This together with the Cold that it occasion'd and the danger of being overset which our Seamen seem'd to dread renew'd our Miseries till at last after these unlucky Adventures we arriv'd safe aboard We laugh'd at leisure at all these Accidents and set immediately to remedy our present Hunger We lay sometime longer in the Road to wait for Monsieur Dancourt who staid at Brest He arriv'd Sunday the 12th of April 1682. about Noon and we immediately made ready to Sail. About three Leagues off at Sea we met with the Ship call'd the Burning she Rode at Anchor waiting for the Tide to carry her into the Bay of Brest she carried to Guns and came from Haver to 〈◊〉 aboard Monsieur de Preuilly the Lieutenant General and was afterwards to Sail with him for the Coast of Algier We saluted her after the accustom'd manner with seven Guns Trumpets Sounding and crying three times Viâ—e le Roy. She return'd as many contrary to the General practice of the King's Ships who always give two less It appear'd that it was out of Complaisance to the Intendant who was an intimate Friend of Monsieur Dancourts and then aboard her Having return'd our thanks with three Guns we continued our Course the Wind being at North East having doubled the Cape to the West making West South West from whence we took our Point to Steer at 48 degrees 20 Minutes of the Northern Latitude and 11 degrees of Longitude But since I am not very export in the business of Pilotage I shall not for the future make any such particular recites unless they be absolutely necessary Tuesday the 21th of April we made two Vessels direct East of us by their endeavours to get the Wind of us we indg'd them to be Pirates We put our selves in a posture of Defence which no doubt prevented their coming upon us they guessing by our Countenance that they could expect from us nothing but dry Blows Sunday the 26th in the Morning we were in 32 Degrees and as many Minutes of the Northern Latitude and in 4 Degrees 13 Minutes of Longitude when we made the Cape Cautin the Coasts of Barbary and the Kingdom of Morocco being but six Leagues from Land Had the Night continued we had certainly perish'd since we took our Course for the West of Madera which was above 140 Leagues from thence Wednesday the 29th we made the Island of Ancerott one of the Seven Canaries which we left about 10 Leagues to the South-East here we were for some time becalm'd and suffer'd the scorching of excessive heats Thursday the 30th of April we were got in 28 Degrees and 30 Minutes Northern Latitude taking according to the Custom of our Nation the first Meridian from the Island of Fer having then the Grand Canary 10 Leagues from us to the North-East We went off a Fowling near a League into the Island where we staid till Night We could not come to an Anchor for want of a Wind and for the darkness of the Night which came on which made us stand off to the East and continue till three hours after Midnight opposite to Land Friday by break of day we veer'd to the Westward taking our Course to the Great Canary About half an hour after Nine we came to an Anchor in 24 Fathom Water and brought up a gray and red Sand mix'd with Coral the Town which lay South South-West is a League and half from the Road and is defended by a Castie though very mean and despicable When they perceiv'd us from off the Castle they hoisted the Flag of Spain which we Saluted with five Guns but they made no return which I believe was occasion'd by want of Powder Anchorage is extream good in this place so that they don't draw too near the Town whose approach is render'd dangerous by Rocks that lye conceal'd under Water It is Guarded by a Castle situated upon a Hill from the Insults it might suffer by any Vessels that might undertake to Attack it 'T is Inhabited by Twelve Thousand flout Islanders who are capable of making a very good Defence Our Ship Anchor'd before the Town in 18 Fathom Water It s Precincts are near a League in compass most of the Houses well built but low having not above two Stories they are all flat Roord so that no Ridge appears and one would be apt to take them for Houses so far burnt down In the day time scarce any Body appears in the Streets Though the Bishop the Governor and the Men of Quality make their Residence at Teneriff yet the See Episcopal the Tribunal of the Inquisition and the Soveraign Council which is as it were the Parliament of the seven Islands are always kept in this Capital There is here four Religious Foundations one belonging to the Dominicans one to the Franciscons the two other are the Bernardins and the Recollects These Islands who heretofore were call'd the Fortunate had that Title not without good Reason if we consider either the Goodness and Purity of the Air or the Fertility of the Soil They abound in Bread-Corn Barley Honey Beef Mutton Fowl in short with all Necessaries for good and plentiful Living They afford so large a Store of Malmsy Sack that France Spain England Holland and other places are from thence furnish'd every Year The felicity that these Islands are capable of bestowing above any others in what respects commodious Living gave some time since occasion to the Pagans belief That these were the Elizian Fields destin'd for the Habitation of the Souls of the Blessed after their separation from the Body Their Water