Hens Ilha Brava produces Figgs Mulberries and other Fruits also Mille Maiz Water-Melons and many others Some Goats but they may not be sold without leave of the Governor of St. Jago On the Island St. Nicholas are but few Trees It feeds many wild Cats and Goats close by the Shore is fresh Water in a Pond which in time of Rain flows over the Shore into the Sea St. Lucie appears Mountainous with many Woods and some fresh Water At the West side hath no other Inhabitants than Mice and Tortoises At the Watering-place of the Island St. Vincent fresh Water may be had out of Wells but not very pleasant Below on the highest Mountain there floweth a Brook whose Waters are fresh and well tasted all the rest sulphurous and brackish and for that cause unfit to drink The parch'd ground bears little but stones being every where so bare that there is neither Leaves nor Grass to be found but onely a few Shrubby Bushes
which Seamen pull up and fetch for Fuel and Coloquintida which grows in so great quantities that it cannot be destroy'd There are many Tortoises very good in taste and so big that the Sea-men who touch at this Island for fresh Water are compell'd to hale them Aboard with Ropes They come every night in June and July out of the Sea to the Land when the Inhabitants casting them upon their backs by reason of their weight they cannot turn themselves again The Countrey hath many Rocks but little Water The Goats they kill for their Skins which they send yearly to Portugal in great quantities Their Inhabitants are Blacks who live there very soberly without Recreation fetching their Water in Leather Sacks made of Goats Skins in the Year Sixteen hundred twenty three they were onely nineteen persons eight Men seven Women and four young Girls Ilha de Mayo a Rocky and dry Land with little Grass affords onely some few Figg-trees which by the heat of the Climate and dryness of the Ground never bear any ripe Fruit for though the Figgs have a promising colour yet they are insipid or tastless But Goats or Cabriets or Sheep breed so numerously that above five thousand Skins are carry'd thence yearly They have also some little Horses Asses Oxen and Cows Turkeys and Hens of the bigness of a Pheasant with white and black mix'd and speckled Feathers but all wild and in a manner untameable There are many Salt-Pans which after they have let in the Salt-Water being shut up the heat of the Sun consolidates and brings to a Gray-Salt but 't is a toilsome work to gather it and yet more troublesome to get on Ship-board because the Boats are not without great danger of being swallow'd up by the Whirlpits The Inhabitants are Whites and Blacks usually sent thither from St. Jago In the Year Fifteen hundred and five they were two hundred and five and twenty Whites and Blacks Old and Young Exiles and Slaves but in the Year Sixteen hundred twenty and eight there were onely fifty besides Women The Inhabitants have neither Corn nor Clothing unless brought them from St. Jago but there are many Goats which the Portuguese and Blacks there resident catch up with Dogs partly for the Skins and partly for the Flesh St. Anthonio has many Woods and therein several sorts of Fruits as Oranges Lemons Dates Pomegranates Sugar-Canes Bakovens and Melons One Orchard lieth in this Island of which nothing can be seen from Sea but a high Palm-Tree which the people of the Ships in the Bay of St. Vincent discern plainly and commonly send their Boats to barter Knives and other such small Toys for Fruit with the people who have a Portuguese Governor their number generally about five hundred most of them Blacks who from another Orchard bring the Fruits upon Asses to the Shore side to sell to the Sea-men In the latter end of December they have great ripe Citrons Lemons and Oranges many Bananoes but unripe Potatoes and Melons very large and singular good The Island Goree THe Island Goree lieth in fourteen degrees and fifteen minutes North-Latitude about a Stones throw from the firm Land of Cape de Verd in South South-East about half a Canon shot in length and a Musket shot in breadth This Island hath one little Bay with a Road for Ships from whence the Sea-men go Ashore no other place affording that conveniency neither hath it any Brooks or Rivers of fresh Water but fetch all they use from Cape Verd. In the Year sixteen hundred and seventeen King Biram of Cape Verd gave it to the Netherlanders who in a little time erected a Fort there The Fort SNASSAO ORANGE upon the Island GOEREE Het FORT NASSOU van Binnen met ORANJE op â— EILANT GOEREE INSULAE CANARIAE alias FORTUNATAE dictae In the Year Sixteen hundred sixty three both these Forts together with the whole Island were taken by Captain Holmes so the Royal African English Company but the year following on the four and twentieth of October by Admiral de Ruyter regain'd It was at that time possess'd with about sixty English Souldiers under Sir George Abercromy Chief Governor of the Island all which with convenient Boats for their hire were carry'd to the River Gamboa Then both the Forts together with the whole Island was left possessed with about an hundred and fifty Hollanders Commanded by Johannes Cellarius who presently caus'd the fall'n Batteries to be made up raising the upper Fort with a Breast-Work of three Foot higher and fully repairing the lower The Canary Islands or Islands of the Canaries THe Canary Islands by the consent of most eminent Geographers are held to be the Insulae fortunatae or Fortunate Islands of Ptolomy and Pliny though Ptolomy placeth them not far enough to the North setting the most Northerly part of them but at sixteen degrees North-Latitude whereas they extend to the thirtieth degree and therefore we may suppose that they mistook them for the Islands of Cape Verd last before mention'd Some will that the Canaries receiv'd that name from the Spaniards who attributed to all the proper Denomination of the most Eminent which they call'd Canary from the many Dogs found at the first discovery thereof Can signifying a Dog in Spanish whereas the name of Canary was known a long time before by Pliny and Ptolomy the Moors of Barbary call it Elbard from the Pike-Mountain of Teneriff Ptolomy computes the number of these Islands to six and names them Gramage lib. 9. c. 3. Apropite Here or Autolala Pluitalia Casperia Canaria and Centuria Pliny makes the same number but differences their names thus Ombrio great and small Junonie Capraria Niraria and Canaria There are that make Ombrio and Junonie the same with Porto Santo and Madera Pluitalia for Lancerote Casperia or Capraria for Fuerte-ventura Canaria for the Grand Canary which still holds its name At this day the Canary Islands the Holy Haven and Madera being included are seven and known to all by the same names viz. As the Island of Palma Fierro or Ferro Gomere Teneriff Grand Canary Fuerta-Ventura Lancerota or Lanceroto to which number Purchas adds Lobos Rocha Gravosa Santa Clara Alegranca and Inferno by Sanutus reckon'd in this order Vecchio Marino Sante Clare Rocho Gravosa and Alegoranca Ortelius brings among them one that he calleth Selvaia or Savage the most Northerly of all plac'd in the same rank with that of Alegranca and besides Gravosa and Coro which Thevet calleth the Heart Island But these small Spots are of such little concern that many do not so much as name them These Canary Islands whereof Lasaretto Fuerte-Ventura Grand Canary Situation and Teneriff are the chiefest they have their scituation between six and twenty degrees and thirty minutes and twenty degrees and thirty minutes North-Latitude opposite to Cape Nun in Morocco seventy or eighty Miles from the Main-Land of Barbary and nine or ten distant from each other They were for many
who had served the Malteses were put to the Sword and most of the Knights of Malta sent to the Galleys and the rest the Bashaw took and made Slaves After this Victory Sinan appointed Morat Aga to be Vice-Roy and ever since the Grand Seignior sends from Constantinople every three years a Beglerbeg or Bashaw thither to support his Conquests About the Year Fifteen hundred ninety eight Sidi Haga a Marabout or Priest designing to make himself a Master of the City and Kingdom with the assistance of the meaner sort began a notable Rebellion upon the first intelligence whereof Asan Bassa Admiral at Sea Sailed thither with sixty Galleys and some Souldiers from Tunis and Algier on a sudden fell into the Marabout's Quarters whose own Men finding their error in some measure to mitigate the fury against themselves set an end to their Mutiny by presenting their Captains Head to Sinan who sent it to the Grand Seignior De Stadt TRIPOLIS THE TERRITORY OF TRIPOLI NEar the Lesser Africa and Asfatus over against the Island Querquene The Borders of the Territory of Tripoli call'd by Ananie Ceraunia the River Capez takes its Course antiently call'd Triton Westerly of which this Province takes its beginning and ends at that of Mezellata in the East so that it hath for Borders on the West Tunis and on the North the Mediterrane on the South Numidia or Biledulgerid and Lybia with the Wilderness of Zara and in the East Mezellata a large Tract of Ground but altogether waste and unfruitful The chiefest Places thereof are Old and New Tripoli Kapes Machres Elhamma and Zoara Old Tripoli by some taken for the Antient City Naples in Barbary Old Tripoli and the Great Leptis of Ptolomy This was the Birth-place of the Emperor Severus first built by the Romans afterwards possessed by the Goths and at length destroy'd by the Mahumetans in the time of Hamor their second Kalif and ever since as Sanutus saith little inhabited New Tripoli or Tripoli in Barbary New Tripoli to distinguish it from a City of the same name in Syria call'd by the Turks Terabulus and by the Moors Trebeliz or Tarabilis seated on the Sea-side is not great but full Peopled with Turks Moors The Scituation and Jews surrounded with high and defensible Stone-Walls strengthened in several places with Sconces and Bullwarks yet having but two Gates one on the South-side going out to the main Land and one on the North by the Haven adjoyning to which Gates are two Forts that on the North securing the Haven which is very pleasant and beneficial and of capacity enough to contain many Ships The Houses like those of Tunis and the Streets very well pav'd with one large Prison or Masmora for Christian Slaves whereof there are always some here though much fewer than at Tunis or Algier besides divers Mosques and some Hospitals but for the greatest part sorely decay'd through the Cruelty of the Wars Kaps Kaps or Kapis or Kapis or Kafis by Marmol call'd Kasce and by the Moors according to Mercator Kabez being the Takape of the Antients stands near the Midland-Sea environ'd with lofty Walls and strengthened with a Castle Machres Machres or Mahara a Village about thirteen miles from the Isle of Zerby with a Castle for the defence of Kaps Bay Elhamma Elhamma a Roman Platform three miles from Kapes having Walls of Hewen