Romans and as some others suppose by the Africans was at length destroied by the Mahumetans albeit Ibnu Rachich affirmeth the Romans to haue sacked it But now there is nought remaining but onely a few ruines of the wall Of the region of Berdeoa BErdeoa a region situate in the midst of the Libyan desert and standing almost fiue hundred miles from Nilus containeth three castles fiue or six villages abounding with most excellent dates And the said three castles were discouered eighteene yeeres agoe by one Hamar in manner following the carouan of merchants wandering out of the direct way had a certaine blinde man in their companie which was acquainted with all those regions this blinde guide riding foremost vpon his camell commanded some sand to be giuen him at euery miles end by the smell whereof he declared the situation of the place but when they were come within fortie miles of this region the blinde man smelling of the sand affirmed that they 〈◊〉 not farre from some places inhabited which some beleeued not for they knew that they were distant from Egypt fower hundred and eightie miles so that they tooke themselues to be neerer vnto Augela Howbeit within three daies they found the said three castles the inhabitants whereof woondering at the approch of strangers and being greatly astonied presently shut all their gates and would giue the merchants no water to quench their extreme thirst But the merchants by maine force entred and hauing gotten water sufficient betooke themselues againe to their iournie Of the region of 〈◊〉 ALguechet also being a region of the Lybian desert is from Egypt an hundred and twenty miles distant Here are three castles and many villages abounding with dates The inhabitants are black vile and couetous people and yet exceeding rich for they dwell in the mid way betweene Egypt and Gaoga They haue a gouernour of their owne notwithstanding they pay tribute vnto the next Arabians Here endeth the sixth booke IOHN LEO HIS SEVENTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein Wherein he intreateth of the land of Negros and of the confines of Egypt OVr ancient Chroniclers of Africa to wit Bichri and Meshudi knew nothing in the land of Negros but onely the regions of Guechet and Cano for in their time all other places of the land of Negros were vndiscouered But in the yeere of the Hegeira 380 by the meanes of a certaine Mahumetan which came into Barbarie the residue of the said land was found out being as then inhabited by great numbers of people which liued a brutish and sauage life without any king gouernour common wealth or knowledge of husbandrie Clad they were in skins of beasts neither had they any peculiar wiues in the day time they kept their cattell and when night came they resorted ten or twelue both men and women into one cottage together vsing hairie skins in stead of beds and each man choosing his leman which he had most fancy vnto Warre they wage against no other nation ne yet are desirous to trauell out of their owne countrie Some of them performe great adoration vnto the sunne rising others namely the people of Gualata worship the fire and some others to wit the inhabitants of Gaoga approch after the Egyptians manner neerer vnto the Christian faith These Negros were first subiect vnto king Ioseph the founder of Maroco and afterward vnto the fiue nations of Libya of whom they learned the Mahumetan lawe and diuers needfull handycrafts a while after when the merchants of Barbarie began to resort vnto them with merchandize they learned the Barbarian language also But the foresaid fiue people or nations of Libya diuided this land so among themselues that euery third part of each nation possessed one region Howbeit the king of Tombuto that now raigneth called Abuacre Izchia is a Negro by birth this Abuacre after the decease of the former king who was a Libyan borne slue all his sonnes and so vsurped the kingdome And hauing by warres for the space of fifteene yeeres conquered many large dominions he then concluded a league with all nations and went on pilgrimage to Mecca in which iournie he so consumed his treasure that he was constrained to borrow great summes of money of other princes Moreouer the fifteene kingdomes of the land of Negros knowen to vs are all situate vpon the riuer of Niger and vpon other riuers which fall thereinto And all the land of Negros standeth betweene two vast deserts for on the one side lieth the maine desert betweene Numidia and it which extendeth it selfe vnto this very land and the south side thereof adioineth vpon another desert which stretcheth from thence to the maine Ocean in which desert are infinite nations vnknowen to vs both by reason of the huge distance of place and also in regarde of the diuersitie of languages and religions They haue no traffique at all with our people but we haue heard oftentimes of their traffique with the inhabitants of the Ocean sea shore A description of the kingdome of Gualata THis region in regarde of others is very small for it containeth onely three great villages with certaine granges and fields of dates From Nun it is distant southward about three hundred from Tombuto northward fiue hundred and from the Ocean sea about two hundred miles In this region the people of Libya while they were lords of the land of Negros ordained their chiefe princely seate and then great store of Barbarie-merchants frequented Gualata but afterward in the raigne of the mighty and rich prince Heli the said merchants leauing Gualata began to resort vnto Tombuto and Gago which was the occasion that the region of Gualata grew extreme beggerly The language of this region is called Sungai and the inhabitants are blacke people and most friendly vnto strangers In my time this region was conquered by the king of Tombuto and the prince thereof fled into the deserts whereof the king of Tombuto hauing intelligence and fearing least the prince would returne with all the people of the deserts graunted him peace conditionally that he should pay a great yeerely tribute vnto him and so the said prince hath remained tributarie to the king of Tombuto vntill this present The people agree in manners and fashions with the inhabitants of the next desert Here groweth some quantitie of Mil-seed and great store of a round white kind of pulse the like whereof I neuer saw in Europe but flesh is extreme scarce among them Both the men the women do so couer their heads that al their conntenance is almost hidden Here is no forme of a common wealth nor yet any gouernours or iudges but the people lead a most miserable life A description of the kingdome of Ghinea THis kingdome called by the merchants of our nation Gheneoa by the natural inhabitants thereof Genni and by the Portugals and other people of Europe Ghinea standeth in the midst betweene Gualata
or shoulders so hard they strooke against vs as if we had beene beaten with stones and cudgels and in this sort they went towards the sea The men women and children remaining at home were gotten vpon the tops or tarrasses of their houses giuing God thankes that the locusts were going away some afore and others followed In the meane while towardes the sea there arose a great cloude with thunder which met them full in the teeth and continued for the space of three howers with much raine and tempest that filled all the riuers and when the raine ceased it was a fearefull thing to behold the dead Locustes which were more then two yardes in height vpon the bankes of the riuers and in some riuers there were mightie heapes of them so that the morning following there was not one of them found aliue vpon the earth The people of the places adioining hearing this came in great numbers to enquire how this matter was effected many of the inhabitants said these Portugals be holy men and by the power of their God they haue killed and driuen away the locusts others saide especially the priests and friers of those places neere about that we were witches and by power of enchantments had driuen away the saide creatures and that for this cause we feared neither lions nor any other wilde beast Three daies after this effect there came vnto vs a Xuum that is a captaine of a place called Coiberia with men priests and friers to request vs that we woulde for the loue of God helpe them saying that they were in a manner destroied by the locustes and that place was a daies iourney off towards the sea They came to vs about euening and at the same instant I and fower other Portugals departed awaie with them we went all night and came thither an hower within daie where we found that all those of the countrey with many of the other places adioining were assembled togither for they were also molested by the locusts And assoone as we were come we went our procession rounde about the land which was seated vpon an high hill from whence we might discerne manie countries and places all yellow by reason of the multitude of locusts Such inuocatious and ceremonies being ended as we performed in the other place we went to dinner the men that were borderers requested vs to goe with them promising vs great rewardes It pleased god that as soon as we had dined we saw all the earth so cleared that there was not soe much as one locust to be seene The people seeing this and not being satisfied with the fauour and grace receiued they requested vs to goe and blesse their possessions for they were yet afraid least the locusts would returne and so wee departed Of the dommage we sawe done in another prouince by the Locustes in two sundrie places Chap. 33. AN other time also we sawe the Locustes being in a towne called Abuguna Prete Ianni sent vs to this towne which is in the kingdome of Angote and distant from Barua where we continued thirtie daies iourney to the ende that there we might be furnished with victuals Being come 〈◊〉 I went with the ambassadour Zagazabo who came into Portugall and fiue Genoueses towards a certain towne a moūtaine called Aguoan we trauailed fiue daies through places all desert destroied which places were sowen with Maiz hauing stalkes as great as those props which we vse about our vines and we might see them all broken and troden vnderfoote as if there had beene a tempest and this had the locusts done Their wheate barley and Taffo da guza were so eaten as it seemed they neuer had beene either tilled or sowne The trees were without leaues and their barkes all gnawne eaten and there was not so much as a spire of grasse for they had deuoured euery thing and if we had not beene aduised and foreseene the same for when we departed we laded our mules with victuals we and our beastes had died togither for hunger The countrey was couered all ouer with winglesse locustes and they saide that those were the seede of them which had deuoured all and that when they had gotten wings they would go seeke out the rest the number of these was so great as I am loath to report bicause I shoulde not perhaps be credited but this I may well affirme that I sawe men women and children sit as it were amazed amongst these locusts and I saide vnto them why sit you thus halfe dead and doe not kill these creatures and so reuenge your selues of the wrong that their fathers and mothers haue done you or at least that those which you kill may be able to doe you no more harme They answered taht they had not the hart to withstand the scourge of God which hee had sent vpon them for their sins And all the people of this place departed hence so that we found the waies full of men and women on foot with their children in their armes and vpon their heads going into other countries where they might finde victuall and it was great pittie to behold them We being in the saide prouince of Abuguna in a place called Aquate there came such swarmes of locustes as were innumerable which one day began to fall vpon the grounde about nine of the clocke in the morning and ceased not while night where they lighted there they staide and then the next day in the morning went away so that at three of the clocke in the afternoone there was not one of them to be seene and in this short time they left the trees vtterly destitute of leaues On the same day and hower there came an other squadron and these left neither tree nor bough vngnawen and eaten and thus did they for fiue daies one after an other they said that those were yoong ones which went to seeke their fathers and they did the like as those we sawe without wings the space that these locustes tooke vp was nine miles for which circuit there remained neither barke nor leaues vpon the trees the countrey looked not as though it had bin burnt but as though it had snowed thereupon and this was by reason of the whitenes of the trees which were pilled bare by the Locustes and the earth was all swept cleane It was Gods will that the haruest was alreadie in wee coulde not vnderstande which way they afterwards went bicause they came from the sea warde out of the kingdome of 〈◊〉 which belongeth to the Moores who are continually in warre as also we coulde by no meanes knowe the ende of their iourney or course Thus much out of Francis 〈◊〉 Of the minerals And first of miner all salt THe greater part of Africa hath none other salt but such as is digged out of quarries mines after the maner of marble or free stone being of a white red and graie colour Barbarie aboundeth with salt and Numidia is indifferently furnished
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
be seene to his subiects but onely vpon solemne dayes At other times it was held as a great fauour if he did shew but the halfe part of his feete to ambassadours and to his fauorites And no maruel for amongst the Ethiopians it hath beene an ancient custome as Strabo writeth To adore their kinges like gods who for the most part liue enclosed at home This so strange and stately kinde of gouernment did exceedingly abase his subiects whom the Prete vsed like slaues so that vpon the smallest occasions that might be he would depriue them of all honour and dignity were they neuer so great Abassia containeth many large plaines and very high mountaines all fruitfull In some places you shall haue most extreame coulde and frostie weather but not any snowe throughout the whole empire no not in the mountaines The Prete hath many moores in his dominions and vpon his borders but the most populous of all others are the Moores called Dobas who are bound by a law neuer to marry till they can bring most euident testimony that each of them hath slaine twelue Christians Wherefore the Abassin merchantspasse not by their country but with most strong guardes A particular and briefe relation of all the kingdomes and prouinces subiect to the Christian Emperour of Abassia commonly called Prete Ianni 〈◊〉 OF all the prouinces subiect vnto the Prete that of Barnagasso is best knowne vnto vs bicause it is so neere vnto the Red sea ouer against the shore whereof it stretcheth in length from Suachen almost as farre as the very mouth or entrance of the streight being as is before saide bounded on the south part with the mightie riuer of Abagni which runneth westward out of the lake of Barcena into Nilus Howbeit it hath no other port vpon the Red sea but onely Ercoco situate neere the Isle of Mazua neither hath the Prete any porte but this in all his dominions so that he is as it were on all sides land-locked which is one of the greatest defects in any empire kingdome or state that can be imagined This prouince is full of townes villages as likewise of riuers and pooles which make it exceeding fruitfull The Viceroy or gouernour hereof called also by the name of Barnagasso resideth in the citie of Beroa otherwise called Barua and by Ptolemey as Sanutus thinketh Coloue situate vpon a pleasant riuer abounding with fish Vnto him likewise are subiect the gouernments of Danfila and of Canfila neere vnto the borders of Egypt Certaine yeeres past the great Turkes forces haue mightily afflicted this prouince destroying the townes and leading the people captiue so that in the end Isaac the lorde Barnagasso was inforced to compound with the Turkes lieutenant bearing title The Bassa of Abassia and residing in Suachen for the yeerely tribute of a thousand ounces of golde Ouer and besides he paieth euery yeere vnto his soueraigne the Prete an hundred and fiftie excellent horses with cloth of silke and of cotton and other matters On the most westerly part of Barnagasso beginneth a mightie ridge of mountaines which for a good space waxing narrower and narrower at length in the kingdome of Angote dilateth 〈◊〉 selfe into a rounde forme enuironing with the steepe sides and impassable tops thereof many fruitefull and pleasant vallies for the space of fifteene daies iourney in compasse within which vallies as it were in walled castles all persons whatsoeuer both male and female of the Abassin bloud royall are vnder paine of most extreme punishment togither with their whole families limited to remaine Within this great roundell or enclosure of mountaines there is among many others contained one lesser which is begirt arounde with a mountainous wall so craggie steepe and vnscaleable that no man can come in or out but onely by a certaine basket drawne vp and downe vpon a rope neither is it possible to famish the parties within by a siege be it neuer so long for they haue fruitefull ground with houses a church a monasterie cesternes of water and all other necessaries for the continuall maintenance of fiue hundred persons Within this strong citadell of mountaines for the auoiding of all tumults and seditions are locked vp those great personages which come neerest in bloud to the Prete and are in possibilitie of the crowne and here must they all liue and die except a very few of them who attaine at length vnto the gouernment of the empire The Abassins haue a tradition that one Abraham an emperour of theirs being admonished in a dreame that he shoulde keepe his dominions in tranquillitie by the meanes aforesaid was the first that founde this mountaine and vsed it for the same purpose Tigremahon TIgremahon a very large kingdome lieth betweene the riuer Marabo Nilus the Red sea and the kingdome of Angote The gouernour heere of paieth for yeerely tribute vnto the Prete two hundred Arabian horsés a great quantitie of silke and cotton-cloth and very much golde Vnto this kingdome is subiect the prouince of Tigray wherein standes the citie of Caxumo sometimes the royall seate of the Queene of Saba which they say was called Maqueda of whom Salomon begat a sonne named Melich before mentioned which citie was the seate likewise of Queene Candace Also to the said kingdome of Tigremahon belong the prouinces of Sabaim Torrates Balgada and others Angote THis kingdome standing betweene the kingdomes of Tigremahon and Amara is full of mountaines and valleies and aboundeth mightilie with all kinde of corne and cattell The inhabitants eate but one meale in fower and twentie howers and that alwaies in the night their foode is most commonly rawe flesh with a kinde of sauce made of an oxegall In stead of money they vse salte and little balles of iron as is before saide Vnto this kingdome do belong the prouinces of Abuguna and Guanamora with other regions and places Amara THe kingdome of Amara bordering north vpon Angote east vpon Xoa south vpon Damut and extending west almost as farre as Nilus is for the most part a plaine region without mountaines very fertile and abounding with cattell Vpon the frontiers of this kingdome standeth the foresaide large high and 〈◊〉 mountaine wherein the sonnes brethren and kinsfolkes of the Prete are most warily kept and from whence after his decease the heire apparant is brought to be inuested in the empire The kingdome of Xoa situate betweene the kingdomes of Amara Damut and Fatigar containeth many deepe vallies and aboundeth with all kinde of corne and cattell In the kingdome of Goiame are two mightie lakes from which Nilus is saide to fetch his originall Heere is exceeding plentie of golde vnrefined the north part of this region is full of deserts and mountainous places Bagamidri one of the largest kingdomes in all the vpper Ethiopia extendeth in length by the riuer Nilus the space almost of six hundred miles and in 〈◊〉 kingdome are many mostrich siluer-mines The kingdome of Fatigar lying betweene
inheritance Canons but priests sonnes haue no such priuilege vnlesse they be ordained by the Abuna They pay no tithes to any churches but the clergie are maintained by great possessions belonging to their churches and monasteries Also when any priest is cited he is conuented before a secular iudge Whereas I saide they sit not in their churches it is to bee vnderstoode that alwaies without the church doore stande a great number of woodden crutches such as lame men vse to goe vpon where euery man taketh his owne and leaneth thereupon all the time of their diuine seruice All their books which they haue in great numbers are written in parchment for paper they haue none and the language wherein they are written named Tigia is all one with the Abassin language but so it was called from the name of the first towne in all that empire which was conuerted to the Christian religion All their churches haue two curtaines one about their great altar with belles within which curtaine none may enter but onely priests also they haue another curtaine stretching through the midst of their church and within that may no man come but such as haue taken holy orders insomuch that many gentlemen and honorable persons take orders vpon them onely that they may haue accesse into their churches The greater part of their monasteries are built vpon high mountaines or in some deepe valley they haue great reuenues and iurisdictions and in many of them they eate no flesh all the yeere long Neither do they spende any store of fish bicause they know not how to take it Vpon the wals of all their churches are painted the pictures of Christ of the blessed virgine Marie of the apostles prophets and angels and in euery one the picture of Saint George a horseback They haue no Roodes neither will they suffer Christ crucified to be painted bicause they say they are not woorthy to behold him in that passion All their priests friers and noblemen continually carrie crosses in their hands but the meaner sort of people carrie them about their neckes Their mooueable feasts namely Easter the feast of Ascension Whitsontide they obserue at the verie same daies and times that we do Likewise as concerning the feasts of Christmas the Circumcision the Epiphanie and other the feasts of the saints they agree whollie with vs though in some other things they varie They haue great store of leprous persons who are not put apart from the rest of the people but liue in company with them and many there are who for charitie and deuotions sake do wash them and heale their wounds They haue a kinde of trumpets but not of the best and likewise certaine drums of brasse which are brought from Cairo and of woode also couered with leather at both endes and cimbals like vnto ours and certaine great basons whereon they make a noise There are flutes in like sort and a kinde of square instruments with strings not much vnlike to an harpe which they call Dauid Mozan that is to say the harpe of Dauid and with these harpes they sounde before the Prete but some what rudely Their horses of the countrey-breed are in number infinite but such small hackney-iades that they doe them little seruice howbeit those that are brought out of Arabia and Egypt are most excellent and beautifull horses and the great horse-masters also in Abassia haue certaine breeds or races of them which being new foled they suffer not to sucke the damme aboue three daies if they be such as they meane to backe betimes but separating them from their dammes they suckle them with kine and by that meanes they prooue most sightly and gallant horses Hitherto Aluarez Thus much I hope may suffice to haue bin spoken concerning the vpper or Inner Ethiopia which containeth the empire of Prete Ianni now sithens we are so far proceeded let vs take also a cursory and briefe surueie of the lower or extreme Ethiopia extending it selfe in forme of a speares point or a wedge as far as thirtie fiue degrees of southerly latitude Of the lower or extreme Ethiopia THis parte of Africa being vtterly vnknowne to Ptolemey and all the ancient writers but in these later times throughly discouered by the Portugales especially along the coast beginneth to the Northwest about the great riuer of Zaire not far from the Equinoctial from whence stretching southward to thirtie fiue degrees and then Northward along the sea-coast on the backside of Africa as far as the very mouth or enterance of the Arabian gulfe it limiteth the south and east frontiers of the Abassin Empire last before described In this part also are many particulars very memorable as namely besides sundry great empires kingdomes The famous mountaines of the moon the mightie riuers of Magnice Cuama and Coauo springing out of the lake Zembre the renowmed cape of good hope and other matters whereof we will intreate in their due places This portion of Africa is diuided into sixe principall partes namely The land of Aian the land of Zanguebar the empire of Mohenemugi the empire of Monomotapa the region of Cafraria the kingdome of Congo Aian the first generall part of Ethiopia the lower THe land of Aian is accounted by the Arabians to be that region which lyeth betweene the narrow entrance into the Red sea and the riuer of Quilimanci being vpon the sea-coast for the most part inhabited by the said Arabians but the inland-partes thereof are peopled with a black nation which are Idolaters It comprehendeth two kingdomes Adel and Adea Adel is a very large kingdome and extendeth from the mouth of the Arabian gulfe to the cape of Guardafu called of olde by Ptolemey Aromata promontorium South and west it bordereth vpon the dominions of Prete Ianni about the kingdome of Fatigar The king of this countrie being a Moore is accounted amongst the Mahumetans a most holy man and very much reuerenced by them because he wageth continuall war with the Christians taking captiue many of the Abassins and sending them to the great Turke and the princes of Arabia of whome he receiueth greate ayde for the maintenance of his warres both of horse and foote The people of Adel are of the colour of an oliue being very warlike notwithstanding that the greatest part of them want weapons Their principall city is called Anar as some are of opinion Vnto this kingdome is subiect the citie of Zeila inhabited by Mooes situate on a sandie and low soile which some suppose to be built in the very same place without the enterance of the Red sea where Ptolemey placed the ancient mart-towne of Aualites This citie is a place of great traffike for hither they bring out of India cloth elephants teeth frankincense pepper golde and other rich merchandize The territorie adioining yeeldeth abundance of honie waxe and great quantitie of oile which they make not of oliues but of a kinde of daintie plums it affourdeth likewise such
hurteth none but such as do him iniurie only he will in a sporting maner gently heaue vp with his 〈◊〉 such persons as he meeteth He loueth the water beyond measure and will stande vp to the mid-body therein bathing the ridge of his backe and other parts with his long promuscis or trunke His skin is fower fingers thicke and it is reported that an elephant of this countrey being stricken with a little gunne called Petrera was not wounded therewith but so sore brused inwardly that within three daies after he died Heere are likewise reported to be mightie adders or snakes of fiue and twentie spannes long and fiue spans broad which will swallow vp an whole stagge or any other creature of that bignes Neither are they here destitute of Indie-cockes and hens partridges feasants and innumerable birds of praie both of the lande and of the sea whereof some diue vnder the water which the Portugals call Pelicans Ouer against the most southerly part of the said kingdome of Congo where it confineth with Angola lyeth an Isle called Loanda being twentie miles long and but one mile broad at the most betweene which and the maine land is the best port of all that Ocean About this Isle do haunt infinite store of whales where notwithstanding no amber at all is found which is a manifest argument that it proceedeth notfrom these creatures Here they fish for certaine little shels which in Congo and the countries adioyning are vsed in steed of mony The well-waters of this Isle when the sea ebbeth are salte but when it floweth they are most fresh and sweet In this Isle the Portugals haue a towne from whence they traffique to Congo and Angola and amongst other commodities they get euery yeere in those parts about fiue thousand slaues the custome of which trade belongeth by ancient constitutions vnto the crowne of Portugale To the north of Congo vpon the sea coast beginneth the kingdome of Loango tributarie in times past to the king of Congo It aboundeth with elephants and the inhabitants called Bramas are circumcised after the Iewish manner Next vpon them doe border the Anzichi who are possessed of large countries namely from the riuer Zaire euen to the deserts of Nubia They abound with mines of copper and with sanders both Red and Gray which are the best and some are of opinion that here groweth the right Lignum Aquilae which is of so excellent vertue in phisick They haue one supreme king with many princes vnder him They traffique in Congo and carrie home from thence salt and great shels to be vsed for coine which are brought thither from the Isle of San Tomé in exchange of their cloth of the palme tree and of Iuory but the chiefe commodities which they part from are slaues of their owne nation and of Nubia and the said shels they vse also insteed of Iewels and ornaments Both they and the Bramas before mentioned do carry for their defence in the warres certaine targets made of the skin of a beast which in Germany is called Dante their weapons offensiue be little bowes and shorte arrowes which they shoot with such woonderfull celerity as they will discharge twentie one after another before the first arrow fall to the ground They haue shambles of mans-flesh as wee haue of beeues and muttons They eat their enemies which they take in the warres their slaues which they cannot make away for a good round price they sell vnto the butchers and some will offer themselues to the slaughter for the loue of their princes and patrons so sillie they are that to do their lordes a pleasure they will not refuse present death wherefore the Portugals repose not so much trust in any kinde of slaues as in them and they are very valiant also in the warres But to returne vnto the sea-coast from the mouth of the riuer Zaire Northward the land bearing out somewhat more to the west is framed into three headlands namely Cabo primero Cabo da Caterina and the cape of Lopo Gonsalues which is a cape very well knowen in regard of the eminency and outstretching thereof Itlyeth in one degree of southerly latitude Ouer against which cape within the land do inhabite the people called Bramas in the kingdome of Loango beforementioned From hence for the space of fiue or sixe degrees till you come to Punta delgada or The slender point the coast lyeth in a manner directly North most of which tract is inhabited by a nation of Negros called Ambus North of the said slender point you haue Rio dos Camarones or the riuer of shrimpes which is full of little Isles not far from which riuer are The countries of Biafar and Medra inhabited with people which are addicted to inchantments witchcrafts and all kind of abominable sorceries Much more might be said concerning this sixt part of the lower Ethiopia but because it is in so ample and methodicall a manner described in the historie of Philippo Pigafetta most iudiciously and aptly Englished by the learned Master Abraham Hartwell I refer the reader thereunto as to the principal and the very fountaine of all other discourses which haue bin written to any purpose of Congo and the countries adioyning Of the countries of Benin Meleghete Ghinea and Sierra Leona WEstward from the countries last mentioned lyeth the kingdome of Benin hauing a very proper towne of that name and an hauen called Gurte The 〈◊〉 liue in Idolatry and are a rude and brutish nation notwithstanding that their prince is serued with such high reuerence and neuer commeth in sight but with great solemnity many ceremonies at whose death his chiefe fauorites count it the greatest point of honour to be buried with him to the end as they vainely imagine they may doe him seruice in another world This countrie aboundeth with long pepper called by the Portugals Pimienta dal rabo which is as much to say as ppeper with a tayle This tailed or long pepper so far excelleth the pepper of the east Indies that an ounce therof is of more force then halfe a pound of that other For which cause the kings of Portugale haue done what lay in them to keep it from being brought into these parts of Europe least it should too much abase the estimation and price of their Indian pepper All which notwithstanding there hath bin great quantitie secretly conueied from thence by the Portugals as likewise the English and French nations and of late yeeres the Hollanders haue had great traffique into those parts Next follow the kingdomes of Temian and Dauma and lower to the south the prouince of Meleghete a place very famous and well knowne in regard of a little red graine which there groweth being in shape somewhat like to the 〈◊〉 of Italy but of a most vehement and firy tast and these little graines are by the apothecaries called Grana Paradisi Here also is made of 〈◊〉 and the ashes of the Palme-tree a kind of
