him good success the Blacks do him a kind of Homage lying down upon both Knees clapping their hands and kissing the King's Hand the Portuguese sit kneeling upon one Knee and so the Priests and Clergy by that humble posture acknowledging his Soveraignty After the eight days past the King appears in the Market and makes a Speech to the People expressing his readiness for the performing of that which was propounded to him with assurance to them that he will seek nothing more than the quiet and welfare of his Kingdoms and Subjects and the propagating of the Christian Faith The People of Congo take the Oath of Fidelity to their King like other Christians but forget it quickly Murdering him upon any sleight occasion either by Insurrections or Treason so that within these forty or fifty years they have had many Kings for if all things go not to their minds or if it Rains too much or too little or if any other accident happens the King bears the blame The Earl of Songo the most Potent in all Congo was subject to this King but considering the Woods of Findemguolla which surrounds his Countrey like a Bulwark he fortifi'd it and made it almost impregnable so casting off the Yoke he will not acknowledge the King of Congo for his Soveraign but onely as a Friend of Songo Formerly this Earl before the taking of the City Lovando St. Paulo by the Netherlanders in the Year Fifteen hundred forty and three by instigation of the Portuguese would have burnt their Ware-houses but that he was afterwards prevented and his anger aswaged This Province of Songo yields Copper There is Copper in Sougo much better than that of Congo and some Cotton but they Vend little of it In the Year sixteen hundred thirty six Wars between the King of Songo and the Earl of Souho the King of Congo Don Alvares the second of that Name for some cause given by the foremention'd Earl with a great Company of Men and the assistance of a Company of eighty Portuguese Soldiers of Lovando St. Paulo drew into the Field But the Songo's by a sudden Sallying out of the Wood The Overthrow of the King of Congo routed the King's Army and took him Prisoner so that for his release and restoration to his Kingdom he was forced to give to the Earl two Territories the one a Principality call'd Mokata a great Land of Tillage lying where the River Zair bordereth nearest to Songo Yet afterwards the Quarrel was renew'd and Forces on both sides drawn into the Field A second Overthrow and the Controversie coming to be decided by the Sword the King lost the Day and together with it many Slaves These two Victories exceedingly puffed up the Earl It was imputed to the King as a great miscarriage that this last he drew into the Field with a small Force whereas he hath innumerable People under his Command but this oversight he quickly amended and hath taken severe revenge of the Songo's for the Losses formerly received But this kept them not long quiet A new War for the old Earl being dead in the Year Sixteen hundred forty and one there arose a new and bloody War between the King and the Earl Don Daniel du Silva arising upon this ground When after the Decease of Don Michael who Rul'd about the Year Sixteen hundred and six his Son the foremention'd Don Daniel du Silva could not come to succeed because a Faction rais'd against him was too strong he fled to the Duke of Bamba in whose Court he remain'd a long time but at last by the help of his Confederates got the possession of his Inheritance and burning with revenge for his sufferings and disgrace he gave occasion of Quarrel by refusing to request of the King of Congo according to the old Custom the confirmation of his Possessions first accusing him as one that had a hand in his long Expulsion and therewithall adding that the Election of his Subjects did enough confirm him in his Government and therefore he needed no other The King of Congo enraged hereat and accounting it a great dis-reputation and diminution to his Royal Authority to be so Bearded as a manifestation of his high displeasure placed his Son the Prince Don Alphonso in the Principality of Makata formerly given as we have said to the Earl of Songo for releasing of the King Don Alvarez giving him in charge not onely to keep it but from thence to make War upon the Earl Hereupon Discontents daily growing on the King of Congo raised a great Army which he gave to Don Alphonso who therewith invaded Songo and using all the extremities of War both against his Countrey and Subjects But the Songo's a very Warlike People in the Year Sixteen hundred forty and five the nine and twentiteth of April in a Pitch'd Battel defeated and put to flight the King's Army and took the fore-mention'd Prince of Mokata together with many Grandees Prisoners and according to the Custom of the Countrey chopt off all their Heads onely he kept Alphonso Prisoner being his Cousin and would not suffer him to depart from him The King by this overthrow provoked more than ever to take revenge raised in the following Year so great a Force that he doubted not therewith to over-run the whole Earldom at once Of this Army consisting of almost all the Nobility together with three or four hundred Moulatto's the Duke of Bamba was made General and therewith drew near to the Borders of Songo but was unawares fall'n upon by an Ambuscade out of the Wood Emtinda Guola on the last of July and his Army not onely totally defeated A third Overthrow but the Duke himself necessitated to yield to the Earl some Places and Countreys The Duke of Bamba taken Prisoner before wrested from him for the release of Prince Alphonso his Son Who was no sooner come home in safety but the Congo's inclin'd to the old revenge and not being able to digest the disgrace began new Quarrels which quickly broke forth into a great flame During this War the King sent Ambassadors with Letters to Brazile to Grave Maurice Ambassadors sent both from Congo and Songo to Brazile who had the Government of that Countrey for the States of Holland together with many Slaves for a Present to the Council and two hundred more with a Gold Chain to Grave Maurice himself Not long after their arrival came thither also three Ambassadors from the Earl one of which was Shipt from thence to Holland to the States the two other required of Grave Maurice that he would give no Assistance to the King of Congo which in some manner he hearkned to and to that end wrote Letters to their Governors in Congo and Angola not to intermeddle in the Wars of these two Princes for that they were both in League with the Hollanders Afterwards the King and the Duke of Bamba the second time sent Ambassadors to Grave
able to Intitle You Emperor of the Vniverse Your Thundring Soverdigns already Commanding the Sea and Royal Standards by Land fixt in Possession in the four Regions thereof rather by Your Example at Home and Mediation abroad Reconcile those Ruffling Princes that delight in War setling them in Leagues of Amity for which so great a Blessing may they You being the best of Gods Vicegerents on Earth Crown also the King of Peace a second Augustus whose Piety and Prudence hath once more shut up the Temple of Janus binding in Perdurable Fetters Bloody and All-destroying War for ever Your Sacred Majesties Most humble Most obedient Servant and loyal Subject JOHN OGILBY THE PREFACE ENtering upon so great a Work being no small Concern in my Territory of Business I suppose it proper never Apologizing heretofore by way of Preface to give you a brief Review of all my former Endeavors so leading you on to this present Occasion Many years are past with various Revolutions since in the first Fluctuations of the late Grand Rebellion I being left at leisure from former Imployments belonging to the quiet of Peace wherein I was bred in stead of Arms to which in parties most began to buckle I betook my self to something of Literature in which till then altogether a Stranger And drawing towards the Evening of my Age I made a little Progress bending my self to softer Studies adapted to my Abilities and Inclinations Poesie And first Rallying my new rais'd Forces a small and inconsiderable parcel of Latin I undertook no less a Conquest than the Reducing into our Native Language the Great Master and Grand Improver of that Tongue Virgil the Prince of Roman Poets and though I fell much short in this my vain Enterprise yet such and so happy prov'd the Version and so fairly accepted that of me till then obscure Fame began to prattle and soon after I forsooth stood forth a new Author and so much cheer'd up with fresh Encouragements that from a Mean Octavo a Royal Folio Flourish'd Adorn'd with Sculpture and Illustrated with Annotations Triumphing with the affixt Emblazons Names and Titles of a hundred Patrons all bold Assertors in Vindication of the Work which what e're my Deserts being Publish'd with that Magnificence and Splendor appear'd a new and taking Beauty the fairest that till then the English Press ever boasted Yet this first Endeavour rais'd my Reputation no farther than to be accounted a Good Translator a Faithful Interpreter one that had dabled well in anothers Helicon but I greedy of more having tasted the sweetness of a little Fame would not thus sit down but ambitious to try my own Wing endeavor'd to Sore a little higher The most Antient and Wisest of the Grecian Sages who first led us through a Vocal Forest where Beasts also spake and Birds sat Chanting in every Tree Notes for Men to follow Aesop the Prince of Mythologists became my Quarry on his plain Song I Descanted on his short and pithy Sayings Paraphras'd raising my voice to such a height that I took my degree amongst the Minor Poets My next Expedition with Sails a Trip and swoln with the Breath of a general Applause was to discover Greece that there I might from Homers own hand the King of Pernassus receive plentifully at the Fountain-Head staining Draughts of the brisker Hypocreen in which I had a double Design not onely to bring over so Antient and Famous an Author but to inable my self the better to carry on an Epick Poem of my own Composure whose Iliads with much Cost and Labor at last finishing being Dedicated to His Sacred Majesty and Crown'd with His Gracious Acceptance I maintain'd my Post loosing no ground of former Reputation Soon after being order'd by the Commission of Triumphs to Banquet His Majesty at the Cities cost with a Poetick Entertainment Marching with His Train of Nobles through His Imperial Chamber to His Corronation at Westminster the Argument being great seeming almost impossible to set forth the Dear Affections and unexpressible Joys of all His Loyal Subjects especially of His Metropolis London at His so Happy Restauration and that the Glory of so Bright a Day the most Splendid that e're this Nation saw should not close with the Setting-Sun but appear a shining Trophy to Posterity I at my own proper Cost and Pains brought it to light once more in a Royal Folio containing the whole Solemnity the Triumphal Arches and Cavalcade delineated in Sculpture the Speeches and Impresses Illustrated from Antiquity and Dedicated to His Majesty of which some and but a few escaping the late Conflagration remain'd But whilst I busied my self thus neither sparing Cost nor Pains to dress and set forth my own Volumns with all the Splendor and Ostentation that could be I thought it also Religious and the part of a good Christian to do something for Gods sake to adorn in like manner with Ornamental Accomplishments the Holy Bible which by my own sole Conduct proper Cost and Charges at last appear'd the largest and fairest Edition that was ever yet set forth in any Vulgar Tongue Next in order to the compleating of Homer I fell upon his Odisses which Dedicated to his Grace the Duke of Ormond then His Majesties Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to whom in that Kingdom in the late miserable Distractions I was a Servant he kindly accepting thereof Then being restless though weary of tedious Versions and such long Journeys in Translating Greek and Latin Poets Works asking no less than a Mans whole life to accomplish I the better to feed my Fancy with variety of Objects a second time betook my self to Aesop where I found such Success that soon I seem'd to tread Air and walk alone becoming also a Mythologist not onely Paraphrasing but a Designer of my own Fables and at last screw'd my self up to a greater height finishing two Heroick Poems viz. The Ephesian Matron and The Roman Slave which Volumn a most Worthy and Illustrious Person the Earl of Ossery vouchsafed to Patronize and although a Second Part met with a Fate not common to be esteem'd equal with the former Thus elevated by the Success of these my last heightned Essays I thought it time to go on having fitted Materials both Historick and Poetick with my long intended Edifice my own great Fabrick an Epick Poem already divided into twelve Books some almost finish'd call'd CAROLIES from our Miracle of Hero's Charles the First being the best Pattern of true Prudence Valor and Christian Piety of whom though too late and too unworthy to be affix'd to his Herse out of the abundance of my Zeal and Loyalty to so matchless a Worthy I hope there may be indulgence for the placing these Lines which may remain to Posterity in the Portal of this Great Work Mirror of Princes Charles the Royal Martyr Who for Religion and His Subjects Charter Spent the best Blood Injustice Sword e're dy'd Since the rude Souldier Pierc'd our Saviours side Whose Sufferance Patience
Alarbs who pay nothing but by Compulsion For this Oppression and Tyranny they are generally hated and the people certainly knowing the time of their coming oftentimes break up their Tents and drive all their Cattel before them into the Mountains where the Convenience or Strength of the Place gives them hope to have an opportunity of avoiding their Cruelty These Marches are contrived always to begin in Harvest but if it happen they can get neither Money nor Coyn they secure themselves by taking their Cattel and Corn and sometimes their Children All the gather'd Tributes are brought to Algier and a particular Accompt thereof given in the Divan Some perhaps at first hearing may wonder how one of these Troops at most not above three hundred strong can so easily run down the whole Countrey but his own recollected thoughts will easily rectifie him when he shall consider the one are ignorant of Martial Discipline and that breeds in them a want of courage neither know how to manage those few Arms they have whereas the other are compleatly arm'd well disciplin'd and daily exercis'd in the Wars The Register or Secretary of the Divan hath the Command or Check of those Troops of whom he always hath a List or Muster-Roll by which knowing every mans Quality and Service he accordingly puts him upon Duty And when they go out to fetch Contribution though they be all Foot-Souldiers yet are they allow'd Horses as well as their Officers onely with this difference the Commanders have Slaves to look to their Horses which the others may not When they draw out of Algier they Rendezvouz about the City lying in Tents till they meet together But when they march they commonly have their Allowance of Bread with a little Oyl Vinegar Rice and Couscous What other Provisions they will have they must buy with their own Money but that they take no great care for as well enough knowing how to fetch Victuals abundantly from the Arabs and Moors The greatest gain those Companiess make ariseth from the Ostridge Feathers they bring from the Wildernesses in the South which upon their return they sell very dear As to the Corsairs or Pyrates the best account that can be given of them is from the great number of their Ships wherewith they put to Sea which amount to thirty five in all A List of which with the Names of the present Commanders as they were in the Year 1668. and what each Ship carries in her Stern with the number of Guns we have here inserted as followeth  Guns CAptain Tegue Admiral The Tyger 44 Usten Usiph The Palm-Tree with two Bucks 32 Caramis A White Horse with a Moon in his Back 30 Tabuc Rais A White Horse 32 Maned Segma A Gilt-Lime-Tree 36 Ben Alle Rais A Lime-Tree 32 Birham Cololy A Gilt Sun 40 Bischew a Dutch Renedago A Moor Gilt 38 Dochier Hoggi A Gilt Star 30 Alli Rais Trego The Shepherds 36 Alli Rais Vento The Oak 32 Alli Rais a Spanish Reneg A Gilt Rose 34 Buffone Ray a Dutch Reneg The Seven Stars 36 Rais Elleway A Gilt Flower-pot 30 Mustapha Rais an English Reneg A Green Serpent 28 Regient Rais A Half-Moon Gilt 32 Mustapha Rais a Dutch Reneg An Antelope 30 Mustapha Baris The Palm with two Lions 28 Regient Rais a Savoyard A Half-Moon 14 Montequera A Moon with two Cypress-Trees 20 Mustapha Rais a Genouese Reneg with two Lions 26 Cornetto a French Reneg A Dolphin Gilded 16 Le Madam Wynkes Reneg A Lion with a Hand 32 Two Satees two Gallies 14 Six Ships on the Stocks from 26 to 40 Guns 236 Two Tartans ready to be Launch'd  This is the Number and Quality of their Strength at Sea with which they do infinite Robberies besides the vaste numbers of Christians which they reduce into a miserable Slavery Gramay in his time reckon'd their number to above thirty thousand but that we may well suppose to exceed Nor is it an easie matter to make a certain Calculation But if they were much fewer than they are yet were it a Meritorious Work for any or all Christian Princes and States to unite to unroost that Den of Thieves whose inhumane Cruelties merit nothing but utter destruction And although since the before-mention'd Defeat of Charles the Fifth Emperor no great Attempt hath been made upon them yet lately in 1669. Charles the Second of Great Britain c. a Squadron of His Majesties Ships under the Command of Sir Thomas Allen lay before the Place declaring War against them and seiz'd two Barques and a Galliot with about seventy Turks burning another in the Haven ¶ THese Advantages and in truth all other their Wealth coming in by the Souldiers make them to be so highly esteem'd that it is Death to strike one of them nor are they liable to the Censures or Punishment of any Officer but their own Aga. And notwithstanding they consist of all Nations as English French Spanish Italian Germans Dutch and others yet are they so well govern'd and live in such unanimity that very seldom a quarrel is heard of among them As to other particular Singularities in this Kingdom we will give a particular Account thereof in its proper place ¶ THis Countrey in the time of Juba that Sided with Pompey against Caesar was very potent and a terror to its Neighbors But this flourishing Greatness at length decay'd the Dominion sometimes resting in Constantine other whiles in Bona and lastly in Tremecen from whence wrested by the Mahumetan Moors and Arabians and Barbary divided into several Kingdoms as at this day In the Year One thousand five hundred and ten Ferdinaud King of Spain besieges Algier Don Pedro of Navarre having subjected the Cities of Oran and Bugy to his Master Ferdinand King of Spain reduced Algier to such extremity that finding themselves not able to withstand him they submitted to Selim Eutimi the Great Prince of the Alarbes who had always liv'd in the Campaignes about Algier under whose Protection they made it their whole work by perpetual Incursions to infest the Coasts of Spain Majorca Minorca and the other Islands whereupon Ferdinand sent a powerful Fleet to destroy Algier The Citizens seeing such a Naval Force ready to fall upon them submitted to the King of Spain obliging themselves to pay an Annual Tribute However the Spaniard built a Castle in the City wherein was always two hundred Souldiers and great store of Ammunitions and Provisions whereby he kept both Pyrates and Citizens in awe which continued as long as Ferdinand liv'd But Divine Justice at length gave a check to these Successes by his Death for in the Year 1517. by the Marquess of Comares who was march'd out of Oran against him in the behalf of the dispossessed King of Telensin with ten thousand Christian Souldiers at a Passage of the River Huexda he together with Fifteen hundred Turks were kill'd After his Death his Brother Cheredin Barbarossa was chosen King by a general Consent who
Cities near the Atlantick Henry Duke of Viseo yongest Son of Henry the I. encourag'd by this good Success resolved to make this his Business and sparing no Cost invited from Spain and Italy expert persons for his purpose skilful in Navigation and Mathematical Sciences by whose help and diligence in 1420. he found Madera in 28. the Isle * These Names were all given by the Portugees at their first Discovery of the places Porto Sancto in 40. Cape de Verd and in 52. the Coasts of Guinee After this Prince laid open thus a new Way for Discoveries having gotten the honor to be the first that made the Portugees Sea-men being of a great Age he dyed in 1463. after whose death those Seas lay fallow twenty years which King John the Second afresh furrowed then up again and first discovered Angola and Congo St. Georges Isle conducted by Diego Cou in 1486. next year resolving to try further hoping to sayl round Africa and so finde a new Way to the East-Indies and assisted by Bartholomew Diar passing Cape Verd first found the Princes Isle thence steering South-ward reach'd the Great Southern Cape from thence either daunted by cross Windes rough Seas or mutinous Mariners they returned leaving the honor of this Great Enterprize to the fore-mentioned Vasques de Gamma for which imploy'd by Emmanuel King of Portugal after the Discovery of St. Johns Isle and St. Hellens he attempted the same Cape which Diar durst not then first calling it Cabo de Bona Esperanza there being first encouraged with hopes of finding the much desired way to the East-Indies Thence doubling this Great Point they steer'd northward Africk on their * The Left hand or north-side Larboard reaching the Coasts of Quiloa Mozambique Mombara and Melinde contracting an Amity with the Melindian King by whose assistance he found the Port Caliculo in the East-Indies from thence returning with unexpressible Joy and eternal Honor to Lisbon in 1500. The next year after Alvares Capralde with twelve Ships and fifteen hundred men prosecuted the Design but suffering Shipwrack on the Coast of Brazil desisted but the following year the former Vasques and his brother Stephen reassum'd the Undertaking with greater zeal and vigour afterward by Ferdinand Almeida and Alfonso de Albukerque and so from time to time by several of that Nation and last of all by the English and Hollanders By this means the Moderns were exactly informed of the particulars of Africa when the Ancients knew no more than the Limits of the Roman Empire and some parts belonging to Egypt hearing strange Stories of Beasts and Monsters whence arose this Adage Africa semper aliquid apportat novi Strange Monsters Africk always breeds ¶ THe Romans divided this Region into six Provinces The Roman Division first the Sub-Consulship in which were Carthage and Tunis called properly and especially by them Africa Next the Consulship of Numidia wherein was Cyrte now Constantine Bysacena being a part of that proper Africa which contained Adrumetum last the Tripolitan Consulship Tripoly being the Head City and two Mauritania's one Imperial containing Algier and Telesin the other Mauritania Tingitana the Realms of Morocko and Fez and Egypt which they also possess'd and these Inhabitants made no further discovery than what was known before so pinching up Africa that all was comprehended within Barbary excepting Egypt and some fragments of Numidia yet Plinie though a Roman mentions many other Nations as the Murri subdued by Suetonius Paulinus and Garamantes by Balbas the Romans also possessed Cyrenaica which they joyned to Creta Mela bounds Africa with the Nile and so also Dionysius scarce mentioning farther than Mauritania Numidia and Cyrenaica placing Egypt in Asia Strabo so shrinks Africk that he pities their ignorance that made it a third part of the World saying that Africa joyn'd to Europe would not both quadrary with Asia but Ptolomy knowing further did better swelling it to twelve Provinces as the two Mauritania's Numidia Cyrenaica Marmorica the inward and proper Lybia upper and lower Egypt Ethiopia under Egypt inward or south Ethiopia For by his Maps may be plainly seen that what lyes five or six degrees beyond the Equator he knew nothing of saying expresly that 64 degrees under the Southern Elevation were all Terrae Incognitae so the Ancients did not what they should in its Description Marmol p. 1. l. 2. cap. 2. 3. but what they could they contracting its Limits much more than Ptolomy taking Egypt and all betwixt the Nile from Africk conferring it on Asia Leo Africanus their most Eminent Author and curious Searcher of his Native Countrey in 1526. boasted that he had been through all yet makes no more than four Provinces as Barbarie Numidia or Biledulgerid Lybia and Negro-land giving Nile for its bounds not the Arabian Gulf with the Streights of Sues to the Mid-land Sea so bestowing a great part of Egypt upon Asia Eastward and as Marmol says not once mentioning upper Ethiopia or Abyssine nor the nether nor many other places discovered by the Portugues since besides all that is now called New Africa extending from the sixteenth degree of Northern Latitude to the Great Southern Cape discovered by Vasques de Gamma ¶ THe most apt and usual Division of Africk Africa as now divided with the unanimous consent of late Geographers is as we shall here in a short Survey present ye The Main Land not reckoning the Isles they divide into * Provinces seven Parts Egypt Barbarie Biledulgerid the Desart Sarra Negro-land Inner or Upper Ethiopia or Prester John and the Outward or Nether Ethiopia Egypt is divided into the Upper Middle or Lower Barbarie makes six Divisions as the Kingdoms of Fez Marocco Tunis Tremesa and Dara and Barka onely not Monarchical Biledulgerid contains three Realms Targa Bardoa and Gaoga The Land of Locusts and four Wildernesses Lempta Haire Zuenziga and Zanbaga the Desart Sarra makes no Division Negro-land boasts nineteen Kingdoms Gualate Hoden Genocha Zenega Tombuti Melli Bittonnin Guinee Temian Dauma Cano Cassena Bennin Zanfara Guangara Borno Nubia Biafra and Medra Upper Ethiopia makes also nineteen Dafela Barnagasso Dangali Dobas Which seven Regions contain in all fifty Kingdoms and but one Re-publick Trigemahon Ambiaucantiva Vangue Bagamadiri Beleguance Angote Balli Fatigar Olabi Baru Gemen Fungi Tirut Esabella and Malemba Nether Ethiopia contains Congo Monomotapa Zanciber and Ajan The Isles belonging to Africa in the Straights are Malta opposing Tripoli Islands belonging to Africa in number twenty four in the Ocean Porto Sancto the Maderas Canaries the Isles of Cape de Verd or the Salt-Islands the Isles of Ferdinando Poo the Princes Island St. Thomas St. Matthews Ascension Anbon St. Helens the Isle of Martin Var Tristan de Cunha the Island Dos Pikos St. Marie de Augosta and the Trinity all which lye west from the Main Land Northward from the Cape of Good Hope and towards the East of Africk are the Isles of Elizabeth
third in Italy and a fourth in Crete built after the ananner of the Egyptian to whose former Description take this addition It was all of square polish'd Stone every side three hundred foot broad fifty foot high upon a square base It had five Pyramids one at each Corner and one in the Middle of a hundred and fifty foot with such a top as hath a Brazen Orbe upon it and one covering lay'd over them all from which hung down Bells in Chams which stir'd by the winds made a sound afar off upon which Orbes there were four other Pyramids a hundrod scot high and other things this is delivered from Varro by Pliny lib. 36. cap. 13. Mysterious Temple or Labyrinth of theirs which had so many Rooms and with-drawing Apartments in it But later Writers say that since the Mahumetans conquer'd Egypt they made but three divisions the first call'd in Arabick Nahar Alleriffe or Erriffe extending from Grand Cair to Rosetta The second Sahaid or Assahaid signifying firm land and reaches from Cair to the borders of Bugiha The third Bechria or according to Marmol Beheira-Allards that is * Or Zealand Sea-land stretching along that arm of the Nile that extends to Damiata and Tenez The first of these is very fertile and luxuriant in the production of Rice and all sorts of delicious Fruits The second yields plenty of Corn prickle Fruits store of Cattel Fowl and Flax. And the third abounds with Sugar-canes Cotton and other such Commodities The whole thus divided into three each three is sub-divided into ten as follows in Delta or Nether Egypt were Rakotites Phtenuti Phtemphuti Mendefites Omisis Saities Attribis Tavites Tarbethites Busirites which order and names were first constituted by Sesostris of whom it is recorded that he would by cutting the Isthmus between the Mid-land and Red-Sea have joyn'd them had he not been diverted from the attempt by their Priests asseverations That all Egypt would of necessity be drown'd by the irruption of the Red Sea which lay higher than that Countrey did though afterwards Ptolomy and others his Successors made great alterations therein Middle Egypt held Memphites Heliopolites Bubastites Heracleopolites Crocodilopolites Oxyringites Kynopolites Hermopolites Antinopolites and Latinopolites And Upper Egypt Thebetes Apollopolites Panopolites Koptites Tentyrites Lycopolites Aphroditopolites Latopolites Abydene and Anteopolites The reason of this division may be two-fold the first in regard of their diversities of Gods and various Ceremonies in their Services which Sesostris their Prince observing to prevent tumultuous Seditions alotted the Countrey into * Rather thirty seven for the reason in the Description of the Labyrinth thirty shares according to the number of their Gods and Goddesses and by this means made Egypt as it were one Universal Temple wherein were as many Numens as Plato hath divided the whole earth between The second cause was the Litigiousness of the people concerning their bounds or limits occasioned as Strabo observeth by the Nile's yearly inundations whereby boundaries were not onely obscured but even all Land-marks and distinctions of propriety utterly washed away which necessitated an infinite trouble in Annual Surveys this was setled by the afore-mentioned division each particular Governour apportioning to himself even by inches the Compass of what was committed to his charge This division of Sesostris totally differed from that made afterwards by Ptolomy and by his Successors established after the decay of that State by the Persians under the conduct of their King Cambises which was into forty Dynasties But this with the remains of all the rest were at last by the Mahumetans who trampled all down utterly subverted yielding to the Laws and Establishments of the insulting Conqueror ¶ THe Extent of Egypt is from the 21 degree of Northern Latitude Extent of Egypt to the 31 degree of the same and therefore some have judged it to contain in length fifteen days journey and in bredth but three Others strangely over-reckon and will have it four thousand Italian Miles though * Maginus Marmol Maginus will allow but five hundred and sixty common ones which Marmol shortens much reducing it to a hundred and fifty French leagues therein somewhat agreeing with Cluverius who from the Pelusian mouth of Nile to the Town of Catabathmus count no more than a hundred and fifty Miles In bredth as Marmol reckons it hath but twenty six Spanish Miles an inconsiderable tract of Land between the shore of Nile and the two great Desart Mountains from whence the River with wonderful swiftness issueth and thence descending to Asne and so to Alcayro having scarcely run a course of twenty Miles beyond it divides it self into two Arms which afterwards re-unite till having run sixty Miles beyond Alcayro it branches again into two streams the one call'd the Canopean passeth to Rosetta and the other to Damiata where by a new division causing a great Lake through a narrow Streight it falleth into the Mid-land Sea near the place where of old Tenesse was scituated These two Armsdraw or delineate the sides and the Sea-shore the basis of a Triangle giving the name of Delta Δ to that most Northerly part of the Countrey call'd also Nether-Egypt but by the Natives themselves as Guilliam de Tyr maintains Mahetek To this part Strabo assigns about three thousand Stadiums which make three hundred seventy five Italian Miles but this is lessen'd by Maginus to three hundred whereas on the other hand Villamont will have its Circumference to be seven hundred Miles setting down a great Lake at the Coast of Garbia Eastward from the River for one part of its Limits and another Channel of the Nile called Katoz that goes to Alexandria for a second And this might cause Ptolomy to stile it Great and sub-divide it into the lesser and third Delta The Antients as Kircher observes named this part Fium which in the old Egyptian Tongue signifyed the Sea not from its resembling the Sea in the time of its being over-flow'd but because it is generally believed that heretofore the whole surface of that part was totally covered by the Sea until by a long Series of time the Slime and Mud of the Nile came to settle and at length with great labour became firm Land The same Kircher in his Itinerary from a certain Rabbi affirms that from the Patriarch Joseph's time many Hebrew Monuments and old great Buildings were found there and that after many dayes toyle and labour by him directed the same was made fit to be and was actually inhabited according to which example succeeding Princes continually drayning the Marshy parts made the whole Countrey useful which thereupon became so populous and wonderfully fertile in all things that it was named The Gift of the Immortal Gods as Diodorus relates And the Poets tell us of a great Serpent bred hereabouts which did much mischief to the people till slain by * Or Apello Ovid. Met. Hercules Egyptius and the memory of his Atcheivement preserv'd by naming