Stone and Gates whereon in Marble Tablets may yet be read Latin Inscriptions Zoara Zoara or Zoarat taken by the Antients for the Haven Pisidon is an antient Town by the Mediterrane thirteen miles to the East of the Island Zerby There is one more little inhabited Rasalmabes and of as little fame onely for the Name controverted by Authors some making it Gichtis others Rasalmabes and Simlerus the Gita of Antoninus The Syrtes are two a greater and a lesser the lesser is an ill Neighbour to the Gulf of Kaps near Tripoli being very dangerous by reason of the Shelves Banks and Quick-sands lying round about But the great Syrtes in the Maps are call'd The Shoals of Barbary and in Spanish Baxos de Carthage which is the same over against Ezzab Syrtes is properly a Greek word The Syrtes signifying Shifting Sands sometimes having much and then little Water and sometimes almost none at all The greater of these Syrtes is in Nine and twenty Degrees North Latitude and Forty eight Degrees of Longitude but the smaller in Two and thirty Degrees Latitude and in Three and forty Degrees Longitude The Lake Tritonis The Lake Tritinis famous in Antiquity and often mention'd by Historians and Geographers lies in the very heart of Little Africa Volateranus says there are there of the said Name viz. this of Lybia thought to be the Birth-place of Minerva another of Boetia and a third in Thessalia Ptolomy places here two that is Tritonis by Marmol call'd Kapis and the other the Lake of Pallas Diodorus after all makes mention of another near the Atlantick Ocean ¶ THe Rivers of this Kingdom The Rivers are Karsarnaker Rasalmabes and Magro otherwise Cenifes all which take their originals from Mount Atlas and discharge their Waters into the Midland-Sea near the places from which they take their Names ¶ THe Countrey is all Sandy The Soyl. and so Barren that no kind of Corn by the best Husbandman be produced there so that the Inhabitants would almost perish with Hunger if Corn were not Transported thither from other places to supply their defective Harvests ¶ THere is in this City no fresh Water Their Scarcity of Water but that which runs from the tops of the Houses through Gutters Not far from Elhamma rises a great Spring to the Southward whose Waters being exceeding hot are conveyed by Pipes into the Bathes there which notwithstanding it s so distant Current yet retains the Heat so powerfully that few will adventure to go into it yet sometimes for pure necessity the Inhabitants are compell'd to drink thereof though in regard of its Sulphurous Quality it operates little towards the quenching of their thirst Lastly not far from the City is a Standing-Water call'd The Lake of the Melatson by reason of having a strange power to Cure the Leprosie Sanutus places here the Lotus-Tree which by some are call'd Mikakoliers or rather Alsiers of which Fruit being sweeter than Dates the Inhabitants make very pleasant Wine Lemmons Oranges and Dates grow here in great abundance but no other Fruits except Halbhazis which groweth under Ground to the bigness of a Bean it tastes like an Almond but is never chew'd onely sucked ¶ THe Inhabitants of Tripolis live chiefly upon Weaving and Merchandising Those of Kapes being poor Their Employment are generally Husbandmen and Fishers paying Tribute of all their Labors to the Bashaw Those of Elhamma are lazy poor and very Thieves The Zoarers burn Lime which they carry to Tripolis But all live hardly their Food being so scarce that he is
and by the receiving of many other Streams becomes full of water and gliding also easier by reason of the breadth to the great ease of all Vessels that go up against the Stream By the Village Tinga the River is fordable but none dare venture to wade through it but the Blacks for fear of the Crocodiles however on both its Shores are many Villages and within its bosome divers small Islands Twelve miles upwards of Tondebu half a mile above the Creek Jayre on the left hand lies a little Island betwixt the which and the main Land the Stream is no broader than a Musquet-shot shallow and runs in many Meanders but higher on the left side is four or five fathom deep About two miles about Mansibaer lies another Island that so straightens the passage that without great trouble they cannot go through it Not far from Nabare half way between the Mouth of the River and the Gold place of Cantor or Reskate lieth elephant-Elephant-Island so call'd for the great number of Elephants which breed there ¶ THe Air in this Countrey is continually hot The Air. though with some little variation from the beginning of June till the end of September in which time it rains every day at Noon and at Night from the East and South-East continual Lightnings and Thunder But the greatest Rains falls from May till the beginning of August which causes the Rivers to swell and overflow their Banks and that proves a very unhealthful time for the first Rains falling upon the naked people cause blotches and spots and on the Clothes of the Whites it breeds Worms but after a little time that inconvenience vanishes ¶ ALl along the Banks of Gambea and about Cassan Vegetables or Plants Tobacco grows plentifully which the Portugals fetch with Sloops both green and dried without making up in Rolls Cotton also with Mille Rice Lemons Oranges Apples and Ananasses but not in such abundance as some have written On the Sea-Coast are Trees above seventeen Paces in compass and not twenty in height whereas further into the Countrey they are tall and slender ¶ BEasts fit for labour and service breeding here are Camels The Beasts small Horses and Asses But they have besides many Cows and Oxen as appears by their Hides yearly brought into Europe as also Goats Sheep Deer red and fallow with divers others besides the Wilde Beasts found in the Wildernesses viz. Lyons Tygers Baboons Otters Elephants and the like This plenty of Cattel makes Provision in those places so cheap that about Gambea you may buy a Beast of three or four hundred weight for a Bar of Iron although at Cape de Verde they pay four or five Bars for the like ¶ THe people heretofore were savage and cruel but since they have in some sort by the Converse of Christian Merchants received some notions of Religion they are become tractable and courteous The Kings as we said keep a Majestick Port according to their manner of State seldom appearing in publick to their Subjects They are all great lovers of Brandy and will drink thereof even to excess Their propensity to Brandy And if any Forreigner Merchant or other desires Audience of the King he can by no means sooner effect it than by presenting him with a Bottel of Brandy The King of Great Cassan call'd Magro who spoke the Portugal Tongue The King of Cassan a great Sorcerer yet could not be won to Christianity was well skill'd in Necromantick Arts whereof one Block in a Journal of his Travels gives a particular account We will onely instance in one or two of his prestigious actions He commonly wore as many inchanted Chains without trouble as would have over-loaden a strong Man One time to shew his Art he caused a strong Wind to blow but confined it onely to designed limits so that the next adjoyning places were not sensible of any violent motion Another time desiring to be resolved of some questioned particular after his Charms a smoke and flame arose out of the Earth by which he gathered the answer to his demand ¶ MOst of the Wealth of the Inhabitants consists in Slaves Their Riches though some have Gold for among them are few Artificers and those that are onely Weavers and Smiths Artificers who are ill provided of Tools for their Work yet make shift therewith The Smiths make short Swords and knowing how to harden the Iron form the Heads of their Assagay's or Lances Darts or Arrows and all sorts of Instruments with which they Dig the Earth Their Bellows are a thick Reed or hollow piece of Wood in which is put a Stick wound about with Feathers which by the moving of the Stick makes the Wind. The Iron which they Forge is brought over out of Europe thither in Bars in Pieces of eight or ten Inches long and are exchanged with great gain in barter for their In-land Commodities The Weavers make Cloathes of Cotton which by the Merchants are carried to Serre-Lions Serbore and the Gold-Coast and there barter'd for Ivory red Wood and Gold These Cloathes because made also about Cape Verde are call'd Cape de Verde Cloathes being of three sorts the best and chiefest call'd Panossakes are two Ells and a half long and an Ell and a half broad whitened upon the Ground and with Lists commonly of eight Bands sew'd together the second Bontans two Ells long and an Ell and a half broad very neatly Strip'd having six Lifts sew'd together but the third sort named Berfoel are great Cloathes made with blue Stripes all which are commonly bought for Iron that is one Panossakes for one Bar of Iron three Bontans for two Bars and two great Barfoel Cloathes for one Bar. ¶ EVery one Their Tillage be he Spiritual or Temporal old or young must Till his own Ground if he intends to eat the King onely and some chief Nobles and antient decrepid people excepted for the doing whereof they use no Ploughs but dig the Earth with a kind of Mattocks in the time of their Rain because then the Ground is softened ¶ THeir Food is Mille Their Food Shell-Fruit Milk and some Flesh They Bake no Bread but boyl it as we in these Countreys do Puddings which they eat hot Their Drink is Palmito-Wine and for want of that Water but the Priests with their whole Families drink no sort of strong Drink but only Water ¶ THe Houses Their Houses like those in Zenega are onely round Huts with Walls of Reed Lime and Earth covered with Canes and environ'd with a Pallisado or Hedge of Canes ¶ THe Habit of this People Cloathes Sanutu◠as well Men as Women is onely a Shirt that reaches down to their Knees with long wide Sleeves a pair of Cotton Breeches and little white Hats with a Plume of Feathers in the middle The Maidens cut and prick their Breasts Thumbs Arms and Necks with Needles in fashion of Embroidery and burn in these marks that they
