plentie of 〈◊〉 of cattell and of fruits differing from ours that they are transported by shipping to other nations Barbora likewise a citie of the Moores standeth in this kingdome of Adel and hath a commodious hauen whereunto resort many ships laden with merchandize from Aden in Arabia and from Cambaya vpon the riuer of Indus The citizens are blacke people and their wealth consisteth most of all in flesh In the yeere 1541. Gradaameth the king of this place after manie mischiefes which he had done to Claudius the emperour of Abassia being vanquished by Christopher de Gama the Indian Viceroy of Iohn the third king of Portugale hee did by meanes of the souldiers and warlike prouisions which were sent him from the Sheque or gouernour of Zebit ouercome the Portugals the Abassins Howbeit afterward hauing sent the said forces backe againe to Zebit himselfe was slaine and his whole armie ouerthrowne by king Claudius aforesaide But certaine yeeres after the successour of Gradaameth hauing in a warlike encounter subdued the Prete rode in triumph vpon a little asse signifying thereby that he ascribed not the victorie to his owne forces but to the power of God Adea the second kingdome of the land of Aian situate vpon the easterne Ocean is confined northward by the kingdome of Adel westward by the Abassin empire It is exceeding fruitful one part thereof mightily aboundeth with woods the residue being sufficiently stored with cattell corne The inhabitants being Moores by religion and paying tribute to the emperour of Abassia are as they of Adel before-named originally descended of the Arabians who many hundred yeeres agoe partly by their rich traffike and especially by force of armes became lords not onely of Aian but of all the sea-coast along as farre as Cabo de los corrientes standing in the southerly latitude of fower and twentie degrees In all which space the cities standing vpon the sea-coast before the Portugals discouered the east Indies lay open and vnfortified to the sea bicause the Arabians themselues were absolute lords thereof but were strongly walled toward the lande for feare of the Cafri or lawlesse wilde Negros who were deadly enimies to the Arabians and vtterly misliked their so neere neighbourhood Howbeit since the Portugals taking of Magadazo and diuers other townes vpon the coast they haue applied themselues very much to fortification But to returne to the matter where we left vnto the foresaid kingdome of Adea belongeth the kingdome of Magadazo so called of the principall citie therein which is a most strong beautifull and rich place and is subiect to the kingly gouernment of a Moore The territorie adiacent is exceeding fruitfull abounding with sheepe kine horses wheate barly and other kindes of graine It hath also an excellent hauen and much frequented by the ships of Aden and Cambaya which come thither laden with sundrie kindes of cloth with spices and other merchandize and from hence they carrie elephants teeth golde slaues honie and waxe The inhabitants are of an oliue-colour and some of them blacke like vnto the nations adioining and they go naked from the girdle-stead vpward and speak the Arabian toong They are but meanely weaponed which causeth them to shoote poisoned arrowes This citie was in times past head of all the townes and cities of the Moores standing along this coast for a great distance Zanguebar or Zanzibar the second generall part of the lower Ethiopia ZAnzibar or Zanguebar so called by the Arabians and Persians is that tract of lande which runneth along some parte of the dominions of Prete Ianni and from thence extendeth it selfe by the east of Mohenemugi til it ioyneth with the frontiers of Monomotapa Howbeit some there are who vnder the name of Zanzibar will haue all the south part of Africa to be vnderstood euen as far as Cabo Negro which stretcheth into the western Ocean about 18. degrees of southerly latitude so that they comprehend therein the empires of Mohenemugi and Monomotapa and all the land of Cafraria But in this controuersie wee rather chuse to follow the opinion of Sanutus affirming with him that the said maritime tract of Zanguebar as it is by vs before limited is alowe fennie and woodie countrie with many greate and small riuers running through it which extremity of moisture in those hot climates causeth the ayer to be most vnholesome and pestilent The inhabitants are for the most part black with curled haire being Idolaters and much addicted to sorcery and witchcraft They go naked all the vpper part of their bodies couering their nether partes with clothes of diuers colours and with beasts skins And this tract of lande stretching along the sea-coast from the riuer Quilimanci to the riuer of Magnice containeth the kingdomes and territories of Melinde Mombaza Quiloa Moçambique Sofala and others Melinde the most Northerly kingdome of Zanguebar situate in two degrees and an halfe of southerly latitude and stretching from the coast vp into the main for the space of an hundred miles hath a strong and stately city of the same name being seuentie miles distant from Mombaça It aboundeth with Rice Millet flesh limons citrons and all kinds of fruites but as for corne it is brought hither out of Cambaya The inhabitants especially on the sea coast are Moores and Mahumetans who build their houses very sumptuously after the manner of Europe They are of a colour inclining to white and some blacke people they haue also among them which are for the greatest part Idolaters howbeit all of them pretend a kinde of ciuilitie both in their apparell and in the decencie and furniture of their houses The women are white and sumptuously attired after the Arabian fashion with cloth of silke Likewise they adorne their neckes armes hands and feete with bracelets and iewels of golde and siluer When they go abroad out of their houses they couer themselues with a vaile of taffata so that they are not knowne but when they themselues list Vpon this coast of Melinde you haue a very safe harborough wherunto the ships that saile those seas do vsually resort In briefe the inhabitants are a kind true-harted trustie people courteous to strangers They haue alwaies beene in league with the Portugals giuing them most friendly entertainmēt reposing much cōfidence in them neither haue they euer done them any iniury The kingdome of Mombaça being the second generall part of Zanguebar and situate in three degrees and an halfe beyond the Equinoctiall line bordering to the north vpon Melinde and to the south vpon Quiloa is so called after the name of a certaine isle and citie vpon the coast both which are named Mombaça and are peopled with Mahumetans their houses are of many stories high and beautified with pictures both grauen and painted Their kings are Mahumetans and most deadly enimies to the Christians one of the which taking vpon him to resist the Portugals was himselfe quite vanquished and ouerthrowen and constrained to
dispossessed of the kingdome by a certaine king of the Tribe called Marin Now attend I beseech you and marke what changes and alterations of estates befell afterwards The family of Marin after the said kings decease bare rule till the yeere of the Hegeira 785. At length the kingdome of Maroco decreasing dayly more and more was gouerned by kings which came out of the next mountaine Howbeit neuer had Maroco any gouernours which did so tyrannize ouer it as they of the family called 〈◊〉 The principall court of this family was holden for the most part at Fez but ouer Maroco were appointed Vice-royes and deputies insomuch that Fez was continually the head and Metropolitan citie of all Mauritania and of all the Western dominion euen as God willing we will declare more at large in our briefe treatise concerning the law and religion of Mahumet But now hauing made a sufficient digression let vs resume the matter subiect where we left In the said citie of Maroco is a most impregnable castle which if you consider the bignes the walles the towers and the gates built all of perfect marble you may well thinke to be a citie rather then a castle Within this castle there is a stately temple 〈◊〉 a most 〈◊〉 and high steeple on the top where of standeth an halfe moone 〈◊〉 vnder the halfe moone are three golden spheares one bigger then another which all of them togither weigh 130000. ducates Some kings there were who being allured with the value went about to take downe the saide golden sphears but they had alwaies some great misfortune or other which hindered their attempt insomuch that the common people thinke it verie dangerous if a man doth but offer to touch the said sphears with his hand Some affirme that they are there placed by so forcible an influence of the planets that they cannot be remooued from thence by any cunning or 〈◊〉 Some others report that a certaine spirite is adiured by 〈◊〉 magique to defend those sphears from al assaults and iniuries whatsoeuer In our time the king of Maroco neglecting the vulgar opinion would haue taken down the said sphears to vse them for treasure against the Portugals who as then prepared themselues to battell against him Howbeit his counsellours would not suffer him so to doe for that they esteemed them as the principall monuments of all Maroco I remember that I read in a certaine historiographer that the wife of King Mansor to the ende she might be famous in time to come caused those three sphears to be made of the princely and pretious iewels which her husband Mansor bestowed vpon her and to be placed vpon the temple which he built Likewise the said castle containeth a most noble college which hath thirtie hals belonging thereunto In the midst whereof is one hall of a maruellous greatnes wherein publique 〈◊〉 were most solemnely read while the studie of learning flourished among them Such as were admitted into this college had their victuals and 〈◊〉 freely giuen them Of their professours some were yeerely allowed an hundred and some two hundred ducates according to the qualitie of their profession neither would they admit any to heare them read but such as perfectly vnderstood what belonged to those Arts which they professed The walles of this 〈◊〉 hall are most stately adorned with painting and caruing especially of 〈◊〉 hall where lectures were woont publiquely to be read All their porches and vaulted roofes are made of painted and glittering stones called in their language 〈◊〉 such as are yet vsed in Spaine In the midst of the said building is a most pleasant and cleare fountaine the wall whereof is of white and polished 〈◊〉 albeit low-built as in Africa for the most 〈◊〉 such wals are I haue heard that in old time here was great abundance of students but at my beeing there I found but fiue in all and they haue now a most 〈◊〉 professour and one that is quite voide of all humanitie In the time of mine abode at Maroco I grew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquaintance with a certaine Iewe who 〈◊〉 his skill in the law was but meane was 〈◊〉 exceeding rich and well 〈◊〉 in histories This Iewe in regard of many singular duties which he performed to his prince found the kings bountie and liberalitie extended vnto him All others which beare any publike office are in mine opinion men of no high reach Moreouer the foresaide castell as I remember hath twelue courts most curiously and artificially built by one Mansor In the first lodged about fiue hundreth Christians which carried crosse-bowes before the king whither soeuer he went Not farre from thence is the lodging of the Lord Chancellour and of the kings priuie counsell which house is called by them The house of affaires The third is called The court of victorie wherein all the armour and munition of the citie is laide vp The fourth belongeth to the great Master of the kings horse Vpon this court three stables adioine each one of which stables will containe two hundreth horses Likewise there are two other 〈◊〉 wherof one is for mules and the other for an hundreth of the kings horses onely Next vnto the stables were two barnes or garners adioining in two seuerall places in the lower of which barnes was laide straw and barly in the other There is also another most large place to laye vp corne in euerie roume whereof will containe moe then three hundreth bushels The couer of the saide roume hath a certaine hole whereunto they ascend by staires made of stone Whither the beasts laden with corne being come they powre the saide corne into the hole And so when they woulde take any corne from thence they do but open certaine holes below suffring so much corne to come foorth as may serue their turnes and that without any labour at all There is likewise a certaine other hall where the kings sonne and the sonnes of noble men are instructed in learning Then may you beholde a certaine fower-square building containing diuers galleries with faire glasse windowes in which galleries are many histories most curiously painted heere likewise the glittering and gilt armour is to be seene Next vnto this building is another wherein certaine of the kings guard are lodged then followes that wherein state-matters are discussed whereunto adioineth also another which is appointed for ambassadours to conferre with the kings priuie counsell in Likewise the kings concubines and other ladies of honour haue a most conuenient place assigned them next vnto which standeth the lodging of the kings sonnes Not farre from the castell wall on that side which is next vnto the fields may you behold a most pleasant and large garden containing almost all kinde of trees that can be named Moreouer there is a sumptuous and stately porch built of most excellent square marble in the midst whereof standeth a piller with a lion very artificially made of marble out of the mouth of which lion issueth most cleere and
water thereupon which water they fetch either out of the riuer or out of some cesterne in certaine lether tankards made for the same purpose but at night each one carrieth his cloth into the foresaid cottages Neither are the medowes wherein they bleach their cloth euer destitute of grasse A most gallant prospect it is to beholde a farre off the white clothes dispersed ouer the greene medow and the christall streames of the riuer which seeme to be of an azure hue running along all which the Poets haue celebrated in their verses A description of the common place of buriall without the citie MAny fieldes there are without the citie which haue been giuen by certaine noblemen for the buriall of the dead Vpon their sepulchers for the most part they lay a long three-square stone When any noble man or any principall citizen deceaseth they lay one stone ouer his head and another ouer his feete whereon vseth to bee engrauen some epitaph with the day and yeere when the partie deceased I my selfe bestowed much labour in gathering of epitaphes which I sawe both about Fez and in other places of Barbary all which being set downe in a booke I gaue vnto the kings brother The matter of their epitaphes is diuers some tending to consolation and others to sorrow Of the sepulchres of the kings of Fez. NOrthward of the citie vpon a certaine high hill stands a palace wherein are the monuments of diuers Marin kings being most artificially hewen out of marble with epitaphes vpon them so that I cannot condignely expresse the maiestie and beautie thereof A description of their gardens WIthout the north east and south parts of the citie are great store of gardens replenished with all kinde of fruite and with stately trees Through the midst of these garden̄s they deriue some small vaine of the riuer some whereof are so full of trees that you woulde take them for groues rather then for gardens These gardens they manure not at all but only water them continually in the moneth of May whereupon they haue great abundance of fruit All their fruits saue their peaches onely are of a most delicate taste whereof so soone as they are ripe aboue fiue hundreth cart-loades are daily carried into the market besides grapes which here I do not mention But the saide fruits are carried vnto a certaine place in Fez where tribute being paide for them they are solde by criers vnto the fruiterers there present In the same place likewise after paying of tribute they sell certaine Negro-slaues Towards the east of Fez lieth a plaine fifteene miles broad and thirtie miles long this plaine is full of fountaines and freshets and is reserued for the vse of the great temple It is farmed out vnto gardiners who sowe thereupon such abundance of hemp melons turneps or nauewes radish and other such like rootes and herbes that euery summer there are saide to be gathered thereof aboue fifteene thousand cart-loads and as many in winter Howbeit the aire is verie vnholsome thereabout for the inhabitants are continually vexed with feuers and are of a yellowish colour Of that part of Fez which is called new Fez. NEW Fez beeing enuironed with an high and impregnable wall and situate on a most beautifull plaine not farre from the riuers side is almost a mile distant from old Fez and that vpon the east and south side thereof Betweene the wals of either towne to the northward entereth a certaine arme of the riuer where the foresaid milles do stande and the other part of the riuer is seuered into two branches one whereof runneth betweene new Fez and old Fez not farre from the edge of the rocke and the other passing through certaine vallies and gardens trendeth at length southward The other part of the riuer holdeth on his course by the rocke and so by the college of king Abutiman This citie of new Fez Iacob the sonne of Abdultach caused to 〈◊〉 built who was the first king of the Marin family and expelled the kings of Maroco and vsurped the kingdome vnto himselfe but the king of Telensin to the end he might make the people of Maroco beholding vnto him and might subuert the prosperous successe of the Marin family went about to hinder the king of Fez his attempts against Maroco wherefore king Iacob hauing finished the wars of Maroco determined to reuenge himselfe to the vttermost for the iniuries offered by them of Telensin But considering with himselfe that the strong townes of his owne kingdome were farre distant from Telensin he thought it a better course to builde this citie whereunto the seate roiall of all Maroco might be translated which being erected he called The white citie but it was afterward named by the inhabitants new Fez. This citie king Iacob the founder diuided into three parts whereof the first contained his roiall pallace and diuers noble mens houses vnto euery one of which he allotted a most pleasant garden Not farre from his pallace he built a most stately and sumptuous temple In another part of this citie he built a large and faire stable for the kings horses to stande in Then also he caused other palaces to be erected for his captaines and principall courtiers From the west gate to the east he appointed the market place the distance betweene which gates is a mile and an halfe and on both sides he placed artificers and merchants shops At the west gate he caused a faire portall to be set vp to harbour the watchmen and warders of the citie Not far from thence he erected two stables sufficient to containe three hundreth horses which he might vse for the protection of his owne palace The third part of the citie was appointed for the kinges guarde and attendants which were most of them borne eastwarde of Fez neither had they any other weapons but hand-bowes for crosse-bowes were not then vsed in that kingdome vnto which attendants the king allowed a large stipend but now the same place is full of beautifull temples and stoues Neere vnto the kings palace standes the mint hauing in the midst a fower-square court with certaine portals or cels rounde about it wherein the money-minters dwell Likewise there is another lodging in the midst of the same court where the gouernor of the mint with his scribes and notaries haue their aboad Here as well as in any other places whatsoeuer commoditie is raised redoundeth wholy to the king Neere vnto the mint stande the gold-smiths shops whose Consul or gouernour keepes the seale and stamps of the coine In Fez neither ring nor any other Iewell or commoditie can bee made of siluer or golde before the metall bee sealed for the offenders are most seuerely punished And the metall being sealed whatsoeuer is made thereof is weighed as if it were money The greatest part of goldsmiths dwelling in new Fez are Iewes who carrie their vessels of gold and siluer vnto a certaine place of old Fez neere vnto the grocers shops and
family of Idris decaying it became a pray vnto the enemie At this present the ruines of the wals are onely to be seene and certaine forlorne gardens which because the ground is not manured bring foorth naught but wilde fruits Of the towne called Homar THis towne was built by one Hali a disciple of the foresaid Mahumet vpon a little hill and by a riuers side being situate about fourteene miles to the north of Casar and sixteen miles to the south of Arzilla which although it be but a small towne yet is it well fortified and fairely built and enuironed with fruitfull fieldes vineyardes and gardens replenished with woonderfull varietie of fruits The inhabitants being most of them linnen-weauers gather and prouide great store of flaxe But euer since the Portugals woon Arzilla this towne hath remained desolate A description of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 THe great citie of Arzilla called by the Africans Azella was built by the Romans vpon the Ocean sea shore about seuentie miles from the streits of Gibraltar and an hundred and fortie miles from Fez. It was in times past subiect vnto the prince of Septa or Ceuta who was tributarie to the Romans and was afterward taken by the Goths who established the said prince in his former gouernment but the Mahumetans wan it in the yeere of the Hegeira 94. and helde the same for two hundred and twenty yeeres till such time as the English at the persuasion of the Goths besieged it with an huge armie and albeit the Goths were enemies to the English because themselues were Christians and the English worshippers of idols yet the Goths 〈◊〉 them to this attempt hoping by that meanes to draw the Mahumetans out of Europe The English hauing good successe tooke the citie and so wasted it with fire and sword that scarce one citizen escaped so that it remained almost thirtie yeeres voide of inhabitants But afterward when the Mahumetan patriarks of Cordoua were lords of Mauritania it was againe reedified and by all meanes augmented enriched and fortified The inhabitants were rich learned and valiant The fields adiacent yeeld graine and pulse of all sorts in great abundance but because the towne standeth almost ten miles from the mountaines it sustaineth great want of wood howbeit they haue coales brought them from Harais as is aforesaid In the yeere of the Hegeira 882. this citie was suddenly surprised and taken by the Portugalles and all the inhabitants carried prisoners into Portugall amongst whom was Mahumet the king of Fez that now is who together with his sister being both children of seuen yeeres old were taken and led captiue For the father of this Mahumet seeing the prouince of Habatreuolt from him went and dwelt at Arzilla the very same time when Esserif a great citizen of Fez hauing slaine Habdulac the last king of the Marin-familie was by the fauour of the people aduanced vnto the Fessan kingdome Afterward one Saic Abra being pricked forward with ambition went about to conquer the citie of Fez and to make himselfe king howbeit Esserif by the aduise of a certaine counsellour of his being couzin vnto Saic vanquished and put to flight the saide Saic to his great disgrace Moreouer while Esserif had sent his said counsellour to Temesna to pacifie the people of that prouince being about to rebell Saic returned and hauing for one whole yeere besieged new Fez with eight thousand men at length by treason of the townesmen he easily wan it and compelled Esserif with all his familie to flee vnto the kingdome of Tunis The same time therefore that Saic besieged Fez the king of Portugall as is aforesaid sending a fleete into Africa tooke Arzilla and then was the king of Fez that now is with his yoong sister caried captiue into Portugall where he remained seuen yeeres in which space he learned the Portugall-language most exactly At length with a great summe of money his father ransomed him out of Portugall who afterward being aduanced to the kingdome was by reason of his long continuance in Portugall called king Mahumet the Portugall This king afterward attempted very often to be auenged of the Portugals and to recouer Arzilla Wherefore suddenly encountring the said citie he beat down a great part of the wall and entring the breach set all the captiue-Moores at libertie The Christians retired into the castle promising within two daies to yeeld vnto the king But Pedro Nauarro comming in the meane season with a great fleet they compelled the king with continuall discharging of their ordinance not onely to relinquish the citie but also to depart quite away with his whole armie afterward it was so fortified on all sides by the Portugals that the said king attempting often the recouerie thereof had alwaies the repulse I my selfe seruing the king in the foresaid expedition could find but fiue hundred of our companie slaine But the warre against Arzilla continued from the yeere of the Hegeira 914. to the yeere 921. Of the citie of Tangia THe great and ancient citie of Tangia called by the Portugals Tangiara according to the fond opinion of some historiographers was founded by one Sedded the sonne of Had who as they say was emperour ouer the whole world This man say they determined to build a citie which for beautie might match the earthly paradise Wherefore he compassed the same with walles of brasse and the roofes of the houses he couered with gold and siluer for the building whereof he exacted great tributes of all the cities in the world But the classicall and approoued authors affirme that it was built by the Romanes vpon the Ocean sea shore at the same time when they subdued the kingdome of Granada From the streites of Gibraltar it is distant almost thirtie and from Fez an hundred and fiftie miles And from the time that the Goths were first lordes of Granada this citie was subiect vnto Septa or Ceuta vntill it and Arzilla were woon by the Mahumetans It hath alwaies beene a ciuill famous and well-peopled towne and very stately and sumptuously built The field thereto belonging is not very fertill nor apt for tilth howbeit not far off are certaine vallies continually watred with fountaines which furnish the said citie with all kinde of fruits in abundance Without the citie also growe certaine vines albeit vpon a sandie soile It was well stored with inhabitants till such time as Arzilla was surprized by the Portugals for then the inhabitants being dismaied with rumours of warres tooke vp their bag and baggage and fled vnto Fez. Whereupon the king of Portugall his deputie at Arzilla sent one of his captaines thither who kept it so long vnder the obedience of the king till the king of Fez sent one of his kinsmen also to defend a region of great importance neere vnto the mountaines of Gumera being enemie to the Christians Twentie fiue yeeres before the Portugall king wan this citie he sent foorth an armada against it hoping
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
linnen-drapers haue many shops and are accounted the wealthiest citizens in all Tunis here are also great store of grocers apothecaries taylors and of all other trades and occupations butchers here are verie many which sell mutton for the most part especially in the spring and in summer also here are abundance of all kinde of artificers euerie of which to describe would prooue tedious the apparell of their merchants priests and doctors is verie decent Vpon their heads they weare a Dulipan which is couered with a great linnen-cloth the courtiers likewise and the souldiers weare all of them Dulipans but not couered with linnen Rich men here are but few by reason of the exceeding scarcitie of all kinde of graine for a man cannot till a piece of ground be it neuer so neere the citie in regard of the manifold inuasions of the Arabians Corne is brought vnto them from other regions and cities as namely from Vrbs from Beggia and from Bona. Some of the citizens of Tunis haue certaine fields in the suburbs walled round about where they sowe some quantitie of barley and of other corne howbeit the soyle is marueluellous dry and standeth in need of much watring for which purpose euery man hath a pit whereout with a certaine wheele turned about by a mule or a camel and through certaine conueyances and passages made for the nonce they water all the vpper part of their ground now consider I pray you what great crop of corne can be reaped out of so little a field walled round about and watred by such cunning and industrie Bread they make verie excellent albeit they leaue the bran still among the flower they bake their loaues in certaine mortars such as the Egyptians vse to beat flaxe in The merchants and most part of the citizens vse for food a kinde of homely pulse or pappe called by them Besis being made of barley meale in forme of a dumpling whereupon they powre oyle or the broth of Pome-citrons And there is a certaine place in the citie where nothing but barley prepared in a readines to make the said pulse is to be sold. They vse also another kinde of foode almost as homely as the former for seething a quantitie of meale throughly in water and afterward braying it in another vessell with a pestill they powre oyle or flesh-pottage thereunto and so eat it and this meate they call Bezin but the richer sort feede themselues with more daintie meats All their milles except such as stand vpon a riuer not far from the citie are turned about either by the strength of mules or asses In this citie they haue no fountaines riuers nor welles of fresh water but they all vse raine-water taken out of cesterns sauing that there is a fountaine in the suburbs from whence certaine porters bring salt-water into the citie to sell which they thinke to be more holesome and fit for drinke then raine-water Other wels there are that affoorde most excellent water which is reserued onely for the king his courtiers In this citie there is one most stately temple furnished with sufficient number of priests and with rich reuenues Other temples there be also but not endowed with so ample reuenues here are colledges likewise and monasteries built after their maner al which are maintained vpon the common beneuolence of the citie There are certaine people in this citie whom a man would take to be distraught which goe bare-headed and bare-footed carrying stones about with them and these are reuerenced by the common people for men of singular holines Moreouer on the behalfe of one of these mad fellowes called Sidi el Dahi and for the residue of his fond societie the king of Tunis built one of the foresaid monasteries endowed the same with most ample reuenues All the houses of this citie are indifferently beautifull being built of excellent stones and adorned with much painting and caruing They haue verie artificiall pargettings or plaister-works which they beautifie with orient colours for wood to carue vpon is verie scarce at Tunis The floores of their chambers are paued with certaine shining and faire stones and most of their houses are but of one storie high and almost euerie house hath two gates or entrances one towards the street and another towards the kitchin and other backe-roumes between which gates they haue a faire court where they may walke and conferre with their friends The bath-stoues here are far more commodious then those at Fez though not so large and sumptuous In the suburbs are many pleasant gardens which yeeld fruit albeit not in great abundance yet verie excellent pome-citrons roses and other flowers here are great store especially in that place which they call Bardo where the king hath built a palace amidst those beautifull and sweete gardens On all sides of the citie within fower or fiue miles there growe such plentie of oliues that the oyle thereof sufficeth not onely the citie but is carried also in great quantitie into Egypt The wood of the oliue-trees which they cut downe they vse to burne and to make char-coales thereof neither do I thinke any place to be more destitute of wood then this Pouertie constraineth some of their women to lead an vnchast life they are decently apparelled and going foorth of the house they weare vailes or maskes before their faces like vnto the women of Fez for with one linnen-cloath they couer their foreheads and ioine thereto another which they call Setfari but about their heads they lap such fardels of linnen as they seeme comparable to the heads of Giants Most part of their substance and labour they bestow vpon perfumes and other such vanities They haue here a compound called Lhasis whereof whosoeuer eateth but one ounce falleth a laughing disporting and dallying as if he were halfe drunken and is by the said confection maruellously prouoked vnto lust Of the king of Tunis his court and of the rites and ceremonies there vsed SO soone as the king of Tunis hath by inheritance attained to his kingdome all his nobles doctors priestes and iudges binde themselues by solemne oth vnto him Immediately after any kings death his sonne and heire apparent succeedeth in the kingdome then the chiefe officer of the court called the Munafid because he is the kings vice-roy or high deputie presenteth himselfe foorthwith vnto the new king and giueth vp an account of all things which he did while the olde king liued and then at the kings appointment euerie of the nobles receiue offices from the Munafid according to their seuerall places of dignitie Another principall officer there is called the Mesuare that is the great commander and gouernour of the warlike forces who hath authoritie to increase or diminish the number of soldiers to giue them their pay to leuie armies and to conduct the same whither he thinketh good The third officer in dignitie is the Castellan who with his soldiers taketh charge of the castle and looketh to the
