most part of the gentlemen of Fez haue vineyards vpon the saide mountaine At the north foote of this mountaine the fields are replenished with all kinde of graine and fruits For all that plaine is watered southward with the riuer Sebu and here the gardiners with certaine artificiall wheeles and engines draw water out of the riuer to moisten their gardens In this plaine are wel-nigh two hundreth acres of ground the reuenues whereof are giuen vnto the kings master of ceremonies howbeit he maketh thereof not aboue fiue hundreth ducates a yeere the tenth part of all which reuenues amounting to three thousand bushels of corne belongeth to the kings prouision Of mount Zarhon THis mountaine beginneth from the plaine of Esais lying ten miles distant from the citie of Fez westward it extendeth thirtie miles and is almost ten miles broad This mountaine is all couered with waste and desert woods being otherwise well stored with oliues In this mountaine there are of sheepe-foldes and castles to the number of fiftie and the inhabitants are very wealthy for it standeth betweene two flourishing cities that is to say Fez on the east and Mecnase on the west The women weaue woollen cloth according to the custome of that place and are adorned with many siluer rings and bracelets The men of this mountaine are most valiant and are much giuen to pursue and take lions whereof they send great store vnto the king of Fez. And the king hunteth the said lions in manner following in a large field there are certaine little cels made being so high that a man may stand vpright in them each one of these cels is shut fast with a little doore and containe within euery of them an armed man who opening the doore presents himselfe to the view of the lion then the lion 〈◊〉 the doores open comes running toward them with great furie but the doores being shut againe he waxeth more furious then before then bring they foorth a bull to combate with the lion who enter a fierce and bloudie conflict wherein if the bull kill the lion that daies sport is at an end but if the lion get the victorie then all the armed men being ordinarily twelue leape foorth of their cels and inuade the lion each one of them hauing a iauelin with a pike of a cubite and an halfe long And if these armed men seeme to bee too hard for the lion the king causeth their number to be diminished but perceiuing them too weake the king with his companie from a certaine high place where he standeth to behold the sport kill the lion with their crossebowes And oftentimes it falleth out that before the lion be slaine some one of the men dies for it the residue being sore wounded The reward of those that encounter the lion is ten duckats apeece and a new garment neither are any admitted vnto this combat but men of redoubted valour and such as come from mount Zelagi but those that take the lions first are inhabitants of mount Zarhon Of Gualili a towne of mount Zarhon THis towne was built by the Romanes vpon the top of the foresaide mountaine what time they were lordes of Granada in south Spaine It is enuironed around with mighty thicke walles made of smoothe and hewen stones The gates are large and high and the fields are manured for the space of sixe miles about howbeit this towne was long sithence destroied by the Africans But afterward when the schismatike Idris came into this region he began to repaire this desolate towne and to replant it so with inhabitants that within short time it grew very populous howbeit after his decease it was neglected by his sonne being wholy addicted as is beforesaid vnto the building of Fez. And yet Idris lieth buried in this towne whose sepulchre is visited with great reuerence almost by all the people of Barbarie for he is as highly esteemed as if he had been some patriarke because he was of the linage of Mahumet At this present there are but two or three houses in all the towne which were there built for the honour and maintenance of the sepulchre The fields adiacent are exceedingly well husbanded and their gardens are most pleasant by reason of two sweet freshets running through them the which diuersly winding themselues about the little hils and vallies doe water all that plaine Of a certaine towne called the palace of Pharao THis towne was founded by the Romans vpon the top of an hill about eight miles distant from Gualili The people of this said mountaine together with some historiographers are most certainly perswaded that this towne was built by Pharao king of Egypt in the time of Moses and tooke the name from the first founder which notwithstanding I thinke to be otherwise for I can read in no approoued author that either Pharao or any other Egyptians euer inhabited these regions But I suppose that this fond opinion was taken out of that booke which one Elcabi wrote concerning the words of Mahumet For the said booke affirmeth from the authoritie of Mahumet that there were fower kings onely that gouerned the whole world two whereof were faithfull and the other two ethnikes the faithfull he 〈◊〉 were Alexander the great and Salomon the sonne of Dauid and the ethnikes were Nimrod and Pharao But I am rather of opinion by the Latine letters which are there engrauen in the walles that the Romanes built this towne About this towne run two small riuers on either side thereof The little hils and vallies adiacent doe greatly abound with oliues Not far from hence are certaine wilde deserts frequented with lions and leopards Of the towne called Pietra Rossa or The red rocke PIetra Rossa is a small towne built by the Romans vpon the side of the foresaid mountaine being so neere the forrest that the lions will come daily into the towne and gather vp bones in the streets yea they are so tame and familiar that neither women nor children are afeard of them The wals of this towne are built very high and of great stones but now they are ruined in many places and the whole towne is diminished into one streete Their fields being ioyned vnto the plaines of Azgara abound with oliues and all kinde of pulse Of the towne of Maghilla MAghilla is a little towne founded of old by the Romans vpon that side of the foresaid hill which looketh toward Fez. About this towne are most fertill fields and greatly enriched with oliues there is a plaine likewise containing many fresh fountaines and well stored with hempe and flaxe Of the castle of Shame THis ancient castle is built at the foote of the said mountaine neer vnto the high way from Fez to Mecnase and it was called by this name because the inhabitants are most shamefully addicted to couetise like vnto all the people thereabouts In old time it is reported that a certaine king passed by whom the inhabitants of the castle inuited to dinner requesting him to
briefe iournall of his trauels you may see in the end of his eight booke what he writeth for himselfe Wherefore saith he if it shall please God to vouchsafe me longer life I purpose to describe all the regions of Asia which I haue trauelled to wit Arabia Deserta Arabia Petrea Arabia Felix the Asian part of Egypt Armenia and some part of Tartaria all which countries I sawe and passed through in the time of my youth Likewise I will describe my last voiages from Constantinople to Egypt and from thence vnto Italy c. Besides all which places he had also beene at Tauris in Persia and of his owne countrey and other African regions adioining and remote he was so diligent a traueller that there was no kingdome prouince signorie or citie nor scarcelie any towne village mountaine valley riuer or forrest c. which he left vnuisited And so much the more credite and commendation descrueth this woorthy Historie of his in that it is except the antiquities and certaine other incidents nothing else but a large Itinerarium or Iournal of his African voiages neither describeth he almost any one particular place where himselfe had not sometime beene an eie-witnes But not to forget His conuersion to Christianitie amidst all these his busie and dangerous trauels it pleased the diuine prouidence for the discouery and manifestation of Gods woonderfull works and of his dreadfull and iust iudgements performed in Africa which before the time of Iohn Leo were either vtterly concealed or vnperfectly and fabulously reported both by ancient and late writers to deliuer this author of ours and this present Geographicall Historie into the hands of certaine Italian Pirates about the isle of Gerbi situate in the gulfe of Capes betweene the cities of Tunis and Tripolis in Barbarie Being thus taken the Pirates presented him and his Booke vnto Pope Leo the tenth who esteeming of him as of a most rich and inualuable prize greatly reioiced at his arriuall and gaue him most kinde entertainement and liberall maintenance till such time as he had woone him to be baptized in the name of Christ and to be called Iohn Leo after the Popes owne name And so during his abode in Italy learning the Italian toong he translated this booke thereinto being before written in Arabick Thus much of Iohn Leo. Now let vs acquaint you with the Historie it selfe First therefore from so woorthy an author how could an historie proceed but of speciall woorth and consequence For proofe whereof I appeale vnto the translations thereof into Latine Italian Spanish French English and if I be not deceiued into some other languages which argue a generall 〈◊〉 of the same I appeale also to the grand and most iudiciall Cosmographer Master Iohn Baptista Ramusius sometime Secretarie to the state of Venice who in the Preface to his first volume of voiages so highly commendeth it to learned Fracastoro and placeth it euery word in the very forefront of his discourses as the principal most praise-woorthy of thē all And were renoumed Ortelius aliue I would vnder correction report me to him whether his map of Barbarie and Biledulgerid as also in his last Additament that of the kingdomes of Maroco and Fez were not particularly and from point to point framed out of this present relation which he also in two places at the least preferreth farre before all other histories written of Africa But to leaue the testimonies of others and to come neerer to the matter it selfe like as our prime and peerelesse English Antiquarie master William Camden in his learned Britannia 〈◊〉 exactly described England Scotland Ireland and the isles adiacent the which by Leander for 〈◊〉 by Damianus a Goez briefly for Spaine by Belforest for France by Munster for vpper Germanie by Guiccardini for the Netherlandes and by others for other countries hath beene performed so likewise this our author Iohn Leo in the historie ensuing hath so largely particularly and methodically deciphered the countries of Barbarie Numidia Libya The land of Negros and the hither part of Egypt as I take it neuer any writer either before or since his time hath done For if you shall throughly consider him what kingdome prouince citie towne village mountaine vallie riuer yea what temple college hospitall bath-stoue Inne or what other memorable matter doth he omit So doth he most iudicially describe the temperature of the climate and the nature of the soile as also the dispositions manners rites customes and most ancient pedigrees of the inhabitants togither with the alterations of religion and estate the conquests and ouerthrowes of the Romaines Goths and Arabians and other things by the way right woorthie the obseruation So that the Africans may iustly say to him and the English to master Camden as the prince of Roman oratours did vnto Marcus Varro the learnedst of his nation Nos in patria nostra peregrinantes errantesque tanquam hospites tui libri quasi domum deduxerunt vt possemus aliquando qui vbi essemus agnoscere Tuaetatem patriae tu descriptiones temporum tu sacrorum iura tu domesticam tu bellicam disciplinam tu sedem regionum locorum c. Which may thus be rudely 〈◊〉 Wandring vp and downe like Pilgrimes in our owne natiue soile thy bookes haue as it were led vs the right way home that we might at length acknowledge both who and where we are Thou hast reuealed the antiquitie of our nation the order of times the rites of our religion our manner of gouernment both in peace and warre yea thou hast described the situations of countries and places c. Now as concerning the additions before and after this Geographicall Historie hauing had some spare-howers since it came first vnder the presse I thought good both for the Readers satisfaction and that Iohn Leo might not appeere too solitarie vpon the stage to bestowe a part of them in collecting and digesting the same The chiefe scope of this my enterprize is to make a briefe and cursorie description of all those maine lands and isles of Africa which mine author in his nine bookes hath omitted For he in very deed leaueth vntouched all those parts of the African continent which lie to the south of the fifteene kingdomes of Negros and to the east of Nilus For the manifestation whereof I haue as truely as I could coniecture in the mappe adioined to this booke caused a list or border of small prickes to be engrauen which running westward from the mouth of Nilus to The streights of Gibraltar and from thence southward to the coast of Guinie and then eastward to the banks of Nilus and so northward to the place where it began doth with aduantage include all places treated of by Leo and excludeth the residue which by way of Preface we haue described before the beginning of his African historie Likewise at the latter end I haue put downe certaine relations of the great Princes of Africa and of the Christian