related the Gold-Coast is reckon'd to end Thus much we have thought fit to speak of the Maritime parts of the Gold-Coast want of knowledge not affording farther Discoveries We now go to the In-land Countreys beginning with Igwira lying on the West of the Gold-Coast THE KINGDOM OF IGWIRA THe Kingdom of Igwira borders on the South The Kingdom of Igwira on Atzin and Small Inkassia on the North upon Great Inkassia and on the East on that of Mompa It is reported to yield great quantities of Gold for the Blacks say It is full of Gold that the Gold which comes from Assine and Albine fifteen miles Westward of Cape de tres Puntas is all Igwira's Gold At Little Commendo liv'd for some years two Citizens which had with a small stock of Merchandise so manag'd their affaris that they return'd back very Rich but the Ways are somewhat dangerous by reason of Thieves In this place the Portugals had a Fortification wherein they Traded and brought their Merchandise in Canoos up the River which flows through Igwira but after the Netherlanders began to frequent it the Portuguese soon deserted the place THE KINGDOM OF GREAT-INKASSIA OR INKASSAN GReat-Inkassia or Inkassan hath on the South Igwira in the East Great Inkassia Wassa and Wanquy These People are little esteem'd for Trade There is little Trade but they come sometimes and take their way throw the Kingdom of Adom and bring some small quantity of Gold especially if there be no Shipping before Assine and Albine The DOMINION of INKASSAN-IGGYMA THis Territory hath on the South great Inkassan Inkassan-Iggyma and on the East Wassa and Wanqui Little Commerce have the Whites in matter of Trade with these People The LORDSHIP of TABEU TAbeu a small Tract Tabeu borders on the South at the Kingdom of Anten lying at the Sea on the West and North on that of Adom and on the East on Guaffa where a small River makes a Boundary to both Men Women and Children drive altogether a Trade with Hens Mille and other Wares to Sama where the Hollanders have a Fort formerly all this used to be brought up by the Portuguese and sent to the Myne THE KINGDOM OF ADOM ADom lies Eastward of Tabeu and Guaffo Adom to the North of Wassa on the East North-East of Abramboe The Inhabitants come sometimes and bring Gold on the Shore by Small-Commendo to the Merchants there Dealing but this onely if the ways of Ante be not obstructed by Wars Mompa MOmpa hath on the West Igwira Mompa on the North Great-Inkassia Wassa and Adom and on the East Anten towards the Shore VVassa THe Countrey of Wassa hath for Borders on the North Wanque Wassa in the East Abramboe and Kuiforo on the West Great-Inkassia on the North-West Inkassia-Iggoma Full of Gold It hath the repute to yield great quantity of Gold insomuch that the Inhabitants are always at Work upon it neither caring to Till or Ear their Land that single Commodity bringing from their Neighbours store of Provision Most of these People come with those of Adom to Traffick there for Gold at the Sea-shore with the Whites for European Wares VVanquy WAnquy hath on the West Kassa Iggyma on the South Wassa Wanquy and on the North Bonoe It hath Gold and good Cloth which the Inhabitants who drive a Trade with the Akanists in the Countrey know how to make very Artificially Abramboe THis Territory borders on the West at Adom and Wassa Abrambe in the South at the Kingdom of Guaffa or Commendo lying at the Sea in the North at Kuyforo in the North-East at Akamy in the East at Atti and in the South-East on Fetu It is a very populous Countrey Trade and most of the Inhabitants maintain themselves by Husbandry yet many come also every Week to Moure to the Whites to barter Gold for Cloth and Linnen but especially Iron They are a Warlike People and no great friends of the Akanists because long since in the Wars with them many of them were Slain and most of their Towns Burnt yet they were afterwards united again in a new League of Friendship Kuyforo IT hath for Borders on the West Wassa on the South Abramboe Kuyfora on the North Bonoe and in the East Akany The Land wholly without Wood and the People mean and simple with whom Forreigners have little Commerce Bonoe BOnoe lies encompass'd on the West with Wanquy Bonoe on the South with Kuyforo on the East with Akany and Inta A Place little known and of small Trading Atty THe Territory of Atty is circumscribed in the West by Abramboe Atty on the South by Fetu Sabou and Fantyn and in the North by Dahoe The Inhabitants maintain themselves most by Tillage but us'd before the Wars with those of Sabou to trade with Forreign Merchants which the Akanists have taken from thence Here is held a great Market or Fair extraordinarily crowded with a full concourse of People from far distant places who come thither to Purchase Iron and other Wares bought of the Whites Akanien THis Kingdom Akanien whose Inhabitants are known to Traders by the name of Akanists hath for Boundaries in the West Kuyforo and Bonoe in the South Dahoe Atty and Abramboe on the North Inta and in the East Akim or Great-Akamy The Akanists are a plain-dealing people The Custom and Nature of the Inhabitants just and honest in point of Trade and to defend their Priviledges stout in the Wars knowing well how to use both Shields Azagians and Swords Their Language holds great affinity with that of Fetu Language Atty Sabou Commendo Abramboe and Attyn but more pleasant and consequently more acceptable Such as Trade on the Sea-shore besides their own usually speak Portugals They are Rich in Gold They are rich and great Traders and Slaves and so great Traders that two Thirds of the Gold which the Whites fetch yearly from the Gold-Coast comes from their hands For they come to the Sea-shore to Little-Commendo Kormantyn and Moure where many of them dwell with their Wives and Children They shew great Industry and Diligence Travelling with the Goods they Buy from the Whites carry'd by their Slaves to divers Markets up in the Countrey and passing through the countreys of Atty Sabou and other Neighbouring Regions without hindrance enjoying every where much Freedom and for their Merchandise are courteously entertain'd by the People Inta and Ahim. INta hath in the South Akany in the West and North Unknown Land Inta in the East Ahim and Akam Little can be said of this Place as to matter of Trade Ahim otherwise call'd Great-Akany hath on the West for Limits Akany on the South Aqua and Sonqua on the North Inta Akam Kuahoe and in the East Aqumboe The Inhabitants are naturally Stately and Proud Their Nature which proceeds from their Wealth consisting chiefly in Slaves These come very seldom to
by one of its chiefest Mouths near the Kingdom of Melinde The Portuguese Writers will have this River Quilmanzi to be the same with Zebee which rises out of Maria a Territory in the Abyssynes from a place call'd Boxa and from thence running South with a swift course into the Kingdom of Gingiro Other Portuguese affirm That it lieth no more than a thousand Paces from Melinde being a very great River flowing out of the Abyssine Countrey but that they could never attain the full knowledge thereof because those that were sent to discover it were driven back and assaulted by the Inhabitants The Air is very Unhealthy Feaverish and Corrupt Air. and no less unwholsome are the products of the Earth caus'd partly from the Moorassness of the Grounds and partly from the multitude of Rivers and Lakes which makes this Countrey a great pack of Islands The Inhabitants are black having short curl'd Hair The constitution of the Inhabitants they go from the shoulders down to the middle naked but have their nether parts cover'd with party colour'd Clothes or wild Beasts Skins the Tails whereof especially among people of Quality hang down behind The Blacks on the Sea-Coast and of the near adjacent Islands Food live upon Fruits the flesh of wild Beasts and milk of the Cattel which they breed especially the Moors call'd Beduines who dwell a little deeper into the Countrey and Trade with the Kaffers Gold is none of the least advantages drawn from this Countrey Riches wherewith it so abounds for which onely they get a supply of all other necessaries The Natives of the Main-Land are Idolaters Religion but the Islanders almost all Mahumetans extracted from certain Arabians exil'd from their Countrey for introducing of some Heresie in their Religion as following the Doctrine of one Zaid Nephew of Hocem Son of Haly whereupon they were call'd Emossayders The Islands of QUIRIMBA OVer against Zanguebar L'Ambassade de D. Garvas Figuerra en Perse lie the Islands of Quirimba extending above fifteen miles along the Coast to the out-lying Point call'd in Portuguese Cabo del Gabo They are not all of one equal bigness nor alike distant from the Main-land and sever'd one from another by Channels so small and shallow that at low-Water they may be Waded over And although each Island hath its particular name yet the Portuguse call them all Quirinba The Islands were formerly inhabited by the Arabians as may plainly appear by the Ruines of the Houses and Mosques being built by people less barbarous than those that have their Residence there at this day of Lime Stone and Tiles like the Cities of Quiloa Monbaza and Melinde But since the Portuguese began to set forth their Ships to the East-Indies the Souldiers and Mariners out of a natural hatred and antipathy to all Mahumetans thought it not enough to rob them burn their Houses and Mosques and to carry them away for Slaves but with a sweeping Rage sparing neither Age nor Sex destroy'd all of the remainder These Islands many years since lay waste and void of people till some Portuguese from the Main-Land wafted themselves over thither and planted them and so became subject to the Governor of Mayambique about three and thirty miles from thence from whence every year cometh a Judge to decide Controversies The Lord of every Island hath his House built of Stone and Lime wherein resides his Wife Children and Slaves of both Sexes as also Friends and Servants whom they hire to have their assistance against the Negro's of the Main-Land which by their living so near are ready enough to do them a mischief And therefore both themselves and Slaves are Arm'd with Muskets Pistols and other Weapons Most of these Islands are not above half a mile or a mile in compass but very fruitful full of Palmito-Trees Oranges Figs Grapes Herbs and Pome-Citrons and excellently accommodated with fresh Water They have besides many Oxen Cows Goats and an infinite number of Fowl among which Wild-Pigeons and Turtle-Doves but Corn Rice Drugs dry'd and confected Fruits are brought to them from Ormus The Island of Quirinba is the biggest and was the first Peopled yet hath onely twenty five Houses inhabited by Portuguese and Mesties they stand not close together but lie scatter'd here and there two or three together Every one of these little Islands hath their own Governor which every three year are chang'd From Gou they receive a Dominican Priest who celebrates Mass and performs all other Sacred Duties to which end there stands a Cloyster in the midst of the Houses whither all those of these Islands come to do their Devotion The second of these Islands call'd Oybo Oybo is not so big as Quirinba but the Air more temperate and fresher so that a man may well say that the whole makes one pleasant Garden moisten'd and besprinkled in many places with the best and most wholsomest Waters in the world The other Islands have no Road nor Haven where Ships can come to an Anchor because in the deepest Channel at a low Ebb there is not three Foot water Over this Island Oybo a Portuguese Commands who dwells in a great and handsome House with Chambers below and above and behind it a Garden incompass'd with a Stone-Wall of two Fathom high with Spiers at the top so that it may seem in stead of a Bulwark This with assistance of his Houshold Family who are all Arm'd may be defended against any Incursion of the Blacks from the Main-Land if they should offer to attempt it but they live in good Peace one with another because of their mutual Trade The Kingdom of MONGALO and ANCHE or ANGOS UPon one side of the River Quama lieth Mongalo a Tract of Land inhabited by Mahumetans or Moors They have abundance of Gold brought thither from Monomotapa not far from thence you see the River Ango by Pigafet call'd in Italian Agnoscia by Moquet in French Angoche but by Barbosa Angos The Countrey produces great store of Mille Rice and Cattel The Inhabitants are of a middle Stature but very black they go with the upper part of the body naked but cover'd from the Girdle downward with Cotton and Silk Clothes Some wear Turbants upon their heads and others Caps made of Silk Stuff They use a peculiar form of Speech though many of them speak Arabick Language These Moors of Angos are all Merchants Trading in Gold Ivory Cotton Silk Their Customs Clothes and Kambain Beads or Bracelets The Cotton Silk Cloth and Beads they receive from the hands of the Merchants of Quiloa Mombaze and Melinde which bring them thither in small Baskets or Almides cut out of the whole Wood. They own no Governor unless one who speak their proper Language and by profession a Mahumetan yet all their care doth not keep them from a mixture of Heathenism The Kingdom of MOZAMBIKE A Little beyond Angos appeareth the Kingdom of Mozambike so call'd from the