acknowledge the kings of Fez for soueraigne Princes ouer that citie But on the other side the Xeriffi whose reputation and power daily encreased when the time of paying tribute came sent to certifie this yoong king that being lawfull successors to Mahumet they were not bound to paie tribute to any and that they had more right to Affrica then he so that if he would haue them his friends so it were otherwise if he ment to diuert them from this their warre against the Christians they should not want courage nor power to defend themselues Wherewith the Fessan king being offended proclaimed warre against them and went himselfe in person to the siege of Maroco but at the very first he was driuen to dislodge and afterwards returning with eighteene thousand horse amongst whom were two thousand harquebuziers or bowmen he was vanquished by the Xeriffi who had no more but seuen thousand horse and twelue hundred harquebuziers which were placed on the way at the passage of a riuer By meanes of this victorie the Xeriffi shooke off the tribute of that countrie and passing ouer Atlas they tooke Tafilete an important citie and partly by faire meanes partly by force they brought diuérs people of Numidia to their obedience as also those of the mountaines In the yeere of our Lord 1536. the yoonger Xeriffo who was now called king of Sus hauing gathered togither a mightie armie and much artillerie taken in part from the king of Fez and partly cast by the French Renegados he went to the enterprise of Cabo de Guer a very important fortification held then by the Portugals which was built and fortified sirst at the charge of Lopes Sequeira and afterward knowing their opportunitie from the king Don Emanuel there was fought on both sides a most terrible battell In the end fire taking hold on the munition and vpon this the souldiers being daunted that defended the fortresse the Xeriffo entred thereinto tooke the towne and made the greatest part of the garrison his prisoners By this victorie the Xeriffi brought in a manner all Atlas and the kingdome of Maroco to their obedience those Arabians who serued the crowne of Portugall Whereupon king Iohn the third seeing that his expences farre exceeded the reuenues which came in of his owne accord gaue ouer Safia Azamor Arzilla and Alcazar holds which he had on the coast of Mauritania This 〈◊〉 was an occasion of grieuous discord betwixt the Brothers the issue whereof was that the younger hauing in two battels subdued the elder whereof the second was in the yeere of our Lord 1554 and taken him prisoner he banished him to Tafilet and afterwards turning his armes against the king of Fez after hauing taken him once prisoner and then releasing him he yet the second time because he brake promise got him into his handes againe depriued him of his estate and in the end caused both him and his sonnes to be slaine and by meanes of his owne sonnes he also tooke Tremizen In the meane while Sal Araes viceroy of Algier fearing the Xeriffos prosperous successe gathered together a great army with which he first recouered Tremizen afterwards defeating the Xeriffo conquered Fez and gaue the gouernment thereof to Buasson Prince of Veles but this man ioyning battaile with the Xeriffo lost at one instant both his citie and kingdome In the ende Mahumet going to Tarodant was vpon the way slaine in his pauilion by the treason of some Turkes suborned thereunto by the viceroy of Algier of whom one Assen was the chiefe who together with his companions went into Tarodant and there made hauock of the kinges treasures But in their returne home they were all but fiue slaine by the people in the yeere 1559 and Mullei Abdala the Xeriffos sonne was proclaimed and saluted king Let thus much suffice to haue bin spoken of the Xeriffo whose proceedinges appeare much like to those of Ismael the sophie of Persia. Both of them procured followers by bloud and the cloake of religion both of them subdued in short time many countries both of them grew great by the ruine of their neighbours both of them receiued greeuous checkes by the Turkes and lost a part of their states for Selym tooke from Ismael Cacamit and diuers other cities of Diarbena And the viceroy of Algier did driue the Xeriffo out of Tremizen and his other quarters And euen as Selim won Tauris the head citie of Persia and afterwardes gaue it ouer so Sal Araes tooke Fez the head citie of Mauritania and then after abandoned the same The Xeriffo his reuenues or commings in THe Xeriffo is absolute Lord of all his subiects goods yea and of their persons also For though he charge them with neuer so burdensome tributes and impositions yet dare they not so much as open their mouthes He receiueth from his tributarie vassals the tenthes and first fruits of their corne and cattell True it is that for the first fruits he taketh no more but one for twentie and the whole being aboue twentie he demandeth no more then two though it amount to an hundred For euery dayes tilth of grounde he hath a ducate and a quarter and so much likewise for euerie house as also he hath after the same rate of euerie person aboue fifteene yeers old male or female and when need requireth a greater summe and to the end that the people may the more cheerefullie pay that which is imposed vpon them he alwaies demaundeth halfe as much more as he is to receiue Most true it is that on the mountaines there inhabite certaine fierce and vatamed people who by reason of the steep craggie and inexpugnable situation of their countrie cannot be forced to tributes that which is gotten of them is the tenth of their corne and fruits onely that they may be permitted to haue recourse into the plaines Besides these reuenues the king hath the towles and customes of Fez and of other cities For at the entring of their goods the naturall citizen payeth two in the hundred and the stranger ten He hath further the reuenues of milles and many other thinges the summe whereof is very great for the milles yeelde him little lesse then halfe a royall of plate for euerie Hanega of corne that is ground in Fez where as they say there are aboue foure hūdred mils The moschea of Caruuen had fourescore thousand ducates of rent the colledges and hospitals of Fez had also many thousands Al which the king hath at this present And further he is heire to all the Alcaydes and them that haue pension of him and at their deaths he possesseth their horses armour garments and al their goodes Howbeit if the deceased leaue any sonnes apt for the seruice of the warres he granteth them their fathers prouision but if they be but young he bringeth vp the male children to yeeres of seruice and the daughters till they be married And therefore that he may haue some interest in the goods of
are certaine mightie lakes by the benefite whereof a great part of Nubia is watred and made fruitfull The Isle of Meroe MEroe called at this time by the names of Guengare Amara and Nobe being the greatest and fairestisle which Nilus maketh and resembled by Herodotus to the shape of a target containeth in bredth a thousand and in length three thousand stadios or furlongs It aboundeth with golde siluer copper iron Eben-wood palme-trees and other such commodities as are in Nubia Some write that there growe canes or reeds of so huge a bignes that the people make botes of them Heere also you haue minerall salt and lions elephants and leopards This island is inhabited by Mahumetans who are confederate with the Moores against Prete Ianni Strabo affirmeth that in old time the authoritie of the priests of this island was so great that by a meane and ordinarie messenger they woulde command the king to murther himselfe and woulde substitute an other in his roome But at length one king hauing in a certaine temple put all the saide priests to death quite abolished that monstrous custome And heere as Nilus vnfoldeth himselfe into two branches to embrace this Islande he receiueth from the east the riuer of Abagni and from the west the riuer Sarabotto which haue likewise other smaller riuers falling into them The Abassins are of opinion that the Queene of Saba which trauelled so farre to heare the wisedome of Salomon was mistresse of this isle Paulus Ionius saith here are three kings one a Gentile the second a Moore and the third a Christian subiect vnto the Prete From Meroe to Siene it is accounted fifteene daies iourney by water Abassia or the empire of Prete Ianni THe Abassins are a people subiect to Prete Ianni whose empire if we consider the stile which he vseth in his letters hath most ample confines For he intituleth himselfe emperour of the great and higher Ethiopia king of Goiame which as Botero supposeth is situate betweene Nilus and Zaire of Vangue a kingdome beyond Zaire of Damut which confineth with the land of the Anzichi and towards the south he is called king of Cafate and Bagamidri two prouinces bordering vpon the first great lake which is the originall fountaine of Nilus as likewise of the kingdomes of Xoa Fatigar Angote Baru Baaliganze Adea Amara Ambea Vaguc Tigremahon Sabaim where the Queene of Saba gouerned and lastly of Barnagaes and lorde as farre as Nubia which bordereth vpon Egypt But at this present the center or midst of his Empire as Iohn Barros writeth is the lake of Barcena For it extendeth eastward towarde the Red sea as farre as Suaquen the space of two hundred twentie and two leagues Howbeit betweene the sea and his dominions runneth a ridge of mountaines inhabited by Moores who are masters of al the sea-coast along except the porte of Ercoco which belongeth to the Prete And likewise on the west his empire is restrained by another mountainous ridge stretching along the riuer of Nilus where are founde most rich mines of golde amongst which are the mines of Damut and of Sinassij wholie in the possession of Gentiles which pay tribute vnto the Prete Northward it is bounded by an imaginarie line supposed to be drawen from Suachen to the beginning of the isle Meroe aboue mentioned which line extendeth an hundred and fiue and twentie leagues From thence the Abassin borders trend south somewhat crookedly in manner of a bowe as farre as the kingdome of Adea from the mountaines whereof springeth a riuer called by Ptolemey Raptus which falleth into the sea about Melinde for the space of two hundred and fiftie nine leagues next vnto the which borders inhabite certaine Gentiles of blacke colour with curled haire And heere the 〈◊〉 empire is limited by the kingdome of Adel the head citie whereof called Arar standeth in the latitude nine degrees So that all this great empire may containe in compasse sixe hundred threescore and two leagues little more or lesse It is refreshed and watered by two mightie riuers which conuey their streames into Nilus called by Ptolemey Astaboras and Astapus and by the naturall inhabitants Abagni and Tagassi the first whereof taketh his originall from the lake of Barcena and the second from the lake of Colue Barcena lieth in seuen degrees of north latitude Colue vnder the verie Equinoctiall The first besides Abagni ingendereth also the riuer of Zeila and the second besides Tagassi giueth essence to the riuer of Quilimanci Between Abagni and the Red sea lieth the prouince of Barnagasso betweene Abagni and Tagassi are the kingdomes of Angote and Fatigar and more towards the bay of Barbarians the prouinces of Adea and of Baru and somewhat lower that of Amara In briefe beyond the riuer of Tagassi ly the regions of Bileguanzi and of Tigremahon The Abassins haue no great knowledge of Nilus by reason of the mountaines which deuide them from it for which cause they call Abagni the father of riuers Howbeit they say that vpon Nilus do inhabite two great and populous nations one of Iewes towards the west vnder the gouernment of a mighty king the other more southerly consisting of Amazones or warlike women whereof wee will speake more at large in our relation of Monomotapa Throughout all the dominion of the Prete there is not any one city of importance either for multitude of inhabitantes for magnificent buildings or for any other respect For the greatest townes there containe not aboue two thousand housholds the houses being cottage-like reared vp with clay and couered with straw or such like base matter Also Ptolemey intreating of these partes maketh mention but of three or foure cities onely which he appointeth to the south of the Isle Meroe Howbeit in some places vpon the frontiers of Abassia there are certaine townes verie fairely built and much frequented for traffique The Portugales in their trauailes throughout the empire haue often declared vnto the Abassins how much better it were for auoiding of the outragious iniuries and losses daily inflicted by the Moores and Mahumetans both vpon their goods and persons if the emperour would build cities and castles stronglie walled and fortified Whereunto they made answere that the power of their Neguz or emperour consisted not in stone-walles but in the armes of his people They vse not ordinarily any lime or stone but onely for the building of churches saying that so it becommeth vs to make a difference between the houses of men and churches dedicated to God and of their Beteneguz or houses of the emperour wherein the gouernours of prouinces are placed to execute iustice These Beteneguz stand continually open and yet in the gouernours absence no man dare enter into them vnder paine of being punished as a traytour Moreouer in the city of Axuma esteemed by them to haue beene the seate of the Queene of Saba stand certaine ruinous buildings like vnto pyramides which by reason of their greatnes
Monomotapa to the riuer Coauo and beyond west with the riuer Nilus North vpon the dominions of Prete Ianni and east vpon the kingdomes of Melinde Mombaça and Quiloa hath not many yeeres ago bin discouered or at least heard of by the Portugales vpon occasion perhaps of the warres which with vnfortunate successe they haue waged against Monomotapa The emperour of this country holdeth a continuall league with the princes of Melinde Mombaça and Quiloa towards the sea for traffiques sake for they prouide his dominions with cloth of cotton cloth of silke and sundrie other commodities brought from Arabia Persia Cambaya and India which are very well esteemed in those parts but among the rest they bring especially certaine little balles of a red colour and in substance like vnto glasse being made in Cambaya of a kinde of Bitumen or clammie claie which balles they vse to weare like beades about their necks They serue also to them in stead of money for gold they make none account of Likewise with the silkes that are brought vnto them they apparel themselues from the girdle downward In exchange of all the foresaide wares and commodities they giue gold siluer copper and iuorie Howbeit vpon his Inland frontiers to the south and southwest he maintaineth continuall and bloudie warres against the emperour of Monomotapa his principall and greatest forces consisting of a most barbarous and fierce nation called by the people of Congo Giachi but by themselues Agag who inhabite from the first great lake which is the fountaine of Nilus for a certaine space vpon both sides of the said riuer and then afterward on the westerne banke as farre as the second great lake from whence Zaire hath his chiefe original thence euen to the confines of Prete Ianni They are a wilde and lawles people liuing after the manner of the ancient Scythians and Nomades and like the Tartars and Baduin-Arabians of these times a vagrant kind of life vnder cabbins and cottages in the open forrests They are of stature tall and of countenance most terrible making lines vpon their cheekes with certaine iron-instruments and turning their eie-lids backward whereby they cast vpon their enimies a most dreadfull and astonishing aspect They are man-eaters and couragious in battaile For their armour of defence they vse certaine Pauises or great targets wherwith they couer their whole bodies being otherwise naked and their offensiue weapons are dartes and daggers It is not many yeeres since these cruel sauages ranging westward from Nilus inuaded the kingdome of Congo vanquished the inhabitants in sundrie battels tooke the head citie and forced the king Don Aluaro to flee for succour and safetie vnto the isle of horses in the mouth of the great riuer Zaire being one of the extreme frontiers of his dominions Where the king himselfe was taken with an incurable dropsie and his people in great numbers died of famine who to relieue their extreme necessities sold their wiues their children and their owne selues for slaues vnto the Portugals Howbeit these warlike Giacchi notwithstanding their hautie courage and great exploits are no whit feared but rather most boldly encountered and sometimes vanquished by the Amazones or women warriers of Monomotapa Which two nations what by warlike stratagems and what by open and maine force do often fight the most desperate and doubtfull battailes that are performed in all those southern parts The empire of Monomotapa the fourth generall part of the lower Ethiopia BEnomotapa Benomotaxa or Monomotapa is a large empire so called after the name of the prince thereof who in religion is a Gentile and for extension of dominions and military forces a renowmed and mightie emperour in the language of whose subiects an emperour is signified by this word Monomotapa This empire of his lyeth as it were in an Island which containeth in compasse seuen hundred and fiftie or as some thinke one thousand leagues being limited on the north-west by the great lake whereout Nilus springeth on the south by the riuer Magnice and the tributarie kingdome of Butua or Toroa on the east it hath the sea-coast and the kingdome of Sofala which in very deed is a member thereof and the North part abutteth vpon the riuer of Cuama and the empire of Mohenemugi That part of this great Island which lyeth betweene the mouth of Cuama and the cape de los Corrientes is a very pleasant holesome and fruitfull country And from the said cape to the riuer of Magnice the whole region aboundeth with beasts both great and small but it is cold by reason of the sharp brizes which come off the sea and so destitute of wood that the people for fewel are constrained to vse the dung of beasts and they apparel themselues in their skinnes Along the banke of the riuer Cuama are diuers hilles and downes couered with trees and vallies likewise watered with riuers being pleasantly situate and well peopled Here are such plenty of Elephants as it seemeth by the great quantitie of their teeth that there are yeerely slaine betweene foure and fiue thousand Their elephants are nine cubites high and fiue cubites in thicknes They haue long and broad eares little eyes shorte tailes and great bellies and some are of opinion that Ethiopia yeeldeth as many elephants as Europe doth oxen The townes and villages of this empire are very few and their buildings are of wood and clay couered with thatch None may haue doores to their houses but onely great personages Their principal cities are Zimbas and Benamataza the first whereof is one and twentie and the second fifteene daies iourney from Sofala They serue this emperour at the table vpon their knees to sit before him is all one as with vs for a man to stand vpon his feete neither may any presume to stand in his presence but onely great lords He is tasted vnto not before but after he hath eaten and drunke For his armes he hath a spade and two dartes Tribute he taketh none but onely certaine daies seruice and giftes presented vnto him without which there is no appearing in his sight Hee carrieth whithersoeuer he go foure hundred dogs as a most sure and trustie guard Hee keepeth all the heires of his tributary princes as vassals and as pledges of their fathers loialtie There are no prisons in al his empire for sufficient testimonie being brought of the commission of any crime iustice is executed out of hand and of all offences none are punished with greater seueritie and rigour then witchcraft theft and adulterie His people are of a meane 〈◊〉 blacke and well proportioned They are Gentiles in religion hauing no idols but worshipping one onely God whom they call Mozimo They go apparelled in cloth of cotton either made by themselues or brought from other countries howbeit the king will in no case weare any forrein cloth for feare of poison or such like trecherie and the meaner sort of his subiects are clad in beasts skins Among all the armies and
though corruptly which I suppose came first hereupon to passe for that the said people haue had long acquaintance and conuersation with the Arabians The Negros haue diuers languages among themselues among which they call one Sungai and the same is current in many regions as namely in Gualata Tombuto Ghinea Melli and Gago Another language there is among the Negros which they cal Guber this is rife among the people of Guber of Cano of Casena of Perzegreg of Guangra Likewise the kingdom of Borno hath a peculiar kinde of speech altogether like vnto that which is vsed in Gaoga And the kingdome of Nube hath a language of great affinitie with the Chaldean Arabian Egyptian toongs But all the sea-towns of Africa frō the Mediterran sea to the mountains of Atlas speake broken Arabian Except the kingdome and towne of Maroco the inland Numidians bordering vpon Maroco Fez Tremizen all which vse the Barbarian toong Howbeit they which dwel ouer against Tunis Tripoli speake indeede the Arabian language albeit most corruptly Of the Arabians inhabiting the citie of Africa OF that armie which was sent by Califa Otmen the third in the fower hundred yeere of the Hegeira there came into Africa fowerscore thousand gentlemen and others who hauing subdued sundrie prouinces at length arriued in Africa and there the Generall of the whole armie called Hucha 〈◊〉 Nafich remained This man built that great citie which is called of vs Alcair For he stood in feare of the people of Tunis least they should betray him misdoubting also that they would procure aide out of Sicily and so giue him the encounter Wherefore with all his treasure which he had got he trauelled to the desert firme ground distant from Carthage about one hundred and twentie miles and there is he said to haue built the citie of Alcair The remnant of his soldiers he commanded to keepe those places which were most secure and fit for their defence and willed them to build where no rocke nor fortification was Which being done the Arabians began to inhabit Africa and to disperse themselues among the Africans who because they had beene for certaine yeeres subiect vnto the Romans or Italians vsed to speake their language and hence it is that the naturall and mother-toong of the Arabians which hath great affinitie with the African toong grewe by little and little to be corrupted and so they report that these two nations at length conioined themselues in one Howbeit the Arabians vsually doe blaze their petigree in daily and triuiall songs which custome as yet is common both to vs and to the people of Barbarie also For no man there is be he neuer so base which will not to his owne name adde the name of his nation as for example Arabian Barbarian or such like Of the Arabians which dwell in tents THE Mahumetan priestes alwaies forbad the Arabians to passe ouer Nilus with their armies and tents How beit in the fower hundred yeere of the Hegeira we reade that they were permitted so to doe by a certaine factious and schismaticall Califa because one of his nobles had rebelled against him vsurping the citie of Cairaoan and the greatest part of Barbarie After the death of which rebell that kingdome remained for some yeeres vnto his posteritie and familie whose iurisdiction as the African chronicles report grew so large and strong in the time of Elcain the Mahumetan Califa and patriark of Arabia that he sent vnto them one Gehoar whom of a slaue he had made his counsellour with an huge armie This Gehoar conducting his armie westward recouered all Numidia and Barbarie Insomuch that he pierced vnto the region of Sus and there claimed most ample tribute all which being done he returned backe vnto his Calipha and most faithfully surrendred vnto him whatsoeuer he had gained from the enemie The Calipha seeing his prosperous successe began to aspire vnto greater exploites And Gehoar most firmely promised that as he had recouered that westerne dominion vnto his Lord so would he likewise by force of warre most certainly restore vnto him the countries of the East to wit Egypt Syria and all Arabia and protested moreouer that with the greatest hazard of his life he would be auenged of all the iniuries offered by the familie of Labhus vnto his Lords predecessors and would reuest him in the royall seate of his most famous grandfathers great-grandfathers and progenitors The Calipha liking well his audacious promise caused an armie of fower-score thousand soldiers with an infinite summe of money and other things necessarie for the warres to be deliuered vnto him And so this valiant and stout chieftaine being prouided for warfare conducted his troupes through the deserts of Aegypt Barbarie hauing first 〈◊〉 to flight the vice-Califa of Aegypt who fled vnto Eluir the Califa of Bagdet in short time he subdued very easily all the prouinces of Aegypt and Syria Howbeit he could not as yet hold himselfe secure fearing least the Califa of Bagdet would assaile him with an armie out of Asia and least the garrisons which he had left to keepe Barbarie should be constrained to forsake those conquered prouinces Wherefore hee built 〈◊〉 and caused it to be walled round about In which citie he left one of his most trustie captaines with a great part of the armie and this citie he called by the name of Alchair which afterward by others was named Cairo This Alchair is saide daily so to haue increased that no citie of the world for buildings and inhabitants was any way comparable thereunto Now when Gehoar perceiued that the Calipha of Bagdet made no preparation for warre he foorthwith wrote vnto his Lord that all the conquered cities yeelded due honour vnto him and that all things were in quiet and tranquillitie and therefore that himselfe if he thought good should come ouer into Aegypt and thereby with his onely presence should preuaile more to recouer the remnant of his dominions then with neuer so huge an armie for he was in good hope that the Calipha of Bagdet hearing of his expedition woulde leaue his kingdome and prelacie and would betake himselfe to flight This notable and ioyfull message no sooner came to the eares of Califa Elcain but he being by his good fortune much more encouraged then before and not forethinking himselfe what mischiefe might ensue leuied a great armie appointing for vice-roy of all Barbarie one of the familie of Sanagia aforesaid finding him afterward not to be his trustie friend Moreouer Califa Elcain arriuing at Alchair and being most honorably entertained by his seruant Gehoar began to thinke vpon great affaires and hauing gathered an huge armie resolued to wage battell against the Califa of Bagdet In the meane season he that was appointed vice-roy of Barbarie compacting with the Calipha of Bagdet yeelded himselfe and all Barbarie into his hands Which the Califa most kindly accepted and ordained him
beeing destitute of inhabitants and nothing at that time to be there seene but onely the nests of rauens and of other birds All this I saw in the 920. yeere of the Hegeira Of Teculeth a towne of Hea. VPon the foote of an hill eighteene miles Eastwarde from Tednest stands a towne called by the Africans Teculeth and containing about one thousand housholdes Hard by this towne runneth a certaine riuer on both sides whereof are most pleasant gardens and all kindes of trees Within the walles of the saide towne are many pits or wels whereout they draw most cleere and pleasant water Here also is to be seene a most stately and beautifull temple as likewise fower hospitals and a monasterie of religious persons The inhabitants of this towne are farre wealthier then they of Tednest for they haue a most famous port vpon the Ocean sea commonly called by merchants Goz. They haue likewise great abundance of corne and pulse which grow in the fruitfull fields adiacent These also of Teculeth send waxe into Portugall to be solde and they are verie curious in their apparell and about the furniture of their 〈◊〉 When I my selfe was at Teculeth I found there a certaine nobleman who was the president or chiefe of their senate this noblemans duety was both to procure tribute which was yeerely to be payed vnto the Arabians and also to make attonement and reconciliation betweene them when they were at ods This man had gathered great riches vnto himselfe which he imployed rather to purchase friends then to fill his coffers most liberall he was vnto the poore most bountifull and fauourable vnto all his citizens insomuch that all men did reuerence and honour vnto him as vnto their father and best protectour Of whose curtesie I my selfe also made triall and being not meanely but verie sumptuously entertained by him I remained with him for a certaine time and read in his house diuers histories of African matters This good man togither with his sonne was slaine in a skirmish against the Portugals which was done according to our computation in the yeere of the Hegeira 923. that is to say in the yeere of our Lord 1514. After which misfortune we heard that the citie was razed that the people were part of them put to flight part lead captiue and the residue 〈◊〉 by the enimy all which particulars we haue declared more at large in that Booke which is now lately printed and published concerning African affaires Of Hadecchis a towne of Hea. THE citie of Hadecchis being situate vpon a plaine standeth eight miles Southward of Teculeth it containeth seauen hundred families and the wals churches and houses throughout this whole citie are all built of free stone Through the midst of the towne runneth a large and faire streame hauing many vines galleries on both sides thereof There be many Iewes artificers in this citie The citizens here go somewhat decently apparelled their horses are good most of them exercise merchandize also they stampe a kinde of coine and they haue certaine yeerely faires or martes whereunto the nations adioining do vsually resort Here is to be sold great store of cattell of butter oyle yron and cloath and their said mart lasteth fifteene dayes Their women are very beautifull white of colour fat comely and trim But the men beare a most sauage minde being so extremely possessed with ielousie that whomsoeuer they finde but talking with their wiues they presently goe about to murther them They haue no iudges nor learned men among them nor any which can assigne vnto the citizens any functions and magistracies according to their worthines so that hee rules like a king that excelleth the residue in wealth For matters of religion they haue certaine Mahumetan priests to administer them Who neither pay tribute nor yeerely custome euen as they whom we last before mentioned Heere I was entertained by a certaine curteous and liberall minded priest who was exceedingly delighted with Arabian Poetrie Wherefore being so louingly entertained I read vnto him a certaine briefe treatise as touching the same argument which he accepted so kindly at my hands that he would not suffer mee to depart without great and bountifull rewards From hence I trauelled vnto Maroco And afterward I heard that this towne also in the yeere of the Hegeira 922. was sacked by the Portugals and that the inhabitants were all fled into the next mountaines and the verie same yeere I returned home to visit my natiue countrey which was in the yeere of our Lord 1513. Of Ileusugaghen a towne of Hea. THis towne is situate vpon the top of a certaine high mountaine which is distant eight miles to the South of Hadecchis it consisteth of about two hundred families and by the foote of the hill runneth a small riuer Heere are no gardens at all nor yet any trees which beare fruit the reason whereof is as I suppose because the inhabitants are such slothfull and grosse people that they regard nothing but their barley and their oyle They are at continuall warre with their next neighbours which is performed with such monstrous bloodshed and manslaughter that they deserue rather the name of beasts then of men They haue neither iudges priests nor lawyers to prescribe any forme of liuing among them or to gouerne their common-wealth wherefore iustice and honestie is quite banished out of their habitations Those mountaines are altogither destitute of fruits howbe it they abound greatly with honie which serueth the inhabitants both for food and for merchandize to sell in the neighbour-countries And because they know not what seruice to put their waxe vnto they cast it foorth togither with the other excrements of honie The saide towne of Ileusugaghen hath a verie small and narrow chappell which will scarce containe a hundred persons whither notwithstanding the people doe so slowly resort that they need not to haue any greater so much do they neglect religion and pietie Whensoeuer they goe abroad they carrie a dagger or a iauelin about with them and you shall often heare of the slaughter of some one or other of their citizens No people vnder heauen can be more wicked trecherous or lewdly addicted then this people is I remember that I my selfe went once thither with a Seriffo or Mahumetan priest who made chalenge vnto the gouernment of Hea to the ende that we might arbitrate certaine strifes and contentions for it were incredible to report what cruell warres partly for murthers and partly for robberies were practised among them But because the Seriffo had brought no lawyers with him nor any iudges to decide controuersies he would needes that I should take that office vpon me Immediately the townsmen come flocking about vs one complaines that his neighbour hath slaine eight of his kinred and family his neighbour on the contrarie alleageth that the former had slaine ten of his familie wherefore according to the auncient custome he demaundeth to haue a summe of money giuen