is not proportionably good with the rest of their Commodities but they have a way to remedy it by pouring it into Vessels made in the shape of Mortars of a Stone very Porose through which being strain'd it becomes fresh and purified and consequently very wholsom Their Harvest is commonly in March sometimes in April and in several places they are double in each Year The Soil is so Redundant that I have seen a Cheriy Tree Slip produce Fruit in 6 Weeks time after it had been Grafted Flowers thrive there without requiring any manner of Industry and Oranges and Citrons are in a surprising Plenty Grand Canary as well as Teneriff and the Palme did continue some time in Idolatry after the Conquest of the Spaniards made in 1460. Ancerott Fort-Avanture Gomere and Fer did first espouse Christianity and at length the other three follow'd their example The Spaniards desiring absolutely to reduce this Country to their Obedience sent great store of the Inhabitants Slaves into Spain those that remain'd amongst them became Civiliz'd and liv'd after the manner of their Conquerors These People especially those of Grand Canary are extream Lovers of Strangers Monsieur Dancourt was very Honourably receiv'd by the Governor of the Island at whose House he was entertain'd at Dinner being conducted by Monsieur Remond Consul of our Nation who was Born at Liege and is a very honest
some that told me that there was such a sort of Trees but that they never furnish'd such prodigious quantity of Water which was spoke of Tuesday the 5th we continued our Course to the South being in 27 Degrees 40 Minutes Northern Latitude and in 360 Degrees Eastern Longitude About Six a Clock in the Evening being full South off the Grand Canary we kept East North East for about 7 Leagues Wednesday the 6th it blew so strong an Easterly Wind that the Tackling of the Top-Sail and the Main-Yard broke in pieces and the Main-Mast buckled so much that it was in danger of breaking This Wind ceas'd in a quarter of an hour afterwards and the Vessel began to be Steady and Trim. Thursday the 7th at Noon being in 20 Degrees Northern Latitude and in 28 Minutes Easter Longitude we cut the Tropick of Cancer It was not forgot in this place to keep up the Ceremony that is us'd by all Sailors they call it the Baptism 't is put in practice upon all those who never yet pass'd the Tropick See here the whole Description of it They set a great Tub of Water at the foot of the Main-Mast with a Stick laid a-cross it Then those that have been Initiated in former Voyages having Grimâ—c'd their Faces with Smut walk in Procession a-round the Deck one carrying a drawn Cut-lash another a Frying-Pan and the rest several of the Kitchen Utensils The Pilot to distinguish himself turns his Coat and Displays some tatter'd Rag instead of a pair of Colours The Procession being finish'd which is always perform'd in great State with Trumpets Sounding and Drums Beating they proceed to Baptizing of the Ship flinging several Peals of Water about the Deck till the Captain gives the Ship 's Crew some Drink-Money They go then first to the most considerable of the Ship whom they make to sit one after the other upon the Stick I already mention'd The Mob gets about him presenting a Bason to receive his Baptismal Offering holding the Cymeter a cross his Neck Then the Pilot brings his Book of Charts and makes the Patient put his Hand upon the Tropick Line and Swear to observe this Ceremony in like manner at any time for the future to those that were fresh Travellers At length they mark him with a black â—â—â—â—â—s upon the Forehead and fling a little Water upon his Head which follow'd by a Present flung into the Bason they dismiss him tho' if it be a Person of Common Rank they draw the Stick from under him Sousing him into the Tub flinging Buckets of Water upon him and thumping him at a good Rate with the Stick he sat upon There is a necessity of undergoing this Ceremony nor is an Admiral himself exempted though they use him in a more Civil manner than ordinary Friday the 8th we drew near the Coast of Barbary being at Mid-day in 21 Degrees 47 Minutes Northern Latitude the Wind blowing a fresh Gale at North North East we were satisfied that it was impossible to reach Cape-Blanc within Day-light being 4 Leagues off from Land having 28 Fathom Water with a Sandy bottom we kept our bent East South East and on Saturday the 9th about Eight a Clock in the Morning we found our selves but a League from shore We Coasted along to Cape-Blanc and Anchor'd there in 14 fathom Water to the North-West being about a League from the Point of the Cape which is according to our Account in 20 Degrees 30 Minutes Northern Latitude and 359 Degrees 10 Minutes Western Longitude When the Portuguese discover'd this Cape about the Year 1454. they gave it the Name of Cape-Blanc by reason of its barren white Sand insomuch that nothing of Green appears in view It lies almost as flat as the Sea on which Account 't is call'd the Sea of Sand. From Cape-Cantin to this place which is 300 Leagues nothing is to be seen but a Flat of Sand by the Ancients call'd The Desart of Lybia and by the Arabians Zaara It 's not Inhabited save only with Wild Beasts such as Lions Tygers Ounces Leopards and other like sort of Creatures These Desarts are bounded on the North by Mount Atlas