are two opinions the first is this namely because this part of the worlde is diuided from Europa by the Mediterran sea and from Asia by the riuer of Nilus Others are of opinion that this name Africa was deriued from one Ifricus the king of Arabia Foelix who is saide to haue beene the first that euer inhabited these partes This Ifricus waging warre against the king of Aslyria and being at length by him driuen out of his kingdome passed with his whole armie ouer Nilus and so conducting his troupes westward made no delay till he was come vnto the region lying about Carthage Hence it is that the Arabians do imagine the countrie about Carthage onely and the regions lying westward thereof to comprehende all Africa The borders of Africa AFRICA if we may giue credite vnto the writers of that nation being men of learning and most skilfull Cosmographers beginneth southward at certaine riuers issuing foorth of a lake in the desert of Gaoga Eastward it bordereth vpon the riuer Nilus It extendeth northward to that part of Egypt where Nilus at seuen mouthes dischargeth his streames into the Mediterran sea from whence it stretcheth westward as farre as the streites of Gibraltar and is bounded on that part with the vtmost sea-towne of all Libya called Nun. Likewise the south part thereof abutteth vpon the Ocean sea which compasseth Africa almost as farre as the deserts of Gaoga The 〈◊〉 of Africa OVR authors affirme that Africa is 〈◊〉 into fower partes that is to say Barbaria Numidia Libya and the lande of Negros Barbaria taketh beginning from the hill called Meies which is the extreme part of all the mountaines of Atlas being distant from Alexandria almost three hundred miles It is bounded on the North side with the Mediterran sea stretching thence to mount-Meies aforesaid and from mount-Meies extending itselfe to the streites of Gibraltar Westward it is limited with the said streites from whence winding it selfe out of the Mediterran sea into the maine Ocean it is inclosed with the most westerly point of Atlas namely at that Westerne cape which is next vnto the towne called Messa And southward it is bounded with that side of Atlas which lieth towards the Mediterran sea This is the most noble and worthie region of all Africa the inhabitants whereof are of a browne or tawnie colour being a ciuill people and prescribe wholsome lawes and constitutions vnto themselues The second part of Africa is called of the Latines Numidia but of the Arabians Biledulgerid this region bringeth foorth dates in great abundance It beginneth eastward at the citie of Eloacat which is an hundred miles distant from Egypt extendeth west as far as the towne of Nun standing vpon the Ocean sea Northward it is inclosed with the south side of Atlas And the south part thereof bordereth vpon the sandie deserts of Libya All the Arabians doe vsually call it The land of dates because this onely region of Africa beareth dates The third part called of the Latines Libya and of the Arabians Sarra which word signifieth a desert beginneth eastward at that part of Nilus which is next vnto the citie of Eloacat and from thence runneth westward as far as the Ocean sea Northwarde it is bounded with Numidia southward it abutteth vpon the land of Negros eastward it taketh beginning at the kingdome of Gaoga and stretcheth westwarde euen to the land of Gualata which bordereth vpon the Ocean sea The fourth part of Africa which is called the land of Negros beginneth eastward at the kingdome of Gaoga from whence it extendeth west as far as Gualata The north part thereof is inclosed with the desert of Libya and the south part which is vnknowen vnto vs with the Ocean sea howbeit the merchants which daily come from thence to the kingdome of Tombuto haue sufficiently described the situation of that countrie vnto vs. This lande of Negros hath a mightie riuer which taking his name of the region is called Niger this riuer taketh his originall from the east out of a certaine desert called by the foresaide Negros Seu. Others will haue this riuer to spring out of a certaine lake and so to run westward till it exonerateth itselfe into the Ocean sea Our Cosmographers affirme that the said riuer of Niger is deriued out of Nilus which they imagine for some certaine space to be swallowed vp of the earth and yet at last to burst foorth into such a lake as is before mentioned Some others are of opinion that this riuer beginneth westward to spring out of a certaine mountaine and so running east to make at length a huge lake which verily is not like to be true for they vsually saile westward from Tombuto to the kingdome of Ginea yea and to the land of Melli also both which in respect of Tombuto are situate to the west neither hath the said land of Negros any kingdomes comparable for beautifull and pleasant soile vnto those which adioine vnto the bankes of Niger And here it is to be noted that according to the opinion of our Cosmographers that land of Negros by which Nilus is said to run namely that part of the world which stretcheth eastward euen to the Indian sea some northerly parcell whereof abutteth vpon the red sea to wit the countrie which lieth without the gulfe of Arabia is not to be called any member or portion of Africa and that for many reasons which are to be found in the processe of this historie set downe more at large The said countrie is called by the Latines Aethiopia From thence come certaine religious Friers seared or branded on the face with an hot iron who are to be seene almost ouer all Europe and specially at Rome These people haue an Emperour which they call Prete Gianni the greater part of that land being inhabited with Christians Howbeit there is also a certaine Mahumetan among them which is said to possesse a great dominion A diuision of the fower forenamed partes of Africa BArbarie is distinguished into fower kingdomes the first whereof is the kingdome of Maroco which is likewise diuided into seuen regions or prouinces namely Hea Sus Guzula the territorie of Maroco Duccala Hazcora Tedles The second kingdome of Barbarie called Fez comprehendèth in like sort seuen regions within the bounds thereof to wit Temesne the territorie of Fez Azgara Elabat Errif Garet and Elcauz The third kingdome is called Telensin and hath three regions vnder it namely the mountaines Tenez and Algezer The fourth kingdome of Barbarie is named Tunis vnder which are comprized fower regions that is to say Bugia Constantina Tripolis in Barbarie and Ezzaba which is a good part of Numidia Bugia hath alwaies beene turmoiled with continuall warres because sometimes it was subiect vnto the king of Tunis and sometimes againe vnto the king of Tremizen Certaine it is that euen vntill these our daies this Bugia was a kingdome of it selfe and so continued till
the principall citie of that region was at the commandement of Ferdinando the king of Castile taken by one Peter of Nauarre The diuision of Numidia THis is the basest part of all Africa neither will our Cosmographers vouchsafe it the name of a kingdome by reason that the inhabitants thereof are so far distant asunder which you may easily coniecture by that which followeth Tesset a citie of Numidia containeth about fower hundred families and is in regard of the Libyan desert seuered from all places of habitation almost three hundred miles wherefore this second part is thought by diuers not to be woorthie the name of a kingdome Howbeit we will make some relation of the habitable partes of Numidia some whereof may not vnfitly bee compared with other regions of Africa as for example that of Segelmess which territorie of Numidia lieth ouer against Barbarie likewise Zeb which is situate against Bugia and the signiorie of Biledulgerid which extendeth vnto the kingdome of Tunis Reseruing therefore many particulars for the second part of this historie we wil make our entrie and beginning at those places which lie vpon the west of Numidia the names whereof be these Tesset Guaden Ifren Hacca Dare Tebelbelt Todga Fercale Segelmess Benigumi Fighig Tegua Tsabit Tegorarin Mesab Tegort and Guarghela The region of Zeb containeth fiue townes to wit Pescara Elborgh Nesta Taolac and Deusin so many cities likewise hath the territorie of Biledulgerid namely Teozar Caphesa Nefreoa Elchamid and Chalbis and from hence eastward are found the isles of Gerbe Garion Mesellata Mestrata Teoirraga Gademis Fizza Augela Birdeoa and Eloacat These are the names of the most famous places of all Numidia being bounded as is said before westward vpon the Ocean sea and eastward with the riuer of Nilus A description of the Libyan deserts which lie betweene Numidia and the 〈◊〉 of Negros THese deserts haue not as yet any certaine name amongst vs 〈◊〉 they be diuided into fiue partes and receiue all their denomination from the inhabitants which dwell vpon them that is to say from the Numidians who are in like sort themselues diuided into fiue partes also to wit the people or tribes called Zanega Ganziga Terga Leuta and Berdeoa There bee likewise certaine places which take some proper and particular name from the goodnes and badnes of the soile as namely the desert of Azaohad so called for the drought and vnfruitfulnes of that place likewise Hair albeit a desert yet so called for the goodnes and temperature of the aire A diuision of the land of Negros into seuerall kingdomes MOreouer the land of Negros is diuided into many kingdomes whereof albeit a great part be vnknowen vnto vs and remooued farre out of our trade we will notwithstanding make relation of those places where we our selues haue aboad and which by long experience are growne very familiar vnto vs as likewise of some other places from whence merchants vsed to trauell vnto the same cities wherein my selfe was then resident from whom I learned right 〈◊〉 the state of their countries I my selfe saw fifteene kingdoms of the Negros howbeit there are many more which although I saw not with mine owne eies yet are they by the Negros sufficiently knowen and frequented Their names therefore beginning from the west and so proceeding Eastward and Southward are these following Gualata Ghinea Melli Tombuto Gago Guber Agadez Cano Casena Zegzeg Zanfara Guangara Burno Gaoga Nube These fifteene kingdomes are for the most part situate vpon the riuer Niger through the which merchants vsually trauell from Gualata to the citie of Alcair in Egypt The iourney indeede is very long but yet secure and voide of danger All the said kingdomes adioine one vpon another ten whereof are separated either by the riuer Niger or by some sandie desert and in times past each one of the fifteene had a seueral king but now at this present they are all in a manner subiect vnto three kings onely namely to the king of Tombuto who is Lord of the greatest part to the king of Borno who gouerneth the least part and the residue is in subiection vnto the king of Gaoga howbeit he that possesseth the kingdome of Ducala hath a very small traine attending vpon him Likewise these kingdomes haue many other kingdomes bordering vpon the South frontiers of them to wit Bito Temiam Dauma Medra and Gorhan the gouernors and inhabitants whereof are most rich and industrious people great louers of iustice and equitie albeit some lead a brutish kinde of life Of the habitations of Africa and of the signification of this word Barbar OVr Cosmographers and historiographers affirme that in times past Africa was altogether disinhabited except that part which is now called the land of Negros and most certaine it is that Barbarie and Numidia were for many ages destitute of inhabitants The tawnie people of the said region were called by the name of Barbar being deriued of the verbe Barbara which in their toong signifieth to murmur because the African toong soundeth in the eares of the Arabians no otherwise then the voice of beasts which vtter their sounds without any accents Others will haue Barbar to be one word twise repeated forsomuch as Bar in the Arabian toong signifieth a desert For say they when king Iphricus being by the Assyrians or Aethiopians driuen out of his owne kingdome trauelled towards Aegypt and seeing himselfe so oppressed with his enimies that he knew not what should become of him and his followers he asked his people how or which way it was possible to escape who answered him Bar-Bar that is to the desert to the desert giuing him to vnderstand by this speech that he could haue no safer refuge then to crosse ouer Nilus and to flee vnto the desert of Africa And this reason seemeth to agree with them which affirme the Africans to be descended from the people of Arabia foelix The originall of the people of Africa ABout the originall of the Africans our historiographers doe much disagree For some will haue them to be deriued from the inhabitants of Palaestina because as they say being expelled out of their owne countrie by the Assyrians they came at length into Africa seeing the fruitfulnes of the soile chose it to be their place of habitation Others are of opinion that they tooke their originall from the Sabeans a people of Arabia foelix and that before such time as they were put to flight by the Assyrians or Aethiopians as hath beene aforesaid Some others report that the Africans descended from certaine people of Asia who being chased thence by reason of warres which were waged against them fled into Greece which at the same time had no inhabitants at all Howbeit the enimie still pursuing them they were forced to crosse the sea of Morea and being arriued in Africa to settle themselues there but their enimies aboad still in Greece All which opinions and reportes are to bee vnderstood onely
and valiant and the mountaine it selfe aboundeth with honie barlie and all kinde of cattel Here are likewise great store of pleasant and greene pastures But since that Chasasa was taken by the Spanyards the people of this mountaine seeing that for want of soldiers they were not able to withstande the violence of their enemies abandoned their owne mountaine burnt their houses and fled vnto the mountaines next adioining Of mount Beni Sahid WEstward this mountaine extendeth almost to the riuer Nocor for the space of fower and twentie miles The inhabitants are rich valiant and liberal and entertaine all strangers with great courtesie and bountie They haue abundance of iron and of barlie and their pastures are very commodious abounding with store of cattell and yet in those pastures are their iron-mines where they sometime lacke water neither pay they any tribute at all Their houses that dig the iron are not farre distant from the iron-mines This iron the merchants sell at Fez in rude lumpes because they vse not to frame it into barres neither indeede haue they the cunning so to frame it Also they make culters spades and such like tooles of husbandrie and yet their iron hath no steele at all in it Of mount Azgangan THis mountaine beginning southward from Chasasa is inhabited with most rich and valiant people for besides the great plentie of all things in the mountaine it selfe it hath the desert of Garet adioining vpon it The inhabitants of which desert haue great familiaritie and traffique with the people of the said mountaine howbeit this mountaine also hath remained void of inhabitants euer since the taking of Chasasa Of mount Beni Teuzin THe south part of this mountaine bordereth vpon the mountaine last mentioned the length whereof from the desert of Garet to the riuer Nocor is almost ten miles and on the one side thereof lie most beautifull pleasant plaines The inhabitants are all free paying no tribute at all and that perhaps because they haue more soldiers then Tezzota Meggeo and Bedis can affoord Moreouer they are thought in times past so to haue assisted the gouernour of Meggeo that by their aide he attained vnto that gouernment They haue alwaies been great friends with the people of Fez by reason of that ancient familiaritie which they had before Fez was gouerned by a king Afterward a certaine lawyer dwelling at Fez who was borne in this mountaine so represented vnto the king the said ancient familiaritie that he obtained freedome for his countrie-men At length also they were greatly beloued by the Marin-familie perhaps bicause the mother of 〈◊〉 sahid the third king of the saide familie was borne of noble parentage in the foresaide mountaine Of mount Guardan THe north part of this mountaine ioineth vnto the former and it stretcheth in length toward the Mediterran sea twelue miles and in bredth to the riuer of Nocor almost eight miles The inhabitants are valiant rich Euery saturday they haue a great market vpon the banke of a certaine riuer and hither resort many people from the mountaines of Garet and diuers merchants of Fez who exchange iron and bridles for oile for in these mountaines grow great plentie of oliues They haue little or no wine at all notwithstanding they are so neere vnto mount Arif where the people carouse wine in abundance They were for a certaine time tributarie to the gouernour of Bedis but afterward by the meanes of a learned Mahumetan preacher the king granted them fauour to pay each man so much tribute as themselues pleased So that sending yeerely to the king some certaine sum of money with certaine horses and slaues they are put to no further charge Of the extreme part of the desert of Garet THe prouince of Garet is diuided into three parts the first whereof containeth the cities and townes the second the foresaide mountaines the inhabitants whereof are called Bottoia and the thirde comprehendeth the deserts which beginning northwarde at the Mediterran sea and extending south to the desert of Chauz are bounded westward with the foresaide mountaines and eastward with the riuer of Muluia The length of these deserts is 60. miles and the bredth thirty They are vnpleasant and dry hauing no water but that of the riuer Muluia There are many kinds of beasts in this desert such as are in the Lybian desert next vnto Numidia In sommer time many Arabians take vp their abode neere vnto the riuer Muluia and so do another kinde of fierce people called Batalisa who possesse great abundance of horses camels and other cattell and maintaine continuall warre against the Arabians that border vpon them A description of Chauz the seuenth prouince of the kingdome of Fez. THis prouince is thought to comprehend the thirde part of the kingdome of Fez. It beginneth at the riuer Zha from the east extendeth westward to the riuer Guruigara so that the length thereof is an hundred fowerscore and tenne and the bredth an hundred threescore and ten miles for all that part of mount Atlas which lieth ouer against Mauritania ioineth vpon the bredth of this region Likewise it containeth a good part of the plaines and mountaines bordering vpon Lybia At the same time when Habdulach the first king of the Marin-family began to beare rule ouer Mauritania and those other regions his kinred began also to inhabite this region This king left fower sonnes behinde him whereof the first was called Abubdar the second Abuichia the third Abusahid and the fourth Iacob this Iacob was afterward chosen king bicause he had vanquished Muachidin the king of Maroco had conquered the city of Maroco it selfe the other three brethren died in their nonage howbeit before Iacob had woon Maroco the old king assigned vnto each of them three one region a peece The other three parts were diuided into seuen which were distributed among the fower kinreds of the Marin-family and two other tribes or families that were growen in great league with the same family insomuch that this region was accounted for three regions They which possessed the kingdome were ten in number and the regions onely seuen The foresaid king Habdulach was author of the saide partition who left the region of Chauz after his decease in such estate as we will foorthwith orderly describe Of the towne of Teurerto THis ancient towne was built vpon a mountaine by the Africans not farre from the riuer Zha The fields hereof not being very large but exceeding fruitfull adioine vpon a certaine dry and barren desert The north part of the same bordereth vpon the desert of Garet and the south vpon the desert of Adurha eastward thereof lieth the desert of Anghad which is neere vnto the kingdome of Telensin and westward it is enclosed with the desert of Tafrata which bordereth likewise vpon the towne of Tezza This Teurerto was in times past a most populous and rich towne and contained about three thousand families heere also are stately palaces temples and other such
them likewise which was a cause that the merchants of both partes trauelled more securely Of the towne of Gerseluin THis ancient towne was built by the Africans at the foote of one of the foresaid mountaines not farre from the riuer of Ziz. It is enuironed with an impregnable and stately wall the founder whereof was a certaine king of the Marin-familie In regard of the walles and bulwarks it is a most beautifull towne But being once entred thereinto you shall see most base and beggerly houses and scarce any inhabitants dwelling in them and that by the iniurie of certaine Arabians who when they reuolted from the Marin-familie tooke this towne and grieuously oppressed the citizens Their drie and barren fields lie open to the north Vpon the riuer are diuers mils and by the side thereof are many gardens replenished with grapes and peaches which they vse to drie in the sunne and to keepe an whole yeere They haue great scarcitie of cattell which causeth them to liue a most 〈◊〉 life This towne was built by the familie of Zeneta in stead of a fort to the end it might be a place of refuge onely in their iournie to Numidia but afterward it was surprised and vtterly destroied by the familie of Luntuna Here also are great store of such domesticall serpents as we reported to be in the mountaines of Ziz. Here endeth the third booke IOHN LEO HIS FOVRTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A description of the kingdome of Telensin THis kingdome beginneth westward from the riuers of Zha Muluia eastward it bordereth vpon The great riuer southward vpon the desert of Numidia and northward vpon the Mediterran sea This region was called by the Romanes Caesaria and was by them inhabited howbeit after the Romanes were expelled it was fullie possessed by the ancient gouernours thereof called Beni Habdulguad and being a generation of the familie of Magraua And it remained vnto them and their successors three hundred yeeres vntill such time as a certaine mightie man called Ghamrazen the sonne of Zeijen tooke possession thereof His posteritie changing at length their ancient name were called Beni Zeijen that is the sonnes of Zeijen and they enioied this kingdome for the space almost of 380. yeeres At length the kings of Fez of the Marin-familie greatly molested them so that those ten kings which succeeded Zeijen were some of them vnfortunate in battell some slaine some taken captiue and others expelled their kingdome and chased to the next mountaines Neither were they free from vexation of the kings of Tunis howbeit the kingdome of Telensin remained still to this familie and they continued in peace for almost an hundred and twentie yeeres being endammaged by no forren power sauing that one Abu Feris king of Tunis and his sonne Hutmen made them to pay tribute for certaine yeeres vnto Tunis till the decease of the said Hutmen This kingdome stretcheth in length from east to west 380. miles but in bredth from north to south that is from the Mediterran sea to the deserts of Numidia not aboue fiue and twentie miles which is the occasion that it is so often oppressed by the Arabians inhabiting the Numidian deserts The kings of Telensin haue alwaies endeuoured by great gifts to gaine the good will and friendship of the Numidians but they could neuer satisfie their insatiable couetice A man shall seldome trauell safely through this kingdome howbeit here are great store of merchants perhaps either because it adioineth to Numidia or else for that the way to the land of Negros lieth through it It hath two most famous frequented hauen-townes the one called Horam and the other Marsa Elcabir whither vse to resort great store of Genoueses and Venetians But afterward both these townes were taken by Don Ferdinando the Catholike king to the great inconuenience of all this kingdome for which cause the king then raigning called Abuchemmeu was expelled his kingdome and put to flight by his owne subiects afterward Abuzeijen was restored to the kingdome who had for certaine yeeres been imprisoned by his nephew Abuchemmeu howbeit he enioied the kingdome but a very short space For he was at length miserably slaine by Barbarossa the Turke who conquered the kingdome of Tremizen by force of war Whereof Abuchemmeu that was expelled by his owne subiects hauing intelligence sent to craue aide of the emperour Charles the fift whereby he hoped to recouer his kingdome Which request being granted he leuied a puissant armie and made warre against Barbarossa and hauing driuen him out he recouered his kingdome and seuerely punished them that had conspired his banishment And then he gaue the Spanish soldiers their pay sent the captaines home with great rewardes and allowed Charles the emperour a large yeerely reuenue so long as he liued After his decease succeeded his brother Habdulla who neglecting the league made before betweene the emperour and his brother and relying vpon Soliman the great Turke refused to pay any more tribute vnto the emperour Charles and hath kept possession of the kingdome till this present The greater part of this region is vntilled drie and barren especially towards the south Howbeit the sea coast is somewhat more fertill The territorie adiacent to the citie of Telensin is full of woods sauing that the westerne part towardes the sea is mountainous Likewise the regions of Tenez and Alger containe mountaines abounding with all kinde of commodities In this part ate but few cities and castles howbeit it is a most fruitfull and blessed place as we will hereafter declare in particular Of the desert of Angad THis barren drie and vntilled desert being vtterly destitute of water and wood is situate vpon the westerne frontire of the kingdome of Telensin and extendeth in length fowerscore and in bredth almost fiftie miles Here are great store of roes deere and ostriches Such merchants as trauell from Fez to Telensin passe ouer this desert not without great danger by reason of certaine Arabians which liue onely vpon theft aud robberie especially in winter when as the soldiers appointed to defend the said desert from those lewd vagabonds doe vsually retire themselues into Numidia Many shepherds there are in this desert who are daily vexed with multitudes of fierce lions which sometime seaze not onely vpon cartell but also vpon men Of the castle of Temzegzet THis castle standing in the same place where the foresaid desert adioineth vnto the territorie of Telensin and built by the Africans vpon a rocke was in times past very strong and often annoied by the people ofFez for it standeth in the high way from Fez to Telensin Through the fields adiacent runneth a certaine riuer called in their language Tefme The said fields adiacent sufficiently abound with all things necessarie for the sustenance of the inhabitants Heretofore being subiect vnto the kings of Telensin it well deserued the name of a citie but since the Arabians got
iackets of leather with hoods vpon them such as trauellers vse in Italie and by this meanes their heads are defended from raine and from snow The schollers and students are diuersly apparelled according to their abilitie and according to the fashion of their natiue countrie the doctors iudges and priestes goe in more sumptuous and costly attire The customes and rites obserued in the King of Telensin his court A Woonder it is to see how stately and magnificently the King of Telensin behaueth himselfe for no man may see him nor be admitted to parle with him but onely the principall nobles of his court each one of whom are assigned to beare offices according to their place and dignitie In this court are sundry offices and dignities and the Kings lieutenant beeing principall officer allotteth vnto each one such places of dignitie as may be correspondent to their honour and this lieutenant leuieth the kings armies and sometime conducteth them against the enemie The second officer is the Kings chiefe Secretarie who writeth and recordeth all things pertaining to the King The third is the high treasurer who is bound by 〈◊〉 office to receiue tributes and customes The fourth is the kings dispensator or almoner who bestoweth such liberalitie as the king vouchsafeth The fift is the captaine of the kings garde who so often as any nobles are admitted to the kings presence conducteth the garde vnto the palace-gate Then are there other meaner officers as namely the master of the kings stable the ouerseer of his saddles stirrops and his chiefe chamberlaine who giueth attendance onely at such times as any courtiers are admitted vnto the kings audience For at other times the kings wiues with certaine Christian captiues and eunuches doe performe that dutie The king sometimes in sumptuous and costly apparellrideth vpon a stately stead richly trapped and furnished In riding he obserueth not much pompe nor many ceremonies neither indeede doth he carrie so great a traine for you shall scarcely see a thousand horsemen in his companie except perhaps in time of warre when as the Arabians and other people giue attendance When the king goeth foorth with an armie there are not many carriages transported therein neither can you then discerne the king by his apparell from any meane captaine and though he conducteth neuer so great a garde of soldiers yet a man would not thinke how sparing he is of his coine Gold-money he coineth of baser golde then that whereof the Italian money called Bislacchi is coined but it is of a greater size for one peece thereof waigheth an Italian duckat and one fourth part He stampeth likewise coine of siluer of brasse His dominions are but slenderly inhabited howbeit because the way from Europe to Aethiopia lieth through his kingdome he reapeth much benefit by the wares that passe by especially since the time that Oran was surprized by the Christians At the same time Telensin it selfe was made tributarie which was euer before a free citie whereupon the king that was the author thereof was extremely hated of his subiects till his dying day Afterward his sonne that succeeded him demanded customes and tributes likewise for which cause being expelled out of his kingdome by the people he was enforced to craue aide of the emperour Charles the fift by whose meanes as is beforesaid he was restored vnto his said kingdome When Oran was subiect vnto the king of Telensin the region therabout paid vnto the king for yeerly tribute sometime three thousand and sometime fower thousand duckats the greatest part whereof was allowed vnto the kings garde and to the Arabian soldiers I my selfe continuing certaine monethes in this kings court had good experience of his liberalitie I haue indeede omitted many particulars in the description of this court of Telensin but because they agreed for the most part with those things which we reported of Fez I haue here passed them ouer least I should seeme too tedious vnto the reader Of the towne of Hubbed THis towne being built in manner of a castle standeth about a mile and an halfe southward of Telensin It containeth store of inhabitants who are for the most part dyers of cloth In this towne was buried one Sadi Bu Median being reputed a man of singular holines whom they adore like a god ascending vp to his monument by certaine steps Here is likewise a stately college and a faire hospitall to entertaine strangers in both which were built by a king of Fez of the Marin-familie as I finde recorded vpon a certaine marble stone Of the towne of Tefesra TThis towne standing vpon a plaine fifteene miles from Telensin hath great store of smiths therein by reason of the iron-mines which are there The fields adiacent are exceeding fruitfull for corne and the inhabitants being for the most part blacke-smithes are destitute of all ciuilitie Of the towne of Tessela THis ancient towne was built by the Africans vpon a certaine plaine extending almost twenty miles in length Here groweth such abundance of excellent corne as is almost sufficient for the whole kingdome of Telensin The inhabitants liue in tents for all the buildings of this towne are destroied though the name remaineth still These also in times past paide a great yeerely tribute vnto the king of Telensin Of the prouince called Beni Rasid THis region extendeth in length from east to west fiftie and in bredth almost fiue and twentie miles The southerne part thereof is plaine ground but toward the north it is full of fruitfull mountaines The inhabitants are of two sorts for some of them dwell vpon the mountaines in houses of indifferent good building and these imploy themselues in husbandry and other necessarie affaires Others being of a more noble condition liue onely vpon the plaines in tents and there keepe their camels horses and other cattell They are molested with daily inconueniences and pay yeerely tribute vnto the king of Telensin Vpon the foresaid mountaines are sundrie villages among which there are two principall whereof the one called Chalath Haoara and built in manner of a castle vpon the side of a certaine hill containeth to the number of fortie merchants and artificers houses the other called Elmo Hascar is the seate of the kings lieutenant ouer those regions and in this village euery thursday there is a great market where abundance of cattell corne raisins figs and honie is to be sold here are likewise cloth-merchants and diuers other chapmen which for breuities sake I passe ouer in silence I my selfe continuing for some time among them found to my hinderance what cunning theeues they were The king of Telensin collecteth yeerely out of this prouince the summe of fiue and twenty thousand duckats and it containeth so many most expert soldiers Of the towne of Batha THis great rich and populous towne was built in my time vpon a most beautifull and large plaine which yeeldeth great abundance of corne The tribute which the king of Telensin hath here amounteth to