containeth more then sixe hundred housholds Here ships of meane burthen may safely harbour themselues and hither the Portugall merchants resort to buy goats-skins and waxe Corne-fields they haue none but onely certaine hils which yeeld great increase of barlie Neere vnto this towne runs a certaine riuer whereinto the ships put themselues in tempestuous weather The towne-wall is built of white hewen stone and of bricke They gather their yeerely customes and subsidies all the whole summe whereof is equally distributed among such citizens as are meete for the warres In this towne are great plentie of Mahumetan priests and of iudges howbeit for the inquirie of murther and such like crimes these iudges haue no authoritie For if any kinsman of the slaine or wounded partie meeteth with him that did the fact he is presently without any iudgement to haue Legem talionis that is like for like inflicted vpon him but if he escape that he is banished seuen yeeres out of the citie at the end of which seuen yeeres the malefactor hauing paide a certaine summe of money to the friends of the wounded or slaine partie is afterward receiued into fauour and accounted among the number of citizens All the inhabitants of Tefethne are of a most white colour being so addicted vnto friendship and hospitalitie that they fauour strangers more then their owne citizens They haue a most stately and rich hospitall howbeit those which are there placed may for the most part remaine in citizens houses My selfe being in companie with the Seriffo or Mahumetan prelate continued for the space of three daies among this people which three daies seemed three yeeres vnto me both for the incredible number of fleas and also for the most lothsome and intolerable stench of pisse and of goates dung For each citizen hath a flocke of goates which they driue in the day-time to pasture and at night they house them at home in their owne habitations yea euen before their chamber-doores Of the people called Ideuacal who inhabite the beginning of mount Atlas HAuing hitherto made report of al the cities of Hea which are worthie of memorie I thought good in this place to the end that nothing should be wanting in this our discourse which might delight the reader to describe the inhabited mountaines also Wherefore the greatest part of the people of Headwelleth vpon mountaines some where of being called Ideuacal for so are they named inhabite vpon that part of Atlas which stretcheth it selfe from the Ocean sea eastward as farre as Igilingigil and this ridge of mountaines diuideth Hea from Sus. The bredth of this mountaine is three daies iourney For Tefethne whereat this mountaine beginneth from the north is distant from the towne of Messa where it endeth southward as farre as I coulde conueniently ride in three daies Whosoeuer knoweth this region as well as my selfe can sufficiently beare me witnes howe it is replenished with inhabitants and countrey-villages Their ordinary food is barly goates-flesh and hony Shirts they weare none at all nor yet any other garments which are sowen togither for there is no man among them which knoweth how to vse the needle but such apparell as they haue hangeth by a knot vpon their shoulders Their women weare siluer rings vpon their eares some three and some more They haue siluer buttons of so great a scantling that each one weigheth an ounce wherewith they fasten their apparell vpon their shoulders to the end it may not fall off The nobler and richer sort of people among them weare siluer rings vpon their fingers and legs but such as are poore weare ringes onely of iron or of copper There are likewise certaine horses in this region being so small of stature and so swift as it is woonderfull Heere may you finde great plentie of wilde goats hares and deere and yet none of the people are delighted in hunting Many fountaines are heere to be founde and great aboundance of trees but especially of walnut-trees The greater part of this people liueth after the Arabians manner often changing their places of habitation A kinde of daggers they vse whieh are broad and crooked like a wood-knife and their swords are as thicke as sithes wherewith they mowe haie When they go to the warres they carrie three or fower hunting toiles with them In al the said mountaine are neither iudges priestes nor temples to be founde So ignorant they are of learning that not one among them either loueth or embraceth the same They are all most lewd and wicked people and applie their mindes vnto all kinde of villanie It was tolde the Seriffo in my presence that the foresaide mountaine was able to affoord twentie thousand soldiers for a neede Of the mountaine called Demensera THis mountaine also is a part of Atlas beginning from the mountaine last before mentioned and extending it selfe eastward for the space of about fiftie miles as farre as the mountaine of Nifif in the territorie of Maroco And it diuideth a good part of Hea from the region of Sus before named It aboundeth with inhabitants which are of a most barbarous and sauage disposition Horses they haue great plenty they go to warre oftentimes with the Arabians which border vpon them neither will they permit any of the saide Arabians to come within their dominions There are no townes nor castles vpon all this mountaine howbeit they haue certaine villages and cottages wherein the better sort do hide their heads Great store of noble men or gouernors they haue in all places vnto whom the residue are very obedient Their grounde yeeldeth barly and mill in abundance They haue euery where many fountaines which being dispersed ouer the whole prouince do at length issue into that riuer which is called in their language Siffaia Their apparell is somewhat decent also they possesse great quantitie of iron which is from thence transported into other places and these people are well giuen to thrift and good husbandry Great numbers of Iewes remaine in this region which liue as stipendarie soldiers vnder diuers princes are continually in armes and they are reputed and called by other Iewes in Africa Carraum that is to say heretiques They haue store of boxe of mastick and of high walnut trees Vnto their Argans for so they call a kinde of oliues which they haue they put nuts out of which two simples they expresse very bitter oile vsing it for a sauce to some of their meates and powring it into their lampes I heard diuers of their principall men auouch that they were able to bring into the field siue and twentie thousand most expert soldiers In my returne from Sus they did me exceeding honour in regard of certaine letters which I deliuered vnto them from my Lord the Seriffo and to manifest their good will towardes the said Seriffo they 〈◊〉 me with most ample gifts and gratuities This was done in the 920. yeere of the Hegeira that is to say in the yeere of our Lord 1520. Of the
which are chosen by lots howbeit their gouernment lasteth for sixteene moneths onely The riuer of Sus is distant three miles from hence Here dwell many Iewes which are most cunning goldsmiths carpenters and such like artificers They haue a verie stately temple and many priests and doctors of the lawe which are maintained at the publike charge Euery munday great numbers of Arabians both of the plaines and of the mountaines come hither to market In the yeere of the Hegeira 920. this citie of their owne accord yeelded themselues into the hands of the Seriffo and here the common councell of the whole region was established Of the citie of Tagauost IN all Sus there is no citie comparable vnto that which is commonly called Tagauost for it containeth aboue eight thousand housholdes the wall thereof is builte of rough stones From the Ocean it is distant about threescore miles and about fiftie miles southward of Atlas and the report is that the Africans built this citie About ten miles from this place lieth the riuer of Sus here are great store of artificers and of shops and the people of Tagauost are diuided into three parts They haue continuall ciuill wars among themselues and one part haue the Arabians alwaies on their side who for better pay will take parte sometime with one side and sometime with the contrarie Of corne and cattell heere is great abundance but their wooll is exceeding course In this citie are made certaine kindes of apparell which are vsually carried for merchandize once a yeere to Tombuto to Gualata and to other places in the lande of Negros Their market is twise euery weeke their attire is somewhat decent and comely their women are beautifull but their men are of a tawnie and swart colour by reason they are descended of blacke fathers and white mothers In this citie such carrie the greatest authoritie and credit as are accounted the richest and the mightiest I my selfe remained heere thirteene daies with the Seriffo his 〈◊〉 chancellour who went thither of purpose to buie certaine 〈◊〉 for his Lord in the yeere of the Hegeira 919. which was in the yeere of our Lord 1510. Of the mountaine of Hanchisa THis mountaine beginneth westward from Atlas and from thence stretcheth almost fortie miles eastward At the foote of this mountaine standeth Messa with the residue of the region of Sus. The inhabitants of this mountaine are such valiant footmen that one of them will encounter two horsemen The soile will yeeld no corne at all but barly 〈◊〉 hony there is in great abundance With snowe they are almost at all times troubled but how patiently and strongly they can endure the colde a man may easily gesse for that the whole yeere throughout they weare one single garment onely This people my Lord the Seriffo attempted often to bring vnder his subiection howbeit he hath not as yet preuailed against them Of the mountaine of Ilalem THis mountaine beginneth westward from the mountaine aforesaid on the east it abutteth vpon the region of Guzula and southward vpon the plaines of Sus. The inhabitants are valiant hauing great store of horses They are at continuall warre among themselues for certaine siluer mines so that those which haue the better hande digge as much siluer as they can and distribute to euery man his portion vntill such time as they be restrained from digging by others The situation and estate of the region of Maroco THis region beginneth westward from the mountaine of Nefisa stretching eastward to the mountaine of Hadimei and northward euen to that place where the most famous riuers of Tensift and Asfinual meete togither that is to say vpon the east border of Hea. This region is in a manner three square being a most pleasant countrey and abounding with many droues and flockes of cattell it is greene euery where and most fertile of all things which serue for foode or which delight the senses of smelling or seeing It is altogither a plaine countrey not much vnlike to Lombardie The mountaines in this region are most colde and barren insomuch that they will bring foorth nought but barly Wherefore according to our former order beginning at the west part of this region we will proceed in our description eastward Of Elgihumuha a towne of Maroco VPon that plaine which is about seuen miles distant from Atlas and not farre from the riuer of Sesseua standeth a towne called by the inhabitants Elgihumuha which was built as they suppose by the Africans A while after it was brought vnder the subiection of certaine Arabians about that verie time when the family of Muachidin aforesaid began to reuolt from the kingdome And at this day the ruines and reliques of this towne can scarce be seene The Arabians which now dwel thereabout do sow so much ground onely as to supply their owne necessities and the residue they let lye vntilled and fruitles Howbeit when the countrey thereabout was in flourishing estate the inhabitants payed yeerely vnto the Prince for tribute 100000. ducates and then this towne contained aboue sixe thousand families Trauelling that way I was most friendly entertained by a certaine Arabian and had good experience of the peoples liberality sauing that I heard of some that they were most trecherous and deceitfull Of the castle of Imegiagen THe castle of Imegiagen is built vpon the top of a certaine hil of Atlas being so fortified by naturall situation that it neither hath nor needeth any wall It standeth southward of Elgihumuha as I take it 25. miles This castle was in times past vnder the iurisdiction of the noble men of that region vntill such time as it was taken by one Homar Essuef an apostata from the Mahumetan religion as we will afterward declare The said Homar vsed such monstrous tyrannie in that place that neither children nor women big with childe could escape his crueltie insomuch that he caused the vnborne infants to bee ripped out of their mothers wombes and to be murthered This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira 900 and so that place remained destitute of inhabitants In the yeere 920. of the Hegeira the said region began to be inhabited anew howbeit now there can but one side of the mountaine onely be tilled for the plaine vnderneath is so dangerous both by reason of the daily incursions of the Arabians and also of the Portugals that no man dare trauell that way Of the towne of Tenessa VPon a certaine hill of Atlas named Ghedmin standeth a towne which was built as some report by the ancient Africans and called by the name of Tenessa being a most strong and defensible place and being distant about eight miles eastward from the riuer of Asifinuall At the foote of the said hill lieth a most excellent plaine which were it not for the lewd 〈◊〉 Arabians would yeeld an incomparable crop And because the inhabitants of Tenessa are depriued of this 〈◊〉 commoditie they till onely that ground which is vpon the side of
but whereupon this dissension of theirs should arise I cannot well determine Their gentlemens wiues neuer goe foorth of the doores but onely in the night season and then also they must be so vailed and muffeled that no man may see them so great is the ielousie of this people This towne is so durtie in the spring-time that it would irke a man to walke the streetes Of a towne called Gemiha Elchmen THis ancient towne standeth on a plaine neere vnto certaine baths being distant southward of Mecnase fifteene miles westard of Fez thirtie and from Atlas about ten miles By this towne lieth the common high way from Fez to Tedle The fielde of this towne was possessed by certaine Arabians and the towne it selfe vtterly destroied in the war of Sahid Howbeit in certaine places the walles are yet remaining and diuers towers and temples standing without roofes Of the towne called Cannis Metgara THis towne was built by certaine Africans in the field of Zuaga almost fifteene miles westward from Fez. Without this towne for two miles together were most pleasant and fruitfull gardens but by the cruell warre of Sahid all was laide waste and the place it selfe remained void of inhabitauts an hundred and twenty yeeres Howbeit when part of the people of Granada came ouer into Africa this region began to be inhabited anew And whereas the Granatines are great merchants of silke they caused for the breeding of silkewormes great store of white mulberrie trees to be brought hither Here likewise they planted abundance of sugar-canes which prosper not so well in this place as in the prouince of Andaluzia In times past the inhabitants of this place were very ciuill people but in our time they haue not beene so by reason that all of them exercise husbandrie Of the towne of Banibasil THis towne was built by the Africans vpon a certaine small riuer iust in the mid way betweene Mecnase and Fez being distant from Fez about eighteene miles westward Out of their fields many riuers take their originall which fieldes are by the Arabians sowen all ouer with barlie and hempe neither indeed will the soile yeeld any other commoditie both by reason of the barrennes and also for that it is for the most part ouerflowed with water Whatsoeuer commoditie ariseth out of this place redoundeth to the priestes of the principall Mahumetan temple in Fez and it amounteth almost yeerely to twenty thousand duckats Here also in times past were most large pleasant and fruitfull gardens as appeereth by the monuments and reliques thereof howbeit they were like other places laide waste by the war of Sahid The towne it selfe remained destitute of inhabitants an hundred and ten yeeres but as the king of Fez returned home from Duccala he commanded part of his people to inhabite the same albeit their inciuilitie made them loth so to doe Of Fez the principall citie of all Barbarie and of the founders thereof FEz was built in the time of one Aron a Mahumetan patriarke in the yeere of the Hegeira 185. and in the yeere of our Lord 786. by a certaine heretike against the religion of Mahumet But why it should so be called some are of opinion because when the first foundations thereof were digged there was found some quantitie of golde which mettall in the Arabian language is called Fez. Which etymologie seemeth to me not improbable albeit some would haue it so called from a certaine riuer of that name But howsoeuer it be we leaue that to be discussed by others affirming for an vndoubted truth that the founder of this citie was one Idris being the foresaid Aron his neere kinsman This Idris ought rather to haue beene Mahumetan patriarke because he was nephew vnto Hali the cozen-german of Mahumet who married Falerna Mahumets owne daughter so that Idris both by father and mother was of Mahumets linage but Aron being nephew vnto one Habbus the vncle of Mahumet was of kinred onely by the fathers side Howbeit both of them were excluded from the said patriarkship for certaine causes mentioned in the African chronicles although Aron vsurped the same by deceit For Arons vncle being a most cunning and craftie man and faining himselfe to beare greatest fauour vnto the familie of Hali and to bee most desirous that the patriarkship should light thereon sent his ambassadours almost throughout the whole world Whereupon the dignitie was translated from Vmeve to Habdulla Seffec the first patriarke Which Vmeve being informed of waged warre against the familie of Hali and so preuailed that some of them he chased into Asia and some into India Howbeit an ancient religious man of the same familie remained still aliue at Elmadina who being very olde no whit regarded the dignitie But this ancient sire left behinde him two sonnes who when they were come to mans estate grew into so great fauour with the people of Elmadin that they were chased thence by their enemies the one being taken hanged and the other whose name was Idris escaping into Mauritania This Idris dwelling vpon mount Zaron about thirtie miles from Fez gouerned not onely the commonwealth but matters of religion also and all the region adiacent paid him tribute At length Idris deceasing without lawfull issue left one of his maides big with childe which had beene turned from the Gothes religion to the Moores Being deliuered of her sonne they called him after his fathers name Idris This childe the inhabitants chusing for their prince caused him to be most carefully brought vp and as he grew in yeeres to the end they might traine him vp in feates of chiualrie they appointed one Rasid a most valiant and skilfull captaine to instruct him Insomuch that while he was but fifteene yeeres of age he grew famous for his valiant actes and stratagems and began woonderfully to inlarge his dominions Wherefore his troupes and familie increasing euery day more and more he set his minde vpon building of a citie and changing of his habitation And so he sent for cunning builders into all nations who hauing diligently perused all places in the region at last made choise of that where the citie of Fez now standeth For here they found great store of fountaines and a faire riuer which springing foorth of a plaine not far of runneth pleasantly almost eight miles amidst the little hils till at length it casteth itselfe vpon another plaine Southward of the place they found a wood which they knew would be right commodious for the towne Here therefore vpon the east banke of the said riuer they built a towne containing three thousand families neither omitted they ought at al which might be required in a flourishing commonwealth After the decease of Idris his sonne erected another towne directly ouer against the foresaid on the other side of the riuer But in processe of time either towne so encreased that there was but a small distance betweene them for the gouernours of each laboured might and maine to augment their owne
iurisdictions An hundred and fowerscore yeeres after there fell out great dissension and ciuill warre betweene these two cities which by report continued an hundred yeeres together At length Ioseph king of Maroco of the Luntune-familie conducting an huge armie against both these princes tooke them prisoners carried them home vnto his dominions and put them to a most cruell death And he so vanquished the citizens that there were slaine of them thirtie thousand Then determined king Ioseph to reduce those two townes into firme vnitie and concord for which cause making a bridge ouer the riuer and beating downe the walles of either towne right against it he vnited both into one which afterward he diuided into twelue regions or wardes Now let vs make report of all such memorable things as are there to be seene at this day A most exact description of the citie of Fez. A World it is to see how large how populous how well-fortified and walled this citie is The most part thereof standeth vpon great and little hils neither is there any plaine ground but onely in the midst of the citie The riuer entreth the towne in two places for it is diuided into a double branch one whereof runneth by new Fez that is by the south side of the towne and another commeth in at the west side And so almost infinitely dispersing it selfe into the citie it is deriued by certaine conducts and chanels vnto euery temple college inne hospitall and almost to euery priuate house Vnto the temples are certaine square conducts adioined hauing celles and receptacles round about them each one of which hath a cocke whereby water is conueied through the wall into a trough of marble From whence flowing into the sinks and gutters it carrieth away all the filth of the citie into the riuer In the midst of each square conduct standeth a lowe cesterne being three cubites in depth fower in bredth and twelue in length and the water is conueied by certaine pipes into the foresaid square conducts which are almost an hundred and fiftie in number The most part of the houses are built of fine bricks and stones curiously painted Likewise their bay-windowes and portals are made of partie-coloured bricke like vnto the stones of Majorica The roofes of their houses they adorne with golde azure and other excellent colours which roofes are made of wood and plaine on the top to the end that in summer-time carpets may be spred vpon them for here they vse to lodge by reason of the exceeding heate of that countrie Some houses are of two and some of three stories high whereunto they make fine staires by which they passe from one roome to another vnder the same roofe for the middle part of the house is alwaies open or vncouered hauing some chambers built on the one side and some on the other The chamber-doores are very high and wide which in rich mens houses are framed of excellent and carued wood Each chamber hath a presse curiously painted and varnished belonging thereunto being as long as the chamber it selfe is broad some will haue it very high and others but sixe handfuls in height that they may set it on the tester of a bed All the portals of their houses are supported with bricke-pillers finely plaistered ouer except some which stand vpon pillers of marble The beames and transoms vpholding their chambers are most curiously painted and carued To some houses likewise belong certaine square cesternes containing in bredth sixe or seuen cubites in length ten or twelue and in height but sixe or seuen handfuls being all vncouered and built of bricks trimly plaistered ouer Along the sides of these cesternes are certaine cocks which conuey the water into marbletroughes as I haue seene in many places of Europe When the foresaide conducts are full of water that which floweth ouer runneth by certaine secret pipes and conueiances into the cesternes and that which ouerfloweth the cesternes is carried likewise by other passages into the common sinks and gutters and so into the riuer The said cesternes are alwaies kept sweete and cleane neither are they 〈◊〉 but onely in summer 〈◊〉 when men women and children bathe themselues therein Moreouer on the tops of their houses they vsually build a turret with many pleasant roomes therein whither the women for recreations sake when they are wearie of working retire themselues from whence they may see well-nigh all the citie ouer Of Mahumetan temples and oratories there are almost seuen hundred in this towne fiftie whereof are most stately and sumptuously built hauing their conducts made of marble and other excellent stones vnknowen to the Italians and the chapiters of their pillers be artificially adorned with painting and caruing The tops of these temples after the fashion of Christian churches in Europe are made of ioises and planks but the pauement is couered with mats which are so cunningly sowed together that a man cannot see the bredth of a finger vncouered The walles likewise on the inner side are lined a mans height with such mats Moreouer each temple hath a turret or steeple from whence certaine are appointed with a lowd voice to call the people at their set-time of praier Euery temple hath one onely priest to say seruice therin who hath the bestowing of all reuenues belōging to his owne temple as occasion requireth for thereby are maintained lampes to burne in the night and porters to keepe the doores are paid their wages out of it and so likewise are they that call the people to ordinarie praiers in the night season for those which crie from the said towers in the day-time haue no wages but are onely released from all tributes and exactions The chiefe Mahumetan temple in this towne is called Caruven being of so incredible a bignes that the circuit thereof and of the buildings longing vnto it is a good mile and a halfe about This temple hath one and thirtie gates or portals of a woonderfull greatnes and height The roofe of this temple is in length 150. and in bredth about fowerscore Florentine cubites The turret or steeple from whence they crie amaine to assemble the people togither is exceedingly high the bredth whereof is supported with twentie and the length with thirtie pillers On the east west and north sides it hath certaine walkes or galleries fortie cubites in length and thirtie in bredth Vnder which galleries there is a cell or storehouse wherein oile candles mats and other such necessaries for the temple are laid vp Euery night in this temple are burnt nine hundred lightes for euery arch hath a seuerall lampe especially those which extend through the mid-quire Some arches there are that haue 120. candles apeece there are likewise certaine brasse-candlestickes so great and with so many sockets as they will holde each one fifteene hundred candles and these candlestickes are reported to haue beene made of bels which the king of Fez in times past tooke from Christians About the wals of the