camels backs At this towne of Suez they haue no fresh water but all their water is brought them from a place sixe miles distant vpon camels backs being notwithstanding brackish and bitter The western shore of the Red sea is inhabited with people called in old time Troglodytae which at this present do all of them yeelde obedience to the great Turke who considering that the fleets of the Portugales entered very often into the Red sea and were there receiued by the subiects of Prete Gianni and did him great domage hath thereupon taken occasion not onely to conquer the Troglodytae but also to wast and subdue a great part of Barnagasso the most Northerlie prouince of the said Prete So that the audacious attempts of the Portugales in those partes haue bred two most dangerous and bad effects the one is that the Arabians haue most strongly fortified all their sea-townes which before lay naked and without fortification the other for that the Turke also hath bin occasioned thereby to make warre against the Prete Wherefore they ought not to haue vndertaken any such enterprise but with full resolution and sufficient forces to accomplish the same for lesser attempts serue to no other end but onely to rouze and arme the enimie which was before secure and quiet Neither is it heere to be omitted that in the foresaide sea a man can saile in no ships nor barks but only those of the great Turke or at least with his licence paying vnto him for tribute a good part of the fraight For this purpose he hath certaine Magazines or store-houses of timber which is brought partly from the gulfe of Satalia and partly from Nicomedia and other places vpon the Euxin sea vnto Rosetto and Alexandria from whence it is afterward transported to Cairo and thence to Suez This sea is called the Red sea not in regard that the waters thereofbe all red but as some thinke from certaine red rushes which growe vpon the shore and as others are of opinion from a kinde of red earth which in sundry places it hath at the bottome which earth dieth not the very substance of the water red but by transparence causeth it especially neere the shore to appeere of that colour Africa Troglodytica THat sandie barren and desert part of Africa which lieth betweene Nilus and the Red sea especially to the south of the tropike was in old times inhabited by the Troglodytae a people so called bicause of their dwelling in caues vnder the ground Along this westerne coast of the Red sea runneth a ridge of mountaines which being an occasion that the inland riuers can not fall into the saide sea they are forced to discharge themselues into Nilus The foresaide mountaines and sea coast are now inhabited by Mahumetans being partly Arabians and partly Turkes which not many yeeres ago haue attempted to saile that sea and to inuade the regions adioining The naturall inhabitants are a rude barbarous people and very poore and beggerly The chiefe places of habitation are Corondol a speciall good porte Alcosser a place well knowne bicause that neere vnto it the saide mountaines open themselues and giue passage to the bringing in of the fruits and commodities of Abassia Suachen esteemed one of the principall ports in all the streights and being made by an island Here resideth the Bassa of the great Turke which is called the gouernour of Abassia with three thousand soldiers or thereabout Next followeth Ercoco the onely hauen towne of the Prete lying ouer against the little isle of Mazua and heere the mountaines make an other opening or passage for transporting of victuals out of the lande of the saide Prete Ianni From hence almost to the very entrance of the Red sea the coast is at this present vninhabited forlorne and desert Likewise from Suachen to Mazua is a continuall woode the trees whereof are but of small woorth Iust within the saide entrance standeth the towne and port of Vela vnder the iurisdiction of the king of Dancali a Moore Vpon all this west shore of the Red sea as likewise vpon the contrary east shore scarcitie of water is the cause why there are so fewe and so small places of habitation and the people runne and flocke togither where they may finde any pit or fountaine of water Some curious reader might here expect because I haue nowe passed so neere the frontiers of Egypt that I should make an exact description of that most famous and fruitefull prouince and likewise of the great city of Alcair and of the inundation and decrease of Nilus all which because they are expressed in most orient liuelie colours by our author Iohn Leo I should shew my selfe both iniurious to him and tedious to all iudiciall readers in anticipating and forestalling that before the beginning of his booke which he so neere the end doth in such large and particular wise intreate of Now therefore let vs proceed to the vpper or inner Ethiopia beginning with the first and most northerly prouince thereof called Nubia Nubia PAssing therefore westward from the Island of Siene you enter into the prouince of Nubia bordering on the west vpon Gaoga eastward vpon the riuer Nilus towards the North vpon Egypt and southward vpon the desert of Goran The inhabitants thereof called by Strabo 〈◊〉 liue at this present as Francisco Aluarez reporteth a most miserable and wretched kinde of life for hauing lost the sinceritie and light of the gospel they do embrace infinite corruptions of the Iewish and Mahumetan religions At the same time when the foresaid Aluarez was in Abassia there came certaine messengers out of Nubia to make suit vnto the Prete that he would send them priests and such persons as might preach and administer the sacraments vnto them But he returned answere that he coulde not in regard of the scarcitie of great cler-giemen in his dominions The said messengers reported that the Nubians had sent often to Rome for a bishop but being afterward by the inuasions of the Moores and the calamitie of warre cut short of that assistance they fell for want of teachers and ministers into extreme ignorance of Christian religion and by little and little were infected with the impious and abominable sects of the Iewes and Mahumetans Some Portugals trauailing to those parts sawe many churches destroied by the handes of the Arabians and in some places the pictures of saints painted vpon the wals They are gouerned by women and call their Queene Gaua Their principall citie called Dangala and consisting of about ten thousand housholds is a place of great traffike bicause it is so neere vnto Egypt and the riuer Nilus All their other habitations are villages and base cottages Their houses are built of claie and couered with strawe The chiefe commodities of this region are rice stone-sugar sanders iuorie for they take many elephants as likewise abundance of ciuet and golde in great plentie The countrey is for the most part sandie howbeit there
inheritance Canons but priests sonnes haue no such priuilege vnlesse they be ordained by the Abuna They pay no tithes to any churches but the clergie are maintained by great possessions belonging to their churches and monasteries Also when any priest is cited he is conuented before a secular iudge Whereas I saide they sit not in their churches it is to bee vnderstoode that alwaies without the church doore stande a great number of woodden crutches such as lame men vse to goe vpon where euery man taketh his owne and leaneth thereupon all the time of their diuine seruice All their books which they haue in great numbers are written in parchment for paper they haue none and the language wherein they are written named Tigia is all one with the Abassin language but so it was called from the name of the first towne in all that empire which was conuerted to the Christian religion All their churches haue two curtaines one about their great altar with belles within which curtaine none may enter but onely priests also they haue another curtaine stretching through the midst of their church and within that may no man come but such as haue taken holy orders insomuch that many gentlemen and honorable persons take orders vpon them onely that they may haue accesse into their churches The greater part of their monasteries are built vpon high mountaines or in some deepe valley they haue great reuenues and iurisdictions and in many of them they eate no flesh all the yeere long Neither do they spende any store of fish bicause they know not how to take it Vpon the wals of all their churches are painted the pictures of Christ of the blessed virgine Marie of the apostles prophets and angels and in euery one the picture of Saint George a horseback They haue no Roodes neither will they suffer Christ crucified to be painted bicause they say they are not woorthy to behold him in that passion All their priests friers and noblemen continually carrie crosses in their hands but the meaner sort of people carrie them about their neckes Their mooueable feasts namely Easter the feast of Ascension Whitsontide they obserue at the verie same daies and times that we do Likewise as concerning the feasts of Christmas the Circumcision the Epiphanie and other the feasts of the saints they agree whollie with vs though in some other things they varie They haue great store of leprous persons who are not put apart from the rest of the people but liue in company with them and many there are who for charitie and deuotions sake do wash them and heale their wounds They haue a kinde of trumpets but not of the best and likewise certaine drums of brasse which are brought from Cairo and of woode also couered with leather at both endes and cimbals like vnto ours and certaine great basons whereon they make a noise There are flutes in like sort and a kinde of square instruments with strings not much vnlike to an harpe which they call Dauid Mozan that is to say the harpe of Dauid and with these harpes they sounde before the Prete but some what rudely Their horses of the countrey-breed are in number infinite but such small hackney-iades that they doe them little seruice howbeit those that are brought out of Arabia and Egypt are most excellent and beautifull horses and the great horse-masters also in Abassia haue certaine breeds or races of them which being new foled they suffer not to sucke the damme aboue three daies if they be such as they meane to backe betimes but separating them from their dammes they suckle them with kine and by that meanes they prooue most sightly and gallant horses Hitherto Aluarez Thus much I