Ammianus like Livy who said that it was a work becoming the most Excellent Wise and Provident Kings And Ammianus pathetically Among all the Buildings the Serapeum bad the pre-eminence wherein was that invaluable Library containing all antient Records of Memorable Transactions in seven hundred thousand Books by the diligence of the Ptolomies Kings of Egypt gathered together but in the Wars of Alexandria and Destruction of the City burnt by that most Pernicious destroyer * Caesar being the most eminent for Arms and Acts accounted this his greatest misfortune that he so great a Lover of Books should be the cause of such an irrepairable destruction Agellius Julius Caesar All the Books says Agellius were burnt in the fore-mentioned Wars of Alexandria when the City was destroyed not wilfully nor of set purpose but perhaps by the multitude of helpers to save it He excuses not onely Julius Caesar but also the Romane Souldiers and lays the fault upon the unruly crew of assistants But Dio and Plutarch speak clean otherwise Dio and Plutarch as may be read more at large in their Writings Thus had this never to be parallel'd Library its end in the hundred eighty and third * Not much above forty years before the Incarnation Olympiade after it had continued an hundred and twenty four years Another Library was after re-erected by Cleopatra in the Serapeum It is again rebuilt by Cleopatra which by the help of Mark Anthony who obtained the Attalian and Pergamenian Libraries was greatly adorned and enriched and in being to the time of Primitive Christianity and was there preserved so long as the Serapeum which was a Building of great Entertainment and wonderful Art continued And at last with the Serapeum utterly subverted which at length the Christians in the Reign of the Emperor Theodosius the Great as a Harbor of Infidelity threw to the ground Over against Alexandria stands the renowned Island Pharos The Island Pharos by the Inhabitants call'd Magraf or Magragh and by the Arabians Magar Alexandri that is Pharos of Alexandria and by Ortelius Pharion from the Lanthorn Tower which stands upon the Island and now call'd Garophalo In the time of Homer Alexandria and this Island were severed by a Part of the Sea about a days sayling from the Land whereof himself thus speaks Od. lib. 4. Pharos an Isle amidst the swelling Deep ' Gainst Egypt lyes from whence a nimble Ship May sayl 'twixt Sun and Sun with Sayls a trip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Od. 1ib 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But now it is part of the Main Land the reason whereof is because the river Nile by his evomition of Soyl and Mud has constantly gained upon the Sea To this place of Homer Lucan alludes in his tenth Book thus Tunc claustrum Pelagi cepit Pharon Insula quondam In medio stetit illa mari sub tempore vatis Proteos at nunc est Pelleis proxima muris Then he took Pharos circled with the Main Where Fate fore-telling Proteus once did reign But now to Alexandria joyn'd Pinetus and others will have nothing lye between this City and Island but a Bridge but Villamont who hath searcht more narrowly saith Piuetus it is now united to the Continent and the Walls of the City in such manner Villamont that the Island makes two Points one Eastward another West 'T is united to the Main Land which almost meet in two other Points running from the Main Land into the Open Sea But makes two Haven leaving two Passages into the Havens one of which is call'd Porto Vecchio that is The Old Haven and hath no Defence as it is said but the Castle of the old City by the Italians nam'd Castel Vecchio But the other Haven hath two opposite Forts yet not so far distant but that they can answer and defend each other Two Castles nor can any Ship go in and out between them without leave The greater Fort is much the stronger having high Walls fenced with Towers besides a quadrangular Work of Defence And in it beneath is a Watch or Cour du Guâ—â—d for Security and above are Lights that give direction for Ships coming in to finde the Channel This great Castle on the right hand the Italians call Pharzion and that on the left Castelletto or The Little Castle Both of them are subject to great inconveniences by the want of fresh water which they are compell'd to fetch from the City every day on Camels backs The Soyl hereabout The nature of the Soyl in and about Alexandria as we said already is sandy bearing neither Bush nor Vine and so barren that it is unfit to be sown all the Corn that serves the City comes about forty miles off down the Artificial Channels of Nile There are some small Orchards but they onely produce Fruits so unwholesom that they commonly bring such as eat them into dangerous Feavers and other malignant Distempers They have abundance of Capers and Tamarisk-Plants and Hamala which is a Root they make Wine of like the Herb Anthillis by the Arabians named Killu or Kalli Kalli a Plant. and is of three sorts the two first are found in Europe but the third is peculiar to Egypt having few Leaves and very like Field-cypress but longer The Stalk is single and somewhat crooked out of which two or three small Branches shoot forth and grow upright each of which hath a Blade furnisht with five bending Leaves or more as appears ABOVE ENGRAVEN Venice Glasses made with the ashes thereof and other ingredients Out of these three sorts first dried in the Sun and then burnt Ashes are made from thence transported to Venice wherewith and a mixture of Soap and other Ingredients they make those most clear and chrystaline Glasses The Physical use of the Leaves and Juice so well known through Europe for their rarity It is also said that the Leaves beaten and taken in a convenient Vehicle cleanse Flegm and a dust Choller The same vertue is attributed to the strained Juice of them Thus much we have thought fit to say of Alexandria the Seat of the Antient Egyptian Kings and Birth-place of Ptolomy the Prince of Geographers and Astronomers from whence it must be concluded that all the state and ostentation of this City by Historians mentioned is to be understood of the time before its first destruction A great Staple of rich Merchandize still and therefore there are Consuls at Alexandria or Scanderoon at this day however notwithstanding the several desolations thereof yet always hath it driven on Trade and Merchandize by the continual coming in of Ships from several Countreys insomuch that divers European Princes have their Consuls there for the Management of Affairs and Deciding Controversies that may arise between their inhabitants and their Subjects to this day ¶ NExt Alexandria in the East lyeth the wasted City
the Water up to their Elbow with all their strength stirring the Water about then leaving the Almonds in it the Water will be clear in the space of three Hours Lastly pouring out the clear Water into other small Vessels they use it either for their Drink or Food Others let this Water stand only and setle till it become clear of it self The Vertues of this Water are very many and great The Vertue of the Water of Nilus for in some it fetches out an inward Infirmity by insensible transpiration others it causes to Urine freely some to go to Seige to none is it hurtful though drunk Day and Night even to excess Moreover it is to hot Bodies as a cooling Julep to allay the heat and burning of the Bowels There also our New Drink call'd Coffee hath no small Estimation Coffee-Drink gotten by long Experience of the Benefits which they suppose they receive by it using upon the matter little or no other Physick or Doctors they eating much Fruits and drinking only the Nile which is it self their grand Physitian The infusion of the Powder of this Berry in that so excellent Water decocted and taken Hot composeth not only the Crudities arising from bad Digestion but suppressing all Fumes so setleth in quiet both Head and Stomach which may be well asserted by those that use it moderately here who after they have taken their Dose two or three Cups in the Morning find themselves more apt to Business or Study It certain and suddenly cures Inebriation and in many allays the fits of the Gout * Namral History Sir Francis Bacon who took it long before in use with us says It comforts the Heart and Brain by Condensation of the Spirits The Arabians call it Caova and the Tree whereon it grows Bon where it grows in such abundance that from thence the whole Eastern and now part of our Western World is furnished yet with them so valued as not to be purchased by any Barter as they say but Gold and Silver The Turks and Moors have also a very wholesom Drink call'd Sorbet A Turkish Drink call'd Sorbet made of Sugar and Lemmon and drank by them with great Delight They use also another kind of Drink made of Plumbs Corants and Water set together in the Sun ¶ MEn in Egypt live longer than in other Places for they say The Egyptians live long 't is usual to find People above an hundred Years old the Reason of which Longevity Physitians much differ about yet in General they assign'd as one chief Cause their spare Life in Eating and Drinking whereas on the contrary Alpinus de Medicina Aegypt all Europeans which drink abundance of Wine and eat much Flesh By what means this is so are for the most part short Liv'd for as the moderate use of Flesh generates good Blood and quickens the natural Heat so the immoderate use incrassates the natural moisture making it become tough and viscous so stopping the activity of Circulation with the Load of gross repletions just as the Flame in a Lamp by the exuberancy of the Oyl extinguisheth therefore the Egyptians living Sparingly and not Distempering themselves with high Fare their Blood being thus attenuated spins out a longer thread of Life to them than our guzling and debaucht Nations ¶ THe Habits of the Men are neat but not gorgeous Mens Habits for in the Summer time they wear Vests of the finest and lightest Cotton but in the Winter of their own Countrey Cloth quilted with Cotton Their Vests are shaped narrow above and wide below with small Sleeves close at the Hand over which Princes Officers of State and other Great Men wear a rich Tunick of Sattin Damask and other costly European-stuff every one according to his State and Dignity They wear great Turbans made of long striped Camelet Tulhandes or Turbants wound or folded up round together The Colour of which denotes of what Religion they are The Colour of the Turbant denote the Religion for the Jews wear one Yellow the Christians Red or Blew and the Mahumetans only a White one but those that boast themselves lineally descended from their Great Prophet wear Green Turbans Their Hose or Stockings are short like the Buskins of the Antients but in a manner all strangers to Shoes for what they use on their Feet are rather Slippers or Sandals having no Upper-leather behind and the Soals according to the Turkish Fashion shod with Iron Ladies and Persons of Honor The Habit of Women are there for the most part cloathed in White with Masks of the same Colour The Countrey-Women have in stead of a Mask a Cotton Cloth before their Face Black or some other Colour at the Chin pointed with two holes only that they may see their Way and where they tread But in many Places their Vizors follow the Turkish Mode being a very thin Cloth made of Horse-Hair before their Faces or else among the better Sort a fine Linnen or Tiffany They go mounted on Choppines which have no Upper-leather but only to fasten them over to the foot Their Head-attires are various according to the divers Customs of the Countrey the Turkish keeping their own Fashion of being close covered but the Egyptians wear a costly Silk Cap half a Foot high and running to a Point like one of our Womens high-crown'd Hats without a Brim on the fore-part of which they fix a Branch or Sprig neatly compos'd of several Gems with various Lustres and a Frontlet of Oriental Pearls with Chains of Gold about their Neck The Egyptian Women wear Smocks and Peticoats lac'd at the bottom like the Gallants of our Time and Golden Bracelets on their Wrists and Garters all of Gold Next their Skin they wear a fine Silk Smock bordered with curious Needle-work and over this a Coat or Gown of a different Length made of changeable colour'd Silk trim'd with Gold Silver and Silk Knots and the Skirt richly embroider'd No People are more dextrous in Swimming as compelled thereto by necescesity for at the overflowing of Nilus they swim from place to place to dispatch their Affairs and to that end are very lightly Clad only with a Coat and Shirt intending to Travel which they tye upon their Heads in form of a Turbant when they swim cross any deep Rivers but if their Transnatation extend to a farther Distance they have bundles of Flaggs or Bull-rushes which as either necessity or conveniency requires they use to Buoy themselves upon both for their Ease and Safety When they ride in Cavalcade through Cities in State or through the Countrey for private Business their Horses are unshod cover'd after the Moorish Fashion with Foot-clothes or Caparisons usually made of Tapistry wrought after the manner of the Moors but the Women mask'd upon Mules Mean People and Strangers use Asses which always stand upon the parting of cross Ways ready to Hire ¶ THe Houses of the plain Countrey
made under a good Horoscope and enabled by Art to preserve Cities wherein they are kept or set up in a victorious and impregnable condition And the Architect employ'd to place those Apples not onely used the like Arts but had by Magick set several Spirits for the constant keeping of them Many Kings have endeavour'd to take them down but still some mishap hath followed to prevent them The King of Morocco himself Anno 1500. boasted he would take and bestow them upon the Portugals as a Reward for their Service in the Defence of his State but the Commons withstood it alleadging they were the greatest Ornament of Morocco and next to the Kingdom they were fit to be preserv'd In this Palace are thirty Chambers and a Hall on all sides within and without furnish'd richly with all sorts of Imagery and appointed for places of Contemplation and Study In the midst of the whole stands a very goodly Fountain canopi'd and turrited with white Marble artificially Carved and Polished ¶ ABout half an hours Journey from the City The Garden or Montserat lieth a very stately and pleasant Orchard or Garden of the Kings call'd Montserat planted with above fifteen thousand common Trees the like number of Oranges and Dates and about thirty six thousand Olive-Trees besides many other sorts of Plants Flowers and wholesome Herbs A Rivulet cometh out of the Mountain and runs quite through it watering not onely the Plants but feeding many sorts of Fish In the midst of this lieth a four-square place wherein stands a Leopard of white Marble speckel'd with black Spots to the life at every corner and round about encompast with Marble Pillars upon each of which is a Lyon spouting clear water out of his mouth To this Garden adjoyns a Park A Park of Beasts wherein are inclosed a great number of Wilde Beasts as Elephants Lyons Deer and the like In the first Court of the Palace Moquet says appear three very stately Buildings after the Morish Fashion and adorned with Fountains The second Court hath Piazzaed Walks supported with white Marble Columns so artificially built that the best Architect may admire their Workmanship And on the ground stand many Marble Vessels with clear water where the Moors wash themselves before they go to their Sala Next this are the Habitations of the Jews The Jews Dwelling-place like a second City girt with strong Walls but having one onely Gate guarded by the Moors Many Agents or Embassadours from several Princes and States of Europe use to be here resident The ordinary Houses are low Their Houses small and slight raised up onely of Loam and Chalk but the Houses of great Persons are magnificent built with Stone and flat at the top to walk upon for coolness Most of the Mosques or Churches Churches which there are very numerous are entire Marble and cover'd with Lead The River Tenzift runs through the City whose Water the Citizens use on all occasions and serves also to drive Mills for grinding Corn. ¶ THis Province abounds with Flax The Fruitfulness of the Soil about Morocco Hemp Wheat and all sorts of Grain which it vents abroad into other parts in great quantities nor yields it a less store of Dates Figs Raisins Apples Pears Olives Nuts and the like Fruits besides Cattel which afford plenty of Milk Butter and Cheese But the tops of the Mountains lye many times covered with Snow being for the most part barren and cold and at best producing nothing but Barley Eight Leagues from Morocco Agmet upon the top of a Mountain stands Agmet in former times rich and populous containing about six thousand Families but at present decay'd and affording Wolves Foxes and other wilde Beasts and Fowl a burrow and resting place Elgiumuhe or Elgiemahe by the River Xeuxaue or Sochaiu Elgiumuhe about two Miles from Mount Atlas formerly a place well inhabited but now lieth almost waste and desolate Emigiagen or Umegiagen a City and Fort eight miles Southerly of Elgiemake Emigiagen surrounded with a stony Rock in stead of a Wall Tazarat or Tesrat or Terrasast lieth upon the Banks of Eciffelmel Tazarat five miles Westerly of Morocco and seven from Mount Atlas Teneze at the foot of Atlas call'd Guidimyve or Gedmeve Teneze three miles from the River Eciffelmel Gemaagidid call'd by some Delgumuhe Gemaagidit a fair City lying upon the high Mountain Sicsive five and twenty mile from Morocco containeth about a thousand or twelve hundred Houses The City Temelet call'd by some Temelle and Mehedie Temelet lying on a Mountain Imizimiz or Imismizi on the hanging of the Hill Guidimive Imizimiz hath below it a Road which runs cross Mount Atlas and is call'd Bureix which signifies Feathers because the Flakes of Snow oftentimes flye over this City like Doun Tamdegost or Tumeglast about five mile from Atlas Tamdegost Animmey a small City on the side of a Plain Animmey about three miles from Morocco Eastward ¶ HEre also are divers great Hills such are Nefuse or Nefise Derenders Hills of Morocco Nefuse Aden and Atron lying in the West and dividing it from Hea. Very barbarous people inhabit it who live hardly The Semmede begins at the foot of Nefuse Semmede and spreads Eastward seven miles in Length The Xauxave to the Southward of Semmede Xauxave gives name to a River rising there The Mountain Sicsive is very high Sicsive and the Hill Temelet boasts of a stately City call'd Temelet The Guidimive or Gedmeve begins at the Westerly Foot of Semmede Guidimive extending East about eight miles The Hantete is so high Hantete that at a distance it sheweth continually cover'd with the Clouds touching to the West on Guidimive and reaching Eastward about six miles to Animmey which also lifts it self up to a great heighth extending from hence Eastward to the River Tecouhin ¶ THe Constitution and Nature of the Inhabitants we will now give you a touch of as in the several places wherein they are seated The Constitution of the Inhabitants and begin with them of Morocco who are well featur'd and very white The Men delight much in Hunting and Hawking and therefore keep excellent Horses which according to their Custom they manage with good judgement They take great pleasure in keeping all sorts of Fowl which are brought to them from Mount Atlas They of Elgiumuhe are diligent in Husbandry but often plunder'd by the Arabs Those of Delgumube are extraordinary neat in their Habit proud bold-spirited but very jealous The Mountaineers are ill natur'd rough and deceitful coveting from Strangers what ever they have They go meanly Habited live as beasts and feed on Barley with a little Oyl of Olives Some few of them have Converse with Jews from whom they learn some Mechanick Arts wearing onely under their Feet artificial Soals to defend them from sharp Stones and Thorns And their best Habit is meerly a
Battallo so high that from the top they can see a Ship twelve miles out at Sea This Town hath fruitful Valleys lying round it and within it Walls many Vines Olive and Mulberry-Trees planted chiefly for the feeding of Silk-worms which they nourish and breed in great multitudes making thereof no small profit The Grounds near Brexar bear much Flax Figs and Barley but the Inhabitants are contentious and malicious They of Bresch are strong well-set and fresh-colour'd marking both their Thigh and Hand with a Cross an old Custom observ'd amongst them since the time of the Goths ALZIER THe Province of Alzier the Principal of the whole Kingdom The Borders lies bounded on the West with Tenez Eastwards with Bugia Southwards with the Greater Atlas touching upon Biledulgerid and Northwards on the Midland-Sea The Plains thereof inhabited by powerful and rich Arabians call'd Aben Texita and the Mountains by Breberians and Azuages The Cities lying within its Verge are Algier Metafuz Teddelez or Teddel Col der Medujaren Sasa Medua and lastly Kouko By whom and when this City was built formerly the Head of Mauritania The City of Algler When built and in the time of King Juba his Royal Seat remains obscure although some have conceited it to be the Antient Salde It s Antient Names Mercator with some reason guesses it to have been J◠and Ptolomy Julia Caesariensis Whose History we will give with as much truth as Antiquity or History will afford History records to this purpose That after the Death of this King his Son having been taken and led in Triumph to Rome by Julius Caesar did testifie so great a moderation in the disaster of his Captivity that he won the hearts of the Romans by the high Fame of his Worth and incomparable Vertues which was the cause why Augustus succeeding Julius restor'd to that young Prince the Liberty which he had lost and gave him the Dominions of his Father So that by way of acknowledgement of so great a Favor from Augustus having wholly new built this which was then call'd Jol he order'd to be added to it the Word Caesaria upon which it hath ever since been call'd Jol or Julia Caesaria as may be seen by certain Medals of Claudius and Antoninus Now that Algier is the same City which the Antients call'd Jol appeareth manifestly inasmuch as the Descriptions which the old Geographers made thereof are not to be verisi'd in any other City of Barbary save this alone Others have been pleas'd to affirm also that it was at first call'd Mesgrana But this seems to me altogether improbable in regard that neither Strabo nor Ptolomy nor the other Authors who have been curious in Geographical Enquiries do not speak any thing thereof nor of any such People However of all the Names that it may have had heretofore that of Algier is onely remaining at this day which happen'd in this fashion The Sarazens and Arabs coming to act their Robberies in Africa landed there in sundry places like so many impetuous Torrents and there committed unspeakable outrages Besides this as if in imitation of the Goths they had taken pleasure wholly to ruine what ever published the Grandure and Magnificence of the Roman Empire having observ'd that this Name of Julia Caesaria was an apparent mark thereof and yet not desiring to destroy this City they resolv'd to change its Name They call'd it therefore Algezair which in the Arabick signifieth An Island because it is scituated near unto a small Island where the Mole of its Port is at this day the Sea washing its Walls on the North-side And this Name hath ever since continu'd but yet it hath been several ways corrupted some calling it Algier and others Argier or Argel ¶ ALthough its Soil be for the most part Mountainous The Nature of the Soil yet is it notwithstanding good and fertile as well in its Valleys as all along the Sea-Coasts You there may see very fine Gardens and Vineyards also which the Moorisks have there Planted Insomuch that for eight or ten Leagues round there are counted above eighteen thousand Gardens which are as it were so many Farms which are call'd in Lingua Franca Maceries in which are kept great numbers of Slaves to Cultivate the Land and keep their Cattel This Town The Houses which hath all its Houses whited with Chalk or Plaister within and without maketh a very fine shew to such as approach unto it by Sea For it presents it self unto the view insensible as it were by certain steps and groweth higher and higher in manner of an Amphitheater the reason of which is because it being upon the side of a little Hill exposeth all its Houses to the open view with Terrass Roofs from the top of which they have the pleasure to behold the Sea one House not hindering the Prospect of another Now although it be of a square Figure yet it seemeth much less above than below which happeneth according to the Rules of Perspective by reason of the defect of the Sight which determines in the Pyramidal Form Its Streets are for the most part so narrow The Streets that two men can scarce go abreast in them yet we must except those that are adjacent to the Gates of the City They make them thus narrow that they may be the more cool for that the heat is there very violent The Houses are but of one Story all built of Brick and Clay but plaister'd and washed over with Chalk having on the outside neither beauty nor order of Architecture yet they are for all that very handsome within They are most commonly pav'd with little Bricks of sundry colour'd Clay laid in fashion of Mosaick Work There are four Galleries above and below with a Court in the midst The Chambers are broader than they are long and let in Light onely at the Doors which are very large and all of the full Heighth of the Room from Floor to Cieling 'T is true those that are adjoyning to the Street have some kind of Windows They have very few of them any Gardens and are all very close that being the Form of Building in all the Cities of Barbary Pyrates The most goodly House in Algier is that of the Bashaw or Vice-Roy Publick Building which is almost in the midst of the City and onely remarkable for two small Galleries one over the other supported by a double Row of Columns of Marble and Porphyry with some Enrichments of Mosaick Work There are likewise two Courts the one more spacious than the other encompassed with Galleries where the Divan sits every Saturday at the entrance of the Alcassaw Sunday Munday and Tuesday There are also nine other Houses of note which they call Casseria's or Funduca's The Janizaries to whom they serve as Lodgings have one Chamber betwixt every eight of them And though they be many in number yet they are so cleanly that in all their Apartments one shall not see any