and to the South by the Country of the Negers they are of that extent from East to West that they can't be cross'd on Horseback under the space of 50 days Over these Sands the Caravans pass from Fez to Tombut Melly Borneo and other Kingdoms of the Negers When any Storm arises in these Desarts the Sands overwhelm both the Passengers and their Camels often smothering them to Death at other times filling up the standing Pits of Water so that they perish by Thirst The Caravans for want of any beaten Track are oblig'd to make use of the Compass as tho' they were at Sea At the Point of Cape-Blanc there is form'd a certain Gulf which takes its Name from the Island which it makes and is call'd Arguin This Gulf shoots up more than 15 Leagues within Land by which the prospect of it is lost having once pass'd the Point The Portuguese had formerly a Fort in this Island where they Establish'd a Commerce with the Azoaghes Arabs or Moors who Traffick'd with them for Gold Gum-Arabick Ostridges Plumes which are there in great Plenty by reason of the abundance of those Birds 'T is said-of this Animal that they are so far destitute of Memory that they forget where they lay their Eggs and that they brood over the first they chance to meet withal I much doubted the Truth of the Report that one of these Eggs were sufficient to satisfie the Appetite of eight Men of good Stomach To the rest they bring these Merchandises from Hoden which is four days Journey into the Main Land and is the place where the Caravans arrive from Tombut Gualata and other Inland places of Lybia and the Country of the Negers These People are Disciples of the Precepts of Mahomet they never continue long settled in a place but wander in the Desarts from one part to another according as they meet with Pasturage for their Horses Camels Cattel Sheep and Goats by whose Milk they are nourished They are divided into Tribes or Lineages they own no King or Superior by any legal Right though he that has the greatest Stock is voluntarily obey'd as their Captain or Conductor Their Traffick with the Negers consists in Horses and Camels they receive for a Horse 6 8 or 10 Slaves but for a Camel only one or two may be sometimes three The Fort of Arguin was taken by the Hollanders from the Portuguese and taken from them again during the War in 1672. by Monsieur Ducas a Captain of the Royal Affrican Company He had but 120 Men in this Expedition of which he lost but three The Supine Negligence of the Dutch Governor contributed much to this easie Conquest for there had been nothing more practicable than to have prevented it Our Artillery consisted but of 6 small Pieces the largest being only an 8
troublesome Journey by Land We weigh'd Anchor the 10th of January 1683 and Sail'd for Goree we Coasted along the shore which being adorn'd with Trees of a continual Green afforded us a most engaging Prospect When he had visited all the Coasts and given his necessary Orders we return'd the lame way which took us up eight hole days I have here set down what Remarks I was capable of making during my small continuance there The People that Inhabit the Coasts from the Mouth of Senegal to that of Gamby are divided into three sorts The Geloffes the Sereres and the Barbecins they are govern'd by several little Kinglings each Absolute in his own Territories He of largest Bounds is King Amel Sovereign of the Geloffes The Name Amel is not peculiar to this Prince but it is a Name of Dignity Since all their Governments do very much resembe each other as well in respect of the People as the Country I shall content my self with this Example to make you sensible of the others The Geloffes Inhabit beyond the Mouth of Senegal as you go South till you come within 6 or 7 Leagues of Cape-Verd which contains from North to South 40 Leagues of the Maritime Coasts and from East to West 100 by Land The Country of the Sereres have for their King him whom we call Portugady by reason of a Town that belongs to him and bears this Name Jain is his Name of Dignity It contains 10 or 12 Leagues along the Coast and extends it self almost an hundred by Land The Kingdom of Barbecins otherwise Jouall for the same reason as I have alledg'd of Sereres is govern'd by King whose Name I cannot call to mind he has no larger Territories than the former with whom he often wages War Besides these three People there are a sort of Portuguese they are so call'd since they descended from them who first Inhabited these Coasts after their first Discovery The Negresses whom they espous'd brought forth these kind of Mule men from whom there comes a Race still more swarthy They may also be Fugitives from Cape-Verd or from Cacheau another Colony of that Nation upon one of the Branches of the River Gamby distant three days Journey As they have follow'd the Religion of their Ancient Masters they are partly Jews partly Catholicks they carry a great pair of Beads about their Necks there are none of any greater Rank than others they are great Cheats and very Malicious having all the Vices of the Portuguese and not one of their good Qualities All these parts in general are Sandy and Barren the Heat is more violent in the Month of January than it is in July or August in France It Rains in the same manner as I have already said when 〈◊〉 spoke of Senegal The Country is