hope may suffice to haue bin spoken concerning the vpper or Inner Ethiopia which containeth the empire of Prete Ianni now sithens we are so far proceeded let vs take also a cursory and briefe surueie of the lower or extreme Ethiopia extending it selfe in forme of a speares point or a wedge as far as thirtie fiue degrees of southerly latitude Of the lower or extreme Ethiopia THis parte of Africa being vtterly vnknowne to Ptolemey and all the ancient writers but in these later times throughly discouered by the Portugales especially along the coast beginneth to the Northwest about the great riuer of Zaire not far from the Equinoctial from whence stretching southward to thirtie fiue degrees and then Northward along the sea-coast on the backside of Africa as far as the very mouth or enterance of the Arabian gulfe it limiteth the south and east frontiers of the Abassin Empire last before described In this part also are many particulars very memorable as namely besides sundry great empires kingdomes The famous mountaines of the moon the mightie riuers of Magnice Cuama and Coauo springing out of the lake Zembre the renowmed cape of good hope and other matters whereof we will intreate in their due places This portion of Africa is diuided into sixe principall partes namely The land of Aian the land of Zanguebar the empire of Mohenemugi the empire of Monomotapa the region of Cafraria the kingdome of Congo Aian the first generall part of Ethiopia the lower THe land of Aian is accounted by the Arabians to be that region which lyeth betweene the narrow entrance into the Red sea and the riuer of Quilimanci being vpon the sea-coast for the most part inhabited by the said Arabians but the inland-partes thereof are peopled with a black nation which are Idolaters It comprehendeth two kingdomes Adel and Adea Adel is a very large kingdome and extendeth from the mouth of the Arabian gulfe to the cape of Guardafu called of olde by Ptolemey Aromata promontorium South and west it bordereth vpon the dominions of Prete Ianni about the kingdome of Fatigar The king of this countrie being a Moore is accounted amongst the Mahumetans a most holy man and very much reuerenced by them because he wageth continuall war with the Christians taking captiue many of the Abassins and sending them to the great Turke and the princes of Arabia of whome he receiueth greate ayde for the maintenance of his warres both of horse and foote The people of Adel are of the colour of an oliue being very warlike notwithstanding that the greatest part of them want weapons Their principall city is called Anar as some are of opinion Vnto this kingdome is subiect the citie of Zeila inhabited by Mooes situate on a sandie and low soile which some suppose to be built in the very same place without the enterance of the Red sea where Ptolemey placed the ancient mart-towne of Aualites This citie is a place of great traffike for hither they bring out of India cloth elephants teeth frankincense pepper golde and other rich merchandize The territorie adioining yeeldeth abundance of honie waxe and great quantitie of oile which they make not of oliues but of a kinde of daintie plums it affourdeth likewise such
that of part Barbarie which containeth the kingdome of Tripolis and Tunis was in times past gouerned by Apulian Sicilian Captaines and the countries of Caesaria and of Mauritania are supposed to haue beene 〈◊〉 vnto the Gothes At what time also many Christians fleeing from the furie and madnes of the Gothes left their sweet natiue soyle of Italy and at length arriued in Africa neere vnto Tunis where hauing setled their aboad for some certaine space they began at length to haue the dominion ouer all that region Howbeit the Christians which inhabited Barbaria not respecting the rites and ceremonies of the Church of Rome followed the Arrians 〈◊〉 and forme of liuing and one of the African Christians was that most godly and learned father Saint Augustine When the Arabians therefore came to conquer that part of Africa they found Christians to be Lords ouer the regions adiacent of whom after sundry hot conflicts the saide Arabians got the victorie Whereupon the Arrians being depriued of all their dominions and goods went part of them into Italy and part into Spaine And so about two hundred yeeres after the death of Mahumet almost all Barbarie was infected with his law Howbeit afterward ciuile dissensions arising among them neglecting the law of Mahumet they slue all the priests and gouernours of that region Which tumult when it came to the eares of the Mahumetan Caliphas they sent an huge armie against the saide rebels of Barbarie to wit those which were reuolted from the Calipha of Bagdet and seuerely punished their misdemeanor And euen at the same time was layd the most 〈◊〉 foundation of the Mahumetan law notwithstanding there haue remained many heresies among them euen vntill this verie day As touching the patrons of the Mahumetan lawe and likewise concerning the difference in religion betweene the Mahumetans of Africa and them of Asia we will by Gods grace write more in another seuerall volume and in the meane season let these particulars which we haue noted suffice the Reader Of the letters and characters of the Africans THose writers which record the histories of the Arabians doings are all iointly of opinion that the Africans were woont to vse onely the Latine letters And they doe most constantly affirme that the Arabians when they first 〈◊〉 Africa and especially Barbarie which was the principall seate of the Africans founde no letters nor characters there beside the Latine Neither indeede doe they denie that the Africans haue a peculiar kinde of language but this they firmly auouch that they haue the very same letters which the 〈◊〉 or Florentinesa people of Italie haue The Arabians haue no historie of African matters which was not first written in Latine They haue certaine ancient authors who writ partly in the times of the Arrians and partly before their times the names of all which are cleane forgotten Howbeit it is very likely that those Latine authors haue written many volumes for when their interpreters laboured to perswade something vnto vs I remember they would say it is contained in the seuentieth booke Neither did they in translating of the said volumes altogether follow the authors order but taking the historie of some one prince they would conioine his time and actions with the historie of the Persian Assyrian and Chaldaean kings or of the Israelites which concerned the same times But when as those which rebelled against the Calipha of Bagdet as is aforesaid got the vpper hand in Africa they burnt all the Africans bookes For they were of opinion that the Africans so long as they had any knowledge of naturall philosophie or of other good artes and sciences would euery day more and more arrogantly contemne the lawe of Mahumet Contrariwise some historiographers there are which affirme that the Africans had a kinde of letters peculiar vnto themselues which notwithstanding from the time wherein the Italians began first to inhabite Barbarie and wherein the Christians 〈◊〉 out of Italie from the Gothes began to subdue those prouinces of Africa were vtterly abolished and taken away For it is likely that a people vanquished shoulde follow the customes and the letters also of their conquerors And did not the same thing happen to the Persians while the Arabians empire stood For certaine it is that the Persians at the same time lost those letters which were peculiar vnto their nation and that all their bookes by the commandement of the Mahumetan prelates were burnt least their knowledge in naturall philosophie or their idolatrous religion might mooue them to contemne the precepts of Mahumet The like also as we shewed before befell the Barbarians when as the Italians and the Gothes vsurped their dominions in Barbarie which may here I hope suffice the gentle reader Howbeit this is out of doubt that all the 〈◊〉 cities and inland-cities of Barbarie doe vse Latine letters onely whensoeuer they will commit any epitaphes or any other verses or prose vnto posteritie The consideration of all which former particulars hath made me to be of opinion that the Africans in times past had their owne proper and peculiar letters wherein they described their doings and exploites For it is likely that the Romans when they first subdued those prouinces as conquerours vsually doe vtterly spoiled and tooke away all their letters and memorie and established their owne letters in the stead thereof to the end that the fame and honour of the Roman people might there onely be continued And who knoweth not that the very same attempt was practised by the Goths vpon the stately buildings of the Romans and by the Arabians against the monuments of the Persians The very same thing likewise we daily see put in practise by the Turks who when they haue gotten any citie or towne from the Christians doe presently cast foorth of the temples all the images and memorials of their saints And to omit all the aforesaid may we not in our time see the like daily practised in Rome where sumptuous and stately buildings left vnperfect by reason of the vntimely death of one Pope are for some noueltie vtterly ruined and destroied by his next successour Or else doth not the new Pope cause his predecessours armes to be razed and his owne in stead thereof to be set vp Or at the least if he will not seeme so arrogant letting his predecessours monuments stand still doth he not erect others for himselfe farre more sumptuous and stately No maruell therefore though so long successe of times and so many alterations haue quite bereaued the Africans of their letters Concerning those nine hundred yeeres wherein the Africans vsed the letters of the Arabians Ibnu Rachich a most diligent writer of Africa doth in his Chronicle most largely dispute whether the Africans euer had any peculiar kinde of writing or no. And at last he concludeth the affirmatiue part that they had for saith he whosoeuer denieth this may as well denie that they had a language peculiar vnto themselues
this man they say was elect by god and was made equall in knowledge to him Fourtie there are among them called all by the name of Elauted which signifieth in our language a blocke or stocke of a tree out of this number when their Elcoth deceaseth they create another in his roome namely seuentie persons that haue the authoritie of election committed vnto them There are likewise 765. others whose names I doe not well remember who are chosen into the said electors roomes when any of them decease These 765. being bound thereunto by a certaine canon or rule of their order are constrained alwaies to goe vnknowen and they range almost all the world ouer in a most vile and beggerly habite so that a man would take them for mad men and estranged from all sense of humanitie for these lewd miscreants vnder pretence of their religion run like roagues naked and sauage throughout all Africa hauing so little regarde of honestie or shame that they will like brute beastes rauish women in publike places and yet forsooth the grosse common people reuerence them as men of woonderfull holines Great swarmes of these filthie vagabonds you may see in Tunis but many more in Egypt and especially at Alcair whereas in the market called Bain Elcasrain I saw one of these villaines with mine owne eies in the presence of much people deflowre a most beautifull woman as she was comming foorth of the bath which being done the fond people came flocking about the said woman striuing to touch her garment as a most holie thing saying that the adulterer was a man of great sanctitie and that he did not commit the sinne but onely seemed to commit it which when the sillie cuckold her husband vnderstood he shewed himselfe thankfull to his false god with a solemne banket and with liberall giuing of almes The magistrates of the citie would haue punished the adulterer but they were in hazard to be slaine of the