first with the Island Michias ¶ IN the midst of Nile not far from Cairo Island Michias over against the Old City Miffrulhetich lyes the Island Michias or El-Michias that is Measure-Isle or Mark-Island because within it was set the Mark whereby they took the measure of the Rivers overflowing and the height and lowness of his waters and thereby made a judgement of the consequent fruitfulness indifference or infertility of the following Year This Island contains about fifteen hundred Families having at one end a fair Palace erected by a Soldan and a large Mosque or Temple at the other end standeth a round Building alone with a four-square Well or Cistern eighteen Cubits deep into which the Nile-water at the time of the overflowing is conveyed in the middle of the Well stands an upright Pillar divided by marks into so many Cubits as the Well is deep where attend certain Officers by command of the Councel who give notice of the increase which some Children with yellow Bands about their Heads to that purpose appointed make known by an Out-cry through all the streets of the City and Suburbs admonishing the people to fear God and are by them in return presented with Gifts During the rising of Nilus in Cairo and most other Cities there is so great a Noise and Joy made with Drums and Trumpets all along the City that it seems to be in a Tumult and Uproar Opposite to Miffrulhetich lyeth Geza Geza joyning to Michias that severs it from Cairo it shews many stately Palaces erected by the Mamaluckes and other curious and pleasant Buildings together with a sumptuous Temple by the Nile Many Handy-crafts men and other Traders come daily from Cairo hither to work and trade returning at night to their own homes Those that would visit the Pyramids can go no nearer way than through this City which on one side is surrounded with a sandy Desart reaching quite to them Not far from Grand Caire stands Muhallaca a little old Town near which the great Lake Maeris The Lake Meris which Diodorus placed ten Stadia or Furlongs from Cairo Antiquity gave it in compass two hundred and fifty or four hundred and fifty miles whereas at this day it is but eight leagues At the increase of Nile Sanatus this Lake is in some places fifty fathom deep receiving great store of water which the Inhabitants make good use of It hath two Rivulets one by which it receives water from Nile and the other where it runs out of the Lake and moistens the thirsty grounds in Summer time They say King Maeris from whom this Lake took his Name caused it to be digg'd with Spades and in the midst of it erected a Sepulchre for himself and his Queen wherein two fair Pyramids each forty paces high were set with the tops out of the water upon either of which he placed a Marble Statue The Revenue of the Fish of this Lake which amounted daily to a Talent of Silver the King allowed to his Royal Consort to buy her Pins This agrees with what Herodotus writes in his second Book in these words The Lake Maeris is in compass a thousand six hundred Stadia or Furlongs Herodot Euterpe and sixty paces which compass is as much as all Egypt is in length on the Sea-coast It reaches far to the North and South and is in depth fifty paces That it was digg'd and made by mens hands appeareth in that about the middle there stand two Pyramids that rise fifty paces above the water and as much under it so that each Pyramid is an hundred paces high Upon either of them is a Stone-Image sitting upon a Throne The water of this Lake comes not from a Spring being sometimes very dry but is supplied by Trenches out of the Nile six moneths it is furnish'd from them A Talent is 250 l. sterling and other six moneths makes returns into it which later six moneths the Revenue of Fish amounts every day to a * Talent of Silver but in the former onely to twelve Minae or Pounds Adding that the Inhabitants asserted this Lake went under the Earth Westward as far as the Sandy Syrtes in Lybia where it anew breaks forth near the Mountain which hangs over Memphis About six leagues from Cairo Changa at the Entrance of the Wilderness which runs towards Mount Sinai lyeth the City Changa heretofore very great and beautified with stately Houses and Temples but so much spoiled and wasted by Wars that it hath lost its antient splendor Here is a double Thorow-fare the one towards Syria the other to Arabia but no water other than what from the overflowing of the Nile is preserv'd in Sluices and Ditches Hence towards the East standeth Suez Suez by Ptolomy call'd The City of Brightness upon the utmost Border of the Arabian Gulf about three days Journey from Cairo Livy Sanutus Bellonius as Livy Sanutus and others affirm though Bellonius placeth it much nearer This is one of the most commodious Havens on the North-side of the Red-Sea and the Moors bring hither out of India all manner of Spices Gems Pearls Amber Musk and other costly Merchandize which are carryed by Land to Cairo and so to Alexandria whither the Venetians English Dutch and other Nations come to traffique Divers place this City with Ptolomy in Egypt Ptolomy Maginus Geograph but others as Maginus in his Geography in Trogloditis a part of Arabia but it seems rather to belong to Egypt because it is now under the Command of the Turkish Bassa of Cairo It is environed with a sandy and barren Desart which reaches some miles distance utterly desolate and void of all things It is supported by the Revenues arising from Commodities of other Countreys brought thither all the water they use is conveyed thither two miles off upon Camels and is nevertheless so brackish that it breeds many Diseases On an adjacent Hill stands an inconsiderable Castle with old ruinous Walls More to the In-land South from Nile lyeth Bethsames Bethsames by some held to be the old Heliopolis More Southward Muhaisira close to the Nile stands the decayed City Muhaisira and on the other side Southwards also lyes Benesuait or Benesuahid Benesuahid A hundred and eighty miles from Grand Caire upon a rising ground is the City Munia built in the time of the Mahumetans by one Chalib Munia belonging to the Califfe of Bagdet This City had formerly many neat Churches and other handsom Structures insomuch that there yet appear divers Ruines of the antient Egyptian Building Not far from Munia lyeth Fyum formerly call'd Abydus Fyum and by some Abutick Here it is said that Joseph the son of Jacob was first buried whose Bones Moses afterwards when the Children of Israel departed out of Egypt carryed with then into Canaan Close by Fyâ—m yet stands the great and old City Manfloth or Menf-loth erected by the Egyptians destroyed by the Romans
with Horses and Asses intermixt and contrary to most in these parts their Women go with their Faces bare SUS THE Territory of Sus or Sous Its Borders formerly a Kingdom took name from the River Sus which bounds on the West as far as the Great Bay of * That is of great Cattel Juments or de la Yeguas Northward it reaches to Mount Atlas where touching on the Side of Hea on the South lyes the sandy Desart of Biledulgerid on the East bordering upon Guzula In this Territory on the Sea-shore lye three small Cities all known by one common name Messe being indeed rather one City divided into three parts each separated and surrounded with a Wall This was heretofore call'd Temest being seated on the shore of the great Ocean at the foot of Atlas or Aidvacal as they call it The River Sus running through the Messe A strange Temple at a place call'd Guertesen falleth into the Sea on whose shore a Temple appears whose sparrs rafters and beams are said to be the bones of the Whale which swallowed the Prophet Jonas who was thrown up again in this place The learned among them stick not to affirm That this our Minor Prophet shall appear in this Temple being so declared by their great Prophet Mahomet for which Reason they all highly reverence and preserve it with extraordinary care Hereabout are many large Whales often begrounded which the common People fancy happeneth by an occult quality of that Temple which kills all those Monsters coming that way and endeavouring to swim by it Teceut Teceut an antient City a Mile from Messe Triangular and contains four thousand Families In the middle of it stands a fair Temple through which runs an Arm of the River Sus. The Countrey hereabout is full of Hamlets and Villages but more Southerly is not inhabited but over-run by the wilde and wandring Arabs One Mile from Teceut lyeth Gared Gared founded by the Cerif Abdala about the Year Fifteen hundred on a Plain by a great Spring call'd Ayn Cequie Here is a sort of excellent * Moroquines Kids-Leather which in such great quantities is transported into Europe that the Custom of it yearly to this City produceth Thirty thousand Ducats The Principal City of all is Tarudant by the Moors call'd Tourant Tarudant twelve Miles East from Teceut and two Miles South from Atlas in a pleasant Valley eighteen or twenty Miles long This City water'd by the River Agur was formerly the Metropolis of the whole Kingdom and the Royal Seat and Chamber of the Kings of Sus. Half a Mile from Tarudant stands Faraixa built by Mahomet Cherif Taraixa before he was King of Morocco Tedsi twelve Miles Eastward of Tarudant twenty from the Ocean Tedsi and seven to the South of great Atlas was in former times very rich containing above four thousand Families but is now by their Civil Wars almost ruined Togoast the greatest City of this Territory twenty Miles from the Atlantick Togoast eighteen from Atlas and three from the Sus contain'd in former times