well Peopled and is very Woody They begin at the end of June to Cultivate their Land and Sow their Seed some small while after the Rains have ceas'd Their Harvest falls our in September so that in three Months time they prepare their Land Sow and Gather in This makes the Richness of the Soil apparent which notwithstanding its Sterility and their Natural Laziness produces them great store of Grain I mean their Mill. Their way of labouring their Earth is odd and pleasant They get four or five together in the Field which they call Cougan or Courgar and so with a little round Iron Shovel something larger than ones Hand set in a Stale of Wood they break up the Earth which they fling before them not entring the Swerd of the Ground above three or four singers breadth each having a Pipe constantly in his Mouth If they Work one hour they 'l besure to Chat two for it When the Ground is so order'd they Sow it as they Sow Pease in France and never take care to lay by any Store They are for the most part so Lazy that they don't gather half enough to serve them living in the mean time upon a black Root which is dry'd till it afford no manner of savour and upon another call'd Gernotte whose taste is something like that of a Wall-nut If by chance their Harvest miss and they are left destitute of a Crop they even dye of Hunger It is not five Years since the like misfortune happen'd to them being seduc'd by the promises of a Marabon which is the name of their Priests He was of the Azoaghes or Arabs of which I have already spoken Under pretence of Religion he possess'd himself of all the Country betwixt Cheyratick to Sereres telling them That he was inspir'd by Heaven to revenge the Tyranny of their Kings He promis'd Miraculous Forces to prove his Vocation and above all to make their Land bring forth a plentiful and voluntary Harvest without giving them any trouble of bestowing their Labour This Promise suiting well with their idle temper tickled their Imaginations at a strange rate so that almost all of them especially those of the Kingdom of Damel espous'd the Cause of this Impostor Their King was Depos'd and all their Neighbours Pillag'd in this Revolt they liv'd in daily expectation of this Miracle and waited two Years looking for their Mill but to no purpose At length they began to Eat one another for want of Sustenance and afterwards were oblig'd to surrender themselves Slaves Process of time convinc'd them of their folly and madness so they drove away their Tyrant and restor'd Damel to his Estate At present they will allow no more Marabous in their Country but make Slaves of all they can lay their hands on Besides their Mill they have black and white Beans very like our French Beans and Melons full of an insipid Juice Of this sort of Grain they make that which they call Couscouse in Arabs and Laguere in their Language which is their ordinary sort of Food The Fruit which we call Bananes and in the Canaries Adam's Apples are very plentiful amongst them They feed Cattle and Goats and those amongst them which have the largest Stock are of the greatest Repute Their Beefs are no larger than a Calf of eight or nine Months old in France which I suppose is occasion'd by their great Droughts for all along the Banks of the River Senegal which affords good Pasturage they are as large as in Europe There are great store of Palm-Trees of which I observ'd three several sorts The one resembles the Date-Tree the other like them we have in France the third is a sort of Latanier As for that which bears the Coco there is none of that kind here By Incisions which the Negers make in these Palm-Trees a Liquor is Distill'd of a Pearl colour which they call Palm-Wine 't is sweet and palatable to be made use of the first day it entoxicates and loses its gust every day growing sowrer than other the older it is the more it affects the Head Each Tree may produce three Pints of Liquor it is generally made use of for the Regaling of
Coringue which is nearer to Cape-Verd and is dependant of Joualle 't is there they drive the greatest Commerce In going up about seven or eight Leagues we meet with the River Bresaline whose Mouth is very large filled with sand Beds which prevents the Entrance of Conves Shalops or little Barques nor do they drive any great Traffick here this Kingdom affording no manner of Varieties However the Portuguefe do here paronase both Salt and Victuals Upon the same Coast two Leagues higher is the River Gambie which has two Passages for Vessels the one to the North and the other to the South where Ships of Five Hundred Tun may easily enter You must first sound the Passage with a Shalop for fear of striking upon the Sands having entred you meet withal towards the North the Kingdom of Barra whose King lives a quarter of a League from Sea The People and Inhabitants are called Mandingues for the most part Mahometans The Island Chiens to which you may go dry Foot at low Sea is right over against it in the River The French did formerly inhabit it but they had their Throats cut by the Negers afterwards it was not inhabited being of no Consequence The Flouppes Negers of which I shall speak anon are just in the Entrance upon the South Point Six Leagues farther up the River to the North is the Village call'd Albroda where the French had formerly a Warehouse