said temple are diuers pulpits out of which those that are learned in the Mahumetan lawe instruct the people Their winter-lectures begin presently after sun-rise and continue the space of an hower But their summer-lectures holde on from the sunne going downe till an hower and a halfe within night And here they teach as well morall philosophie as the law of Mahumet The summer-lectures are performed by certaine priuate and obscure persons but in winter such onely are admitted to read as be reputed their greatest clerkes All which readers and professours are yeerely allowed most liberall stipends The priest of this great temple is inioined onely to read praiers and faithfully to distribute almes among the poore Euery festiuall day he bestoweth all such corne and money as he hath in his custodie to all poore people according to their neede The treasurer or collector of the reuenues of this church hath euery day a duckat for his pay Likewise he hath eight notaries or clerkes vnder him euery one of which gaineth sixe duckats a moneth and other sixe clerks who receiue the rent of houses shops and other such places as belong to the temple hauing for their wages the twentith part of all such rents and duties as they gather Moreouer there belong to this temple twentie factors or bailies of husbandrie that without the citie-walles haue an eie to the labourers plowemen vine-planters and gardeners and that prouide them things necessarie their gaine is three duckats a moneth Not far from the citie are about twentie lime-kils and as many bricke-kils seruing for the reparation of their temple and of all houses thereto belonging The reuenues of the said temple daily receiued are two hundred duckats a day the better halfe whereof is laid out vpon the particulars aforesaid Also if there be any temples in the citie destitute of liuing they must all be maintained at the charges of this great temple and then that which remaineth after all expences is bestowed for the behoofe of the commonwealth for the people receiue no reuenues at all In our time the king commanded the priest of the said temple to lend him an huge summe of money which he neuer repaied againe Moreouer in the citie of Fez are two most stately colleges of which diuers roomes are adorned with curious painting all their beames are carued their walles consisting both of marble and freestone Some colleges here are which containe an hundred studies some more and some fewer all which were built by diuers kings of the Marin-familie One there is among the rest most beautifull and admirable to behold which was erected by a certaine king called Habu Henon Here is to be seene an excellent fountaine of marble the cesterne whereof containeth two pipes Through this college runneth a little streame in a most cleere and pleasant chanell the brims and edges whereof are workmanly framed of marble and stones of Majorica Likewise here are three cloysters to walke in most curiously and artificially made with certaine eight-square pillers of diuers colours to support them And betweene piller and piller the arches are beautifully ouercast with golde azure and diuers other colours and the roofe is very artificially built of wood The sides of these cloysters are so close that they which are without cannot see such as walke within The walles round about as high as a man can reach are adorned with plaister-worke of Majorica In many places you may finde certaine verses which declare what yeere the college was built in together with many epigrams in the founders commendation The letters of which verses are very great and blacke so that they may be red a far off This college-gates are of brasse most curiously carued and so are the doores artificially made of wood In the chappell of this college standeth a certaine pulpit mounted nine staires high which staires are of iuorie and eben Some affirme that the king hauing built this college was desirous to knowe how much money he had spent in building it but after he had perused a leafe or two of his account-booke finding the summe of fortie thousand duckats he rent it asunder and threw it into the foresaid little riuer adding this sentence out of a certaine Arabian writer Each pretious and amiable thing though it costeth deere yet if it be beautifull it cannot choose but be good cheape neither is any thing of too high a price which pleaseth a mans affection Howbeit a certaine treasurer of the kings making a particular account of all the said expences found that this excellent building stood his master in 480000. duckats The other colleges of Fez are somwhat like vnto this hauing euery one readers and professors some of which read in the forenoone and some in the afternoone In times past the students of these colleges had their apparell and victuals allowed them for seuen yeeres but now they haue nothing gratìs but their chamber For the warre of Sahid destroied many possessions whereby learning was maintained so that now the greatest college of al hath yeerely but two hundred and the second but an hundred duckats for the maintenance of their professors And this perhaps may be one reason among many why the gouernment not onely of Fez but of all the cities in Africa is so base Now these colleges are furnished with no schollers but such as are strangers and liue of the citie-almes and if any citizens dwell there they are not aboue two or three at the most The professor being ready for his lecture some of his auditors readeth a text whereupon the said professor dilateth and explaneth obscure and difficult places Sometimes also the schollers dispute before their professor A description of the hospitals and bathes in the citie of Fez. MAny hospitals there are in Fez no whit inferiour either for building or beautie vnto the foresaid colleges For in them whatsoeuer strangers came to the citie were intertained at the common charge for three daies together There are likewise as faire and as stately hospitals in the suburbes In times past their wealth was maruellous great but in the time of Sahids warre the king standing in neede of a great summe of money was counselled by some of his greedy courtiers to sell the liuings of the said hospitals Which when the people would in no case yeeld vnto the kings oratour or speaker perswaded them that all those liuings were giuen by his maiesties predecessours and therefore because when the warres were ended they should soone recouer all againe that it were far better for them by that meanes to pleasure their soueraigne then to let his kingly estate fall into so great danger Whereupon all the said liuings being sold the king was preuented by vntimely and sudden death before he could bring his purpose to effect and so these famous hospitals were depriued of all their maintenance The poore indeede and impotent people of the city are at this day relieued but no strangers are 〈◊〉 saue only learned
esteemed of yet are they sold at a most easie price for a man may buie 30 or at least 20. pound weight for one Liardo Greene beanes likewise in time of yeere are sold good cheape Not far frō the place before mentioned are certaine shops wherein lumps or steakes of flesh beaten in a morter thē fried with oile seasoned with much spice are to be bought euery one of the said lumps or steakes being about the bignes of a fig being made only of dried beefe On the north side of the temple is a place whither all kind of herbes are brought to make sallets withall for which purpose there are 40. shops appointed Next wherunto is The place of smoke so called by reason of continuall smoke here are certaine fritters or cakes fried in oile like vnto such as are called at Rome Pan Melato Of these fritters great store are daily vttered for euery day they vse to breake their fasts therwith especially vpon festiual daies vnto which fritters they adde for a conclusion either rostmeat or honie somtimes they steepe them in an homely kinde of broth made of bruised meat which being sodden they bray the second time in a morter making pottage therof colouring it with a kinde of red earth They roste their flesh not vpon a spit but in an ouen for making two ouens one ouer another for the same purpose in the lower they kindle a fire putting the flesh into the vpper ouen when it is wel het You would not beleeue how finely their meat is thus rosted for it cannot be spoiled either by smoke or too much heat for they are all night rosting it by a gentle fire and in the morning they set it to sale The foresaid steakes fritters they sell vnto the citizens in so great abūdance that they daily take for them mo thē 200. duckats For there are 15. shops which sell nothing else Likewise here are sold certaine fishes flesh fried a kind of excellent sauorie bread tasting somwhat like a fritter which being baked with butter they neuer eat but with butter and honie Here also are the feet of certaine beasts sodden wherewith the husbandmen betimes in the morning breake their fast and then hie them to their labour Next vnto these are such as sell oile salt butter cheese oliues pome-citrons capers their shops are full of fine earthen vessels which are of much greater value then the things contained in them Their butter and honie they sell by certaine criers which are porters appointed for the same office Neither doe they admit euery one to fill their vessels but that worke is reserued for certaine porters appointed to doe it which also fill the measures of oile when merchants buie the same The said vessels are sufficient to containe an hundred and fiftie pounds of butter for so much butter the countrie-people put into each vessell Then follow the shambles consisting of about fortie shops wherein the butchers cut their flesh a peeces and sell it by weight They kill no beastes within the shambles for there is a place allotted for this purpose neere vnto the riuer where hauing once dressed their flesh they send it to the shambles by certaine seruants appointed for that end But before any butcher dare sell his flesh vnto the citizens he must carrie it to the gouernour of the shambles who so soone as he seeth the flesh he sets downe in a peece of paper the price thereof which they shew together with their meate vnto the people neither may they in any case exceed the said price Next vnto the shambles standeth the market where course cloathes are sold which containeth at least an hundred shops the said cloth is deliuered vnto certaine criers which are about threescore in number who carrying the cloth from shop to shop tell the price thereof and for the selling of euery duckats-woorth they haue two Liardos allowed them This traffique of cloth indureth from noone till night to the merchants great aduantage Then follow their shops that scowre and sell armour swordes iauelings and such like warlike instruments Next vnto them stand the fishmongers who sell most excellent and great fish taken both in the riuer of Fez and in other waters exceeding cheape for you may buie a pound of fish for two farthings onely There is great abundance of the fish called in Rome Laccia and that especially from the beginning of October till the moneth of Aprill as we will declare more at large when we come to speake of the riuers Next vnto the fishmongers dwell such as make of a certaine hard reed coopes and cages for fowles their shops being about fortie in number For each of the citizens vseth to bring vp great store of hennes and capons And that their houses may not be defiled with hennes-dung they keepe them continually in coopes and cages Then follow their shops that sell liquide sope but they be not many for you shall finde more of them in other partes of the citie Neither make they sope at Fez onely but also in the mountaines thereabout from whence it is brought vnto the citie vpon mules backes Next of all are certaine of their shops that sell meale albeit they are diuersly dispersed throughout the whole citie Next vnto them are such as sell seed-graine and seed-pulse which you cannot buie of any citizen because that euery one had rather keepe his corne in store many there are likewise in the same place that will carrie pulse or corne to mules or horses whithersoeuer you will haue them A mule vseth to carrie three measures of pulse vpon his backe which the muliter is enioined to measure in three sacks lying one vpon another Then are there ten shops of them that sell straw Next them is the market where threed and hempe is to be sold and where hempe vseth to be kempt which place is built after the fashion of great houses with fower galleries or spare-roomes round about it in the first whereof they sell linnen-cloth and weigh hempe in two other sit a great many women hauing abundance of sale-threed which is there solde by the criers who carrie the same vp and downe from noone till night In the midst of this place growe diuers mulberie trees affoordiug pleasant shade and shelter vnto the merchants and hither such swarmes of women resort that a man shall hardly withdraw himselfe from among them good sport it is sometime to see how they will barret and scould one at another yea and oftentimes you shall see them fall together by the eares Let vs now come to the west part which stretcheth from the temple to that gate that leadeth vnto Mecnase Next vnto the smokie place before mentioned their habitations directly stand that make leather-tankards to draw water out of wels of whom there are some fourteene shops Vnto these adioine such as make wicker-vessels and other to lay vp meale and corne in and these enioy
about thirtie shops Next them are 150. shops of tailors And next the tailors are those that make leather-shieldes such as I haue often seene brought into Europe Then follow twenty shops of laundresses or washers being people of a base condition to whom the citizens that haue not maids of their owne carrie their shirtes and other fowle linnen which after few daies are restored vnto them so cleane and white as it is woonderfull These laundresses haue diuers shops adioining together in the same place but here and there throughout the citie are aboue two hundred families of such persons Next vnto the laundresses are those that make trees for saddles who dwell likewise in great numbers eastwarde right in the way to the college founded by king Abuhinan Vpon these adioine about fortie shops of such as work stirrops spurres and bridles so artificially as I thinke the like are not to be seene in Europe Next standeth their street that first rudely make the said stirrops bridles and spurres From thence you may go into the street of sadlers which couer the saddles before mentioned threefold with most excellent leather the best leather they lay vppermost and the woorst beneath and that with notable workmanship as may be seene in most places of Italie And of them there are moe then an hundred shops Then follow their long shops that make pikes and launces Next standeth a rocke or mount hauing two walks thereupon the one whereof leadeth to the east gate and the other to one of the kings pallaces where the kings sisters or some other of his kinred are vsually kept But this is by the way to be noted that all the foresaid shops or market begin at the great temple howbeit that I might not inuert my set-order I haue onely described those places that are round about the said temple minding last of all to speake of the merchants station or burse Of the station or burse of merchants in Fez. THis burse you may well call a citie which being walled round about hath twelue gates before euery gate an iron chaine to keepe horses cartes from comming in The said burse is diuided into 12. seuerall wards or partes two whereof are allotted vnto such shoomakers as make shooes onely for noblemen and gentlemen and two also to silke-merchants or haberdashers that sell ribands garters skarfes and such other like ornaments and of these there are about fiftie shops Others there are that sell silke onely for the embrodering of shirts cushions and other such furniture made of cloth possessing almost as many shops as the former Then follow those that make womens girdles of course wooll which some make of silke but very grossely for I thinke they are 〈◊〉 then two fingers thicke so that they may serue almost for cables to a ship Next vnto these girdlers are such as sell woollen and linnen cloth brought out of Europe which haue also silke-stuffes caps and other like commodities to sell. Hauing passed these you come to them that sel mats mattresses cushions and other things made of leather Next adioineth the customers office for their cloth is sent about by certaine criers to be solde who before they can passe must goe to the customers to haue the said cloth sealed and to pay toll vnto the customers Criers here are to the number of sixtie which for the crying of euery cloth haue one Liardo allowed them Next of all dwell the tailors and that in three seuerall streetes Then come you to the linnen-drapers which sell smocks and other apparell for women and these are accounted the richest merchants in all Fez for their wares are the most gainful of all others Next vnto these are certaine woollen garments to be sold made of such cloth as is brought thither out of Europe Euery afternoone cloth is sold in this place by the criers which is lawfull for any man to doe when necessarie occasion vrgeth him Last of all is that place where they vse to sell wrought shirts towels and other embrodered works as also where carpets beds and blankets are to be sold. The reason why this part of the citie was called Caesaria THe foresaid burse or station of merchants was in times past called Caesaria according to the name of that renowmed conquerour 〈◊〉 Caesar the reason whereof some affirme to be because all the cities of Barbarie were in those daies first subiect to the Romans and then to the Goths And each citie alwaies had either Romans or Goths to receiue and take charge of the tribute Howbeit because the people often made ciuill wars and assaults vpon them their determination was in euery citie to build some strong walled place where both the tribute and the principall goods of the citizens might remaine in safetie hoping by this meanes that the citizens would be as carefull of the princes goods as of their owne Which course had the Italians imitated they had neuer beene spoiled so often of their goods For in ciuill wars it many times befalleth that the greedie soldiers not being satisfied with the enimies goods will prey vpon the wealth of their friendes Of the grocers apothecaries and other tradesmen and 〈◊〉 of Fez. NExt vnto the said burse on the north side in a streight lane stand an hundred and fiftie grocers and apothecaries shops which are fortified on both sides with two strong gates These shops are garded in the night season by certaine hired and armed watchmen which keepe their station with lanternes and mastiues The said apothecaries can make neither 〈◊〉 ointments nor electuaries but such things are made at home by the phisitions and are of them to be bought The phisitions houses adioine for the most part vnto the apothecaries howbeitvery few of the people knowe either the phisition or the vse of his phisicke The shops here are so artificially built and adorned that the like I thinke are no where else to be found Being in Tauris a citie of Persia I remember that I saw diuers stately shops curiously built 〈◊〉 certaine galleries but very darke so that in my iudgement they be far inferiour vnto the shops of Fez. Next the apothecaries are certaine artificers that make combes of boxe and other wood Eastward of the apothecaries dwell the needle-makers possessing to the number of fiftie shops Then follow those that turne iuorie and such other matter who because their craft is practised by some other artizans are but few in number Vnto the turners adioine certaine that sell meale sope brooms who dwelling next vnto the threed-market beforementioned are scarce twenty shops in all for the residue are dispersed in other places of the citie as we will hereafter declare Amongst the cotton-merchants are certaine that sell ornaments for tents and beds Next of all stand the fowlers who though they be but few yet are they stored with all kinde of choise and daintie fowles whereupon the place is called the fowlers market Then come you to their shops that
sell cords and ropes of hempe and then to such as make high corke slippers for noblemen and gentlemen to walke the streetes in when it is fowle weather these corke-slippers are finely trimmed with much silke and most excellent vpper leathers so that the cheapest will cost a duckat 〈◊〉 some there are of ten duckats and some of fiue and twentie duckats price Such slippers as are accounted most fine and costly are made of blacke and white mulberie-tree of blacke walnut-tree and of the Iujubatree albeit the corke-slippers are the most durable and strong Vnto these adioine ten shops of Spanish Moores which make crosse-bowes as also those that make broomes of a certaine wilde palme-tree such as are daily brought out of 〈◊〉 to Rome These broomes they cartie about the citie in a great basket either selling them or exchanging them for bran ashes or olde shooes the bran they sell againe to shepherds the ashes to such as white threed the old shooes to coblers Next vnto them are smithes that make nailes coopers which make certaine great vessels in forme of a bucket hauing corne-measures to sell also which measures when the officer appointed for the same purpose hath made triall of he is to receiue a farthing apeece for his fee. Then follow the wooll-chapmen who hauing bought wooll of the butchers put it foorth vnto others to be scowred and washed the sheepe-skins they themselues dresse but as for oxe-hides they belong to another occupation and are tanned in another place Vnto these adioine such as make certaine langols or wit hs which the Africans put vpon their horses feete Next of all are the braziers then such as make weights and measures and those likewise that make instruments to carde wooll or flaxe At length you descend into a long streete where men of diuers occupations dwell together some of which doe polish and enamell stirrops spurres and other such commodities as they receiue from the smithes roughly and rudely hammered Next whom dwell certaine cart-wrights plow-wrights mill-wrights and of other like occupations Diers haue their aboad by the riuers side and haue each of them a most cleere fountaine or cesterne to wash their silke-stuffes in Ouer against the diers dwell makers of bulwarkes or trenches in a very large place which being planted with shadie mulberie-trees is exceeding pleasant in the summer-time Next them are a companie offarriers that shooe mules and horses and then those that make the iron-worke of crosse-bowes Then followe smithes that make horse-shooes and last of all those that white linnen-cloth and here the west part of the citie endeth which in times past as is aforesaid was a citie by it selfe and was built after the citie on the east side of the riuer A description of the second part of Fez. THe second part of Fez situate eastward is beautified with most stately palaces temples houses and colleges albeit there are not so many trades and occupations as in the part before described For here are neither merchants tailors shoomakers c. but of the meaner sort Here are notwithstanding thirtie shops of grocers Neere vnto the walles dwell certaine bricke-burners and potters and not far from thence is a great market of white earthen vessels platters cups and dishes Next of all standes the corne-market wherein are diuers granaries to lay vp corne Ouer against the great temple there is a broad street paued with brick round about which diuers handy-crafts and occupations are exercised There are likewise many other trades diuersly dispersed ouer this east part of the citie The drapers and grocers haue certaine peculiar places allotted vnto them In this east part of Fez likewise there are fiue hundred and twenty weauers houses very stately and sumptuously built hauing in each of them many worke-worke-houses and loomes which yeeld great rent vnto the owners 〈◊〉 there are by report in this citie twenty thousand and as many millers Moreouer in this part of Fez are an hundred shops for the whiting of threed the principall whereof being situate vpon the riuer are exceedingly well furnished with kettles cauldrons and other such vessels here are likewise many great houses to saw wood in which worke is performed by Christian captiues and whatsoeuer wages they earne redoundeth vnto their Lordes and masters These Christian captiues are not suffered to rest from their labours but only vpon fridaies and vpon eight seuerall daies of the yeere besides whereon the Moores feastes are solemnized Here also are the common stewes for harlots which are fauoured by great men and sometime by the cheefe gouernours of the citie Likewise there are certaine vintners who are freely permitted to keepe harlots and to take filthie hire for them Here are also moe then sixe hundred cleere fountaines walled round about and most charily kept euery one of which is seuerally conueied by certaine pipes vnto each house temple college and hospitall and this fountaine-water is accounted the best for that which commeth out of the riuer is in summer oftentimes dried vp as likewise when the conducts are to be cleansed the course of the riuer must of necessitie be turned out of the citie Wherefore euery familie vseth to fetch water out of the said fountaines and albeit in summer-time the chiefe gentlemen vse riuer-water yet they will often call for fountaine-water because it is more coole and pleasant in taste But in the spring-time it is nothing so These fountaines haue their originall for the most part from the west and south for the north part is all full of mountains and marble-rocks containing certaine caues or cels wherein corne may be kept for many yeeres of which caues some are so large that they will holde two hundred bushels of corne The citizens dwelling neere those caues and such as possesse them do sufficiently maintaine themselues in taking yeerely euery hundred bushell for rent The south part of east Fez is almost halfe destitute of inhabitants howbeit the gardens abound with fruites and flowers of all sortes Euery garden hath an house belonging thereunto and a christall-fountaine enuironed with roses and other odoriferous flowers and herbes so that in the spring-time a man may both satisfie his eies and solace his minde in visiting this part of the citie and well it may be called a Paradise sithence the noblemen doe here reside from the moneth of April till the end of September Westward that is toward the kings palace standeth a castle built by a king of the Luntune-familie resembling in bignes an whole towne wherein the kings of Fez before the said palace was built kept their royal residence But after new Fez began to be built by the Marinkings the said castle was left onely to the gouernour of the citie Within this castle standes a stately temple built as aforesaid what time it was inhabited by princes and nobles many places being afterward defaced and turned into gardens howbeit certaine houses were left vnto the gouernour partly to dwell in and partly for the
of the house which is for the most part on the seuenth day after the mariage he buieth great plentie of fishes which he causeth his mother or some other woman to cast vpon his wiues feete and this they from an ancient superstitious custome take for a good boading Likewise at the bridegroomes fathers they vse to make two other feasts the one vpon the day before the bride is married and so that night they spend in dauncing and disport The morrow after a companie of women goe to dresse the bride to combe her locks and to paint her cheekes with vermillion her hands and her feete they die blacke but all this painting presently looseth the fresh hew and this day they haue another banket The bride they place in the highest roome that she may be seene of all and then those that dressed the bride are condignely entertained Being come to the bridegroomes house his parents salute the new bride with certaine great cups full of new wine and cakes with other iuncats which wee wil here passe ouer in silence all which are bestowed vpon the bridegroomes companions The same night which we said was spent in dauncing there are present at the bridall-house certaine minstrels and singers which by turnes sometimes vse their instruments and sometimes voice-musicke they daunce alwaies one by one and at the end of each galliard they bestow a largesse vpon the musitions If any one wil honour the dancer he bids him kneele downe before him and hauing fastened peeces of money all ouer his face the musitions presently take it off for their fee. The women daunce alone without any men at the noise of their owne musitions All these things vse to be performed when the bride is a maide But the mariages of widowes are concluded with lesse adoe Their cheere is boiled beefe and mutton and stued hens with diuers iuncating dishes among In stead of trenchers the guestes being ten or twelue in number haue so many great round platters of wood set before them And this is the common custome of gentlemen and merchants The meaner sort present their guestes with certaine sops or bruesse of bread like vnto a pan-cake which being dipped in flesh-pottage they eate out of a great platter not with spoones but with their fingers onely and round about each great platter stand to the number of ten or twelue persons Likewise they make a solemne feast at the circumcision of their male children which is vpon the seuenth day after their birth and at this feast the circumciser together with all their friends and kinsfolks is present which being done each one according to his abilitie bestoweth a gift vpon the circumciser in manner following Euery man laies his money vpon a lads face which the circumciser brought with him Whereupon the lad calling euery one by his name giueth them thanks in particular and then the infant being circumcised they spend that day with as great iollitie as a day of mariage But at the birth of a daughter they shew not so much alacritie Of their rites obserued vpon festiuall dates and their manner of mourning for the dead AMong the people of Fez there haue remained certaine reliques of festiuall daies instituted of olde by the Christians whereupon they vse certaine ceremonies which themselues vnderstande not Vpon Christmas euen they eate a sallet made of diuers herbs they seeth likewise that night all kind of pulse which they feede vpon for great dainties Vpon New-yeeres day the children goe with maskes and vizards on their faces to the houses of gentlemen and merchants and haue fruits giuen them for singing certaine carols or songs When as the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist is hallowed among Christians you shall here see all about great store of fires made with straw And when their childrens teeth begin to grow they make another feast called according to the Latines Dentilla They haue also many other rites and customes of diuining or soothsaying the like wherof I haue seene at Rome and in other cities of Italie As touching their feasts prescribed by the Mahumetan lawe they are at large set downe in that briefe treatise which we haue written concerning the same law The women hauing by death lost their husbands fathers or any other of their deere friends assemble foorthwith a great multitude of their own sexe together who stripping themselues out of their owne attire put on most vile sackcloth and defile their faces with much durt then call they certaine men clad in womens attire bringing great fower-square drums with them at the noise of which drums the women-mourners sing a funerall song tending as much as may be to the commendation of the partie deceased and at the end of euery verse the said womē vtter most hideous shrikes outcries tearing their haire with much lamentation beating their cheekes breasts till they be all-imbrued with blood and so these heathenish superstitions continue for seuen whole daies together At which seuen daies ende they surcease their mourning for the space of 40. daies then they begin anew to torment thēselues for three daies togither in maner aforesaid howbeit these kinds of obsequies are obserued onely by the baser people but the gentlemen and better sort behaue themselues more modestly At this time all the widowes friends come about her to comfort her and send diuers kinds of meats vnto her for in the mourning house they may dresse no meate at all till the dead corpes be carried foorth The woman her selfe that looseth her husband father or brother neuer goeth foorth with the funerall But how they wash and burie the dead corpes and what superstitions they vse thereabout you shall finde recorded in my little treatise aboue mentioned Of their dove-doue-houses DIuers there are in this citie that take much pleasure in keeping of doues which are here in great plentie of all colours These doues they keepe in certaine cages or lockers on the tops of their houses which lockers they set open twise a day to wit morning and euening delighting greatly to see them flie for those that out-flie the residue are accounted the best Oftentimes it falleth out that neighbours doues will be mingled together for which cause you shall see the owners goe together by the eares Some haue a certaine net bound vnto two long canes wherewith they vse to take their neighbours doues as they come flying foorth of their louers Amongst the colliers you shall find seuen or eight shops onely of those that sel doues Their manner of gaming at Fez. THe citizens vse most of all to play at chesse and that from ancient times Other games there are also but very rude and vsed onely by the common people At certaine times of the yeere the boies of one street wil fight with clubs against the boies of another street and that sometimes with so great furie that they 〈◊〉 themselues to other weapons and slay one another especially vpon their festiuall daies what