till Abu Bark Son of Hutmen the Second which was brought to an untimely end by his Nephew Yahaia as before is declared who was succeeded by Abdul Mumen as he by Zacharias who dyed in a short time Issueless so that the Tunissians chose for King Abukamen Nephew of Zacharias Abukamen King whose Tyranny caused many Rents and Divisions in his State and hazarded almost the whole yet partly by Policy partly by Force he so brought it to pass that Muly Mahomet his Son enjoy'd the Kingdom of Tunis after his death Muley Mahomet And his Son Muley Assez or Assan the last of this Stock after him till thereof by Barberossa bereav'd yet was he not so absolutely lost but that afterwards by the assistance of the Emperor Charles the Fifth again restored The manner this Muley Mahomet Father of Muley Assez had by several Wives many Sons among which this Muley Assez though the youngest was the most intirely beloved as being a most prudent and generous spirited person the eldest call'd Manon he absolutely disinherited and kept in Prison under strong Guard because of his unnatural disobedience Muley Assez declared King as having by Treachery endeavour'd to depose his Father and declared his Brother Muley Assez to be his Heir and Successor to the great satisfaction of most of his Subjects who greatly affected Muley Assez for his Endowments and shortly after Muley Mahomet died much lamented By this means Muley Assez became sole Master of this State to secure himself wherein and taking into consideration the former pretences of his imprison'd Brother Manon he caused him privately to be put to death Araxar his other Brother being inform'd thereof Araxar flyeth out of Tunis for fear of the like mischief fled to Numidia to Abdalor a mighty Xeque or Prince of Bixkara whose Daughter he there married and got a promise of Assistance for regaining the Crown to which he thought he had the best pretensions as being elder than his Brother Muley The News of Araxars withdrawing so inrag'd Muley Assez that he apprehended all that were of the Royal Blood The Rage of Muley Assez putting out all the Mens Eyes and keeping the Women in a strict and close Imprisonment This Savage Cruelty added wings to Araxar Araxar intends to besiege Tunis who by this time had taken the Field with an Army rais'd and furnisht by his Father-in-law and now marched forward with intent to besiege Tunis Muley Assez came out with a mighty Army against him but was soon defeated and necessitated in all haste to retreat to Tunis for Recruits so that Araxar fearing his own Strength not sufficient to subject the Countrey A subtle Invention of Barbaroussa to play the Knave with Araxar requested Assistance from the famous Pyrate Cheredin Barbarossa who at that time govern'd Algier in the Name of the Grand Seignior which was promis'd but yet with this Caution that it would be necessary the more happily to bring his Enterprize to pass to make a Journey to Constantinople wherein he the said Barbarossa would accompany him with assurance to procure from Sultan Soliman great Favour and Assistance Araxar deluded by these Flatteries went to Constantinople and was there very friendly receiv'd in outward appearance but Barbarossa now minding nothing less than what he had said and written underhand told Soliman that in regard Prince Araxar was young he had now a fit opportunity to annex the Crown of Tunis to his Empire Marvellous pleasing was this Advice to Soliman's ears who instantly prepar'd a Fleet which being ready to set Sail he puts Araxar under Guard telling him when Barbarossa had subdu'd Tunis and forc'd them to receive and acknowledge him for their lawful Prince he should be sent thither with an honorable Retinue and put in Possession In the interim he sent Barbaroussa without him upon his intended Design Upon the Approach of Barbarossa Muley Assez who knew himself too weak to stand a Siege against such a Force and believing Araxar to be in the Fleet added more Cruelty to his former so that hated by his Subjects he left the City and betook himself to his Uncle Dorat a man of great Power among the Arabians of Uled Aixa The Citizens thus forsaken by their Prince The Turk becometh Master of Tunis submitted to Barbarossa who forthwith proclaim'd Sultan Soliman their Prince Muley Assez on the other side to turn the Scales sent to the Emperor Charles the Fifth then in Spain and requir'd his Aid which the Emperor willingly hearkned to and the rather because it was confidently rumor'd that Barbarossa intended to harrase with a strong Fleet not onely the Coast of Italy as he had done the foregoing year but also against the next Summer would Ship over to Sicily an Army of Turks and Moors to invade the Kingdom of Naples Fired with this News and also instigated by Muley Assez he put to Sea with a strong Fleet Mann'd with Spaniards and Germans in the Year Fifteen hundred thirty seven on the Five and twentieth of June being St. James's Day with which coming under Tunis he took at the first Assault the Castle and strong Fort Goletta and not long after the City it self and with it the whole Kingdom Barbarossa foreseeing this Storm had withdrawn himself and committed the Defence of the City to Mustapha a courageous Souldier who yielded himself up into the hands of the Emperor Thus the Emperor Re-instated Muley Assez in his Kingdom Muley Asseâ— is Restored telling him that for all his Cost he would onely keep the Castle and Goletta in his own possession with a Garrison and that he Muley Assez should send yearly to him the Emperor and his Successors two Faulcons and two Numidian Race-Horses Other Articles were made between the said Princes to this effect That if Muley Assez did make a failer of this Agreement he should pay for a Forfeiture for the first Default five thousand Crowns for the second twice as much and for the third fall into Contempt and height of Displeasure That he should always hold a strict Alliance with the Emperor and be an Enemy to the Turks and a Friend to the Christians to whom he was to afford liberty of Religion That he should pay every year a thousand or twelve hundred Spanish Souldiers which the Emperor would keep in the Fort of Goletta And lastly That neither the Emperor nor his Successors should send any more Forces nor take into his hands any Places of the Kingdom of Tunis belonging to the aforementioned Muley Assez Goletta onely accepted And this Agreement was sworn to by both Princes with great Solemnity This Expedition thus happily performed the Emperor upon his return to keep up in memory so great an Action and to encourage the Valour of such as followed him therein instituted the Order of Knights of the Cross of Burgundie But Muley Assez did not long possess his Kingdom in Peace after his
Constantine thither containing but few Habitations yet ha's preserv'd her Walls firm and undefaced Hain Sammin built by the Kings of Tunis Hain Sammin about seven miles from Beggie Kasba or Kasbat a Roman Structure seated in the middle of a delightful Plain whose Walls are made of great hewen Stone yet stand whole and undefaced but void of Inhabitants by reason of the continual Invasive Rapines of the Arabs ¶ THe Soyl both about Urbs and Beggie fruitful The Conditino of the Kasba yieldeth Corn in great abundance The Arabs notwithstanding the best defence of the Inhabitants are half sharers of it without any recompence so that oftentimes a great part of the Countrey is never cultivated they rather chusing to run the risque of seeking Provision than to sweat and toyl to support the Villanies of such who study nothing more than their mischief Little more can be said of Hain Sammin and Kasba onely their fertility is accompanied with a most healthful serenity and sweetness of the Air excellent Springs of fresh Water and abundance of well-grown Cattel ¶ THe Inhabitants of Urbs have little Civility Their Manners being for the most part Labouring Hinds Those of Beggie have a great insight into Arts Sciences and Mathematick Trades living decently but they of Kasba are lazy and voluptuous chusing rather to die of Hunger than to take pains to Till their Ground SUSA Or SOUSA THis Province containeth the Cities of Sousa Hamameth or Mahometta Heraclia and Monaster Sousa Sousa or rather Susa stands about five and twenty miles on the East of Tunis formerly a great City but now inconsiderable though the chief City of this little Dominion by some taken for the Adrumetum of Ptolomy and by Marmol and others for the City Siagoll which is the more probable It was built by the Romans near the Mildland-Sea on a high Rock before the Cape of Bon or Point of Mercury that shoots out towards the Island of Sicily It may be divided into an upper and a lower City and hath Walls of hewen Stone neat Houses and many Mosques but one excelling all the rest This is the place against which Prince Philibert of Savoy in the Year Fifteen hundred and nineteen had a Design to get from the Turks but they getting some intelligence thereof prevented him with a great Slaughter of his People among which many Knights of Malta and forc'd him to a dishonorable Retreat In the Haven thereof the Pyrate Ships of Tunis generally lye as being convenient for them Hammameth Hammameth or Mahometa or rather Mahometa a Modern City built by the Turks near the Mediterranean by some taken for Ptolomy's Makadama as if raised out of its Ruines Heraclia is a small City upon a Hill Heraclia built by the Romans and destroy'd by the Arabians Monaster Monaster or Monester once a Roman Colony but since got the Name from a Cloyster of Augustine Monks built close by but now included within the Walls which are high and strong as the Houses are neat and commodious Neighbouring hereunto are the Islands Cumiliers The Islands of Kamiliers Querquene Gamelere as also Querquene and Gamelere distant two miles from the main Land Sanutus thinks that in former Ages these were all that one Island which Ptolomy call'd Cercine being so near to the main Land that they could go from the one to the other over a Bridge But Pliny contradicts this Cercine averring Cercine to be thirteen miles in length and three in breadth ¶ THe Soyl of Susa is properly fit for nothing but Barley The Soil yet they have Figs Olives Pears and Pomegranates besides abundance of excellent Grass wherein they feed great Herds of Cattel ¶ THe Inhabitants of Susa are active and industrious The Manners of the Inhabitants behaving themselves towards strangers with great humanity and inclining to Merchandising but such as love to be within the smoke of their own Chimneys are either Weavers Potters or Herdsmen Those of Hamameth are Fishermen Carriers Cole-burners Whitsters living poorly upon Barley Bread and Barley Meal mingled with Oyl and as meanly Habited But the Sussans are in a better condition driving a great Trade both into the Levant and Turky The Governor with a strong Life-guard of Janizaries keeps his Seat in this City from which alone he receives Annually twelve thousand Ducats besides the Tribute of the rest of the Cities and Countrey THE PROVINCE and CITY OF AFRICA Or MAHADIE THis City which the Europeans without distinction call Africa The Name some think was the Aphrodisium of Ptolomy but the Inhabitants Marmol says call it Mahadia or Mehedia Leo Africanus El Mahadia and bestowing on it strong Walls and Gates with a commodious Haven ¶ IT stands scituate on the Sea-Coast or rather encompassed with the Sea The Scituation except where joyned to the Continent by a Neck of Land two hundred Paces in length and that fortifi'd with a double Wall and a great and deep Trench and many Defensive Towers This Strait passed the City grows broader and receives the Sea on both sides afterwards Eastward it becometh narrower and at length runs to a Point so that the whole Place represents the shape of a Tongue And although on the Sea-Coast it 's not defended with such strong Walls as on the Land side yet is it secure enough from any Attempts to be made on it by Ships because of the many Shelves and Sands lying as Out-works before it The Gate of the City on the Land-side is exceedingly strong being fortifi'd with Turrets and Pallisado's but chiefly with several intricated and winding Arched Passages with Doors plated with Iron Plates which past they come to a narrow Vault or Cave seventy Foot long and so dark that it is terrible to Strangers seeming rather a Murdering Den than an Entrance into a City The Haven is very capacious and strongly Walled in whereinto the Entrance or Mouth is so narrow that a Galley Rowing can scarce come in but being once within there is room enough for fifty Galleys to ride with freedom and conveniency This City continued many years subject to the King of Tunis from whom wrested partly through Force and partly through Treachery by Assan Gerbin a Relation by Blood to Barbarossa who was again Outed from the possession thereof by Dorgut or Dragut a Turkish Corsaire and Bassa of Tripoli with the help of some Citizens in the Year fifteen hundred forty five ever since which time it has continued under the Jurisdiction of the Turk KAYRAOAN or KAYRAVAN THis Province contains onely the Cities of Kayravan Tobute and Astachus Kayraoan or Karure The City Kayravan or Karoen lieth seven or eight miles from the Mediterrane twenty from Tunis and eleven from Carthage Its first Builder was Hukba or Okkuba Ben Nasik an Arabian Commander sent out of Arabia Deserta by Hutman the third Mahumetan Kaliff into Barbary and Biledulgerid to pillage the Countrey during which time of his
acknowledge as their Supream Ruler over these fifteen Kingdoms in the In-land as Gualata Guinee Melli Tombut Gago Guber Agadez Kano Kasena Zegzeg Zanfara Guangura Burno Gaogo and Nubia besides the King of Burno reigns over another Moiety acknowledging no Superior the rest of the In-lands are subject to the Gaogo's but in times past they were all absolute Kings doing Homage nor Fealty to no other Also the whole Sea-Coast of Negro-Land from Cape de Verde to Lovango stands divided into several Monarchies The Religion of the In-land Negro's Their Religion most of them antiently worshipped one God call'd Guighime that is Lord of Heaven this Perswasion of theirs not being inculcated by any Priests who study Rites and Ceremonies imposing a reverential awe on their Disciples and Proselytes but Instinct and the meer dictates of Nature which brings as soon to the acknowledgment of a Deity something not subordinate but infinitely supream governing all After this they were instructed in the Mosaick Laws which they long and zealously observed till some of them being converted to the Christian Faith wholly ecclipsed the Jewish then Christianity flourishing many years till Mahumetanism at last over-spreading all Asia and these parts of Africa they being still greedy of Novelty fell into Apostacy drinking in the poyson of this new and dire Infection so that Christianity is in a manner extirpated some few Professors of the Gospel after the Coptick or Egyptian manner yet remaining in Gaoga But those Southern People that inhabit the Coast from Cape de Verde to the Kingdom of Lovango sticking to their first Tenets are still all Idolaters as hereafter in particulars shall be declared THE KINGDOM OF GUALATA THe Kingdom of Gualata whose Inhabitants are call'd Benay's hath received its Denomination also from its Metropolitan possessing three great and populous Villages and some delightful Gardens and Date-Fields lying twenty and five miles from the Atlantick Observe these and the forementioned are for the most part Spanish Miles sixty Southward of Nun and about thirty to the Northward of Tombut Fenced in on every side with the rising Banks of the River Zenega or Niger Sanutus sets down in this Dominion a place call'd Hoden lying in the In-land six days Journey from Cabo Blanko in nineteen Degrees and a half Northern Latitude where the Arabians and Karavans that come from Tombut and other places of Negro Land travelling through the same to Barbary stay and refresh themselves ¶ THis Countrey which produceth nothing but Barley and Mille The Plants or Vegetables hath also great scarcity of Flesh yet the Tract of Land about Hoden abounds with Dates and Barley and hath plenty of Camels Beeves and Goats but their Beeves are a smaller Breed than ours of Europe This Countrey abounds in Lyons and Leopards terrible to the Inhabitants and also Ostriches whose Eggs they account a Dainty ¶ BOth Sexes are very Black they are Civil and Courteous to Strangers The Constitution and Manners of the Inhabitants like their Neighbors in the Lybick Desarts the Inhabitants of the City Gualata live very poorly whereas those of Hoden live plentifully having Barley-bread Dates and Flesh and supply their want of Wine by drinking Camels Milk and other Beasts ¶ BOth Men and Women in Gualata have their Heads and Faces commonly cover'd with a Cloth Their Cloathing and the Men of Hoden also wear short white Jackets but the Women think it no shame to go stark naked covering their Heads onely with a Caul of Hair dy'd red Their Language Their Language is call'd Sungai These Arabs of Hoden also like others never continue long in a place but rove up and down with their Cattel through the adjacent Wildes ¶ THose of Lybia Their Trade so long as the Countrey of Negro's stood under their Jurisdiction had formerly planted the Royal Residence of their Kings in Gualata which brought great Concourse of Barbary Merchants thither but since the Countrey fell into the hands of a powerful Prince call'd Heli the Merchants forsook this place and settled their Staples at Tombut and Gago But the people of Hoden still drive a Trade in Gualata and resort also thither in great numbers with their Camels laden with Copper Silver and other Commodities from Barbary and other Countreys to Tombut and many places in Negro-Land bringing no worse Returns from thence than Gold The King of Gualata Anno 1526. being in Battel overcome by the King of Tombut upon Articles paying him a yearly Tribute was restored to his Throne ¶ THese People Their Government though govern'd by Kings are not under the Prescript of any Laws nor have Courts of Judicature in their chief Towns there to summon and punish Malefactors but live in a rambling manner promiscuously every one endeavoring to be his own Judge and Arbitrator their Will being their Law ¶ THe Gualatans onely worship Fire Their Religion but those of Hoden extracted from the Arabs are a sort of Mahumetans professed Enemies to Christianity THE KINGDOM OF GUINEE OR GENOVA THis Kingdom The Kingdom of Genova which many call Guinea though not the same differing from our present Guinee lies by the Sea which reacheth along the Coast from Cape Serre Lions to Cape Lopez Gonzalves by the African Merchants call'd Gheneva Leo 7. Decl. by the Arabians according to Marmol Geneua and by the Natives Geuni or Genii ¶ IT hath for its Northern Borders The Borders the Kingdom of Gualata where the Wilderness runs ninety Miles long on the East that of Tombut and on the South Melle and runs in a Point to the Atlantick at the place where Niger falls in the same Ocean along whose Banks another Angle runs above eighty French Leagues This whole Countrey notwithstanding the vasteness of its Extent boasts neither Cities Towns nor Fortresses but one single Village yet that so large that not onely the Kings keep their Courts and Royal Residence there but also there is a University where Scholars Commence and the Priests receive their Orders and several Dignities besides a settled Staple for the Merchants of this Kingdom ¶ YEt this Place of so great Concourse hath but mean Buildings Their Houses onely small Huts and Hovels of Loam and thatched rang'd in a round order the Doors or Entries so low and narrow that they are forc'd to creep in and out which we may suppose are no statelier built because they expect annually in July August and September to be under water with the overflowing of the Niger then in prepared Vessels and Boats made for that purpose in which the King first loads the Furniture and Houshold-stuff of his low-rooff'd Palace then the Scholars and Priests their University-Goods and next the Merchants and Inhabitants their Moveables and last of all the Water increasing themselves as if they entred the Ark and at the same time the Merchants of Tombut come thither and joyning Fleets traffick with them on the Water This
stand two large Portugal Houses each having an exceeding great and tall Tree call'd Talbassero before the Door whose interwoven Boughs that afford a pleasant shade make a delightful Arbor whereinto they frequently go and eat and sleep there North-East from thence appears Magar Magar where the King of Cayor many times keeps his Residence Emboul and seven miles farther Eastwards Emboul where the Kings Palace is divided from the City with Pallisado's interweaved with Bands and Palmito-Boughs and on the in-side Planted with many Vines Before the Court lieth a great Plain The Court of Rayer where they use to break and exercise Horses set round with Trees Into this none may enter but such as are appointed because the King 's chiefest Wives therein have their particular Apartments yet about it at the distance of a Musquet-shot many persons dwell in small Huts or Tents making a reasonable Livelihood by petty dealing with the Servants and Attendants of the Court. Ten miles from the Palace they have Embar Embar a Town set apart onely for the Reception and Entertainment of all such as come of the Blood-Royal and may have any hopes to the Succession of the Crown Three or four miles farther Bey-hourte upon the Shore of the River Zenega is a large Hamlet termed Bey-hourte where the King's Customers and Receivers reside for the Collection of all his Revenues of all sorts thither brought to them About three miles from hence Westwards The Fort of the French the French have a Fort which they maintain to support the Trade they drive there but they pay to the King Sixteen in the Hundred for Hides whereas the Portugals pay but Ten and but a little for other Wares In this Tract we arrive at Baool Lambay whose Metropolis is Lambay where the King usually resides about two miles from whence towards the North-West lieth Sangay Sangay where sometimes the King takes his Divertisements Four miles removed Eastward stands Jamesil Jamesil and about five and fifty miles to the In-land the City Borsalo Borsalo But the Royal City of the whole Kingdom of Zenega is Tubakatum Turbakatum the Court and Chamber of the Great Jalof ¶ THese Countreys are usually infested with sultery heats The Air or temper of the Climate so that the depth of their Winter is warmer than May with us yet have they stormy and wet Weather Travaden or Stormy weather or Rains which they call Travaden that is Tempestuous accompanied with much Thunder and Lightning these begin on the Sea-Coast for the most part in June and continue till September though sometimes accidental Storms happen in October and May but without Rain These sudden Gusts arise commonly out of the South-East but the stiffest and strongest out of the East-South-East which too often prove dangerous to the Sea-men The most unhealthy time here is in October for then the Air parches with Heat but when the Winds begin to blow those Breezes temper and cool the Air and so continues till towards May. ¶ SEveral Rivers water this Countrey the Chief of which are those of Zenega and Gambea both after many meandring Courses discharg'd their full Streams into the Atlantick Ocean Ortelius believes that Zenega is the same which Ptolomy nam'd Daras or Darade but Lewis Cadamost maintains it to be the Niger of the Antients and makes it a bordering Limit to Negro-Land But that Opinion seems altogether impossible because like the Nyle Niger overflows and fertilitates the Countreys it passes through whereas Zenega leaves all lying about it very lean and barren Zenega hath as many Names as it runs through Countreys Several Names Marmol l. 8. c. 3. for the Jaloffs call it Dengueh the Turkornols Maso the Caragols name it Colle the people of Bagano Zimbala those of Tombut Iza but the Portugals not knowing its proper Name stil'd it Zenega from the Name of a Prince with whom upon their first coming into these Parts they contracted a League of Amity Johannes Barros derives this Stream from certain Lakes lying in the East The Head-Fountains by Ptolomy nam'd Chelonides the greatest whereof at present is call'd Goaga and the other Nuba The Course of it is very long and straight almost in a right line till about seventeen miles above Cape de Verde disemboguing into the Ocean In Zenega though not so full of Water as Gambea many Islands appear Islands of Zenega the greatest part whereof are full of Serpents and Wilde Beasts Nor is it much profitable otherwise to such as inhabit near being not passable in many places by reason of huge Rocks causing great and unusual Cataracts like those of the Nyle which some of the Inhabitants call Huaba others Burto that is a Bowe because sometime the Water is carried up into the Air by the force of the Wind in the manner of a Bowe Many other great Rivers run into this A strange Vertue of two Rivers especially one coming out of the South and seeming to have Red-Water between these two they say is such a strange Antipathy that whoever drinks the Water of one and presently that of the other findes himself necessitated to vomit yet neither of them produce this effect single nor both together after they have mingled their Streams and run in one Channel Several kinds of Fishes and other Creatures breed herein as the Hippopotamus or Sea-Horse Crocodiles and Serpents with little Horns yet notwithstanding all these inconveniencies the Water hath a Prolifick Quality foecundating Cattel that drink of it ¶ SIx miles Southward flows Borsalo full of great dry Sholes or Sands The River Borsalo on both sides several Villages shew themselves Fountain-Springs supply'd with fresh Water from a clear Spring that rises on the Easterly Shore A Tree four fatsiom thick by a Tree above four Fathom thick For the River Water by the flowing of the Sea is brackish near forty miles ¶ NOt far from Punto Sereno floweth a small River call'd Rio de la Grace being a Border to the Kingdom of Ale before whose Mouth lieth a Shelf many times overflow'd by the Sea from which as soon as dry fresh and sweet Water continually springs Somewhat more Southerly runs Bassangamar full of great Rocks The River Bassangamar The next is Rio des Ostro's or Oyster-River The River of Oysters deep enough for the coming in of Ships Between Borsalo and Gambea the Countrey all along is plain but full of high Trees yet wholly void of Inhabitants About three miles from Jandos Northwards The Lake Eutan is the Lake Eutan six miles long and half a mile broad In time of Rain it abounds both with Water and Fish but in a dry Season so empty that they can go over dryshod The bottom for the most part covered with Simbos or pieces of Horn and Glass which in Angola they use for Money Not far distant from hence is a Well of ten Fathom deep
Brandy-Wine are the most ready Traffick especially with such as dwell more towards the In-land In Jawesil is a weekly Fair of Hides Cows Goats Hens Mille and all edible Commodities Of this Market call'd Gambayar a Noble-man has the supervising who appoints Deputy-Clerks of the Market under him at certain Rents The Trade driven by the Merchants of Europe in these Kingdoms In what places of Zenega and when the Euroan Merchants Trade there is transacted most between the beginning of October and the last of May In the rest of the Moneths the Blacks are busie in Tilling of their Grounds The Wares desired by the Blacks Wares brought over from Europe to Zenega and carried over thither out of Europe are these following of which Brandy and Iron are the chief for they use great quantities of Iron to make Bowes and Arrows Harping-Irons Assagay's Javelins and other Utensils for their Fishing Trade Tillage and Husbandry Bars of Iron of which eight and twenty or thirty make a thousand Weight Sleight In-land Brandy-Wine Brass Basons from seven to ten Inches deep with narrow Brims Copper-Bars each of a pound weight Wool-Cards Blue small Buckles Red yellow and Blue Clothes White Blue Red and Yellow comb'd Wooll Red and Yellow Yarn Grain of all sorts The best or common Allom. Fine red and long Beads like Corall * But at this day in stead of Chrystal rather Coral or Beads are used Mountain Christall Sea-mens Knives Fine and course Shirts for men wrought on the Neck Breasts and Sleeves Sleazy Linnen which is call'd Akros on the Coast of Guinee Fine Diaper Fine Cotton Thin and white Paper White and blue Canns Irish Mantles Spanish Leather-Shoes Mens Hats or Caps Sleight Scemiters or Cuttles Brass Trumpets Course red Caps White and course Sowing-Thread or Yarn Glass Bottles overlaid with Tin and all sorts of Nails All these Wares are commonly packt in little Chests which are there barter'd for good advantage the Commodities received in Exchange we mentioned before ¶ THe Weapons and Arms of the Jalofs are Lances Bowes and Arrows made of Iron-Plates a kind of Turkish Scimiter crook'd like a Bowe round and broad Shields made of very hard Skins Darts which they shoot in long Bowes made of Canes Others carry a great Shield made of Oxe-Hides with a Scimiter and great Knife by their side a long Assagay or Javelin with two other short Darts by them call'd Sinchirin which by the help of a loop fastened in the middle of it wherein they put one finger they can throw very steady and with great swiftness and strength They have a sort of small Horses for service which they know how to ride with great dexterity The Moors of Barbary sometimes carry their Horses thither and sell them to the Blacks every Horse for ten twelve or thirteen Slaves each Slave accompted for nine and twenty Bars of Iron These Horses as soon as they have them they charm by a certain peculiar method of Incantation believing by that means they shall pass shot-free in the Wars Such Horsemen as follow the Wars mount and dismount with such active agility as is admirable for they can in full speed stand upright on the Saddle turn this way and that way stand upon their hands bow their bodies lie down on their sides and take up any thing from the earth Their Arms are Scimiters long Javelins with long Iron-points wherewith they strike holding it in their hands without casting The Wars are seldom undertaken out of ambition or for honor or mannag'd with design to subject others but principally out of revenge and that extends onely to the burning of some Towns if at any time they come to a Battel the greatest fury thereof vents it self on the one side to take on the other to keep the Royal Drum by them call'd Omlambe and in no less esteem there with them then the Royal Standard of the Eagle with the old Romans The present King of Ivala a free and loving Prince courteous towards Strangers is constrained to be always in a posture of Defence against the King of Baool a Tyrant and delighting in cruelty and oppression When the King of Ale intends to War upon his Neighbours he calls a Council with whom he Treats in a Wood close by the Palace in which they sit about a round Hole three Foot deep with their Heads hanging down This Hole they cover after the rising of the Council for the King saith That the Hole will never disclose his Secrets letting them understand thereby that none shall know what their Determination is By this means and for fear of being punisht as Traitors and betrayers of their Countrey their Enemies can never learn ought of their Resolution till it be brought to effect which without doubt is the chiefest cause of their success Their Government is not Hereditary from Father to Son The Inheritance of the Crown but three or four Grandees elect a King amongst them of the noblest Stock whom sometime presently after the Election they drive out of the Countrey again upon the least distaste When the King dies his eldest Brother takes upon him the Dominion and after his Decease all his other Brothers successively and when they are all dead at last the Children according to their degree of age or for want of Children the eldest Son of his Brother The Subjects shew great honour and respect to their Kings The Respect of the Subjects to their Kings using many Ceremonies when they come into his Presence saluting him first afar off upon their Knees bowing down to the Earth and with both Hands cast Sand upon their Heads and Shoulders thus they creep forwards kneeling till they come within two Paces of him and then speak having said what they intended the King answers in few words with great state When any Noble-man comes to the King he puts off his Shirt and lays it upon his right Shoulder and Arm appearing onely in his close Coat call'd by them Joula and so draws near to the King who is always attended with a great Train of Courtiers and other Servants who as a Guard to his Person are Armed with Assagay's and other Weapons of Defence Every Town on the Coast of Cape Verde hath an Algayere or Alkaid set there by the King of Cayor to receive the Custom of Foreign Ships that is three Bars of Irons for each Vessel but when they find any Merchants unexperienced in their Modes they extort as much as they can get besides every Ship pays to the Alkaid for their Water ten Bars of Iron or the like value in other Merchandise and sometimes a Cask of Brandy-Wine In the Year fourteen hundred fifty and five The Kings of Cape de Verde are call'd Burdomel a great Prince named Burdomel had Dominion over all the places about Cape Verde from whom ever since all the Kings of Cape Verde in general are call'd Burdomel as the Roman Emperors were stiled Caesar and the great