The English have one at a Village call'd Zeelfray which is a League higher on the same Shoar They have also a Regular Fort in the Island over against it which is not above half a quarter of a League about built upon a Crusty and Gravelly Rock This Fort has above Fifty Pieces of Cannon mounted which are of no great use for want of Men to Manage them they are forc'd to fetch all their Water and their Wood from the main Land These are they who have the best share of all the Trade that is made up this great River which chiefly consists in Neger Slaves Ivory and Wax It is Navigable above Two hundred Leagues A Description of the River Zamenee THE River Zamenee is Inhabited by many sort of Negers those at its Mouth towards the North call themselves Floupes People extreamly Savage with whom no Nation have any Commerce They are all Pagans having every one his God according to his particular Inclinations one worships a Bullocks Horn another a Beast or a Tree to whom they Sacrifice according to their manner Their Dress is like those of Cape-Verd and the Inhabitants of the River Gambie which consists in a piece of Cotton Cloath striped according to the Custom of the Country which barely covers their Privities They have no Succession of Kings the most absolute and most powerful amongst them Commands They Cultivate their Land in pretty good Order which they sow with Millet and Rice Their Riches consist in Bulâ—â—â—ks Cows and Goats of which many have great quantities They possess from the River Gambie about 6 Leagues into the Land Their Villages are well Peopled distant from each other about a quarter of a League The Negers or Flouppes that Inhabit the Mouth of the River towards the South are Barbarous and very Cruel when they can catch any white Men they give them no manner of Quarter and they say they eat them These are in Possession all along the Coasts to the Village nam'd Boulol which is at the Entrance of the River St. Domingue This Coast is much better Peopled than that of Gambie The Villages are distant from each other near two Leagues and from the Sea about a quarter of a League About seven or eight Leagues farther the Tide makes a little Brook which goes up to the Town of Jam where several Portuguese make several quantities of Wax which they sell and traffick by Land at Gambie and at Cacheaux The adjacent Countries are inhabited by Negers which are called Bagnons These have a King who lives about 12 or 13 Leagues off Sea Description of the River of St. Domingue THE River of St. Domingue is situated from East to West it winds above Two hundred Leagues in length 't is also inhabited by different sorts of Negers and by the Portuguese who have there several Towns At its Entrance to the North there is a Fort belonging to the Portuguese guarded with four Pieces of Cannon and commanded by a Serjeant and four Soldiers Four Leagues upwards on the same Shoar near the Village of Boulot is the little River Linguin which loses it self nine or ten Leagues within Land They are the Negers Bagnons that possess it and cultivate the Lands They are all Idolaters and worship Forests or great Woods and in them many Thieves whom they stand in great dread of The Village of Quongain is directly at its Entrance where abundance of Portuguese and Gourmets inhabit who make there great store of Wax The River Bougind is on the same Coast about three Leagues beyond where the Tide comes which disperses it self twelve or fifteen Leagues within Land inhabited by the same sort of People who as I have told you traffick altogether with Wax 'T is the ordinary passage to go from Cachoar to Jam. At the Entrance of the River St. Domingue on the South is a large Wood which they call Matteformose 'T is a Village inhabited by the Flouppes more familiar than those I before mentioned with whom they traffick for Slaves and Victuals above all they have great store of Rice Going up the River about two Leagues you meet with a small River which is not Navigable which separates the Flouppes from the Papels The Papels are also Heathen Negers all Idolaters as the former They have a King who dwells about five or six Leagues from them When any Considerable Person dies they Sacrifice Bullocks Cows Kids and Capons to their Gods who are for the most part one or more Trees or a Bullocks Horn or such like things In the same district about four Leagues higher you meet with the Town called Cacheau in possession of the Portuguese who have there three Forts the chief of which may have about ten or twelve Pieces of Cannon and the other two about two or three each A Captain-Major has the Government who depends upon the Governor of the Islands of Cap-Verd They are every year Recruited with thirty or forty Portuguese Soldiers who are generally banished Criminals they supplying the Places of those who die for want of good Nourishment by Necessity or by an over addicting themselves to Women 'T is for them a sort of Exile which however is somewhat supportable They may have in the Town two or three hundred Inhabitants the generality of them are Mulaters the rest are their Wives and Concubines There is in the Town a Receiver of the King's Customs from the Ships that come to Traffick there who pay ten per Cent. both coming in and going out together with a Writer who holds the Place of both Notary and Sheriff