assaults He is at perpetuall enmitie with a certaine people inhabiting beyond the desert of Seu who in times past marching with an huge armie of footemen ouer the saide desert wasted a great part of the kingdome of Borno Whereupon the king of Borno sent for the merchants of Barbary and willed them to bring him great store of horses for in this countrey they vse to exchange horses for slaues and to giue fifteene and sometime twentie slaues for one horse And by this meanes there were abundance of horses brought howbeit the merchants were constrained to stay for their slaues till the king returned home conquerour with a great number of captiues and satisfied his creditors for their horses And oftentimes it falleth out that the merchants must stay three moneths togither before the king returneth from the warres but they are all that while maintained at the kings charges Sometimes he bringeth not home slaues enough to satisfie the merchants and otherwhiles they are constrained to awaite there a whole yeere togither for the king maketh inuasions but euery yeere once that at one set and appointed time of the yeere Yea I my selfe met with sundrie merchants heere who despairing of the kings paiment bicause they had trusted him an whole yeere determined neuer to come thither with horses againe And yet the king seemeth to be marueilous rich for his spurres his bridles platters dishes pots and other vessels wherein his meate and drinke are brought to the table are all of pure golde yea and the chaines of his dogs and hounds are of golde also Howbeit this king is extreamely couetous for he had much rather pay his debts in slaues then in gold In this kingdome are great multitudes of Negros and of other people the names of whom bicause I tarried heere but one moneth I could not well note Of the kingdome of Gaoga GAoga bordering westward vpon the kingdome of Borno and extending eastward to the confines of Nubia adioineth southward vnto a certaine desert situate vpon a crooked and winding part of Nilus and is enclosed northward with the frontiers of Egypt It stretcheth from east to west in length fiue hundred miles and as much in bredth They haue neither humanitie nor learning among them but are most rusticall and sauage people and especially those that inhabite the mountaines who go all naked saue their priuities their houses are made of boughes rafts and are much subiect to burning and they haue great abundance of cattel whereunto they giue diligent attendance For many yeers they remained in libertie of which libertie they were depriued by a certaine Negro slaue of the same region This slaue lying vpon a certaine night with his master that was a wealthie merchant considering that he was not far from his natiue countrey slue his saide master possessed his goods and returned home where hauing bought a certaine number of horses he began to inuade the people next adioining and obtained for the most part the victorie for he conducted a troupe of most valiant warlike horsmen against his enimies that were but slēderly appointed And by this means he tooke great numbers of captiues whom he exchanged for horses that were brought out of Egypt insomuch that at length the number of his souldiers increasing he was accounted of by all men as souerainge K. of Gaoga After him succeeded his son being no whit inferiour in valour high courage vnto his father who reigned for the space of fortie yeeres Next him succeeded his brother Moses after Moses his nephew Homara who beareth rule at this present This Homara hath greatly enlarged his dominions and hath entred league with the Soldan of Cairo by whom he is often presented with magnificent gifts which he most bountifully requiteth also diuers merchants of Egypt and diuers inhabitants of Cairo present most pretious and rare things vnto him and highly commend his surpassing liberalitie This prince greatly honoureth all learned men and especially such as are of the linage of Mahumet I my selfe being in his court a certaine noble man of Damiata brought him very rich and roiall gifts as namely a gallant horse a Turkish sworde and a kingly robe with certaine other particulars that cost about an hundred and fiftie ducates at Cairo in recompence whereof the king gaue him fiue slaues fiue camels fiue hundred ducates of that region and an hundred elephants teeth of woonderfull bignes Of the kingdome of 〈◊〉 NVbia bordering westward vpon the kingdome last described and stretching from thence vnto Nilus is enclosed on the southside with the desert of Goran and on the north side with the confines of Egypt Howbeit they cannot passe by water from this kingdome into Egypt for the riuer of Nilus is in some places no deeper then a man may wade ouer on foote The principall towne of this kingdome called Dangala is exceeding populous and containeth to the number of ten thousand families The wals of their houses consist of a kinde of chalke and the roofes are couered with strawe The townesmen are exceeding rich and ciuill people and haue great traffike with the merchants of Cairo of Egypt in other parts of this kingdome you shall finde none but villages and hamlets situate vpon the riuer of Nilus all the inhabitants whereof are husbandmen The kingdome of Nubia is most rich in corne and sugar which notwithstanding they knowe not how to vse Also in the citie of Dangala there is great plentie of ciuet and Sandall-wood This region aboundeth with Iuory likewise bicause heere are so many elephants taken Heere is also a most strong and deadly poison one graine whereof being diuided amongst ten persons will kill them all within lesse then a quarter of an hower but if one man taketh a graine he dieth there of out of hand An ounce of this poison is solde for an hundred ducates neither may it be solde to any but to forraine merchants whosoeuer buieth it is bound by an oath not to vse it in the kingdome of Nubia All such as buy of this poison are constrained to pay as much vnto the king as to the merchant but if any man selleth poison without the princes knowledge he is presently put to death The king of Nubia maintaineth continuall warre partly against the people of Goran who being descended of the people called Zingani inhabite the deserts and speake a kinde of language that no other nation vnderstandeth and partly against certaine other people also dwelling vpon the desert which lieth eastward of Nilus and 〈◊〉 towards the red sea being not farre from the borders of Suachen Their language as I take it is mixt for it hath great affinity with the Chaldean toong with the language of Suachen and with the language of Ethiopia the higher where Prete Gianni is said to beare rule the people themselues are called Bugiha and are most base and miserable and liue onely vpon milke camels-flesh and
each man in court according to his degree Of the Amiralf THE seuenth office was performed by certaine principall Mamalukes being like vnto the Colonels of Europe euerie of whom was captaine of a thousand inferiour Mamaluks and their office was to conduct the Soldans forces against the enemie to take charge of his armour Of the Amirmia THE eight degree of honour was allotted vnto certaine centurions ouer the Mamalukes who were continually to attend vpon the Soldan either when he road any whither or when he exercised himselfe in armes Of the Chazendare THE ninth person was the treasurer who made an account vnto the Soldan of all the tributes and customes of his kingdome disbursing money for the daily and necessarie expenses of the Soldans household and laying vp the rest in the Soldans castle Of the Amirsileh THE tenth called the Amirsileh had the armour of the Soldan committed to his charge which being contained in a great armorie was to be scoured furbushed and renued at his direction for which purpose he had sundrie Mamaluks placed vnder him Of the Testecana THe eleuenth called the Testecana was master of the Soldans wardrobe and tooke charge of all such robes and apparell as were deliuered vnto him by the Ostadar or high steward of the houshold which robes he distributed according to the appointment of the Soldan for whomsoeuer the Soldan promoted vnto any dignitie him he apparelled also All the said garments were of cloth of gold of veluet or of silke and whither soeuer the Testecana went he was attended vpon by a great number of Mamalukes Certaine other officers there were also as namely the Serbedare whose duetie was to prouide delicate drinke for the Soldan and to haue alwaies in a readines most excellent compound waters tempered both with sugar and with spices Moreouer there were other officers called Farrasin that is diuers chamberlaines who furnished the place of the Soldan with rich hangings and carpets and made prouision also of torches and tapers of waxe mixed with amber which serued both to shew light and to yeeld most fragrant and odoriferous smels Others there were also called Sebabathia to wit the footemen of the Soldan and certaine others called Taburchania which were the Soldans Halbardiers who attended vpon his person when he road foorth or fate in publique audience Adauia were those that tooke charge of the Soldans carriages whithersoeuer he trauelled out of which number there was a master-hangman or executioner chosen and so often as any malefactors were to be punished all his companions stood by him to learne his bloodie occupation namely of flaying and skinning men aliue and of putting them to the torture to make them confesse their crimes And Esuha were the Soldans foote-postes that carried letters from Cairo into Syria and trauelled on foote threescore miles a day because that betweene Egypt and Syria there is neither mountainous nor mirie way but a continuall sandie plaine howbeit such as carried letters of serious weightie matters road vpon camels Of the Soldans militarie forces OF soldiers or martiall men the Soldan had fower degrees The first called Caschia were certaine horsemen were most valiant and expert warriours out of which number the Soldan chose gouernours ouer his cities and castles Some of these were allowed their stipend in readie money out of the Soldans treasurie and others out of the tributes of townes and castles The second called Eseifia were a companie of footmen bearing no armes but swords only who likewise had their pay allowed them out of the Soldans treasurie The third called Charanisa being voluntaries or such as serued gratìs had no other pay but onely their victuals allowed them but when any Mamaluke deceased that was well prouided for some one of them supplied his roume The fourth and last of al called Galeb were the yoong and new-come Mamaluks being as yet ignorant of the Turkish and Egyptian languages and such as had shewed no experiment of their valour Of certaine other great officers and magistrates in the Soldans common-wealth Of the magistrate called the Nadheasse HE was as it were the Soldans chiefe receiuer for all the tributes and customes of the whole kingdome came through his hands and were paid from him vnto the treasurer Also he was customer of Cairo by which office he gained infinite summes of mony neither could any man attaine vnto this office vnlesse he first paid vnto the Soldan an hundred thousand Saraffi which he recouered againe within sixe moneths following Of the Chetebeessere THis man being the Soldans secretarie and writing letters and making answere on the Soldans behalfe did besides his secretariship take notice and account of all the land-tributes in Egypt and receiued the particular summes from the collectors thereof Of the Muachih THis was a secretarie also but inferiour to the former and yet more trustie vnto the Soldan His office was to reuiew the letters and briefes penned by the former and to examine whether they were agreeable vnto the Soldans minde and also in the name of the Soldan to subscribe vnto them But the other hath so many cunning and expert scribes about him that the Muachih seldome cancelleth any of his writings Of the Mutesib THis mans office was to set a price vpon corne and all other victuals which price partly according to the increase of Nilus and partly also according to the resort of ships and other vessels out of the prouinces of Errif and Sahid he either diminished or inhaunsed and vpon the offenders imposed such penalties as the Soldan thought good to appoint Being at Cairo I vnderstood that the said Mutesib got daily by his office about a thousand Saraffi hauing his ministers and substitutes not onely in Cairo but in all other cities and places of Egypt Of the Amir el Cheggi THe office of the Amir el Cheggi being of no lesse charge then dignitie was imposed by the Soldan vpon one of his most sufficient and wealthie Mamaluks vnto whom was committed the conduct of the carouan which went euery yeere from Cairo to 〈◊〉 Which dutie he could not performe without great expences of his owne purse for being garded with a companie of Mamalukes he must trauell with maiesticall pompe and costly diet expecting no recompence for his exceeding charges either at the hands of the Soldan or of the passengers which he conducted Other offices and dignities there are which I thinke needlesse to rehearse Of the citie of Geza THe citie of Geza being situate vpon the banke of Nilus ouer against the old citie before mentioned and being separated therefrom by the foresaide Island of Nilus is a very populus and ciuile place and is adorned with many sumptuous palaces built by the Mamaluks whither they vse to retire themselues out of the throng and multitude of Cairo Here are likewise great store of artificers and merchants especially such as buie cattell brought from the mountaines of Barca the drouers of which cattell being Arabians do sell their
therewith but the lande of Negros and especially the inner part of Ethiopia is so destitute thereof that a pound of salt is there solde for halfe a ducate And the people of the saide regions vse not to 〈◊〉 salt vpon their tables but holding a crum of salte in hands they licke the same at euery morsell of meate which they put in their mouthes In certaine lakes of Barbarie all the sommer time there is faire and white salt congealed or kerned as namely in diuers places neere vnto the citie of Fez. Of the minerall called Antimonie THis minerall growing in many places of Africa in the lead-mines is separated from the lead by the helpe of brimstone Great plentie of this minerall is digged out of the bottome of mount Atlas especially where Numidia bordereth vpon the kingdome of Fez. Brimstone likewise is digged in great abundance out of other places of Africa Of 〈◊〉 EVphorbium is the iuice or gumme of a certaine herbe growing like the head of a wilde thistle betweene the branches wherof grow certain fruits as big in compasse as a greene cucumber after which shape or likenes it beareth certain 〈◊〉 graines or 〈◊〉 and some of the said fruits are an elle long and some are longer They grow not out of the branches of the herbe but spring out of the firme ground and out of one flag you shall see sometimes 20. and somtimes 30. of them issue foorth The people of the same region when the said fruits are once ripe do prick them with their kniues and out of the holes proceedeth a liquor or iuice much like vnto milke which by little and little groweth thick and slimy And so being growen thick they take it off with their kniues putting it in bladders drying it And the plant or herb it selfe is full of sharp prickles Of pitch OF pitch there are two kindes the one being naturall and taken out of certaine stones which are in fountaines the water wherof retaineth the 〈◊〉 smell and 〈◊〉 of the same and the other being artificial and proceeding out of the iuniper or pine-tree and this artificiall pitch I saw made vpon mount Atlas in manner following They make a deepe and round furnace with an hole in the bottome through which hole the pitch may fall downe into an hollow place within the ground being made in form of a little vessel and putting into the said furnace the boughes of the foresaid trees broken into small pieces they close vp the mouth of the furnace and make a fire vnder it by the heate wherof the pitch distilleth forth of the wood through the bottome of the furnace into the foresaide hollow place and so it is taken vp and put in bladders or bagges Of the fruite called Maus or Musa THis fruite growing vpon a smal tree which beareth large and broade leaues of a cubite long hath a most excellent and delicate taste and springeth forth about the bignes of a small cucumber The Mahumetan doctours affirme that this was the fruite which God forbad our first parents to eat in Paradise which when they had eaten they couered their nakednes with leaues of the same fruit as being of all other leaues most meete for that purpose They grow in great abundance at Sela a towne of the kingdome of Fez but in farre greater plenty in the land of Egypt and especially at Damiara Of Cassia THe trees bearing Cassia are of great thicknes hauing leaues like vnto the mulberie-tree They bear a broad and white blossome and are so laden with fruits that they are constrained to gather great store before they be ripe least the tree should breake with ouermuch waight And this kinde of tree groweth onely in Egypt Of the fruit called Terfez TErfez is to be called rather by the name of a root then of a fruit and is like vnto a mushrom or toad-stoole but that it is somewhat bigger It is enclosed with a white rinde and groweth in hot and sandy places Where it lyeth it may 〈◊〉 be perceiued by the swelling and opening of the ground Some of them are as bigge as a walnut and others as a 〈◊〉 The phisicians which call it Camha affirme it to be a refrigeratiue or cooling fruit It groweth in great plenty vpon the Numidian deserts and the Arabians take as great delight in eating of the same as in eating of sugar This fruit being stued vpon the coles and afterward made cleane and sodden in fat broath they esteeme for great dainties Also the Arabians seeth it in water and milk and so eat it It groweth likewise plentifullie in the sandes neare vnto the towne of Sela. Of the date or palme-tree because we haue 〈◊〉 spoken in our description of Segelmesse in Numidia we will here in this place say nothing at all Of the Egyptian figg called by the Egyptians themselues Giumeiz THe tree of this figg resembleth other fig-trees both in outward forme and in leaues but it is of an exceeding height neither doth the fruit grow among the leaues or vpon the ends of the twigs but out of the very body of the tree where no leaues at all grow These figs tast like vnto other figes but they haue a thicker skin and are of a tawnie colour Of the tree called Ettalche IT is an high and a thornie tree hauing such leaues as the iuniper hath and bearing a gum like vnto mastick wherwith the African apothecaries vse to mingle and adulterate their mastick because it hath the same colour and yealdeth some smell also There are found likewise such trees in 〈◊〉 Numidian and Lybian deserts and in the land of Negros but the trees of Numidia being cut in the midst consist of white wood like vnto the trees beforenamed and the Lybian trees of a browne or tawnie wood but the trees of the land of Negros are extreame black within And that black pith or hart of this tree wherof musical instruments are made is called by the Italians Sangu That wood which is of the browne or tawnie colour is vsed by the African phisicians for the curing of the French poxe wherupon it is commonly called by the name of pock-wood Of the root called Tauzarghente THis root growing in the westerne part of Africa vpon the Ocean sea shore yeeldeth a fragrant and odoriferous smel And the merchants of Mauritania carry the same into the land of Negros where the people vse it for a most excellent perfume and yet they neither burne it nor put any-fire at all thereto for being kept onely in an house it yeeldeth a naturall sent of it selfe In Mauritania they sell a bunche of these rootes for halfe a ducate which being carried to the land of Negros is sold again for eightie or one hundred ducates and sometimes for more Of the roote called Addad THe herbe therof is bitter and the root it selfe is so venemous that one drop of the water distilled therout will kill a man within the space of an hower which is commonly knowen
euen to the women of Africa Of the root called Surnag THis roote growing also vpon the westerne part of mount Atlas is said to be verie comfortable and preseruatiue vnto the priuie parts of man being drunk in an electuarie to stir vp venereal lust c. Neither must I here omit that which the inhabitants of mount Atlas do commonly report that many of those damosels which keepe cattel vpon the said mountaines haue lost their virginity by none other occasion but by making water vpon the said roote vnto whom I would in merriment answere that I belceued all which experience had taught concerning the secret vertue of the same roote Yea they affirmed moreouer that some of their maidens were so infected with this roote that they were not only deflowred of their virginitie but had also their whole bodies puffed vp and swolne THese are the things memorable and woorthie of knowledge seene and obserued by me Iohn Leo throughout al Africa which countrey I haue in all places traueiled quite ouer wherein whatsoeuer I sawe woorthy the obseruation I presently committed to writing and those things which I sawe not I procured to be at large declared vnto me by most credible and substantiall persons which were themselues eie-witnesses of the same and so hauing gotten a fitte oportunitie I thought good to reduce these my trauels and studies into this one volume Written at Rome in the yeere of Christ 1526. and vpon the tenth of March. Heere endeth the description of Africa written by Iohn Leo borne in Granada and brought vp in Barbarie A briefe relation concerning the dominions reuenues forces and maner of gouernment of sundry the greatest princes either inhabiting within the bounds of Africa or at least possessing some parts thereof translated for the most part out of Italian AFricke hath euer beene the least knowen and haunted parte in the world chiefly by reason of the situation thereof vnder the torride Zone which the ancients thought to be vnhabitable Whose opinion although in very deede it is not true bicause we knowe that betweene the two Tropickes there are most fruitefull countries as namely Abassia and the kingdomes of Angola Congo with all India new Spaine and Brasile yet neither is it altogither false For no part of the world hath greater deserts nor vaster wildernes then this of Africa These deserts which extend themselues from the Atlanticke Ocean euen vnto the borders of Egypt for more then a thousand miles and runne out sometimes two hundred and otherwhiles 300. miles in bredth diuide Africke into two parts whereof the southerly part was neuer throughly knowne to the people of Europe as also Atlas which diuideth Numidia from Africa the lesse is some impediment to the same And towards the east it seemeth that nature also ment to conceale the same by those deserts that lye bewixt the Red sea and the lande of Egypt In the first times after the floud we finde mention very often made of the kingdomes of Egypt and Ethopia and as for Ethiopia the notice we had thereof was but obscure and confused But Egypt by reason of the commodious situation thereof betweene the Mediterran and the Red seas hath alwaies beene renowmed and famous yea king Sesostris that Egyptian monarch enlarged his empire from the Atlantick Ocean euen to the Euxine sea Afterwards the kings of Numidia Mauritania the Carthaginians flourished in those prouinces which are bounded by the Meditterran sea In our times wherein all Africke hath beene and is daily enuironed there is sufficient knowledge had of the Marine parts thereof but for the inland prouinces there is not so much knowne as might be rather through want of writers then for default of discouerie trade Now therfore leauing those parts of Africa which are possessed by the Turke and the king of Spaine to a briefe narration in the last place we haue reduced al the residue of our relations to three princes that is to Prete Ianni the Monomotapa and the Xeriffo who is king of Maroco and Fez for the rest referring you to Iohn Leo and the discourse prefixed before him the Xeriffo raigneth betweene Atlas and the Atlanticke Ocean Prete Ianni about the center of Africke and the Monomotapa hath his Empire towards the Sinus Barbaricus or the Barbarian gulphe The Empire of Prete Ianni THe Empire of Prete Ianni answereth not certainly in effect although it be very large vnto the fame and opinion which the common sort and most writers haue of it For lateliest of any other Hor atio Malugucci in a certaine discourse of his touching the greatnes of states at this day would needes haue his dominion to be greater then any other princes but the king of Spaine I confesse indeede that in times past his state had most ample and large confines as may be iudged by the multitude of kingdomes with which he adorneth and setteth foorth his stile for he entitleth himselfe king of Goiame a kingdome seated beyond Nilus and of Vangue and Damut situate beyond Zaire and yet it is at this day euidently knowne that his Empire scarcely reacheth vnto Nilus yea and Iohn Barros writeth that the Abassins haue little notice of that riuer by reason of the mountaines lying betweene them and it The hart or center of his state is the lake Barcena for on the east it extendeth from Suaquen as farre as the entrance of the Red sea for the space of an hundred and two and twentie leagues howbeit betwixt the Red sea and it there thwarteth a long ranke of mountaines inhabited by the Moores who also commaund the sea-coast On the west it hath another ridge of mountaines along the channell of Nilus enhabited by the Gentiles who pay tribute vnto the Prete On the north it consineth with an imaginarie line drawne from Suaquen to the furthest part of the isle of Meroe which is an hundred and fiue and twentie leagues long From hence it maketh as it were a bow but not very crooked towards the south euen to the kingdome of Adel from the mountaines whereof springeth that riuer which Ptolemey calleth Raptus and placeth to the south of Melinde for the space of two hundred and thirtie leagues all which distance is bordered vpon by the Gentiles from whence it turneth and endeth eastward at the kingdome of Adel whose head citie is Arar in the northerly latitude of nine degrees So that this whole empire little more or lesse amounteth to sixe hundred threescore and twelue leagues in circuite The countrie which is distinguished with ample plaines pleasant hils and high mountaines most of them manurable and well inhabited bringeth foorth barley and myll for it aboundeth not greatly with other sortes of graine and likewise Taffo da guza another good and durable seede But there is mill and Zaburro which we call the graine of India or Ginnie wheate great plenty with al sorts of our pulse and some also vnknowen to vs. Some of them weare clothes of cotton
persons and the gouernment of their kingdome And among all other slaues the Abassines beare away the bell aswell for fidelitie as for sound and good complexion And bicause the king of Adel with the multitude of these Abassin slaues which he taketh in the townes and territories of Prete Ianni filleth all Egypt and Arabia in exchange of whom he hath armour munition and soldiers both from the Turke and the Arabian Princes in the yeere of our Lord 1550. Claudius king of Abassia being after this sort sorely oppressed by Gradaamed king of Adel who now for the space of fowerteene yeeres had with continuall incursions greeuously molested and disturbed him enforcing him to leaue his confines and to retire into the hart of his empire demaunded aide of Stephano Gama the Indian Viceroy of Iohn the third king of Portugale who was then with a good fleete vpon The red sea Whereupon he sent him fower hundred Portugals with a good quantitie of armes and small shot vnder the gouernment of Christopher da Gama his brother With these men by the benefit of shot he ouerthrew the enimie in two battailes but in the third the king of Adel hauing receiued a thousand Turkish harquebuziers from the gouernour of Zebit with ten peeces of artillerie the Abassins were put to 〈◊〉 and discomfited and their captaine taken prisoner and put 〈◊〉 death But the king of Adel afterwards sending backe the said Turkes he and his people were sodainly assailed neere the riuer of Zeila and mount Saual by king Claudius with threescore thousand foote and fiue hundred Abassin horse togither with those Portugales who remained of the former ouerthrow one of whom wounded Gradamed dangerously But in the moneth of March the yeere of our Lord 1559. king Claudius being set vpon againe by the Malacai Mores he was slaine in the battaile and the enimie-king acknowledging so great a victorie from the handes of God triumphed vpon an asse Adamas brother vnto king Claudius succeeded him against whom for he was halfe a Mahumetan the best part of the Abassine nobilitie rebelled and he was defeated by the Barnagasso in the yeere 1562. who hauing thus for a while disturbed the affaires of Ethiopia it seemed that they were at length asswaged reestablished vnder Alexander by the aide of the Portugals who haue carried thither armes as well of offence as defence and stirred vp the mindes and courages of the Abassines by their example to warre For all those that remained of the discomfiture giuen to Christopher Gama and diuers others which came thither afterwards and do daily there arriue and staie do marrie wiues and haue children and Alexander permitted them to elect a iudge who might execute iustice among them So that they haue and do daily bring into Abassia the manner of warfare in Europe with our vse of armes and the manner of fortifying passages and places of importance Afterwards certaine Florentines went into those countries partly vpon pleasure and partly for affaires of merchandize For Francesco di Medici great Duke of Florence had some commerce with the Abassines The Prete therefore giues entertainment and maketh much of the Frankes for so do they call the people of Europe and hardly giueth them license to depart out of his kingdome Besides these the Prete Ianni hath diuers other enimies amongst whom is the king of Dancali to whom the towne and port of Vela vpon the red sea pertaineth he confineth with Balgada The Moores also vexe him greatly which inhabite the prouince called Dobas deuided into fowerteene Signiories for though they be within the confines of Prete Ianni his empire yet notwithstanding for the most part they rebell from him they haue a lawe that none of them may marrie before he first giue testimoniall that he hath slaine twelue Christians Of the Emperour of Monomotapa COncerning the state of this mightie Emperour and of his neighbour of Mohenemugi and of the limits of both their dominions as likewise of the Amazones and Giacchi the chiefe strength of their militarie forces and other memorable matters to auoide tedious repetitions I referre the reader to the discourse going before the booke saue onely that I will heere annexe a briefe testimony out of Osorius lib 4 de reb gest Eman. which may adde some small light vnto the treatise before mentioned But saith he in this part of Ethiopia lying beyond the cape of good hope which is bounded by the south Ocean there is a most ample kingdome called Benomotapa whereunto before such time as the Portugals discouered those parts all the kinges vpon that coast were most obedientlie subiect It aboundeth with gold beyond all credite which is taken euen out of their riuers and lakes Yea many kings there are which pay yeerely tribute of gold vnto this king of Benomotapa The people worship no Idols but acknowledge one God the creatour of heauen and earth In habite and apparell they are not much vnlike to other Ethiopians They worship their king with woonderfull superstition This king in his scutcheon or coate of armes hath two signes of maiestie One is a certaine little spade with a handle of iuorie The other are two small dartes By the spade he 〈◊〉 his subiects to husbandrie that they may not through sloth and negligence let the earth lie vntilled and so for want be constrained to play the theeues The one of his darts betokeneth that he will be a seuere punisher of malefactors the other that he will by valour force of armes resist all forren inuasions The sonnes of his tributarie kings are trained vp in his court both to the end that by this education they may learne loialtie and loue towards him their soueraigne and also that they may remaine as pledges to keepe their fathers in awe and due obedience He is continually guarded with a mightie armie notwithstanding he be conioined in most firme league with all his neighbour-princes For by this meanes he supposeth that warre cannot procure him any danger at all knowing right well that oftentimes in the midst of peace it is readie to disturbe the securitie of Princes Euery yeere this king sendeth certaine of his courtiers and seruants to bestow in his name newe fire vpon all the princes and kings within his dominions that from them it may be distributed vnto others also Which is done in manner following The messenger being come to the house of any prince his fire is immediately quenched Then is there a new fire kindled by the messenger and foorthwith all the neighbours resort thither to fetch of the said new fire for their houses Which whosoeuer refuseth to performe is helde as a traiterous rebell and receiueth such punishment as is liable to high treason yea if need be an armie is leuied to apprehend 〈◊〉 to the end that being taken he may be put to such torments as are correspondent to his disloialtie Hitherto Osorius The Xeriffo commonly called The king of Maroco 〈◊〉 and Fez.