six thousand Houses which at present are reduced to a far smaller Number Volateranus says this was the Birth-place of the antient and famous Doctor St. Augustine On the Westerly shore of the River Sus lyeth Cape Aguar Cape of Aguar taken by Ptolomy for the Cape Usagium This place in former times belong'd to the Portugues who erected there a very strong Castle by them call'd Santa Cruce and by the Moors Darumnie that is Christian-House Afterward the Portugals founded a strong City in the same Place which they possess'd a long time but at last were driven out of it by the Cherif in the Year Fifteen hundred thirty and six On a cutting Skirt of Atlas by the great Ocean Gantguessen at the Mouth of the River Sus stands Gantguessen a very strong place and more Southerly on the Sea-Coast these places Aguilon Alganzib Samotinat with the Capes of Guilon and Non or Nun in twenty seven Degrees Northern Latitude ¶ THe Mountains of Sus are Henquise The Mountains reaching from West to East twelve Miles in length Ilalem or Laalem Guzula beginning at the end of Henquise and stretching Eastward to Guzula South to the Plains of Sus Ilde the Western boundary between Guzula and Sus. All the Inhabitants of Messe maintain themselves by Husbandry The Nature of the ground of the Territory Sus. encouraged thereto for that in April and September the River Sus rises and overflows its Banks which causes a plentiful Harvest whereas if it fail in one of the aforemention'd Moneths then generally follows a Scarcity or dear Year On the shore by Messe is found very good Amber in great plenty All about the City of Teceut the Grounds abound with Wheat Barley and many other sorts of Grain as also Sugar-canes besides Dates Figs and Peaches Mount Henquise is cold and continually cover'd with Snow Mount Laalem abounds with Horses and holds in her bosom a rich Vein of Silver From Tarudant is brought Ostridge Feathers and Amber and so transported into Europe The People of Tedsi live orderly and behave themselves with great Trust and Civility The like do the Inhabitants of Tagoast whose Women for the most part are white and Handsom nevertheless there are Blacks and Tauny-Moors among them They of Messe are Husbandmen but those of Teceut ill natured proud and pervicacious Those of Henquise and Ilalem are Valiant and Generous but maintain old Feuds about their Silver Mines Lastly The Mahumetans themselves living in this Territory shew great Honor to the Body of St. Augustine which they report lyeth Buried near the City of Tagoast DUCALA THE Territory of Ducala hath for Borders Limits of the Territory of Ducala on the East the River Umarabea or Omniâ—abih and the Country of Temesne on the East the Tenzift and Cape of Cantin with part of Hea on the North the great Ocean and on the South the Province of Morocco and the River Habid The greatest length from West to East is Thirty It s Bigness and the breadth according to Marmol Twenty four Miles The Cities and Places of Note in it are First Azamor Azamor a City lying at the Mouth of the River Umarabea three Miles from Mazagan In the Year Fifteen hundred and thirteen Emmanuel King of Portugal to revenge himself of the Injury which Zeyam the Governor of this City had done him Was won by the Pertuguese in disappointing of his Marriage sent a Fleet of two hundred Ships with great Forces who coming to this City begirt it with a strong Siege and compell'd the Inhabitants to surrender The Portuguese who entred Ruin'd and Plunder'd it and not so contented proceeded further and took and wasted divers other Places The Town before this War contain'd above Five thousand Houses and is still large and populous being subject to the Moors who keep a strong Garrison in
Serre-Lions This River taking its course Northward of the Point of Serre-Lions is at the Mouth twelve miles broad but on the North-side half way choaked up with divers Shelves of Sand which divide it into three Channels one runs along the North-side the other in the midst but the great Channel Coasts by the South which is the deepest of all The Portugals pass onely in the two small Channels with Boats for in the third or great Channel they dare not venture Also between the Island Tasso lying in this River and the South there be many small Currents passable with little Vessels but not with great Ships Another call'd Bangue glides on the South-side of Serre-Lions into the Sea as Mitombo on the North-side so that the Mountain by these two Rivers lieth inclosed in manner of a hanging Island and maketh the prominent Point call'd The Cape of Serre-Lions as we have often said Cabo de Serre-Lions but so narrow that the Blacks take their Canoos upon their Shoulders and carry them over On both Shores of this River lie several Towns and Countreys those to the North-side are call'd Bolm which signifies Low but they on the South are in their Language named Timna On the outermost Point to the Mouth stands the Town Serboracasa and on another Point lying on a yellow sandy Bay a mile and a half distant they have the first place where the Ships which frequent this Coast take in fresh Waters The Countrey about Serboracasa is call'd Serbore Serbora extending from the Sea to the Town Bagos A mile Eastward of Serbore beginneth another Dominion Observe the Miles on these Coasts are all Spanish or Potugal either formerâ—â— mention'd or hereafter following govern'd by one Semaura an ill natur'd man and for every small trifle picks a quarrel with the King of Serbora Eight or ten Paces within the Shore is the second Watering-place The second Watering-place where the Water drills easily down the side of a little rising Ground About two miles farther lies a flat Shore full of Trees and between them a small open place through which a Brook descends from above which at low Water runs away over the Beach A Musquet-shot distance thence into the Land stands a Town where Don Andreas Brother of the King of Bolm-berre resides here the River hath a strong Current which two miles and a half upwards splits it self into three Branches one to the North-East having red Sand hath Water enough to bear great Ships but the middlemost by reason of the shallowness Shelfs of Sand and Cliffs may onely be passed with Skiffs and small Boats Three miles from the first Watering-place appears Bagos Bagos a Town seated under the shadow of a little Wood and a mile and half Eastward upon a prominent Point you see Tomby a pleasant Seat Tomby where the English usually lie with their Ships at Anchor After that the Island Tasso is seen a far off seeming to be firm Land Thirty two miles up the River lieth the Kingdom of Mitombo The Kingdom of Mitombo on whose South-side the Village Os Alagoas is scituate Os Alagoas whither the Blacks will let no White People besides the Portugals come all others they anticipate with Skiffs and Floats The Islands De los Idolos Bravas c. ALong the Coast of Serre-Lions lie several Islands particularly twelve miles and a half Southward of the Cape de Virgen those of Tamara and Veu Usvitay commonly call'd Los Idolos which West and by South from the Point appear as joyn'd to the Continent but afterwards shew themselves as they are in truth Islands which afford all sorts of fresh Provisions to the Seamen and good Tobacco The people are self-will'd and mistrustful and will not suffer any Dutchmen to come into their Towns The most advantageous Commodities vented there are Salt and Brandy to for which they have in Exchange Elephants-Teeth and Gold To the South end of Serre-Lions near the Islands Banannes appears to Ships sailing by a very high Mountain raising his Head into the Clouds call'd Machamala whereof we shall have occasion to speak more largely in a short space Near the south-South-end of Serre-Lions half a mile in the Sea lie the Islands Bravas being a high Land full of Trees the biggest having a Spring of fresh Water Five miles from hence lie on the South-East against the Point three other little Islets call'd Sombreras Between the Sombreras and Bravas is the place where Jacob le Maire in the Year Sixteen hundred and fifteen found four Rivers among which the Westermost having large Banks had depth and breadth enough for great Ships The next running in between the Trees they might stand on either side of the shore and not be able to see Land on the other thereabouts it was wild and waste without any signs of inhabiting but they saw many wild Beasts as Elephants Buffles Boars Civet-Cats and such like The third had a Bank that hinder'd the coming in of Ships Three or four miles upward lay a low Land full of Lemon-Trees whose Fruits notwithstanding it was in the time of the Rain hung most of them ripe upon the Trees The fourth was a small River within the Point of the Island Sombreras whose Water is deep and Salt where the Sea-men coming on Shore found Crocodiles Turtles and Oisters on the Trees The afore-mention'd Bay here and there hath Shole-water Furna de Sante Anna. about five six seven or eight Fathom and muddy Ground which runs between the Sombreras-Islands Easterly and Furna de Sante Anna whence come many Rivers amongst which the chiefest is Gambea Twelve miles upward of Gambea being as far as it is Navigable with small Vessels lies a Place call'd Kancho in the height of seven Degrees being very low Land whereto adjoyn some Islands ¶ THis Countrey of Serre-Lions according to the Description of Jarrick many take for the healthfullest place of all Guinee and the Air much wholsomer than that of Portugal so that seldom any die by other infirmity than that of Old Age. The same Air as Jarrick adds is much better for a mans health than in many places of Europe being neither too cold nor too hot by reason of the cool Winds which blow there continually which is worth observation considering the nearness of its scituation to the Equinoctial And truly under the favor of that Author we may question his Assertion seeing in the Summer viz. in June and July it is there dark and close rainy Weather with South and South-West Winds as also because the Rain-water in all the neighboring parts of Serre-Lions and along the Sea-Coast is of so unwholsom a quality that where-ever it falls on the bare Body it causes Swellings and Blotches on the Skin and breeds a sort of strange Worms in the Cloathes besides the River-water in April is very offensive and dangerous to drink by reason the Ground through the Summer excessive heats and the stench of