people for their labours who as is before said adore these varlets for saints and men of singular holines Other more villanous actes I saw committed by them which I am ashamed to report Of the Caballistes and certaine other sectes LIkewise there is another sort of men which we may fitly call Caballists These fast most streitly neither doe they eate the flesh of any liuing creature but haue certaine meates and garments allotted vnto them they rehearse likewise certaine set-praiers appointed for euery hower of the day and for the night according to the varietie of daies and monethes and they vse to carrie about certaine square tables with characters and numbers engrauen therein They faine themselues to haue daily conference with the angels of whom they learne they say the knowledge of all things They had once a famous doctor of their sect called 〈◊〉 who was author of their canons praiers and square tables Which when I saw me thought their profession had more affinitie with magique then with Cabala Their arte was diuided into eight partes whereof the first was called Elumha Enormita that is the demonstration of light the which contained praiers and fastings The second called Semsul Meharif that is the sunne of sciences contained the foresaid square tables together with their vse and profit The third part they call 〈◊〉 Lasmei Elchusne this part contained a catalogue of those 99. vertues which they say are contained in the names of God which I remember I saw at Rome in the custodie of a certaine Venetian Iew. They haue also a certaine other rule called Suvach that is the rule of heremites the professors and followers whereof inhabite woods and solitarie places neither haue they any other food but such as those wilde deserts wil affoord the conuersation of these heremites no man is able exactly to describe because they are estranged from all humane societie But if I should take vpon me to describe the varietie of Mahumetan sectes I should digresse too farre from my present purpose He that desireth to know more of this matter let him read ouer the booke of Elefacni who discourseth at large of the sectes belonging to the Mahumetan religion the principall whereof are 72. euery one of which defend their opinions to be true and good and such as a man may attaine saluation by At this day you shall finde but two principall sects onely the one of Leshari being dispersed ouer all Africa Egypt Syria Arabia and Turkie the other of Imamia which is authorized throughout the whole kingdome of Persia and in certaine townes of Corasan and this sect the great Sophi of Persia maintaineth insomuch that all Asia had like to been destroied thereabout For whereas before they followed the sect of Leshari the great Sophi by force of armes established his owne of Imamia and yet one onely sect stretcheth ouer all the Mahumetans dominions Of such as search for treasures in Fez. MOreouer in the citie of Fez there are certaine men called Elcanesin who supposing to finde treasure vnder the foundations of old houses doe perpetually search and delue These grosse fellowes vse to resort vnto certaine dennes and caues without the citie-walles certainly perswading themselues that when the Romans were chased out of Africa and driuen into Baetica or Granada in Spaine they hid great abundance of treasure in the bowels of the earth which they could not carrie with them and so enchanted the same by art-magique that it can by no meanes be attained vnto but by the same arte wherefore they seeke vnto inchanters to teach them the arte of digging vp the said treasures Some of them there are that will stedfastly affirme that they sawe gold in this or that caue others that they saw siluer but could not digge it out by reason that they were destitute of perfumes and enchantments fit for the purpose so that being seduced with this vaine opinion and deepely deluing into the earth they turne vpside downe the foundations of houses and sepulchers and sometimes they proceede in this manner ten or twelue daies iourney from Fez yea so fond they are and so besotted that they esteeme those bookes that professe the arte of digging gold as diuine oracles Before my departure from Fez these fantasticall people had chosen them a consul and getting licence of certaine owners to dig their grounds when they had digged as much as they thought good they paid the said owners for all dammages committed Of the Alchymistes of Fez. IN this citie likewise there are great store of Alchymists which are mightily addicted to that vaine practise they are most base fellowes and contaminate themselues with the steam of Sulphur and other stinking smels In the euening they vse to assemble themselues at the great temple where they dispute of their false opinions They haue of their arte of Alchymie many bookes written by learned men amongst which one Geber is of principall account who liued an hundred yeeres after Mahumet and being a Greeke borne is said to haue renounced his
part of the 〈◊〉 wall which the waues of the sea beat vpon In the suburbes are many gardēs replenished with all kind of fruits On the east side of the towne runneth a certaine riuer hauing many mils thereupon and out of this riuer they draw water fit for drinke and for the seruices of the kitchin It hath most beautifull plaines adioining vpon it and especially one called Metteggia which extendeth fortie fiue miles in length and almost thirtie miles in bredth and aboundeth mightily with all kindes of graine This towne for many yeeres was subiect vnto the kingdome of Telensin but hearing that Bugia was also gouerned by a king and being neerer thereunto they submitted themselues vnto the king of Bugia For they saw that the king of Telensin could not sufficiently defend them against their enemies and also that the king of Bugia might doe them great dammage wherefore they offered vnto him a yeerely tribute of their owne accord and yet remained almost free from all exaction But certaine yeeres after the inhabitants of this citie building for themselues gallies began to play the pirates and greatly to molest the foresaid islands Whereupon king Ferdinando prouided a mightie armada hoping thereby to become lorde of the citie Likewise vpon a certaine high rocke standing opposit against the towne he caused a strong forte to be built and that within gun-shot of the citie albeit the citie walles could not be endammaged thereby Wherefore the citizens immediately sent ambassadours into Spaine to craue a league for ten yeeres vpon condition that they should pay certaine yeerely tribute which request was granted by king Ferdinando And so they remained for certaine moneths free from the danger of warre but at length Barbarossa hastening to the siege of Bugia and hauing woon one fort built by the Spaniards determined to encounter another hoping if he could obtaine that also that he should soone conquer the whole kingdome of Bugia Howbeit all matters fell not out according to his expectation for a great part of his soldiers being husbandmen when they perceiued the time of sowing corne to approch without any leaue or licence they forsooke their generall and returned home to the plough-taile And many Turks also did the like so that Barbarossa failing of his purpose was constrained to breake vp the 〈◊〉 Howbeit before his departure he set on fire with his owne handes twelue gallies which lay in a riuer but three miles from Bugia And then with fortie of his soldiers he retired himselfe to the castle of Gegel being from Bugia about sixtie miles distant where he remained for certaine daies In the mean while king Ferdinando deceasing the people of Alger released themselues from paying any more tribute for seeing Barbarossa to be a most valiant warriour and a deadly enemie vnto Christians they sent for him and chose him captaine ouer all their forces who presently encountred the fort but to little effect Afterward this Barbarossa secretly murthered the gouernour of the citie in a certaine bath The said gouernour was prince of the Arabians dwelling on the plaines of Mettegia his name was Selim Etteumi descended of the familie of Telaliba and created gouernour of Alger at the same time when Bugia was taken by the Spanyards this man was slaine by Barbarossa after he had gouerned many yeeres And then Barbarossa vsurped the whole gouernment of the citie vnto himselfe and coined money and this was the first entrance into his great and princely estate At all the foresaid accidents I my selfe was present as I trauelled from Fez to Tunis and was entertained by one that was sent ambassadour from the people of Alger into Spaine from whence he brought three thousand bookes written in the Arabian toong Then I passed on to Bugia where I found Barbarossa besieging the foresaid fort afterward I proceeded to Constantina and next to Tunis In the meane while I heard that Barbarossa was slaine at Tremizen and that his brother called Cairadin succeeded in the gouernment of Alger Then we heard also that the emperour Charles the fift had sent two armies to surprize Alger the first whereof was destroied vpon the plaine of Alger and the second hauing assailed the towne three daies together was partly slaine and partly taken by Barbarossa insomuch that very few escaped backe into Spaine This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira nine hundred twentie two Of the towne of Tegdemt THis ancient towne was built as some thinke by the Romanes and Tegdemt signifieth in the Arabian language Ancient The wall of this towne as a man may coniecture by the foundations thereof was ten miles in circuite There are yet remaining two temples of an exceeding height but they are very ruinous and in many places fallen to the ground This towne when it was possessed by the Mahumetans was maruellous rich and abounded with men of learning and poets It is reported that Idris vncle to the same Idris that founded Fez was once gouernour of this towne and that the gouernment thereof remained to his posteritie almost an hundred and fiftie yeeres Afterward it was destroied in the warres betweene the schismaticall patriarks of Cairaoan in the yeere of the Hegeira 365 but now there are a few ruines onely of this towne to be seene Of the towne of Medua THis towne standing not farre from the borders of Numidia is distant from the Mediterran sea almost an hundred and fowerscore miles and it is situate on a most pleasant and fruitfull plaine and is enuironed with sweete riuers and beautifull gardens The inhabitants are exceeding rich exercising traffique most of all with the Numidians and they are very curious both in their apparell and in the furniture of their houses They are continually molested with the inuasions of the Arabians but because they are almost two hundred miles distant from Telensin they can haue no aide sent them by the king This towne was once subiect vnto the gouernour of Tenez afterward vnto Barbarossa and lastly vnto his brother Neuer was I so sumptuously entertained as in this place for the inhabitants being themselues 〈◊〉 so often as any learned man comes amongst them they entertaine him with great honour and cause him to decide all their controuersies For the space of two moneths while I remained with them I gained aboue two hundred duckats and was so allured with the pleasantnes of the place that had not my dutie enforced me to depart I had remained there all the residue of my life Of the towne of Temendfust THis towne also was built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea and is about twelue miles distant from Alger Vnto this towne belongeth a faire hauen where the ships of Alger are safely harboured for they haue no other hauen so commodious This towne was at length destroied by the Goths and the greatest part of the wall of Alger was built with the stones which came from the wall of this towne Of the towne of Teddeles THis towne built by