the 〈◊〉 purses * Or 〈◊〉 being a kinde of garment * Ilbernus These people liue like the Tartars * Or Salt-peter * Habat * Chauz or Cheuz A dangerous seducer The horrible desolation of Temesne English traffique Anfa destroied by the Portugals Iron-mines Why king Mansor built the towne of Rebat vpon the seashore Where king Mansor was buried Iron-mines Lyons and leopards * Or Sidi * Or 〈◊〉 English traffique Sela woon by a captaine of Castilia and recouered forthwith by the king of Fez. A merchant of Genoa The occasion of the bloody wars mooued by Sahid The citie of Fez besieged for seuen yeeres together * This number as I take it should rather be 819. Most cruell and 〈◊〉 lions The Portugals attempting to build a forte within the mouth of the riuer Subu defeated of their purpose and slaine A lamentable slaughter Iohn Leo his 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Fierce lions Mecnase reduced vnder 〈◊〉 by the king of Fez. Idris the first founder of Fe Idris his 〈◊〉 valour at fifteene yeeres of age * 1526. The number and 〈◊〉 of the Mahumetan 〈◊〉 in Fez. The principall temple of Fez 〈◊〉 Caruven The reuenues of the great temple and how they are bestowed The 〈◊〉 of learning and learned men a principall cause of disorderly base gouernment Iohn Leo in his youth a notarie of an hospitall for two yeeres together * Like vnto our horse-mils The porters of Fez. * 〈◊〉 in his Italian 〈◊〉 calleth it Baioco The gouernour of the shambles in Fez. * In the Italian copie they are called Baiochi * Or 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 vsed in Africa how to keepe the princes tribute and merchants goods in securitie Iohn Leo was at Tauris in Persia. The punishment of malefactors in Fez. * Or Baiochi * Or 〈◊〉 A kinde of 〈◊〉 called Cuscusu The marriage of widowes The circumcision of their children 〈◊〉 Christian ceremonies 〈◊〉 among the 〈◊〉 Their funerals Rewards for poets in Fez. Three sorts of diuiners in Fez. An Arabian grammar written by Iohn Leo. Diuination and soothsaying forbidden by the lawe of 〈◊〉 Diuers Mahumetan sects 〈◊〉 sacked by the Tartars 72. principall sectes in the religion of Mahumet A booke written by Iohn 〈◊〉 of the liues of the Arabian philosophers The habitation of lepers in Fez and their gouernour * Or Aburinan The founder of new Fez. * Orturbant Engins for the conueiance of water The manner of choosing officers in the court of Fez. The king of Fez his guard How the king of Fez rideth on progresse * Or kines folkes The king of Fez his 〈◊〉 of warfare A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hunting of lions vsed by the king of Fez. Tame 〈◊〉 Tame lions A pleasant discourse how king Mansor was entertained by a fisher Read Osorius lib. 2. de rebus gestis Eman. 〈◊〉 this towne The 〈◊〉 of a prouerbe An attempt and defeate of the Portugals * 1562. The taking of Arzilla by the English Arzilla taken by the Portugals Habdulac the last king of the Marin family Read Osorius lib. 5. de rebus gestis Eman. Iohn Leo serued the king of Fez in his wars against Arzilla * Or Boetica Casar Ezzaghir taken by the king of Portugall The entrance of the Moores into Granada * Or çeuta The streits of Gibraltar from Septa but 12. miles broad Septa taken by the Portugals Abu Sahid king of Fez and his sixe sonnes slaine all in one night Threescore thousand Moores slaine * Here seemeth to be an error in the originall Zibibbo A caue or hole that perpetually casteth vp fire Wine that will last fifteene yeeres 〈◊〉 enioyed and reedified by the Spaniards Chasasa taken by the Spaniards Yron-mines * Or Tremisen The great curtesie of Mahumet toward strangers * 1526. Iron-mines Lions leopards and apes A woonderful bridge Porcellan * The beast called Dabah 〈◊〉 and tame serpents * Or Tremizen * Or Oran * Or Mersalcabir 〈◊〉 king of Tremizen restored to his kingdome by the emperour Charles the fift * 1526 Great store of ostriches A ship of great 〈◊〉 The king of Telensin taken prisoner and beheaded * Or Turbant A passage from Europe to Acthiopia through the kingdome of Tremizen Mines of 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oran taken by the Spaniards Mersalcabir surprised by the Spaniards * Perhaps 〈◊〉 Alger become tributarie to the king of Spaine A voyage performed by Iohn 〈◊〉 The citie of Bugia taken by Pedro de Nauarra The hard successe of the king of Tunis his three sonnes Hot baths A fond and senseles 〈◊〉 S. Augustine in times past bishop of Hippo. Great store of corall The fish called 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 * 1526 The building of Cairaoan Tunis subiect vnto Abdul-Mumen and other kings of Maroco * Or perhaps Andaluzia A strange kind of spinning Doble Sugar-Canes * El Mahdia The isle of Sicilie subdued by the gouernour 〈◊〉 The fruit called Habhaziz A riuer 〈◊〉 hot water The lake of lepers The armie of don Ferdinando defeated Gerbi made tributarie vnto Charles the fift by meanes of a knight of the Rhodes Plentie of dates 〈◊〉 taken by a fleete of 〈◊〉 Tripolis surprized by Pedro de Nauarra Iron-mines Most 〈◊〉 saffron The Arabians of Barca most cruell and bloodie theeues * Error The beast called 〈◊〉 The port of Gart 〈◊〉 Copper-mines The strange propertie of the palme or date-tree Indico The flesh of the Ostrich Infinit numbers of Scorpions Mines of lead and antimonie An iron-mine Deadly scorpions Great store of Manna 〈◊〉 mines A whole carouan conducted by a blinde guide who lead them by sent onely as at 〈◊〉 present the Carouans of Maroco are conducted ouer the Libyan deserts to Tombuto The Negros subiect vnto Ioseph king of Maroco Abuacre Izchia This round and white pulse is called Maiz in the west Indies The naturall commodities of Ghinea The Prince of Ghinea kept prisoner by Izchia The prince of Mâ—lli subdued by Izchia Tombuto was conquered by the king of Maroco 1589. from whencâ— he hath for yeerly tribute mightie summes of gold The king of Tombuto his daughters married vnto two rich merchants * 1526. Great scarcitie of salt in Tombuto which commoditie might be supplied by our English merchants to their vnspeakable gaine Reuerence vsed before the king of Tombuto Poysoned arrowes Shels vsed for coine like as in the kingdome of Congo Rich sale for cloth Their maner of sowing 〈◊〉 at the 〈◊〉 of Niger The 〈◊〉 of Guber slaine by Izchia Zingani Agadez tributarie to the king of Tombuto The kings of Zegzeg of Casena and of Cano subdued by Izchia the king of Tombuto Izchia Izchia The king of Zanfara slaine by Izchia and the people made tributarie Gold Izchia The desert of Seu. Fifteene or twentie 〈◊〉 exchanged for one horse A Negro-slaue who hauing slaine his Lord grew to great might and authoritie The riuer of Nilus not naeuigable betweene Nubia and Egypt The rich commodities of Nubia Most strong poyson Zingani Prete 〈◊〉 Bugiha 〈◊〉 450. miles long Gen. 10. 6. * Mesraim
interior Mauritania Tingitana the most rich and beautifull couutrey of Africa so named of the citie Tingis which we at this day call Tanger was sometimes also as Plinie witnesseth called Borgundiana moreouer others haue called it by the names of Mauritania Sitiphensis Hispania Transfretana and Hispania Tingitana but Solinus termeth the same Mauritania inferior The inhabitants were of old named by the Graecians Maurusij and by the Romaines Mauri but the Spaniards at this present terme them Alarabes In this part of Africa are now contained two stately kingdomes namely the kingdome of Maroco 〈◊〉 the kingdome of Fez both which are enuironed with the mountaines of Atlas the Ocean and the Mediterran seas and to the east with the riuer of Muluia Mauritania Caesariensis named according to the citie of Caesaria which was so called after the name of Claudius Caesar at this present bearing the name of Tiguident or Tegdemt which worde in the Arabian toong signifieth ancient was by Victor Vticensis termed Mauritania maior by Strabo Massilia and Massaesilia and the inhabitants thereof by Plinie Massaesuli At this present it containeth the kingdome of Tremizen as Dominias Niger and Giraua are of opinion Numidia the ancient called in the time of Ptolomey The new but by the Greekes as Plinie testifieth Metagonitis and the inhabitants thereof Numidae and Nomades is that region which lieth betweene The great riuer and the riuer Megerada ouer which countrey king Masinissa bare rule It containeth now as I coniecture the prouinces of Bugia Constantina Bona and Mezzab Howbeit at this present we vnderstande by Numidia that region which lieth betweene the mountaines of Atlas and the Libyan deserts called by Iohn Leo and Marmolius Biledulgerid or the lande of Dates bicause this is the onely region for plentie of Dates in all Africa Africa propria situate vpon the Mediterran sea betweene the regions of old Numidia and the Cyrene is called by Plinie Zeugitania who diuideth it into the ancient and the new At this present it is the kingdome of Tunis for it containeth Byzacium which by Strabo is accounted a part of Africa propria The head of this prouince in times past was Carthage whereof at this present there are nothing but ruines extant Cyrene or Cyrenaica by Plinie called Pentapolis and by the Hebrews Lebahim is esteemed by Giraua to be at this present called Corene and by Andrew Theuet Assadib but Iohn Leo and Marmolius name it Mesrata Marmarica is called by Plinie Mareotis and Libya howbeit at this present the desert of Barcha described by Iohn Leo in his sixt booke containeth a great part of Cyrenaica and all Marmarica But Libya propria retaineth till this present the name of Libya and is that part which the Arabians call Sarra which worde signifieth a desert Both the ancient Ethiopias are now possessed by the Abassins vnder the dominion of Prete Ianni Egypt retaineth euen till this day the ancient name The best moderne diuision of Africa for these our times is to adde vnto the foure general partes Barbaria Numidia Libya and the land of Negros set downe by Iohn Leo three other generall partes to wit Egypt the inner or the vpper Ethiopia containing Troglodytica Nubia and the empire of Prete Ianni and the lower or the extreme Ethiopia stretching from the said empire along the sea-coast and through the Inland euen to the Cape of Buena Esperança Thus much of Africa in generall Now it remaineth that we briefly describe in particular all the principall maine landes and islands vndescribed by Iohn Leo which thereto belong or adioyne beginning first with the Red sea one of the chiefe limites of Africa and from thence shaping our course along the easterne or farthest quarters thereof through the dominions of Prete Ianni the lande of Zanguebar the empires of Mohenemuge and Monomotapa and the region of Cafraria and then hauing doubled the cape of Buena esperança range we along the westerne partes by the kingdomes of Angola Congo Anzichi Benin Ghinea and by the capes of Sierra Leona Capo verde and the castle of Arguin till we haue brought our selues to finish our course vpon the most southwesterne partes of Barbarie from whence our author Iohn Leo beginneth his A particular description of all the knowne borders coastes and inlands of Africa which Iohn Leo hath left vndescribed collected out of sundry ancient and late writers Of the red sea THe red sea called by others the Arabian gulfe and the streight of Mecha containing in length twelue hundred miles and in bredth but one hundred is deuided into three partitions or chanels the middlemost whereof being called The large or deepe sea is without danger nauigable both day and night because it hath from fiue and twentie to fiftie fathomes water especially from the isle of Camaran euen to Suez stāding at the very bottome of the gulfe the other two partitions which are the easterne and westerne extremities are incumbred with so manie little isles and rockes as it is impossible to saile ouer them but onely by day-light and with most expert pilots which are to be hired at a small island lying ouerthwart the very mouth or entrance of the red sea which the ancient kings of Egypt if the report of Strabo be true barred with a chaine from the African to the Arabian side This sea is very skarce of fish perhaps because there fall no riuers thereinto which with their fresh and sweete waters doe much delight and nourish the fish and the strand or shore thereof is destitute of all greene grasse herbes or weedes The portes and hauens of this sea are for the most part very dangerous and difficult to enter by reason of the manifold windings and turnings which must be made to auoide the rockes At the very head or North end of this gulfe standeth Suez which heretofore seemeth to haue bin called Ciuitas Heroum and in the times of Dauid and Salomon Hazion-Geber from whence the fleetes of those partes were sent to Ophir for golde and other rich commodities Vnder the Egyptian Ptolemeys and the Romans this towne flourished exceedingly by reason of the infinite quantitie of merchandize brought thither from the east Indies and Arabia But now it is nothing so frequented partly in regard of the mighty concurse and traffique which Mecha draweth vnto it selfe and partly by reason of the Portugales conueiance of spices and other Indian commodities about the cape of Buena esperança At this present the great Turke hath there an Arsenale with certaine gallies for feare of the Portugals aforesaid against whome there haue bin dispatched from this place two greate fleetes one for the assailing of 〈◊〉 and another for Ormuz Howbeit because all the countries round about are vtterly destitute of wood it is a matter of infinite charge to furnish foorth a fleete from hence for they are constrained to fetch their timber as far as Caramania partly by sea and partly vpon
remaine euen til this present notwithstanding their many yeeres antiquitie Likewise there are in this countrie diuers churches and oratories hewen out of the hard rocke consisting but of one onely stone some sixtie some fortie and some thirtie fathomes long being full of windowes and engrauen with strange and vnknowne characters Three such churches there are of twelue fathomes broade and eightie in length The Abassins which are subiect to the Prete hold opinion that their prince deriueth his petigree from 〈◊〉 the sonne of Salomon which as they say he begot of the Queene of Saba and that themselues are descended from the officers and attendants which Salomon appointed vnto this his sonne when he sent him home vnto his mother which seemeth not altogether vnlikely if you consider the Iewish ceremonies of circumcision obseruing of the sabaoth such like which they vse vntill this present likewise they abhorre swines flesh and certaine other meates which they call vncleane The Prete absolutely gouerneth in all matters except it be in administring of the sacraments and ordaining of priests Hee giueth and taketh away benefices at his pleasure and in punishing offenders maketh no difference betweene his clergie and laitie The administration of their sacraments is wholie referred to the Abuna or Patriarke The Prete is lorde and owner of all the lands and possessions in his empire except those of the church which are in number infinite for the monasteries of saint Antonie besides which there are none of any other order and the colleges of the Canons and of the Hermites togither with the parishes are innumerable They are all prouided by the king both of reuenewes and of ornaments They haue two winters and two summers which they discerne not by colde and heate but by rainie and faire weather They begin their yeere vpon the 26. of August and diuide it into twelue moneths each moneth containing thirtie daies whereunto they adde euery common yeere fiue daies and in the leape yeere sixe which odde daies they call Pagomen that is The end of the yeere Their ordinarie iourneies in trauelling are twelue miles a day The common harlots dwell without their townes and haue wages allowed them out of the common purse neither may they enter into any cities nor apparell themselues but only in yellow The soile of Abassia aboundeth generally with graine and in especiall with 〈◊〉 and all kindes of Pulse but not so much with wheate they haue 〈◊〉 likewise not knowing how to refine it and hony and cotton-wooll orenges cedars and limons grow naturally there They haue neither melons citrons nor rape-roots but many plants herbes different from ours Their drinke is made of barley and millet neither haue they any wine made of grapes but onely in the houses of the emperour and the Abuna They are not destitute of Elephants mules lions tygres ounces and deere Their owne countrey horses are but of a small size how beit they haue also of the Arabian and Egyptian breed the coltes whereof within fower daies after they be foled they vse to suckle with kine They haue great and terribles apes and infinite sorts of birds but neither cuckowes nor Pies so farre as euer could bee learned Heere are likewise great store of mines of gold siluer iron and copper but they know not how to digge and refine the same for the people of this countrey are so rude and ignorant that they haue no knowledge nor vse of any arte or occupation Insomuch as they esteeme the carpenters or smithes craft for an vnlawfull and diabolicall kinde of science and such as exercise the same liue among them like infamous persons neither are they permitted to enter into any of their churches In the kingdome of Bagamidri are founde most excellent mines of siluer which they knowe none other way how to take from the ore but onely by melting it with fire into thinne plates Goiame aboundeth with base gold In the kingdome of Damut they digge and refine it somewhat better They haue neither the arte of making cloth for which cause the greater part of them go clad in beasts skins nor yet the manner of hauking fowling or hunting so that their countries swarme with partridges quailes fesants cranes geese hens hares deere and other like creatures neither knowe they how to make any full vse or benefite of the fruitefulnes of their countrey nor of the commoditie of riuers They sowe mill for the most parte sometimes in one place and sometimes in another according as the raine giueth them opportunitie In summe they shew no wit nor dexterity in any thing so much as in robbery and warre vnto both which they haue a kind of naturall inclination Which is occasioned as I suppose by the continuall voiages made by the Prete and by their vsuall liuing in the wide fields and that in diuers and sundry places For to trauaile continually and remaine in the fields without any stable or firme habitation compelleth men as it were of necessitie to lay holde on all that comes next to hande be it their owne or belonging to others They are not much subiect to tempests but to an inconuenience far more intollerable namely to innumerable swarmes of locusts which bring such desolation vpon them as is most dreadfull to consider for they consume whole prouinces leauing them quite destitute of succour both for man and beast They vse no stamped coine in all this empire but insteede thereof certaine rude pieces of golde and little balles of iron especially in Angote as likewise salt and pepper which are the greatest riches that they can enioy Hence it is that the tributes which are payed to the prince consist onely of such things as his owne dominions do naturally afforde as namely of salt gold siluer corne hides elephants teeth the horne of the Rhinoceros with slaues and such like Which forme of tribute being most agreeable to nature is vsed also in other parts of Africa Their salt is taken out of a certaine great mountaine in the prouince of Balgada and is made into square pieces The most populous place in all Abassia is the court of the Prete wheresoeuer it resideth and there are erected fiue or sixe thousand tents of cotton of diuers colours with so notable a distinction of streetes lanes market-places and Tribunals that euen in a moment euery man knoweth his owne station and the place where he is to doe his busines A man may coniecture the greatnes of this courte if he doe but consider that according to the report of some who haue there bin personally present besides the camels which carry the tents the mules of carriage exceede the number of fiftie thousand Their mules serue them to carry burthens and to ride vpon but their horses are onely for the warres The Mahumetans haue now brought this prince to great extremity but heretofore while he was in his flourishing estate he liued so maiestically that he neuer spake but by an interpreter nor would
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
of Nilus abound with all kinds of graine and pulse wherof the climate is capable as namely with beanes 〈◊〉 millet c. but wheate rie barley and grapes cannot there attaine to ripenes and perfection by reason of ouermuch moisture saue onely some small quantitie of wheat neere the deserts where the Caraguloni inhabite But their chiefe sustenance is Zaburro otherwise called Ghinie-wheate or Maiz which they sowe after the inundation of their riuers casting some quantitie of sande thereupon to defend it from the heate which otherwise would scorch the grounde too excessiuely They drinke the iuice of the palme-tree which they cut and lance for that purpose and this iuice not being tempered is as strong and headie as any wine Neither are they heere destitute of mightie adders of lions leopards and elephants but beasts for labour they haue none saue onely a small kinde of oxen and goates The horses which are brought thither by merchants liue but a short time The aire by reason of abundance of lakes bredde by the ouerflowes of their riuers is moist and grosse And heere fall most vnholesome and palpable dewes It raineth in these countries from October till the end of Iuly euery day about noone with thunder and lightning All the kingdomes and countries by vs before described from the cape of Buena esperança to the riuer last mentioned are inhabited by blacke people The most northerly are the Gialofi who spread themselues between the two foresaid riuers for the space of fiue hundred miles eastward so that the riuer Senaga is the vtmost northren bound of Negros or nations extremely blacke howbeit vpon the bankes thereof are found people of sundry colours by reason of the varietie of women Betweene this riuer of Senaga and Cabo blanco or the white cape lieth a countrey called by some Anterote being all ouer in a manner sandy barren lowe and plaine neither is there in all this distance any place of account or reckoning saue onely the isles of Arguin where of we will intreat among the isles of Africa and a territorie or towne sixe daies iourney within the maine called Hoden This towne is not walled but lieth open and consisteth of the wandring Arabians rude and homely habitations being notwithstanding a place of Rendeuous or meeting for all such as trauell in Carouans from Tombuto and other places in the lande of Negros to Barbarie The principall food of the inhabitants heere are dates and barly both which the soile yeeldeth indeed but not in so plentifull a manner and they drinke the milke of camels of other beasts for wine they haue none at all These people are Mahumetans and most deadly enimies to Christians neither abide they long in any place but runne rouing and wandring vp and downe those deserts They are themselues very populous and haue abundance of camels vpon whose backes they carrie copper siluer and other commodities from Barbarie to Tombuto and to the residue of the land of Negros From Cabo blanco to the regions of Sus and Hea which are the first prouinces described by Iohn Leo excepting a small portion onely of Biledulgerid you haue nothing but part of the vast fruitles vninhabitable desert of Libya called by the Arabians Sarra which stretcheth from the westerne Ocean as farre as the frontiers of Egypt Thus from the very bottome of the Red sea hauing coasted along the easterne and westerne shores of the most southerly partes of Africa and briefly described all the principall knowen empires kingdomes and regions within that maine which are left vntouched by our author Iohn Leo let vs now with like or more breuitie prosecute the description of the islands which are by the hand of the omnipotent creator planted round about this ample and spacious continent A briefe enumeration and description of all the most famous and knowne Islandes situate round about the coasts of Africa which haue beene omitted by IOHN LEO beginning first with the most northeasterly and so by little and little bringing our selues about the Cape of Buena Esperança neerer vnto Europe The Islands of the Red sea BOth the shores of the Red sea as well on the African as on the Arabian side are euerie where beset with many small islets and rockes which lie so thicke togither that they make the nauigation all along the said coasts to be most dangerous and difficult The isles of the Red sea most woorthie to be remembred are these following Babelmandel a little isle situate in the very mouth of the Red sea in twelue degrees containeth two leagues in compasse being from either of the firme lands three miles distant and standing about twentie paces high out of the water By Ptolemey it is called The isle of Diodorus Vpon this isle or one of the continents adioining are to be hired the most experimēted pilots for al that narrow sea euen as far as Suez And from the easterne and westerne side of this islet Strabo reporteth that the twofold enterance of the Arabian Gulfe was barred with a double chaine More to the north standeth Camaran being about eight leagues from the Arabian coast in fifteene degrees of latitude Vpon this isle are to be seene great ruines of ancient buildings It hath one indifferent good hauen and aboundeth with fresh water a thing most precious and acceptable in those parts with salt and with cattell On the other side towards Africa in fifteene degrees and an halfe standeth the isle of Dalaqua of about thirtie miles in circuite which space is almost contained in the length thereof being a place very famous for the abundance of pearles which are there caught wherewithall likewise the isle of Mua neere vnto it is richly end owed Next followeth Mazua in forme like to an halfe moone and not aboue a bow-shoot distant from the African maine betweene which isle and the continent there is an excellent hauen which is now the only porte that Prete Ianni hath in all his dominions for which as you may read before in the description of the said princes empire his lieutenant Barnagasso is constrained to pay a great yeerely tribute to the Turke Ouer against Mazua vpon the firme standeth the towne of Ercoco Vpon this little isle are diuers houses of Arabians built of lime and stone and others of claie couered with thatch North of Mazua standeth Suaquen in a certain lake made by the sea which there insinuateth it selfe within the land and frameth a most secure and commodious hauen On this small islet is built the faire and stately citie of Suaquen being almost as large as the isle it selfe wherein resideth the Turkes lieutenant or Bassa of Abassia Of the Isle of Socotera and other isles lying without the narrow entrance of the Arabian gulfe WIthout the streight of Babelmandel there are no islands woorthy of mention saue onely Socotera which as Iohn Barros supposeth was of old called by Ptolemey Dioscoridis lieth in sight of cape Guardafu
of the originall of the tawnie people that is to say of the Numidians and Barbarians For all the Negros or blacke Moores take their descent from Chus the sonne of Cham who was the sonne of Noë But whatsoeuer difference there be betweene the Negros and the tawnie Moores certaine it is that they had all one beginning For the Negros are descended of the Philistims and the Philistims of Mesraim the sonne of Chus but the tawnie Moores fetch their petigree from the Sabeans and it is euident that Saba was begotten of Rama which was the eldest sonne of Chus Diuers other opinions there be as touching this matter which because they seeme not so necessarie wee haue purposely omitted A diuision of the tawnie Moores into sundrie tribes or nations THE tawnie Moores are diuided into fiue seuerall people or tribes to wit the tribes called Zanhagi Musmudi Zeneti Hacari and Gumeri The tribe of Musmudi inhabite the westerne part of mount Atlas from the prouince of Hea to the riuer of Seruan Likewise they dwell vpon the south part of the said mountaine and vpon all the inward plaines of that region These Musmudae haue fower prouinces vnder them namely Hea Sus Guzula and the territorie of Marocco The tribe of Gumeri possesse certaine mountaines of Barbarie dwelling on the sides of those mountaines which lie ouer against the Mediterran sea as likewise they are Lords of all the riuer called in their language Rif. This riuer hath his fountaine neere vnto the streites of Gibraltar and thence runneth eastwards to the kingdome of Tremizen called by the Latines Caesaria These two tribes or people haue seuerall habitations by themselues the other three are dispersed confusiuely ouer all Africa howbeit they are like strangers discerned one from another by certaine properties or tokens maintaining continuall warre among themselues especially they of Numidia These I say are those very people as some report who had no other places then tents and wide fields to repose themselues in and it is reported that in times past they had great conflicts together and that the vanquished were sent to inhabit townes and cities but the conquerors held the champions and fieldes vnto themselues and there setled their aboad Neither is it altogether vnlikely because the inhabitants of cities haue all one and the same language with the countrie people For the Zeneti whether they dwell in the citie or in the countrie speake all one kinde of language which is likewise to be vnderstood of the rest The tribes of Zeneti Haoari and Sanhagi inhabit the countrie of Temesne sometimes they liue peaceably and sometimes againe calling to minde their ancient quarrels they breake foorth into cruell warres and manslaughters Some of these people beare rule ouer all Africa as namely the Zeneti who in times past vanquished the familie called Idris from which some affirme the true and naturall Dukes of Fez and the founders of the same citie to deriue their petigree their progenie likewise was called Mecnasa There came afterward out of Numidia another familie of the Zeneti called Magraoa this Magraoa chased the familie of Mecnasa with all their Dukes and chieftaines out of their dominions Not long after the said tribe of Magraoa was expelled in like sort by certaine others of the race of the Sanhagij called by the name of Luntuna which came also out of the desert of Numidia By this familie was the countrie of Temesna in processe of time vtterly spoiled and wasted and all the inhabitants thereof slaine except those which were of their owne tribe and kindred of Luntuna vnto whom was allotted the region of Ducala to inhabit and by them was built the citie commonly called Maroco It fell out afterwards by the inconstancie of fortune that one Elmahdi the principall 〈◊〉 preacher among them conspiring with the Hargij these Hargij were of the familie of Musmuda expelled the whole race of the Luntuna and vsurped that kingdome vnto himselfe After this mans decease succeeded in his place one of his disciples called Habdul Mumen a Banigueriaghel of the kindred of the Sanhagij The kingdome remained vnto this family about an 120. yeeres whereunto all Africa in a manner was subiect At length being deposed by the Banimarini a generation of the Zeneti the said familie was put to flight which Banimarini are said to haue raigned afterward for the space of 170. yeeres The Banimarini which descended of the Sanhagij and of Magroa waged continuall warre against Banizeijan the king of Telensin likewise the progenie of Hafasa and of Musmuda are at variance and dissension with the king of Tunis So that you see what stirres and tumults haue at all times beene occasioned in those regions by the foresaid fiue families Certaine it is that neither the Gumeri nor the Haoari haue at this present any iurisdiction at all albeit heretofore as we reade in their chronicles they had some certaine dominion before such time as they were infected with the Mahumetan lawe Out of all which it is euident that in times past all the foresaid people had their habitations and tents in the plaine fields euery one of which fauoured their owne faction and exercised all labours necessarie for mans life as common among them The gouernours of the countrie attended their droues and flockes and the citizens applied themselues vnto some manuall art or to husbandrie The said people are diuided into fiue hundred seuerall families as appeereth by the genealogies of the Africans author whereof is one Ibnu Rachu whom I haue oftentimes read and perused Some writers are of opinion that the king of Tombuto the king of Melli and the king of Agadez fetch their originall from the people of Zanaga to wit from them which inhabite the desert The agreement or varietie of the African lauguage THe foresaid fiue families or people 〈◊〉 diuided into hundreds of progenies and hauing innumerable habitations doe notwithstanding vse all one kinde of language called by them Aquel Amarig that is the noble toong the Arabians which inhabite Africa call it a barbarous toong and this is the true and naturall language of the Africans Howbeit it is altogether different from other languages although it hath diuers words common with the Arabian toong whereupon some would inferre that the Africans as is aboue said came by lineall descent from the Sabeans a people of Arabia foelix Others say that these words were euen then inuented when the Arabians came first into Africa and began to take possession thereof but these authors were so rude and grosse-witted that they left no writings behinde them which might be alleaged either for or against Moreouer they haue among them another diuersitie not onely of 〈◊〉 but of significant words also as namely they which dwell neere vnto the Arabians and exercise much traffique with them doe for the greater part vse their language Yea all the Gumeri in a manner and most of the Haoari speake Arabian