Egyptian Monarchs Pharaoh at first and afterwards Ptolomy The proper Name of the present King is Daur but by the addition of that Royal Title which signifies King call'd Burdomel Daur This Name of Burdomel The King is taken by some for a Place about Cape Verde and accordingly so set down in the Maps of Africa ¶ HEre are no peculiar or Municipal Laws The Law of the Countrey for indeed the Law or light of Nature is the onely Rule they steer by for when a Man dies and leaves behind him Wives Children Cattel Slaves and Iron wherein their chiefest Riches consists the Brothers and Sisters of the Deceased take all without any consideration of the Children whom they leave to the wide World to help themselves as well as they can As to matters of distributive Justice or punishments of Crimes they are in a manner strangers to both the greatest extravagancies being bought off and pardoned by paying of Slaves or some other Mulct to the King ¶ THeir Religion Their Religion if so we may call it is generally Paganism for they greet the New-Moon with horrible roarings and strange gestures of adoration they offer their Sacrifices in the Woods before great hollow Trees wherein they have placed Idols and this they do rather out of custom then zeal using neither form nor method in their Devotions nor any particular Assemblies but every one following the dictates of his own humor makes a God in his own Fancy which is as often varied as their Lusts or Passions raises in them other motions Some of them seem to incline to Mahumetanism and admit among them some Marabouts but so little have they prevailed upon them that they know not what the Sala means nor do the Priests any other Service than write Arabick Characters on small Papers which sew'd in little Leather Purses are worn by the Blacks on their Necks Arms Legs Heads and every part of their Bodies in great numbers firmly believing that thereby in time to come they shall be freed of all troubles and dangers to the great gain of the Marabouts who sell them at no small Prices And although they know there is a God yet have they no understanding to worship him and use Circumcision the fifth or sixth Year and then if they be asked the reason thereof they can give no other account but that it is an antient Custom received among them but farther know not None of the Priests are permitted to Marry but in their own Families nor may teach any to Read or Write without the chief Marabout's Licence They hold the Christian Religion in great abomination affirming that God who giveth all things and can do what he pleaseth and causes Thunder Lightning Rain and Wind is Omnipotent and needs neither praying to nor to be set forth in so mysterious a way as that of the Trinity and thus Heathenism and Idolatry generally possesses the whole Countrey THE KINGDOM OF GAMBEA CASSAN CANTOR AND BORSALO ADjoyning to Zenega on the North is Gambea The Kingdom of Gambea a small Kingdom by the River of the same name On the other side of the River Gambea lies the Jurisdiction of Cassan Great Cantor and Borsalo all heretofore subject to the King of Mandimanza but now have Princes as absolute as himself and acknowledging no Superior The King of Great Cantor keeps his Residence continually on the Southerly Shore of the River Gambea The King of Canter having many inferior Dominions under his Obedience The King of Borsalo commands on the North-side of the same River to Tantakonde The King of Borsalo Both these Princes have several populous Towns belonging to them but Several Towns lying on Gambea as we said all without Walls and scituate on both the Shores of Gambea which like the Nyle overflowing it Banks much enriches and fertilitates the neighbouring Soyl. The Sea-Coast hereabouts shooting from the South is very low and in that regard unless in very clear weather hard to be known but more forward the Land rises high is full of Trees and spreads North-East and South-West At the Mouth of this River stands the Town Barra Barra so named because every Ship that comes thither must give a Bar of Iron which they call Barra to the King of Borsalo Above the South-Point stands a Town call'd Nabare Nabare within a Wood. Three miles higher on the same Point lieth a Town call'd Bintam inhabited by the Portugals Bintam On the South-side of the River twenty miles from the Mouth Tankerval Tendeba appears Tankerval and not far thence a Town call'd Tendeba twelve miles from which last may be seen Jayre Jayre in a narrow Creek Half a mile beyond the Creek on the South-side lieth the River and Town call'd Jambay Jambay Mansibaer Barraconda with another named Mansibaer on the North. In the last place you come to Barraconda above which the Sea floweth not so that whoever will go higher must Row against the Stream After a tedious and toilsom Journey of ten days you arrive at Tinda Tinda above which stands Joliet Joliet Munkbaer and six days Journey from that a City call'd Munkbaer to which without great hazards there is no coming from whence in nine days you come to the City Jayr and so to Silico an In-land Town yet a place of great Trade Five and fifty miles within the Land stands Borsalo and eighty five miles Little Cassan Small Cassan Groat Cassan three miles above which the vast and great City Cassan shews it self whose side is washed by the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea and where the King keeps his Court. ¶ AMong other Rivers that water these Countreys The River Gambea one of the principal is Gambea or Gambia so call'd by the Portuguese after the example of the Blacks who call all the Tracts of Land reaching from the Mouth of it to the Gold-Coast Gambu It s Mouth is about three miles broad hath five fathom Water and lies in thirteen Degrees and nineteen Minutes North Latitude between the Zenega and Rio Grande It draws the original from the great River Niger It s Original at the place where it makes a great Lake and divides in four branches which are afterwards named Zenega Gambea Sante Domingo and the Great River all which after several long courses having visited and refreshed these hot Countreys with their pleasant Streams at last near Cape Verde pour forth their Waters into the Great Ocean but especially Gambea with so strong a Current and such abundance of Water that sixteen miles in the Sea as they say that Water may be taken up They may row up in this River against the Stream near a hundred miles but then are stopped with a strong Water-fall which with an impetuous noise pours down over the Rocks and by that means becomes unpassable The Channel is for the most part very broad especially from the Gold-Coast of Cantor or Reskate to its Mouth
Natives ¶ THe King of Kassamanse pays Tribute to another call'd Jaxem Their Dominion who himself hath for Superior as all the rest of the petty Princes thereabouts the King of Mandinga ¶ THe Trade formerly accustomed to be driven in Kassamanse Their Trade the Portuguese have for conveniency removed to Katcheo often before mentioned ¶ THe Kassamansines are down-right Pagans Their Religion devoted to one Idol among others named China signifying God in whose honour on the Twenty ninth of September at midnight they solemnize a high Festival at which time some of their Priests or Soothsayers which they call Arakam as indeed they are all no better than Magicians and Witches wears a blue Scarf wherein they depict a bundle of Rice Branches intermixed with Bones in remembrance perhaps of such as have out of the height of their blind zeal sacrificed themselves to this Idol under whose form the Devil beguiles them in several manners This Priest begins a circular Procession which finished they place it in a hollow Tree offering before it many Burnt-sacrifices and other Oblations of Honey and the like At length ending their Devotions in stead of Prayers with several extravagant and inarticulate Ejaculations they betake themselves to their particular Abodes ¶ THe Portugals here as in Zenega come with Ships laden with all sorts of Ethiopian Wares Their Trade which they barter with their Countreymen resident here to great profit for Negro Slaves which they transport to Carthagena in the West-Indies and there sell dearer by ten Rials a piece than any either of Benin or Angola and not without cause for these are cleaner limb'd better shap'd and featur'd of a notable capacity and understanding but withall stubborn and suspicious but time and experience must discover those qualities while in the interim their outward Semblance advances the Market nor are the numbers of them small as will easily appear if we consider that the best Commodities brought hither are for the most part exchang'd for such being either purchas'd by War or else under the pretext of some imperious and arbitrary Laws by the Kings and Great Men of the Countrey first enslav'd and then sold The like Trade is driven at St. Jago one of the Salt Islands Cape Verde Refrisko Porto de Ale and Ivala The Wares chiefly desir'd and bought up almost at any rate by the Blacks are Spanish and Brandy-Wines Oyl Fruits Iron Stuffs for Clothes fine Linnen Edgings Bracelets Damask Laces Nails Yarn Silk and other small Wares but among all these Iron is the chief The People BURAMOS THe Buramos or Papais live about the River Santa Domingo and from thence spread to the Mouth of Rio Grande far up into the South Their chiefest Town in the proper Idiom of the Countrey call'd Jarim lies five miles and a half from the Haven of Saint Domingo Jarim where the Potentest King of this People resides and keeps his Court. Katcheo scituate upon the River so named Katcheo wherein live several Portuguese Families and some Mulata's who have many Slaves they dwelt heretofore intermixed with the Blacks but of late have betaken themselves to Forts which they have erected and planted with Guns to secure themselves against Invasion ¶ THe Houses of the Natives are built of Clay Their Houses with Roofs made of the Leaves of Trees In the above-mention'd River lie some small Islands possessed still by the Buramos very pleasant fruitful and full of Trees ¶ BOth Men and Women file their Teeth to make them sharp The Nature of the Inhabitants as if Nature had not given them edges fit for their ordained work The Women Jarrik lib. c. 44. because they would not accompany themselves to much talking or scolding take every morning betimes a little Water in their mouthes which they keep there till all their Houshold-work is done but then putting it out give their Tongues free liberty They have many Governours but all subject to him of Jarim onely the Islanders have a particular Prince But as to matters of Religion they all continue in their old Paganism The Bisegos or Bigiohos Islands BEyond the Buramos to the South Bisego's Islands opposite to the Kingdom of Guinala and Bisegui lie seventeen other Islands call'd De Bigiohos or Bisegos The chiefest and greatest of these is the Fair Island by the Portugals named Isla-Formosa Isla formosa or The fair Island by the Spaniards Isla de Po according to the Discoverer's Name Ferdinando de Po in eleven Degrees and three and forty Minutes North Latitude four miles and a half due-South of Cabo Roxo These Islands are very fertile The Fruitfulness of the Islands and full of Palm-Trees which yield Wine Oyl and many other things for the most part plain and so fit for the producing all sorts of Grain that it affords a sufficiency of Food to the Inhabitants without being manured Here is also great store of Rice Iron Wax Ivory and long Pepper which the Portugals call Pimienta de Cola a Commodity much desired by and vented to the Turks And many times upon the Sea-Shore are found great quantities of Ambergreece The Land is well stock'd with good Cattel Beasts and the Sea and Rivers plentifully stor'd with excellent Fish whereof great profit accrews to the Inhabitants who as they cannot speak so neither are they willing to learn any Language but their Mother-Tongue being of a large stature and inclinable to fatness Their Arms are the same with those of Besu and Katcheo Arms. but not so well wrought nor so handsome which they are well skill'd in the use of being withall of great courage and very hardy Heretofore they so pressed upon the Portuguese The Valour of the Inhabitants and harrassed the Rivers where they had seated themselves with their light Boats that in the Year One thousand six hundred and seven they forc'd them to send for Aid into Spain which arriving they were brought to reason and ever since have held a friendly Correspondence The King of Biguba they reduc'd into so great straits that he was forc'd to flye in the Wilderness with all his Subjects The King of Guinala they have dispossessed of six Kingdoms and maintain continual Wars against their Neighbors on the Main Land from whom they take many Slaves which they sell to the Portugals Each of these Islands hath a particular Lord which are all under the Jurisdiction of the King of The fair Island or Isla do Po. THE KINGDOM OF GUINALA THis Kingdom inhabited by the Beafers The Borders of the Kingdom of Guinala hath its Name from the River Guinala and borders on the South on the beforemention'd Islands on the East on the Naluze◠a warlike people but not such troublesome Neighbors to the King of Guinala as the Islanders who as we said have dispossessed him of six Kingdoms The chiefest place of this Countrey is the Haven of Guinala The Haven of Guinala and the next the
than from the Cape of Serre-Lions to the Cape of Lopez Gonsalvez lying about one Degree and a half South Latitude But some yet restrain it more shutting it up between which they include the before-mentioned Cape of Serre-Lions and the River of Benin GVINEA Some Geographers have attributed to Guine the Title of a peculiar Kingdom making it begin at the Gram-Coast and the River of Benin but this cannot be considering the great numbers of several Kingdoms lying between them Again others oppose that making all along upon the Sea-Coast in every eight miles a particular Territory and People to each of whom they set a peculiar King but he forsooth is no better than a Provincial The greatest part of Guine which indeed lies all upon the Sea-Coast Guine is divided into several Coasts has several Names given to it according to the various Commodities they most abound with Some divide it into six or seven Parts others into five but the best and most known Partition is into the Guinee-Coast Ivory-Coast Quaqua-Coast and Gold-Coast The Grain-Coast so call'd from Manigetta or Grain of Paradise Grain-Coast abundantly there to be had taketh beginning from Cabo de Baixos and runs two miles beyond the Palmito Gardine or Cabo de Palmas although some would have it to commence at Serre-Lions Ivory-Coast by others call'd Bad People that is Villanous Vooth-Coast beginneth near the Town Gruwa two miles Eastward of Palmito and ends at Cape de Lahoe containing a Space of fifty miles From whence to Cabo des tres Puntas or Cape Triangle they reckon Quaqua-Coast so call'd from the Cotton Cloathes which are there Traded for Quaqua-Coast but the vulgar acceptation of Quaqua takes original from the Call wherewith the Inhabitants when they come near with their Skiffs to the Merchants Ships as a token and sign of salutation and welcom cry always Quaqua For the Gold-Coast we need not seek for the reason of the Name Gold-Coast because it speaks it self 't is a large spot of Ground extending in length fifty miles from Cape Triangle to Acre though some would stretch it to Rio Volla and others yet farther even to Rio Jagos and Rio de Benni Whence this Name Guine had the first original all Geographers differ The original of the Name Guine but the greatest probability seems to bring it from the Portuguese who being the first Discoverers and finding it to lie even with the before-described Kingdom of Guine or Geneva near the River Niger gave it the same Denomination with its Neighbor In the Description of this Countrey we shall onely set down some of the chiefest and which for the variety of Plants Beasts and Customs of the Inhabitants bear some remarkable difference from others and particularly begin with that of Bolm The TERRITORY of BOLM CILM and QUILLIGA THis Countrey whose Inhabitants are call'd in their Mother-Tongue The Countrey of Bolm Bolm-Monou lies by the Sea-Coast near the River Selbore taking Name from the Prince being very low and watery from whence denominated Bolm Fourteen or fifteen miles up the River on the Left-hand appears the Village Baga Baga where the Prince resides and keeps his Court Ten or eleven miles to the South-East you come to the Province of Cilm The Countrey of Cilm whose Inhabitants are named Cilm Monou Here are seated on the Banks of the River divers good Towns with the City Quanamora containing about five thousand Families The River Selbore or Rio des Palmas the chief of this Region lying in eight Degrees North Latitude towards the Mouth divides into two Branches one running to the Westward the Inhabitants name Torro the other passing to the South the Portugals call Rio de Sante Anna. Torro twice or thrice a year hath little Water and by reason of several Islands can onely be passed with Ketches of eighteen or twenty Last and other small Passage-Boats This River with its Branches produces many amphibious Creatures In the Mouth of it lieth a great Island so made by the two fore-named Arms which from their embraces thereof on each side suddenly fall into the Sea The Island with its Point call'd Sante Anne appearing very pleasant by reason of its shady Groves the Portugals in their Sea-Cards call'd Ferula or Farillons but 't is better known to People by the Title Massokoy according to the Name of the Prince whom the King of Cabo Monte or Quoia hath made his Vice-Roy Before this Island lieth a great Shelf denominated Baxos de Sante Anne and round about it several dangerous Rocks ¶ THe Inhabitants are Blacks of the Town Quanamora The kind of Inhabitants a wicked and faithless people under pretence of Trade coming under the Ships will endeavor to sink them The Land hath Nature for a kind Mother The fruitfulness of the Countrey bearing without or at least with very little Tillage abundance of excellent Rice and other Grain besides Hens Banames Injames Potatoes Bakovers Ananasses and such like by reason of which Fertility many people flock thither to inhabit especially near the River The English have by this River in the Village Bago Their Trade many Tents wherein at certain Seasons they reside for their conveniency of dealing for Red-Wood whereof they purchase and acquire very great parcels and for that very purpose have planted several Families in the circumjacent Villages The Inhabitants of Farrillons and Massakoye Their Customs are affable and courteous behaving themselves in a very orderly manner beyond the ordinary Barbarism of the Blacks and wear a Cotton Coat down to the knees by whose example their Neighbors do the like By St. Annes Rocks Pearl-catching Pearles and Scollop-shells are taken but the Sea is so over-run with devouring Fishes that few dare adventure the catching of them Their Religion Their Religion if any is down-right Paganisme yet use they Circumcision like the Jews and Turks of which their Ignorance is not able to give any reason Having thus travell'd through Bolm and Cilm you go to Quilliga lying by Rio de Galinas The Countrey Quilliga or Hen-River thirty or two and thirty miles upward of which appears Carradobo The River of Hens whose Inhabitants are call'd Carradabo Monou as those of the former Quilliga Monou All this spreads East and by South lying very low but full of Trees having the benefits of several Rivers that water their Plains The first lying twelve miles from Rio das Palmas the Inhabitants call Maqualbary and the Portugals Galinas by reason of the great number of Hens thereabouts bred and takes its Original out of the Region of Hondo The people living on the Shore of this River speak a particular Language that seems harsh and unpleasant but when they go to Quoya Their Language or Cabo Monte to traffick they express their meanings significantly in another Tongue that runs smooth and easie either to be learnt or understood All these Countreys have particular
entituled Gallafally The next is Hondo inhabited by the Hondo-Monou Hondo scituate by the side of this Wilderness more North-Easterly then Gala-vy and contains within it the peculiar Lordship of Dogo Neighboring to these dwell the Konde-Quoia's or High-Quoia's Konde-Quoias that differ in Speech from the Maritime Quoia's Afterwards you arrive at the Kingdom of Folgia and Manou or Manoe Folgia and Manou which last is a Potent State holding in subjection most of the Countrey round about two small Rivers encompass it viz. Rio Junk and Arverado the former Folgia East and by North above Rio Junk the dividing limit between them which with the other in about five Degrees North Latitude pour into the Sea Karou whose Inhabitants took their Name from Karou-Monou The Countrey Karou is a peculiar Territory now included in Folgia by Conquest but heretofore had a Prince of their own and a Countrey large and free from any slavish yoke At the Coast of Cape Saint Anne and along to Cabo Monte and Cabo das Palmas The Winter-Season the Rain begins with May and continues to October during which time they have great and terrible Thunder and Lightning with furious North-Westerly Gusts of Wind however this continual Showering so fills and pinguifies the before-cleft and parched Earth as adapts it for the bearing of Rice and other Fruits and Grains for the whole face of the Ground is covered with Water that there can be no stirring for common converse except in Boats During this time also the Sea sets hard all along the Shore towards the North-East so that Ships which between July and September happen to fall below Cape de Monte can very hardly and not without great labour get about to the South Besides this Race makes mountainous Billows roll to the Shore so that it is in effect impossible to approach the same in Boats without danger of splitting There blows also upon this Coast a Land and Sea-Wind the first begins after midnight and continues till high-Noon the last rises after two and holds till Midnight But these Seasons once over from October to May the Weather proves pleasant and dry till endammaged by the fiery heat of the scalding Air. ¶ QUoia Berkoma Plants with the adjacent Fields are by the before-mention'd Rains so impregnated that they produce all sorts of Grain and Plants in great abundance Bonde for first there grows a great Tree call'd Bonde in height exceeding all other Trees in the Wood and scarce fathomable by six or seven Men the Bark full of great Thorns the Wood soft of which they make Canoos Stools Spoons and Dishes the Roots lying generally four or five Foot above the Earth they cut out into Planks and Boards for Doors to their Houses and many other uses with the Branches and young Sprouts Hedging the Towns because being stuck into the Ground they grow and make a Quickset-Fence the refuse of the Wood they burn and with the Ashes make a lixiviated Liquor which boyled up with old Oyl of Palm makes an excellent and very useful Sope. The Tree Bassi grows high Bassi and two or three fathom thick having a Russet-Bark which they use in Dying to give a Russet-brown Tincture as of the Trunk they make Boats and such like Utensils Kaey is also thick and high Kaey of whose hard Wood being not apt to rot they also make Canoos but the Barks and Leaves for their Medicinal Vertues they use in Physick Billegoh Billegoh a tall thick Tree whose Wood exceeds that of most Trees in hardness and of notable use in Physick The Bossy hath a dry Bark Bossy and soft Wood like the Bonde yielding also a kind of Pot-Ashes and bearing yellow Fruit good to eat and tart in taste The Mille shoots very high Mille. the Wood soft the Root like the Bonde growing above the Ground the Blacks use it in charming Potions The Borrouw grows but to an ordinary height and bigness Borrouw but upon the Bark stick crooked Thorns like the Talons of a Fowl these being chopt yield a yellowish white Juyce the like do the thick Leaves beaten and pressed which taken inwardly is an effectual Purge and so certainly good that 't is commonly used when other Remedies will not work The Wood is damp and unfit either for Service or Fewel Mammo a thick and high Tree bears a Fruit white within and of a tart taste Mammo much us'd in Physick and buried under the earth remains good a whole year Quony a high and thick Tree with a rough Bark which they use in Philters or other charming Potions mixed with water they make mortars of the wood Quony because tough and not easily split wherein they stamp Rice It bears a venomous Excrescence full of Juyce wherein the Blacks dip their Arrows that from thence contract a mortal Poyson Hoquella rises to a great heighth bearing Shell-Fruit a foot and a half long Hoquella inclosing flat Beans the Bark and Leaves have a Physical Quality and therefore in much use But the Ashes of the Shells burnt make a most useful Lye Domboch bears Fruit pleasant and frequently eaten The Bark bruised Domboch and the Juice mixt in a convenient Vehicle makes an Excellent Purgative Medicine but the wood they convert into Boats Sugar-chests and such like Kolach a Tree of ordinary size bears Fruit like Plumbs Kolach very agreeable to the Palate whose Bark also is of use in Physick Bongia rising to a more than common size and bigness Bongia of no use but in the Bark and that onely for Physick and to give a yellow tincture in Dying Duy in Growth like the former produces round Apples Duy a profitable and wholesome Food both to man and beast The Bark steeped in Wine and other Drinks make them great Cordials The Bark of Niaukony tastes hot in the mouth like Pepper Niaukony and hath won the esteem of a more than common Remedy in many Diseases The Palmito-Trees grow here frequently which young are call'd Quan Palmito-Tree have many branches with long thorns and small long Leaves which hatchel'd serves them in stead of Hemp to make Nets and Ropes grown up to the heighth of a man it bears a kind of Nuts which are as big as Olives of which the Palm-Oyl is made When it is shot up forty or fifty foot high and proportionally large the branches fall off so that it stands naked like a Maste onely with Branches and Leaves at the top the undermost by degrees still falling off while upwards new ones grow thus full grown it is call'd Tongoo and when very old affords Wine Oyl and Hemp in one year This Wine which the Blacks call Mignoll they draw out by boaring a hole in the body of the Tree where the Leaves at first began to sprout out of which the Wine distills into a Pot or Pitcher hanging on a hook in colour it resembles