the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea and being thirtie miles distant from Alger is enuironed with most ancient and strong walles The greatest part of the inhabitants are dyers of cloth and that by reason of the many riuers and streames running through the midst of the same They are of a liberall and ingenuous disposition and can play most of them vpon the citterne and lute Their fields are fertill and abounding with corne Their apparell is very decent the greatest part of them are delighted in fishing and they take such abundance of fishes that they freely giue them to euery bodie which is the cause that there is no fish-market in this towne Of the mountaines contained in the kingdome of Telensin Of the mountaine of Beni Iezneten THis mountaine standeth westward of Telensin almost fiftie miles one side thereof bordering vpon the desert of Garet and the other side vpon the desert of Angad In length it extendeth fiue and twentie and in bredth almost fifteene miles and it is exceeding high and difficult to ascend It hath diuers woods growing vpon it wherein grow great store of Carobs which the inhabitants vse for an ordinarie kinde of foode for they haue great want of barly Here are diuers cottages inhabited with valiant and stout men Vpon the top of this mountaine standeth a strong castle wherein all the principall men of the mountaine dwell amongst whom there are often dissentions for there is none of them all but woulde be sole gouernour of the mountaine I my selfe had conuersation with some of them whom I knew in the king of Fez his court for which cause I was honorably intertained by them The soldiers of this mountaine are almost ten thousand Of mount Matgara THis exceeding high and colde mountaine hath great store of inhabitants and is almost sixe miles distant from Ned Roma The inhabitants are valiant but not very rich for this mountaine yeeldeth nought but barly and Carobs They speake all one language with the people of Ned Roma and are ioined in such league with them that they will often aide one another against the king of Telensin Of mount Gualhasa THis high mountaine standeth nigh vnto the towne of Hunain The inhabitants are sauage rude and vnciuill people and are at continuall warre with the people of Hunain so that oftentimes they haue almost vtterly destroied the towne This mountaine yeeldeth great store of Carobs and but little corne Of mount Agbal THis mountaine is inhabited with people of base condition and subiect to the towne of Oran They all exercise husbandrie and carrie woode vnto Oran While the Moores enioied Oran their state was somewhat better but since the Christians got possession thereof they haue beene driuen to extreame miserie Of mount Beni Guerened THis mountaine being three miles distant from Tremisen is well peopled and aboundeth with all kinde of fruits especially with figges and cherries The inhabitants are some of them colliers some wood-mongers and the residue husbandmen And out of this onely mountaine as I was informed by the king of Telensin his Secretarie there is yeerely collected for tribute the summe of twelue thousand ducats Of mount Magraua THis mountaine extending it selfe fortie miles in length towardes the Mediterran sea is neer vnto the towne of Mustuganin before described The soile is fertile and the inhabitants are valiant and warrelike people and of a liberall and humaine disposition Of mount Beni Abusaid THis mountaine standing not farre from Tenez is inhabited with great multitudes of people which lead a sauage life and are notwithstanding most valiant warriors They haue abundance of honey barly and goats Their waxe and hides they carrie vnto Tenez and there sell the same to the merchants of Europe When as the king of Tremizen his kinsemen were lords of this mountaine the people paied for tribute certaine thousands of ducats Of mount Guanseris THis exceding high mountaine is inhabited with valiant people who being aided by the king of Fez maintained warre against the kingdome of Telensin for aboue three-score yeeres Fruitefull fields they haue and great store of fountains Their soldiers are almost twentie thousand in number whereof 2500. are horsemen By their aide Iahia attained to the gouernment of Tenez but after Tenez began to decay they gaue themselues wholy to robberie and theft Of the mountaines belonging to the state of Alger NEre vnto Alger on the east side and on the west are diuers mountains well stored with inhabitants Free they are from all tribute and rich and exceeding valiant Their corne fields are very fruitefull and they haue great abundance of cattell They are oftentimes at deadly warre togither so that it is dangerous trauailing that way vnlesse it be in a religious mans company Markets they haue and faires vpon these mountaines where nought is to be solde but cattle corne and wooll vnlesse some of the neighbour cities supplie them with merchandise now and then Here endeth the fourth booke IOHN LEO HIS FIFTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A description of the kingdomes of Bugia and Tunis WHen as in the former part of this my historie I diuided Barbaria into certaine parts I determined to write of Bugia as of a kingdome by it selfe and I found indeed that not many yeeres ago it was a kingdome For Bugia was subiect to the king of Tunis and albeit for certaine yeeres the king of Telensin was Lord thereof yet was it at length recouered againe by the king of Tunis who committed the gouernment of the city vnto one of his sons both for the tranquillitie of Bugia and also that no discord might happen among his sonnes after his decease He left behinde him three sonnes the eldest whereof was called Habdulhaziz and vnto him he bequeathed the kingdome of Bugia as is aforesaide vnto the second whose name was Hutmen he left the kingdome of Tunis and the third called Hammare he made gouernour of the region of dates This Hammare began foorthwith to wage warre against his brother Hutmen by whom being at length taken in the towne of Asfacos depriued of both his eies he was carried captiue vnto Tunis where he liued many yeeres blinde but his brother Hutmen gouerned the kingdome of Tunis full fortie yeeres The prince of Bugia being most louing and dutifull to his brother raigned for many yeeres with great tianquilitie till at length he was by king Ferdinand of Spaine and by the meanes of one Pedro de Nauarra cast out of his kingdome A description of the great citie of Bugia THis auncient citie of Bugia built as some thinke by the Romans vpon the side of an high mountaine neere vnto the Mediterran sea is enuironed with walles of great height and most stately in regard of their antiquitie The part thereof now peopled containeth aboue eight thousand families but if it were all replenished with buildings it were capeable of more then fower and twentie thousand housholds for it is of a
first Booke of this present discourse we said that Numidia was accounted by the African Cosmographers the basest part of all Africa and there we alleaged certaine reasons for the same purpose we signified also in the second Booke writing of the Prouince of Hea that certaine cities of Numidia stood neere vnto mount Atlas Howbeit Sus Guzula Helchemma and Capes are within the kingdome of Tunis albeit some would haue them situate in Numidia But my selfe following the opinion of Ptolemey suppose Tunis to be a part of Barbarie Being therefore about to describe all the cities and townes of Numidia I will first begin with Tesset which ancient towne built by the Numidians neere vnto the Libyan deserts and enuironed with walles of sunne-dried bricke deserueth scarcely the name of a towne and yet containeth fower hundred families It is compassed round about with sandie plaines sauing that neer vnto the towne grow some store of dates of mill-seed and of barley which the miserable townesmen vse for food They are constrained also to pay large tribute vnto the 〈◊〉 inhabiting the next deserts They exercise traffique in the land of Negroes and in Guzula insomuch that they spend most of their time in forren regions They are of a blacke colour and destitute of all learning The women indeed teach their yoong children the first rudiments of learning but before they can attaine to any perfection they are put to labour and to the plough-tayle The said women are somewhat whiter then other women some of them get their liuing by spinning and carding of wooll and the residue spend their time in idlenes Such as are accounted richest in this region possesse but verie few cattell They till their ground with an horse and a camell which kinde of plowing is obserued throughout all Numidia Of the village of 〈◊〉 THis village situate vpon the Numidian desert neere vnto Libya is inhabited by most miserable and grosse people Here groweth nothing but dates and the inhabitants are at such enmitie with their neighbours that it is dangerous for them to go abroad Howbeit they giue themselues to hunting and take certaine wilde beasts called Elamth and ostriches neither do they eate any other flesh All their goates they reserue for milke And these people also are blacke of colour Of the castles of Ifran FOwer castles there are called by this name built by the Numidians three miles each from other vpon a certaine riuer which in the heat of sommer is destitute of water Neere vnto these castles are certaine fields greatly abounding with dates The inhabitants are verie rich for they haue traffique with the Portugals at the port of Gart Guessem whose wares they 〈◊〉 to Gualata and Tombuto These castles containe great store of inhabitants which make certaine brazen vessels to bee solde in the lande of Negros for they haue copper-mines in sundrie places thereabout Euery castle hath a weekly market but corne and flesh are at an extreme rate there They goe decently apparelled and haue a faire temple to resort vnto and a Iudge also that decideth none but ciuill controuersies for criminall matters they vse to punish with banishment onely Of the castles of Accha THree castles of this name built vpon the Numidian deserts not far from Lybia were in times past well stored with inhabitants but at length by ciuill wars they were vtterly dispeopled Afterward all matters being pacified there were by the meanes of a certaine religious man who gouerned the same people certaine new colonies planted Neither haue the poore inhabitants any thing to do but onely to gather dates Of the Prouince of Dara THis Prouince beginning at mount Atlas extendeth it selfe southward by the deserts of Lybia almost two hundred and fiftie miles and the bredth thereof is verie narrow All the inhabitants dwell vpon a certaine riuer which is called by the name of the Prouince This riuer sometime so ouerfloweth that a man would thinke it to be a sea but in sommer it so diminisheth that any one may passe ouer it on foote If so be it ouerfloweth about the beginning of Aprill it bringeth great plentie vnto the whole region if not there followeth great scarcitie of corne Vpon the banke of this riuer there are sundrie villages and hamlets and diuers castles also which are enuironed with walles made of sunne-dried bricke and mortar All their beames and planchers consist of date-trees being notwithstanding vnfit for the purpose for the wood of date-trees is not solid but flexible and spungie On either side of the said riuer for the space of fiue or sixe miles the fields abound exceedingly with dates which with good keeping will last many yeeres and as here are diuers kindes of dates so they are sold at sundry prices for a bushell of some is woorth a duckat but others wherewith they feede their horses and camels are scarce of a quarter so much value Of date-trees some are male and some are female the male bring foorth flowers onely and the female fruit but the flowers of the female will not open vnlesse the boughes and flowers of the male be ioined vnto them And if they be not ioined the dates will prooue starke naught and containe great stones The inhabitants of Dara liue vpon barlie and other grosse meate neither may they eate any bread but onely vpon festiuall daies Their castles are inhabited by goldsmithes and other artificers and so are all the regions lying in the way from Tombuto to Fez in this prouince also there are three or fower proper townes frequented by merchants and strangers and containing many shops and temples But the principall towne called Beni Sabih and inhabited with most valiant and liberall people is diuided into two parts either part hauing a seuerall captaine or gouernour which gouernours are oftentimes at great dissension and especially when they moisten their arable grounds by reason that they are so skanted of water A merchant they will most courteously entertaine a whole yeere together and then friendly dismissing him they will require nought at his hands but wil accept such liberalitie as he thinkes good to bestow vpon them The said gouernours so often as they fall a skirmishing hire the next Arabians to aide them allowing them daily halfe a duckat for their pay and somtimes more and giuing them their allowance euery day In time of peace they trim their harquebuzes handguns other weapons neither saw I euer to my remembrance more cunning harquebuziers then at this place In this prouince groweth great store of Indico being an herbe like vnto wilde woad and this herbe they exchange with the merchants of Fez and Tremisen for other wares Corne is very scarce among them and is brought thither from Fez and other regions neither haue they any great store of goats or horses vnto whom in stead of prouender they giue dates and a kinde of herbe also which groweth in the kingdome of Naples and is called by the Neapolitans Farfa