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
king ouer all Africa But Califa Elcain hearing this newes at Alchair was woonderfully afflicted in minde partly because he saw himselfe repelled from his owne kingdome and partly for that he had spent all his money which hee brought with him insomuch that he knew not what in the world to doe determining some seuere punishment for Gehoar by whose counsell he left his kingdome of Arabia Howbeit there was one of his secret counsellers a very learned and wittie man who seeing his Lord so sad and pensiue and being desirous by some good aduise to preuent the danger imminent comforted him in this wise Your highnes knoweth most inuincible Califa that fortune is most variable and that the courage of your soldiers is no whit daunted by reason of these mishaps For mine owne part as I haue heretofore shewed my selfe to be your trustie seruant so will I at this time giue you such profitable counsell whereby you may within short space recouer all those dominions which haue beene so treacherously taken from you and may without al peraduenture most easily attaine vnto your owne harts desire And this you may doe without maintaining any armie at all yea I assure you if you please to take mine aduise that I will foorthwith procure you such an armie as shall giue you great store of money and yet notwithstanding shall doe you good seruice also The Califa being somewhat 〈◊〉 these speeches asked his counsellour how this might possibly be brought to effect My Lord saith his counseller certaine it is that the Arabians are now growen so populous and to so great a number that all Arabia cannot containe them scarcely wil the yeerely increase of the ground suffice to feede their droues and you see with what great famine they are afflicted and how they are destitute not onely of habitations but euen of victuals and sustenance Wherefore if you had heeretofore giuen them leaue they would long ere this haue inuaded Africa And if you will now licence them so to doe doubt you not but that you shall receiue of them an huge masse of golde This counsell could not altogether satisfie the Califa his minde for he knew right well that the Arabians would so waste all Africa as it should neither bee profitable for himselfe nor for his enemies Notwithstanding seeing that his kingdome was altogether endangered hee thought it better to accept those summes of money which his counsellour promised and so to be reuenged of his enemie then to lose both his kingdome and gold all at once Wherefore hee permitted all Arabians which would pay him ducats apeece freely to enter Africa conditionally that they would shewe themselues most deadly enemies vnto the treacherous king of Barbarie Which libertie being granted vnto them it is reported that ten tribes or families of Arabians being halfe the people of Arabia deserta came immediately into Africa vnto whom certaine inhabitants of Arabia foelix ioyned themselues insomuch that there were found amongst them about fiftie thousand persons able to beare armes their women children and cattell were almost innumerable the storie whereof Ibnu Rachu the most diligent chronicler of African affaires whom we haue before mentioned setteth downe at large These Arabians hauing trauersed the desert betweene Aegypt and Barbarie first laid siege vnto Tripolis a citie of Barbarie which being ouercome they slew a great part of the citizens the residue escaping by flight Next of all they encountred the towne of Capes which was by them taken and vanquished At length they besieged Cairaoan also howbeit the citizens being sufficiently prouided of victuals are said to haue indured the siege for eight monethes which being expired they were constrained to yeeld at what time there was nothing in Cairaoan but wofull slaughters hideous outcries and present death This land the Arabians diuided among themselues and began to people and inhabite the same requiring in the meane space large tributes of the townes and prouinces subiect vnto them And so they possessed all Africa vntill such time as one Ioseph the sonne of Ieffin attained to the kingdom of Marocco This Ioseph was the first king of Marocco who endeuored by all meanes to aduance the friends and kinred of the late deceased king of Africa vnto the kingdome neither did he cease vntill he had expelled all the Arabians out of Cairaoan Howbeit the Arabians possessed the regions thereabout giuing themselues wholy to spoiles and robberies and the friends of the said deceased king could beare rule but in certaine places only Afterward succeeded in the kingdome of Marocco one Mansor who was the fourth king and prelate of that Mahumetan sect which was called Muachedim This man albeit his grand-fathers great grand-fathers had alwaies fauoured the posteritie and friends of the foresaid deceased African king and had restored them to their ancient dignitie deuised altogether how to oppose himselfe against them and to vsurpe all their authoritie Wherefore making a fained league with them we reade that he prouoked the Arabians against them and so very easily ouercame them Afterward Mansor brought the greatest part of the Arabians into the westerne dominions of Africa vnto the better sort of whom he gaue the habitation of Duccala Azgara and vnto the baser remnant he bequeathed the possession of Numidia But in processe of time he commanded the Numidian slaues to be set at libertie and so in despight of the Arabians he caused them to inhabite that part of Numidia which he had allotted vnto them But as for the Arabians of Azgara and of certaine other places in Barbarie he brought them all vnder his subiection For the Arabians out of deserts are like fishes without water they had indeede often attempted to get into the deserts but the mountaines of Atlas which were then possessed by the Barbarians hindred their passage Neither had they libertie to passe ouer the plaines for the residue of the Barbarians were there planted Wherefore their pride being abated they applied themselues vnto husbandrie hauing no where to repose themselues but onely in villages cottages and tents And their miserie was so much the greater in that they were constrained yeerely to disburse vnto the king of Marocco most ample tribute Those which inhabited Duccala because they were an huge multitude easily freed themselues from all tribute and imposition A great part of the Arabians remained still at Tunis for that Mansor had refused to carie them along with him who after the death of the said Mansor grew to be Lords of Tunis and so continued till they resigned their gouernment vnto the people called Abu-Haf vpon condition that they should pay them halfe the reuenues thereof and this condition hath remained firme euen vntill our daies Howbeit because the Arabians are increased to such innumerable swarmes that the whole reuenues are not sufficient for them the king of Tunis most iustly alloweth some of them their duties to the end they may make secure passage for merchants which indeede
they performe without molestation or hurt of any But the residue which are depriued of their pay betake themselues wholy to robberies thefts slaughters and such other monstrous outrages For these lurking alwaies in the woods no sooner see any merchant approching but suddenly they breake foorth depriuing him of his goodes and life also insomuch that now merchants dare not passe that way but with a garrison of safe-conduct And so they passe sometimes to their great inconuenience For they are notwithstanding constrained to giue vnto the foresaid Arabians which are in pay with the king of Tunis great summes of money and are likewise oftentimes so in danger of robbers that they lose both their goods liues Adiuision of the Arabians which inhabite Africa and are called by the name of Barbarians into diuers progenies or kinreds THE Arabians which inhabite Africa are diuided into three partes one part whereof are called Cachin the second Hilell and the third Machill The Cachin are diuided into three nations or tribes to wit the tribes of Etheg Sumait and Sahid Moreouer Etheg is diuided into three families that is to say the familie of Delleg Elmuntefig and Subair and these are dispersed into many regions Hilel are deriued into fower generations to wit the people of Benihemir of Rieh of Sufien and of Chusain The familie of Benihemir is diuided into the linages of Huroam Hucben Habrum and Mussim The tribe of Rieh are distributed into the kinreds called Deuvad Suaid Asgeg Elcherith Enedri and Garfam which kinreds possesse many dominions Machil haue three tribes vnder them to wit Mastar Hutmen and Hassan Mastar are diuided into Ruchen and Selim Hutmen into Elhasi and Chinan and Hassan into Deuihessen Deuimansor and Deuihubaidulla Deuihessen is distinguished into the kinreds called Dulein Berbun Vodein Racmen and Hamram Deuimansor into Hemrun Menebbe Husein and Albuhusein and lastly Deuihubaidulla into Garag Hedeg Teleb and Geoan All these doe in a manner possesse innumerable regions insomuch that to reckon them vp at large were a matter not onely difficult but almost impossible Of the habitations and number of the foresaid Arabians THE most noble and famous Arabians were they of the familie of Etheg vnto whome Almansor gaue the regions of Duccala and of Tedles to inhabit These Arabians euen till our times haue beene put to great distresse and hazard partly by the Portugall king and partly by the king of Fez. They haue at all oportunities if need should require a hundred thousand soldiers fit to beare armes a great part whereof are horsemen The Arabians called Sumait enioy that part of the Libyan desert which lieth ouer against the desert of Tripoly These make often inuasions into Barbarie for they haue no places allotted them therein but they and their camels doe perpetually remaine in the deserts They are able to leuie fowerscore thousand soldiers the greatest part being footmen Likewise the tribe of Sahid doe inhabite the desert of Libya and these haue had alwaies great league and familiaritie with the king of Guargala They haue such abundance of cattell that they doe plentifully supply all the cities of that region with flesh and that especially in sommer time for all the winter they stirre not out of the deserts Their number is increased to about a hundred and fiftie thousand hauing not many horsemen among them The tribe of Delleg possesse diuers habitations howbeit Caesaria containeth the greatest part of them Some also inhabit vpon the frontiers of the kingdome of Bugia who are said to receiue a yeerely stipend from their next neighbours But the least part of them dwell vpon the field-countrey of Acdes vpon the borders of Mauritania and vpon some part of mount Atlas being subiect vnto the king of Fez. The people of Elmuntefig are seated in the prouince of Azgar and are called by the later writers Elcaluth These also pay certaine yeerely tribute vnto the King of Fez beeing able to furnish about eight thousand horsemen to the warres The kindred of Sobair doe inhabit not farre from the kingdome of Gezeir being many of them vnder the pay of the king of Tremizen and are said to enioy a great part of Numidia They haue more or lesse three thousand most warlike horsemen They possesse likewise great abundance of camels for which cause they abide all winter in the deserts The remnant of them occupieth the plaine which lieth betweene Sala and Mecnes These haue huge droues of cattell and exercise themselues in husbandrie being constrained to pay some yeerely tribute vnto the king of Fez. They haue horsemen who as a man may say are naturally framed to the warres about fower thousand in number Of the people of Hillel and of their habitations HIllel which are also called Benihamir dwell vpon the frontiers of the kingdome of Tremizen and Oran These range vp and downe the desert of Tegorarin being in pay vnder the king of Tremizen and of great riches and power insomuch that they haue at all times in a readines for the 〈◊〉 six thousand horsemen The tribe of Hurua possesse onely the borders of Mustuganim These are sauage people giuing themselues wholy to spoiles and robberies and alienating their mindes from the warres They neuer come foorth of the deserts for the people of Barbarie will neither allow them any places of habitation nor yet any stipend at all horsemen they haue to the number of two thousand The kindred of Hucban are next neighbours vnto the region of Melian who receiue certaine pay from the king of Tunis They are rude and wilde people and in very deede estranged from al humanitie they haue as it is reported about fifteene hundred horsemen The tribe of Habru inhabit the region lying betweene Oran and Mustuganim these exercise husbandrie paying yeerely tribute vnto the king of Tremizen and being scarce able to make one hundred horsemen The people called Mussim possesse those deserts of Masila which extend vnto the kingdome of Bugia These likewise are giuen onely to theft and robberie they take tribute both of their owne people and of other regions adioyning vnto them The tribe of Rieeh inhabite those deserts of Libya which border vpon Constantina These haue most ample dominions in Numidia being now diuided into sixe parts This right famous and warlike nation receiueth stipende from the king of Tunis hauing fiue thousande horsemen at command The people of Suaid enioy that desert which is extended vnto the signiorie of Tenez These haue very large possessions receiuing stipend from the king of Tremizen being men of notable dexteritie as well in the warres as in all other conuersation of life The kindred of Azgeg dwell not all together in one place for part of them inhabite the region of Garet among the people called Hemram and the residue poslesse that part of Duccala which lieth neere vnto Azaphi The tribe of Elcherit dwell vpon that portion of Helin which is situate in the plaine of Sahidim hauing the people of Heah tributarie
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
in the midst of the citie which was built by Hali the first king of Maroco and the son of Ioseph aforesaid being commonly called the temple of Hali ben Ioseph Howbeit one Abdul-Mumen which succeeded him to the ende he might vtterly abolish the name of Hali and might make himselfe onely famous with posteritie caused this stately temple of Maroco to be razed and to bee reedified somewhat more sumptuously then before Howbeit he lost not onely his expences but failed of his purpose also for the common people euen till this day doe call the said Temple by the first and auncientest name Likewise in this citie not farre from a certaine rocke was built a Temple by him that was the seconde vsurper ouer the kingdome of Maroco after whose death his nephew Mansor enlarged the saide Temple fiftie cubites on all sides and adorned the same with manye pillars which he commanded to be brought out of Spaine for that purpose Vnder this temple he made a cesterne or vault as bigge as the temple it selfe the roofe of the saide temple he couered with lead and at euery corner he made leaden pipes to conueigh raine water into the cesterne vnderneath the temple The turret or steeple is built of most hard and well framed stone like vnto Vespasian his Amphitheatrum at Rome containing in compasse moe then an hundreth elles and in height exceeding the steeple of Bononia The staires of the said turret or steeple are each of them nine handfuls in bredth the vtmost side of the wall is ten and the thicknes of the turret is fiue The saide turret hath seauen lofts vnto which the staires ascending are very lightsome for there are great store of windowes which to the ende they may giue more light are made broader within then without Vpon the top of this turret is built a certaine spire or pinnacle rising sharpe in forme of a sugar-loafe and containing fiue and twentie elles in compasse but in height being not much more then two speares length the saide spire hath three lofts one aboue another vnto euerie of which they ascend with woodden ladders Likewise on the top of this spire standeth a golden halfe moone vpon a barre of iron with three spheares of golde vnder it which golden spheares are so fastened vnto the saide iron barre that the greatest is lowest and the least highest It woulde make a man giddie to looke downe from the top of the turret for men walking on the grounde be they neuer so tall seeme no bigger then a childe of one yeere old From hence likewise may you plainly escrie the promontorie of Azaphi which notwithstanding is an hundreth and thirtie miles distant But mountaines you will say by reason of their huge bignes may easily be seene a farre off howbeit from this turret a man may in cleere weather most easily see fiftie miles into the plaine countries The inner part of the saide temple is not very beautifull But the roofe is most cunningly and artificially vaulted the timbers being framed and set togither with singular workmanship so that I haue not seene many fairer temples in all Italy And albeit you shall hardly finde any temple in the whole worlde greater then this yet is it very meanly frequented for the people do neuer assemble there but onely vpon fridaies Yea a great part of this citie especially about the foresaid temple lieth so desolate and void of inhabitants that a man cannot without great difficultie passe by reason of the ruines of many houses lying in the way Vnder the porch of this temple it is reported that in old time there were almost an hundreth shops of sale-bookes and as many on the other side ouer against them but at this time I thinke there is not one booke-seller in all the whole citie to be founde And scarcely is the third part of this citie inhabited Within the wals of Maroco are vines palme-trees great gardens and most fruitefull corne-fields for without their wals they can till no ground by reason of the Arabians often inrodes Know yee this for a certaintie that the saide citie is growen to vntimely decay and old age for scarcely fiue hundreth sixe yeeres are past since the first building thereof forasmuch as the foundations thereof were laide in the time of Ioseph the sonne of Tesfin that is to say in the 424. yeere of the Hegeira Which decay I can impute to none other cause but to the iniurie of continuall warres and to the often alterations of magistrates and of the common wealth After king Ioseph succeeded his sonne Hali and the sonne of Hali was ordained gouernour after his fathers decease In whose time sprung vp a factious crue by the meanes of a certaine Mahumetan preacher named Elmaheli being a man both borne brought vp in the mountaines The saide Elmaheli hauing leuied a great army waged warre against Abraham his soueraigne Lord. Whereupon king Abraham conducting another armie against him had marueilous ill successe and after the battaile ended his passage into the citie of Maroco was so stopped and restrained that he was forced with a fewe soldiers which remained yet aliue to flee eastward to the mountains of Atlas But Elmaheli not being satisfied with expelling his true soueraigne out of his owne kingdome commaunded one of his captaines called Abdul Mumen with the one halfe of his armie to pursue the distressed king while himselfe with the other halfe laide siege to Maroco The king with his followers came at length vnto Oran hoping there to haue renued his forces But Abdul Mumen and his great armie pursued the saide king so narrowly that the citizens of Oran told him in plaine termes that they would not hazard themselues for him Wherefore this vnhappie king beeing vtterly driuen to dispayre set his Queene on horsebacke behinde him and so in the night time road foorth of the citie But perceiuing that he was descried and knowen by his enimies he fled foorthwith vnto a certaine rocke standing vpon the sea-shore where setting spurs to his horse-side he cast himselfe his most deere spouse and his horse downe headlong and was within a while after found slaine among the rockes and stones by certaine which dwelt neere vnto the place Wherefore Abdul Mumen hauing gotten the victorie returned in triumphant manner toward Maroco where the foresaide Elmaheli was deceased before his comming in whose place Abdul was chosen King and Mahumetan prelate ouer the fortie disciples and tooke tenne persons to be of his priuie councell which was a new inuention in the law of Mahumet This Abdul Mumen hauing besieged the citie of Maroco for the space of an whole yeere at last ouercame it and killing Isaac the onely sonne of King Abraham with his owne hand he commaunded all the soldiers and a good part of the citizens to be slaine This mans posteritie raigned from the fiue hundred sixteenth to the sixe hundred sixtie eight yeere of the Hegeira and at length they were
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
christall water falling into a cesterne within the porch at each corner of the saide porch standeth the image of a leopard framed of white marble which is naturally adorned with certaine blacke spots this kinde of particoloured marble is no where to be founde but onely in a certaine place of Atlas which is about an hundreth fiftie miles distant from Maroco Not farre from the garden stands a certaine woode or parke walled round about And here I thinke no kinde of wilde beasts are wanting for heere you may behold elephants lions stagges roes and such like howbeit the lions are separated in a certaine place from other beasts which place euen to this day is called The lions den Wherefore such monuments of antiquity as are yet extant in Maroco albeit they are but few do not withstanding sufficiently argue what a noble citie it was in the time of Mansor At this present al the courts and lodgings before described lie vtterly voide and desolate except perhaps some of the kings ostlery which tend his mules and horses do lie in that court which we saide euen now was to lodge archers and crossebowe-men all the residue are left for the fowles of the aire to nestle in That garden which you might haue named a paradise in olde time is now become a place where the filth and dung of the whole citie is cast foorth Where the faire and stately librarie was of old at this present there is nothing else to be founde but hens dooues and other such like foules which builde their nests there Certaine it is that the foresaid Mansor whom we haue so often mentioned was a most puissant and mightie prince for it is well knowen that his dominion stretched from the towne of Messa to the kingdome of Tripolis in Barbary which is the most excellent region of Africa and so large that a man can hardly trauell the length therof in fourescore ten daies or the bredth in fifteene This Mansor likewise was in times past Lord of all the kingdome of Granada in Spaine Yea his dominion in Spaine extended from Tariffa to Aragon ouer a great part of Castilia and of Portugall Neither did this Iacob surnamed Mansor only possesse the foresaid dominiōs but also his grandfather Abdul Mumen his father Ioseph his sonne Mahumet Enasir who being vanquished in the kingdome of Valençia lost 60000. soldiers horsemen footemen howbeit himselfe escaped returned to Maroco The Christians being encouraged with this victorie refrained not from warre till within 30. yeeres space they had woon all the townes following to wit Valençia Denia Alcauro Murcia Cartagena Cordoua Siuillia Iaen and Vbeda After which vnhappie warre succeeded the decay of Maroco The said Mahumet deceasing left behinde him ten sonnes of a full and perfect age who contended much about the kingdome Hereupon it came to passe while the brethren were at discord and assailed each other with mutuall warres that the people of Fez called Marini and the inhabitants of other regions adiacent began to vsurpe the gouernment The people called Habdulvad enioyed Tremizen expelling the king of Tunis and ordaining some other whom they pleased in his stead Now haue you heard the end of Mansor his progenie and successors The kingdome therefore was translated vnto one Iacob the sonne of Habdulach who was the first king of the familie called Marin And at length the famous citie of Maroco it selfe by reason of the Arabians continuall outrages fell into most extreme calamitie so great is the inconstancie of all earthly things That which we haue here reported as touching Maroco partly we saw with our owne eies partly we read in the historie of one Ibnu 〈◊〉 Malich a most exact chronicler of the affaires of Maroco and partly we borrowed out of that treatise which our selues haue written concerning the law of Mahumet Of the towne of Agmet THE towne of Agmet built of old by the Africans vpon the top of a certaine hill which beginneth almost from Atlas is distant from Maroco about fower and twentie miles In times past when Muachidin was prince thereof it contained moe then sixe thousand families at what time the people were very ciuill and had such plentie and magnificence of all things that many would not sticke to compare this towne with the citie of Maroco It had on all sides most 〈◊〉 gardens and great store of vines whereof 〈◊〉 grew vpon the mountaine it selfe and others on the valley By the foote of this hill runneth a faire riuer which springing foorth of Atlas falleth at length into Tensift The field which lieth neere vnto this riuer is said to be so fruitfull that it yeeldeth euery yeere fiftie fold encrease The water of this riuer looketh alwaies white albeit if a man stedfastly behold the said riuer it may seeme vnto him in colour to resemble the soile of Narnia or the riuer Niger of Vmbria in Italie And 〈◊〉 there are which affirme that the very same riuer runneth vnder ground to Maroco and not to breake foorth of the earth till it come to a certaine place very neere vnto the said citie 〈◊〉 princes in times past being desirous to know the hidden and intricate passages of the said riuer sent certaine persons into the hollow caue who the better to discerne the same carried candles and torches with them But hauing proceeded a little way vnder ground there met them such a flaw of winde that blew out their lights and perforce draue them backe to the great hazard of their liues so that they said they neuer felt the like They affirme likewise that the riuer being full of rocks which the water driueth to and fro and by reason of the manifold chanels and streames their passage was altogether hindred Wherefore that secret remaineth vnknowne euen till this day neither is there any man so hardie as to attempt the same enterprise againe I remember that I read in some histories that king Ioseph which built Maroco being forewarned by the coniecture of a certaine astrologer that the whole region should perpetually be vexed with warre prouided by arte-magique that the passage of this riuer should alwaies bee vnknowen least if any enimie should afterward practise 〈◊〉 he might cut off the course thereof from the saide citie Neere vnto this riuer lies the common high way which crosseth ouer mount Atlas to Guzula aregion of Maroco Howbeit the citie of Agmet which I haue now described vnto you hath at this day no other inhabitants but woolues foxes deere and such other wilde beasts Except onely at my being there I found a certaine Hermite who was attended vpon by an hundred persons of his owne sect all of them were well-horsed and did their best endeuour to become gouernours and commanders but their forces were insufficient With this Hermite I staide as I remember for the space of tenne daies and founde one amongst his followers with whom I had old 〈◊〉 and familiaritie
thought good to set downe for to shewe that euen Africa is not vtterly destitute of curteous and bountifull persons Of the mountaine called Tensita TEnsita is a part of Atlas beginning westward from the mountaine last before mentioned eastward extending to mount Dedes and southward bordering vpon the desert of Dara This mountaine is well stored with inhabitants hauing moe then fiftie castles about it the wals whereof are built of lime and rough stone and by reason of the southerly situation it is euer almost destitute of raine All the said castles stand not far from the riuer of Dara some being three and some fower miles distant there from The greatest prince in all this region hath vnder his command well nigh fifteene hundreth horsemen and about so many footemen as the prince of Tenueues before named And albeit these two princes are most neerely conioined in bloud yet can neither of them refraine from most cruel wars against the other It is a woonder to see what plentie of dates this mountaine affoordeth the inhabitants giue themselues partly to husbandry and partly to traffike Barly they haue in great abundance but of other graine and of flesh their scarcitie is incredible for that region hath no flockes nor droues at all The prince of this mountaine commonly receiueth for yeerly tribute twentie thousand peeces of golde euery of which peeces containeth not so much by one third part as an Italian ducate There hath alwaies beene so great amitie betweene the king of Fez and this prince that either often sendeth rich gifts vnto other My selfe I remember once saw a most magnificent gift presented to the saide king in the name of this prince to wit fiftie men slaues and fiftie women slaues brought out of the land of Negros tenne eunuches twelue camels one Giraffa sixteene ciuet-cats one pound of ciuet a pound of amber and almost sixe hundreth skins of a certaine beast called by them Elamt whereof they make shieldes 〈◊〉 skin being woorth at Fez eight ducates twentie of the men slaues cost twentie ducates a peece and so did fifteene of the women slaues euery 〈◊〉 was valued at fortie euery camell at fiftie and euery ciuet-cat at two hundreth ducates and a pound of ciuet and amber is solde at Fez for threescore 〈◊〉 Besides these were sent diuers other particulars which for breuities sake I omit I my selfe was in presence when these gifts were offred to the king the princes ambassadour was a Negro borne being grosse and of a 〈◊〉 stature and for his speech and behauiour most barbarous this fellow deliuered a letter vnto the king which was most absurdly and rudely penned but the Oration which he made in the behalfe of his prince was well woorse so that at the pronouncing thereof the king and all that were in presence could hardly 〈◊〉 from laughter but were faine to hold their hands and garments before their faces least they should haue seemed too vnciuile Howbeit his oration being ended the king caused him to be most honorablie entertained by the priest of the chiefe temple with whom himselfe and all his company hauing remained foureteene daies were at length by the kings liberalitie frankely and freely dismissed Of the mountaine called Gogideme NEere vnto the foresaid mountaiue standeth another called Gogideme This mountaine is inhabited only vpon the north part therof but the south side is vtterly destitute of inhabitāts the reason whereof they affirme to be because that when Abraham king of Maroco was vanquished and expelled out of his kingdome by his disciple Elmaheli he fled vnto this mountaine The inhabitants mooued with the kings distresse endeuoured though to small purpose all that they could to succour him whereof his disciple Elmaheli was no sooner enformed but comming with an huge armie and with great furie vpon them he destroyed all their mansions and villages and the inhabitants he partly put to flight and partly to the sword And those which now remaine there are most base beggerly and slauish people Howbeit they sell some quantitie of oyle and barley neither indeed will their soyle affoorde any other commodities They haue plentie of goates and mules but their mules and horses are but of meane stature The situation and qualitie of this mountaine will not suffer the inhabitants to be liberall Of the two mountaines called Teseuon TEseuon consisteth of two mountaines standing together beginning westward from Gogideme ending at the mountaine of Tagodast The inhabitants are oppressed with extreme pouerty for their ground will yeelde nothing but barley and mill Forth of this mountaine springeth a certaine riuer which runneth through most pleasant fields But because the mountainers neuer descend into the same fields hence it is that the Arabians onely enioy that riuer To haue said thus much of these may suffice now let vs come vnto the description of Tedles A description of the region of Tedles THE small region of Tedles beginneth westward at the riuer of Guadelhabid and stretcheth to that part of the great riuer Ommirabih where Guadelhabid taketh his beginning southward it bordereth vpon Atlas and northward it extendeth vnto that place where Guadelhabid falleth into Ommirabih This region is in a manner three square for the said two riuers springing out of Atlas run northward till approching by little and little they meet all in one Of Tefza the principall towne in Tedles TEfza the chiefe towne of all Tedles was built by the Africans vpon the side of mount Atlas some fiue miles from the plaine The towne wals are built of most excellent marble which is called in their language Tefza and hereupon the towne was so called likewise Heere doe reside most rich merchants of all sorts of Iewes here are two hundred families who exercise merchandise and diuers other trades And here you shall finde many outlandish merchants which buy from hence certaine blacke mantles with hoods commonly called Ilbernus of these there are great numbers both in Italy and Spaine Neither are there in Fez any kinde of wares which are not heere to be bought if any merchant will exchange his wares for other hee may the sooner be dispatched for the townesmen are furnished with diuers kindes of merchandise as namely with slaues horses woad leather and such like whereas if the forreiners were desirous to sell their wares for ready money they should neuer attaine to the value of them They haue golden coine without any image or superscription their apparell is decent and their women are beautifull and of good behauiour In this towne are diuers Mahumetan temples and many priests and iudges Their common-wealth was woont alwaies to be most prosperous and well-gouerned but degenerating from better to woorse they were afterward so turmoyled with dissensions and wars that certaine being expelled hence came vnto the king of Fez humbly beseeching him that by force he would restore them to their natiue countrey conditionally that all matters wel succeeding on their side they should deliuer