near Neighborhood to the Folgia's bred many sharp Quarrels and Contentions between them concerning Limits and Superiority till at last from private Feuds they broke out into an open War wherein the Folgians generally went with the loss The Folgians reduced to extremity The Folgians seek for Address by Sorcerers how to overcome the Karou's and no longer able to hold out by plain force have recourse to one Jakehmo a Prognosticator or Conjurer for counsel how they might master the Karou's who return'd this answer That near a Hill in the Karou's Countrey was a Pond or Standing-Water which they worshipped and accounted holy being fondly perswaded that the first Karou's dropped out of Heaven into this Pond making daily Offerings there and to the Fishes in it they should therefore take boil'd Fishes with Scales and throw therein for you must observe that 't is unlawful for the Karou's to eat any Fish with Scales which defiling their consecrated Pool would be a cause of Variance and Contention amongst themselves so that they should destroy one another whereby weakned they might easily be conquered The Folgians follow'd his advice whereupon the Karou's according to the Saying of the Sorcerer became wonderfully enraged one against another and dividing into Factions so weakned themselves by mutual slaughters that the Folgians thought it time to assault them however the Karou's made resistance but at last through the impulse of Fate they were overcome The Karou's overcome by the Folgians and their Governour Sogwalla slain whose Son named Flonikerry with the remaining Karou's soon after submitted to the Command of the Folgians But the Folgians who very well knew by long conversation the ambition and stubbornness of the Karou's and had seen many proofs of their Valour and that their restless spirits would take all opportunities to regain their Liberty and Honour resolved not to inflict any great Services upon them as Slaves but live with them as Companions and Countrey-men They are civilly treated by the Folgias by that means to draw and unite their hearts to them and to win the advantages of a continual Peace As a farther motive and inducement to which Flansire King of Folgia took to Wife the Sister of Flonikerry Flonikerry remains General of the Karou's by Name Wawalla by which Marriage Flonikerry remaining Chief of the Karou's in his deceased Father's Place so wrought that both People were incorporated into a mutual Amity In this interim the Quabe-Monoaw a People dwelling near Rio Cestes had begun a War with the Folgia's for the management whereof Flansire made his Brother Flonikerry his General and referr'd the Trust and Care of all to his discretion as well satisfi'd of his great Experience in the Wars Whereupon he drew to Rio Cestes with his Forces and meeting with the Enemy a fierce and terrible Fight ensued with great loss of Men on both sides it being very dubious a long time to whose side the Victory would incline but at length the Folgians good fortune prevailed and assisted by the Conduct and Valour of their General made a total Conquest both of the People and Countrey The War thus luckily ended Overcometh the People of Rio Cestes the General with his Army returned back to Folgia where he was courteously received by his Lord and thanked for his faithful Service During this War The Death of the King of Manou Mendino the King of Manou to whom the Folgians paid an Annual Tribute died whose Subjects and Favorites did strictly according to their Custom make enquiry how he came to his end but the narrowest of their Scrutinies not being able to make any discovery they were forc'd to acquiesce Nevertheless they took up an imbitter'd hatred against Manimassah Brother of the deceas'd Mendino The Kings Brother Manimassah drinks Quony that he was forc'd to drink the Quony which seeing no other remedy he did yet evacuated the same again without any hurt as a remarkable sign of his Innocency Whereupon he demanded to be restor'd to his former Honour and Credit but in stead thereof the Tryers told him The King was in his life time our common Father should not we after his death endeavor to find out what did befall him or caus'd him to dye that were a great shame for us we have examin'd and try'd you but it shall not remain so we will examine the business yet farther and make the Soothsayers acquainted with it Manimassah mad at these inhumane usages Retires Northward burst forth at last into these words This shame is not to be suffer'd of my Subjects in my own Countrey I will go under the Conduct of the Spirits my deceased Friends and seek a dwelling-place In this manner he left his Native Countrey and travell'd a little Northward into Gala inhabited by the Gala-Monou's a mean and simple People without any Prince These in a short time won by Manimassah's endearing Behavior besought him with an unanimous consent to be their Prince Becomes Prince of the Gala-Monou's to which he consented with this Condition That they should give him some of their Plants and Venison for an acknowledgement of their Subjection this they yielded to but such was their brutish Barbarism that although they own'd him their Lord they us'd him as their Companion for being wholly unacquainted with Civility when any of them brought him Wine Rice or Flesh they came to him to require their Callibashes or Baskets Was uncivilly dispossessed which unmannerly clownish behavior Manimassah so resented He withdraws again because of their Disobedience though upon due consideration their ignorance might have pleaded a sufficient excuse that he concluded to withdraw again to obtain help and assistance because he was not potent enough to bring the Gala's under his Authority from Flansire Upon what he withdrew King of Folgia whose Daughter he had married The King hearing the Request of his Brother-in-law lent him many Souldiers for his help under the Conduct of Flonikerry as General Cometh again with an Army and compels them to Obedience who unexpectedly fell into Gala and subdu'd the People setling Manimassah in an absolute Dominion who hath ever since continued their Prince and taught them with sorrow to learn more respective qualities This Affair perform'd at last Flonikerry return'd to Folgia and was there receiv'd and welcom'd with great Applause This Flonikerry had a Brothers Son nam'd Fesiach Fesiack gives opportunity and occasion of overcoming of Vey-Berkoma who having been formerly at Cabo Monte or Vey-Berkoma and the places adjacent many times told his Uncle the Conveniency and Scituation of the Countrey and how easie a matter it would be to bring it under his Obedience These Discourses before the King had wrought in him an inclination to the Proposal which upon the account following came to effect Flonikerry had long before desir'd of the King Flonikerry desires some Countreys to Farm of the King of Folgia that he
and Sonquay in the North by the Kingdom of Aquumboe and the Countrey of Abonce in the East at Great-Akara and in the South spreads along the Sea-shore Agwana hath divers Villages and Mountains near the Sea as the Rough-Point a Village of Fisher-men Souldiers-Bay and The Devils-Hill New-Abrembee Old-Abrembee Great-Berku scituate on a Mountain four Miles from Akara Jako-Kox-broot and Little-Berku where Water'd by a small River All these places have Stony Cliffs before their Havens From Cormantin the Coast reacheth East and by South The spreading of the Coast to The Devils-Mountain about six Miles from thence to Berku a Tract of five Miles East and by North from Berku one Mile Westward to Akara a Tract of five Miles East North-East Beyond Kox-broot lieth low Land replenish'd with small Trees but the Countrey within is high and Mountainous In Berku breed many Hens sufficient to eat among themselves and to sell cheap to strangers and their Drink call'd Pitouw is like our small Beer The Inhabitants have the repute of Stout and Warlike People The Nature and Maintenance of the Inhabitants but in Peaceable times maintain themselves by Husbandry and Fishing Yet some of them are good Artists both in Iron and Gold of the first making good Arms and of the second curious Gold-Chains and other neat Pieces of Workmanship In this Territory is but a small Trade for European Wares There is little Trade and therefore little frequented the best dealing is for Slaves of Berku with the Akerasche Merchants which come thither who exchange them for Serges viz. a Piece of Serge for a Slave or else two ounces of Gold THE KINGDOM OF AKARA THis Kingdom contains in Circuit The Borders of the Kingdom of Akara ten or twelve miles having on the West Aguana and the Countrey of Abonce on the North the Dominion of Aboura and Bonoe on the East that of Labbeda and Ningo and on the South the Sea Near whose Shore are three Villages viz. Soko Little Akara fifteen miles Eastward of Kormantyn and Orsaky Having gone four miles into the Countrey you come to Great Akara where the King keeps his Residence Provision here is very scarce especially Fruits and Bread-Corn so that whatever Whites put into this Place to Trade must upon necessity provide themselves well with all necessary Provision The King hath and not without cause the repute of a Potent Prince The Kings Power being able in time of War to bring fifteen or sixteen thousand Men into the Field He hath a more absolute Soveraignty over his Subjects than any of his Neighbors so that he is an unlimited Monarch and for the more sure confirming his Jurisdiction keeps good Correspondency with all Whites without shewing more favour to one than another The Little Akara has been many years the chiefest place of Trade upon the Gold-Coast next Moure and Kormantyn Trade where Foreign Merchants carry Iron and Linnen which they exchange in Barter for Gold with much greater gain than on the other places of the Gold-Coast but the Linnen must be finer than ordinary otherwise the Blacks will not meddle with it While Trading here was free to all that is till the Hollanders West India Company had ingross'd it to themselves the Haven of Akara produced a third part of the Gold that was to be had on all the Gold-Coast which was brought thither to sell from the Countreys of Abonce and Akamen All the Wares which the Inhabitants buy they sell again at the Market of Abonce two hours Journey beyond Great Akara which they hold three times a Week with great resort of People out of all the neighboring Territories The King of Akara suffers none out of Aquemhoe and Aquimera to come through his Countrey and Trade with the Whites but reserves that freedom to his own Subjects onely who carry the Wares brought from the Europeans to Abonce and exchange them there with great profit Neither would this King suffer the Whites to set up a Store-house on Shore for Trade but forc'd to ride with their Ships Ketches and Sloops before the Haven yet some few years since he sold to the Dutch a piece of Ground whereon he hath permitted them to build a Store-house Adjoining to this they have so far incroached The Store-house of Akara as to raise a little Fort of Stones sixty two Foot long four and twenty broad and flat above overlay'd with thick Planks strongly mortis'd together and strengthned round about with high Breast-works Port-holes and defensive Points for keeping off an Enemy At Great Akara the King hath appointed a Captain over the Merchants Overseer of the Trade with full power to set a Tax or Price for Selling to prevent all Quarrels Differences and Controversies which might otherwise arise of whom the Merchants stand in greater awe than of the King himself for he not onely punishes Offenders according to his pleasure but in case that any Dissentions happen he stops up all the Ways if they do not pay him according to his Amercement THE KINGDOM OF LABBEDE LAbbede a small Territory hath on the West Great Akara The Borders of the Countrey Labbede on the North and the East the Kingdom of Ningo on the Sea-Coast two miles Easterly from Little Akara lies one and the onely Village call'd Labbede a delightful place Wall'd and fortifi'd with Cliffs by the Sea-shore The Countrey hereabouts has plain and many well-water'd Meadows convenient for Pasturage of Cattel The Trade of the Inhabitants consists chiefly in Cows Maintenance whereof they breed some up themselves and others they fetch over-Land from Ley a Place eight or ten miles lower which they then sometimes sell again to the Akraman Blacks and to those of the uppermost Places The Government of this Countrey belongs to a petty Government yet absolute Prince THE TERRITORY OF NINGO OR NIMGO THe Countrey Ningo hath on the West Borders of the Kingdom of Ningo Great Akara on the North Equea and Little Akara On the Sea-Coast in this Territory are four places Ningo three or four miles from Akora and two from Labbede Temina one mile from Ningo Sinko a mile from Temina and Pissy all with Cliffs before the Walls in the Sea Ningo abounds with Cattel which the Akarians buy and carry to sell with Canoos to Moure Within the Countrey stands another fair City call'd Spicei where grow many good Oranges The Inhabitants generally support themselves by Fishing Maintenance which they do in a strange manner and with as uncouth Implements being like Baskets or Coops such as they put Chickens under with which going along the Shore in the Night with Lights they throw them over those Fishes which they get sight of Ningo Sinko Pissy some years since Places of good Trade but having now for a long time given out no Gold they are not visited by the Merchants who for that cause go no lower than Akara where as it is before
Jurisdiction extends over many Cities Towns and Villages wherein none of his Neighbors can equal him Besides he holds as Tributaries the Kingdom of Istama Forkado Jaboe Isago and Oedobo For the more orderly Government of the Kingdom he makes three chief Counsellors in Great Benyn call'd by the Portuguese Figdares who manage the Affairs of the whole Countrey under the King besides whom none superior to them but the Field-Martial and the King's Mother These have Command over every Corner and Quarter of the City and draw great Profit from thence their Names of Office being Ongogue Ossade and Arribo These send into every City or Town a certain number of Noble-men call'd also Fiadoors who decide all Causes except such as relate to Life and Limb and may condemn the guilty Person according to the greatness of his Offence in a Mulct or Penalty but those greater Trials are sent to Benyn to be decided where the Courts of Justice sit But the Judges oftentimes though unknown to the King yet not without the connivance of some of the greatest Fiadoors are Brib'd to partiality The present King keeps a thousand Wives The King of Benyn keeps many Wives for by the Death of his Father Kambadie such Women as had been taken up for his use but never known by him became his Sons by Inheritance the rest with whom the Father had familiarly conversed may never Marry again but are shut up together in a Cloyster and kept by Eunuchs This Prince makes great Wars against his Neighbors towards the East and North winning from them many Cities and Towns He makes great Wars and thereby enriching his Treasury with great Booty of Jasper-Stones and other things He keeps such a reserv'd State Comes but once a year out of his Court. that he appears but once a year at the chief Festival out of his Court before the Commons and then on Horseback adorn'd with all sorts of Royal Ornaments and attended with three or four hundred Noble-men both on Horseback and on Foot and many Musitians before and after in that manner as is mention'd in the foregoing Description of the City of Benyn But he rides not far onely fetching a little compass soon returns As an Ornament to this short Cavalcade he exposes to sight some tame Leopards Chain'd which he keeps for his Recreation many Dwarfs and Fools to shew mimick Tricks and antick Postures and make Pastime for the People At this Festival ten twelve thirteen or more Slaves for the honour of the King are put to death which they believe after they have been a while dead are going to another Countrey and there reviving enjoy the greatest felicity imaginable Upon another Day the King sheweth his Riches consisting in Jasper-Stone Coral and other Commodities before all Men hanging out to publick view and then he bestows many Presents of Slaves Women and other things on the well-deserving And also confers on his Favorites many Offices which concern the Government of Cities and Towns The King's Mother The King's Mother is in great Honour for her greater honour hath a particular Palace without the City rich and stately built where she keeps Court with many Women and Maids Attendants and so highly esteem'd that her Counsel is us'd in all Causes of the Land yet nevertheless by a particular Custom which they term Law the King and his Mother may not see one another as long as they live When a King dies The Funeral of the King a great Cave is digg'd in his Court broad below and narrow above and so deep that the Diggers must be drown'd in the Water In this Cave they put the Corps and then all his Favorites and Servants appear to accompany and serve him in the other Life and when they are gone down to the Corps in the Cave they set a great Stone over the Mouth the People that day and night standing round about it The next day some go to the Cave and removing the Stone ask them within What they do and If none be gone to serve the King To which then perhaps nothing else is answer'd but No. The third day they ask the same Question and then sometimes receive answer That such are the first and those and those are the second whom they highly praise and esteem happy At length after four or five or more days the Men dead and none left to give answer they give account thereof to the new establish'd King who presently makes a great Fire over the Cave whereat spending a great quantity of Flesh to give away to the Common-People so solemnizeth his Inauguration After the Cave stopp'd many Men as they pass along the Streets and some in their own Houses are struck down dead whose Heads cover'd with a Cloth none dare remove but so let it lie to be devour'd by Carnifferous Fowl which are of these two sorts one call'd Goere and the other Akalles Some hold opinion that into the foremention'd Cave no living but onely the Trunks of beheaded Men are put as also that they throw in great part of his Royal Vesture Houshold-stuff and other Wealth By the King's Order yearly Festivals are kept The Festival time of the deceased King in Commemoration of the deceased Kings wherein they make horrible Sacrifices of Men and Beasts to the number of four or five hundred but never more than three and twenty in a day most of them Malefactors who have deserv'd Death and reserv'd in the Trunk of a Tree for this Time But if it happen that there be not Malefactors enough then the King to compleat the number sends for some of his Servants in the Evening into the Streets to take all those that go without Lights and bring them into the Prison If the surprised be a poor or idle person he must expect no favor but hurri'd to Prison soon receives his doom but a rich Man may redeem himself The greatest Fiadoors cannot excuse their Slaves from this duty but by another And in this manner the Fetisero's intending to make a humane Sacrifice to the Devil gets a Man by order from the Court which they may dispose of as they please The Crown descends to the Sons and for want of Sons to the Brothers When the King lieth upon his Death-bed he sends for one of his Nobility The Inheritance whom they call Onegwa to whom he declares the right of Succession and who shall be his Heir which this Noble-man does reveal to none till a competent time after the King's Death but then takes upon him the oversight of the deceased King 's Goods and Children who come with great humility and Salute him not as yet knowing who shall Inherit the Crown Every one makes address to this Onegwa with great respect in hopes of future advantage but he continues silent till the appointed time when sending for the Owe-Asserry that is the General tells him which Son the deceased King appointed to Inherit the Crown whereupon the
General without speaking a word withdraws to his House and the Onegwa sets up that Son to be King whereof the retir'd General receiving notice after five or six days he comes again to the Court and calling for the Onegwa demands if that were the old King's will wherein receiving an affirmative satisfaction immediately they present the deposited Inheritance of the Crown and he receives the Dominion whereupon after thanks return'd he puts on Royal Robes and sits down Then come all the Vassals from the highest to the lowest and do homage upon their Knees This Solemnity ended the King retires to another Town call'd Goseboe The new King may not at first dwell in Benyn to keep his Court for till a set time-he may not come to Benyn unless to make a wicked Sacrifice of Men and Beasts But when the Siasseere thinks time enough to have been spent and that the Lessons and Life of his Ancestors be enough inculcated the same Siasseere or General invites him to and entertains him in Benyn where thence-forward he keeps his Court and Rules according to his own pleasure The King once setled upon the Throne The new King kills all his Brethren endeavours to cut off all his Brothers to secure himself against Competitors of late some of them have been spared but they made such ill use of that favor by confederating with the Friends of some condemn'd and banish'd Fiadoors that this present King smother'd and other ways put to death all his Brethren not clandestinely but upon publick notice though some stick not to report that he forc'd them to hang themselves because none may lay hands on the Royal Bloud to kill them yet after their Death he order'd them to be hang'd with great Magnificence and State Their Religion if any consisteth in honouring the Devil to whom Religion as we said before they sacrifice Men and Beasts for though they well know and believe that there is a God who hath created Heaven and Earth and still Rules yet they esteem it unnecessary to Pray to or Serve him because he is not evil but good but they seek to appease the Devilwith Sacrifices for that he always prosecutes them with evil They call God Orisa and the Whites Owiorisa that is God's Child They have wooden Fetisies or Idols which they Worship and Fetisero's or Priests who enquire of and receive answers from the Devil The Fetisi also foretels what shall befall them either in the Wars or otherwise by a contriv'd sound proceeding out of a Pot with three holes as is related before They offer yearly great Sacrifices to the Sea that it may be favorable and swear no greater Oath than by the Sea and their King They observe many high and solemn Times with Dancing Leaping Playing offering both Men and Cattel In the Village Lebo lying before the River Arbon or Bonya liveth a Conjurer all whose Ancestors practis'd the same Art for they could by report of the Inhabitants Charm the Sea in divers manners now raising Tempests anon causing a Calm sometimes foretel Wracks and Losses otherwhiles the safe arrival of Ships from strange Countreys for which or rather for fear the King gave him this Hamlet with all the Slaves which he yet possesses He hath such strange fancies and behaviour as if possess'd that none dare take him by the Hand The Bonyan Agents when they come thither stand in great awe of him and he himself dare not come to Bonya nor near it by command of the former Kings yet the Prince hath many of those Necromancers about him and holds them in great esteem The Kingdom of ISAGO JABOE and ODOBO THe Tributary Dominion of Isago borders in the West The Kingdom of Isago on the Dominion of Benya being a Countrey full of Horses which the Inhabitants use onely for Wars whereof having gotten together a very considerable Body some years ago The fruitless Invention of the Isagos's on those of Benyn they intended to set upon the Bonyans who being pre-acquainted with their Design underhand digg'd many Pits in the Fields and covering the same with Earth went to meet the advancing Enemy but soon retreated as if surprised with fear till they had drawn the Foe within their danger The Isago's supposing they had fled indeed betook them to a speedy pursuit but in stead of their hop'd Victory they fell into the prepared Pits out of which the Benyans fetch'd and kill'd most of them making the Countrey Tributary Since which they never have dar'd to act against the King of Benya At the same West-side lie the Kingdoms of Jaboe and Odobo Jaboe Odobo but of smaller Power and less considerable then the Isagon whose King though subjected as before related yet in Power and Ability falls little short of the Benyan himself The Jurisdiction of Istanna IStanna lying to the East of Benyn hath been formerly very powerful The Kingdom of Istanna but divers years since reduced and brought under the subjection of that King to whom they pay an annual Tribute The Territory of Gaboe GAboe lieth at the River Benyn The Kingdom of Gaboe eight days Journey above the great City of the same Name The Europeans get in this Countrey much Akori which they carry to the Gold-Coast and many Jasper-Stones but most of the Trade is for Slaves The People seem to be good natur'd and their Custom little differing from those of Benyn Biafar or Biafra MOre on to the East lieth the Kingdom of Biafar or Biafra The Borders of the Kingdom of Biafar according to Anamin and Linschot having on the West certain Mountains which divide it from that of Medra and spreads Southward to the fourth Degree of North Latitude The chief City also call'd Biafra and according to Hues scituate in six Degrees and ten Minutes The Inhabitants are generally inclin'd to Conjuration and Witchcraft The Inhabitants inclin'd to Witchcraft so that they believe by that Art they can do all things viz. procure or cause Rain Lightning and Thunder or any other Weather foretell Events to succeed and what not for which knowledge they honour the Devil so much that they sacrifice not onely Beasts and Herbs to him but also their own Children The Principality of Owerre or Forkado ABout four and twenty miles Eastward of Benya The Kingdom of Owerre Rio Forkado intermingles with the Sea near or by whose Banks the Territory of Owerre otherwise call'd the Kingdom of Forkado claims a scituation The Edges of this River are pleasantly shaded on both sides by neighboring Trees and the Stream very commodious for Ketches of a reasonable Burden being in breadth half a Mile and in depth twelve Foot or more A Mile inwardly upon a small Outlet stands a Fishers Village call'd Bolma About seven and twenty Miles upward appears the chief Town Owerre The City Owerre where the King keeps his Court containing half a Mile in circumference and surrounded on the Land-side with
Woods The Buildings not contemptible especially the Houses of the Gentry yet cover'd with Palm-Leaves and made up of gray Earth The King's Palace is built after the method of that in Benyn but much less The Air proves very unhealthful Unwholsom Air. not onely by reason of the great Heat but also from bad and unwholsom Mists whereof Strangers Trading in the River being ignorant and carelesly lying and sleeping in the Evening or in Moon-shine oftentimes die suddenly The Soyl is so barren Plants that Grass and Corn are strangers to it but it yields many fruitful Trees as those bearing Coco-Nuts sowre and sweet Grapes with divers others also a little Pepper Baranasses in great numbers and Mandihoka of which they make Farinha or Bread By reason of the barrenness of the Fields there are neither Horses nor Cows but Poultrey they have in abundance and very large being roasted eat well Fish also and Sea-Calves whose Flesh dress'd yields a pleasing relish Both Men and Women are of comely Stature and fair Countenances according to the account of Beauty in that Countrey and all marked with three Cuts each something more than an Inch long that is one in the Forehead above the Nose and one on each side of their Head by the Temples and may wear their Hair long or short as they please Their Habit resembles those of Benyn Habit. as to Fashion but commonly made of Silk which the other may not wear fastned under their Arm-pits with a curious Girdle Every one here Marriage as in other parts of Africa may take as many Wives as he will or as he can get and sometimes the King bestows some Widows as a mark of his Favor The Whites come and Trade in the River Forkado Trade with the same sort of Wares as in Benyn which they exchange for Slaves Jasper-Stone and Akori but they hold them in great esteem and will not sell them but above the value They are no quick nor expert Dealers but cheapen a Commodity a whole Moneth onely to beat down the Price but to little purpose because the Merchant rates his Goods according to the value set by the Natives upon their Commodities which he never recedes from The Portuguese us'd in former times to trust them always which the present Traders never do so that they now bring the Slaves when they fetch their Goods The King of Owerre Government though Tributary to Benyn Governs notwithstanding his People with full Power as an absolute Prince and hath a Council consisting of three great Noble-men whose Power and Command none dare oppose The King which Govern'd in the Year Sixteen hundred forty four was a Mulato by the Portuguese and other Europeans call'd Don Anthonio de Mingo whose Father by Name De Mingo was Married to a Portuguese Maid which he brought with him out of Portugal where he had been himself in Person and had this Son born by her He goes like a Portuguese wearing always a Sword or Ponyard by his Side Their Religion comes near that of Benyn Religion onely they do not sacrifice so many Men but esteem it a great abomination and delusion of the Devil so that by a little instruction they might be brought to the Christian Faith They alllow neither Conjurers nor Witches among them In brief both the Inhabitants and the King himself maintain in some measure the Roman Religion There is a Church with an Altar in the City Owerre and on it stands a Crucisix with the Pictures of the Virgin Mary and the Apostles and two Candlesticks besides them into which the Blacks come with Beads like the Portuguese and Read their Prayers They are in general very zealous and can Write and Read and are desirous of Books Pens Ink and Paper The Coast of the Cape of Formosa to the Highland of Amboises AT the East-end of the Kingdom of Owerre Cape of Formosa shoots a prominent Point into the Sea by the Whites call'd Cabo Formosa that is The Fair Cape perhaps for its fair and pleasant appearance at Sea It lieth in the heigth of four Degrees and eight Minutes North Latitude so low and plain that they can discern no Land at five and twenty Fathom Water The Countrey between the River Benyn and Cape Formosa appears a very low Land but full of Trees About a Mile to the Westward a small River takes its course and upon the Banks of the Sea stands a Village call'd Sangma and a sandy Bank Sangma dry at Low-water Between this Cape and Rio Reael or Calabare lie seven small Rivers with broken Land The first little and narrow call'd Rio Non Rio Non. about half a Mile Eastward of Cabo Formosa The second Rio Odo in the heighth of four Degrees and ten Minutes Rio Odo four miles from Formosa and three and a half from Rio Non. The third and fourth of a like bigness and not far distant from each other The fifth Rio St. Nicholas Rio St. Nicholas The sixth Rio de tres Jermaus Rio de tret Jermaus The seventh Sambreiro the next to Calabare and spreads North-West Rio Sambreiro All these Rivers are passable onely with Boats and that in the Good Time Are not Navigable as they call it viz. from October to June yet enter the Sea such force that they discernably penetrate it above half a mile In divers Maps and Sea-Cards some others are named as Rio di Tilana Rio de St. Barbara and Rio de St. Bartholomew The Territories of Calabare Krike Moko Bani c. THe Countrey of Calabare lieth near the River of the same Name The Countrey of Calabare and the next Westward to Sambreiro or Sombreiro being about sixteen miles from Cape Formosa This River in some places very shoal The River of Calabare and therefore onely Navigable for small Ketches spreading Northerly and hath within its second Point at the Western-shore a Hamlet Wine-Village call'd by the Whites The Wine-Village from the abundance of Wine there but by the Inhabitants Fokke Then dividing into two Branches one at the Westerly-end the other at the Easterly-shore In the Eastern you find a Road or Haven for Ketches which put into this River for Trade of about two miles and a half in bigness At the North-side of the aforemention'd Branch appears the Village Calabare The Village Calabare the chiefest Place of Trade surrounded after the Countrey manner for Defence with Pallisado's and on the North having a Moorish Ground Southward of this you discover a long low Island full of Trees separated from the Continent onely by a small Pool Eight miles Westward hereof lieth a Hamlet named Belli Govern'd by a Captain Fourteen miles Westward runs the Easterly Branch whose Banks are garnish'd with divers Villages Northward of Calabare Krike a Territory call'd Krike shews it self bordering upon another named Moko Moko Southward of which last Bani at