where some few Houses are erected From hence all Ships that arrive there plentifully furnish themselves both with fresh Water and Wood. Next in order comes the high Point Cabo das Palmas or Cape Palm Cape de Palm in four Degrees and fifteen Minutes North Latitude on whose Westerly Corner are three round Hills and a little farther within Land a round Grove of Palm-Trees which may be seen far at Sea from whence this Point took the Name of Cabo das Palmas Near to this in Sandy-Bay arriving Ships finde a convenient Harbour A mile Easterly of which up into the Countrey appears a long Mountain looking like double Land From the first Point of Palm Cape a ledge of Rocks shoot South South-East a mile into the Sea and before them a great Shelf two miles long between them the Tide runs very strong to the East having ten or eleven fathom Water Two miles more Eastward Gruway the Village Gruway stands seated at the end of the Grain-Coast This whole Shore is very full of Rocks for which reason the Ships which Ride there are in no little danger In February March and April here is fair and clear Weather with cooling Breezes and gentle Westerly Winds In the middle of May there begin South and South-East Winds The Air. which bring with them not onely stormy Gusts as Hericanes but also Thunder Lightning and great Rains that continue June July August September October November December and to the latter end of January During part of this time the Sun being in the Zenith or Vertical Point of the Heavens sends down its Beams perpendicular The Land here yields great plenty of Mille Cotton Rice Grain of Paradise or Melegette good Palmeto-Wine besides divers sorts of Grain especially that call'd of Paradise or Melegette The Plant that bears Melegette hath thick Leaves better than three inches long and three broad with a thick rib in the middle out of which shoot many Veins which have a Spicie-taste like those of the Seed The Fruit is but little of size cover'd with a poisonous tough Russet-colour'd or rather Pale-brown Shell and under that a Film fill'd with many smooth and pointed small Seeds white within biting as Pepper and Ginger The unripe Grains are red and pleasant in taste The greatest smoothest and Chess-nut-colour'd are the best and the blackest the worst No kind of Beasts are here wanting by which means there is all necessary Provision to be had for Seamen The Blacks in these Parts are very envious to all Strangers The kind of the Inhabitants and steal from them what ever they can lay their hands on so that it behoves all Dealers to have a circumspect eye over their Goods And in some places they must be careful of themselves for being Cannibals they eat whomsoever they can get into their power 'T FORT TACARAY ofte WITSEN and about half flood a fathom and a half deep but within very dry and narrow that it gives little advantage either to the Natives or Seamen At the West-side of it rises a Rocky and steep Hill full of Brambles and Trees but on the East-side a Sandy Bank by which as it were split it runs in two small Vills one to the North-west into the Countrey and the other North-east but as we said both dry and not Navigable Near St. Andrew's River the Sea-Coast bellies out to the South-east as far as the Red-Land Between the fourth and fifth Cliff some high Trees grow in a Valley whose edge is remarked with two little Vills the one named Tabattera the other Domera Having left behind you the Red Cliffs you come to Cape La-Hou Cape de Labou the utmost limit of this and the beginning of Quaqua-Coast which spreads it self to Assine the whole Land hereabouts low and poor over-grown with Brambles and Trees yet a mile and a half Eastwards lyeth a Village call'd Koutrou Koutrou or Katrou Five miles from this Cape stands the Village Jakke La-Hou in a very barren spot five miles farther Jak in Jakko and six miles beyond that the Bottomless-pit so call'd from its unfathomable deepness for the Seamen having Sounded with their longest Lines and Plummet could never reach the bottom This Hole is in the Sea not above a Musquet-shot from the Shore so that the Ships which come about this Pit must come to an Anchor betimes to prevent danger Three miles from this Pit on the Shore runs a small River Eastward into the Countrey From Cape de La-Hou to the aforesaid Pit the Coast spreads Eastwardly with double Land Sixteen miles Eastward bi La-Hou takes place Corbi Labou before which the Sea runs very deep for a stones cast from the Shore it has forty and fifty Fathom water Eight and twenty or thirty miles from the Cape La-Hou Assine is seated the Village Assine where the Guinny-Gold-Coast begins full of high Woods but the Land low the houses such as they are stand on the Sea-shore so that they may easily be seen in the passing by Two miles from Assine stands a Hamlet call'd Abbener or Albine Albine a little to the West of a four-square Wood. Then follows in order Taboe and two miles farther Cape Apolony Taboe being a rising ground and seeming to Sailers like three great Hills In Jernon a little Village scituate on the side of this Promontory the Netherlanders have a Storehouse All along this whole Coast grow many Palm-Trees nor is it destitute of other Conveniences yielding extraordinary variety both of Fruits and Plants The Inhabitants as we mention'd before are call'd Quaqua's because when they see any Trading-Ships approach they declare their welcome by crying aloud Quaqua These People by their Aspect seem the unseemliest of all the upper Coast but are indeed the modestest and honestest and most courteous for they esteem it a great shame either at meeting to Salute or at parting to take leave with a Kiss When they come to the Ships to Trade they put their Hands in the Water and let some drop into their Eyes by which they testifie as by an Oath their uprightness and hatred to all Cheatings or Knavish actions Drunkenness they not onely abstain from They shun Drunkenness but abominate for the avoiding which they will drink no Palmito-Wine but a smaller sort call'd De Bordon or Tombe and that also mixt with Water alledging that from Drunkenness proceed many Quarrels the two frequent occasions of Murders and other inconveniencies which are all prevented by Sobriety and Temperance The chief Merchandise to be had here Merchandise are Elephants-Teeth of a larger size than usually elsewhere but withall dearer Some Cloathes also sold here which the Europeans and other Traders from the Name of the Coast call Quaqua-Cloathes being of two sorts the one bound with five Bands or Strings the other with six from the number of the bindings giving denominations to the Places they are sold in Cape Lahou yields many of
and in a short time learned the use of it At last the King shewed them a place just without their Hutches to take their Repose in at conveniency The same Year Thirteen more sent cut to the same end on the thirteenth of November were fourteen more sent out and the next Year on the thirteenth of February twelve of them return'd the other having been kill'd by an Elephant These having been above an hundred Miles in the Countrey could find none of those People but at last by some other Negroes were inform'd That the Namaqua's were withdrawn so far that there was no likelihood to come near them that Year By which means both the said Attempts became fruitless These Namaqua's are of a great and gigantick Stature and numerous in People The Women are handsome-bodied and well-shaped but rather by Nature than Art Clothes for they are nothing curious in their Habits all going dress'd in Skins of Beasts wrapp'd about their Bodies Their Ornaments are Glass Cambayan Beads which they buy from the Portuguese about Monomotapa Kortada Bellugarins c. for Cattel The Men wear an Ivory Plate made very artificially before their Privacies and a round Hoop of the same on one Arm besides many Copper Rings Every Namaqua hath always a small handsom Stool made of Wood and Ropes hanging upon his Arm which he carries every where along with him to sit upon The Government consists in a Single Person the present nam'd Akambia Government whose three Sons are of an extraordinary Stature BRYGOUDA'S SOmewhat farther into the Countrey dwell another People call'd Brygouda's Brygouda's of whom little can be said in regard few if any Europeans ever convers'd with them Onely the Namaqua's report them very populous rich Are populous and full of Cattel beyond all that live about the Cape of Good Hope HEUSAQUA'S THe Heusaqua's lie North-West-ward from the Great Cape Heusaqua's but so far distant that little knowledge hath been gained of them and that from bare report none having ever seen their Countrey or been among them the best Intelligence hath been drawn from the Mouths of three of themselves that came to the Fort of Good Hope with the Governor Chainouqua's to sell some Cattel and returned with all convenient speed These Heusaqua's onely maintain themselves with Planting for the rest of the Hottentots neither Sowe nor Plant of a powerful Root Maintain themselves by planting the Root Dacha which they call Dacha sometimes eating it otherwhiles mingling it with Water to drink either of which ways taken causeth Ebriety When they become intoxicated therwith they play many strange and antick Tricks as if they were mad in the middle of which the Women come and strew the dried and pulverized Herb Boggoa on their Heads being of a yellow colour and strong scent and for that onely use fetch'd from the Mountains These People have great skill in the catching both old and young Lions in Snares which they make tame and lead with a Rope about their Necks like a Dog Some of their Lions which they have had along time they frequently carry to the Wars and by that means put their Enemies to flight without any resistance A thing that seems very strange yet most certainly used amongst them All the Places of Kafrarie known by the People of Europe generally lie at the Sea-coast being principally Capes Bays and Havens for Towns or Villages there are none the Savage Inhabitants contenting themselves with the homely Covert of moveable Huts after the manner of the wild Arabs This Countrey shoots very far into the South Cabo de Bona Esperanza or Cape of Good Hope shewing several Capes and Promontories amongst which the cheifest the Cape of Good Hope or Cabo de Bona Esperanza lieth in four and thirty Degrees and one and twenty Minutes South Latitude When this Point was discover'd and why so call'd we have before related The next and most Southerly Point of Africa the Portuguese call Cabo das Anguilhas Cabo das Aiguilhas or Needle-Cape the Needle-Cape or the Head of the Needle situate about twenty Dutch Miles Eastward from the Cape of Good Hope in full thirty five Degrees South Latitude It was so call'd by them from the Compass-Needle which they observ'd to stand due South and North at this Point but several late experienc'd Sea-men affirm it to vary five or six Degrees from the North West-ward Here lieth a great Shelf of Sand full of Fishes which extends eighteen Miles into the Sea beginning in the West by the Sweet River and ending in the East at the Fish-Bay Between these Points Cabo Falso or False Cape in the Height of four and thirty Degrees and a half five or six Miles Eastward of the Hope appears Cabo Falso or False Cape for Sailing out of India and making this Cape in clear Weather they mistook it for that of Good Hope by reason of its near resemblance to the same but coming nearer they found their Error This Cape may be known by three high Hills near adjoyning to each other whereof the two outermost