a certaine storie of his maketh mention of Tedsi which he saith is neere vnto Segelmesse and Dara but he declareth not whether it bee built vpon mount Dedes or no. Howbeit for mine owne part I thinke it to be the very same for there is no other citie in the whole region The inhabitants of Dedes are in very deede most base people of whom the greater part dwell in caues vnder the ground their foode is barly and Elhasid that is to say barly meale sodden with water and salt which we mentioned before in our description of Hea For heere is nothing but barly to be had Goates and asses they haue in great abundance The caues wherein their cattell lodge are exceedingly full of Nitre so that I verily thinke if this mountaine were neer vnto Italy the saide Nitre woulde yeerely be woorth fiue and twentie thousand ducates But such is their negligence and vnskilfulnes that they are vtterly ignorant to what purposes Nitre serueth Their garments are so rude that they scarce couer halfe their nakednes Their houses are very loathsome being annoied with the stinking smell of their goates In all this mountaine you shall finde neither castle nor walled towne when they builde an house they pile one stone vpon another without any morter at all the roofe whereof they make of certaine rubbish like as they doe in some places of Sisa and Fabbriano the residue as we haue saide do inhabite in caues neither sawe I euer to my remembrance greater swarmes of fleas then among these people Moreouer they are trecherous and strong theeues so giuen to stealing and quarrelling that for one vnkinde worde they wil not onely contend but seeke also the destruction one of another They haue neither iudge priest nor any honest gouernour among them No merchants resort vnto them for being giuen to continuall idlenes and not exercising any trades or handie-crafts they haue nothing meet for merchants to buy If any merchant bring any wares into their region vnlesse he be safe conducted by their captaine he is in danger to be robbed of altogither And if the wares serue not for their owne necessarie vses they will exact one fourth part of them for custome Their women are most forlorne and sluttish going more beggerly apparelled then the men So continual and slauish are the toiles of these women that for miserie the life of asses is not comparable to theirs And to be briefe neuer was I so wearie of any place in all Africa as I was of this howbeit in the yeere of the Hegeira 918. being commanded by one to whom I was in dutie bound to trauell vnto Segelmesse I could not choose but come this way IOHN LEO HIS THIRD BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A most exact description of the kingdome of Fez. THE kingdome of Fez beginneth westward at the famous riuer Ommirabih and extendeth eastward to the riuer Muluia northward it is enclosed partly with the Ocean and partly with the Mediterran sea The said kingdome of Fez is diuided into seuen prouinces to wit Temesna the territorie of Fez Azgar Elhabet Errif Garet and Elchauz euery of which prouinces had in olde time a seuerall gouernour neither indeed hath the citie of Fez alwaies beene the kings royall seate but being built by a certaine Mahumetan apostata was gouerned by his posteritie almost an hundred and fiftie yeeres After which time the familie of Marin got the vpper hand who here setling their aboad were the first that euer called Fez by the name of a kingdome the reasons why they did so we will declare more at large in our small treatise concerning the Mahumetan religion But now let vs as briefly as we may describe the foresaid seuen prouinces Of Temesna one of the prouinces of Fez. WEstward it beginneth at the riuer Ommirabih and stretcheth to the riuer Buragrag eastward the south frontire thereof bordereth vpon Atlas and the north vpon the Ocean sea It is all ouer a plaine countrie containing in length from west to east almost fowerscore miles and in breadth from Atlas to the Ocean sea about threescore This prouince hath euer almost beene the principall of the seuen before named for it contained to the number of fortie great townes besides three hundred castles all which were inhabited by Barbarian Africans In the 323. yeere of the Hegeira this prouince was by a certaine heretike against the Mahumetan religion called Chemim the sonne of Mennal freed from paying of tribute This bad fellow perswaded the people of Fez to yeeld no tribute nor honour vnto their prince and himselfe he professed to be a prophet but a while after he dealt not onely in matters of religion but in commonwealth-affaires also At length waging war against the king of Fez who was himselfe then warring with the people of Zenete it so befell that a league was concluded betweene them conditionally that Chemim shoulde enioy Temesne and that the king should containe himselfe within his signiorie of Fez so that from thencefoorth neither should molest other The said Chemim gouerned the prouince of Temesne about fiue and thirtie yeeres and his successours enioyed it almost an hundred yeeres after his decease But king Ioseph hauing built Maroco went about to bring this prouince vnder his subiection Whereupon he sent sundry Mahumetan doctors and priestes to reclaime the gouernour thereof from his heresie and to perswade him if it were possible to yeelde vnto the king by faire meanes Whereof the inhabitants being aduertised they consulted with a certaine kinsman of the foresaid gouernour in the citie called Anfa to murther the king of Maroco his ambassadours and so they did Soone after leuying an armie of fiftie thousand men he marched towards Maroco intending to expell thence the familie of Luntuna and Ioseph their king King Ioseph hearing of this newes was driuen into woonderfull perplexitie of minde Wherefore preparing an huge and mighty armie he staied not the comming of his enemies but on the sudden within three daies hauing conducted his forces ouer the riuer of Ommirabih he entred Temesne when as the foresaid fiftie thousand men were so dismaied at the kings armie that they all passed the riuer Buragrag and so fled into Fez. But the king so dispeopled and wasted Temesne that without all remorse he put both man woman and childe to the sword This armie remained in the region eight daies in which space they so razed and demolished all the towns and cities thereof that there scarce remaine any fragments of them at this time But the king of Fez on the other side hearing that the people of Temesne were come into his dominions made a truce with the tribe of Zenete and bent his great armie against the said Temesnites And at length hauing found them halfe famished neere vnto the riuer of Buragrag he so stopped their passage on all sides that they were constrained to run vp the craggie mountaines
there sell them For in old Fez neither gold nor siluer is coined nor any Mahumetans are suffered to be goldsmiths bicause they haue vsurers among them which will sell any peece of wrought siluer or golde deerer then the weight requireth albeit the same priuilege is by the gouernours of the citie granted vnto the Iewes Some there are also that onely make plate for the citizens who are paied hire onely for their worke That part of the citie which the kings attendants or guard once possessed is now inhabited by Iewes for now a daies the kings vse no such guard The Iewes indeed first dwelt in old Fez but vpon the death of a certaine king they were all robbed by the Moores whereupon king Abusabid caused them to remooue into new Fez and by that meanes doubled their yeerely tribute They therefore euen till this day doe occupie a long street in the said new citie wherin they haue their shops and synagogues and their number is maruellously encreased euer since they were driuen out of Spaine These Iewes are had in great contempt by all men neither are any of them permitted to weare shooes but they make them certaine socks of sea-rushes On their heads they weare a blacke dulipan and if any will goe in a cap he must fasten a red cloth thereunto They pay vnto the king of Fez monethly fower hundred duckats At length within the space of an hundred and forty yeeres this new citie was enuironed with most impregnable walles and adorned with temples colleges palaces and other such buildings as serue to beautifie a citie so that I thinke there was more bestowed in garnishing of the citie then in building of the walles Without the citie-walles are built many huge wheeles or engins for the conueying of riuer-water ouer the said walles into cesternes from whence it is conueied in certaine chanels and pipes vnto the temples gardens palaces The said wheeles were built not fully an hundred yeeres past before which time water was brought vnto the citie by a certaine conduct from a fountaine ten miles distant Of which artificiall conduct a certaine Genouese beeing then in great fauour with the king is reported to haue been the author but the wheeles they say were inuented by a Spaniard and in them there is maruellous cunning workmanship for to the conueiance of so huge a quantitie of water each wheele is turned about but fower and twentie times onely in a day and a night To conclude here are but few gentlemen in this citie except such as attend vpon the court for the residue are base and mechanicall people but such as carie any shew of honestie doe so hate and disdaine the kings courtiers and gentlemen that they will by no meanes vouchsafe to marie their daughters vnto them Of the fashions and customes vsed in the kings court AMongst all the princes of Africa I neuer red of any that was created by the common suffrages and consent of the people vnto his kingdome or princedome or that was called from any strange prouince or citie to beare rule Also by the law of Mahumet no man may beare any secular authoritie which may be called lawfull saue onely the Mahumetan patriarkes and prelates howbeit the saide patriarkes authoritie decreasing daily more and more the ringleaders of such people as ranged vp and downe the deserts began to inuade places inhabited ciuilized and by force of armes against Mahumets lawe and maugre his prelates to ordaine sundrie princes As for example in the East whereas the Turkes Cordians and Tartars haue vsurped dominion ouer such as were not able to repell them So likewise in the west parts first the families of Zeneta and Luntuna then the seditious Mahumetan preachers and afterward the family of Marin got the vpper hand Howbeit the family of Luntuna is reported to haue aided the western regions to haue released them from the furie of the seditious heretiques wherein they shewed themselues friends and not enimies but afterward their tyrannie began to shew it selfe And this is the reason why they do not now a daies attaine vnto gouernment by hereditarie sućcession or by election of the people or of the nobilitie But the prince himselfe when he feeles death seazing vpon him calleth about him all his peeres and nobles and bindeth them by oath to establish his sonne brother or anie other whom he most fauoureth in his kingdome But they after the princes decease neglecting their oath will chuse any other whom they list And this is ordinarily the election of the king of Fez who so soone as he is proclaimed king chuseth foorthwith some one of his nobles to be his chiefe counsellour and on him he bestoweth the thirde part of all his kingly reuenues Then chuseth another to be his secretarie treasurer and high steward of his houshold Then is created the captaine of the horsemen appointed for the kings guard and these horsemen with their horses liue most commonly in the fieldes Lastly he appointeth a new gouernour ouer euery citie vnto whom all the tributes and reuenues of the same place redound with condition that as often as any warres betide he shall maintaine a certaine companie of horses to the kings seruice After a while also he placeth certaine deputies and commissioners ouer his people inhabiting the mountaines and ouer the Arabians subiect vnto him The gouernours of cities diuersly administer iustice according to the custome of the place Some there are also appointed by the king to collect all the tributes and reuenues of his kingdome and duly to paie the same vnto him Likewise there are others chosen whom they call in their language keepers or guardians and vnto euery one of these the king giueth some castle or village whereby he may procure his owne maintenance and be able to serue the king in time of warre Moreouer the king of Fez maintaineth a troupe of light horsemen who so long as they serue the king in his campe haue their diet allowed them out of the kings prouision but in time of peace he findeth them corne butter and pouldered flesh for the whole yeere but money they haue very seldome Once a yeere they are apparelled at the kings cost neither do they prouide for their horses either within the citie or without for the king furnisheth them with all necessaries Those that giue attendance to their horses are Christian captiues which go shackled in great chaines and fetters But when the armie remooueth any whither the saide Christians are carried vpon camels backes Another officer there is that giueth attendance onely to the camels assigning certaine pastures vnto the heards-men and diuiding fields among them and making such prouision for the kings camels as himselfe shall thinke expedient Each camel-driuer hath two camels which are laden with the kings furniture according to the appointment of the gouernour Likewise the king hath a certaine purueiour or steward whose office is to prouide keepe and distribute corne
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
buildings to be seene The towne wall is built of most excellent marble Euer since the Marin-familie enioied the westerne kingdome of Fez this towne was an occasion of great warres for the Marin-family woulde haue it belong to the crowne of Fez but the king of Telensin chalenged it as his owne Of the towne of Haddagia THis towne was built by the Africans in manner of an Isle for it is enuironed with the riuer Mululo which not far from hence falleth into the riuer Muluia It was in times past a most populous flourishing towne but after the Arabians became lords of the west it fell by little and little to decay for it bordereth vpon the desert of Dahra which is inhabited with most lewde and mischieuous Arabians At the same time when Teurerto was sacked this towne was vtterly destroied also whereof nothing remaineth at this day but the towne wals onely Of the castle of Garsis IT standeth vpon a rocke by the riuer Muluia fifteene miles distant from Teurerto Here as in a most impregnable place the familie of Beni Marin laide their prouision of corne when as they inhabited the deserts Afterward it became subiect vnto Abuhenan the fift king of the Marin-familie It hath no great quantitie of arable or pasture ground belonging thereto but it hath a most pleasant garden replenished with grapes peaches and figges and enuironed on all sides with most thicke and shadie woods so that it is a paradise in respect of other places thereabout The inhabitants are rude and vnciuill people neither do they ought but keepe such corne as the Arabians commit vnto their custodie If a man behold the castle a farre off he woulde thinke it rather to be a cottage then a castle for the wall being in many places ruined maketh shew of great antiquitie and the roofe is couered with certaine blacke stones or slates Of the towne of Dubdu THis ancient towne was built by the Africans vpon an exceeding high and impregnable mountaine and is inhabited by certaine people of the familie of Zeneta From the top of this mountaine diuers springs come running into the towne From this towne the next plaines are distant almost fiue miles and yet they seeme to be but a mile and an halfe off for the way is very crooked and winding All the iurisdiction longing to this towne is onely vpon the toppe of the mountaine for the plaine vnderneath is vnpleasant and barren except certaine gardens on either side of a little riuer running by the foote of the hill neither haue the townesmen corne growing vpon the same hill sufficient for their prouision vnlesse they were supplied with great store of corne from Tezza so that this towne was built for a fortresse onely by the family of Marin what time they were dispossessed of the westerne kingdome Afterward it was inhabited by a certaine family called Beni Guertaggen who are lords of the saide towne euen till this day But when the Marin-family were expelled out of the kingdome of Fez the next Arabians endeuoured to winne the towne howbeit by the aide of one Mose Ibnu Chamu who was one of the saide family the Arabians were so valiantly resisted that they concluded a truce with the people of Marin and so Mose Ibnu remained gouernour of the towne after whose death his sonne Acmed succeeded him who treading iust in his fathers vertuous steps kept the saide towne in great tranquillitie euen till his dying day After him succeeded one Mahumet a man highly 〈◊〉 for his noble valour and great skill in martiall affaires This Mahumet had before time conquered many cities and castles vpon the foote of the mount Atlas southward whereof bordereth the land of Numidia But hauing gotten this towne in possession he beautified it exceedingly with store of faire houses and buildings likewise he greatly altered and reformed the gouernment of this towne and shewed such extraordinarie curtesie vnto al strangers that he grew very famous Moreouer the saide Mahumet consulted howe to get Tezza from the king of Fez offered great matters to the performance of his intent and that he might the easlier attaine his purpose he determined to go to the market of Tezza in a simple habite and so to make an assault vpon the captaine of the towne for he hoped that a great part of the townesmen whom he knew to be his friends woulde assist him in that enterprise Howbeit this practise was at length discouered vnto the king of Fez which king was called Saich and was the first of the family of Quattas and father vnto the king that now reigneth who presently assembled an huge armie and marched of purpose against Dubdu vtterly to destroy it and so comming vnto the foote of the mountaine he there encamped The people of the mountaine hauing gathered an armie of sixe thousand men hid themselues craftilie behinde the rockes suffering their enimies to ascende by certaine difficult streite passages from whence they were sure they could hardly escape so at length they brake foorth on the sodaine encountred their said enemies being wearie of ascending and because the way was very troublesome and narrow the king of Fez his soldiers could not endure their assaults but being constrained to giue backe were moe then a thousand of them throwne downe headlong and slaine In this skirmish were slaine in all to the number of three thousand Fessan soldiers and yet the king not being dismaied with so great an ouerthrow prepared foorthwith a band of fiue hundred crossebowes and three hundred Harquebuziers and determined to make a newe assault vpon the towne But Mahumet seeing that he could no longer withstand the king resolued to goe himselfe vnto him that he might if it were possible obtaine peace and to release his countrie from the furie of the enemie Wherefore putting on the habit of an ambassadour he went and deliuered a letter with his owne hand vnto the king Which the king hauing perused asked him what he thought concerning the gouernour of Dubdu Mary I thinke quoth Mahumet he is not well in his wits in that he goeth about to resist your Maiestie Then said the king if I had conquered him as I hope to doe within these few daies I would cause him to be dismembred and torne in peeces But what if he should come hither saith Mahumet to submit himselfe and to acknowledge his offence might it then please the king to admit him into fauour Then the king answered I sweare vnto thee by this my head that if he will come and acknowledge his fault in manner as thou hast said I will not onely receiue him into fauour but will espouse my daughters vnto his sonnes and will bestowe most ample and princely dowries vpon them But I am sure being distraught of his wits as thou hast said that he will by no meanes come and submit himselfe Then said Mahumet he would soone come I assure you if it pleased the king to protest this for a certaintie
of this towne vse to paint a blacke crosse vpon their cheeke and two other blacke crosses vpon the palmes of their hands and the like custome is obserued by all the inhabitants of the mountaines of Alger and Bugia the occasion whereof is thought to be this namely that the Gothes when they first began to inuade these regions released all those from paying of tribute as our African historiographers affirme that would imbrace the Christian religion But so often as any tribute was demanded euery man to eschew the payment thereof would not sticke to professe himselfe a Christian wherefore it was then determined that such as were Christians indeed should be distinguished from others by the foresaid crosses At length the Gothes being expelled they all reuolted vnto the Mahumetan religion howbeit this custome of painting crosses remained still amongthem neither doe they know the reason thereof Likewise the meaner sort of people in Mauritania vse to make such crosses vpon their faces as we see vsed by some people of Europe This towne aboundeth greatly with figs and the fields thereof are exceeding fruitfull for flaxe and barley The townesmen haue continued in firme league and friendship with the people of the mountaines adioyning by whose fauour they liued an hundred yeeres togither without paying of any tribute at all but Barbarossa the Turke hauing woon the kingdome of Telensin put them to great distresse From hence they vse to transport by sea great store of figs and flaxe vnto Alger Tunis and Bugia wherby they gaine great store of money Here also you may as yet behold diuers monuments of the Romans ancient buildings Of the towne of Sersell THis great and ancient towne built by the Romanes vpon the Mediterran sea was afterward taken by the Gothes and lastly by the Mahumetans The wall of this towne is exceeding high strong and stately built and containeth about eight miles in circuit In that part of the towne next vnto the Mediterran sea standeth a most beautifull and magnificent temple built by the Romans the inward part whereof consisteth of marble They had also in times past an impregnable for t standing vpon a rock by the Mediterran sea Their fields are most fruitfull and albe it this towne was much oppressed by the Gothes yet the Mahumetans enioyed a great part thereof for the space almost of fiue hundred yeeres And then after the warre of Telensin it remained voide of inhabitants almost three hundred yeeres At length when Granada was woon by the Christians diuers Moores of Granada fled hither which repaired the houses and a good part of the castle afterward they began to build ships wherewith they transported their merchantable commodities into other regions and they increased so by little and little that now they are growne to twelue hundred families They were subiect not long since vnto Barbarossa the Turke vnto whom they paide but three hundred ducates for yeerely tribute Of the citie of Meliana THis great and ancient citie commonly called now by the corrupt name of Magnana and built by the Romanes vpon the top of a certaine hill is distant from the Mediterran sea almost fortie miles Vpon this mountaine are many springs and woods abounding with walnuts The citie it selfe is enuironed with most ancient and high wals One side thereof is fortified with impregnable rockes and the other side dependeth so vpon the mountaine as Narma doth which is a citie neere Rome it containeth verie stately houses euerie one of which houses hath a fountaine The inhabitants are almost all weauers and there are diuers turners also which make fine cups dishes and such like vessels Many of them likewise are husbandmen They continued many yeeres free from all tribute and exaction till they were at length made tributarie by Barbarossa Of the towne of Tenez THis ancient towne built by the Africans vpon the side of an hill not far from the Mediterran sea is enuironed with faire walles and inhabited with many people The inhabitants are exceeding rusticall and vnciuill and haue alwaies beene subiect to the king of Telensin King Mahumet that was grandfather vnto the king which now raigneth left three sonnes behinde him the eldest being called Abuabdilla the second Abuzeuen and the third Iahia Abuabdilla succeeded his father whom his brethren being ayded by the citizens went about to murther But afterward the treason being discouered Abuzeuen was apprehended and put in prison Howbeit king Abuchemmeu being after that expelled out of his kingdome by the people Abuzeuen was not onely restored to his former libertie but was also chosen king and enioyed the kingdome so long till as is before-mentioned he was slaine by Barbarossa Iahia fled vnto the king of Fez who being at length proclaimed king by the people of Tenez raigned for certaine yeeres And his yoong sonne that he left behinde him being vanquished by Barbarossa fled vnto Charles who was then onely king of Spaine But when as the ayde promised by Charles the Emperour stayed long and the Prince of Tenez was too long absent a rumour was spread abroad that hee and his brother were turned Christians whereupon the gouernment of Tenez fell immedially to the brother of Barbarossa Their fields indeed yeeld abundance of corne but of other commodities they haue great want Of the towne of Mazuna THis towne as some report was built by the Romanes and standeth about fortie miles from the Mediterran sea It hath fruitfull fields strong walles but most base and deformed houses Their temple indeed is somewhat beautiful for it was in times past a most stately towne but being often sacked sometime by the king of Telensin and sometime by his rebels and at length falling into the hands of the Arabians it was brought vnto extreme miserie so that at this present there are but few inhabitants remaining all being either weauers or husbandmen and most grieuously oppressed by the Arabians Their fields abound plentifully with all kinde of corne Neere vnto this towne there haue beene in times past many houses streets and villages which may probably be coniectured by the letters engrauen vpon marble stones The names of which villages are not to bee found in any of our histories or Chronicles Of Gezeir otherwise called Alger GEzeir in the Moores language signifieth an island which name is thought to haue beene giuen vnto this citie because it lieth neere vnto the isles of Maiorica Minorica and Ieuiza howbeit the Spanyards call it Alger It was founded by the Africans of the familie of Mesgana wherefore in old time it was called by the name of Mesgana It is a large towne containing families to the number of fower thousand and is enuironed with most stately and impregnable walles The buildings thereof are very artificiall and sumptuous and euery trade and occupation hath here a seuerall place Innes bath-stoues and temples here are very beautifull but the stateliest temple of all standeth vpon the sea-shore Next vnto the sea there is a most pleasant walke vpon that