lie three small Islanâ—â— the Sea call'd also Amboises of which the Eastermost is the biggest almost as Towring as the High Land of Amboises being very populouâ— Within these great abundance of Provision good Palm-Wine and 〈◊〉 may be had but little Trade and for that reason as little frequented 〈◊〉 before it the Ships Ride at Anchor to buy Slaves and Elephants Teeth brought thither from Kamerones The Inhabitants Inhabitants which for the most part speak Portuguese live on the middlemost Island of the three from whence they go often to the main Land 〈◊〉 get Provision and Fruit. About five miles from Amboises River of Kamarones the River Jamoce glides in a narrow Current In the middle of which Buffels Island towards the South Wall a small Island call'd Buffels Island discovers it self from which spreads a Bank of Rocks South Easterly so steep that one side of a Ship touching it on the other side may find six Fathom water Two miles within the third Point Yeeth Hole or Monoka you arrive at a place by the Whites call'd The Teeth Hole but by the Natives Monoka and opposite to that another nam'd The Monombas Hole whereto adjoyns a Village the usual Trading place At the North live the Kalbangas whose Governor nam'd Moneba hath the repute of one of the powerfullest of the adjacent Princes The Town where he keeps his Seat Royal stands scituate on a Hill very neatly Hedg'd about with Trees so that they account it the pleasantest place in all that Tract and not onely so but exceedingly stor'd with abundance of Provision as Injames Bananassen Palm Wine and Bordon Wine both of the same species but the latter the worst as growing in Fenny places The Houses are built in Quadrangular form Little Ivory can be gotten here and less Akori but many Slaves Trade which makes them cheap The Commodities desir'd there and carry'd thither by the Netherlanders are Thin beaten Bosses which they use in stead of Money Bars of Iron Copper Bars Copper Pots Hammer'd Kettles Violet Beads Paste of Oranges and Lemmons Cows Horns And such like The People which live by the River Kamerones are strong fat and lively smooth Skin'd from the top to Toe and generally of as large a stature as the lustiest Englishman Next Kamerones on the Sea Coast follow the Rivers Monoka Borba or Bourn Rio de Campo Rio Sante Benito and Rio Danger Rio Sante Benito lieth in two degrees Northern Latitude Rio Santo Benito and the Coast spreads South and North. Seven miles Southward in one degree and five and thirty minutes you come to another River and four miles farther a third abounding in Water Five miles from the last opens a Bay bearing eight Fatnom Water Six miles below which a prominant Point stil'd Cape St. John Cape of St. John fronted with a ridge of Rocks None of these Rivers are much frequented for Trade except that of Danger in one degree North Latitude The People prove ill Neighbours to each other being never free from Animosities Feuds and Quarrels upon every trifle The Island KORISKO THree or four miles Southward of Cape St. John appears an Island The Island Korisko to which the Portuguese have given the name of Ilhas des Korisko that is The Island of Lightning from the more than usually frequent Lightnings happening there when they first discover'd the place The Land towards the Sea Coast is generally Sandy Nature of the Countrey except on the North West where Stony But more within overgrown with high Trees whose Wood is Redder if Sanutus say true than that of Brasile perhaps it may be the Red Wood which the Inhabitants call Takoel The Road for Ships lieth in five and forty minutes Northward of the Line The Road or Harber and convenient for Shipping According to Sanute the Island not inhabited being indeed not above half a mile in compass but the propriety of the Benyan King The Countries lying about the River Gabon and the Cape of Lope Gonzalvez THe River Gabon The River Gabon by Linschot call'd Gaba and in some Maps Gabam lyeth under the Line The North Point of which the Seamen call the Cape of St. The Cape St. Clare Clare much resembling that of St. John and in a manner differenc'd onely in this that coming out of the Sea and approaching near the Shore they see a white Spot against it as if it were a Sayl which is not to be seen at the Cape of St. John In the Mouth this River is four miles wide but grows afterwards smaller and narrower The Island Pongo so that it is not above two miles over at the Island Pongo It s South Point is low and overgrown with Trees but the North Point almost choak'd up with Flats and Sands At the South Shore about three or four miles inwards another Point discovers it self known by the name of the Sandy Point many Crocodiles and Sea-Horses breed herein to the great damage and hazard both of the Natives and Strangers Five miles more inward you come to two little Islands the one the Inhabitants call Pongo and the Whites Parret Island The King's Isle because he keeps his Court there and the other Parrets Isle from the great abundance of Parrets breeding within it which last yields also great plenty of Bananasses Injames Oranges and other Fruits The King of Pongo hath the report of a powerful Prince they entitle him Manipongo that is Lord of Pongo as the King of Kongo Mani-Kongo 'T is true two other Princes claim a great Jurisdiction near him viz. one at Majombo and another at Gabon yet neither dare resist he Pongian and his Palaces nam'd Goliparta exceed in magnificence and extent all the rest of the Buildings which pretend to Beauty or State The Men naturally incline to Cheating and Thieving The nature of the Inhabitants but not so much among themselves as towards strangers to whom also bloudy barbarous and unnatural but the Women shew great courtesie and affability accounting it an honor to make acquaintance with them In Marriage they have no respect to neerness of Relation Marriages for the Mother may Marry her Son and the Father his Daughter The Houses have no other Walls or Partitions than Reeds Houses very neatly order'd and fastned together and cover'd with Leaves of the Bannana-Tree They lie all along on the ground when they eat Food the common People using Earthen Vessels but more eminent persons Dishes of Tin Their Food chiefly Potatoes and Injames Roasted or Boil'd and many other Roots Also Fish and Flesh mixt together but first either smoak'd or dry'd in the Sun During the Meal they never Drink but having done Eating swallow great Cups full of Water or Palm-Wine or a sort of Mead which they call Melaffo For Apparel they wear Cloth made of Mats Habit. and the Shell of the Matombe-Tree over which some hang the Skins of Apes or Sea-Cats
and a strong Fort Tintonas a Port-Town Rivers Mekingate Quiloa Towns Rapta a stately City old Quiloa Rivers Cuavo Mombaza Towns Mombaza and a Fort besides abundance of Villages Rivers Onchit Mountains Amara Melinde Towns Melinde a neat City with a good Haven Lambo Pate where a Castle possess'd by the Portuâ— guese and Ampaxa Rivers Quilmami Ajan Towns Ajan a Sea-Port Zoila Barbore Brava Madagaxo Barraboa Barramaâ— Ogabra Rivers Quilmanzi yielding Gold Oby Adel or Zeila Towns Ara Adel the Royal City Orgabra Migiate Sequeta Bali Mautra Doara Comezara Novecaru and Soceli Asuin Guardafuy Salir Barbara Methi Zeila Dalacha and Malacha Rivers Hoax Macli Socotora Island Towns Sicuthora Trogloditica Ercocco The Point of Phares Sette Pozzi Alkosser Haven Batrazan The Haven of the same name the Islands Mazula Dalaca and Bebâ—lmanâ—â—l Suachem and Fartaqâ—e NETHER ETHIOPIA HAving perform'd a serious Journey through Negroland Nether Ethopia we come of course in the next place to a large spreading Countrey by Geographers call'd Nether Ethiopia containing divers Kingdoms Countreys and People as amongst others those of Lovango Cakongo Goykongo Congo Angola the Region of the Caffers the Regal Commandries of Monomotaya and Monemugi and the Territory of Zanguebar with many other It begins Northward of the River Faire close by the Line and spreads it self broad to the East and South where it shoots into the Sea with the most famous Promontory in Portuguese call'd Cabo de bona Esperanca that is The Cape of good Hope This as to the extent wherein we shall more narrowly particularize as we come into the several Parts The first therefore presented to our view is The Kingdom of LOVANGO OR THE Countrey of the BRAMAS LOvango or as Pigafet and other Geographers call it Lovanga Borders of the Kingdom of Lovango and the Inhabitants at present Lovangas though formerly Bramas takes beginning below the Cape of St. Catherine and spreads South wardly to the small River Lovango Lonise in six degrees South Latitude by which divided from that of Cakongo upon the West wash'd by the Ethiopick Sea Or Spanish miles Others and touch'd in the East by the Countrey of Pombo about a hundred leagues from Lovango but Pigafet borders it on the South with the Cape of St. Catherine and spreads that Northerly to Cape Lope-Gonzalvez and near one hundred leagues up into the Countrey Samuel Bruno sets for Boundaries in the South the River Zair or Kongo and in the East the People Ambois and Anzikos This Kingdom contains many Provinces among which the four chiefest are Lovangiri Lovangiri Lovangomongo Chilongo and Piri Lovangiri hath the advantage of many small Rivers to water and refresh the Soyl and by that means very fruitful and exceeding full of People The Inhabitants use three manner of ways for their support viz. Fishing Weaving and the Wars That of Lovangomongo is a large and Hilly Countrey Lovangomongo but hath much Cattel and Palmito-Trees so that Palm-Oyl may be had cheap The Inhabitants are either Weavers or Merchants From this Province the Kings of Lovango drew their original but Time and the vicissitudes of Affairs hath almost deleated it but at last having fresh information and finding themselves more Potent in Arms they invaded them and reduced the Countrey to their subjection Chilongo exceeds all the other in bigness Chilongo being also very populous in some places Mountainous and in others Carpetted with verdant and delightful Plains and Valleys The People though naturally rude and clownish yet utter great store of Elephants-Teeth Trade The Countrey of Piri lies plain and even The Countrey of Piri full of Inhabitants well stor'd with Fruits and Woods and stock'd with great abundance of Cattel besides innumerable Poultry The Inhabitants are a quiet People averse from Wars and for their Carriage well belov'd by their King and surpassing all their Neighbors in richness of Commodities yet their chief Maintenance drawn from Pasturage and Hunting Lovango The antient division of the Countrey of Lovango according to the best intelligence that the Europeans can draw from the antientest and most experienc'd Blacks hath been divided into divers Territories as Majumba Chilongo Piri Wansi and Lovango each inhabited by several People and Rul'd by a particular Governor who with or without any respect The Manners of the old Inhabitants Warr'd upon his Neighbors In elder time the Natives were all wild and Man-eaters as yet the Jages are They us'd for Bread Bananos and for other Food that which they take in the Woods by Hunting as Elephants Buffles wild Boars Bucks and such like and likewise Fish which the In-landers catch in the Rivers and the Seacoasters out of the Sea When the aforemention'd Governors had these Mani signifies Prince as it were private Feuds Mani Lovango who boasted his Extract from Lerri in Kakongo politickly made Leagues with some who by their joynt force being subjected an occasion of Quarrel was soon pickt with the rest who all but Mani Wansa though with great hazard admitted the Yoke But much trouble he had with Mani Wansa and afterwards anew with Mani Piri Mani Chilongo by whom twice beaten but by his great Power at last made his Vassals Hereupon Mani Majumba who most depended on Mani Chilongo now seeing him enslaved would not expect the Conquerer in Arms but yielded himself to his Command after whose example all the Places lying Northerly as Docke Seere and others rather stooped under the Power of so successful and victorious a Lord than suffer by the force of his Arms followed the same course and timely submitted The City of Lovango DE STADT VAN LOUANGO Of which Piri the Inhabitants were call'd Mouvirisser or Mouviri Original of the Name of Lovangiri a compound Word of Moutsie and Piri Moutsie being a common Word signifying People so Moutsie Pir signifies People of Piri and for brevity pronounced Mouviri So likewise Lovangiri shews the contraction of Lovango and Piri which join'd together makes Lovangopiri and for quickness of speech Lovangiri Moreover the better to secure his new gotten State Mani Lovango setled his Brothers or Sisters in the greatest Cities or Towns about him viz. in Cape to have a vigilant eye over whatever might threaten danger from above and in Bocke Chilongo and Salaly to supervise and prevent any sudden Onslaught from below The chiefest Towns and Villages of Lovango are Cape Bocke Solansa Mokonda where the King's Mother lives Soku Catta the Residence of the King's Sisters Lovanga his own peculiar Cango Piri two Chilongo's Jamba Cotie Seny Gonmo Lanzy the chiefest Villages lie a days or a day and a halfs Journey from Lovango besides many small ones farther into the Countrey as Jamba Cango Cayt Bocke Piri Cotie and the Chilongo's The Metropolis and Imperial Chamber of this Kingdom The chief City of Lovango lying in four Degrees and a half South Latitude about a mile from the Sea hath
for Name Lovango or Barra Lovangiri yet the Blacks forget not its old Denomination Boary or Bury The Ground-plat of it takes as much in compass Bigness as our famous City of York in England but much more straglingly built It hath large streight and broad Streets of which the Inhabitants take great care that no Grass grow nor any Soil lie in them They stand in very good order and are neatly Planted with Palmito-Trees Bananos and Bakoros Form which stand as streight as it were by a Line Some of those Trees also stand behind the Houses and sometimes quite round about serving not onely for an Ornament but also for a Shelter and Shadow In the middle of which you come to a great Market-place The Court of the King by whose side stands the King's Court surrounded with a Hedge of Palm-Trees containing in circuit as much as are in ordinary Towns beautifi'd with many Houses for his Women that live six or eight together not daring to stir from their appointed Stations without the King's leave or the Overseers which use a diligent and jealous eye over them The Houses are built long-ways with two Gable Ends and a sloaping Roof which rests on long thick Posts that lie upon Stays about two or three Fathom high The breadth length and heighth of them is near alike that they may stand in equal and uniform distances and within they have sometimes two or three Rooms or Chambers apart in one of which they keep their Riches and that hath Doors at the hinder end lockt up with a double Lock some have round about a Fence of Palm-Boughs plash'd others of Bulrushes wreath'd some make Lebonge or Wickers braided together which inclose six eight or more Houses and they dwell in them as in a Precinct being to each other very trusty and in all accidents helpful Their Housholdstuff consists chiefly in Pots Calabasses Wooden Trays Housholdstuff Mats a Block whereon they put their Caps some small and great Baskets of a neat fashion into which they put their Cloathes and other trifling things Besides the aforemention'd Division of Lovango The Countrey bordering on Lovango other Territories lie about it some of which pay Tribute and others not and therefore the Tributary being Majumba Dirge and divers others are not unproperly reckon'd as Members of Lovango and put into the King's Title Majumba lieth within three or four Degrees South Latitude Cape Niger bordering in the West upon the Sea where appears a high black Point by the Portuguese named Cabo Niger that is to say The Black Point because it shews afar off by reason of Trees upon it black Next this Cape follows a Road The Road of Majumba by Seamen call'd The Road of Majumba about half a mile in length that is from the Cape Niger to the South Point being low and overgrown with Trees Within the Countrey you discover a red Mountain The Mountain Metute by the Inhabitants styl'd Metute Not far off a great Salt Lake a mile broad opens to the view out of which some Waters about half a mile Northward of Cape Niger run into the Sea but the passages are sometimes choaked up by the Waves that beats extraordinarily against them On the Shore stands the Village Majumba The Village Majumba built in one long row so near the Sea that the incroaching Waves oftentimes necessitates the Inhabitants to remove behind the Village on the North a River very full of Oysters poures its Water into the Sea and hath in its Mouth at the most not above six sometimes but three or four Foot of Water yet farther within boasts a considerable bigness breadth depth and length extending at least fifteen miles upward Southward of Lovango to the great help and conveniency of those that fetch Red-Wood which otherwise they must carry much farther whereas now they bring it in Canoos down the River Majumba is barren of Grain but yields plenty of Banano's which they call Bittebbe and Makondo of which they make Bread abundance also of Palm-Trees from whence they extract Wine and the Rivers afford plenty of Fish The People having no peculiar Prince are very rude and savage giving themselves to work all manner of mischief Here was formerly a great Trade for Elephants-Teeth Trade but now almost decay'd and lost The Manibomme that is the Deputy of Lovangiri pays for all the Red-Wood brought from Sette down the River to Majumba Ten in the Hundred The Women fish for Oysters out of the aforemention'd River fetching them up in great Trays from the bottom then opening and smoaking them they will remain good for some Moneths These smoaked Oysters as all other sorts of Flesh or Fish so smoaked in the Countrey Language are call'd Barbette Over this Territory one of the Counsellors of State to the King of Lovango Government named as we said Manibomme Commands rendring no account to his Master but onely the Red-Wood Eight or nine miles Southward lieth a Point call'd Quilongo or Sellage according to the Name of the neighboring Village This Tract of Land appears to ships at Sea Prospect of Majumba at Sea coming out of the South with two Mountains in the shape of a Womans two Breasts and therefore call'd Quanny About two miles Southward of the Breasts glides the River Quila abounding with Fish and precipitating it self with a strong Water-fall into the Sea ¶ THe Dominion of Chilongatia Mokonga is a large compass of Ground lying Northward of the River Quila in former times a free Kingdom but now by Conquest a Member of Lovango yet still enjoy their antient Customs and Priviledges paying Tribute onely The Manibeloor or Governour of Chilongo hath absolute Superiority during his life and after his Decease the People may chuse another without asking the King of Lovango leave ¶ THe Jurisdiction of Sette about sixteen miles from the River Majumba The Territory of Sette borders in the West at the Sea and water'd by a River also nam'd Sette Here grows both great and small Mille the first call'd Massa-Manponta and the other Massa-Minkale Many Potato's in the Countrey Phrase stil'd Iqua Anpotte and Palm-Wine Plants with them Malaffa as the Trees Mabba or the Nut Imba and the Pith or Kernel Inbonga This Province yields extraordinary plenty of Red-Wood besides other sorts of Timber Of this they have two sorts the one by those of Sette call'd Quines which the Portuguese us'd to buy but is not esteem'd in Lovango the other By-Sesse being much heavier and redder bears both a good Price and reputation The Root of this By-Sesse call'd Angansy Abysesse exceeds in hardness and deepness of colour which makes it much valued With this Wood the Blacks drive a great Trade all over the Coast of Angola and in Lovango dealing indeed very seldom with any other than their own People being at first brought from Sette where the Governor receives the Custom of Ten in the Hundred which we
to carry their goods from place to place to save other extraordinary charge of carriage The Roads from Lovango to Pombo Sondy Monsel Great Mokoko and other places are much infested by the Jages so that it is dangerous for Merchants to travel that way though they usually go in whole Troops under a chief Commander that is very faithful to them But for the obtaining of free Trade in Lovango the Whites must continually give presents to the King and his Mother the Queen and two Noblemen appointed Overseers of the Factory call'd Manikes and Manikinga and several others In Trading the Blacks of Lovango use their own Language yet some Fishermen on the Shore speak broken Portuguese and there commonly serve as Brokers between the Buyers and Sellers as in Europe The King of Lovango hath several eminent Councellors Government with whom he advises in matters of State Entituled Mani-Bomme Mani-Mambo Mani-Beloor and Mani-Belullo Mani-Kinga Mani-Matta and others The first or Mani-Bomme which is as much as Lord Admiral hath under his Jurisdiction Lovangiri and is indeed the most eminent of all the rest The second Mani-Mamba supervises Lovangomongo but not alone for he hath generally two or three joyn'd with him in Commission The third Mani-Beloor is chief Superintendent over Chilongo and besides that Charge hath the Office of Searcher over the Dockies or Sorcerers and takes care of such as fall under the Bondes The great Province of Chilongatiamokango as free Lord he rules without acknowledging any subjection to the King Mani-Kinga is Lord Lieutenant of Piri and Mani-Matta Captain of the Guard for Matta signifies a Bowe and Mani a Prince The King for the better managing of his weighty affairs hath several other inferior Officers as Manidonga Governor of Pattovey to Guard the King's Wives two Manaenders that is Butlers to the King in the day and two other for the night Moeton Ambamma servant of the great Captain Bamma with a multitude of others Besides all these the great Butler bears no small sway his title Mabonde-Lovango that is Upper Butler of Lovango for he takes care of all Vyands and hath four other under him whereof as we said two in the day time when the King is in the Wine-House and two in the evening perform their service and lastly every division of the Countrey hath a particular Nobleman appointed by the King as we in Hundreds have Justices of the Peace The King of Lovango hath the repute of a potent Lord The Power of the King being able to bring numerous Armies into the Field and that not so much respected as dreaded by the Kings of Calongo and Goy yet he liveth in friendship with them and holds good correspondency with those of Angola his Jurisdiction extends into the Countrey Eastward almost as far as on the Sea Coast being known by the general name of Mourisse and Manilovango The administration of Justice and punishing of Vice Justice seems to be according to the Law of Retaliation for Theft is not punish'd by Death except it be against the King but when they take a Thief either in the very act or afterwards the things stoln must be made good by him or his Friends and the Thief bound expos'd for a scorn and derision of every one in the midst of the Street If any be found Guilty whose miserable poverty affords no means of satisfaction then may the offended seek remedy every man of the Tribe or Generation whereof he was and make them work for him till he receive the full recompence of his losses The King hath by the report of the Blacks near seven thousand Wives The King hath many Wives for after the decease of one King his Successor keeps all his Wives and brings also many besides to them These Wives are kept in no great respect for they must work no less than other women Some few of them he selects for his Amours and with them spends much time the other he shuts up as Nunns in Cloysters When one of these proves with Child one must drink Bonde for her to know whether this Woman hath had to do with any other besides the King Now if the Man who hath so drank be well they judge the Woman upright but if the Man falls she is condemn'd and burnt and the Adulterer buried alive The King as supream Governor A Mother is appropriated for the King appropriates to himself one to be as a Mother a grave Matron and of good and try'd experience which they call Makonda whom he reverences with more honour than his own natural Mother This Makonda hath a great prerogative and priviledge to do good offices both to the Nobility and common People that fall into the dis-favour of the King who is necessitated in all weighty affairs to use her Counsel for she hath such authority Her Authority that if the King provokes her any way and doth not grant her Suit speedily she may take away his life Besides she takes the advantage without any daring to controll her to satiate her unruly appetite as often and with whom she pleases and whatever Children she hath by such means bears all the same repute that proceeds of the Royal Race but if her Gallants meddle with other Women they are by authority of the Law punished with Death so that these accounted felicities carry with them their infortune and if they imagine themselves detected they have no way to preserve their Lives but by flight When the King dies The Inheritance of the Crown his Children succeed not but the Crown devolves to his eldest Brother and for want of Brothers to his Sisters Children Such as may pretend any right to the Crown have their Dwellings in several Cities and Towns and as they come nearer to the Government the nigher they draw towards Lovango now so soon as the King dies the Lord which dwelleth in the next Town of all cometh to the Dominion and he that dwelleth nearest to him supplieth his place again and so on to the last with this Proviso that they must be of Noble Blood by the Mothers side Mani-Kay the first Successor to the Throne dwelleth in a great City call'd Kay about a mile and a half North North-West from Lovango Mani-Bocke the second dwelleth in a Town four or five miles up into the Countrey call'd Bocke Mani-Cellage the third resides in a pretty large Town by Name Cellage ten or twelve miles Northward of Lovango Mani-Katt the fourth remains in the Village about fifteen miles from Lovango Mani-Injami the fifth holds his Seat in a Hamlet call'd Injami Southwards towards Calongo After the Decease of the old King Mani-Kay succeeded and Mani-Bocke came again in his place and every one follows his Lot The King 's youngest Brother hath his Mansion in Chilasia and from thence comes to Bocke upon the first Vacancy and if he hath a Child by his Wife and have offer'd Sacrifice to their Cares or banish'd Gods removes
to Kay the next place to the Royal Seat After the decease of the Mani-Kay immediately enters upon the Government yet comes not presently into the Court but continues near six Moneths in his own City till all Ceremonies of the Burial be perform'd The word Mani signifies Lord or Prince and is the greatest Title of Honour or Expression which they give one among another the King himself hath the Title of Mani-Lovango which signifies Prince of Lovango as Nani-Kay also signifies Lord of Kay Mani-Bocke Lord of Bocke The King and his Brothers are commonly jealous one of another for if any one of them happen to be sick they presently suspect State-policy The King commonly wears Cloth or Stuff which the Portuguese The King's Cloathing or other Whites bring to them The King and great Noble-men have on their left Arm the Skin of a wild Cat sew'd together with one end stuffed round and stiff The King hath peculiar Orders and Customs in Eating and Drinking Customs of the King 's in Eating and Drinking for which he keeps two several Houses one to eat in and the other to drink in and although he hath many Houses yet by vertue of this Custom he may use no other He makes two Meals a day the first in the Morning about ten a Clock where his Meat is brought in cover'd Baskets near which a Man goes with a great Bell to give notice to every one of the coming of the Kings Dishes whereupon the King so soon as he is acquainted with it leaves the Company he is withall and goes thither But the Servitors go all away because none He that sâ—â—s the King Eat must die neither Man or Beast may see him eat but it must die and therefore he eats with his Doors shut How strictly they observe this Custom appears by the ensuing relation A Portuguese of Lovango named St. Paulo lying in Angola to Trade had presented the King with a brave Dog which for his faithfulness he loved very much This Dog not so strictly look'd to by his Keeper while the King was eating ran smelling and seeking after his Master whom he missed and came at length without any body 's minding him to the Door which with his Nose he thrust open and went to the King whom he saw eating but the King caused his Servants instantly with a Rope to put the Dog to death for be it Man or Child Mouse Cat or Dog or any other living Creature that hath seen the King eat if it can be gotten it escapes not death It happened that a Noble-man's Child about seven or eight years old who was with his Father in the King's Banquetting-house fell asleep and when the King was drinking awaked whereupon it was instantly sentenc'd to die with a reprieve only for six or seven days at the Fathers request that time elapsed the Child was struck upon the Nose with a Smiths Hammer and the blood dropped upon the King's Makisies and then with a Cord about his Neck was dragg'd upon the Ground to a broad Way to which Malefactors are drawn which cannot bear the trial of the Bonde When the King hath done eating he goes accompanied in State with the Nobility Officers and common People to his Banquetting-house the greatest and most sumptuous Structure in all his Court scituate on a Plain fenced with Palm-Tree Boughs wherein the most difficult causes of difference are decided and determin'd in his presence This House stands with the fore-side open The King's Banquetting-house to receive all advantages of the Air about twenty Foot backward is a Skreen or Partition made cross one side eight Foot broad and twelve Foot long where they keep the Palm-Wine to preserve it from the sight of the People This Partition hath Hangings from the top to the bottom of fine Wrought Tufted or Quilted Leaves call'd by them Kumbel close to which appears a Tial or Throne made with very fine little Pillars of white and black Palmito-Branches artificially Wrought in the manner of Basket-work The Throne holds in length The Royal Throne a Man's Fathom in heighth a Foot and a half and in breadth two Foot on each side stand two great Baskets of the same work made of red and black Wicker wherein as the Blacks say the King keeps some familiar Spirits for the Guard of his Person next him sit on each side a Cup-bearer he on the right hand reaches him the Cup when he is minded to drink but the other on the left onely gives warning to the People to that end holding in his hands two Iron Rods about the bigness of a Finger and pointed at the end which he strikes one against another at which sound the People who are commonly as well within the House as without with all speed groveling into the Sand with their Faces and continue in that posture so long as the same Irons continue the voyce or signal that is till he hath done drinking and then they rise up again and according to custom signifie that they wish him health with clapping their hands which they hold for as great an honour as with us in Europe the putting off the Hat Now as none may see the King Eat or Drink without bazard of death None may see the King 〈◊〉 so no Subject may drink in his presence but must turn his Back towards him But the King drinks here seldom except for fashion-sake and then not till about six a Clock in the Evening or half an hour later if any difficult controversie hath been in debate but sometimes he goes thence at four and recreates himself among the Wines About an hour after Sun-set he comes the second time to the aforemention'd Place to Eat where again as before his Meal is made ready After which he visits his Banquetting-house again where he remains for about nine hours sometimes not so long as he finds himself dispos'd or indispos'd In the night one or two Torches are carried before him to Light him None may drink out of his Cup besides himself nor any eat of the Food he hath tasted but the remainder must be buried in the Earth The Stool or Seat whereon he then sits stands raised upon a Foot-pace The King's Seat dressed with white and black Wickers very artificially Woven and other sorts of curious adornings behind his Back hangs on a Pole a Shield cover'd with divers party-colour'd Stuffs brought out of Europe Near him stand also six or eight Fanns by them call'd Pos or Mani Fanne and containing in length and breadth half a Fathom at the upper end of a long Stick which runs through the middle of it having a round Brim in form of a half Globe fasten'd interwoven with little Horns and with white and black Parrots Feathers between Those Fanns certain People which the King keeps for that purpose move with great force which agitating the Air causes a refreshing and pleasant coolness Before the King's Seat lieth spread a