of the mouth as it were a long threede of spittle with a round drop like a perle hanging at the end which drop falling wrong the camelion changeth his place till it may light directly vpon the serpents head by the vertue wherofhe presently dyeth Our African writers haue reported many things concerning the properties and secret qualities of this beast which at this present I do not wel remember Of the Ostrich SOmewhat we will here say concerning the strange birdes and fowles of Africa and first of the ostriche which in shape resembleth a goose but that the neck and legges are somewhat longer so that some of them exceede the length of two cubites The body of this birde is large and the winges therof are full of great feathers both white and black which wings and feathers being vnfitte to fly withall do helpe the ostriche with the motion of her traine to runne a swifte pace This fowle liueth in dry deserts and layeth to the number of ten or twelue egges in the sandes which being about the bignes of great bullets waigh fifteene pounds a piece but the ostrich is of so weake a memorie that shee presently forgetteth the place where her egges were laide And afterward the same or some other ostrichehenne finding the said egges by chance hatcheth and fosterech them as if they were certainly her owne the chickens are no sooner crept out of the shell but they prowle vp and downe the deserts for their foode and before their fethers be growne they are so swift that a man shall hardly ouertake them The ostriche is a silly and deafe creature feeding vpon any thing which it findeth be it as hard and vndigestable as yron The flesh especially of their legges is of a slymie and strong tast and yet the Numidians vse it for foode for they take yong ostriches and set them vp a fatting The ostriches wander vp and downe the deserts in orderly troupes so that a far off a man would take them to bee so many horsemen which illusion hath often dismaied whole carouans Being in Numidia I my selfe 〈◊〉 of the ostriches flesh which seemed to haue not 〈◊〉 an vnsauory tast Of the Eagle OF eagles there are diuers kindes according to their naturall properties the proportion of their bodies or the diuersitie of their colours and the greatest kinde of eagles are called in the Arabian toong Nesir The Africans teach their eagles to pray vpon foxes and woolues which in their encounter 〈◊〉 vpon the heads of the saide beasts with their bils and vpon the backes with their talents to auoide the danger of biting But if the beast turne his belly vpwarde the eagle will not forsake him till she hath either peckt out his eies or slaine him Many of our African writers affirme that the male eagle oftentimes ingendring with a 〈◊〉 woofe begetteth a dragon hauing the beake and wings of a birde a serpents taile the feete of a woolfe and a skin speckled and partie coloured like the skin of a serpent Neither can it open the eie-lids and it liueth in caues This monster albeit my selfe haue not seene yet the common report ouer all Africa affirmeth that there is such an one Of the foule called Nesir THis is the greatest foule in all Africa and exceedeth a crane in bignes though the bill necke and legs are somewhat shorter In flying this birde mounteth vp so high into the aire that it cannot be 〈◊〉 but at the sight of a dead carkase it will immediately descend This birde liueth a long time and I my selfe haue seene many of them vnfeathered by reason of extreme old age wherefore hauing cast all their feathers they returne vnto their nest as if they were newly hatched and are there nourished by the yoonger birds of the same kinde The Italians call it by the name of a Vulture but I thinke it to be of another kinde They nestle vpon high rockes and vpon the tops of wilde and desert mountaines especially vpon mount Atlas and they are taken by such as are acquainted with those places Of the birde called Bezi or the hauke THis bird called in Latine Accipiter is very common in Africa But the best African haukes are white being taken vpon certaine mountaines of the Numidian deserts and with these haukes they pursue the crane Of these haukes there are diuers kinds some being vsed to flie at partriges and quailes and others at the hare Of the Bat. THese vgly night-birdes are rife all the world ouer but in certaine caues of Atlas there are many of them founde as bigge and bigger then doues especially in their winges which albeit my selfe neuer sawe yet haue I heard of them by diuers persons Of the parrat or poppiniay THese parrats are commonly founde in the woods of Ethiopia but the better sort of them and such as will imitate mans voice more perfectly are the greene ones Parrats there are as big as a doue of diuers colours some red some blacke and some ash-coloured which albeit they cannot so fitly expresse mans speech yet haue they most sweete and shrill voices Of the locustes OF locustes there are sometimes seene such monstrous swarmes in Africa that in flying they intercept the sunne-beames like a thicke cloude They deuoure trees leaues fruites and all greene things growing out of the earth At their departure they leaue egges behinde them whereof other yoong locusts breede which in the places where they are left will eate and consume al things euen to the very barke of trees procuring thereby extreme dearth of corne especially in Mauritania Howbeit the inhabitants of Arabia deserta and of Libya esteeme the comming of these locusts as a fortunate boading for seething or drying them in the sun they bruise them to powder and so eate them And nowe let thus much suffice to haue spoken of the African beastes foules fishes serpents c. which are either not to be found in Europe or such as differ from creatures of the same kinde there Wherefore hauing once briefly intreated in the chapters following of certaine minerals trees and fruits of Africa I purpose then to conclude this my present discourse Whereas mine author Iohn Leo intreateth but briefly of these locustes which God vfeth as a most sharp scourge between times to discple all the nations of Africa I thought it not vnmeete to adde two other relations or testimonies of the same argument the one being reuerend in regard of the authors antiquitie and the other credible and to be accepted for that the reporter himselfe was a most diligent and faithfull eie-witnes of the same The first testimonie taken out of the 11. chap. of the fift booke of Paulus Orosius contra Paganos Of an huge and pernicious companie of Locusts in Africa which after they had wasted the countrey being drowned in the sea and cast vp dead on the shore bred a most woonderfull pestilence both of man and beast IN the consulship of Marcus Plautius Hypsaeus and Marcus Fuluius
greeue at nothing but you Christians who haue abandoned me In that the knights of Malta onely sent him small succour of powder and shot These Morabites affirme to declare some of their fooleries that when Allé fought he killed ten thousand Christians with one blow of a sworde and that this sword was an hundred cubits long Then there is the foolish and 〈◊〉 sect of Cobtini One of these shewed himselfe not many yeeres sithence in the market places and quarters of Algier mounted on a reed with a bridle and raines of leather giuing the multitude to vnderstand that vpon that horse in one night he rid an hundred leagues and he was for this greatly honored and reuerenced In tract of time there grew amongst the Mahumetans through the vanitie of their law and the incredible variety and difference of opinions great disorders For their sect being not onely wicked and treacherous as we haue declared but also grosse and foolish those that made profession thereof to defend and maintaine it were enforced to make a thousand interpretations and constructions far sometimes from reason and otherwhiles from the expresse words of Mahumet him selfe The Califas endeuoured mightily to reforme this but their prouisions of greatest importance were two For first Moauia this man florished about the yeere of our Lord 770 called an assembly of learned and iudiciall men to establish that which in their sect should be beleeued and to this end he caused all the bookes of Mahumet and his successors to be gathered together But they not agreeing amongst themselues he chose out of them sixe of the most learned and shutting them within an house with the said writings he commaunded them that euery one should make choise of that which seemed best vnto him These men reduced the Mahumetan doctrine into sixe books setting downe the pennaltie of losse of life to them that should otherwise speake or write of the law But because the Arabians gaue their mindes to Philosophie in the vniuersities of Bagdet Fez Maroco and Cordoua and being of piercing and subtile wits they could not but looke into the fopperies of their sect There was added vnto this another prouiso which was a statute that forbad them the studie of Philosophie by meanes of which statute their Vniuersities before most flourishing haue within these fower hundred yeeres daily declined At this day the sects of Mahumetan impietie are distinguished more through the might and power of those nations that follow them then of themselues and the principall nations are fower that is to say Arabians Persians Tartars and Turks The Arabians are most superstitious and zealous The Persians stand more vpon reason and nature The Tartars hold much gentilisine and simplicitie and the Turkes especially in Europe are most of them Libertines and Martialistes The Arabians as they that esteeme it for great glorie that Mahumet was of their nation and buried in Mecca or as others thinke in Medina Talnabi haue laboured with all arte and yet procure to spread their sect ouer the whole world In India they first preuailed with preaching and afterwards with armes Considering that seuen hundred yeeres sithence king Perimal reigning in Malabar they began there to sow this cockle and to bring the Gentiles more easily within their net they tooke and at this daie take their daughters to wife a matter greatly esteemed of them by reason of these mens wealth By this policie and the traffike of spices which yeelded them infinite profite they quickly set foote and fastned it in India They built townes and planted colonies and the first place where they grew to a bodie was Calicut which of a small thing by their