of riding First and foremost go the standard-bearers next the drummers then followeth the chiefe groome of the stable with his seruants and family after him comes the kings pensioners his guard his master of ceremonies his secretaries his treasurer and last of all his chiefe Iudge and his captaine generall at length comes the king accompanied with his principall counseller or with some other great peere Before the king also ride certaine officers belonging to his person whereof one carries his sword-royall another his shield and the third his crosse-bowe On each side of him march his footemen one carrying a payer of stirrups another the kings partizan the third a couering for his saddle and the fourth a halter for his horse And so soone as the king is dismounted they foorthwith couer his saddle and put the foresaide halter vpon his horse-head Likewise there is another footeman that carrieth the kings pantofles most artificially wrought After the king followeth the captaine of the footemen then the eunuches the kings family the light horsemen and last of all the crosse-bowes and Harquebusiers The apparell of the king is then verie moderate and plaine insomuch that if a man knew him not he would thinke him to be absent for the attendants be far more sumptuously attired Moreouer no Mahumetan king or prince may weare a crowne diademe or any such like ornament vpon his head for that is forbidden by the law of Mahumet When the king lyeth with his armie in the fields first his owne great tent is pitched in a fower square forme like vnto a castle each side of the saide square being fiftie elles in length At euerie of the fower corners standeth a little sharpe turret made of cloth with a gallant spheare on the top which glistereth like gold This royall pauilion hath fower gates euerie one of which is kept by eunuches Within the said pauilion are contained diuers other tents among which is the kings lodging being framed in such wise that it may easily be remooued from place to place Next vnto it stand the tents of the noblemen and of such as are most in the kings fauour then the lodgings of the principall guard beeing made of goates-skinnes after the Arabian fashion and in the middest of all stands the kings kitchin and his pantrie Not farre from hence the light horsemen haue their aboade who all of them are victualled out of the kings storehouse notwithstanding their attire be verie base Next of all are the stables wherein their horses are maruellous well tended Without this circuit keepe such as carrie the tents and the kings furniture from place to place Here are also butchers victuallers and such like All merchants artificers that resort hither take vp their aboad next vnto the tent-carriers so that the kings pauilion is pitched like a strong citie for it is so enuironed with the lodgings of the guarde and with other tents adioining that there is very difficult passage to the king Round about the saide roiall pauilion there are certaine appointed to watch and ward all night long howbeit they are base and vnarmed people In like sort there is a watch kept about the stables but sometimes so negligently that not onely some horses haue beene stolne but there haue beene founde enimies in the kings owne pauilion that came to murther him The king liueth the greatest part of the yeere in the fieldes both for the safegard of his kingdome and also that he may keepe his Arabian subiects in obedience and sometimes he recreateth himselfe with hunting and sometime with playing at chesse I know right well how tedious I haue beene in the description of this citie but bicause it is the metropolitan not onely of Barbary but of all Africa I thought good most particularly to decypher euerie parcell and member thereof Of the towne of Macarmeda THis towne standeth almost twentie miles eastward of Fez and was built by the familie of Zeneta vpon the banke of a most beautifull riuer It had in times past a large territorie and great store of inhabitants On both sides of the saide riuer are many gardens and vineyards The kings of Fez were woont to assigne this towne vnto the gouernour of their camels but in the warre of Sahid it was so destroied and wasted that at this day scarce is there any mention of wals to be found But the fields thereof are now in the possession of certaine gentlemen of Fez and of the pesants Of the castle of Hubbed THis castle standeth vpon the side of an hill about sixe miles from Fez and from hence you may beholde the citie of Fez and all the territorie adiacent It was founded by a certaine hermite of Fez being reputed for a man of singular holines The fields thereto belonging are not verie large bicause the houses being demolished it is vtterly destitute of inhabitants the wals onely and the temple as yet remaining In this castle I liued fower summers bicause it standeth in a most pleasant aire being separate from concurse of people and a solitarie place fitte for a man to studie in for my father had got a lease of the ground adioining to this castle from the gouernour of the temple for many yeeres Of the towne of Zauia THe towne of Zauia was founded by Ioseph the second king of the Marin-family and is distant from Fez about fowerteene miles Heere king Ioseph built a stately hospitall and commanded that his corps shoulde be interred in this towne But it was not his fortune heere to be buried for he was slaine in the warres against Tremizen From thencefoorth Zauia fell to decay and grew destitute of inhabitants wherein at this present the hospitall onely remaineth The reuenues of this place were giuen vnto the great temple of Fez but the fielde thereof was tilled by certaine Arabians dwelling in the region of Fez. Of the castle of Chaulan THe ancient castle of Chaulan is built vpon the riuer Sebu eight miles southward of Fez. Not farre from this castle there is a certaine hot bath whereunto Abulhezen the fourth king of the Marin-family added a faire building vnto this bath once a yeere in the moneth of Aprill the gentlemen of Fez vsually resort remaining there fower or fiue daies together There is no ciuilitie to be found in this castle for the inhabitants are base people and exceeding couetous Of the mountaine of Zelag THis mountaine beginneth eastward from the riuer of Sebu extending thence almost fowerteene miles westward and the highest part thereof to the north is seuen miles distant from Fez. The south part of this mountaine is vtterly destitute of inhabitants but the north side is exceeding fertile and planted with great store of castles and townes Most of their fields are imployed about vineyards the grapes whereof are the sweetest that euer I tasted and so likewise are their oliues and other fruits The inhabitants being verie rich haue most of them houses in the citie of Fez. And so likewise
that the citie being destitute of aide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king of Fez was in warres against the rebels of Mecnase would soone yeeld it selfe But contrarie to the Portugals expectation the Fessan king concluding a sudden truce with them of Mecnase sent his counsellour with an armie who encountring the Portugals made a great slaughter of them and amongst the rest slue their generall whom he caused to be caried in a case or sacke vnto new Fez and there to be set vpon an high place where all men might behold him Afterward the king of Portugall sent a new supply who suddenly assailing the citie in the night were most of them slaine and the residue enforced to flee But that which the Portugall-king could not bring to passe with those two Armadas he atchieued at length as is aforesaid with small forces and little disaduantage In my time 〈◊〉 king of Fez left no meanes vnattempted for the recouerie of this citie but so great alwaies was the valour of the Portugals that he had euer ill successe These things were done in the yeere of the Hegeira 917 which was in the yeere of our Lord 1508. Of the towne called Casar Ezzaghir that is the little palace THis towne was built by Mansor the king and Patriarke of Maroco vpon the Ocean sea shore about twelue miles from Tangia and from Septa eighteene miles It was built they say by Mansor because euerie yeere when he passed into the Prouince of Granada hee was constrained with his whole armie to march ouer the rough and ragged mountaines of Septa before he could come vnto the sea shore It standeth in an open and pleasant place ouer against the coast of Granada It was well peopled in times past part of the inhabitants beeing weauers and merchants and the rest mariners that vsed to transport the wares of 〈◊〉 into Europe This towne the king of Portugall tooke by a sudden surprise And the Fessan king hath laboured by all meanes to recouer it but euer with ill successe These things were done in the yeere of the Hegeira 863. Of the great citie of Septa SEpta called by the Latines Ciuitas and by the Portugals Seupta was according to our most approoued Authors built by the Romanes vpon the streits of Gibraltar being in olde time the head citie of all Mauritania wherefore the Romanes made great account thereof insomuch that it became verie ciuill and was throughly inhabited Afterward it was woone by the Gothes who appointed a gouernour there and it continued in their possession 〈◊〉 the Mahumetans inuading Mauritania surprised it also The occasion whereof was one Iulian Earle of Septa who being greatly iniuried by Roderigo king of the Gothes and of Spaine ioyned with the infidels conducted them into Granada and caused Roderigo to loose both his life and his kingdome The Mahumetans therefore hauing taken Septa kept possession thereof on the behalfe of one Elgualid sonne of Habdulmalic their Patriarke who then was resident at Damasco in the yeere of the Hegeira 92. From thencefoorth till within these fewe yeeres this citie grew so ciuill and so well stored with inhabitants that it prooued the most worthie and famous citie of all Mauritania It contained many temples and colledges of students with great numbers of artizans and men of learning and of high spirite Their artizans excelled especially in workes of brasse as namely in making of candlesticks basons standishes and such like commodities which were as pleasant to the eie as if they had beene made of siluer or gold The Italians haue great cunning in making of the like but their workmanship is nothing comparable to theirs of Septa Without the citie are diuers faire villages and granges especially in that place which for the abundance of vines is called The vineyards howbeit the fields are verie barren and fruitles for which cause their corne is exceeding deere Both without and within the citie there is a pleasant and beautifull prospect to the shore of Granada vpon the streits of Gibraltar from whence you may discerne liuing creatures the distance being but 12. miles Howbeit this famous citie not many yeeres since was greatly afflicted by Habdulmumen the king and patriarke who hauing surprised it razed the buildings and banished the principal inhabitants thereof And not long after it sustained as great damage by the king of Granada who besides the foresaide harmes carried the nobles and chiefe citizens captiues into Granada And lastly in the yeere of Mahumet his Hegeira 818. being taken by a Portugall-armada all the citizens did abandon it Abu Sahid being then king of Fez. and a man of no valour neglected the recouerie thereof but in the midst of his dauncing and disport being aduertised that it was lost he would not so much as interrupt his vaine pastime wherefore by gods iust iudgement both himselfe and his sixe sonnes were all slaine in one night by his Secretarie in whom he reposed singular trust because hee would haue defloured the said Secretaries wife These things came to passe in the yeere of the Hegeira 824. Afterward the kingdome of Fez being eight yeeres destitute of a king a sonne of the murthered king whom he begot of a Christian woman and who the same night that his father was slaine fled vnto Tunis succeeded in the gouernment this was Habdulac the last king of the Marin family who likewise as is aforesaide was slaine by the people Of the towne of Tetteguin now called Tetuan THis towne being built by the ancient Africans eighteene miles from the streits of Gibraltar and sixe miles from the maine Ocean was taken by the Mahumetans at the same time when they woon Septa from the Gothes It is reported that the Gothes bestowed the gouernment of this towne vpon a woman with one eie who weekly repairing thither to receiue tribute the inhabitants named the towne 〈◊〉 which signifieth in their language an eie Afterward being often assayled and encountered by the Portugals the inhabitants forsooke it and it remained fowerscore and fifteene yeeres desolate which time being expired it was reedified and replanted a new with inhabitants by a certaine captaine of Granada who together with his king being expelled thence by Ferdinando king of Castile departed vnto Fez. This famous captaine that shewed himselfe so valiant in the warres of Granada was called by the Portugals Almandali Who hauing obtained the gouernment of this towne and gotten licence to repaire it enuironed the same with new wals and built an impregnable castle therein compassed with a deepe ditch Afterward making continuall warre against the Portugals he extremely molested and endamaged their townes of Septa Casar and Tangia for with three hundred valiant horsemen of Granada he made daily incursions and inroades vpon the Christians and those that he tooke he put to continuall labour and toile about the building of his forts Vpon a time I my selfe trauelling this way saw three thousand Christian captiues who being clad in
Melulo and bordereth eastward vpon the riuer Muluia southward it is enclosed with the mountaines next vnto the Numidian desert and northward it extendeth to the Mediterran sea The bredth of this region along the sea shore stretcheth from the riuer Nocor to the foresaide riuer of Muluia the southern bredth is bounded with the riuer Melulo westward with the mountaines of Chauz The length of this Prouince is fiftie and the bredth fortie miles The soyle is rough vntilled and barren not much vnlike to the deserts of Numidia The greater part hath beene destitute of inhabitants especially euer since the Spaniards tooke two of the principall townes in all the Prouince as we will in due place record Of the towne of Melela in Garet THis great and ancient towne built by the Africans vpon a certaine bay or hauen of the Mediterran sea containeth almost two thousand families It was in times past well stored with inhabitants as being the head-citie of the whole prouince It had a great iurisdiction or territorie belonging thereto and collected great abundance of yron and honie whereupon the towne it selfe was called Mellela which word in their language signifieth honie In the hauen of this towne they fish for pearles and get great store of oisters wherein pearles doe breed This towne was once subiect vnto the Goths but fell afterward into the Mahumetans possession The Goths being chased thence fled ouer to Granada which citie is almost an hundred miles distant to wit so farre as the bredth of the sea is ouer In my time the king of Spaine sent a great armie against this towne before the arriuall whereof the townesmen sent vnto the king of Fez for aide who making warre as then against the people of Temesna could send but small forces to succour them Which the townesmen being aduertised of and fearing least their small forces would prooue too weake for the Spanyards great armada they tooke all the bag and baggage that they could carrie and fled vnto the mountains of Buthoia Howbeit the captaine of the Fessan soldiers both to be reuenged vpon the townesmens cowardice and also to leaue nothing for the Spanyards to inioy burnt downe all the houses temples and 〈◊〉 This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira 896 which was in the yeere of our Lord 1487. But the Spanyards for all they found the citie so wasted would not depart thereupon but first built a strong castle and afterward by little and little repaired the towne-walles and by that meanes haue kept possession thereof euen till this day Of the towne of Chasasa THis towne is from Mellela aboue twenty miles distant It hath beene a famous towne and strongly walled with a royall hauen belonging thereunto which was yeerely frequented by Venetian ships The townesmen haue alwaies had great traffique with the people of Fez to the exceeding commoditie of them both At length while the king of Fez was seriously imployed in the warres Don Ferdinando king of Spaine came with great forces against it and wan it very easily for the inhabitants being aduertised of the Spanyards approch betooke themselues wholy to flight Of the towne of 〈◊〉 IT standeth vpon an high grauelly hill almost fifteene miles from Chasasa and hath but a narrow passage to ascend vp vnto it Within the towne they haue no water but onely out of one cesterne The founders hereof are reported to haue beene some of the familie of Beni Marin before they attained vnto great dominions and in this towne they laid vp their corne and other of their commodities At that time were all the deserts of the region adiacent void of danger for the Arabians were not as yet possessed of Garet 〈◊〉 after the familie of Beni-Marin began to flourish they left this towne and all the region of Garet vnto their neighbours and went to inhabit better prouinces Howbeit in the meane season Ioseph the sonne of king Iacob of the Marin-familie I know not vpon what occasion in a manner vtterly destroied Tezzota but after the Christians were 〈◊〉 of Chasasa one of the king of Fez his captaines being a valiant man and borne in Granada got licence of his prince to reedifie it againe The inhabitants of this reedified towne are Moores and are at continuall warre with the Christians of Chasasan Of the towne of Meggeo THis little towne standeth vpon the top of an exceeding high mountaine being westward from Tezzota ten miles almost 6. miles southward of the Mediterran sea Founded it was by the Africans and is inhabited with people of a noble and liberall disposition At the foote of this mountaine there are most fruitfull corne-fields Likewise great store of iron is digged out of the mountaines adioining The gouernment of this towne was committed vnto one of the blood-royall namely of the familie of 〈◊〉 whose father was not very rich but being a weauer he taught his sonne the same occupation Afterward the valiant yoong man being aduertised of the estate and nobilitie of his ancestors left his loome and went to serue the king at Bedis where he continued an horseman for a certaine time but because he was an excellent musitian the king loued him most intirely for his skill in musick A while after the gouernour of Tezzota requiring the kings aide against the Christians this woorthie yoong gentleman with three hundred horsemen was sent to succour him who as he had valiantly behaued himselfe oftentimes before so now also he appeered to be a most resolute commander Howbeit the king regarded not his valour so much as his excellent skill in musicke which the yoong gallant disdaining went at length to Garet vnto certaine gentlemen of his acquaintance there who ioining fiftie horsemen vnto him appointed him gouernour of the castle of Meggeo and afterward he was so wel beloued by all the inhabitants of the next mountaines that each man according to his abilitie pleasured and gratified him At length the gouernour of Bedis hauing assembled an armie of three hundred horsemen and a thousand footmen went about to expell the foresaid yoong gouernour out of Meggeo who presently with that small troupe which he had so valiantly encountred his enemies that he put them to flight and so growing famous in regarde of his manifolde victories the king of Fez bestowed very large reuenues vpon him which he had giuen before-time vnto the gouernours of Bedis to the ende he might wholy indeuour himselfe to expell the Spanyards out of that region And of this noble gouernour the Moores learned great skill in warlike affaires The king of Fez hath now doubled his yeerely allowance so that at this present he hath two hundred horsemen at command who are of greater force then two thousand soldiers of any other captaines there about Of mount Echebdeuon THis mountaine extendeth from Chasasa eastward as farre as the riuer Muluia and from the Mediterran sea southward it stretcheth vnto the desert of Garet The inhabitants are exceeding rich
vnto his nobles I thinke said the king it hath beene sufficiently protested and affirmed sithence I haue bound it with a solemne oath in the presence of these fower for heere stande my chiefe secretarie the generall of my forces my father in lawe and the chiefe iudge and patriarke of Fez the testimonie of which fower may well satisfie you Whereupon Mahumet humblie falling at the kings feete 〈◊〉 heere the man quoth he that submissely acknowledgeth his fault and craueth the kings gratious pardon With that the king himselfe lifted him from the ground embraced him and saluted him with friendly speeches Then caused he both his daughters to be called which he bestowed vpon Mahumets sonnes all which being done he remooued his armie from that mountaine and returned conquerour vnto Fez. This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira 904. which was in the yeere of our Lord 1495. And in the yeere of the Hegeira 921. I my selfe was at the citie of Dubdu where I was most curteously entertained by the foresaid Mahumet in regard of certaine letters of commendation which I brought from the king of Fez and his brother Neither would he cease enquiring how all things passed at the king of Fez his court Of the citie of Teza or Tezza THis great noble and rich citie of Tezza was built by the Africans fiue miles from mount Atlas being distant from Fez fiftie from the Ocean an hundred and thirtie and from the Mediterran sea seuen miles and standing in the way from Garet to Chasasan It contained in times past about fiue thousand families the buildings of this towne are not very stately except noblemens palaces colleges and temples which are somewhat beautifull Out of Atlas springeth a little riuer which runneth through the chiefe temple of this citie and sometimes it falleth out that certaine people bordering vpon the citie vpon some quarrell with the citizens will cut off this riuer from the citie and turne the course thereof some other way which breedeth great inconueniences vnto the citizens for then they can neither builde houses nor get any water to drinke but onely corrupt water which they take out of certaine cesterns for which cause they are often constrained to make a league with those borderers This citie both for wealth ciuilitie and abundance of people is the thirde citie of all the kingdome and hath a greater temple then that at Fez heere are likewise three colleges with diuers bath-stoues and a great number of hospitals Each trade and occupation hath a seuerall place in this citie like as they haue in Fez the inhabitants are of a more valiant and liberall disposition then they of Fez heere are also great store of learned and rich men and the fieldes adiacent are exceeding fruitfull Without the citie wals are verie large plaines and many pleasant streames that serue to water their gardens which are replenished with all kinde of fruits heere are abundance of vines also yeelding verie sweete grapes whereof the Iewes being fiue hundreth families make excellent wine such as I thinke all Africa scarce affoordeth better In this towne standeth a faire castle where the gouernour hath his abode The king of Fez assigned the gouerment of this towne vnto his second sonne being rather a meete place for the kings owne residence in regard of the wholefome aire both in sommer and winter heere were the nobles of the Marin-family woont to remaine all summer both in respect of the holesomenes of the place and also that they might defend those regions from the Arabians dwelling in the deserts which Arabians resorted yeerely to Tezza to the end they might there furnish themselues with victuals and other necessaries and brought dates thither from Segelmese to exchange for come the citizens also receiued of the Arabians for corne great summes of money whereupon all of them in a manner grow exceeding rich neither are they annoied so much with any inconuenience as with durtie streetes in winter I my selfe was acquainted in this citie with a certaine aged sire whom the townesmen adored as if he had beene a god he was maruelous rich both in fruits grounds and other commodities which the people bestowed vpon him in great abundance The citizens of Fez vsed to come fiftie miles for so farre is Fez distant onely to visite the saide olde man My selfe conceiued some great opinion of this aged sire but after I had seene him I could finde no such superexcellencie in him saue onely that he deluded the fonde people with strange deuises The iurisdiction of this citie is very large containing diuers mountaines vnder it as we will foorthwith declare in order Of mount Matgara THis mountaine is very high difficult to ascend both by reason of the vast deserts the narrow passages and it is distant from Teza almost fiue miles the top of this hill is most fruitefull grounde and full of cleere fountaines the inhabitants being burthened with no exactions gather yeerely great store of corne flaxe and oile they haue likewise abundance of cattell and especially of goates neither doe they any whit regard princes Hauing vpon a day vanquished the king of Fez in battell they carried a certaine captaine of Fez taken prisoner vnto the toppe of the hill where in the kings owne presence they put him to a most cruell and miserable death whereupon the saide inhabitants haue beene at continuall discord with the people of Fez they haue almost a thousand soldiers and their mountaine containeth about fiftie villages and hamlets Of mount Gauata THis mountaine being as difficult to ascende as the former standeth westward of Fez almost fifteene miles both the sides and top of this mountaine are very fruitefull for barly and flaxe it is extended in length from east to west eight miles and in bredth about fiue miles manie deserts here are haunted with apes and leopards The greater part of the inhabitants are linnen-weauers people they are of a franke disposition neither can they till the fields adioining to their mountaine by reason of their continuall dissension with the king of Fez vnto whom they will pay no tribute nor custome at all perhaps because of the strong situation of their mountaine for that it aboundeth with all things necessarie for mans sustenance so that albeit this mountaine were besieged ten yeeres together yet could it by no meanes be woon neither is it euer destitute of water for thereupon are two huge fountaines which running downe into the plaine become the heads of two riuers Of mount Megesa THis mountaine also is somewhat difficult to ascend it is rough and full of woods and yeeldeth little corne but great plentie of oliues The inhabitants being most part weauers for their soile yeeldeth good store of flaxe are in the warres right valiant both on foote and horsebacke Their faces are white and that perhaps for the coldnes of the mountaine neither doe these pay any tribute at all Here also the exiles of Fez and Teza haue safe aboad
possession thereof it hath prooued more like to a stable for here they keepe their corne onely and the naturall inhabitants are quite expelled by reason of their bad demeanour Of the castle of Izli THis ancient castle of Izli built by the Africans vpon a certaine plaine bordering vpon the foresaid desert hath some fieldes adioining vnto it apt only for barlie and punicke It was in times past well stored with inhabitants and enuironed with stately walles but afterward by the iniurie of warre it was razed to the ground and the inhabitants expelled Howbeit a few yeeres after it began to be inhabited anew by certaine religious persons had in great reuerence both by the kings of Telensin and by all the Arabians These religious persons with great courtesie and liberalitie giue entertainment for three daies vnto all strangers that passe by and then dismisse them without paying of ought All their houses are very base and low built their walles being of claye and the roofes of straw Not far from this castle runneth a riuer out of which they water all their fields for this region is so hot and dry that vnlesse the fields were continually watered they would yeeld no fruit at all Of the towne of Guagida THis ancient towne built by the Africans vpon a large plaine standeth southward of the Mediterran sea fortie miles and about the same distance from the citie of Telensin The southwest part of the said plaine bordereth vpon the desert of Angad and it containeth most fruitfull fields and pleasant gardens exceedingly replenished with figs and grapes Through the midst of this towne runneth a certaine riuer which affoordeth good water to drinke and to seeth meate withall In times past the towne-walles and all the buildings were most sumptuous and stately and the inhabitants exceeding rich ciuill and valiant but afterward by reason of certaine warres waged by the king of Fez against the king of Telensin this towne was left desolate and the inhabitants all put to flight but the said warres being ended new inhabitants reedified it and dwelt therein howbeit they could not reduce it to the former state neither doth it now containe aboue fifteene hundred families The townesmen lead now a miserable life being constrained to pay tribute both to the king of Telensin and also to the Arabians of Angad and wearing most base apparell asses and mules they haue great store whereof they make round summes of money They speake after the ancient manner of the Arabians neither is their language so corrupt as the language of the people round about them Of the citie called Ned Roma THis ancient towne built by the Romans while they were lords of Africa standeth vpon a large plaine almost two miles from a certaine mountaine and about twelue miles from the Mediterran sea and neere vnto it runneth a little riuer The historiographers of those times report that this towne was in all respects built after the fashion of Rome whereupon they say it borrowed the name For Ned in the Arabian toong signifieth like The wall of this towne is as yet to be seene but all the ancient buildings of the Romans are so destroied that now there scarcely remaine any ruines thereof It began in some places to be repaired and reedified anew but nothing comparable to the former buildings The fieldes adiacent are exceeding fruitfull and containe many gardens replenished with such trees as beare Carobs being a fruit like vnto Cassia fistula which in the suburbes they vse for foode This towne is indifferently well inhabited especially with weauers who make great store of cotton-cloth and are free from all tribute The gouernours of the towne are chosen onely at their assignement and that they may haue more free traffique with the people of Telensin they sende many gifts vnto the king Of the towne of Tebecrit THis little towne built by the Africans vpon a certaine rocke neere vnto the Mediterran sea is almost twelue miles distant from the former All the next mountaines are exceeding high and barren and yet well stored with inhabitants In this towne dwell great store of weauers and here they haue abundance of Carobs and honie Being in continuall feare of the Christians they keepe euery night most diligent watch and ward for they are not of sufficient abilitie to maintaine a garrison of soldiers Their fields are no lesse barren then vntilled and yeelde onely very small quantitie of barlie and panicke The townesmen are most basely apparelled and vtterly destitute of humanitie Of the towne of Hunain THis towne being founded by the Africans and being famous both for stately building and ciuill inhabitants hath a little hauen belonging thereunto well fortified with two turrets standing one on the one side and another on the other side The towne-wall also is very high and beautifull especially on that side which standeth next vnto the sea Hither doe the Venetians yeerely bring great store of merchandize and doe traffique with the merchants of Telensin for the citie of Telensin is but fourteene miles from hence Since the time that Oran was surprized by the Christians the Venetians would no longer frequent Oran searing least the Spanyards hauing it in possession should worke them some mischiefe wherfore then they began to repaire vnto this port The townesmen in times past were most ciuill people the greatest part being weauers of cotton and of linnen Their houses are most stately built and haue euery one fountaines belonging vnto them likewise here are many vines running pleasantly vpon bowers or arbours Their houses are paued with mats of diuers colours and their chambers and vaults are curiously painted and carued Howbeit so soone as the inhabitants were aduertised of the losse of Oran they fled from Hunain and left it void of inhabitants sauing that the king of Telensin maintaineth here a garison of footemen who giue notice when any merchants ships approch Their fields abound with cherries peaches figs oliues and other fruites howbeit they reape but little commoditie thereby I my selfe passing this way could not but bewaile the extreme calamitie whereinto the inhabitants of this towne were fallen at the same time there arriued a certaine ship of Genoa which one ship brought commodities sufficient to serue Telensin for fiue yeeres the tenth part whereof amounting to fifteene thousand duckats was paid for tribute to the king Of the towne of Haresgol THe great and ancient towne of Haresgol was built vpon a rocke enuironed on all sides with the Mediterran sea sauing on the south where lieth a way from the firme land to the towne It standeth northward of Telensin fourteene miles and was in times past well stored with inhabitants The gouernour thereof was one Idris vncle vnto that Idris that was the founder of Fez the posteritie of whom enioied the same gouernment for the space of an hundred yeeres At length there came a certaine king and patriarke of Cairaoan who vtterly destroied this towne so that it remained voide of inhabitants