and Pride The King's State though falling short of Congo whose Princes have been instructed to bear a Majestick Port by the Portuguese so long resident among them The Treasure and Riches of this great Prince consists chiefly in Slaves The King's riches Simbos of Lovando Boesies or small East-India Horns and some Clothes things with the Whites of a small value but by them esteem'd more than the best Gold or Silver He keeps continually a mighty and very numerous Army upon his borders His power to prevent the Innovation of an implacable Enemy call'd Mujako who lives Northward from him of whom we have as yet no other knowledge than to guess him powerful in regard he could never be subdu'd by Makoko In the Desarts of this Kingdom inhabit those little men mention'd before to shoot and kill the Elephants and sell their Teeth to the Jages as they again to those of Congo and Lovango who exchange them for other commodities with the Portuguese and other Europeans The Kingdom of GIRIBUMA or GIRINGBOMBA THis Principality hath its scituation to the North-East of Makoko The Kingdom of Giringboâ—nba and the King thereof very powerful holding as his Tributaries fifteen other great Lords yet willingly never drawn to quarrel with his neighbours especially of Makoko with whom he holds a firm allyance which is the easier maintain'd because they all agree in their heathenish Superstition East South East from the great Makoko you arrive at another mighty Kingdom call'd Monimugo and by others Nimeamay whose Jurisdiction reaches to the borders as some say of the Kingdoms of Mombase Quiloe Soffale as in the Description of those Countreys shall be more spoken of at large POMBO THe Countrey properly call'd Pombo lieth more than a hundred Leagues from the Sea Coast and as some say touching upon Aethiopia superior Abysine Others divide Pombo into divers Kingdoms stretching themselves as far as a great Lake perhaps the Lake Zambre between both the Seas But the certain place where this Lake arrives is altogether unknown which no White ever yet heard of or hath seen onely the Portuguese relate that a certain Kaffe of Mosambique which travel'd cross through the main Land of Saffola to Angola came by it Both the Portuguese and Blacks that live in Lovango The trade of the Portuguese to Pombo Congo and Lovando Saint Paul drive a great trade here by their Servants sent thither with Merchandize who chiefly for Slaves Which is drove by Slaves or Fombo's Elephants Teeth and Panos Limpos barter and exchange Canary Malago or Medera-Wines great Simbos Boxes and other Commodities These Servants or Pomberos have yet other Slaves under them sometimes a hundred or a hundred and fifty which carry the Commodities on their heads up in the Countrey as we have heretofore related Sometimes those Pomberos stay out a whole year and then bring back with them four five and six hundred new Slaves Some of the faithfullest remain oftentimes there sending what Slaves they have bought to their Masters who return them other Commodities to trade with anew The Whites are necessitated to drive their Trade in this manner Why the Whites cannot go to Pombo by reason according to their relation it is impossible for them to wade through the badness of the ways and undergo so great hunger and trouble as attends that Journey besides the unwholesomeness of the Air which causes extraordinary swellings in the heads of the Whites Their journey from the Sea-Coast out of Lovango and Lovando Saint Paul to Pombo proves very toilsome to the Blacks themselves because there be many Rivers which sometimes after the Rain grow so deep but they stop the other hazards often arising by the barbarous Jages This Province owns for its supream Lord and Governor the great Makoko The Dukedom of AMBUILLA or AMBOILLE EAstvvards of Quingengo one days Journey The Dukedom of Ambuilla begins the Dukedom of Ambuila or Amboille in the North and North-East divided by the River Loze from Oande On the East side this Dukedom hath the Territory of Quitere Quiandange and to the South Kanvangombe where the Rivers Danda and Loze as some say take their original This Principality hath many pleasant Fields Trees and Fruits and abounds with Cattel as Goats Sheep Hogs and Cows It was never subject to Congo It is not subjected to the Kingdom of Congo but vies with it for wealth and magnitude holding in subjection above fifteen Domiâ—ions whereof the five chiefest are Matuy-Nungo Pingue Hoiquyanbole Ambuibe and Lovando the other not nam'd This Countrey affords many Slaves and the Trade driven there is in Pombo The Kingdom of ANGOLA or rather DONGO THis Countrey by the Portuguese call'd Angola Angola is the name of the Governors and not of the Countrey lies between the River Danda and Quansa the name of Angola belongs not properly to the Land but is the Title of the Prince who assum'd and continues it from the first King thereof who fell off from Congo to whom it belong'd by right of inheritance the right name being Dongo although formerly It is rightly call'd Dongo and still by some call'd Ambonde and the Inhabitants Ambond's It spreads in the West to the Sea Coast and then from Danda or Bengo Borders to the River Quansa a tract of about fifteen miles but runs about a hundred miles up into the Countrey Jarrik gives it for borders in the North the Kingdom of Congo in the South that of Mataman in the East Malemba or Majemba and in the West the Sea where it spreads saith he from the River Quansa about ten degrees South Latitude and ends at the Sea near Cowes-bay a tract of five and thirty Leagues Pigafet adds to it all the Countreys from Cowes-bay before-mention'd to Cabo Negroe a tract of about fifty more This Kingdom of Angola for so we shall stile it is water'd by divers Rivers as Bengo Quansa Lukala and Kalukala The River Quansa for Danda and Bengo are included before in Congo The River Quansa lying in nine degrees and twenty minutes South-Latitude four miles and a half Southward off The Sleepers-Haven or six miles from Cape de Palmarinko and five to the Northward of Cape Ledo It s original hath an uncertain original for it is reported that no Whites have ever been so far as where the same rises But the common opinion holds that it comes out of the great Lake Zambre by many made the head of the Rivers Zaire Nyle Niger and many others It hath been liken'd to the River Lukar Course in Spain being at the entrance about half a League wide and at the Northside deepest to come in with Ships It carries but twelve foot in depth at high-water ebbing and flowing about four foot but within they find water enough yet Navigable no higher than the Village Kambambe by reason of the strong water-falls It runs up from the East to the West very
are divided into fifteen or sixteen Clans each about a quarter of an hours Journey asunder yet all comprehended within the Walls of four hundred and fifty Houses Every Division or Clan consisting either of thirty six and thirty forty or fifty Houses more or less all set round together and a little distance one from another They possess Flocks of goodly Cattel well near an hundred thousand and above two hundred thousand Sheep which have no Wooll but long curl'd Hair They are all under one Prince or King They are under one King entituled Coehque who dwells about fifty Miles from the Cape and for his better ease appoints under him a Deputy or Viceroy The Coehque who Reign'd in the Year Sixteen hundred sixty one was nam'd Oldasoa his Viceroy Gonnomoa and the Third Person in the Kingdom Coucosoa Gonnomoa was exceedingly black beyond all others of his own People a gross and heavy-bodied Man having three Wives and by them many Children whereas the King himself who deceas'd in the Year Sixteen hundred sixty one of a languishing and painful Disease never had more than one This Prince was a Person handsom-bodied well-set very courteous and much bewail'd by his Subjects He left behind him his onely Daughter nam'd Mamis handsom and very comely of feature but Camoisie-nos'd as all the Blacks in general are Great and Little CARIGURIQUAS or HOSAAS THese lie most in the Valleys Great and Little Cariguriqua's boasting of nothing but very fair Cattel whereof exceeding choice and careful because they have nothing else in the dry time of Summer to live upon If you go farther up into the Countrey you come to the Chainouquas Cabonas Sanquas Namaquas Heusaquaes and Hancumquas CHAINOUQUA'S THe Chainouquas at present live three Moneths Journey into the Countrey Chainouqua's with their Families Retinue Wife Children and Cattel according to the report of the other wild Natives very near the Cobonas being not above four hundred Men but rich in Cattel Their Prince They are under a Prince call'd Sousoa an old Man had two Wives but both dead and hath a Son nam'd Goeboe whose right Leg broken in pieces by an Elephant is wholly useless to him Upon every Remove he rides upon an Ox and must be lift up and down His Clothing is a fine Leopards Skin with the spotted side turn'd inwards and the ill-favour'd fleshy side well liquor'd with Grease according to the manner of the Countrey outwards CABONA'S THe Cabona's are a very black People Cabona's with Hair that hangs down their Backs to the Ground These are such inhumane Cannibals that if they can get any Men Cannibals they broyl them alive and eat them up They have some Cattel and plant Calbasses with which they sustain themselves They have by report of the Hottentots rare Portraitures which they find in the Mountains and other Rarities But by reason of their distance and barbarous qualities the Whites have never had any converse with them In the Year Sixteen hundred fifty nine one of the Chainouquas call'd Chaihantimo went into the Cabonas Countrey and with the help of the People took and brought thence one of their Women whom he made his Wife The Netherlanders stirred up with a desire to see this strange sort of People desired Chaihantimo that he would order this Woman to come to the Fort of Good Hope whereto upon promise of a Requital he consented and sent some of his People to fetch and tell her That her new-married Husband would desire her to come to a People call'd Dutchmen who wore a great many Clothes such as neither she nor any of her Nation had ever seen This Woman partly out of obedience to her Husband and partly for Novelty to see Strangers after two days preparation drest in her best Apparel came thither under the Conduct of thirty or forty Chainouquas for an Aid and Guard against the Cockoquas with whom the Chainouquas were at that time in War But after some days travelling she was set upon in a great Wood and kill'd and her People put to flight who hasted to the Cape to Chaihantimo to carry him News of this sad misfortune whereupon he immediately withdrew to his own Countrey to revenge himself by force of Arms for this Injury SONQUA'S THe Sonqua's live in a very high Mountain and though little in Stature Sonquas yet defend themselves by their Numbers wherein they exceed their Neighbors They have no Cattel but live by their Bowes and Arrows Maintain themselves by Hunting which they handle very expertly in shooting Badgers that shelter under the Rocks and in the heat of the day come forth and play rowling in the Sand and also by hunting other Beasts especially wild Horses and Mules The Horses have very plump and round Buttocks all over striped with Yellow Black Red and Sky-colour but the Mules are only strip'd with White and Chesnut-colour The Sonqua's in the Year Sixteen hundred sixty two brought one of the Skins to the Cape of Good Hope which the Netherlanders bought for Tobacco and having stuffed it with Hay hung it up in the first Court of the Fort to be seen by all that came thither in the Ships as a Rarity The Badgers Flesh affords them an acceptable Food Food for upon that and Roots they chiefly live They are great Robbers and Thieves stealing from their Neighbors all the Cattel they can lay hands on and driving the same into the Mountains hide themselves and Prey about without possibility of discovery Their Houses are onely interwoven Boughs Houses cover'd with Broom and those numerous by reason they never pull them down but still build up new They wear onely Lappets made of the Skins of Wild Beasts sew'd together Clothes The Women have against the heat and burning of the Sun-beams a Quitazel or Fan of Ostrich-Feathers made fast round about their Heads NAMAQUAS THe Namaqua's live about eighty or ninety Dutch Miles East-North-East from the Cape of Good Hope Namaqua's to whom in the year Sixteen hundred sixty one the Governor of the Fort sent thirteen Netherlanders to inquire if no Gold Netherlanders sent to the Namaqua's to find out gold or any other Rarities were to be had amongst them who upon their arrival were entertain'd with signs of great Friendship and presented with Sheep and as a further manifestation of kindness they were welcomed with rare Musick of about an hundred Musitians in Consort which stood all in a Ring every one with a Reed in his hand but of an unequal length in the middle of whom stood a Man that kept Time which yielded a pleasant Sound like our Trumpets After the ending of this Musick which continu'd two or three hours upon the intreaty of the King they went into his House and were treated with Milk and Mutton On the other side the Netherlanders presented the King with some Copper Beads Brandy and Tobacco which they accepted kindly
gray Fowl almost like a Lapwing Pheasants little bigger than Swallows white-feather'd with gray or black Specks ringstreaked and speckled in their Bodies and therefore easie to be known from the other The Gavoitoyns or Dyvers which sit in the Water about the Cape Garagias almost the same with the Alcatraces Jan-van-Genten or white Plovers tipt with black at the end of their Wings Another sort of great Fowls call'd in Portuguese Mangas de Velludo or Velvet-Parrots have black Tufts like Velvet on their Wings and in flying hold them not steady but flutter as Pigeons As the Air is thus replenished with good Fowl no less doth the Sea Fishes and other Waters abound with the variety of Fish particularly one sort call'd Huygen in shape like Carps being of a very pleasant taste Rough Mullets Lobsters Breams and Crabs of a large size Mussles also among the Rocks and great and small Oysters with Pearls in them In Table-Bay and thereabouts play many Whales and other great Fishes Bottle-heads out of which may be boyl'd Train-Oyl as well as out of Whales The People which dwell about and near the Cape of Good Hope The Constitution of the Kaffers or Hottentots are of a middle Stature Slouch-body'd and uncomely of Person of a Tawny colour like Mulletto's But those about Flesh-Bay are somewhat smaller The Hair of their Heads in general resembles Lambs Wool short and Curl'd but the Womens thicker than the Mens especially among the Cobona's They have broad Foreheads but wrinkled clear and black Eyes but all both Men Women and Children have Camosie-Noses and blab-Lips Their Mouthes well fashion'd and bearing a proportionable bigness every way with very clean and white Teeth Their Necks are of an ordinary length with narrow Shoulders and long Arms but about the Wrists very thin their Hands well shaped their Fingers long letting their Nails grow like Eagles Talons which they count an Ornament Most of them have their Bellies long and wrinkled with Buttocks sticking out Their Legs handsom but small Calves little Feet especially the Women They are swift of Foot and so strong that some can stop an Ox in his full course The Women are little of Stature especially among the Cochoqua's or Saldanhars and some cut their Faces as if they were drawn with a Pencil The Married Women are so great Breasted that they can give them into the Mouthes of their Children to Suck behind over their Shouldets where they commonly carry them All the Kaffers are void of Literature They are Unlearned stupidly dull and clownish and in understanding are more like Beasts than Men but some by continual converse with European Merchants shew a few sparks or glimmerings of an inclination to more humanity Notwithstanding this their bruitish ignorance they observe the Laws and Customs of the Countrey with as much seriousness and observance as the most orderly People in Europe as a proof whereof you may take this Instance In the Year Sixteen hundred fifty nine when the Cape-men happen'd to be at ods and controversie with the Netherlanders being asked what cause they had for that Quarrel gave for answer that it was onely in return of the wrong done them by the Netherlanders in taking away their Seed and Lands as before we have more fully related In kindness and fidelity towards their Neighbors They are kind and faithful they shame the Dutch and all other Europeans because whatsoever one hath they willingly and readily impart it to others be it little or much Sometimes by eating the Root Dacha mixed with Water they become Drunk and then go about not knowing what they do others constrain'd by poverty seek here and there to take what they can find from any body but if it happen to come to light their Skin must pay dear for it There appears also among them some sparks of Pride for when they come to the Fort of Good Hope they cast on their filthiest greaziest and most stinking Skins and adorn their Ears and Necks with red and yellow Copper Beads supposing themselves exceeding pompously dressed Notwithstanding the meanness and poverty of their Condition yet they bear a high mind and are ambitious they will rather fall to open enmity than a Like our Quakers bow or give any reverence to each other and he that gets the Victory doth not onely play the Lord for that one time but always vaunts and braves it over his vanquished Enemy Their Clothing is very sordid The Clothing of the Men. and vile most of the Men wearing onely a Sheeps Pelt or Badgers Skin in manner of a Mantle about their Shoulders with the hairy side commonly within and ty'd under their Chin. Such a Mantle consists of three Pieces neatly sew'd together with Sinews of Beasts in stead of Threed When they go abroad or upon a Journey they throw another Sheeps-skin with the Wool on the out-side over the undermost Upon their Heads they wear a Cap of Lamb-skin with the Woolly side inward and a Button on the top Their Shoes are made of a Rhinocerot's Skin and consists of a whole flat Piece before and behind of a like heighth with a Cross of two Leatherbands fasten'd to their Feet Before their Privacies hangs a little piece of a wild Wood-Cat or ring-streaked Tyger or Jack-alls Skin ty'd behind with two Thongs DRACHT en WAPENING der HOTTENTOTS The Habit of the Women differs little from the former The Habit of the Women being a Sheep-skin Mantle on the upper part of their Bodies with the Wool inwards but somewhat longer than the Men also another Skin hanging behind to cover their back-parts and a square Piece before their Privacies On their Heads they wear a high Cap of a Sheeps or Badgers Skin bound to their Heads with a broad Fillet In all the rest following the Mens Garb. No less uncomely are their choycest Ornaments for the Men have their Hair dressed up or adorn'd with Copper-plates white little Horns and great Beads They pull all the Hair out of their Chins and daub their Faces with Black and then anoint them with Grease and Tallow and thereby seem as if they never were washed Those which dwell close by the Cape on the Shore and come to the Netherlanders Ships presently run to the Cook 's Kettle or Pottage-pot and anoint themselves with the Soot thereof which they esteem a Princely Ornament Such as are rich and have good stocks of Cattel liquor the out-side of their Mantles and Caps with Grease whereas the Poor wear them starved and unliquor'd Also most of the Princes and Kings and Kings Daughters particularly the King of Cocoquas his Vice-Roy and Daughter Mamis wear fat besmear'd Skins In their Ears they hang great bunches of Beads of which some contain ten or eleven Strings each weighing near a quarter of a Pound About their Necks they put red and yellow Copper Chains or Bracelets of Beads and upon their Arms Ivory Armlets and forwards near the Wrists Bracelets
Arabia carry to Barbara all sorts of Cloth and Beads which they call Maramugos Raisins Dates and many other things which they exchange for Gold Elephants-Teeth and Slaves And those of Quiloa Melinde Brava Magadoxo and Mombaza barter these Commodities for Arabian-Horse The Natives are generally very stout but badly Arm'd Arms. though continually furnish'd therewith both from the Turks and Kings of Arabia and such like Necessaries for which their Prince returns many great Presents of Slaves taken in the Wars for to ingratiate himself with those Mahumetans he makes continually fierce Wars upon the Christians about him especially those of Abissinie for which the Moors esteem him a petty Saint yet all their soothings cannot so save him but that sometimes the Christians send him home soundly beaten teaching him to keep a more mannerly Distance The City of Barbara owns the Dominion of the Great Turk Government as do most of all the famous Places upon the Coast of the Red Sea in Africa to this Kingdom of Adel where they say his Jurisdiction ends at the Haven of Meth although some will have the whole Coast of Barnagas and Barrazan nay all the Places near the Red Sea stand under his Jurisdiction without affording the Abyssines one Haven there So that none can pass out of the Red Sea into Abyssine but through the Turks Dominions The Island of Barbora OVer against the City Barbora in the Red Sea close by the Shore lieth an Island of the same Name exceedingly fruitful and well stored with Cattel The Inhabitants are not White as on the Coast of Magadoxo but Black and exactly Habited as those on the Main Land whereof we lately made mention The Island of Socotora THe Island of Socotora or Sacotora otherwise call'd Sicuthora discover'd by Fernando Bereyra J. Barros Ramusse is by some taken for the Dioscorides of Ptolomy and Pliny and by others for Curia Muria though somewhat improperly because that Isle lies over against the Main Coast of Arabia â— Situation This hath its Situation in twelve Degrees and fifty Minutes North Latitude fifteen Miles Southward from the Cape of Guardafuy formerly call'd Cape Aromata and almost as far from the Mouth of the Red Sea Now the most Geographers include this Island of Socotora under Africa for its nearness to that Coast yet some and those of Nubia have reckon'd it among the Islands of Arabia Felix And as they cannot agree to which it belongs Bigness so they differ no less in its Magnitude some making it swell to sixty Spanish while others straiten it to scarce fifteen Dutch Miles But it seems the first comes nearer to the truth because the latter Discoverers make it fifteen Miles long and ten Miles broad at the narrowest and Pirard reckons it fifteen French Miles in circumference The whole Island stands encompassed with exceeding high Rocks which inclose therein divers fertile Valleys On all sides Ships may find good Anchorage besides the many convenient Bays and Creeks affording safe Roads But it boasts two chief Havens the one call'd Cora and the other Benin Here is but onely one City nam'd Sicuthora seated at the foot of the Cape Treta looking to the South where the Xeque or Turkish Governor makes his aboad Others make Tamary the Chief Place and the usual Dwelling of the Bassa A third sort place here three Towns or Villages inhabited by Arabians But a fourth affirm That the Natives have neither Towns Villages nor Houses but abide in Holes or Caves in the Rocks They have many Temples or Churches Churcheâ— which they call Moquamos but very small and so low that without stooping none can come into the same Every Church hath three Doors and one Altar on which stands a Cross with two Sticks made in form of Flower-de-luces The Situation of the Island so near the Line causes the Air not onely to be exceeding hot Air. but also unhealthy And by reason of this excessive Heat they have great want of Water Yet notwithstanding there falls a great Mist in the Nights from the high stony Cliffs to the great cooling and refreshing of the parched Earth And although a few Rivers may be found yet they lie at such distances from the common Passages and remain so difficult to be found that many Travellers die for thirst onely at the Sea side are Trenches out of which the Arabians drink And the Mountains by reason of their excessive height have their tops continually cover'd with Snow and cloudy with Mists and Fogs The Soil for want of Moisture proves very barren Constitution of the Soil producing nothing as some write but Dates for indeed none take care to Sowe any Corn or Plant Fruits On the contrary Beasts in the Woods and Mountains breed many Bucks Goats Cows Hogs Catamountains Wild Asses Horses Camelions Wild Hens or Pheasants and Turtle-Doves But that which above all things makes this Island famous Aloes Sicotrina is the Plant from which the Aloes Sicotrina cometh and also for the great abundance of Dragons Blood brought thence being no other than a Gum distilling from a Tree the Indians call it Ber and bruise it with an Iron in the growing Bark at a set time of the Year The Sea-shore also produces much Ambergreece The Inhabitants of this Island are Arabians or Native Sicotrians Several Inhabitants which last the Arabians call Beduins and are divided into two Generations The one Nature having Beduinsche Mothers and Arabian Negro Fathers keep at the Sea side are black of Colour curl'd Hair tall of Stature but very ill-favour'd The others are unmix'd Beduins and live within the Countrey being whiter than Native Iudians Some of them seem to have been born in Europe by the tallness of their Statures handsom Bodies soundness of Constitution and the Air of the Face onely differing herein that they let their Hair grow without cutting which they suffer either to hang over their Necks and Shoulders or else tie up or braid the same together behind They are inconstant mistrustful Constitution and cowardly insomuch that a handful of Arabians will awe vast Multitudes of them They have a great fear of all other people which makes them shun converse with Foreigners and are above measure lazy and idle concerning themselves in nothing but Fishing and feeding their Cattel Their common Food is Milk Butter Dates and Flesh Food but chiefly Milk boyl'd with Herbs and serves them both for Diet and Physick In stead of Rie or Wheaten Bread they use Rice brought to them from other Places and for want of that eat Cakes made of Dates They wear certain Clothes by them call'd Cambolins made of Bucks Hair Apparel six Spans long and two broad from their Girdle to their Knees and over that another greater black and white Cloth in form like a Cloke which they wrap about from their Shoulders to their Knees and never pull it off Barbosa on the contrary writeth That