concourse and traffike became a mightie citie They drew king Perimal to their sect who at their perswasion resolued to go and end his daies at Mecca and for that purpose he put himselfe onward on the voiage with certaine ships laden with pepper and other precious commodities but a terrible tempest met him in the midst of his course and drowned him in the sea They inhabite in Malabar where two sorts of Arabians or Moores as we may terme them haue more exceedingly increased and preuailed then in any other part of the Indies one is of strangers that arriue there by reason of the traffike of Arabia Cambaia and Persia and the other be those that dayly are borne of a 〈◊〉 father and a mother Gentile or both of father and mother Moores and these who are called Nateani and differ from the other people in person customes and habit make as it were a fourth part of the inhabitants of that countrey From Malabar they went to the Maldiue and Zeilan Here they began to take vpon them the managing of the customs and impositions of cities and townes and by making them greater then in times past they attained to the grace and fauour of the Princes and Lords together with great reputation and authority yea preeminence and superiority ouer the common people and fauouring those who embraced their sect daylie preached and diuulged by the Papassi but holding their hands heauie ouer such as shewed themselues repugnant they incredibly aduanced mahumetisme Afterwards perceiuing themselues strong and mightie both in richesse and followers they seazed on the townes and cities So that at this day they commaund a good part of the Maldiuae and the ports of the most noble iland of Zeilan except that of Columbo where the Portugals haue a fortresse By like stratagem are they become masters of the west part of 〈◊〉 within little 〈◊〉 then these two hundred yeeres first preuailing by trade and commerce then by marriage and affinitie and last of all by armes From hence going forwarde they haue taken into their hands the greatest part of the ports of that large Archipelago of the Luçones Malucos Iauas c. They are Lords of the citie of Sunda in the greater Iaua they enioy the greatest part of the Ilands of Banda and Maluco they raigne in Burneo Gilolo They came once as far as Luçon a most noble Iland and one of the Philippinas had planted therein three colonies On the other side they conquered vpon the firme land first the rich kingdome of Cambaia there established their sect as they did the like in all the places adioining from hence they went to Bengala and became Lords thereof They cut off by little and little from the crowne of Siam the state of Malaca which the Portugals holde at this day as likewise those of Ior and Pam and more then two hundred leagues along the coast Finallie they are entred into the most ample kingdome of China and haue built Moscheas in the same and if the Portugals in India and the Malucos and afterwards the Spaniards in the Philippinas had not met them on the way and with the gospell and armes interrupted their course they would at this instant haue possessed infinite kingdomes of the east yea in this they are so industrious and bould to
getting of their 〈◊〉 that they are free from those violent passions of lust Infants that die before baptisme they name halfe christians because being sanctified onely by the faith of 〈◊〉 parents they are not as yet by baptisme throughly engraffed into the church From meates which the law of Moses accounted vncleane they also do abstaine The heresies of Arrius Macedonius and Nestorius they reiect and condemne The whole church of Ethiopia is gouerned by a patriark called in the Ethiopick language Abuna which signifieth A Father This patriark of theirs is first solemnely created at Ierurasem by the voices of those monkes which keepe the sepulchre of our Lord. Afterward hee is confirmed and sent into Ethiopia by the patriarke of Alexandria The emperour Prete Ianni so often as there is need of a new patriark sendeth an ambassage with many gifts to Ierusalem and requireth a patriark from thence Which patriarke together with a monke of the order of Saint Antony the Hermite being come into Ethiopia is according to an ancient custome receiued with the generall consent congratulation applause and reioycing of all degrees and estates of people To this high function is singled out some one man of singular piety grauity 〈◊〉 and of more ancient yeeres then the rest His speciall duties are to giue holy orders to administer church-discipline and to excommunicate contumaces or obstinate offenders which are for their stubbornnes famished to death But the authoritie of giuing Bishopricks and spirituall benefices the Emperour reserueth to himselfe In Ethiopia there are infinit numbers of priests and of monkes Francis Aluarez saw at one time ordained by the Patriarke two thousand three hundred fiftie sixe priests And the like manner of ordaining or instalment they haue euerie yeere twise It seemeth that those which are chosen into that order are men destitute of learning and liberall artes Vnto their priesthood none is admitted before he be full thirtie yeeres of age It falleth out likewise that during the vacation of the Patriarkship the church hath great want of priests Which vacation is often times prolonged by reason of the continuall wars betweene the Christians and the bordering Mahumetans and Gentiles whereby all passage from Ethiopia to the monks of Ierusalem is quite cut off Hence proceedeth great desolation in that church But with monks all places in this Abassin empire do mightily swarme These do not onely confine themselues in monasteries wherof here are great numbers but also take vpon them offices in the court and intangle themselues in militarie affaires and in buying and selling of merchandize Neither are there anie kinde of people in those easterne parts more conuersant in trade of merchandize then priests 〈◊〉 monkes So that the old said sawe is most truelie verified What ere the world doth put in vre The Monke will intermeddle sure It is 〈◊〉 to be noted that the priests monkes and other ministers of 〈◊〉 Ethiopian church are not maintained by tithes and almes as they are in Europe They haue onelie certaine fieldes and gardens which must be manured by the monkes and clergie themselues To beg ought of the common people they are in no wise permitted vnlesse perhaps some man will of his owne accorde bestowe somewhat in their churches for the exequies of the dead or for some other sacred vses These Ethiopians haue a certaine booke which they suppose to haue beene written by all the Apostles when they were assembled at Ierusalem This booke in their language they call Manda and Abetilis and do beleeue that all thinges therein contained are to be holden for gospel In it amongst other matters are contained certaine penal statutes as for example If a priest be conuicted of Adultery Man-slaughter Robberie or periurie he is to receiue like punishment with other malefactors Likewise that aswell ecclesiasticall as secular persons are to abstaine from comming to church for the space of fower and twentie howers after carnall copulation Some lawes also there are concerning the purification of women after their moneths and their child-birth which bicause we can make but little vse of them I do heere passe ouer in silence One thing there is in this booke very well prouided namely that twise euery yeere there be a Synod assembled in the church of Christ for the handling and discussing of all matters ecclesiasticall These are the principall points of the religion faith and ceremonies of the Ethiopicke church vnder Prete Ianni which hitherto haue come to our knowledge A good part whereofis agreeable vnto the scriptures of the old and new testament And such in very deed they are as represent vnto vs the acknowledgement of one true God and the faith and worship of our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. But as neuer any church vpon earth was quite voide of blemish so neither is this of Ethiopia free from all staines of errour Which notwithstanding may seeme the lesse strange bicause in Ethiopia there are no schooles nor Seminaries of liberall artes saue only that the priests themselues according to their simple skill traine vp their sonnes vnto such learning as may in time make them capable of priesthood Neither was there euer any man yet that reformed their errors Francis Aluarez reporteth that the Patriarke of this Ethiopick church in a certaine priuate conference did grieuously complaine of all such errours as were there maintained and was most earnestly desirous of a reformation Which desire of his as it is most holy cōmendable so is it by al christiās to be approoued God almightie grant that the Ethiopians may one daie attaine to the accomplishment of this his compassionate well-wishing and may haue a happie reformation of their church For this to desire and praie for is farre more conuenient and Christian-like then to disgrace them with reprochfull words and to bereaue them of the name of Christians Which harde and vnchristian measure Zagazabo the Ethiopian ambassadour reporteth with griefe that he found among the Popish priests of Portugall by whom he was quite restrained from the vse and communion of the 〈◊〉 supper as ifhe had beene a meere Gentile or Anathema It is indeed an errour or rather a great infirmitie that they do as yet retaine and vse some of the Iewish ceremonies But we are 〈◊〉 to impute it to their ignorance of Christian liberty And wheras they permit mariage to their priests it is neither repugnant to the sacred word of God nor to the institution of the Apostles Wherefore it ought not to be disallowed of any Christians Vnlesse they will preferre the decrees of the Pope before the commandement of God established by Christ and his apostles Wherby it may plainly appeere how impiously and sauagely the Priests of Portugall dealt in that especially for this cause they so sharpely inneied against the Ethiopick ambassadour and so vnciuilly entreated him Their yeerely renewing ofbaptisme was at the first brought in by errour and since by ancient vse and tradition hath growen authenticall For in
riuer springing out of the great lake which being so they must quite separate Monomotapa from the same lake * This place both in regard of the name and situation may seeme to haue been Agysimba mentioned by Ptolemey * Mine author here setteth downe too great a number G. B. B. Rel. vn dell Afr. Part. 1. lib. 2. Os Picos fragosos The kingdome of Matama Angola The siluer-mines of Cabambe Quizama Bahia das 〈◊〉 or the baye of Cowes The six prouinces of Congo S. Saluador the chiefe citie of Congo The great 〈◊〉 of Zaire Crocodiles Water-horses The Zabra The elephant The isle and hauen of Loanda Loango Anzichi Of this long pepper read Ramusius vol. 1. fol. 115. pag. 2. The prouinces of Temian Dauma and 〈◊〉 Grana Paradisi The 〈◊〉 of Mina * Pliny calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sierra 〈◊〉 A factorie of the Portugals The isle of elephants A mightie cataract or fall of Senaga 〈◊〉 vol. 1. fol. 99. 〈◊〉 The isle of Camaran Dalaqua Mua 〈◊〉 The isle hauen and citie of Suaquen * Or vermillion Two townes of the Portugales in Socotora The two sisters Isles which are not inhabited Concerning the isles of Mōbaça Quiloa Moçambique read more at large in the discourse of Zanguebar before set downe whereas 〈◊〉 thought it 〈◊〉 to intreat of them being as it were certaine fragments of the maine hauing large territories therof subiect vnto them Plentie of Ambergrise The isles of Ascension * Concerning this isle read more at large in the description of Congo * Or perhaps Pouaçaon which as I coniecture may be all one with Poblacion in Spanish which signifieth a Colonie or towne Seuentie Ingenios in San Tomé This towne was taken by sir Francis Drake 1585. and by sir 〈◊〉 Sherley 1596. * This isle with the principall towne and castles was sacked by the Hollanders in 〈◊〉 Anno 1599. The Pike of Tenerif Madera in Spanish signifieth wood or timber Puerto santo the principall 〈◊〉 whereof was taken by sir Amias Preston 1596. The 〈◊〉 increase of one shee 〈◊〉 * Others diuide it from Asia by the red sea * Non. * 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 of Niger * Aethiopia * Habat * Chauz * Tremizen * Iohn 〈◊〉 ouer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of Negros * Cairo * About the yeere 1526. * Fortè Asia minor * Genesis the 10. v. the 6. Mezraim is accounted the 〈◊〉 of Chus * Gen. 10. 