great length The houses temples and colleges of this citie are most sumptuously built Professors of liberall sciences heere are great store whereof some teach matters pertaining to the lawe and others professe naturall Philosophie Neither Monasteries Innes nor Hospitals erected after their manner are heere wanting and their market place is very large and faire their streetes either descend or ascend which is verie troublesome to them that haue any busines in the towne In that part of the citie next vnto the toppe of the mountaine standeth a strong castle most sumptuously and beautifully walled and there are such notable letters and pictures most artificially carued vpon the plaister-worke and timber that they are thought to haue cost much more then the building of the wall it selfe The citizens were exceeding rich and vsed with their warlike gallies continually to molest the coasts of Spaine which was the occasion of the vtter ouerthrowe of their citie For Pedro de Nauarra was sent against them with a fleete of fowerteene sailes onely The citizens being addicted whollie to pleasure and ease and being terrified with the rumour of warre bicause they were neuer exercised therein were no sooner aduertised of Pedro de Nauarra his approch but al of them togither with their king betooke themselues to flight and left their citie abounding with all kinde of riches and wealth to bee spoiled by the Spaniards so that it was easily taken in the yeere of Mahomet his Hegeira nine hundred and seuenteene Soone after Pedro de Nauarra hauing sacked the citie built a strong forte vpon the sea shore and repaired an other which had lien a long time waste furnishing them both with soldiers and munition And sixe yeeres after Barbarossa the Turke being desirous to winne this citie from the Christians and hauing leuied onely a thousand soldiers tooke the old forte bicause he was fauoured by the inhabitants of all the mountaines adiacent wherein hauing placed a garrison he attempted to winne the other fort also but at his first encounter he lost an hundred of his principall Turkes fower hundred of the mountainers that came to aide him insomuch that Barbarossa was enforced to flie vnto the castle of Gegel as is aforesaid Of the castle of Gegel THis ancient castle built by the Africans vpon an high rocke by the Mediterran sea is distant about threescore miles from Bugia Families it containeth to the number of fiue hundred and the buildings thereof are very base The inhabitants are of a trustie and ingenuous disposition and do most of them exercise husbandrie howbeit their fieldes are but barren and apt onely for barly flaxe and hempe They haue great store of figs and nuts which they vse to carrie in certaine barkes vnto Tunis They haue in despight of the kings of Bugia and Tunis continued alwaies free from tribute for that impregnable mountaine can be surprised by no siege nor encounter of the enimie At length they yeelded themselues vnto Barbarossa who demaunded none other tribute of them but onely the 〈◊〉 of certaine fruits and corne Of the towne of Mesila MEsila founded by the Romans not far from the Numidian desert and being distant from Bugia almost an hundred miles hath stately wals about it but base houses within The inhabitants being partly artificers and partly husbandmen goe very homely apparelled and are most greeuously oppressed with the continuall exactions of the Arabians and with the daily molestations of the king of Bugia My selfe vpon a time trauelling this way could not finde so much fodder as was sufficient for twelue horses onely Of the towne of Stefe THis towne also built by the Romans sixtie miles southward of Bugia vpon a certaine beautifull plaine is enuironed with strong and stately walles It was in times past exceedingly well stored with inhabitants but since the Mahumetans were Lords thereof it hath so decaied by the iniuries of the Arabians who razed to the ground a great part of the wall that within the whole circuit of this great and ancient towne there are but an hundred houses at this present remaining Of the towne of Necaus THis towne built by the Romans neere vnto Numidia and being distant from the Mediterran sea an hundred and eightie and from the towne last mentioned eightie miles is compassed with a strong and ancient wall By this towne runneth a certaine riuer on both sides whereof grow the best wal-nuts and figs that are to be found in the whole kingdome of Tunis being vsually carried to Constantina to be solde which citie is thence distant an hundred and eightie miles The fields of this towne are exceeding fruitfull and the inhabitants are very rich liberall and curious in their apparell Here is an hospitall maintained at the common charges of the towne to entertaine strangers that passe by Here is a college also the students whereof are allowed their diet and apparell Neither is this towne destitute of a most stately and well-furnished temple Their women are white hauing blacke haires and a most delicate skinne because they frequent the bath-stoues so often Most of their houses are but of one storie high yet are they very decent and haue each one a garden thereto belonging replenished with damaske-roses myrtles cammomill and other herbes and flowers and being watred with most pleasant fountaines In these gardens likewise there are most stately arbours and bowres the coole shadow whereof in summer-time is most acceptable And to be briefe all things here are so delightfull to the senses and so alluring that any man would be loth to depart from hence Of the towne of Chollo THe great towne of Chollo founded by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea at the foot of a certaine high mountaine is enuironed with no walles at all for the walles were razed to the ground by the Goths neither did the Mahumetans when they had got possession build them vp againe Howbeit this towne is notably well gouerned and well stored with inhabitants which are all men of a liberall and tractable disposition They haue continually great traffique with the merchants of Genoa and doe gather abundance of waxe and hides Their fieldes vpon the mountaine are exceeding fruitfull and they haue alwaies so defended themselues against the princes of Tunis and Constantina that vntill this present they remaine free from tribute From the iniurie of Constantina they are easily defended both in regarde of the difficult mountaines lying in the mid-way and also in respect of the great distance for Constantina standeth almost an hundred and twentie miles off Neither is there any citie throughout the whole kingdome of Tunis either for wealth or strong situation any way comparable vnto this Of the towne of Sucaicada THis ancient citie built by the Romans also vpon the Mediterran sea and standing about thirtie fiue miles from Constantina was wasted and almost vtterly destroied by the Goths howbeit by reason of the hauen being so famous and so frequented by the merchants of Genoa the prince of
Constantina caused certaine faire houses to be built thereabouts for the said merchants of Genoa to repose themselues and their goodes therein and vpon a mountaine not farre off he built a strong 〈◊〉 for the securitie and defence of the said merchants from all enemies whatsoeuer From the said hauen to Constantina the high way is paued with certaine black stones such as are to be seene in some places of Italie being there called Le strade Romane which is a manifest argument that Sucaicada was built by the Romans Of the citie of Constantina NO man can denie the Romans to haue beene founders of this citie that shall consider the great strength height and antiquitie of the walles and how curiously they are beset and adorned with blacke stones This citie standeth vpon the south side of an exceeding high mountaine and is enuironed with steepe rocks vnder which rocks and within the compasse whereof runneth the riuer called Sufegmare so that the said deepe riuer with the rocks on either side serueth in stead of a towne-ditch to Constantina The north part is compassed with a wall of great thicknes and there are two extreme narrow passages onely to enter into the citie one on the east part and another on the west The citie-gates are very large and stately The citie it selfe containeth aboue eight thousand families Buildings it hath very sumptuous as namely the chiefe temple two colleges three or fower monasteries and other such like Here euery trade and occupation hath a seuerall place assigned and the inhabitants are right honest and valiant people Here is likewise a great companie of merchants whereof some sell cloth and wooll others send oile and silke into Numidia and the residue exchange linnen-cloth and other wares for slaues and dates Neither are dates so cheape in any region of all Barbarie besides The kings of Tunis vsually commit the gouernment of Constantina vnto their eldest sonnes and so he that is now king of Tunis bestowed Constantina vpon his eldest sonne in like sort who waging warre against the Arabians was slaine in the first battel Then fel the gouernment of Constantina vnto his second sonne whose intemperate life was the cause of his sudden and vntimely death After him succeeded the third and yoongest sonne who in regarde of his insolent and shamelesse behauiour was so hated of all the citizens that some had determined to kill him whereof his father hauing intelligence sent for him and kept him for certaine yeeres prisoner at Tunis Afterward he committed the gouernment of Constantina to a certaine Renegado that of a Christian became a Mahumetan this Renegado he trusted as his owne brother for he had made former triall of him who for many yeeres gouerned the place with great tranquillitie Vpon the north part of the citie standeth a certaine strong castle built at the same time when the citie it selfe was built which castle was more strongly fortified then before by one Elcaied Nabil the kings lieutenant and this castle greatly bridled both the citizens and all the bordering Arabians whose great captaine it held as prisoner and released him not till he had left his three sonnes for hostages At length the said Elcaied grew so hautie that he coined money to the great contempt of his king and soueraigne whom notwithstanding he endeuoured by many giftes and presents to appease But when men perceiued Elcaied to degenerate from his first forme of gouernment they that before loued him and had him in high regarde were presently of another minde and vtterly forsooke him So that laying siege vnto a certaine citie of Numidia called Pescara he perceiued some treason to be attempted against him and thereupon returning foorthwith to Constantina he found the citie-gates shut against him from whence he presently tooke his iourney to the king of Tunis and was by him cast into prison and not restored to libertie till he had paid an hundred thousand duckats Afterward by the kings aide he was restored to his former gouernment but when he began to tyrannize ouer some of the chiefe citizens he againe prouoked the whole citie vnto armes who besieged foorthwith the castle whereunto he fled which was such a corrasiue vnto Elcaied his minde that within few daies he died for sorrow And so the people after they were reconciled to their king would fromthencefoorth neuer admit any forren gouernour wherefore the king of Tunis was as is aforesaid againe constrained to send his owne sonnes thither The fields belonging to this citie are exceeding fertil And on either side the riuer which runneth through the plaines there are most commodious gardens if they were well husbanded Also without the citie stand many faire and ancient buildings About a mile and a halfe from the citie standeth a certaine triumphall arch like vnto the triumphall arches at Rome which the grosse common people thinke to haue beene a castle where innumerable diuels remained which they say were expelled by the Mahumetans when they came first to inhabite Constantina From the citie to the riuer they descend by certaine staires hewen out of the rocke and neere vnto the riuer standeth a little house so artificially cut out of the maine rocke that the roofe pillers and walles are all of one continued substance and here the women of Constantina wash their linnen Neere vnto the citie likewise there is a certaine bath of hot water dispersing it selfe among the rocks in this bath are great store of snailes which the fond women of the citie call Diuels and when any one falleth into a feuer or any other disease they suppose the snailes to be the authors thereof And the onely remedie that they can apply vpon such an occasion is this first they kill a white hen putting her into a platter with her feathers on and then verie solemnly with waxe-candles they carry her to the bathe and there leaue her and many good fellowes there are which so soone as the silly women haue set downe their hens at the bath wil come secretly thither and conuey away the hens to their owne kitchins Somewhat farther from the citie eastward there is a fountaine of extreme cold water and neere vnto it standeth a certaine building of marble adorned with sundrie Hieroglyphicall pictures or emblemes such as I haue seene at Rome and at many other places of Europe But the common people imagine that it was in times past a Grāmar-schoole because both the masters and schollers thereof were most vitious they were transformed say they into marble The inhabitants twise euerie yeere send great store of wares into Numidia and because as they trauell they are in danger of the Arabian theeues they hire certaine Turkish Harquebusiers for great wages to guard them The merchants of Constantina trauelling to Tunis pay no tribute at all but onely at their departure foorth of Constantina for the worth of euerie 100. ducates in merchandise they allow two ducates and a halfe Of the towne of Mela. THis
towne built by the Romans within twelue miles of Constantina and enuironed with most strong walles containeth almost three thousand families but at this present there are but few buildings by reason of the warres that haue happened Here are greatstore of artizans the most wherof are such weauers as make couerlets In the market place there is a most cleere fountaine The citizens are valiant though they bee of rude behauiour Here is abundance not onely offruits whereupon some thinke the name of the towne to be deriued but also of cattle and corne Vnto this towne the gouernonr of Constantina sendeth euery yeere a certaine Iudge to decide the townesmens controuersies and to receiue the yeerely tribute howbeit oftentimes the said Iudge is slaine by the people Of the ancient towne of Bona. THis towne built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea almost 120. miles more to the west was in auncient times called Hippo where the reuerend father Saint Augustine was once Bishop It was in processe of time subdued by the Gothes and was afterward surprised and burnt to ashes by Hutmen the third patriarke after Mahumet And many yeeres after they built a new town within two miles of the stones that were brought from the ruines of Bona which new towne they called Beld Elhuneb that is the citie of the fruit called Ziziphus or Iuiuba by reason of the great abundance of that fruit the which they vse to drie in the sunne and to keepe till winter It containeth almost three hundred families and all the houses and buildings thereof are verie base saue one onely temple which standeth next the sea The inhabitants are all of an ingenuous disposition some of them being merchants and the residue artizans Here is great store of linnen-cloath wouen the greatest part whereof is carried to Numidia The inhabitants of this towne hauing vpon a time slaine their gouernours were so bold as to threaten the king of Tunis and they had without all doubt betrayed the towne vnto the Christians had not the king of Tunis taken speciall heed thereunto In this towne are certaine lewd people and most beggerly apparelled which notwithstanding are highly reuerenced by the citizens Here are no fountaines nor yet any water at all but rainewater onely which is kept in cesterns On the east side of the towne standeth a strong castle built by the king of Tunis where the gouernour of the towne appointed by the king hath his aboad Vnto this towne adioyneth a most large plaine containing in length fortie and in bredth fiue and twentie miles verie commodious it is for corne and is inhabited by certaine Arabians called Merdez these Arabians haue great store of cattell and but little money and they bring good store of butter dayly vnto Bona. Vnto this towne the people of Tunis of the isle of Gerbi and of Genoa vse yeerely to resort and to buy great abundance of corne and butter Euerie friday they haue neere vnto the towne wals a market which is well frequented euen till night Not farre from hence there is a certaine place in the sea abounding with great store of corall and because the townesmen know not how to fish for the same the king of Tunis licenced certaine merchants of Genoa to fish for it who in regard of the continuall assaults of pirates because they could not speed of their purpose they obtained leaue also of the king to build a castle neere vnto the place but that the townesmen would in no case permit saying that the Genoueses in times past tooke their towne by such a wile and that it was afterward recouered againe by the king of Tunis Of the towne of Tefas THE towne of Tefas founded by the Africans vpon the side of a mountaine and standing almost an hundred and fiftie miles southward of Bona was in times past 〈◊〉 populous and full of braue buildings but it hath beene since destroyed by the Arabians Afterward being replanted with new inhabitants and remaining free from war for certaine moneths it was the second time destroyed by the Arabians Last of all because it was a place commodious for corne it was inhabited the third time by certaine Africans called Haoara and that by the ayde of a certaine prince brother vnto him which had slaine Enasir the king of Tunis his sonne but now all that remained of this towne was vtterly razed by the king of Tunis Of the citie of Tebessa THis great and strong citie built by the Romans neere vnto Numidia and being distant two hundred miles southward from the Mediterran sea is compassed with an high wall made of such stones as are to be seene vpon the Colosso at Rome neither saw I to my remembrance any such wals in all Africa or Europe and yet the houses and other buildings are verie base Through part of this citie runneth a great riuer and in the market and diuers other places stand certaine marble pillers hauing Epigrams and sentences with Latin letters engrauen vpon them there are also other square pillers of marble couered with roofs The plaines adiacent albeit verie drie yet are they most fruitfull for corne Fiue miles from hence grow such abundance of wall-nut-trees as you would take them to be some thicke forrest Neere vnto this towne standeth a certaine hill full of mighty caues wherein the common people say that giants inhabited of olde but it is most euident that those caues were digged by the Romans at the same time when they built the citie for certaine it is that the stones whereof the citie-walles consist were taken out of those rockes The inhabitants are people of a couetous inhumane and beastly disposition neither will they vouchsafe to looke vpon a stranger insomuch that Eldabag a famous Poet of the citie of Malaga in Granada hauing in his trauell this way receiued some discourtesie wrote in disgrace of Tebessa certaine satyricall verses which my selfe likewise haue thought good here to set downe in the dispraise thereof Within this place here 's nought of any worth Saue worthles nuts which Tebessa affourds Soft I mistake the marble walles are worth Your earnest view so are the Christall-fourds But hence are banisht vertues all diuine The place is hell the people woorse then swine This Eldabag was a most learned and elegant Poet in the Arabian toong and out of measure satyricall and bitter in his inuectiues But to returne to our former purpose these Tebessians haue alwaies rebelled against the king of Tunis and haue slaine all the gouernours that he hath sent Wherefore the king that now is trauelling vpon a time towards Numidia sent certaine ambassadours into the city to know how the citizens stood affected towards him vnto whom they instead of God saue the King made answere God saue our Citie-walles Whereat the king waxing wroth sacked the citie forthwith beheaded and hanged diuers of the inhabitants and made such hauock that euer since it hath remained desolate This was done in the yeere of the
sea and the gulfe of Tunis on the 〈◊〉 and south parts it ioyneth to the plaines of Bensart But now this citie is fallen into extreme decay miserie merchants shops there are not aboue twenty or fiue and twenty at the most and all the houses of the towne being scarce fiue hundred are most base and beggerly In my time here was a stately 〈◊〉 and a faire college also but no students were therein The townesmen though very miserable yet are they exceeding proud withall and seeme to pretend a great shew of religion And the greater part of them are either gardiners or husbandmen and are greeuously oppressed with the kings daily exactions A description of the mightie citie of Tunis THis citie is called by the Latines Tunetum and by the Arabians Tunus which name they thinke to be corrupt because it signifieth nought in their language but in olde time it was called Tarsis after the name of a citie in Asia At the first it was a small towne built by the Africans vpon a certaine lake about twelue miles distant from the Mediterran sea And vpon the decay of Carthage Tunis began to increase both in buildings and inhabitants For the inhabitants of Carthage were loth to remaine any longer in their owne towne fearing least some armie would haue beene sent out of Europe wherefore they repaired vnto Tunis and greatly enlarged the buildings thereof Afterward came thither one Hucba Vtmen the fourth Mahumetan patriarke who perswaded the citizens that no armie or garrison ought to remaine in any sea-townes wherefore he built another citie called Cairaoan being distant from the Mediterran sea thirtie and from Tunis almost an hundred miles vnto which citie the armie marched from Tunis and in the roome thereof other people were sent to inhabite About an hundred and fiftie yeeres after Cairaoan being sacked by the Arabians the prince therof was expelled and became gouernour of the kingdome of Bugia howbeit he left certaine kinsmen of his at Tunis who gouerned that citie And ten yeeres after Bugia was taken by Ioseph the sonne of Tesfin who seeing the humanitie of the foresaid prince would not expel him out of his kingdome but so long as it remained to the said prince and his posteritie Ioseph caused it to be free from all molestation Afterward Abdul Mumen king of Maroco hauing recouered Mahdia from the Christians marched toward Tunis and got possession thereof also And so Tunis remained peaceably vnder the dominion of the kings of Maroco so long as the kingdome was gouerned by the said Abdul and his sonne Ioseph and their successors Iacob and Mansor But after the decease of Mansor his sonne Mahumet Ennasir made war against the king of Spaine by whom being vanquished he fled to Maroco and there within few yeeres ended his life After him succeeded his brother Ioseph who was slaine by certaine soldiers of the king of Telensin And so vpon the death of Mahumet and of his brother Ioseph the Arabians began to inhabite the territorie of Tunis and to make often sieges and assaults against the citie it selfe whereupon the gouernour of Tunis aduertised the king of Maroco that vnlesse present aide were sent he must be coustrained to yeeld Tunis vnto the Arabians The king therefore sent a certaine valiant captaine called Habduluahidi and borne in Siuill a citie of Granada with a fleete of twentie sailes vnto Tunis which he found halfe destroied by the Arabians but so great was his eloquence and wisedome that he restored all things to their former estate and receiued the yeerely tribute After Habduluahidi succeeded his sonne Abu 〈◊〉 who in learning and dexteritie of wit excelled his father This Abu built a castle vpon a certaine high place of the west part of Tunis which he adorned with faire buildings and with a most beautifull temple Afterward taking his iourney vnto the kingdome of Tripolis and returning home by the southerne regions he gathered tribute in all those places so that after his decease he left great treasure vnto his sonne And after Abu succeeded his sonne who grew so insolent that he would not be subiect to the king of Maroco because he perceiued his kingdome to decay at the same time also had the Marin-familie gotten possession of the kingdome of Fez and so was the familie of Beni Zeijen possessed of the kingdomes of Telensin and Granada And so while all those regions were at mutuall dissension the dominions of Tunis began mightily to encrease Insomuch that the king of Tunis marched vnto Telensin and demanded tribute of the inhabitants Wherefore the king of Fez who as then laid siege against Maroco craued by his ambassadours the king of Tunis his friendship and with great giftes obtained the same Then the king of Tunis returning home conquerour from Telensin was receiued with great triumph and was saluted king of all Africa because indeed there was no prince of Africa at the same time comparable vnto him Wherefore he began to ordaine a roiall court and to choose Secretaries counsellers captaines and other officers appertaining to a king after the very same manner that was vsed in the court of Maroco And from the time of this king euen till our times the kingdome of Tunis hath so prospered that now it is accounted the richest kingdome in all Africa The said kings sonne raigning after his fathers death enlarged the suburbes of Tunis with most stately buildings Without the gate called Bed Suvaica he built a streete containing to the number of three hundred families and he built another streete at the gate called Bed el Manera consisting of more then a thousand families In both of these streetes dwell great store of artificers in the street last mentioned all the Christians of Tunis which are of the kings garde haue their aboad Likewise there is a third streete built at the gate next vnto the sea called Beb el Bahar and being but halfe a mile distant from the gulfe of Tunis Hither doe the Genoueses Venetians and all other Christian merchants resort and here they repose themselues out of the tumult and concourse of the Moores and this street is of so great bignes that it containeth three hundred families of Christians and Moores but the houses are verie low and of small receit The families of the citie togither with them of the suburbs amount almost to the number of ten thousand ' This stately and populous citie hath a peculiar place assigned for each trade and occupation Heere dwell great store of linnen-weauers and the linnen that they weaue is exceeding fine sold at a great price ouer al Africa The women of this towne vse a strange kinde of spinning for 〈◊〉 vpon an high place or on the vpper part of the house they let downe their spindles at a window or through a hole of the plancher into a lower roume so that the weight of the spindle makes the thread verie equall and euen And here the