from Makua Southwardly Fremone or Framone otherwise Maegoga in fifteen degrees and a half South-Latitude the usual Habitation of the European Christians and Jesuites The rest of the most remarkable places are Caxumo or Chaxumo or Accum perhaps the Auxum of Ptolomy or Axomites of Anian by some taken for the Courtly residence of the Queen of Sheba to whom Solomon as they say gave a visit in Egypt where are seventeen stately Pyramides and three famous Churches one of St. Michael one of Abba Likanos and one of Abba Pantaleon Northward of Caxuma lies the Lordship of Tarrete wherein stands two Cloysters one great one call'd Alleluja and the other Abbagarima famous for the abode of the Jesuites together with Angeba beautifi'd with a Royal Palace wherein none may have their abode but the King's Lieutenant Somewhat more Westerly appears the Kingdom of Dambea or Dembea The Kingdom of Dambea bordering in the West upon Goyan in the North upon Fungie and in the East on Bagameder Several Arms of the Nile cut it almost in the midst and in the very Center lies the great Lake Bar-dambea The head-City according to Jarrik hath the same name with the Kingdom yet others call it Zambia or Zamba where Prester-John keeps his Court from October to Easter Pigafet calls the principal City Belmachu and sets other Towns by the Shore of this Lake as Atsana Goga Fogora Anfras Ganetas Jesessus Old-Gorgora New-Gorgora and many others Bagameder or Begamedry a peculiar Kingdom according to Sanutus The Kingdom of Bagameder and Tellez though others would make it a part of Tigre or Tigremahon borders Eastwardly at Angote and from thence running South touches upon Amahara near the River Baxila that hastens there to contribute his Streams to the increase of the Nile The length from the City Sart the utmost limit of Tigre amounts to Sixty Portuguese miles and in breadth to near twenty Sanutus esteems Bagameder one of the greatest Dominions of Abyssine beginning it in the South by Goyame and so ending upon Amara Angote Tigre and Barnagas a Tract of a hundred and twenty Miles to the Island Moroe The Head-City Bagamedry Davity scituate on a delightful Plain at the River Suama by some call'd The Imperial City because the substitute King of Tigre after the receipt of the first Crown on the place where chosen takes the second there as the third out of the hands of the Emperor himself which Ceremony hath been used ever since Abibliakane or Dabba Likanos who liv'd in this City in a Cave with so great repute of sanctity that the King which then Raign'd would receive his Crown by the hands of this Saint and all the Kings of Tigre come there to receive the second Crown Southward of Damben The Kingdom of Goiam you arrive at Goiam or Goyame in eleven degrees North-Latitude being in length if Tellez and Sanutus miss not their reckoning fifty Portugal or six and thirty Dutch miles that is from one Shore of the Nile to the other For this famous River encompasses the same and thereby becomes a Fence to it against the Invasion of Enemies This Kingdom hath a mixture of Inhabitants but the Natives are the Agoa's in the North-West about the Nile and in the South-East the Gafates The Agoa's possess about forty eminent Towns besides Zalabaka Ambaxa or Ankassa Croia Cavera Angula Anchaka Sakahala and their chief City call'd Tavia The Jesuites have their abode as in Collella Surka Adase Tempa Tassala Fangala Duniel Tankon and Embeste In the last of which may be seen the remaining Ruines of several stately Churches built by a certain Abyssine Queen of Stone hewn like Roses On the North-side lie many Hills and Woods near which Sanutus reports some Jews have their abode Amara The Kingdom of Amara or Amaara or Amahara lying between the eleventh and twelfth degree of North-Latitude borders in the North at Bagameder and Angote in the East upon Dankali and in the South upon Oleka from which separated by the River Ruezar a branch of the Nile and in the West at Dambea Sanutus limits it in the North with a Lake on the borders of Angote in which lieth the Island St. Stephen with the Mountain Amara wherein the Princes the Heirs of the Crown are kept in the East with the Kingdom of Xaoa in the South with the Valleys and Baquen-Mountains and in the West by the places about and near the Nile It comprizeth saith Sanutus a great number of Towns Villages and Castles of which one more remarkable call'd Azzoll lying on a Hill between two Rivers two days journey from the Lake St. Stephen Narea The Kingdom of Narea by Godignus Nerea and by the Abyssines according to Davity Innari hath in the North-West Damut in the East Guraque and in the South Gingiro and contains three times as much ground as Bigameder Xaoa Xaoa divided into the upper and lower borders in the East at Oifet in the South at Ganz in the West at Gojam and in the North at Oleka Thus much of the Kingdoms at present possess'd by the Abyssmes The other taken from them by the Gala's and Turks are Dankali Angote Damut Dahali Ario Fatigar Zengero Rozanegus Roxa Zith Concho and Mataola After the Kingdom of Tigre follows that of Dankali The Kingdom of Dankali conterminated on the North and the East by the Red-Sea and the Countrey of Adel in the West Balgada in the South with Dobas and Angote Here are some eminent places the first Vella or rather Leila according to Davity a Haven at the Red-Sea lying in thirty degrees North-Latitude Corcora a fine place adorn'd with a Palace a stately Church with a great and rich Cloyster Afterwards you come to Manadely a populous Town containing about a thousand houses Formerly the King of Dankali by the report of Sanutus maintain'd a War with the Abyssines but became afterwards as Godignus and Jarrik relate his Tributary though since torn from them by the great Turk After Dankali follows Westward that of Angote Angote which Godignus borders in the East at Tigre in the North at the same by the River Sabalete and in the South at Amara The best places of this Kingdom are according to Sanutus Dofacso inrich'd with a thousand houses Corcora of Angote to distinguish it from Corcora Dankali The Countrey of Ambugana thirty days journey from Barna with a famous Church nam'd Imbra Christus besides others Damut or Damout borders in the North upon Bizami or Goiame The Kingdom of Damout in the South-West at Narea in the South at Guraque and in the East with Ganz and Xaoa This Kingdom the Abyssines saith Davity divided into two the one call'd Damout Dari and the other Damout Adari where stands The Dead-Mountain being the highest and coldest of all Ethiopia and therefore Prester-John sent such great ones thither as he desir'd to have out of the way because they quickly dy'd there of hunger and
in the Tartarian Tongue A Kingdom full of Mountains and Desarts contains Tartary Scythia and the Countreys of Gog and Magog Now Cathay is divided into the greater and the less Great Cathay spreads through an unfrequented Tract of Land namely from the Mountain Caucasus between that side of the Icy Sea and the Mountains of China to the Indian Sea whereas some will have it joyn at the out-lying Point of America But Little Cathay is that Countrey which borders on North-China commonly call'd Thebes In all this far spreading Countrey of Cathay one may see that this supposed most mighty Emperor Prester-John had the Dominion over seventy two Kingdoms partly Christians and partly Heathens though by the great numbers of Kingdoms he hath gotten many Names to the great distraction both of Historians and Geographers For some make him to be one and the same with the great Cham others call him Ashid some with the Abyssines call him Juchanes Belul that is Precious John Some as Godignus with no improbable Reasons will have it that by his Subjects for their high esteem of the Prophet Jonas he is call'd Joanne a Name common to all those that ever did possess this Kingdom though in these Western Parts he is commonly call'd by the Latin Churches Joannes with the additional surname of Prester not that he ever was a Priest but because according to the Custom of the Arch-bishop in the time of Peace had a Cross carried before him at his going out but ontring upon the Wars two Cross-bearers went before him the one with a Cross of Gold and the other with a Cross beset with Precious Stones for a token of his defending the Worship of God for which reason Scaliger derives his Name from the Persian Word Prestigiani which signifieth Apostolick which the Europeans understanding amiss call'd him in stead of Prestigiani Prester-John Many years did this Kingdom of Prester-John flourish in Asia till it fell to one David who by one of his supreme Commanders call'd Cinge chosen Emperor by the Army and the Scythians who in stead of Prester styl'd him Uncam In the Year Eleven hundred seventy eight it was overcome in Battel whereby the glory of this Empire and the Name of Prester-John came in effect to an end to the great loss and prejudice of Christendom But by what mistake the Name of Prester-John came to the Emperor of Abyssine we will in brief declare When the Portuguese with their Fleets were busie in discovering strange Countreys there was a great noyse through all Europe of Prester-John and his Excellency reported a most powerful Emperor Lord of many Kings and of the Christian Religion but unknown in what place he had his abode For which cause when Pike Kovillan sent by John the second King of Portugal first over the Mediterranean Sea and afterwards by Land to seek out this Prince coming into India and hearing that in Abyssine or that Ethiopia which lieth below Egypt was a great and powerful Prince who professed the Christian Religion he went thither and finding many things in him which was reported of the true Prester-John he took him for the same Person and was the first that call'd him by that Name which others that went the ensuing year into Abyssine follow'd and so easily brought the mistake into Europe the Emperor of Abyssine being ever since call'd Prester-John Yet Damianus a Goez in his Book of the Nature and Customs of the Abyssines positively denies that the King of Abyssine was ever call'd Prester-John so that in truth that Name properly belongs to the foremention'd Prince of Asia But seeing that Custom hath almost made it a Law and the Kingdom of Prester-John in Asia already overwhelm'd the Name of Prester-John may conveniently be applied and fixed upon the Abyssine King of Africa professing the Christian Religion Every Substitute Kingdom as Tigre Gambea Goiame Amara Narea hath a Deputy to Rule it in the Name of the Emperor and the like hath every Territory Besides the Vice-Roy of Tigre bears the Title Tigra Mahon and must always be of the Royal Stock Him of the Countrey next to the Red Sea they stile Barnagas that is King of the Sea not that he properly Commands over the Countreys by the Sea for they are under the Turks but because the Countrey over which he Commands lieth nearer to Sea than any other part of Tigre He hath his abode most in the City Barva or Debaroa and winneth great Respect as well among his own People as Strangers The Government of the Kingdom is administred with Discretion and Justice which hath advanced the honor of the King both at home and abroad The Judges shew great severity in punishing Offenders according to the several qualities of their Crimes viz. such as shrink from the right and true Faith and change their Opinion the People stone to death but those which totally Apostatize or blaspeme God and the Ghost are publickly burn'd alive Murderers they deliver to the nearest Relations of the Murthered to revenge themselves on him according to their pleasure Thieves have their Eyes put out and afterwards by Judgment are appointed for Slaves of the Empire and given to the Guides with whom they may go all the Countrey over to earn their Living by Singing and Playing on Instruments but with this Proviso not to stay above one day in a place upon penalty of losing their lives Other small Offences they punish with Whipping In the Succession of the Crown the eldest takes place after the Father but for want of Issue-male the most worthy Person of the next in Blood is chosen Others affirm that Seniority creates no Claim but that the Crown falls to him whom the Father makes choice of on his Death-bed but that seems improbable because the intended Successor lives at large in the Courts whereas the rest are kept on the Mountain Amara and if he die another whom the greatest at the Court do judge fittest for the Crown is sent for out The great and famous Island Meroe lies divided between three Kings which oftentimes War with one another the first is a Mahumetan Moor the second an Idolater descended from the Blood of the right Ethiopians the third a Christian Abyssine and acknowledges that King for his Lord. The first King of Ethiopia or Abyssinie The Order or List of the Kings of Abyssine whereof we have certain knowledge by the information of holy Scripture was Chus the Son of Cham who took possession thereof immediately after the Flood six other Kings following him whose Names and the time of their Reign remains unknown But when the Royal Seat was planted in the City Axum where it remained till the coming in of Christ they began to keep a Chronological Register but was afterwards transplanted to Sceva or Saba The Kings that Reigned in Axum and Saba are set down to the number of a hundred fifty eight by the following order  Years Arue Reigned 400 Agabo his Father a Murtherer
but to the terrestrial Paradice to remain there till the day of Judgment That the Wicked do not go immediately to Hell but to a place near adjacent in which they can see the Punishment prepared for them waiting in the mean while for the day of Judgment Damianus a Goez affirms that they conclude a Purgatory and believe that the Souls of the vertuous are not plagued there on Saturdays and Sundays and that Alms-deeds do exceedingly serve for the mitigating of their pain but deny that their Eteche or Patriarch can grant Souls any liberty to go out judging that onely to belong to God who hath limited or set the time of their punishment Godignus affirms that Children are Baptiz'd with Fire and Water imprinting a Mark upon their Foreheads which they must carefully keep for they hold it fit to follow the Rule which the Forerunner of Christ seems to have Preached when he said I shall baptize you in the Spirit and in Fire but others think that the first Christian Kings of Abyssine did it to distinguish the Believers from Heathens Between the Religion or Worship of the Egyptians Copticks and Abyssines there is no difference at all for both these People perform the Mass in the same manner and consent in the Church Ceremonies which they observe in the Consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ which they perform in this manner The Priest at the appointed hour comes into the Church and when the People are assembled in his Priestly Vestments ascends to the Altar the Deacon crying with a loud voyce in the Coptick Tongue Blessed be the Participation whereupon the Priest turning to the People with a loud voyce often repeats these words Christ be with us all and the the People answer And with thy spirit After several Ceremonies perform'd with Songs of Praise and Thanksgiving and at last Prayers being ended the Priest blesseth the Cover the Chalice or Cup the Spoon and Shrine or Coffer of the Sacrament by which they understand The Ark of the Covenant as by the Spoon The Spear of Christ and begin the Participation with stretched out hands thus O Lord Jesus Christ Partaker of the Divine Substance who art immaculate together with the Father and holy Spirit our Father our Lord our God and our Redeemer Thou art that Bread which descended from Heaven Thou who art come to be a Lamb without blemish for the redemption and life of the World we ask and pray thy Deity that thou wilt set thy Countenance upon this holy Mystery upon this Bread and upon this Cup which we Priests do set upon this Table Bless sanctifie cleanse and transmute this Bread into thy holy Body and this Wine in this Cup into thy holy and precious Blood In like manner says the Abyssine Priest Our Prince Jesus Christ whose Substance is not created but thou art the pure Word Thou art the Son of the Father Thou art the Bread of Life come down from Heaven Thou wert before thou camest in the similitude of an immaculate Lamb for the redemption of Sinners Now O thou lover of Mankind we humbly beseech thy Majesty to shew thy favorable Countenance and Benediction upon this Bread and upon this Cup on this Altar Bless sanctifie purifie and transmute this Bread into thy undefiled Flesh and this Wine into thy precious Blood Concerning the rest they use one and the same manner of Incense and the same words of Consecration the same form of Confession and the same words of Adoration In the Consecration of the Body and Blood of our Saviour both these People observe one and the same Ceremonies The Abyssine expresseth it with a loud voyce thus He stretcheth out his hands to the feeble He is become weak that he may strengthen those that wait upon him who the same Night wherein he was betray'd took Bread into his holy and immaculate Hands looked up to heaven to his Father he gave thanks blessing and sanctifying it and gave to his Disciples saying Take and eat ye all of it This Bread is my Flesh which is given for the remission of sins Amen Whereupon the People say Verily verily verily we believe and trust and love thee O Lord our God This we believe in truth is thy Flesh Then saith the Priest again In like manner he took the Cup and gave thanks blessed and sanctifi'd it and said to them Take and drink ye all of it This is the Cup of my Blood which shall be shed for you for the redemption of many Whereupon the People answer Verily verily verily we believe and trust and love thee O Lord our God This we believe in truth is thy Blood In the same manner it is done by the Copticks That the Coptick and Abyssine Church hath been one and the same from all Antiquity Nicephorus Zonoras Cedrenus and lastly the Abyssine Rituals themselves do testifie for the common Liturgy the Admonition that is made of Praying for the welfare of the Abyssine Church for the King and Princes of the Empire Judges and Subjects there is also in particular made mention of the Patriarch of Alexandria in these words Pray for our Prince and our Patriarch N. N. Lord and Head of the Bishops of the great Territory of Alexandria and for our Reverend Arch-Bishop Mark the Head of our Countrey and for all Bishops Priests and true believing Ministers In other Admonitions the Evangelist Mark Theon Petrus Alexander Athanasius Theophilus Cyrillus and other Patriarchs of Alexandria are remembred which abundantly shew that the Egyptian Coptick and Abyssine are in effect but one Church The Abyssine and Coptick are under one and the same Patriarch who hath his Residence in Alexandria in Egypt and in Abyssine hath a Substitute under him the Head in Ecclesiastical Causes there call'd Eteche as we said before This Man is chosen by the Patriarch of Alexandria or by the Monks of Abyssine and confirm'd by the Patriarch His chiefest Office consists in conferring of holy or sacred Orders though the bestowing of Church-Offices belongs to the Xeques or King and the punishing the obstinate such as stand in contempt Godignus against the opinion of many maintains they have no Bishops but others that the Eteche hath twelve Suffragans under him A Clerk may have one Wife but is not made Priest till three years after that After the death of the first Wife no Priest may Marry again but by special consent of the Eteche yet then he may never celebrate Mass any more a matter so severely observed by them that they do not so much as touch a Candle Consecrated for the Church If a Clerk or Priest get a Bastard-Child they instantly put him out of his Office and if he dies without lawful Children his Goods Escheat to the King They have many Monks which follow the Rules of St. Anthony St. Maccair and St. Basil They accommodate themselves every where to the Clergy which they boldly visit do great Penance live soberly and Fast often All the
time the Sun shines from the Vertical Point upon the Inhabitants Heads without making a Shadow either to the North or South which happens twice a year at Noon The reason of this double Winter seems to proceed from the violent attractions of Heat caus'd by the scorching beams of the Sun which so fill the Air with watry Exhalations that the Sun as clouded therewith shines not out and so those dusky Vapors dissolve themselves in great and continuing Rains the onely sign of Winter the over-heated Air hardly chill'd thereby The rainy Moneths continue from December to April when all the low Land lies under Water Our Summer-Moneths May June July and August make their Spring and with them Summer begins when the Sun first enters into the beginning of Capricorn and continues till it comes to the beginning of Aries that is in December January February and the beginning of March and then the Air is very moist and hot so that Foreigners keep themselves in places under ground yet oftentimes can neither escape great Sicknesses or Death whereas the Natives being of a cold and dry Constitution live in good health yet when the heat arrives at the heighth it makes the Inhabitants themselves so faint that they can scarce go and the Ground so hot that they must wear Shooes with double Soles and thick Corks to save their Feet from scorching The Sicknesses which proceed from the untemperate heat Unwholsomness of the Air. are burning and pestilential Fevers seizing Strangers in eight days time first by shivering and coldness afterwards with heat through all their Limbs for two hours together and with such violence that the infected Party oftentimes on the fourth or seventh or at longest on the fifteenth day dies but if he out-live that time he grows well again on a sudden and so may continue except he prejudice himself by gluttony or drinking for the best Medicine is a moderate Diet to eat little and fast much besides to purge the Body with Juice of Cassia Fistula and sometimes to breath a Vein and take away superfluous Blood The Sickness call'd Bitios de Ku ranges here also being cured with Juice of Lemons as before related The Pox is so customary to the Natives that they make nothing of it but suddenly and with great ease cure it by means of Quicksilver yet proves mortal to many Strangers who ought therefore to be very careful how they meddle with the black Women by reason of the inequality of their Constitutions The Dropsie is very frequent which they cure by applying outwardly the Oyl of Coco-Nuts and the Juice of several Herbs of which the Negro's have good knowledge Above a Century of years since the Kings of Portugal hearing of the fruitfulness of the Soil sent some over thither who died through the unwholsomness of the Air Again he sent others who went first into Guinee from thence to Angola and at last setled on this Island that they might as it were Pedetentim step by step be enabled to endure the evil temperature thereof Some have reported that John King of Portugal sold the Jews for Slaves upon their refusing to embrace the Christian Religion and Baptizing their Children sent them thither from whence the Islanders seem to be extracted No small number of sick and dead Men had the Netherlanders on this Island when in the Year Sixteen hundred forty one under the Command of Admiral Jol otherwise call'd Houtebeen they overcame this Island for there scarce remain'd twelve sound and healthful Men in a Company and Jol himself with most of the other Commanders died Nay the Distemper came at last with such wide paces amongst them that there scarce remain'd any to be upon the Watch or stand Sentinells and not Sea-men enough to Man two Ships wherefore they sent to Prince Maurice in Brasile for Soldiers Provisions and Wine for refreshment Most of them died of great pains in their Heads some of the Griping in the Guts in three or four days The causes whereof might be their too much eating of Black Sugar or the Milk of Coco-Nuts which occasions Loosness but indeed the principal cause was those malignant Fogs against which they had no shelter This venomous Air caus'd a greater Destruction amongst the People of the Admiral Peter Verdoes coming thither with his Fleet in the Year Sixteen hundred and ten in November when within fourteen days there died above a thousand of which the Admiral himself and the other Admiral Storm together with seventeen Sea-Commanders and all the Land-Officers except one Nay the Disease raged at length among them with so great fury that the Bellies of some being open'd their Cauls were turn'd to Water The Ground is tough The Soil and of a yellowish Russet Colour and by reason of the many Mists which fall every Night it grows soft like Wax and becomes fit to produce all sorts of Grain Fruits and Plants The goodness and fertility thereof appears by this That so soon as a plain Place is left untill'd or laid waste Trees grow upon it and shoot up to a great height in few days which the Blacks cut down and burn to plant the Sugar-Canes in their Ashes which grow every where in the Valleys but yield less Juyce than those in Brasile The Canes Planted in the fore-mention'd Ashes must have five Moneths time to ripen in For that which is Planted in January is Cut in June and that of February in July And in this manner they Cut and Plant all the Year through The full-grown Canes when cut are grownd small in Water-Mills which the Portuguese call Ingenhas or by the Labor of Slaves or Oxen in places where there are no Rivers Afterwards they put the Juyce into great Kettles and boyl it over the Fire to cleanse it and with the Refuse they feed the Hogs which eating nothing else grow exceeding fat and are esteem'd such wholesom and sweet Flesh that they Diet therewith the Sick to recover them to their Health Seven Ships Lading of Sugar this Island sends forth every Year that is Four for Portugal two for the Canary and Madera Islands and one for England And there might be a great deal more made and also whiter but they want Pots and other Necessaries to cleanse it and also Refiners to work it The Portuguese have sent for many Artists from the Maderas to make their Sugar whiter and harder but could never effect the same the Air making their Labor fruitless because it doth not suffer it to dry And therefore the Sugar-makers are necessitated to set the Loaves upon low Planks inclos'd round and to set them upon Boughs of thick dry Wood which being set on Fire make no Flame nor Smoak but at length glimmer like glowing Coals and so dry it as in Stoves Before the coming of the Portuguese there grew no Sugar-canes nor Ginger but they brought them thither and planted them In the Year Sixteen hundred forty five there stood on this Island four and
not eight-pointed as upon the Mantle But such as have resided ten years in Malta and made four Expeditions in Person in the Galleys may wear the great Cross upon the Breast yet they must afterwards present their Request in full Council The Grand Master the Bishop of Malta the Prior of the Church of St. John the Conventual and Capital Bailiffs wear the great Cross upon their Breasts but all the other the little One. Every Brother by obligation must every day repeat an hundred and fifty Pater Nosters for such as have been slain in their Wars But the Priests Deacons Sub-Deacons and Clerks perform other Offices All except the Sons of great Lords generated by a Father Grandfather and great Grandfather of Temporal Nobility Sons of covetous Persons or that are sprung from Saracens or Mahumetans though deriving from the greatest Princes such as do Homage to any other Order though by the appointment of the Chapter greatly Deformed Murtherers or vitious People nor any under eight and twenty years of age may be receiv'd into this Order yet the Grand Master may admit Boys of twelve years old of what Nation soever they be into Salary Those also design'd to be taken into this Order must be of comely Personage strong Limbs sound in Body and Mind and of good Behavior and every one must show that he belongs to the Priory he says he is of They must as Probationers before they receive the Garment stay a Year and a Day in the Cloister The Servants Brothers and Chaplains must not be of Vulgar Extract but must manifest that they are descended from Worthy Parents which have never wrought in any Handicraft and have always liv'd honourably and vertuously The Pensioners or Half-Cross-men are to be receiv'd by Bailiffs Priors and others with permission of the great Lord and may wear but three Branches of the Cross of Malta on the left side of their Coat and may not set the upper Branch These may not be receiv'd if they be descended from Jews Saracens or Mahumetans or if they have not liv'd well or have exercis'd any Mechannick Art and have not given some part of their Goods or Estate to the Order but they may be Marry'd No Knight of what Dignity soever may bestow his Goods farther than his Salary For petty Crimes they allow a Sanctuary but Robbers or Pyrates burners of Houses betrayers of their Countrey Thieves false Witnesses sacrilegious Persons and such like are utterly excluded from all Mercy The chief Head of this Order calls himself Lowly The Title of the Grand Master or Humble Servant of the holy House or Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem and of the Order of Soldiers of the holy Sepulchre of our Lord Defender of Christian Arms. But the receiv'd Title is The Illustrious and most Reverend Prince Lord Prior A. of V. Great Master of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem Prince of Malta and Gaza The Habit of the Grand Master is a long Coat Garments hanging down to the Ground with wide Sleeves and a round Bonnet upon his Head For the upholding of his State and Grandeur he hath several Commanderies lying in every Priory and united to the Grand Mastership After the death of one Grand Master the Knights chuse another who is afterwards Inaugurated with great State and Solemnity In brief we will give you a Catalogue of all the Grand Masters since Gerard the first Instituter of this Order to the present Cottoner by way of Chronology The first Grand Master or rather Founder of this Order was The first Grand Master as before related one Gerard though Menenius sets down one Raymond du Puy for the first affirming that Gerard gave onely the first Fundamental Rules but Raymond du Puy was the first Grand Master however we will begin with Gerard who died in the Year 1118. Raymond du Puy a Dauphiner or Florentine as Massiger will have it by the Latines of his time call'd De Podio the first Grand Master of the Hospital of St. John according to the Tradition of the Knights although some set before him one Roger who in the Year 1130. as they say had the Government This Raymond seeing the Society increase in number grow rich in Means and that they were most of them nobly descended perswaded them by his example to take up Arms for the defence of the Faith as a Matter suitable to their Devotion and Nobility According to the relation of the Knights themselves this Raymond and not Gerard Instituted the wearing of a black Coat with an eight-pointed white Cross He also setled a general Assembly wherein for the future Vacancies were to be suppli'd by the approbation of the Knights which Rule Pope Calixtus the second allow'd and confirm'd in the Year 1120. and afterwards his Successors Decreed That the Knights should live according to the Order of St. Augustine This Raymond first bore in his Standards or Banners a Silver Cross in a yellow Field by order of Pope Innocent in the Year 1130. and since that time the Spirituality distinguish'd into Knights Chaplains and Servants of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem He died in the Year 1160. Augea de Balben a Dauphiner died after three years Reign in the Year 1167. Arnold de Comps deceased in the Year 1167. Gilbert de Assaley an English-man unhappily brought the Order into a Debt of an hundred thousand Crowns and therefore was dismissed in the Year 1169. but coming home to his Countrey by Sea was cast away with all his People in the same Year Gaste or Caste succeeded and died within the said Year 1169. Joubert came next and died in the Year 1179. Moger or Roger de Moulins was kill'd in a Battel against Saladin in the Year 1187. Garnier of Naples in Syria died of a mortal Wound receiv'd in Battel having Reign'd scarce six Moneths and ten Days in the Year 1187. Ermengar or Emengar extracted out of the House of Aps in Vivarez died in the Year 1192. Godfrey of Duisson died in the Year 1194. Alfonsus a Portuguese was descended from the Kings of Portugal but seeing himself envy'd by the Knights because of his morosity laid down his Office and went the same Year to Portugal where he was poyson'd by his Brother in the Year 1026. Godfrey or Geofrey le Rat Grand Prior of France died in the Year 1027. Guerin de Montaigu of Avergne in the Year 1230. Bertrand de Texi deceased in Akra in the Year 1240. Guerin or Gerin was taken Prisoner in a Battel against the Infidels Corasminers and sent to the Sultan of Egypt where he died in the Year 1245. Bertrand de Comps a Dauphiner died of his Wounds receiv'd against the Turks in the Year 1248. Peter de Vellebride taken with Lewis King of France in a Field-Battel by the Sultan of Egypt Melechsala and released by the Hospitallers in the Year 1251. and died at Akra in the same Year William de Castelnau or of New