7. * Guadalhabit Tremizen called by the ancient Cosmographers Caesaria or Mauritania Caesariensis Who were the founders of Maroco Aquel Amarig * 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 * Cairaoan * Tunis * 〈◊〉 * The Moores of Granada * A 〈◊〉 patriarke Gehoar a slaue by condition conquered all Barbarie Numidia Egypt and Syria Gehoar the first 〈◊〉 of Cairo Ten tribes of Arabians 〈◊〉 Africa 〈◊〉 Rachu a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1526. * 〈◊〉 Traffique to Tombuto * Alger * The Arabians called 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 descended from Ismael the base sonne of Abraham The Arabians called 〈◊〉 descended of Saba The people of Numidia Wooll growing vpon the Palme tree 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 vsed 〈◊〉 victuals Where the Barbarie horses are bred Arabian poems and verses The Arabians offer themselues slaues to any that would releeue their extreme hunger The Arabians of Barca lay their sonnes to pawne vnto the Sicilians for corne The 〈◊〉 and death of the Ring of Tunis his sonne * Trenizen * Maroco and Fez A booke written by Iohn Leo concerning the Mahumetan religion The Africans vsed in times past none other kind of letters but the Roman letters * Perhaps he meaneth the histories of Salust 〈◊〉 Liuius and others The Mahumetan Calisas caused all the bookes of the Persians to be burned The mountaines of Atlas exceeding cold Most woonderfull and terrible snowes The extreme danger of snow which Iohn Leo himselfe escaped * Agadez A strange remedie vsed by the African merchants to quench their thirst A merchant constrained by extreme thirst gaue ten thousand duckats for a cup of water The fruit called Goron Cocos 〈◊〉 Onions The oliues of Africa Raine signifying plentie or 〈◊〉 The pesants and vnlearned people of Africa cunning in Astrologie The yeere of the Arabians and Africans The yeere diuided into two seasons onély vpon the mounain es of Atlas The increase of the riuers of Niger Nilu The French disease When and by what meanes the French 〈◊〉 was brought into Africa Hernia or the disease called 〈◊〉 or the rupture Earth of 〈◊〉 The Moores are a people of great fidelitie The author of this worke his Apologie for the former relation The fruit 〈◊〉 Arga. 〈◊〉 Cauterizing Their manner of entertaining strangers at Tednest Tednest left desolate 〈◊〉 Teculeth destroyed by the Portugals 1514. Hadecchis sacked by the Portugals 1513. Teijeut destroyed by the Portugals The curtesie of the citizens of Tesegdelt towards strangers 〈◊〉 A pestiferous Mahumetan preacher A treatise written by 〈◊〉 Leo concerning the Mahumetan religion A punishment of murther 〈◊〉 of yron Dates which will last but one yeere Great store of whales A whales rib of incredible greatnes Amber Store of sugar Cordouan leather of Maroco Good sale for cloth Gartguessem surprised by the Portugals Store of sugar and of woad Mines of siluer The 〈◊〉 of Homar Essuef * Sidi signifieth a Saint in the Arabian toong The first founder of Maroco Maroco in times past contained aboue 100000. families Mansor the king of Maroco * Obscurum Great store of bookes in olde time to be sold in Maroco The miserable death of Abraham king of Maroco and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three golden sphears A great college Excellent spotted marble This king called Mansor was he vnto whom Rasis that famous 〈◊〉 dedicated his Booke The huge dominions of king Mansor The Christians happie 〈◊〉 against the Moores Ibnu Abdul Abdul Malich Ariuer running vnder the ground to Maroco The desolation of Agmet Iohn Leo student at Fez. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Iohn Leo constrained to play the iudge * Or Elmaheli 〈◊〉 and copper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Free entertainment for merchants The occasion of the prince of Azafilin his death The prince of Azafi slaine as he was hearing of a Mahumetan sermon 〈◊〉 woon by the Portugals Iohn Leo ten yeeres old at the winning of 〈◊〉 The citie of Tit tributarie vnto the King of Portugall Elmedina left desolate Corne preserued 100. yeers * Or 〈◊〉 Azamur woon by the Portugals The fruit called by the Italians Frutto Africano Great plentic of fish Iohn Leo sent ambassadour from the King of Fez vnto Maroco By what means the townes of Elmadin and 〈◊〉 became subiect vnto the King of Fez. Grapes of maruellous bignes White honey The vncle of 〈◊〉 Leo sent ambassadour to the king of Tombuto The excellent wit towardlinesse of Iohn Leo at 16. yeers of age A most stately and rich present * Read of this Abraham before in the description of the citie of Maroco Ilbernus A notable and effectuall practise to wring more money out of
the 〈◊〉 purses * Or 〈◊〉 being a kinde of garment * Ilbernus These people liue like the Tartars * Or Salt-peter * Habat * Chauz or Cheuz A dangerous seducer The horrible desolation of Temesne English traffique Anfa destroied by the Portugals Iron-mines Why king Mansor built the towne of Rebat vpon the seashore Where king Mansor was buried Iron-mines Lyons and leopards * Or Sidi * Or 〈◊〉 English traffique Sela woon by a captaine of Castilia and recouered forthwith by the king of Fez. A merchant of Genoa The occasion of the bloody wars mooued by Sahid The citie of Fez besieged for seuen yeeres together * This number as I take it should rather be 819. Most cruell and 〈◊〉 lions The Portugals attempting to build a forte within the mouth of the riuer Subu defeated of their purpose and slaine A lamentable slaughter Iohn Leo his 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Fierce lions Mecnase reduced vnder 〈◊〉 by the king of Fez. Idris the first founder of Fe Idris his 〈◊〉 valour at fifteene yeeres of age * 1526. The number and 〈◊〉 of the Mahumetan 〈◊〉 in Fez. The principall temple of Fez 〈◊〉 Caruven The reuenues of the great temple and how they are bestowed The 〈◊〉 of learning and learned men a principall cause of disorderly base gouernment Iohn Leo in his youth a notarie of an hospitall for two yeeres together * Like vnto our horse-mils The porters of Fez. * 〈◊〉 in his Italian 〈◊〉 calleth it Baioco The gouernour of the shambles in Fez. * In the Italian copie they are called Baiochi * Or 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 vsed in Africa how to keepe the princes tribute and merchants goods in securitie Iohn Leo was at Tauris in Persia. The punishment of malefactors in Fez. * Or Baiochi * Or 〈◊〉 A kinde of 〈◊〉 called Cuscusu The marriage of widowes The circumcision of their children 〈◊〉 Christian ceremonies 〈◊〉 among the 〈◊〉 Their funerals Rewards for poets in Fez. Three sorts of diuiners in Fez. An Arabian grammar written by Iohn Leo. Diuination and soothsaying forbidden by the lawe of 〈◊〉 Diuers Mahumetan sects 〈◊〉 sacked by the Tartars 72. principall sectes in the religion of Mahumet A booke written by Iohn 〈◊〉 of the liues of the Arabian philosophers The habitation of lepers in Fez and their gouernour * Or Aburinan The founder of new Fez. * Orturbant Engins for the conueiance of water The manner of choosing officers in the court of Fez. The king of Fez his guard How the king of Fez rideth on progresse * Or kines folkes The king of Fez his 〈◊〉 of warfare A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hunting of lions vsed by the king of Fez. Tame 〈◊〉 Tame lions A pleasant discourse how king Mansor was entertained by a fisher Read Osorius lib. 2. de rebus gestis Eman. 〈◊〉 this towne The 〈◊〉 of a prouerbe An attempt and defeate of the Portugals * 1562. The taking of Arzilla by the English Arzilla taken by the Portugals Habdulac the last king of the Marin family Read Osorius lib. 5. de rebus gestis Eman. Iohn Leo serued the king of Fez in his wars against Arzilla * Or Boetica Casar Ezzaghir taken by the king of Portugall The entrance of the Moores into Granada * Or çeuta The streits of Gibraltar from Septa but 12. miles broad Septa taken by the Portugals Abu Sahid king of Fez and his sixe sonnes slaine all in one night Threescore thousand Moores slaine * Here seemeth to be an error in the originall Zibibbo A caue or hole that perpetually casteth vp fire Wine that will last fifteene yeeres 〈◊〉 enioyed and reedified by the Spaniards Chasasa taken by the Spaniards Yron-mines * Or Tremisen The great curtesie of Mahumet toward strangers * 1526. Iron-mines Lions leopards and apes A woonderful bridge Porcellan * The beast called Dabah 〈◊〉 and tame serpents * Or Tremizen * Or Oran * Or Mersalcabir 〈◊〉 king of Tremizen restored to his kingdome by the emperour Charles the fift * 1526 Great store of ostriches A ship of great 〈◊〉 The king of Telensin taken prisoner and beheaded * Or Turbant A passage from Europe to Acthiopia through the kingdome of Tremizen Mines of 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oran taken by the Spaniards Mersalcabir surprised by the Spaniards * Perhaps 〈◊〉 Alger become tributarie to the king of Spaine A voyage performed by Iohn 〈◊〉 The citie of Bugia taken by Pedro de Nauarra The hard successe of the king of Tunis his three sonnes Hot baths A fond and senseles 〈◊〉 S. Augustine in times past bishop of Hippo. Great store of corall The fish called 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 * 1526 The building of Cairaoan Tunis subiect vnto Abdul-Mumen and other kings of Maroco * Or perhaps Andaluzia A strange kind of spinning Doble Sugar-Canes * El Mahdia The isle of Sicilie subdued by the gouernour 〈◊〉 The fruit called Habhaziz A riuer 〈◊〉 hot water The lake of lepers The armie of don Ferdinando defeated Gerbi made tributarie vnto Charles the fift by meanes of a knight of the Rhodes Plentie of dates 〈◊〉 taken by a fleete of 〈◊〉 Tripolis surprized by Pedro de Nauarra Iron-mines Most 〈◊〉 saffron The Arabians of Barca most cruell and bloodie theeues * Error The beast called 〈◊〉 The port of Gart 〈◊〉 Copper-mines The strange propertie of the palme or date-tree Indico The flesh of the Ostrich Infinit numbers of Scorpions Mines of lead and antimonie An iron-mine Deadly scorpions Great store of Manna 〈◊〉 mines A whole carouan conducted by a blinde guide who lead them by sent onely as at 〈◊〉 present the Carouans of Maroco are conducted ouer the Libyan deserts to Tombuto The Negros subiect vnto Ioseph king of Maroco Abuacre Izchia This round and white pulse is called Maiz in the west Indies The naturall commodities of Ghinea The Prince of Ghinea kept prisoner by Izchia The prince of Mâ—lli subdued by Izchia Tombuto was conquered by the king of Maroco 1589. from whencâ— he hath for yeerly tribute mightie summes of gold The king of Tombuto his daughters married vnto two rich merchants * 1526. Great scarcitie of salt in Tombuto which commoditie might be supplied by our English merchants to their vnspeakable gaine Reuerence vsed before the king of Tombuto Poysoned arrowes Shels vsed for coine like as in the kingdome of Congo Rich sale for cloth Their maner of sowing 〈◊〉 at the 〈◊〉 of Niger The 〈◊〉 of Guber slaine by Izchia Zingani Agadez tributarie to the king of Tombuto The kings of Zegzeg of Casena and of Cano subdued by Izchia the king of Tombuto Izchia Izchia The king of Zanfara slaine by Izchia and the people made tributarie Gold Izchia The desert of Seu. Fifteene or twentie 〈◊〉 exchanged for one horse A Negro-slaue who hauing slaine his Lord grew to great might and authoritie The riuer of Nilus not naeuigable betweene Nubia and Egypt The rich commodities of Nubia Most strong poyson Zingani Prete 〈◊〉 Bugiha 〈◊〉 450. miles long Gen. 10. 6. * Mesraim