of the whole Island and his retinue haue their abode Not farre from hence there is a certaine village where the Christian Mauritanian and Turkish merchants haue their place of residence in which place there is a great market or faire weekely kept whither all the merchants of the Island and many Arabians from the maine land with great store of cattle and wooll doe resort The inhabitants of the Isle bring cloth thither to sell which they themselues make and this cloth togither with great store of raisins they vsually transport vnto Tunis and Alexandria to be solde Scarce fiftie yeeres sithence this Isle was inuaded and conquered by Christians but it was immediately recouered by the king of Tunis And presently after newe colonies being heere planted the foresaide castle was reedified which the kings of Tunis afterwarde enioied But after the death of king Hutmen the Islanders returned to their former libertie and presently broke the bridge from the Island to the maine lande fearing least they shoulde be inuaded by some land-armie Not long after the said Islanders slaying the king of Tunis his gouernours of the Isle haue themselues continued gouernours thereof till this present Out of this Island is gathered the summe of fowerscore thousand Dobles euery Doble containing an Italian ducate and one third part for yeerely tribute by reason of the great concourse and resort of the merchants of Alexandria Turkie and Tunis But now because they are at continuall dissension and controuersie their estate is much impaired In my time Don Ferdinando king of Spaine sent a great armada against this Island vnder the conduct of the duke of Alua who not knowing the nature of the same commanded his soldiers to land a good distance from thence but the Moores so valiantly defended their Island that the Spaniards were constrained to giue backe and so much the greater was their distresse in that they coulde not finde water sufficient to quench their extreme thirst Moreouer at the Spaniards arriuall it was a full tide but when they woulde haue returned on bourd it was so great an ebbe that their ships were constrained to put to sea least they shoulde haue beene cast vpon the sholdes The shore was drie for almost fower miles togither so that the Spanish soldiers were put vnto great toile before they coulde come to the waters side And the Moores pursued them so eagerly that they slew and tooke prisoners the greatest part of them and the residue escaped by shipping into Sicilia Afterwarde the Emperour Charles the fift sent a mightie fleete thither vnder the conduct of a Rhodian knight of the order of Saint Iohn de Messina who so discreetly behaued himselfe in that action that the Moores compounded to pay fiue thousand Dobles for yeerly tribute vpon condition of the Emperours league and good will which yeerely tribute is payde vntill this present Of the towne of Zoara THis towne built by the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea standeth eastward from the Isle of Gerbi almost fiftie miles The towne wall is weak and the inhabitants are poore people being occupied about nothing but making of lime and plaistring which they sell in the kingdome of Tripolis Their fields are most barren and the inhabitants haue continually beene molested by the inuasions of the Christians especially since the time that they woon Tripolis Of the towne of Lepide THis ancient towne founded by the Romans and enuironed with most high and strong walles hath twise beene sacked by the Mahumetans and of the stones and ruines thereof was Tripolis afterward built Of the olde citie of Tripolis OLde Tripolis built also by the Romans was after woon by the Goths and lastly by the Mahumetans in the time of Califa Homar the second Which Mahumetans hauing besieged the gouernour of Tripoli six moneths together compelled him at length to flee vnto Carthage The citizens were partly slaine and partly carried captiue into Egypt and Arabia as the most famous African Historiographer Ibnu 〈◊〉 reporteth Of the new citie of Tripolis in Barbarie AFfter the destruction of old Tripolis there was built another city of that name which city being inuironed with most high and beautifull wals but not verie strong is situate vpon a sandie plaine which yeeldeth great store of Dates The houses of this citie are most stately in respect of the houses of Tunis and heere also euerie trade and occupation hath a seuerall place Weauers here are many They haue no wels nor fountaines but all their water is taken out of cesterns Corne in this citie is at an exceeding rate for all the fields of Tripoli are as sandie and barren as the fields of Numidia The reason whereof is for that the principall and fattest grounds of this region are ouerflowed with the sea The inhabitants of this region affirme that the greatest part of their fields northward are swallowed vp by the Mediterran sea the like wherof is to be seene in the territories of Monaster Mahdia Asfacos Capes the Isle of Gerbi and other places more eastward where the sea for the space of a mile is so shallow that it will scarce reach vnto a mans nauell Yea some are of opinion that the citie of Tripolis it selfe was situate in times past more to the north but by reason of the continuall inundations of the sea it was built and remooued by little and little southward for proofe whereof there stand as yet ruines of houses drowned in certaine places of the sea In this citie were many faire temples and colledges built and an hospitall also for the maintenance of their owne poore people and for the entertainment of strangers Their fare is verie base and homely beeing onely the forenamed Besis made of barley meale for that region affoordeth so small quantitie euen of barley that he is accounted a wealthie man that hath a bushell or two of corne in store The citizens are most of them merchants for Tripolis standeth neere vnto Numidia and Tunis neither is there any citie or towne of account between it and Alexandria neither is it farre distant from the Isles of Sicilia and Malta and vnto the port of Tripolis Venetian ships yeerly resort and bring thither great store of merchandize This citie hath alwaies beene subiect vnto the king of Tunis but when Abulhasen the king of Fez besieged Tunis the king of Tunis was constrained with his Arabians to flee into the deserts Howbeit when Abulhasen was conquered the king of Tunis returned to his kingdome but his subiects began to oppose themselues against him and so that common-wealth was afterward grieuously turmoyled with ciuill dissensions and warres Whereof the king of Fez hauing intelligence marched the fifth yeere of the said ciuill warre with an armie against the citie of Tunis and hauing vanquished the king thereof and constrained him to flee vnto Constantina he so straitly besieged him that the citizens of Constantina seeing themselues not able to withstād the king of Fez opened their citie gates
Ioseph had their aboade because they suppose the towne of Pharao to haue stood in that part of Africa where Nilus stretcheth out one of his armes westward towards Africa and where the Pyramides are as yet to be seene which the holy Scripture also seemeth to auouch in the booke of Genesis where it is said that the Iewes in Moses time were employed about the building of the towne of Aphthun which was founded by Pharao namely in that place where Nilus trendeth towards Africa being about fiftie miles southward of Cairo and neere vnto the most westerly arme or branch of Nilus They alleage also another probabilitie that the towne of Pharao was built in the same place because that at the verie head or confluence of the branches of Nilus there standeth a building of maruellous antiquitie called the sepulchre of Ioseph wherein the dead bodie of Ioseph lay till it was by the Iewes transported vnto the sepulchre of their fathers To be briefe neither Cairo nor any place neere vnto it can by any likelyhood chalenge that they were at any time inhabited by the ancient Pharaos But heere it is to be noted that the nobilitie of the ancient Egyptians dwelt in times past in the region of Sahid beyond Cairo in the cities of Fium of Manfichmin and in other such famous cities Howbeit after Egypt was conquered by the Romans the Egyptian nobilitie planted themselues in the region of Errif vpon the sea shore thereof namely about the cities of Alexandria Rosetto and other famous townes retayning as yet the Latine names Also when the Roman Empire was translated into Greece the said nobilitie still inhabited vpon the sea-shore the Emperors lieutenant residing at Alexandria but after the Mahumetans got the dominion of Egypt the foresaide nobilitie retired themselues into the inland hoping thereby to reape a double commoditie namely first in that they might be a meanes to pacifie the kingdome on both sides of them and secondly that they might be free from the inuasions of the Christians whereof they should haue beene in danger had they remained any longer vpon the sea coast Of the qualitie and temperature of the ayre in Egypt THE ayre of this countrey is hot and vnholesome and it raineth here verie seldome or neuer And raine is the cause of many diseases in Egypt for in rainie weather some of the Egyptians are subiect vnto dangerous rheumes and feuers and others vnto a strange kinde of swelling in their priuie members which swelling the Phisicians impute vnto salt-cheese and beefe which are the common diet of the Egyptians In sommer time this countrey is most extremely hot for a remedie of which heat they build in euerie towne certaine high towers hauing one doore aloft and another beneath right ouer against the houses through the tops whereof the winde passing downard doth somewhat coole and refresh the ayre otherwise in regard of the intollerable heat of the sun it were impossible for any man to liue there Sometime the pestilence is so hot among them especially at Cairo that almost euery day there die twelue thousand persons thereof But with the French poxe I thinke that no other countrey vnder heauen is so molested nor that containeth so many people infected therewith About the beginning of Aprill they reape their corne and hauing reaped it they presently thrash the same neither shall you see one eare of their corne standing till the twentith of May. The inundation or ouerflow of Nilus beginneth about the middest of Iune increasing afterward for the space of fortie daies and for the space of other fortie daies also decreasing during which time all the cities and townes of Egypt are like vnto Ilands which none can come vnto but by boates and barges At this time also Nilus is verie fit to be sayled vpon with vessels of burthen some whereof are so big that they will containe sixe thousand bushels of corne and an hundreth head-cattell and in these vessels they sayle onely downe the streame for against the streame it were impossible for them to passe emptie The Egyptians according to the increase of Nilus doe foresee the plentie or dearth of the yeere following as we will more at large declare when we come to speake of the island of Nilus ouer against the olde citie where the inundation of Nilus is measured Neither is it our purpose in this place particularly to describe all the cities of Egypt because our African writers are of diuers opinions thereabout for some would haue Egypt to be a part of Africa but others are of a contrarie minde Diuers there are that affirme that part of Egypt adioyning vpon the deserts of Barbarie Numidia and Libya to belong vnto Africa Some others ascribe vnto Africa all those places that border vpon the principall and maine chanel of Nilus but as for other places as namely Manf Fium Semenud Damanhore Berelles Tenesse and Damiata they thinke them not to be situate in Africa which opinion I my selfe also vpon many and great reasons take to be true Wherefore my purpose is to describe none other cities but such as stand neere the maine and principall chanell of Nilus Of the citie of Bosiri THe ancient citie of Bosiri built by the Egyptians vpon the Mediterran sea and standing twenty miles westward from Alexandria was in times past enuironed with most strong walles and adorned with most beautifull and stately buildings At this present it is compassed with many possessions or grounds bearing dates whereof no man taketh charge nor reapeth any commoditie for when Alexandria was woon by the Christians the inhabitants abandoned this citie and fled towards the lake called Buchaira Of the great citie of Alexandria in Egypt THe great citie of Alexandria in Egypt founded by Alexander the great not without the aduise of most famous and skilfull architects vpon a beautifull point of land stretching into the Mediterran sea and being distant 40. miles westward of Nilus was in times past till it grew subiect vnto the Mahumetans most sumptuously and strongly built as diuers and sundry authors beare record Afterward this citie decaying many yéeres together was depriued of the ancient renowme and honour and rémained in manner desolate because no merchants of Greece nor of any other part of Europe exercised any longer traffique therein Howbeit a certaine craftie Mahumetan patriarke made the rude people 〈◊〉 that by the prophecie of Mahumet most ample indulgences were granted vnto all such as would inhabite the citie or garde it for certaine daies and would bestow some almes for a publike benefite by which wilie stratagem the citie was in short time 〈◊〉 with forren people which from all places resorted thereunto by whom were built many houses neere vnto the citie-walles and many colleges of students and diuers monasteries for the reliefe of pilgrims The citie it selfe is fower square and hath fower gates to enter in at one standing on the east side towards Nilus another on the south
side towards the lake of Buchaira the third westward towards the desert of Barca and the fourth towards the Mediterran sea and the hauen whereat stand the searchers and customers which ransacke strangers euen to their verie shirts for they demaund custome not onely for wares and merchandize but also some allowance in the hundred for all kinde of money Neere vnto the citie-walles there are two other gates also being diuided asunder by a faire walke and a most impregnable castle which standeth vpon the strand or wharfe of the port commonly called Marsa el Bargi that is to say the port of the castle in which port ride the principall and best ships namely such as come from Venice Genoa Ragusa with other ships of Europe For hither resort the English the low Dutch the Biscaines the Portugals and men of all other nations in Europe for traffiques sake Howbeit this port is most vsually frequented by the 〈◊〉 of Appulia Sicilia and of Greece which are Turkish ships all which resort into this harbour to saue themselues from pirates and from tempestuous weather Another port there is also called Marsa Essil Sela that is to say the port of the chaine wherein the ships of Barbarie namely those of Tunis of the isle of Gerbi harbor themselues The Christians are constrained to pay about the 10. part for all wares that they bring in carie out but the Mahumetans pay but the 20. part and whatsoeuer wares are caried by land to Cairo pay no custom at all And at this present that part of the citie which is next vnto Cairo is the most famous and best furnished with merchandize brought by merchants from al places of the world The other parts of this city are destitute both of ciuilitie inhabitants for except one long street and that part of the citie next the hauen which is full of merchants shops inhabited by christians the residue is void and desolate Which desolation happened at that time when Lewis the fourth king of France being restored to libertie by the Soldan the king of Cyprus with a fleet partly of Venetians partly of Frenchmen suddenly assailed Alexandria and with great slaughter surprized and 〈◊〉 the same But the Soldan comming with an huge armie to rescue Alexandria so discouraged the Cyprians that they burnt downe the houses 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 themselues to flight Whereupon the Soldan repairing the 〈◊〉 and building a castle neere vnto the hauen the citie grew by 〈◊〉 and little into that estate wherein it standeth at this present In the citie of Alexandria there is a certaine high mount fashioned like vnto the place called Testaccio at Rome whereon although it hath no naturall situation are found diuers earthen vessels of great antiquitie Vpon the top of the said mount standeth a turret where a certaine officer is appointed to watch for such ships as direct their course towards the citie who for euery ship that he giueth notice of vnto the customers receiueth a certaine fee but if he chanceth to fall asleepe or to be out of the way at the arriuall of any ship whereof he certifieth not the customers he paieth double for his negligence into the Soldans exchequer Vnder each house of this citie there is a great vaulted cesterne built vpon mighty pillers and arches whereinto the water of Nilus at euery inundation is conueied vnder the walles of the citie by a certaine woonderfull and most artificiall sluce standing without the city itselfe But these cesternes growing sometime corrupt and fowle are often in summer the occasion of many diseases and infirmities This citie standeth in the midst of a sandie desert and is destitute of gardens and vines neither is the soile round about it apt to beare corne so that their corne is brought them from places fortie miles distant Howbeit neere the foresaid sluce whereby the water of Nilus is conueied into the citie are certaine little gardens the fruits whereof being growen to ripenes are so vnholesome that they breed feuers and other noisome diseases among the citizens Sixe miles westward of Alexandria among certaine ancient buildings standeth a piller of a woonderfull height and thicknes which the Arabians call Hemadussaoar that is to say the piller of trees Of this piller there is a fable reported that Ptolemey one of the kings of Alexandria built it vpon an extreme point of land stretching from the hauen whereby to the end he might defend the citie from the inuasion of forren enemies and make it inuincible he placed a certaine steele-glasse vpon the top thereof by the hidden vertue of which glasse as many ships as passed by while the glasse was vncouered should immediately be set on fire but the said glasse being broken by the Mahumetans the secret vertue thereof vanished and the great piller whereon it stood was remooued out of the place But this is a most ridiculous narration and fit for babes to giue credit vnto At this present there are amongst the ancient inhabitants of Alexandria many Christians called Iacobites being all of them artizans merchants these Iacobites haue a church of their own to resort vnto wherin the body of S. Mark the Euāgelist lay in times past interred which hath since beene priuily stolne by the Venetians carried vnto Venice And the said Iacobites pay tribute vnto the gouernour of Cairo Neither is it to be passed ouer in silence that in the midst of the ruinous monuments of Alexandria there remaineth as yet a certaine little house built in forme of a chappell and containing a sepulchre much honoured by the Mahumetans wherein they affirme out of the authoritie of their Alcaron that the bodie of the high prophet and king as they terme him Alexander the great lieth buried And thither resort yeerely great multitudes of pilgrimes from forren nations to adore and reuerence the said sepulchre and oftentimes to bestow large almes thereupon Other things woorthie the noting I purposely passe ouer least I should seeme too tedious vnto the reader Of the citie of Bochin THis ancient and small citie situate in times past vpon the Mediterran sea shore eight miles eastward of Alexandria lieth at this time vtterly desolate nought remaining thereof but certaine ruines of the walles It is now planted with date-trees wherewith the poore inhabitants dwelling in base and solitarie cottages sustaine themselues Neere vnto this citie standeth a towre vpon a certaine dangerous rocke against which many ships of Syria being driuen in the night doe suffer shipwracke because they cannot in the darke finde the right course to the port of Alexandria Round about this citie there are no fields but sandie deserts euen to the riuer of Nilus Of the citie of Rasid called by the Italians Rosetto THe citie of Rosetto was built by a slaue of a certaine Mahumetan patriarke and gouernour of Egypt vpon the easterne banke of Nilus three miles from the Mediterran sea not farre from the place where Nilus dischargeth
his streames into the said sea It containeth most beautifull houses and palaces built vpon the shore of Nilus and a faire market-place enuironed on all sides with shops of merchants and artizans with a stately and sumptuous temple also hauing some gates towards the market-place and others toward Nilus and certaine commodious staires to descend into the same riuer Neere vnto the temple there is a certaine harbour for the safetie of ships and barks of burthen that carrie wares vnto Cairo for the citie being vnwalled resembleth a village rather then a citie About this citie stand diuers cottages wherein they vse to thrash rice with certaine wooden instruments to make ready each moneth three thousand bushels thereof A little farther from this citie there is a place like vnto a village wherein great store of hackney-mules and asses are kept for trauellers to ride vpon vnto Alexandria neither neede the trauellers to guide the saide hackneyes but to let them run their ordinarie course for they will goe directly to the same house or inne where they ought to be left and their pace is so good that they will from sunne-rising to sunne-set carrie a man fortie miles they trauell alwaies so neere the sea-shore that sometimes the waues thereof beat vpon the hackneyes feete Neere vnto this citie are many fields of dates and grounds which yeeld aboundance of rice The inhabitants are of a cheerefull disposition and courteous to strangers especially to such as loue to spend their time in iollitie and disport Here is a stately bath-stoue also hauing fountaines both of cold and hot water belonging thereunto the like whereof for stately and commodious building is not to be found in all Egypt besides I my selfe was in this citie when Selim the great Turke returned this way from Alexandria who with his priuate and familiar friends beholding the said bath-stoue seemed to take great delight and contentment therein Of the citie called Anthius THis citie was built vpon the easterne banke of Nilus by the Romans as many Latin inscriptions engrauen in marble and remaining til this present do beare sufficient record It is a beautifull and well-gouerned citie and is furnished with men of all kinde of trades and occupations The fields adiacent abound with great plentie of rice corne and dates The inhabitants are of a cheerefull and gentle disposition and gaine much by rice which they transport vnto Cairo Of the citie of Barnabal THis citie was founded at the same time when the Christian religion began to take place in Egypt vpon the easterne banke of Nilus in a most pleasant and fruitfull place Here is such abundance of rice that in the citie there are more then fower hundred houses for the thrashing and trimming thereof But they that impose this taske vpon the inhabitants are men of forren countries and especially of Barbarie which are so lasciuiously and riotously giuen that almost all the harlots of Egypt resort hither vnto them who shaue off their haires to the very bones without any cizzers or rasors Of the citie of Thebe BY whom this ancient citie of Thebe standing vpon the westerne banke of Nilus should be built our African chroniclers are of sundry opinions Some affirme it to be built by the Egyptians some by the Romans and others by the Grecians because there are as yet to be seene most ancient monuments partly in Latine partly in Greeke and partly in Egyptian characters Howbeit at this present it containeth but three hundred families in all being most of them very stately and sumptuously built It aboundeth with corne rice and sugar and with certaine fruits of a most excellent taste called Muse. It is also furnished with great store of merchants and artificers but the most part of the inhabitants are husbandmen and if a man walke the streetes in the day-time he shall see none but trim and beautifull women The territorie adiacent aboundeth with date-trees which grow so thicke that a man cannot see the citie till he approcheth nigh vnto the walles Here grow likewise store of grapes figs and peaches which are carried in great plentie vnto Cairo Without the citie there are many ancient monuments as namely pillers inscriptions and walles of a great thicknes built of excellent stone and such a number of ruinous places that this citie seemeth in times past to haue beene very large Of the citie of Fuoa THis citie being distant about 45. miles southward from Rosetto was built by the Egyptians on the side of Nilus next vnto Asia The streetes there of are narrow being otherwise a well gouerned and populous citie and abounding with all necessarie commodities Heere are likewise very faire shops of merchants and artificers albeit the inhabitants are much addicted vnto their ease and pleasure The women of this towne liue in so great libertie that they may go whither they will all the day-time returning home at night without any controlement of their husbands The fieldes adiacent abounde greatly with dates and neere vnto them there is a certaine plaine which is very apt for sugar and corne howbeit the sugar canes there bring not foorth perfect sugar but in steede thereof a certaine kinde of honie like sope which they vse throughout all Egypt because there is but little other hony in the whole countrey Of Gezirat Eddeheb that is to say the golden Isle OVer against the foresaid city the riuer of Nilus maketh an Isle which being situate on an high place bringeth forth all kinde of fruitefull trees except Oliues Vpon this Island are many palaces and beautifull buildings which cannot be seene through the thicke and shadie woods The soile of this Island being apt for sugar and rice is manured by most of the inhabitants but the residue are imploied about carrying of their merchandize vnto Cairo Of the citie of Mechella THis citie builte by the Mahumetans in my time vpon the easterne shore of Nilus and enuironed with a lowe wall containeth great store of inhabitants the most part of whom being either weauers or husbandmen are voide of all curtesie and ciuilitie They bring vp great store of geese which they sell at Cairo and their fields bring foorth plentie of corne and flaxe Of the citie of Derotte WHen Egypt was subiect to the Romaine empire this towne was built also vpon the easterne banke of Nilus which as it is very populous so is it adorned with stately buildings and large streets hauing merchants shops on either side of them They haue a most beautifull temple and the citizens are exceeding rich for their grounde yeeldeth such abundance of sugar that they pay yeerely vnto the Soldan an hundred thousande peeces of golde called in their language Saraffi for their libertie of making and refining thereof In this citie standeth a certaine great house like 〈◊〉 a castle wherein are their presses and caldrons for the boiling and preparing of their sugar Neither did I euer in all my life see so many workemen emploied about
the high and lowe grounds of Egypt haue receiued either too little or too much or conuenient moisture all which customes and ceremonies being duely performed there followeth so great a solemnitie and such a thundering noise of drums and trumpets throughout all Cairo that a man would suppose the whole citie to be turned vpside downe And then euery familie hath a barge adorned with rich couerings and carpets and with torch-light and furnished with most daintie meates and confections wherewith they solace themselues The Soldan also with all his nobles and courtiers resorteth vnto that sluce or conduct which is called the great conduct and is compassed round about with a wall who taking an axe in his hand breaketh the said wall and so doe his nobles and courtiers likewise insomuch that the same part of the wall being cast downe which stopped the passage of the water the riuer of Nilus is so swiftly and forcibly carried through that conduct and through all other conducts and sluces in the city and the suburbes that Cairo at that time seemeth to be another Venice and then may you rowe ouer all places of the land of Egypt Seuen daies and seuen nights together the foresaide festiuall solemnitie continueth in Cairo during which space the merchants and artificers of the citie may according to the custome of the ancient Egyptians consume spend in torches perfumes confections musique such like iollities al their gaines that they haue gotten the whole yeere past Without the citie of Cairo neere vnto the suburbe of Beb Zuaila standeth the castle of the Soldan vpon the side of the mountaine called Mochattan This castle is enuironed with high and impregnable walles and containeth such stately and beautifull palaces that they can hardly be described Paued they are with excellent marble and on the roofes they are gilt and curiously painted their windowes are adorned with diuers colours like to the windowes in some places of Europe and their gates be artificially carued and beautified with gold and azure Some of these palaces are for the Soldan and his familie others for the familie of his wife and the residue for his concubines his eunuches and his garde Likewise the Soldan had one palace to keepe publique feastes in and another wherein to giue audience vnto forren ambassadours and to exalt himselfe with great pompe and ceremonies and another also for the gouernours and officials of his court But all these are at this present abolished by Selim the great Turke Of the customes rites and fashions of the citizens of Cairo THe inhabitants of Cairo are people of a merrie iocund and cheerefull disposition such as will promise much but performe little They exercise merchandize and mechanicall artes and yet trauell they not out of their owne natiue soile Many students there are of the lawes but very few of other liberall artes and sciences And albeit their colleges are continually full of students yet few of them attaine vnto perfection The citizens in winter are clad in garments of cloth lined with cotton in summer they weare fine shirts ouer which shirts some put on linnen garments curiously wrought with silke and others weare garments of chamblet and vpon their heads they carrie great turbants couered with cloth of India The women goe costly attired adorning their foreheads and necks with frontlets and chaines of pearle and on their heads they weare a sharpe and slender bonet of a span high being very pretious and rich Gownes they weare of woollen cloth with streite sleeues being curiously embrodered with needle-worke ouer which they cast certaine veiles of most excellent fine cloth of India They couer their heads and faces with a kinde of blacke scarfe through which beholding others they cannot be seene themselues Vpon their feet they weare fine shooes and pantofles somewhat after the Turkish fashion These women are so ambitious proud that all of them disdaine either to spin or to play the cookes wherefore their husbands are constrained to buie victuals ready drest at the cookes shops for very few except such as haue a great familie vse to prepare and dresse their victuals in their owne houses Also they vouchsafe great libertie vnto their wiues for the good man being gone to the tauerne or victualling-victualling-house his wife tricking vp her selfe in costly apparell and being perfumed with sweet and pretious odours walketh about the citie to solace her selfe and parley with her kinsfolks and friendes They vse to ride vpon asses more then horses which are broken to such a gentle pace that they goe easier then any ambling horse These asses they couer with most costly furniture and let them out vnto women to ride vpon together with a boy to lead the asse and certaine footmen to run by In this citie like as in diuers others great store of people carrie about sundrie kindes of victuals to be sold. Many there are also that sell water which they carrie vp and downe in certaine leather bags vpon the backs of camels for the citie as I said before is two miles distant from Nilus Others carrie about a more fine and handsome vessell with a cocke or spout of brasse vpon it hauing a cup of Myrrhe or christall in their hands and these sell water for men to drinke and for euery draught they take a farthing Others sell yoong chickens and other fowles by measure which they hatch after a woonderfull and strange manner They put great numbers of egges into certaine ouens built vpon sundrie loftes which ouens being moderately het will within seuen daies conuert all the said egges into chickens Their measures are bottomlesse which being put into the basket of the buier and filled full of chickens they lift it vp and so let the chickens fall into the basket Likewise such as buie those chickens hauing kept them a few daies carrie them about to sell againe The cookes shops stand open very late but the shops of other artificers are shut vp before ten of the clocke who then walke abroad for their solace and recreation from one suburbe to another The citizens in their common talke vse ribald and filthie speeches and that I may passe ouer the rest in silence it falleth out often times that the wife will complaine of her husband vnto the iudge that he doth not his dutie nor contenteth her sufficiently in the night season whereupon as it is permitted by the Mahumetan law the women are diuorced and married vnto other husbands Among the artizans whosoeuer is the first inuentour of any new and ingenious deuise is clad in a garment of cloth of gold and carried with a noise of musitians after him as it were in triumph from shop to shop hauing some money giuen him at euery place I my selfe once saw one carried about with solemne musicke and with great pompe and triumph because he had bound a flea in a chaine which lay before him on a peece of paper for all men to behold And if any