part of the 〈◊〉 wall which the waues of the sea beat vpon In the suburbes are many gardēs replenished with all kind of fruits On the east side of the towne runneth a certaine riuer hauing many mils thereupon and out of this riuer they draw water fit for drinke and for the seruices of the kitchin It hath most beautifull plaines adioining vpon it and especially one called Metteggia which extendeth fortie fiue miles in length and almost thirtie miles in bredth and aboundeth mightily with all kindes of graine This towne for many yeeres was subiect vnto the kingdome of Telensin but hearing that Bugia was also gouerned by a king and being neerer thereunto they submitted themselues vnto the king of Bugia For they saw that the king of Telensin could not sufficiently defend them against their enemies and also that the king of Bugia might doe them great dammage wherefore they offered vnto him a yeerely tribute of their owne accord and yet remained almost free from all exaction But certaine yeeres after the inhabitants of this citie building for themselues gallies began to play the pirates and greatly to molest the foresaid islands Whereupon king Ferdinando prouided a mightie armada hoping thereby to become lorde of the citie Likewise vpon a certaine high rocke standing opposit against the towne he caused a strong forte to be built and that within gun-shot of the citie albeit the citie walles could not be endammaged thereby Wherefore the citizens immediately sent ambassadours into Spaine to craue a league for ten yeeres vpon condition that they should pay certaine yeerely tribute which request was granted by king Ferdinando And so they remained for certaine moneths free from the danger of warre but at length Barbarossa hastening to the siege of Bugia and hauing woon one fort built by the Spaniards determined to encounter another hoping if he could obtaine that also that he should soone conquer the whole kingdome of Bugia Howbeit all matters fell not out according to his expectation for a great part of his soldiers being husbandmen when they perceiued the time of sowing corne to approch without any leaue or licence they forsooke their generall and returned home to the plough-taile And many Turks also did the like so that Barbarossa failing of his purpose was constrained to breake vp the 〈◊〉 Howbeit before his departure he set on fire with his owne handes twelue gallies which lay in a riuer but three miles from Bugia And then with fortie of his soldiers he retired himselfe to the castle of Gegel being from Bugia about sixtie miles distant where he remained for certaine daies In the mean while king Ferdinando deceasing the people of Alger released themselues from paying any more tribute for seeing Barbarossa to be a most valiant warriour and a deadly enemie vnto Christians they sent for him and chose him captaine ouer all their forces who presently encountred the fort but to little effect Afterward this Barbarossa secretly murthered the gouernour of the citie in a certaine bath The said gouernour was prince of the Arabians dwelling on the plaines of Mettegia his name was Selim Etteumi descended of the familie of Telaliba and created gouernour of Alger at the same time when Bugia was taken by the Spanyards this man was slaine by Barbarossa after he had gouerned many yeeres And then Barbarossa vsurped the whole gouernment of the citie vnto himselfe and coined money and this was the first entrance into his great and princely estate At all the foresaid accidents I my selfe was present as I trauelled from Fez to Tunis and was entertained by one that was sent ambassadour from the people of Alger into Spaine from whence he brought three thousand bookes written in the Arabian toong Then I passed on to Bugia where I found Barbarossa besieging the foresaid fort afterward I proceeded to Constantina and next to Tunis In the meane while I heard that Barbarossa was slaine at Tremizen and that his brother called Cairadin succeeded in the gouernment of Alger Then we heard also that the emperour Charles the fift had sent two armies to surprize Alger the first whereof was destroied vpon the plaine of Alger and the second hauing assailed the towne three daies together was partly slaine and partly taken by Barbarossa insomuch that very few escaped backe into Spaine This was done in the yeere of the Hegeira nine hundred twentie two Of the towne of Tegdemt THis ancient towne was built as some thinke by the Romanes and Tegdemt signifieth in the Arabian language Ancient The wall of this towne as a man may coniecture by the foundations thereof was ten miles in circuite There are yet remaining two temples of an exceeding height but they are very ruinous and in many places fallen to the ground This towne when it was possessed by the Mahumetans was maruellous rich and abounded with men of learning and poets It is reported that Idris vncle to the same Idris that founded Fez was once gouernour of this towne and that the gouernment thereof remained to his posteritie almost an hundred and fiftie yeeres Afterward it was destroied in the warres betweene the schismaticall patriarks of Cairaoan in the yeere of the Hegeira 365 but now there are a few ruines onely of this towne to be seene Of the towne of Medua THis towne standing not farre from the borders of Numidia is distant from the Mediterran sea almost an hundred and fowerscore miles and it is situate on a most pleasant and fruitfull plaine and is enuironed with sweete riuers and beautifull gardens The inhabitants are exceeding rich exercising traffique most of all with the Numidians and they are very curious both in their apparell and in the furniture of their houses They are continually molested with the inuasions of the Arabians but because they are almost two hundred miles distant from Telensin they can haue no aide sent them by the king This towne was once subiect vnto the gouernour of Tenez afterward vnto Barbarossa and lastly vnto his brother Neuer was I so sumptuously entertained as in this place for the inhabitants being themselues 〈◊〉 so often as any learned man comes amongst them they entertaine him with great honour and cause him to decide all their controuersies For the space of two moneths while I remained with them I gained aboue two hundred duckats and was so allured with the pleasantnes of the place that had not my dutie enforced me to depart I had remained there all the residue of my life Of the towne of Temendfust THis towne also was built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea and is about twelue miles distant from Alger Vnto this towne belongeth a faire hauen where the ships of Alger are safely harboured for they haue no other hauen so commodious This towne was at length destroied by the Goths and the greatest part of the wall of Alger was built with the stones which came from the wall of this towne Of the towne of Teddeles THis towne built by
the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea and being thirtie miles distant from Alger is enuironed with most ancient and strong walles The greatest part of the inhabitants are dyers of cloth and that by reason of the many riuers and streames running through the midst of the same They are of a liberall and ingenuous disposition and can play most of them vpon the citterne and lute Their fields are fertill and abounding with corne Their apparell is very decent the greatest part of them are delighted in fishing and they take such abundance of fishes that they freely giue them to euery bodie which is the cause that there is no fish-market in this towne Of the mountaines contained in the kingdome of Telensin Of the mountaine of Beni Iezneten THis mountaine standeth westward of Telensin almost fiftie miles one side thereof bordering vpon the desert of Garet and the other side vpon the desert of Angad In length it extendeth fiue and twentie and in bredth almost fifteene miles and it is exceeding high and difficult to ascend It hath diuers woods growing vpon it wherein grow great store of Carobs which the inhabitants vse for an ordinarie kinde of foode for they haue great want of barly Here are diuers cottages inhabited with valiant and stout men Vpon the top of this mountaine standeth a strong castle wherein all the principall men of the mountaine dwell amongst whom there are often dissentions for there is none of them all but woulde be sole gouernour of the mountaine I my selfe had conuersation with some of them whom I knew in the king of Fez his court for which cause I was honorably intertained by them The soldiers of this mountaine are almost ten thousand Of mount Matgara THis exceeding high and colde mountaine hath great store of inhabitants and is almost sixe miles distant from Ned Roma The inhabitants are valiant but not very rich for this mountaine yeeldeth nought but barly and Carobs They speake all one language with the people of Ned Roma and are ioined in such league with them that they will often aide one another against the king of Telensin Of mount Gualhasa THis high mountaine standeth nigh vnto the towne of Hunain The inhabitants are sauage rude and vnciuill people and are at continuall warre with the people of Hunain so that oftentimes they haue almost vtterly destroied the towne This mountaine yeeldeth great store of Carobs and but little corne Of mount Agbal THis mountaine is inhabited with people of base condition and subiect to the towne of Oran They all exercise husbandrie and carrie woode vnto Oran While the Moores enioied Oran their state was somewhat better but since the Christians got possession thereof they haue beene driuen to extreame miserie Of mount Beni Guerened THis mountaine being three miles distant from Tremisen is well peopled and aboundeth with all kinde of fruits especially with figges and cherries The inhabitants are some of them colliers some wood-mongers and the residue husbandmen And out of this onely mountaine as I was informed by the king of Telensin his Secretarie there is yeerely collected for tribute the summe of twelue thousand ducats Of mount Magraua THis mountaine extending it selfe fortie miles in length towardes the Mediterran sea is neer vnto the towne of Mustuganin before described The soile is fertile and the inhabitants are valiant and warrelike people and of a liberall and humaine disposition Of mount Beni Abusaid THis mountaine standing not farre from Tenez is inhabited with great multitudes of people which lead a sauage life and are notwithstanding most valiant warriors They haue abundance of honey barly and goats Their waxe and hides they carrie vnto Tenez and there sell the same to the merchants of Europe When as the king of Tremizen his kinsemen were lords of this mountaine the people paied for tribute certaine thousands of ducats Of mount Guanseris THis exceding high mountaine is inhabited with valiant people who being aided by the king of Fez maintained warre against the kingdome of Telensin for aboue three-score yeeres Fruitefull fields they haue and great store of fountains Their soldiers are almost twentie thousand in number whereof 2500. are horsemen By their aide Iahia attained to the gouernment of Tenez but after Tenez began to decay they gaue themselues wholy to robberie and theft Of the mountaines belonging to the state of Alger NEre vnto Alger on the east side and on the west are diuers mountains well stored with inhabitants Free they are from all tribute and rich and exceeding valiant Their corne fields are very fruitefull and they haue great abundance of cattell They are oftentimes at deadly warre togither so that it is dangerous trauailing that way vnlesse it be in a religious mans company Markets they haue and faires vpon these mountaines where nought is to be solde but cattle corne and wooll vnlesse some of the neighbour cities supplie them with merchandise now and then Here endeth the fourth booke IOHN LEO HIS FIFTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A description of the kingdomes of Bugia and Tunis WHen as in the former part of this my historie I diuided Barbaria into certaine parts I determined to write of Bugia as of a kingdome by it selfe and I found indeed that not many yeeres ago it was a kingdome For Bugia was subiect to the king of Tunis and albeit for certaine yeeres the king of Telensin was Lord thereof yet was it at length recouered againe by the king of Tunis who committed the gouernment of the city vnto one of his sons both for the tranquillitie of Bugia and also that no discord might happen among his sonnes after his decease He left behinde him three sonnes the eldest whereof was called Habdulhaziz and vnto him he bequeathed the kingdome of Bugia as is aforesaide vnto the second whose name was Hutmen he left the kingdome of Tunis and the third called Hammare he made gouernour of the region of dates This Hammare began foorthwith to wage warre against his brother Hutmen by whom being at length taken in the towne of Asfacos depriued of both his eies he was carried captiue vnto Tunis where he liued many yeeres blinde but his brother Hutmen gouerned the kingdome of Tunis full fortie yeeres The prince of Bugia being most louing and dutifull to his brother raigned for many yeeres with great tianquilitie till at length he was by king Ferdinand of Spaine and by the meanes of one Pedro de Nauarra cast out of his kingdome A description of the great citie of Bugia THis auncient citie of Bugia built as some thinke by the Romans vpon the side of an high mountaine neere vnto the Mediterran sea is enuironed with walles of great height and most stately in regard of their antiquitie The part thereof now peopled containeth aboue eight thousand families but if it were all replenished with buildings it were capeable of more then fower and twentie thousand housholds for it is of a
ample region containing great store of castles and villages and being inhabited with rich people and bordering vpon the kingdome of Agadez the Libyan desert and the land of Egypt is distant from Cairo almost threescore daies iourney neither is there any village in all that desert besides Augela which standeth in the bounds of Libya This region of Fezzen hath a peculiar gouernour within it selfe who bestoweth the reuenues of the whole region according to his owne discretion and payeth some tribute vnto the next Arabians Of corne and flesh heere is great scarcitie so that they are constrained to eate camels flesh onely A description of the deserts of Libya and first of Zanhaga HAuing hitherto described all the regions of Numidia letvs now proceed vnto the descriprion of Libya which is diuided into fiue parts as we signified in the beginning of this our discourse We will therefore begin at the drie and forlorne desert of Zanhaga which bordereth westward vpon the Ocean sea and extendeth eastward to the salt-pits of Tegaza northward it abutteth vpon Sus Haccha and Dara regions of Numidia and southward it stretcheth to the land of Negros adioyning it selfe vnto the kingdomes of Gualata and Tombuto Water is here to be found scarce in an hundred miles trauell being salt and vnsauorie and drawen out of deepe wels especially in the way from Segelmesse to Tombuto Here are great store of wilde beasts and creeping things whereof we will make mention in place conuenient In this region there is a barren desert called Azaoad wherein neither water nor any habitations are to be found in the space of an hundred miles beginning from the well of Azaoad to the well of Araoan which is distant from Tombuto about 150. miles Here both for lacke of water and extremitie of heat great numbers of men and beasts daily perish Of the desert inhabited by the people called Zuenziga THis desert beginneth westward from Tegaza extending eastward to the desert of Hair which is inhabited by the people called Targa northward it bordereth vpon the deserts of Segelmesse Tebelbelt and Benigorai and southward vpon the desert of Ghir which ioineth vnto the kingdome of Guber It is a most barren and comfortlesse place and yet merchants trauell that way from Telensin to Tombuto howbeit many are found lying dead vpon the same way in regard of extreme thirst Within this desert there is included another desert called Gogdem where for the space of nine daies iourney not one drop of water is to be found vnlesse perhaps some raine falleth wherefore the merchants vse to carrie their water vpon camels backes Of the desert inhabited by the people called Targa THis desert beginneth westward vpon the confines of Hair and extendeth eastward to the desert of Ighidi northward it bordereth vpon the deserts of Tuath Tegorarin and Mezab and is inclosed southward with a certaine wildernesse neere vnto the kingdome of Agadez It is a place much more comfortable and pleasant then the two deserts last described and hath great plentie of water also neere vnto Hair The ayre is maruellous holesome and the soyle aboundeth with all kinde of herbes Not farre from Agadez there is found great store of Manna which the inhabitants gather in certaine little vessels carrying it while it is new vnto the market of Agadez and this Manna being mingled with water they esteeme very daintie and pretious drinke They put it also into their pottage and being so taken it hath a maruellous force of refrigerating or cooling which is the cause that here are so few diseases albeit the ayre of Tombuto and Agadez be most vnholsome and corrupt This desert stretcheth from north to south almost 300. miles Of the desert inhabited by the people of Lemta THE fourth desert beginning at the territorie of Ighidi and extending to another which is inhabited by the people called Berdoa bordereth northward vpon the deserts of Techort Guarghala and Gademis and southward vpon the kingdome of Cano in the land of Negros It is exceeding drie and verie dangerous for merchants trauelling to Constantina For the inhabitants chalenge vnto themselues the signiorie of Guargala wherefore making continuall warre against the prince of Guargala they oftentimes spoile the merchants of all their goods and as many of the people of Guargala as they can catch they kill without all pitie and compassion Of the desert inhabited by the people called Berdoa THE fift desert beginning westward from the desert last mentioned and stretching eastward to the desert of Augela adioyneth northward vpon the deserts of Fezzen and Barca and trendeth southward to the desert 〈◊〉 Borno This place is extremely drie also neither haue any but the Gademites which are in league with the people of Berdoa safe passage through it for the merchants of Fezzen so often as they fall into their enimies hands are depriued of all their goods The residue of the Libyan desert that is to say from Augela to the riuer of Nilus is inhabited by certaine Arabians and Africans commonly called Leuata and this is the extreme easterly part of the deserts of Libya Of the region of Nun. THis region bordering vpon the Ocean sea containeth many villages and hamlets and is inhabited with most beggerly people It standeth betweene Numidia and Libya but somewhat neerer vnto Libya Here groweth neither barley nor any other corne Some dates here are but verie vnsauorie The inhabitants are continually molested by the Arabians inuasions and some of them traffique in the kingdome of Gualata Of the region of Tegaza IN this region is great store of salt digged beeing whiter then any marble This salt is taken out of certaine caues or pits at the entrance wherof stand their cottages that worke in the salt-mines And these workmen are all strangers who sell the salt which they dig vnto certaine merchants that carrie the same vpon camels to the kingdome of Tombuto where there would otherwise be extreme scarcitie of salt Neither haue the said diggers of salt any victuals but such as the merchants bring vnto them for they are distant from all inhabited places almost twentie daies iourney insomuch that oftentimes they perish for lacke of foode when as the merchants come not in due time vnto them Moreouer the southeast winde doth so often blind them that they cannot liue here without great perill I my selfe continued three daies amongst them all which time I was constrained to drinke salt-water drawen out of certaine welles not far from the salt-pits Of the region of 〈◊〉 AVgela beeing a region of the Libyan desert and distant fower hundred and fiftie miles from Nilus containeth three castles and certaine villages Dates heere are great plentie but extreme scarcitie of corne vnlesse it be brought hither by merchants out of Egypt Through this region lieth the way by the Libyan desert from Mauritania to Egypt Of the towne of Serte SErte an ancient towne built according to the opinion of some by the Egyptians of others by the
on the north Tombuto on the east and the kingdome of Melli on the south In length it containeth almost fiue hundred miles and extendeth two hundred and fiftie miles along the riuer of Niger and bordereth vpon the Ocean sea in the same place where Niger falleth into the saide sea This place exceedingly aboundeth with barlie rice cattell fishes and cotton and their cotton they sell vnto the merchants of Barbarie for cloth of Europe for brazen vessels for armour and other such commodities Their coine is of gold without any stampe or inscription at all they haue certaine iron-money also which they vse about matters of small value some peeces whereof weigh a pound some halfe a pound and some one quarter of a pound In all this kingdome-there is no fruite to be found but onely dates which are brought hither either out of Gualata or Numidia Heere is neither towne nor castle but a certaine great village onely wherein the prince of Ghinea together with his priestes doctors merchants and all the principall men of the region inhabite The walles of their houses are built of chalke and the roofes are couered with strawe the inhabitants are clad in blacke or blew cotton wherewith they couer their heads also but the priests and doctors of their law go apparelled in white cotton This region during the three moneths of Iulie August and September is yeerely enuironed with the ouerflowings of Niger in manner of an Island all which time the merchants of Tombuto conueigh their merchandize hither in certaine Canoas or narrow boats made of one tree which they rowe all the day long but at night they binde them to the shore and lodge themselues vpon the lande This kingdome was subiect in times past vnto a certaine people of Libya and became afterward tributarie vnto king Soni Heli after whom succeeded Soni Heli Izchia who kept the prince of this region prisoner at Gago where togither with a certaine nobleman he miserably died Of the kingdome of Melli. THis region extending it selfe almost three hundred miles along the side of a riuer which fâ—lleth into Niger bordereth northward vpon the region last described southward vpon certaine deserts and drie mountaines westward vpon huge woods and forrests stretching to the Ocean sea shore and eastward vpon the territorie of Gago In this kingdome there is a large and ample village containing to the number of sixe thousand or mo families and called Melli whereof the whole kingdome is so named And here the king hath his place of residence The region it selfe yeeldeth great abundance of corne flesh and cotton Heere are many artificers and merchants in all places and yet the king honorably entertaineth all strangers The inhabitants are rich and haue plentie of wares Heere are great store of temples priests and professours which professours read their lectures onely in the temples bicause they haue no colleges at all The people of this region excell all other Negros in witte ciuilitie and industry and were the first that embraced the law of Mahumet at the same time when the vncle of Ioseph the king of Maroco was their prince and the gouernment remained for a while vnto his posterity at length Izchia subdued the prince of this region and made him his tributarie and so oppressed him with greeuous exactions that he was scarce able to maintaine his family Of the kingdome of Tombuto THis name was in our times as some thinke imposed vpon this kingdome from the name of a certain towne so called which they say king Mense Suleiman founded in the yeere of the Hegeira 610. and it is situate within twelue miles of a certaine branch of Niger all the houses whereof are now changed into cottages built of chalke and couered with thatch Howbeit there is a most stately temple to be seene the wals whereof are made of stone and lime and a princely palace also built by a most excellent workeman of Granada Here are many shops of artificers and merchants and especially of such as weaue linnen and cotton cloth And hither do the Barbarie-merchants bring cloth of Europe All the women of this region except maid-seruants go with their faces couered and sell all necessarie victuals The inhabitants especially strangers there residing are exceeding rich insomuch that the king that now is married both his daughters vnto two rich merchants Here are many wels containing most sweete water and so often as the riuer Niger ouerfloweth they conueigh the water thereof by certaine sluces into the towne Corne cattle milke and butter this region yeeldeth in great abundance but salt is verie scarce heere for it is brought hither by land from Tegaza which is fiue hundred miles distant When I my selfe was here I saw one camels loade of salt sold for 80. ducates The rich king of Tombuto hath many plates and scepters of gold some whereof weigh 1300. poundes and he keepes a magnificent and well furnished court When he trauelleth any whither he rideth vpon a camell which is lead by some of his noblemen and so he doth likewise when hee goeth to warfar and all his souldiers ride vpon horses Whosoeuer will speake vnto this king must first fall downe before his feete then taking vp earth must sprinkle it vpon his owne head shoulders which custom is ordinarily obserued by them that neuer saluted the king before or come as ambassadors from other princes He hath alwaies three thousand horsemen and a great number of footmen that shoot poysoned arrowes attending vpon him They haue often skirmishes with those that refuse to pay tribute and so many as they take they sell vnto the merchants of Tombuto Here are verie few horses bred and the merchants and courtiers keepe certaine little nags which they vse to trauell vpon but their best horses are brought out of Barbarie And the king so soone as he heareth that any merchants are come to towne with horses he commandeth a certaine number to be brought before him and chusing the best horse for himselfe he payeth a most liberall price for him He so deadly hateth all Iewes that he will not admit any into his citie and whatsoeuer Barbarie merchants he vnderstandeth to haue any dealings with the Iewes he presently causeth their goods to be confiscate Here are great store of doctors iudges priests and other learned men that are bountifully maintained at the kings cost and charges And hither are brought diuers manuscripts or written bookes out of Barbarie which are sold for more money then any other merchandize The coine of Tombuto is of gold without any stampe or superscription but in matters of smal value they vse certaine shels brought hither out of the kingdome of Persia fower hundred of which shels are worth a ducate and sixe peeces of their golden coine with two third parts weigh an ounce The inhabitants are people of a gentle and cherefull disposition and spend a great part of the night
the flesh of such beasts as are taken in those deserts Sometimes they receiue tribute of the gouernour of Suachen and sometimes of the gouernors of Dangala They had once a rich towne situate vpon the red sea called Zibid whereunto belonged a commodious hauen being opposite vnto the hauen of Zidem which is fortie miles distant from Mecca But an hundred yeeres since it was destroied by the Soldan bicause the inhabitants receiued certaine wares which should haue beene carried to Mecca and at the same time the famous port of Zibid was destroied from whence notwithstanding was gathered a great yeerely tribute The inhabitants being chased from thence fledde vnto Dangala and Suachin and at length being ouercome in battaile by the gouernour of Suachin there were in one day slaine of them aboue fower thousand and a thousand were carried captiue vnto Suachin who were massacred by the women and children of the citie And thus much friendly reader as concerning the lande of Negros the fifteene kingdomes whereof agreeing much in rites and customes are subiect vnto fower princes onely Let vs now proceed vnto the description of Egypt Here endeth the seuenth booke IOHN LEO HIS EIGHT BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein Of Egypt THe most noble and famous prouince of Egypt bordering westward vpon the deserts of Barca Numidia and Libya eastward vpon the deserts lying betweene Egypt it selfe and the red sea and northward vpon the Mediterran sea is inclosed southward with the land of the foresaid people called Bugiha and with the riuer of Nilus It stretcheth in length from the 〈◊〉 sea to the land of the people called Bugiha about fower hundred and fiftie miles but in bredth it is very narrow so that it containeth nought but a small distance betweene both the banks of Nilus and the barren mountaines bordering vpon the foresaid deserts being inhabited onely in that place where Nilus is separate from the saide mountaines albeit towards the Mediterran sea it extendeth it selfe somewhat broader For Nilus about fower-score miles from the great citie of Cairo is diuided into two branches one whereof 〈◊〉 in his chanell westward returneth at length into the maine streame from whence he tooke his originall and hauing passed about threescore miles beyond Cairo it diuideth it selfe into two other branches whereof the one runneth to Damiata and the other to Rosetto And 〈◊〉 of that which trendeth to Damiata issueth another branch which discharging it selfe into a lake passeth through a certaine gullet or streit into the Mediterran sea vpon the banke whereof standeth the most ancient citie of Tenesse and this diuision of Nilus into so many streames and branches causeth Egypt as I haue beforesaid to be so narrow All this prouince is plaine and is most fruitfull for all kind of graine and pulse There are most pleasant and greene medowes and great store of geese and other fowles The countrey people are of a swart and browne colour but the citizens are white Garments they weare which are streite downe to their wastes and broad beneath and the sleeues likewise are streight They couer their heads with a round and high habite called by the Italians a Dulipan Their shooes are made according to the ancient fashion In sommer they weare garments of particoloured cotton but in winter they vse a certaine garment lined with cotton which they call Chebre but the chiefe citizens and merchants are apparelled in cloth of Europe The inhabitants are of an honest cheereful and liberall disposition For their victuals they vse a kinde of newe and extreme salt cheeses and sowre milke also artificially congealed which fare albeit they account very daintie yet cannot strangers digest it and into euerie dish almost they put sower milke A diuision of Egypt SInce the Mahumetans were Lords of Egypt it hath beene diuided into three parts For the region from Cairo to Rosetto is called the shore of Errif and from Cairo to the lande of Bugiha it is called Sahid that is to say The firme land but the region adioining vpon that branch of Nilus which runneth towardes Damiata and Tenesse they call by the name of Bechria or Maremma All Egypt is exceeding fertile but the prouince of Sahid excelleth the two other parts for abundance of corne cattle fowles and flaxe and Maremma aboundeth with cotton and sugar Howbeit the inhabitants of Marremma and Errif are farre more ciuill then the people of Sahid bicause those two prouinces lie neerer vnto the sea and are more frequented by European Barbarian and Assirian merchants but the people of Sahid haue no conuersation with strangers except it be with a fewe Ethiopians Of the ancient pedigree and originall of the Egyptians THe Egyptians as Moses writeth fetch their originall from Mesraim the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noe and the Hebrewes call both the countrie and the inhabitants of Egypt by the name of Mesraim The Arabians call Egypt it selfe Mesre but the inhabitants Chibith And Chibith they say was the man that first tooke vpon him the gouernment of this region and began first to builde houses thereon Also the inhabitants call themselues by the same name neither are there left any true Egyptians besides a fewe Christians which are at this present remaining The residue embracing the Mahumetan religion haue mingled themselues amongst the Arabians the Moores This kingdome was gouerned many yeeres by the Egyptians themselues as namely by the kings that were called Pharao who by their monuments and admirable buildings seeme to haue beene mightie princes and also by the kings called Ptolomaei Afterward being subdued vnto the Romaine Empire this kingdome since the comming of Christ was conuerted vnto the Christian religion vnder the saide Romaine gouernment since the decay of which Empire it fell into the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople who being very carefull to maintaine this kingdome were at length depriued thereof by the Mahumetans vnder the conduct of Hamrus the sonne of Hasi being appointed captaine generall ouer the Arabian armie of Homar the second Califa or Mahumetan patriarke of that name who permitting all men to haue their owne religion required nought but tribute at their hands The said captaine built vpon the banke of Nilus a certaine towne called by the Arabians Fustato which word signifieth in their language a tabernacle for when he first vndertooke this expedition he marched through wilde and desert places voide of inhabitants so that his armie was constrained to lye in tents The common people call this towne Mesre Hatichi that is to say the auncient citie which notwithstanding in comparison of Cairo may not vnfitly be called the New citie And as concerning the situation of this towne many excellent men both Christians Iewes and Mahumetans haue in these our times beene deceiued For they thinke Mesre to be situate in the same place where king Pharao in the time of Moses and king Pharao in the time of