are highest The Cape of Good Hope appears in the form of a hanging Island with a small Isthmus between two Bays joyn'd to the Main Land and contains several high and craggy Mountains of which two more remarkable the Table and the Lion-Mountain The Table-Mountain Table-Mountain or Table-Cape in Portuguese call'd Tavoa de Cabo lieth about an hours Journey from the Shore Southward of the Fresh and Salt River and hath received that name from its shape because it is flat on the top like a Table At the Salt River they climb up this Mountain by a Cliff in all other places not being ascendible by reason of its great steepness and that way asks four or five hours Labor to gain the top And this height makes it visible above ten Leagues to the Offin Against ill Weather two or three Hours before 't is so cover'd with thick Mists and Clouds that they cannot discover the top Close by Table-Mount Fragosos lie those towring Hills in a row which the Portuguese call Os Picos Fragosos The Lion-Mountain Lion-Mountain so call'd either from the abundance of Lions upon it or because it appears out at Sea like a Lion lieth somewhat more Westerly and closer to the Sea than the Table so that its Tail makes the Point at the end of the Bay Between these two appears a pleasant Valley Near the Table riseth another Wind-Mountain call'd Wind-Hill because always troubled with rough Winds Beyond these to the South you come to a Valley over-grown with Brambles other Bushes and Wood. Further up into the Countrey are some standing-Waters over-grown with Bulrushes Canes and Sedg-weeds wherein breed many Wild-fowl Geese Duck Teal Snipes and such like Along the Sea-coast several good Bays or Creeks open themselves affording convenient Havens for Ships Eighteen Miles North-West from the Cape of Good Hope lieth Soldanha-Bay
in his Name but continu'd their Dominon scarce two years before they were caught and punished whereupon Zerah of right took the Crown and Reign'd 34 Bethe-Marian his Son who died in the Year One thousand four hundred forty eight after he had held the Scepter upwards of 10 Schander that is Alexander died in the Year One thousand four hundred ninety three having Govern'd six moneths above 15 Amdezeon who died in the Year One thousand four hundred ninety three Rul'd onely six moneths  Nahu or Nahod the Brother of Alexander taken out of Mount Amara who died in the Year One thousand five hundred and seven having Reign'd 14 Then came David his Son otherwise Athanidinghil that is The Incense of Mary during whose Minority the Abyssines say his Mother Helen manag'd the State in his behalf This was that Helen who sent her Ambassador Matthias to Emanuel King of Portugal to pray his assistance against the Mammelucks and Moors Jovius writes that this King David subdu'd the Troglodites and took Casante the King of Mosambique Prisoner He vanquished and kill'd the General of the Queen of Bethsage near the Cape of Good Hope and handled the King of Congo and Torme so roughly that he compell'd him to pay a very great Tribute and gave Hostages He Fought with and got two Victories over the King of Adel or Zeila and in the Year Fifteen hundred sent four and twenty Ambassadors and Letters to Pope Clement the seventh with promise of Obedience Vignier saith he had one onely Wife Bibl. Hâ—stor and by her four Sons the eldest of whom with the Father lost his life in a Battel against the King of Zeila after he had held the Scepter 33 or 36 years Claudius his Son otherwise call'd Aznassaghet by Genebrard which signifieth He is worshipped to the utmost ends of the Earth He subdu'd the King of Adel in revenge of his Father's death and died in the Year One thousand five hundred fifty nine having Reign'd 20 years Adamas his Brother otherwise call'd Mena and by the Abyssines Adamas Saghet which signifieth Majesty he died in February One thousand five hundred sixty three after he had Reigned four years Sarsadenghil or Sarsadinghil the Son of Adamas by his own direction call'd Malak Sequet had two Brothers each of them having several Sons the King had but one and that illegitimate by Name Haste Jacob that is Lord Jacob Prince of Nerea who after his Fathers death possessed the Kingdom and continued saith Godignus seven years in the Government he endeavor'd to extirpate Christianity Whereupon a certain Prince by Name Susneos who favor'd the Professors thereof sided with them and making use of that occasion to set up his pretence to the Kingdom took up Arms against this Jacob. Till the Year Sixteen hundred and twenty eight this War continued when King Jacob wounded by the Shot of an Arrow found himself necessitated to retire to a Fort where after a few days he died leaving two Sons the one nam'd Cosme eighteen years of age the other about sixteen by Name Zaga-Christ that is to say The Treasure of God which were both then in the Island Meroe in the City Aich where usually the Children of Prester-John are Nursed and Educated The Queen-Mother Nazarena seeing this mishap in her Family arisen by the death of the King her Husband and that Prince Susneos the new King endeavoured to suppress all those whom his Predecessor had favored instantly sent her Sons notice of their Fathers death ordering them to retire from Meroe to some faithful Friends of the Emperor their late Father And to that end she sent them much Gold and rich Jewels to maintain them and to raise some Troops to revenge the death of their Father The Prince Cosmes the eldest took his way to the South towards the Cape of Good Hope the other Zaga-Christ drew Northwards with a Company of about five hundred Men to the Kingdom of Sanar his Inheritance from thence to the Kingdom of Fungi where he was nobly entertain'd by the King whose Name was Orbat a Vassal of Prester-Johns but not suffer'd to rest quiet there he was forced to withdraw being pursu'd by the Horsemen of King Susneos so close that he was necessitated to go through the sandy Desarts of Arabia but with the number of fifty Servants for all the other fearing the wearisomness of the Way left him then he came into Egypt to the City Corrigia and lastly to Grand Cair where he was well receiv'd by the Copticks and honorably entertain'd by the Bashaw for the space of two days Thence he withdrew scarce accompanied with fifteen Servants for the other remain'd because of weariness and sickness in Cair to Jerusalem into which he came at the Purification in the Year Sixteen hundred thirty and two He went out of Jerusalem but with three Servants and eight Clergy-men to Nazareth where he made Confession of the Christian Religion and after the stay of some Moneths left off all his Servants and from thence came by Ship to Rome to the Pope who gave him a Palace for his Residence where he stay'd two years and then went from thence into France and stay'd at Paris about three years and died at last at Ruel in the Year Sixteen hundred thirty eight Susneos in the Year Sixteen hundred twenty nine took upon him the Sovereignty and nam'd himself Saghed that is Worshipped of all employing all his Forces to extirpate the Stock of King Jacob And having confirm'd and setled his new-gain'd Dominion he died in the Year Sixteen hundred thirty and three and his Son Fasilatas succeeded him It is by many concluded that the Queen of Sheba by some call'd Nicaules Religion and by others Makede who came out of the South to hear the Wisdom of Solomon in Jerusalem and Commanded over these Countreys planted her Imperial Seat in the Island of Meroe having learn'd from Solomon the knowledge of the true God so that both she and her People began to embrace the Doctrine of Moses But after the encrease of Christianity they receiv'd that Doctrine first brought into Abyssine by the Eunuch of Queen Candace by Name Indich for he being Baptiz'd in the Way from Gaza to Jerusalem by Philip upon the command of the Angel as we hinted before he afterwards Baptiz'd the Queen and all the Subjects of the Countrey But after the Division of the World among the Apostles they say the Abyssines fell to St. Matthew who gather'd a rich harvest of Souls there Afterwards this People together with the Copticks receiv'd the Doctrine and Errors of Dioscorus and Eutiches and elected a Patriarch to oversee the Church who hath his chief Residence in the City of Alexandria and appoints a Substitute in Abyssine nam'd Eteche or Chomos who hath many Bishops under him The Abyssines captivated with the destructive Opinions of Eutiches and Dioscorus believe That the Souls of the Saints after their death do not go directly to Heaven
they use odd Postures and all the by-standers keep time by clapping of hands which they call Manghovah that is Keeping as if they should say they would keep time Men and Women when they have any sickness in their Eyes or Head they anoint their Faces sometimes with white sometimes with black red or yellow Colours But old Women use that kind of Painting to make them seem the more lively and youthful The Women and Maids have an observant and strict eye held over them so that a man cannot without difficulty be permitted access to them They are very diligent in Husbandry In the morning before Sun-rise Employment going to the Rice-Fields from whence they return not till Sun-set The Men cut up Canes call'd by the Indians Bambu and here Voulou which being dry'd they set on fire and then lay the ashes as Compost upon the ground to inrich it after that the Women and Girles set the Rice Grain by Grain making a hole in the Earth with a Stick into which the Grain being cast they fill it up The Seed-time as we may call it being over they sever the Rice from the Weeds and carry the ripe Corn from the Field into the Barns In the mean time while the Women are busie at their labour the Men begin in other places to cut up and burn for as soon as they see the first Sown Rice come up they set another Crop immediately so that they continually labour and have the whole year through Rice in the Leaf in the Blossom and in the Ear. The same they do with all other Dressings and Plantings Here you must take notice that the Canes or Bambu beforemention'd in burning makes so great a noise that may be heard at a great distance as if a multitude of Ordnance Muskets and Pistols were shot off together The Merchandize which the French sell to the Galemboulle Riches serveth them not for Ornament or wearing but they keep it up as a Treasure and buy Cattel with it in the Countrey of Ansianackte and the Mountains of Ambohitsmene They find little Gold among those of Galemboulle but some quantities of Silver and that reddish course and unrefin'd or of a base allay These people Religion and all the Zaffehibrahims keep the Saturday holy as we hinted before They do not acknowledge Mahomet but call all the Mahumetans Caffers they reverence Noah Abraham Moses and David but take no notice of the other Prophets nor of Christ and hold Circumcision They observe no Fasts nor have any Law or Worship neither know what it is to pray to God though nevertheless they offer