ware in this citie vnto the merchants and butchers of Cairo to the end they may auoide the trouble of passing ouer the riuer The temple and other principall buildings of this citie stand vpon the shore of Nilus On all sides of the citie there are gardens and grounds of dates Such as come hither in the morning 〈◊〉 Cairo to buy 〈◊〉 sell vse not to returne home againe till the euening This way they trauell ouer a sandie desert vnto the Pyramides and sepulchers of the ancient Egyptian kings in which place they affirme the stately citie of Memphis to haue stoode in times past And albeit the way thither be very troublesome in regard of the manifold lakes and pits made by the inundation of Nilus yet by the direction of a trustie and expert guide it may easily be trauailed Of the towne of Muhallaca THis little towne built vpon the banke of Nilus by the ancient Egyptians and standing three miles from the olde citie hath a most beautifull temple situate vpon the shore of Nilus and diuers other stately buildings therein It aboundeth with dates and with certaine fruites called Egyptian figs and the inhabitants vse the very same rites and customs that are obserued by the citizens of Cairo Of the citie of Chanca THe great citie of Chanca situate about sixe miles from Cairo at the verie entrance of the desert lying in the way to mount Sinai is replenished with most stately houses temples and colleges All the fields betweene Cairo and this citie abound with great plentie of dates but from Chanca to mount Sinai which is an hundred and fortie miles there are no places of habitation at all The inhabitants are but of meane wealth for when any carouan is to passe into Syria hither resort a company of people from Cairo to prouide things necessarie for their iourney bicause the villages adioining yeeld 〈◊〉 but dates Through this citie lie two maine roade 〈◊〉 the one leading to 〈◊〉 and the other to Arabia This citie hath 〈◊〉 other water but such as remaineth in certaine chanels after the inundation of Nilus which chanels being broken the water runneth foorth into the plaines and there maketh a number of small lakes from whence it is conueighed backe by certaine sluces into the cesterns of the citie Of the citie of Muhaisira THis little citie built vpon the riuer of Nilus miles eastward of Cairo aboundeth greatly with the graine or seed called Sesama and containeth sundrie milles to grinde oile out of the same seede The inhabitants are most of them husbandmen except a fewe that exercise trade of merchandise Of the towne of Benisuaif THis towne being situate on the west side of Nilus is distant from Cairo 120. miles The plaines adiacent abound exceedingly with flaxe and hempe which is so excellent that it is carried from thence as farre as Tunis in Barbarie And this towne furnisheth all Egypt with flaxe whereof they make very fine and strong cloth The fields of the same are continually worne diminished and especially at this present by the inundation of Nilus for now their date-groundes are halfe consumed The inhabitants for the most part are emploied about their flaxe And beyond this towne there are found Crocodiles that will eate mans flesh as we will declare in our historie of liuing creatures Of the citie of Munia VPon the same side of Nilus standeth the faire citie of Munia which was built in the time of the Mahumetans by one Chasib a lieutenant and courtier of the Califa of Bagdet vpon an high place Here are most excellent grapes and abundance of all kinde of fruite which albeit they are carried to Cairo yet can they not come thither fresh and newe by reason that this citie is distant from Cairo an hundred and fower-score miles It is adorned with most stately temples and other buildings and here are to be seene at this present sundry ruines of the ancient Egyptian buildings The inhabitants are rich for they trauaile for their gaine as farre as Gaoga a kingdome of the land of Negros Of the citie of El Fium THis ancient citie was founded by one of the Pharaos vpon a little branch of Nilus and on a high ground at the same time when the Israelites departed out of Egypt whom the said Pharao greatly oppressed with making of bricke and with other seruile occupations In this citie they say that Ioseph the sonne of Iacob was buried and that his bones were digged vp by Moses and the Israelites when they departed Fruits heere grow great plentie and especially oliues which are good to eate but vnprofitable to make oile of It is a well gouerned and populous citie and containeth many artificers especially weauers Of the citie of Manf Loth. THis great and ancient citie was built by the Egyptians destroied by the Romains and reedified by the Mahumetans but not in so stately manner as it was first built At this present there are found certaine huge and high pillers and porches whereon are verses engrauen in the Egyptian toong Neere vnto Nilus stand the ruines of a stately building which seemeth to haue beene a temple in times past among which ruines the citizens finde sometimes coine of siluer sometimes of gold and sometimes of lead hauing on the one side hiely graphick notes and on the other side the pictures of ancient kings The fields adiacent being very fruitefull are extremely scorched by the heate of the sunne and much haunted with Crocodiles which was the occasion as some thinke why the Romaines abandoned this citie The inhabitants are men of indifferent wealth for they exercise traffike in the land of Negros Of the citie of Azioth THis ancient city founded by the Egyptians vpon the banke of Nilus two hundred and fiftie miles from Cairo is most admirable in regard of the hugenes and of the varietie of old buildings and of epitaphes engrauen in Egyptian letters although at this present the greatest part therof lyeth desolate When the Mahumetans were first Lords of this city it was inhabited by honorable personages and continueth as yet famous in regard of the nobilitie and great wealth of the citizens There are in this citie almost an hundred families of christians three or fower churches still remaining and without the citie standeth a monasterie containing mo then an hundred monks who eate neither flesh nor fish but onely herbes bread and oliues And yet haue they daintie cates without any fatte among them This monasterie is very rich and giueth three daies entertainment to all strangers that resort thither for the welcomming of whom they bring vp great store of doues of chickens and of such like commodities Of the citie of Ichmin IChmin being the most ancient citie in all Egypt was built by Ichmin the son of Misraim the sonne of Chus which was the son of Hen vpon the banke of Nilus next vnto Asia and three hundred miles eastwarde from Cairo This citie the Mahumetans
as it were out of his crowne-landes another part he leuieth of the people that pay him so much for an house and the tenth of all those mines that are digged by others then by himselfe and a third reuenue he draweth from his tributarie princes and gouernours and these giue him the entire reuenues of one of their cities so as he choose not that citie wherein they make their residence But though his wealth and reuenues be great yet are his people of little worth as well because he holdeth them in the estimation of slaues by meanes whereof they want that generositie of minde which maketh men ready to take vp armes to be couragious in dāgers as also it seemeth they haue euer their handes bound with that awefull reuerence which they beare towards their Prince and the feare they haue of him and further in that they haue no armes of defence but bad headpeeces halfe sculles and coats of maile carried thither by the Portugals Hereunto may be added his want of fortresses for neither hauing strong places whither to retire nor armes to defend themselues they and their townes remaine as a pray to the enemie their offensiue armes being vnfeathered arrowes and some darts They haue a lent of fiftie daies continuance which through the great abstinence wherein they passe all that time doth so weaken and afflict them that neither for those daies nor many other following they haue the strength to stirre abroad whereupon the Moores attend this opportunitie and assaile them with great aduantage Francis Aluares writeth that Prete Ianni can bring into the field an hundred thousand men neuerthelesse in time of neede it hath beene seene that he could make nothing so many He hath a militarie religion or order of knighthood vnder the protection of Saint 〈◊〉 whereunto euerie noble man must ordaine one of euerie three male children but not the eldest And out of these are constituted twelue thousand knights or gentlemen for the kings guarde The ende of this order is to defend the confines of the empire and to make head against the enimies of the faith Princes confining vpon the Prete Ianni THis Prince as farre as we can certainly vnderstand confineth especially with three other mightie princes one is the king of Borno another the great Turke and the third the king of Adel. The king of Buruo ruleth ouer that countrey which extendeth from Guangara towards the east about fiue hundred miles betweene the deserts of Seu and Barca being of an vneeuen situation bicause it is partly mountainous and partly plaine In the plaines there dwelleth a very ciuill people in populous and much frequented villages by reason of the abundance of graine as also there is some concourse of merchants thither On the mountaines shepheardes of great and smal beasts do inhabite and their chiefe sustenance is mill They lead a brutish life without religion with their wiues and children in common They vse no other proper names but those which are taken from the qualitie or forme of mens persons the lame the squint eied the long the stuttering This king of Borno is most mightie in men vpon whom he laieth no other imposition but the tenth of their fruits their profession is to robbe and steale from their neighbours and to make them slaues in exchange of whom they haue of the merchants of Barbarie horses He hath vnder him many kingdomes and people partly white and partly blacke He molesteth the Abassines exceedingly with theftes leadeth away their cattell robbeth their mines maketh their men slaues They fight on 〈◊〉 backe after the Gynnet fashion they vse lances with two heads darts arrowes they assaile a countrey sometimes in one part and otherwhiles in another suddenly but these may rather be termed theeues and robbers then right enimies The Turke confineth with Abassia on the east as likewise the king of Adel who hemmeth it in betweene the east and the south They disturbe the Prete exceedingly restraining the limites of his Empire and bringing his countrey into great miserie For the Turkes besides the putting of a great part of Barnagasso to sacke and spoile vpon which they entred the yeere of our Lord 1558. although they were driuen out againe haue further taken all that from the Prete which he possessed on the sea coast especiallie the portes and townes of Suaquen and Ercoco In which two places the mountaines lying betwixt Abassia and the red sea doe open and make a passage for conueiance of victual and trafficke betweene the Abassins and the Arabians And it is not long since the Lord Barnagasso was constrained to accord with the Turke and to buie the peace of his countrie with the tribute of a thousand ounces of gold by the yeere Also the King of Adel procureth hym no lesse molestation This man confineth with the kingdome of Fatigar and extendeth his dominion euen to the Red sea where he hath Assum Salir Meth Barbora Pidar and Zeila At Barbora manie shippes of Aden and Cambaia arriue with their marchandize for exchange from whence they receiue much flesh honie wax and victuals for Aden and gold Iuorie and other thinges for Cambaia A greater quantitie of victuall is carried from Zeila because there is aboundance of waxe and honie with corne and diuers fruites which are laden for Aden and for Arabia and beastes also as namely sheepe with tayles wayghing more then fiue and twentie poundes with their heads and necks all blacke but the rest of them is white as also certaine other all white with tayles a fathome long and writhen like a vine branche hauing thropples vnder their throtes like bulles There be also certaine kine with branched hornes like to wild hartes being blacke in colour and sorne others red with one onely horne vpon their foreheads of an handfull and an halfe long turning backward The chiefe city of this kingdome is Arar eight and thirtie leagues from Zeila towards the South east This king being a Mahumetan by a perpetuall profession of making war against the christians of Abassia who are the subiects of the Prete hath obteined of those Barbarians the surname of Holy He stayeth his óportunitie while the Abassins be weakened and brought downe with that long and hard fast of fiftie daies when they can scarcely go about their domesticall affaires and then he entreth into the countrey sacketh the townes leadeth the people away into seruitude and doth a thousand iniuries vnto them The Abassin slaues are of great valew out of their owne countrey whereupon the bordering and other Princes both farre and neere esteeme them much and many of them by meanes of their industrie in seruice of slaues haue become captaines and great Commanders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra Bicause the Mahumetan princes of the east being all tirants ouer kingdomes vsurped from the Gentiles for securitie of their state put no trust in their owne subiects but arme themselues with a multitude of strange slaues to whom they commit their
rich men he bestoweth vpon them some gouernment or charge with prouision Wherefore for feare of confiscation after death euery one coueteth to 〈◊〉 his wealth or to remoue far from the court and the kings sight For which cause the citie of Fez commeth far short of hir ancient glorie Besides his reuenues haue beene augmented of late yeeres by mightie sums of gold which he fetcheth from Tombuto and Gago in the lande of Negros which gold according to the report of some may yeerely amount to three millions of ducates His Forces THe Xeriffo hath not any Fortresses of great importance but only vpon the sea-coast as Cabo de Guer Larache and Tetuan for as the Turks and Persians do so he placeth the strength of his state in armed men but especially in horse And for this cause he standeth not much vpon his artillerie although hee hath very great store which his predecessors tooke from the Portugals and others in Fez Maroco Tarodant and in the foresaide 〈◊〉 causing also more to bee cast when neede requireth for he wanteth not masters of Europe in this Science He hath an house of munition in Maroco where they make ordinarily six and fortie quintals of powder euery moneth as likewise also caliuers and steele-bowes In the yeere of our Lord 1569. a fire tooke hold on these houses with such furie that a great part of the citie was destroied therewith But for the Xeriffoes forces they are of two sorts the first is of two thousand seuen hundred horse and two thousand harquibuziers which he hath partly in Fez but most in Maroco where he is resident being as it were of his daily guard The second is of a roiall squadron of sixe thousand gentlemen being all of noble parentage and of great account These men are mounted vpon excellent horses with furniture and armes for varietie of colour most beautifull and for riches of ornament beyonde measure estimable for euery thing about them shineth with gold siluer pearle iewels and whatsoeuer else may please the eie or satisfie the curiositie of beholders These men besides prouision of corne oile butter and flesh for themselues their wiues children and seruants receiue further in wages from seuentie to an hundred ounces of siluer a man The third sort of forces which he hath consisteth of his * Timariotti for the Xeriffo granteth to all his sons and brothers and other persons of account or authoritie among the people of Africke or to the princes of the Arabians the benefite of great Lordships tenures for sustentation of his Cauallarie and the Alchaides themselues till the fields and afterwardes reape rice oile barly butter sheepe hens and monie and distribute the same monethly to the souldiers according to the seuerall qualitie of their persons They also giue them cloth linnen and silke to apparell themselues armes of offence and defence and horses with which they serue in the warres and if they die or be killed they allow them other A thing which was also vsed in Rome towards them that serued on publike horses Euerie one of these leaders contendeth to bring his people into the fielde well ordred for armes apparell and horses besides this they haue betweene fower and twentie and thirtie ounces of siluer wages euery yeere His fourth militarie forces are the Arabians who liue continually in their Auari for so they call their habitations each one of them consisting of an hundred or two hundred 〈◊〉 gouerned by diuers Alchaides to the end they may be readie in time of need These serue on horse-backe but they are rather to be accounted theeues then true soldiers His fift kinde of forces militarie are somewhat like vnto the trained soldiers of Christian princes and among these the inhabitants of cities and villages of the kingdome and of the mountaines are enrolled It is true that the king makes but little account of them very seldome puts armes into their hands for feare of insurrections and rebellions except in the warres against the Christians for then he cannot conueniently forbid them For it being written in their law that if à Moore kil a Christian or is slaine by him he goeth directly into Paradise a diabolicall inuention men women and those of euery age and degree run to the warres hand ouer head that at least they may there be slaine and by this meanes according to their foolish opinion gaine heauen No lesse zeale to our confusion may we perceiue in the Turks especially for defence of their sect for one would thinke they went to a marriage and not to the warre scarcely being able with patience to attend their prefixed time of going thither They repute them holy and happie that die with armes in hand against their enimies as on the contrarie those men vnhappie and of little woorth that die at home amidst the lamentation of children and outcries of women By the things aboue set downe we may easily comprehend what numbers of men the Xeriffo can bring into the field but yet we may learne better by experience For Mullei Abdala in the yeere 1562. besieged Mazagan with two hundred thousand men choaking the ditch with a mountaine of earth and beating downe the walles thereof with his Artillerie but for all this he was enforced by the valour of the Portugals and the damage which he receiued by their mines to giue ouer his siege Besides this Prince can not continue a great war aboue two or three moneths and the reason hereof is because his forces liuing on that prouision which he hath daylie comming in as well for sustenance as for aparrell and not being able to haue all this conducted thither where the war requireth it followeth of necessitie that in short time they must needs returne home for their maintenance of life and further it is an euident thing that no man can protract a war at length except he be rich in treasure Molucco who ouerthrew Sebastian king of Portugal had in pay vnder his ensignes fortie thousand horse and eight thousand foote besides Arabians and aduenturers But it is thought he could haue brought into the field seuentie thousand horse and more foot then he did Of the dominions and fortresses which the king of Spaine hath vpon the Isles and maine landes of Africa and of the great quantity of treasure and other commodities which are brought from thence BEsides Oran Mersalquibir Melilla and Pennon which the king of Spaine possesseth within the streights as likewise çeuta Tanger and Arzil which by the title of Portugal he holdeth very neere the streights of Gibraltar and Mazagan in like sort without the streights mouth twentie miles to the southward of Arzil he hath along the coast of Affrick from Cape de Guer to that of Guardafu two sorts of states for some are immedidiately vnder him and others are as it were his adherents The Ilands of Madera Puerto Santo the Canaries the Isles of Arguin of Cabo Verde the isle Del Principe with that of Sant
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
redeeme first all the religious and priests and after them those of the yoonger sort first the king of Spaines subiects and then others They alwaies leaue one religious man in Alger and another in Fez who informe themselues of the state qualitie of the slaues with their necessitie to make the better way for their libertie the yeere following The king of Spaine whom it most concerneth furthereth this so charitable a worke with a bountifull and liberall hand For ordinarily he giueth as much more as the foresaid orders haue gathered and collected by way of almes For this is so good an enterprise that by the ancient canons no other is so much fauoured and allowed of Yea S. Ambrose and other holy men haue pawned for the deliuerie of Christian captiues the chalices and siluer vessels of their churches And Saint Paulinus for the same end and purpose solde his owne selfe For all other actions of charitie are some spirituall and others corporall but this in a very eminent degree is both spirituall and corporall togither For among corporall miseries the seruitude of infidels is most grieuous among spirituall calamities the danger of apostasie is of all others the greatest but those slaues so redeemed are set free both from the one and from the other Whereupon there are very few borne in Spain who dying leaue not some almes behinde them for the ransoming of slaues The 〈◊〉 of redemption haue gone also many times to Constantinople where in the yeere 1583. by the order of Pope Gregorie the thirteenth they redeemed fiue hundred persons The brotherhood also of the Confalone in Rome labour verie diligently in this point who in Sixtus Quintus time redeemed a great number of captiues Of whom many also vrged partly by the hardnes of seruitude partly by the sweetenes of libertie free themselues either by that which they gaine ouer aboue their masters due or by their good demeanour or else by flight And they flie awaie sometimes by repairing speedily to such fortresses as the king of Spaine hath in Africke and in Barbarie and otherwhiles they seaze on some shipping or on the selfe same galleies wherein they are chained Many also retire themselues to the Princes of Brisch c. who willingly receiue and arme them vsing their assistance in the warre which they continually make with the Turkes of Alger FINIS * Read pag. 58. of places vndescribed by Iohn Leo. Tull. Acad quaest lib. The varietie of this emperours names read in a marginall note Pag. 12. of places vndescribed by Iohn Leo. * Or Xeriso or Serifo Africa otherwise called Libya The greater part of Africa vnknowen in 〈◊〉 ages When Africa was sailed round about * And since also by the English French and Dutch * 〈◊〉 Dias doubled the cape besore but returned fearefuily without proceeding any farther The 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 of this worde Africa Why 〈◊〉 was called Libya The situation and shape of Africa A comparison betweene Africa and Europe The causes why Africa is so slenderly inhabited Sandie seas in Africa The position of Africa according to the heauens The boundes of Africa The mountaines of Africa Mount Atlas * The prouinces of 〈◊〉 Alger Bugia Constantina and Tunis Extreme cold fountaines Mountaines called Os Picos 〈◊〉 that is to say sharpe pointed Iohn 〈◊〉 Dec. 1. lib. 8. cap. 4. Lunae montes The lake of Zembre which by some others is placed vnder the Equinoctiall The riuers of Africa Nilus Niger These two riuers of Senaga and Gambra are not certainly known whether they be maine riuers of themselues or branches and mouthes of Niger The isle of Elephants These two riuers of Cuama and Magnice according to Philippo Pigafetta spring both out of the great lake and are not branches of one riuer The promontories or capes of Africa Cabo de buena esperanza Cabo 〈◊〉 Cabo de los corrientes The inhabitants of Africa The diuersitie of religions in Africa The ancient diuision of Africa by Ptolemey and a comparison of the ancient with the moderne names Mauritania Tingitana being all one with the kingdomes of Maroco and Fez. Mauritania Caesariensis called at this present Tremizen and Aiger Numidia the ancient contayning Bugia Constantina Bona Mezzab c. Africa 〈◊〉 all one with the kingdome of Tunis Cyrene now called Mesrata Marmarica comprehended in the desert of Barcha Libya propria called Sarra AEthiopia now called Abassia This isle I take to be Babelmandel Suez called of olde Heroum ciuitas and Hazion Geber Arsenale signifieth a store-store-house for munition and for all necessaries to build repaire and furnish a fleete Troglodytae were a people that liued in caues vnder the earth to auoide the extrem heat being deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A great part of Barnagasso subdued by the Turke Dangala the head citie of Nubia * Or AEthiopia the higher * Commonly called in Latine writers Presbiter Iohannes by the Moores Asiclabassi and by the Abassins his owne subiects Acegue that is Emperour Neguz which importeth a king and Belul also being all one with Encoe in the Chaldean toong both which wordes signifie pretious or high * Or Barnagasso Most rich gold-mines * And by the late writers 〈◊〉 * Sinus Barbaricus a mightie gulfe on the backeside of Africa stretching as some will haue it from 4. degrees of northerly to 17. of southerly latitude Of these Beteneguz read Francis Aluarez cap. 42. * Or yardes for Braccia signifieth both * Or yardes for Braccia signifieth both Of Melich read more at large in Francisco Aluarez cap. 37. and cap. 138. * Or 〈◊〉 The Moores called Dobas * Barnagaez Out of this lake also the riuer of Zeila runneth eastward into the Red sea * 〈◊〉 in the Abassin toong signifieth the Sea and Neguz a king so that Barnagaez or Barnagasso is as much as king of the sea or Lord high admirall All persons of the Abassin blood royall enclosed within a mightie roundel of mountaines Francis Aluarez cap. 57 58 59 60 61 c. The mountaine of death Of these Amazones read more in the discourse of Monomotapa following This stile is taken out of a letter written by Dauid the Emperour of AEthiopia 1524. * 1526. Philippo 〈◊〉 will haue 〈◊〉 to spring out of one great lake onely which is to the south of Goiame The true cause of the increase of Nilus Oyle strayned out of an herbe Their manner of Iustice. Their maner of swearing The ceremonies 〈◊〉 in their Churches Their musicall instruments The riuer of Quilimanci in nine degrees of northerly latitude Adel the first generall part of Aian * Or Arar Ptol. geog lib. 4. cap. 7. Adea the second part of Aian The kingdome and citie of Magadazo Melinde the first part of Zanguebar Mombaza the second portion of Zanguebar Quiloathe third part of 〈◊〉 Mozambique the fourth part of Zanguebar * Or Moghincats Angoscia Sofala the fift part of Zanguebar Some will haue Magnice and Cuama to be two branches of one mightie
leaue his citie to the sacke and spoile of his enimies who found therein a good quantitie of gold siluer and pearle and likewise cloth of cotton of silke and of gold with great numbers of slaues such other commodities Howbeit they remained not there any long time but were inforced to abandon the place in regard of the most vnholesome and infectious aire This kingdome is tributarie to the great empire of Mohenemugi The kingdome of Quiloa situate in nine degrees towarde the pole Antarticke and like the last before mentioned taking the denomination thereof from a certaine isle and citie both called by the name of Quiloa may be accounted for the third portion of the lande of Zanguebar This island hath a very fresh and coole aire and is replenished with trees alwaies greene and with plentie of all kinde of victuals It is situate at the mouth of the great riuer Coauo which springeth out of the same lake from whence Nilus floweth and is called also by some Quiloa and by others Tahiua and runneth from the saide lake eastward for the space of sixe hundred miles till it approcheth neere the sea where the streame thereof is so forcible that at the very mouth or out-let dispersing it selfe into two branches it shapeth out a great island to the west where of vpon the coast you may behold the little isle and the citie of Quiloa being separated from the maine by a very narrow arme of the sea This isle as also the great isle before named is inhabited by Mahumetans who are of colour whitish Their women are comely and rich in their attire Their houses are fairely builte of lime and stone and haue within them very gallant and costly furniture and without they are enuironed with gardens and orchards full of sundry delicate fruits and herbes Of this island the whole kingdome as is aforesaide tooke the name which vpon the coast extendeth it selfe to Cabo Delgado or the slender Cape being the limite betweene Moçambique and this kingdome of Quiloa from thence it stretcheth vnto the foresaid riuer of Coauo In old time this kingdome of Quiloa was the chiefest of all the principalities there adioining for the Arabians which were masters thereof had inlarged their dominions for the space of nine hundred miles so that all the sea-coast and the islands as farre as Cabo de los Corrientes situate in fower and twentie degrees of southerly latitude were tributarie and subiect thereunto Whereupon when the Portugals arriued in those countries the king of this place trusted so much to himselfe that he thought he was able with his owne forces not onely to make a defensiue warre against them but also to driue them from those places which they had already surprized Howbeit quite contrarie to his expectation he was by the Portugals vtterly vanquished and put to flight Who seazing vpon the isle and citie enriched themselues with the great booties spoiles that they found therein Thus the mightie king of Quiloa who before the Portugals arriuall in those parts enioied also the chiefe commoditie of the rich gold mines of Sofala became atlength by a composition made with Don Pedro Cabral tributarie to the crowne of Portugall paying for tribute at the first fiue hundred and afterward fifteene hundred peeces of gold Vpon the foresaid isle the Portugals erected a fortresse which their king afterward commanded them to deface considering that there were other forts sufficient enough for that coast Betweene the two mightie riuers of Coauo and Cuama both which spring out of one lake with Nilus among the kingdomes of Mombara Mozimba Maeuas and Embeoe which are not as yet perfectly discouered lieth the kingdome of Moçambique so called of three small islets situate in the mouth of the riuer Meghincate in fowerteene and a halfe or fifteene degrees of southerly latitude which kingdome in ancient time by Ptolemey was called Promontorium 〈◊〉 In the principall of the three foresaide isles there is a very commodious and secure hauen capable of all kinde of vessels and there also the Portugals haue built a very strong forte where albeit in regard of the lownes and moisture of the soile being full of bogges and fens the aire be most vnholsome and in manner pestilent yet the oportunitie of the place and the plentie of victuals haue made it one of the most famous and frequented hauens in all that Ocean For which cause the fleetes which saile from Portugall to the east Indies when they are out of hope to performe their voiage in summer do vsually resort to spend the whole winter at Moçambique and those Portugale ships also which come from the Indies toward Europe must of necessitie touch at this place to furnish themselues with victuals Along these coasts do saile certaine Moores in vessels sowed or fastened togither with thongs of lether the sailes whereof they make of Palme-leaues and in stead of pitch and tallow they calke them with gumme which they gather in the woods Vnto this kingdome of Moçambique belongeth the prouince of Angoscia so called from certaine isles of that name lying directly ouer against it which prouince stretcheth to the riuer of Cuama It is inhabited by Mahumetans and Gentiles who are for the greatest part merchants and do trafficke along that coast with the same wares and commodities wherewith the people of Sofala do trade Sofala or Sefala the fift and last general part of Zanguebar is a small kingdome lying vpon the sea-coast between the riuers of Cuama and Magnice being so called after the name of a riuer running through it in which riuer lyeth an Island which is the head and principal place of the whole countrie On this Island the Portugales 〈◊〉 built a most strong forte by meanes whereof they are become Lordes of the richest trade in all those parts For to say nothing of the Iuorie Amber and slaues which are hither brought all the gold in a manner that is taken out of those manifolde and endlesse mines of Sofala and all the Inland-countries thereabouts is here exchanged vnto the Portugales for cotton-cloth silkes and other commodities of Cambaia all which is thought yeerely to amount vnto the summe of two millions of gold This golden trade was first in the power of the Moores of Magadazo and afterward it befell to them of Quiloa The inhabitants of Sofala are Mahumetans being gouerned by a king of the same sect who yeeldeth obedience to the crowne of Portugale because hee will not be subiect to the empire of Monomotapa Neither is it heere to bee omitted that in these parts vnder the name of Iuorie are bartered not onely elephants teeth but also the teeth of sea-horses which creatures are commonly found in the riuers of Nilus Niger Coauo Cuama Magnice and all other the great riuers of Africa The empire of Mohenemugi the third generall part of the lower Ethiopia THis mightie empire bordering south vpon the kingdome of Moçambique and the empire of