trauelled to wit Arabia deserta Arabia felix Arabia Petrea the Asian part of Egypt Armenia and some part of Tartaria all which countries I saw and passed through in the time of my youth Likewise I will set downe my last voiages from Fez to Constantinople from Constantinople to Egypt and from thence into Italie in which Iourney I saw diuers and sundry Islands All which my trauels I meane by gods assistance being returned forth of Europe into mine owne countrie particularly to describe decyphering first the regions of Europe and Asia which I haue seen and thereunto annexing this my discourse of Africa to the end that I may promote the endeuours of such as are desirous to know the state of forren countries IOHN LEO HIS NINTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things therein contained Wherein he entreateth of the principall riuers and of the strange liuing creatures plants and minerals of the same countrey Of the riuer of Tensist THe riuer of Tensist that we may begin in Barbarie from the westerne part of Africa springing foorth of the mountaines of Atlas which are next vnto the citie of Hanimmei to witte about the east part of the territorie of Maroco and continuing his course northwarde ouer the plaines receiueth many other riuers thereinto and at Azafi a towne of Duccala dischargeth his streames into the maine Ocean Into this mightie riuer of Tensist fall two other great riuers called Siffelmel and Niffis the one whereof springeth out of Hanteta a mountaine of Maroco and the other issuing foorth of mount Atlas neere vnto Maroco and winding it selfe along the plaines of that region disemboqueth at last into the saide mightie riuer And albeit the riuer Tensist be for the most part of an exceeding depth yet may it in diuers places be waded ouer where the water reacheth vnto the stirrups of an horseman but a footeman must strippe himselfe naked to passe ouer the same Neere vnto Maroco there is a bridge of fifteene arches builte by king Mansor vpon this riuer which bridge is accounted one of the most curious buildings in all Africa Three of the saide arches were demolished by Abu Dubus the last king and patriarke of Maroco to the ende he might hinder the passage of Iacob the first Fezsan king of the Marin familie but this attempt of his was to none effect as it sufficiently appeered by the successe thereof Of the two riuers called Teseuhin THe two riuers called by this one name springing each of them three miles asunder out of mount Gugideme and running through the plaines of Hascora exonerate themselues into the riuer called Lebich These two riuers as I haue said haue one onely name being either of them according to the African language called Teseut in the singular number and in the plural Teseuhin which signifieth listes or borders Of Quadelhabid that is to say the riuer of seruants QVadelhabid taking his original among the high and chill mountaines of Atlas and runniug through certaine narrow and vneeuen valleis holdeth on his course by the confines of Hascora and Tedle and then stretching northward ouer a certaine plaine falleth at length into the riuer of Ommirabih In Maie when the snow melteth this riuer increaseth to some bignes Of the riuer of Ommirabih THe mightie riuer of Ommirabih issuing also forth of the lofty mountaines of Atlas where the prouince of Tedle bordereth vpon the kingdome of Fez passeth through certain plaines called Adachsun and being afterward streitned among the narrow valleis it runneth vnder a stately bridge built by Ibulhasen the fourth king of the Marin family from thence trending southward it watereth the plaines situate between the regions of Duccala and Temesne and lastly disburdeneth it selfe vnder the wals of Azamor into the maine Ocean About the end of Maye they take great store of fishes in this riuer called by the Italians Lasche wherwith all Azamur being sufficiently stored they salt the said fishes and send many ships ful of them into Portugall Of the riuer of Buregrag BVregrag arising out of one of the mountaines of Atlas and continuing his course by sundrie vallies woods and hils proceedeth on ouer a certaine plaine and neere vnto the townes of Sala and Rabat being the vtmost frontiers of the Fezsan kingdome it falleth into the Ocean sea Neither haue the two foresaid townes any other port or harbour but within the mouth of the said riuer onely which is so difficult to enter that vnlesse the pilote be throughly acquainted with the place he is in great hazard of running his ship vpon the shoulds which shoulds serue instead of bulwarkes to defend either towne from the fleets of the Christians Of the riuer of Baht THis riuer issuing foorth of mount Atlas stretcheth northward by the woods and mountaines and running among certaine litle hils disperseth it selfe vpon the plaines of the prouince of Azgar and from thence it falleth into certaine fens lakes and moist valleies where they take great store of eeles and of the foresaid fishes called Lasche The inhabitants liue vpon cattell and fishing and by reason of the plentie of milke fish and butter which they eate they are much subiect vnto the disease called in Italian Morphia This riuer may continually be waded ouer except it be much increased by abundance of raine and melted snowe Of the riuer of Subu THe riuer of 〈◊〉 beginneth vpon mount Selilgo standing in Cheuz a prouince of the Fezsan kingdome And it springeth out of a great fountaine in the midst of a vaste and solitarie woode and runneth by diuers mountaines and hils from whence extending vpon the plaines it approcheth within sixe miles of Fez diuideth in sunder the regions of Habat and Azgar and at length about Mahmora a place not farre from Sala exonerateth it selfe into the Ocean sea Into this riuer fall diuers others two of which namely Guarga and Aodor spring out of the mountanes of Gumera and the residue from the mountaines of the territorie of Teza And although Subu be a large riuer yet may it in sundry places be waded ouer except in winter and the spring when as it cannot be crossed but in certaine dangerous and small boates The same riuer also which runneth through the citie of Fez called in the language of that countrey The riuer of perles entreth into the foresaid riuer of Subu This riuer of Subu aboundeth exceedingly with fish and especially with the foresaid fishes called Lasche which are there of no reckoning The mouth thereof neere vnto the Ocean sea being very deepe and broad is nauigable for ships of great burthen as the Portugals and Spaniards haue found by often experience and were not the inhabitants so slothfull it might vsually and commodiously be sailed vpon yea if the corne which is carried by the merchants of Fez ouer land through the region of Azgar were conueighed by water vp this riuer it might be solde at Fez for halfe the price Of the riuer of Luccus LVccus issuing
but the greater part are clad in sheeps skinnes and those which are more honourable in the skins of Lyons Tigres and Ounces They haue all kindes of our domesticall creatures as hennes geese and such like as also abundance of kine and wild swine harts goates hares but no conies besides panthers lyons Ounces and elephants To conclude there cannot be a countrie more apt then this for the generation and increase of all plants and creatures True it is that it hath little helpe or furtherance by the industrie of the inhabitants because they are of a sloathfull dul nature and capacitie They haue flaxe and yet can make no cloath sugar canes and know not the arte of getting the sugar thereout yron and haue no vse thereof but take all smithes to be negromancers They haue riuers and waters and know not how to better their possessions by them They conceaue not greatly of hunting or fishing whereupon the fieldes are full of birdes and wild beastes and the riuers and lakes of fish An other reason of their slacknes and negligence is the euill intreatie of the communaltie by those of the mightier sort for the poore seeing euery thing taken from them that they haue sow no more then verie necessity vrgeth them vnto Their speech also is without any rule or prescription and to write a letter requireth a great assembly of men and many dayes to deliberate thereon The nobles cittizens and peasants liue distinctly and apart and any of these may purchase nobility by some famous or worthie act The first borne inherite all things There is not in all the countrie a castel or fortified place for they thinke as the Spartanes did that a country should be mayntained and defended by force of armes and not with rampires of earth or stone They dwell for the most part dispersed in townes and villages Their trade of marchandise is performed by exchanging one thing for an other supplying the ouerplus of their prises with wheat or salt pepper incense myrrhe salt they sell for the waight in gold In their bargaines they vse gold also but by waight siluer is not ordinary among them Their greatest city is the Princes court which is neuer firme and resident in one place but remoueth here there and remaineth in the open fieldes vnder tentes This courte comprehendeth ten or more miles in compasse His Gouernment PRete Ianni his gouernment is very absolute for he holdeth his subiects in most base seruitude and no lesse the noble and great then those of meaner qualitie and condition intreating them rather like slaues then subiects and the better to doe this he maintaineth him selfe amongst them in the reputation of a sacred and diuine person Al men bow at the name of the Prince and touch the earth with their hand they reuerence the tent wherein he lyeth and that when he is absent also The Pretes in times past were wonte to be seene of the people but onely once in three yeeres space and afterwardes they shewed themselues thrice in a yeere that is on Christmas and Easter daye as also on holy Rood day in September Panufius who now raigneth albeit he is growen more familiar then his predecessors yet when any commission commeth from him the partie to whom it is directed heareth the wordes thereof naked from the girdle vpward neither putteth he on his apparrell but when the king permitteth him The people thought they bind it with an oath yet do they seldome speake truth but when they sweare by the kinges life who giueth and taketh away what great signiorie soeuer it pleaseth him neither may he from whom it is taken so much as shew him selfe agreeued therewith Except the giuing of holy orders and the administration of the sacraments he disposeth as well of the religious as of the laye sort and of their goodes On the way he rideth enuironed with high and long red curtaynes which compasse him on euery side He weareth vsually vpon his head a crowne halfe gold halfe siluer and a crosse of siluer in his hand his face is couered with a peece of blew taffata which he lifteth vp or letteth downe more or lesse according as he fauoreth them that he treateth withall and sometimes he only sheweth the end of his foot which he putteth forth from vnder the said curtaines They that carrie and returne ambassages come not to his curtaine but with long time diuers ceremonies and sundry obseruations None hath slaues but himselfe to whome euery yeere his subiects come to do homage This prince as the Abassins report descendeth from a sonne of Salomon the Queen of Saba called Meilech they receiued the faith vnder Queene Candaces in whose time the familie of Gaspar began to raigne and flourish in Ethiopia and from him after thirteene generations came Iohn called the holie This man about the time of Constantinus the Emperor because he had no children leauing the kingdome to his brother Caius eldest sonne inuested Baltasar and Melchior younger brothers one in the kingdome of Fatigar and the other in Giomedi whereupon the royall blood grew to be deuided into three families namely that of Baltafar that of Gaspar and the third of Melchior ordayning that the Empire aboue all others should be giuen by election to some one of the foresaid families soe it were not to the eldest borne For these first borne there were particular kingdomes appointed And to auoide scandale and tumult hee decreed that the Emperours brothers with his neerest kindred should be enclosed as in a strong castell within mount Amara where he would also haue the Emperours sonnes to be put who cannot succeed in the Empire nor haue any State at all for which cause the Emperour ordinarily marrieth not His forces both in reuenues and people HE hath two kindes of reuenues for one consisteth in the fruits of his possessions which he causeth to be manured by his slaues and oxen These slaues multiplie continuallie for they marrie among themselues and their sonnes remaine in the condition of their progenitors An other great reuenue cōmeth of his tributes which are brought vnto him from all those that hold dominion vnder him And of these some giue horses some oxen some gold some cotton and others other thinges It is thought he hath great treasure as well of cloaths and iewels as of gold and also that he hath treasuries and large magazins of the same riches so that writing once to the king of Portugal he offered to giue for the maintenance of war against the Infidels an hundred thousand drams of gold with infinite store of men and victuall They say that he putteth ordinarilie euerie yeere into the castel of Amara the value of three millions of ducates It is true that before the dayes of King Alexander they layde not vp so much golde because they knew not how to purifie it but rather iewels and wedges of gold Also his commings-in may be said to bee of three sorts for some he raiseth
mans flesh They dwell vpon the left banke of Nilus betweene the first and second lake The Anzichi also haue a shambles of mans flesh as we haue of the flesh of oxen They eate their enimies whom they take in war they sell their slaues to butchers if they can light on no greater prise and they inhabit from the riuer Zaire euen to the deserts of Nubia Some others of them are rather addicted to witchcraft then to idolatrie considering that in a man the feare of a superior power is so naturall that though he adore nothing vnder the name and title of a God yet doth he reuerence and feare some superioritie although he know not what it is Such are the Biafresi and their neighbours all of them being addicted in such sort to witchcraft as that they vaunt that by force of enchantment they can not onely charme and make men die much more molest and bring them to hard point but further raise windes and raine and make the skie to thunder and lighten and that they can destroy all herbes and plants and make the flockes and heards of cattell to fall downe dead Whereupon they reuerence more the diuell then any thing else sacrificing vnto him of their beasts and fruits of the earth yea their owne bloud also and their children Such are likewise the priests of Angola whom they call Ganghe These make profession that they haue in their hands dearth and abundance faire weather and foule life and death For which cause it can not be expressed in what veneration they are held among these Barbarians In the yeere 1587. a Portugall captaine being in a part of Angola with his souldiers a Ganga was requested by the people to refresh the fields which were drie and withered with some quantitie of water He needed no great intreatie but going forth with diuers little bels in presence of the Portugals he spent an halfe hower in fetching suudry gambols skips vttering diuers superstitious murmurings and behold a cloud arose in the aire with lightning and thunder The Portugals grew amazed but all the Barbarians with great ioy admired and extolled vnto heauen their Ganga who now gaue out intolerable brags not knowing what hung ouer his head For the windes outragiously blowing the skie thundring after a dreadfull manner in stead of the raine by him promised there fell a thunderbolt which like a sword cut his head cleane from his shoulders Some other idolaters not looking much aloft worship earthly things such were the people of Congo before their conuersion and are at this day those that haue not yet receiued the Gospell For these men worship certaine dragons with wings and they foolishly nourish them in their houses with the delicatest meates that they haue They worship also serpents of horrible shape goats tygers and other creatures and the more they feare and reuerence them by how much the more deformed and monstrous they are Amongst the number of their gods also they reckon bats owles owlets trees and herbes with their figures in wood and stone and they do not onely worship these beasts liuing but euen their versy kins when they are dead being filled with straw or some other matter and the manner of their idolatrie is to bow downe before the foresaid things to cast themselues groueling vpon the earth to couer their faces with dust and to offer vnto them of their best substance Some lifting vp their mindes a little higher worship starres such be the people of Guinie and their neighbours who are enclined to the worship of the sunne the greatest part of them and they hold opinion that the soules of those dead that liued well mount vp into heauen and there dwell perpetually neere vnto the sunne Neither want there amongst these certaine others so superstitious as they worship for God the first thing they meete withall comming out of their houses They also hold their kings in the account estimation of Gods whom they suppose to be descended from heauen their kings to maintaine themselues in such high reputation are serued with woonderfull ceremonies neither will they be seene but very seldome Of the Iewes THe Iewes who haue bene dispersed by god throughout the whole world to confirme vs in the holie faith entered into Ethiopia in the Queene of Sabas daies in companie of a son that Salomon had by her to the number as the Abassins affirme of twelue thousand and there multiplied their generation exceedingly In that they not onely filled Abassia but spred themselues likewiseall ouer the neighbour prouinces So that at this day also the Abassins affirme that vpon Nilus towards the west there inhaibteth a most populous nation of the Iewish stock vnder a mightie K. And some of our moderne Cosmographers set downe a prouince in those quarters which they call The land of the Hebrewes placed as it were vnder the equinoctiall in certaine vnknowne mountaines betweene the confines of Abassia and Congo And likewise on the north part of the kingdome of Goiame and the southerly quarter of the kingdome of Gorham there are certaine mountaines peopled with Iewes who there maintaine themselues free and absolute through the inaccessiable situations of the same For in truth by this means the inhabitants of the mountaines speaking generally are the most ancient and freest people in that the strong situation of their natiue soile secureth them from the incursions of forraine nations and the violence of their neighbours Such are the Scottes in Britaine and the Biskaines in Spaine But to return againe to our purpose the Anzichi who extend from the bankes of the riuer Zaire euen to the confines of Nubia vse circumcision as also diuers other bordering people do a thing that must necessarilie haue been brought in by the Iewes yet remayning stil in vse after the annihilation of the Mosaicall law amongst them Some also think that the people called Cafri or Cafates at this day who are gentiles draw their originall from the Iewes but being enuironed on euery side by Idolaters they haue by little and little swarued from the law of Moses and so are become as it were insensibly Idolaters On the other side the Iewes being woonderfully increased in Spaine passed one after an other into Affricke and Mauritania and dispersed themselues euen to the confines of Numidia especiallie by meanes of traffick and the profession of goldsmithes the which being vtterly forbidden the Mahumetans is altogether practised amongst them by the Iewes as are likewise diuers other mechanicall crafts but principallie that of black smithes A thing which notablie appeareth in mount Sefsaua in the kingdome of Maroco and in mount Anteta It is said that Eitdeuet a towne in the kingdome of Maroco was inhabited by the Iewes of the stock as they affirme of Dauid who notwithstanding by little and little are growne Mahumetans The Iewes encreased afterwards in Affrick when first 〈◊〉 king of Spaine called The catholicke and after him Emanuell king of Portugal put
the aire and vnusuall heat which consumed them were also euilly entreated by the Moci-Congi For although they shewed themselues docible and tractable enough while they were instructed onely about ceremonies and diuine mysteries because they thought that the higher those matters were aboue humaine capacity the more they sorted and were agreable to the maiestie of God neuerthelesse when they began to entreate seriously of Temperance continence restitution of other mens goods forgiuing of iniuries and other heades of Christian pietie they found not onely great hinderance and difficultie but euen plaine resistance and opposition The king himselfe who had from the beginning shewed notable zeale was now somewhat cooled who because he was loth to abandon his soothsaiers and fortune tellers but aboue all the multitude of his concubines this being a generall difficultie among the Barbarians would by no meanes giue eare vnto the Preachers Also the women who were now reiected one after another not enduring so suddenly to be banished from their husbandes brought the court and roiall citie of Saint Saluador into a great vproare Paulo Aquitino second sonne to the king put tow to this fire who would by no meanes be baptized for which cause there grew great enmity betwixt him and Alonso his elder brother who with all his power furthered the proceedings and maintained the grouth of the Christian religion During these troubles the old king died and the two brothers fought a battell which had this successe that Alonso the true heire with sixe and thirtie soldiers calling vpon the name of Iesus discomfited the huge armie of his heathenish brother who was himselfe also taken aliue and died prisoner in this his rebellion God fauoured Alonso in this warre with manifest miracles For first they affirme that being readie to enter into battaile he saw a light so cleere and resplendent that he and his companie which beheld it remained for a good while with their eies declined and their mindes so full and replenished with ioy and a kind of tender affection that cannot easily be expressed And then lifting vp their eies vnto heauen they sawe fiue shining swords which the king tooke afterwards for his armes and his successors vse the same at this day Hauing obteined this victorie he assembled all his nobles and streightly enioined them to bring all the idols of his countrey to an appointed place and so vpon an high hill he caused them all to be burned This Alonso raigned prosperously for fiftie yeeres togither in which space he exceedingly furthered by authoritie and example as also by preaching and doctrine the new-planted Christianitie Neither did Don Emanuell the King of Portugall giue ouer this enterprise for he sent from thence to Congo twelue of those Fryers which the Portugals call Azzurri of whom Fryer Iohn Mariano was head with architects and smiths for the building and seruice of Churches and with rich furniture for the same After king Alonso succeeded Don Pedro his sonne in whose time there was a Bishop appointed ouer the isle of Saint Thomas who had also committed vnto him the administration of Congo Where at the citie of Saint Saluador was instituted a colledge of eight and twentie Canons in the Church of Santa Cruz. The second bishop was of the bloud roiall of Congo who trauailed to Rome and died in his returne homeward Don Francisco succeeded Don Pedro who continued but a small space Don Diego his neere kinsman was after his decease aduanced to the crowne In whose time Iohn the third king of Portugall vnderstanding that neither the king himselfe cared greatly for religion and that the merchants and priests of Europe furthered not but rather with their bad life scandalized the people new conuerted he sent thither fower Iesuits to renew and reestablish matters of religion These men arriuing first at the isle of Saint Thomas and then at Congo were courteously receiued by the king and presently going about the busines they came for one of them tooke vpon him to teach sixe hundred yoong children the principles of christian religion and the other dispersed themselues ouer the whole countrie to preach But all of them one after another falling into tedious and long diseases they were enforced to returne into Europe At this time there was appointed ouer Congo a third bishop of the Portugall nation who through the contumacie of the Canons and clergie found trouble enough In the meane while Don Diego dying there arose great tumults touching the succession by meanes whereof all the Portugals in a manner that were in Saint Saluador except priests were slaine In the end Henrie brother to Don Diego obteined the crowne and after him for he quicklie died in the warres of the Anzichi Don Aluaro his son in law This man reconciled vnto himselfe the Portugall nation caused all the religious and lay sort dispersed heere and there throughout the kingdome to be gathered togither and wrote for his discharge to the king and to the Bishop of Saint Thomas The bishop hauing perused the letters passed himselfe into Congo and giuing some order for the discipline of the clergie he returned to Saint Thomas where hee ended his daies It so fell out that what for the absence and what for the want of Bishoppes the progression of religion was much hindred For one Don Francisco a man for bloud and wealth of no small authoritie began freely to say that it was a vaine thing to cleaue to one wife onely and afterwardes in the end he fell altogither from the faith and was an occasion that the king grew woonderfully cold They affirme that this Francisco dying and being buried in the church of Santa Cruz the diuels vncouered a part of that churches roofe and with terrible noise drew his dead carcase out of the tombe and carried it quite away a matter that made the king exceedingly amazed but yet another accident that ensued withall strooke him neerer to the hart For the Giacchi leauing their owne habitations entred like Locusts into the kingdome of Congo and comming to battaile against Don Aluaro the king put him to flight who not being secure in the head citie abandoned his kingdome and togither with the Portugall priests and his owne princes retired himselfe vnto an island of the riuer Zaire called The isle of horses Thus seeing himselfe brought to such extremitie for besides the losse of his kingdome his people died of famine and miserie and for maintenance of life sold themselues one to another and to the Portugals also at a base price for reparation of his state and religion he had recourse to Don Sebastian king of Portugall and obteined of him sixe hundred soldiers by whose valour he draue his enimies out of the kingdome and within a yeere and an halfe reestablished himselfe in his throne In his time Antonio di Glioun à Spaniard was made bishop of Saint Thomas who after much molestation procured him by the captaine of that island went at
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-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
them forth of their dominions For then many went ouer into the kingdomes of Fez and Maroco and brought in thither the artes and professions of Europe vnknowne before to those Barbarians In Bedis Teza Elmedina Tefsa and in Segelmesse euery placeis full of them They passe also by way of traffick euen to Tombuto although Iohn Leo writeth how that king was so greatly their enemie that he confiscated the goods of those that traded with them It importeth me not to speake of Egypt because it hath euer beene as well by reason of the neernes of Palestina as for the commodity of traffick whereunto they are much enclined as it were their second countrie Here in great number and in a manner in all the cities and townes thereof they exercise mechanicall arts and vse traffick and merchandize as also take vpon them the receit of taxes and customes but aboue all other places in Alexandria and Cairo where they amount to the number of fiue and twentie thousand and the ciuiller sort among them do vsually speake the Castilian toung 〈◊〉 much may suffice to haue been spoken concerning the Iewes It now remaineth that we come to intreat of the Mahumetans of Africa Concerning whom before we make any particular relation it will not be amisse for the readers more perfect instruction to speake somewhat in generall as namely of the sinister proceedings of their first seducer Mahumet of the variety and propagation of their damned sects ouer the east and south parts of the world of the fower principall nations which are the mainteiners and vpholders of this diabolicall religion and of sundry other particulars most worthie the obseruation Of Mahumet and of his accursed religion in generall MAhumet his father was a certaine prophane Idolater called Abdalá of the stock of Ismael and his mother was one Hennina a Iew both of them being of very humble and poore condition He was borne in the yeere of our Lord 562. and was endowed with a graue countenance and a quick wit Being growne to mans estate the Scenite Arabians accustomed to rob and runne all ouer the countrie tooke him prisoner and sold him to a Persian merchant who discerning him to be apt and subtile about busines affected and held him in such account that after his death his mistresse remaining a widow scorned not to take him for her husband Being therefore inriched by this meanes with goods and credit he raised vp his minde to greater matters The times then answered very fitly for one that woulde disturbe or worke any innouation For the Arabians vpon some euill entreatie were malecontented with the Emperour Heraclius The heresies of Arrius and Nestorius had in a miserable sort shaken and annoied the church of God The Iewes though they wanted power yet amounted they to a great number The Saracens preuailed mightily both in number and force And the Romaine Empire was full of slaues Mahumet therefore taking hold on this opportunitie framed a law wherein all of them should haue some part or prerogatiue In this two Apostata Iewes and two heretikes assisted him of which one was Iohn being a scholler of Nestorius schoole and the other Sergius of the sect of Arrius Whereupon the principall intention of this cursed law was wholie aimed against the diuinitie of our Sauiour Iesus Christ wickedly oppugned by the Iewes and Arrians He perswaded this law first by giuing his wife to vnderstand and his neighbours by her meanes and by little and little others also that he conuersed with the angell Gabriell vnto whose brightnes he ascribed the falling sicknes which many times prostrated him vpon the earth dilating and amplifying the same in like sort by permitting all that which was plausible to sense and the flesh as also by offering libertie to all slaues that would come to him and receiue his law Wherefore being prosecuted hard by the masters of those fugitiue slaues led away by him he fledde to Medina Talnabi and there remained some time From this flight the Mahumetans fetch the originall of their Hegeira But questionlesse there was nothing that furthered more the enlargement of the Mahumetan sect then prosperitic in armes and the multitude of victories whereby Mahumet ouerthrew the Persians became lord of Arabia and draue the Romaines out of Syria And his successors afterwards extended their empire from Euphrates to the Atlantick Ocean and from the riuer Niger to the Pirenei mountaines and beyond They occupied Sicilia assailed Italy and with continuall prosperitie as it were for three hundred yeeres either subdued or encumbred both the east west But to returne to Mahumet his law it embraceth circumcision maketh a difference between meats pure vnpure partly to allure the Iewes It denieth the Diuinitie of Christ to reconcile the Arrians who were then most mightie it foisteth in many friuolous fables that it might fit the Gentiles looseth the bridle to the flesh which is a thing acceptable to the greatest part of men Whereupon Auicen though he were a Mahumetan writeth thus of such a law Lex nostra saith he quam de dit Mahumeth c. that is to say Our Law which Mahumet gaue vs regardeth the disposition of felicitie or miserie according to the body But there is another promise which concerneth the minde or the soule which wise Diuines had a farre greater desire to apprehend then that of the body which though it be giuen vnto them yet respect they it not nor hold it in any estimation in comparison of that felicitie which is a coniunction with truth Mahumet being dead Allé Abubequer Omar and Odoman his kinsemen each of them pretending to be his true successor wrote distinctly euerie one by himselfe Vpon which there did arise fower seuerall sects Allé was head of the sect Imemia being followed by the Persians Indians and many Arabians and Gelbines of Africa Abubequer gaue foundation to the sect Melchia embraced generally by the Arabians Saracens and Africans Omar was author of the Anefia which is on foote among the Turks in Syria and in that part of Africk which is called Zahará Odman left behim the Banefia or Xefaia as we may terme it which wanteth not followers among the foresaid nations Of these fower sects in processe of time growen sixtie eight other verie famous besides some of lesse renowme and fame Among the many Mahumetan sects there are the Morabites who lead their liues for the most part in Hermitages and make profession of Morall Philosophie with certaine principles differing from the Alcoran One of these was that Morabite which certaine yeeres past shewing Mahumet his name imprinted in his brest being done with Aqua Fortis as I suppose or some such thing raised vp a great number of Arabians in Africk and laide siege to Tripolis where being betraied by his captaine he remained the Turkes prisoner who sent his skin to the grand Signor This man being in prison said to an Italian slaue his familiar who went to visite him I