Sacrifices of Oxen Cows and Goats They have no Temples or other places of Worship or Assembly but Amounouques or Burying-places of their Fore-fathers to whose memory they shew great reverence by all which they seem to have some little Reliques of Judaism They are so greatly addicted to their own Customs that they will rather die of hunger than eat of a Beast or Fowl kill'd by any Christian or one of the Southern Coast All the Children born on a Tuesday Thursday or Fryday they bring into the Woods and lay down as untimely Fruits for to perish by cold or hunger or be devour'd by the wild Beasts although sometime by one or other of the Women out of tenderness and compassion taken up and suckled Every Village hath a peculiar Lord Government in the Countrey Language call'd Filoubei who administers Justice to the People and the eldest takes upon him as a Judge to decide all differences They assist and aid one another in the Wars but if any of the Filoubei quarrel all the rest interpose as Mediators who take up and moderate the Controversie but if they will not hearken they leave them to decide it by Arms sitting neutral Spectators These people use their Slaves more like Children than what they are insomuch that they esteem them as Sons admitting them to eat at their Tables and not seldom bestowing their Daughters upon them for Wives The Hollanders have formerly frequented this Bay to buy Rice and Slaves and some years ago began to grow numerous till the unwholesomness of the Air kill'd many and the Lords of the Countrey either by open force or clandestine practises weary'd out and destroy'd the rest This is all that hitherto could be known concerning this Island at the South East and East side for from the Bay of Antongil to the North end little discovery hath yet been made by the people of Europe onely we have heard of a Territory call'd Vohemaro and in the Portugal Sea-Cards set down by the name of Boamaro inhabited by White People According to the relation of a Goldsmith whose Ancestors were the off-springs of Vohemaro In this Territory much Gold hath been found On the East Coast of this Jurisdiction appears the Bay of Vohemaro or Boamaro lying in South-Latitude It remains yet that we describe the Coast and the adjacent Countreys lying at the Mouth of the River Franshere as you pass to the West and North to the Bay of Zonghelabe so call'd by the Inhabitants but by the Europeans St. Augustin and Mansiatre The Coast of the Territory of Carcanossi to the River Mandreri BEyond the Mouth of the River Franshere to the Cape of Monkale lieth a Sandy way of four great French Leagues and from thence to the Bay of Ranoifoutchy otherwise call'd the Bay of the Galliones two Leagues Upon this Sandy Coast stand some Bushes between two Lakes call'd The Pools of Ambouve upon whose more fertiliz'd Banks grows abundance of Aloes in the Countrey phrase named Tetech Beyond Monkale and Ranoifoutchi you pass through a way call'd Mozambike but the chiefest Village call'd Italy The Bay of Ranoifoutchi hath a good coming in for a Bark or Sloop but not for a great Ship it lieth open to the South and South-East Winds the worst that blow in these Countreys never arising but accompany'd with Thunder and Tempests Five Miles from thence glides the River Mandreri upon whose Banks they make abundance of Salt with little labor and cost The Soil here cannot produce Rice by reason of the two much Sandiness but Cotton they have in abundance and Oil made of the Plant Ricinus good for many sicknesses and other uses Ever since four hundred and twelve the Portuguese had at the Bay a Habitation under a Captain of their own call'd Macinorbei by the Natives but by the Portuguese Miosignor with the addition of the word Bei that is Lord. The Territory of Ampatre Mananghare and Caremboule AMpatre hath in the East the Territory of Carcanossi with the River Mandreri between both it spreads in length by the Coast twenty French Miles in the breadth twelve from the Sea to Machicore The Countrey within hath neither Rivers nor Water onely by chance some Ditches or Ponds yet boasts an exceeding fertility being full of Wood with which the Inhabitants erect their Villages surrounded with Poles and Thorns so that it is
the other by the Turks which also come there to offer with like devotion in their way but neither of these take away any thing of what is brought there it being both reported and believ'd That he that brings nothing or will take any thing cannot come off with such their Sacrilegious Pilferings However the Knights come thither with their Galleys and take away the Gifts there left by the Christians which they carry to Sicily to the Hospital of Trepani call'd Nunciata for the maintenance of Sick as well as Poor or else to Malta The Island of Linose THe Island of Linose by Ptolomy if Sanutus guess not amiss call'd Ethuso and made African lies seven or eight Miles or according to Brevis five Miles to the North-East of Lampadouse in four and thirry Degrees North Latitude almost over against the City of Mahometa in Barbary The Circumference about five Miles but affording no convenient place to receive Shipping In the Year Fifteen hundred sixty five the Turks besieg'd Malta and Gozo with eight and thirty thousand Soldiers and a hundred ninety three Ships Galleys Galleons and Brigantines under the chief Command of the Bassa Mustapha and his Substitute Bassa Piali in this order The Turkish Forces appear'd the eighteenth of June about four or five Miles from Malta upon notice whereof from the Castle and the Old City St. Angelo a great fear possess'd the poor People in the Countrey who immediately betook themselves with what they had to the Fortifi'd Places but the Knights Soldiers and other Warlike People betook themselves to Arms. The Grand Master De Valette caus'd immediately all the Water on the Island to be poyson'd with Arsnick or Ratsbane and other appropriate Drugs and muster'd all his Forces consisting of about eight thousand five hundred Fighting Men of all Nations with one Troop of Banditi or Exiles of Cicilia who behav'd themselves very valiantly In the Night the Turks went out with a Rere-guard of five and thirty Ships and set three thousand Men on Shore by the Cape of St. Thomas who were follow'd continually by many others in Barques for their Landing in the day-time was prevented by the Marshal Copier who was drawn thither with a thousand Horse but the Grand Master commanded him at last That as soon as the Enemy was Landed he should Retreat to the Fort and sent the General of Gio with a Troop of Knights and Foot-Soldiers to impede their March. The Marshal before he had receiv'd these Orders had sent a Party of Horse under the Conduct of one Egaras to Mugaro to get Intelligence and to entrap one Turk or other in hopes to learn some News But this prevented not their coming on and making further Attempts whereby after many flerce Assaults made upon the Besiged with the loss of many of their Men the Besieged at last were reduc'd to Extremity when in a lucky Hour they receiv'd not only Comfort but fresh Courage by the coming of Don Alvaro Garcia who after a long stay provided with a good number of Ships and Soldiers came in the sight of Malta about Noon on the sixteenth of September in the year Fifteen hundred fifty six but kept till the next Break of day about the Island Comin and then he approach'd with his Fleet under Malta by a Place call'd Melekka and Landed all his Aids in less than an Hours time but went back himself with his Galleys to Sicily with promise to return again in six days Hereupon both the Bassa's gave command to Fire all the Guns against the Fort and the Island Sengle and immediately to bring them on Board the Ships and so presently forsaking their Trenches and setting their Huts on fire sail'd away with their Fleet. The Bassa's arriving at Galipolis made their Adventures known to the Grand Seignior by Letters and how that since their departure from Constantinople they had lost thirty thousand Seamen and Soldiers together The Grand Seignior receiv'd this Letter with so much discontent that he threw it on the ground and said with a loud voice That his Sword had no luck in another Mans Hand Yet notwithstanding the Bassa's were receiv'd with signs of great Honor at Constantinople with the Beatings of Drums and Sounding of other Instruments The Pope also held a Solemn Procession at Rome wherein himself in Person assisted to thank God for the Preservation and Deliverance of Malta and wish'd the Grand Master in his Letter to him of the tenth of October much Happiness with his Glorious Victory The Grand Master Valette caus'd by a Collection to be gather'd at Lyons Marseiles Lovorn Naples and on other Places Gunpowder Saltpetre Metal for casting Guns all sorts of Arms Masts for Shipping all sorts of Necessaries of Wood and Iron and other needful Things for the strengthening of the Island Moreover it was concluded for the better conveniency of the Island to build a City on the Mountain Sceberras Towards the building of this City since call'd Valette thirty thousand Escues or Gold Crowns were taken up at Interest by the Order at Palermo The Pope himself gave to that end five thousand out of his own Purse and sent thither a great quantity of Gunpowder and Saltpetre with a Master-Builder call'd Francois Laparel and offer'd the Grand Master a Cardinals Cap but he modestly refus'd the same The King of Spain gave towards this Building a Present of thirty thousand Escues the King of Portugal thirty thousand Crusadoes and the French King a hundred and forty thousand Guilders Then immediately by the command of the Grand Master all sorts of People were set to work upon the Fortifications and to scowr and cleanse the Ditches and Moats to which the Knights themselves put their helping hand And from the Castle of St. Elmo where onely before a Ditch had been there was now a Moat cut in the Rock down to the Sea The Grand Master being brought to the corner of the Bulwark St. John after many Benedictions and other Ceremonies laid the first Stone of this City Whereupon the Master-Builder Laparel kiss'd his hands and had bestow'd on him a gold Chain with a Medal which the Grand Master put about his neck Under this Stone several Gold Silver and Copper Medals were laid for an everlasting Mark and Remembrance of the Building whereof the best had this Latin Inscription Immotam Colli dedit that is He hath built the City immoveable upon a Rock On this first Stone Letters were cut which manifested the utmost danger which they endur'd in this Siege with the Happy Success and their Deliverance and likewise the Occasion and Reason of this Building with a Prayer to God and the Name of the Grand Master Valette the Founder The same Grand Master presented the City likewise with a Coat of Arms being upon a Round Scutcheon a Field Or charg'd with a Lion Gules After which Ceremony all the Guns round about were Fir'd and Gold and Silver Money Coyn'd with the Picture of the Grand Master thrown