draughts of the principal townes in the Indies Persia and Tartary and had leave of the Vice-roy to draw the plots of as many more as he would his design being to compile them in a large volume and present it to the King of Spain but I understood afterwards that returning for Europe he died upon the sea of Scarbut and for that his Comerade had disgusted him he would not give him his memorials and draughts but by Testament bequeathed them to the Captain of the ship he was in Joseph Grogne a Portuguese esteemed a Jew though he dissembled the Christian The Memorials was a great losse for besides the draughts there was abundance of remarkable singularities he had noted in his travailes whereof the Captain made small account for that he had written them in French which he understood not and withall in an imperfect and bad character But the plots and draughts were excellently done and besides the deliniation of the towns he had drawn the inhabitants and their garments to the life I drew some my self though rudely which is not hard to compasse THE SECOND PART OF THE TRAVAILES OF VINCENT le BLANC IN AFRICA CHAP. I. A generall Description of AFRICA HAving left the East Indies as I said in the former part of this work towards the end and having taken the road of Africa Westward the first land we came on was the Isle of S. Laurence Before I relate the particulars either of this Isle or other places I have seen in Africa I conceive it not improper to draw a general Description of this third part of the Universe as well for that I have traversed it from one end to the other in three severall voyages as to shew the errour of modern Geographers who in their Maps of Africa have left out more then fifty kingdoms or Provinces of note as I sometime made appear to the late Mr. du Vair then chief President of the Province and afterwards Keeper of the Great Seale of France And first to take it from the streight of Gibraltar or rather from Porto Farina towards Tunes to the Cape Bona Esperanza the greatest extent from North to South there is found to be seventy degrees which are above two thousand leagues And from Cape-Verd to Cape de Guardafu or Guardafy from East to West there is near upon eighty Degrees which are about two thousand five hundred leagues of Teritory comprehending a space most prodigious such as our Europe is a very small matter in comparison of the greatest part lying betwixt the two Tropicks the rest on this side and beyond For from the kingdom of Budonell passing through the Negres lyes Eastward the Empire of Tombut or Tombotu by the Arabians called Iza containing thirteen large kingdomes watered by the famous River Nigrite or Niger with Senega a part of Guinee Melli and many other Countreyes as far as the Cape Verdi The people here so savage they scarce know how to speak so sordid they eat beast-entrailes uncleansed and so brutish they are more like ravenous dogs then men of reason The people toward the Western Coast are better civilized in the Provinces of Gavaga Azemay Galata by the Arabians called Abugazai or Zenaga and Azanaga and on the Coast of Cape-blanc where they drive a great trade in white salt Senega where the River Niger waters large territories abounds in Crocodills and fish with which it furnishes Budonel Meli Gago Guber Agades Cano Gazena or Cassena Zegzog Zanfara Burneo or Borno Gangara Gaoga and others where it reaches The kingdome of Gangara contains seven others as that of Borneo nine who to gain a single dominion have often come to Battell but in the end satiated with blood were constrained to agree again Then have you the kingdomes or Temian Daouma Medra Benin Gorbani Giafiar or Biafar Amas or Amasen which towards the South fronts Damula and Vangue lying towards the Zaire From Senega towards the North we find Scombaya Musmuda Zenera or Havia Gumea Guzula Hea Sus with others called the Whites of Africa who speak not Arabian but use the tongue of Songay as they term it Likewise the usuall Language in Nueâ—edia through the kingdomes of Terga Gaziga Lemta and Berdoa These people have a black or gray cloth hanging from their Turbith over their face that while they eat their mouth may not be seen which were a great incivility There are moreover the Countries of Guzulan Belu Benin Belbee Toga Afar Alates Crin Beni Gumi Muzali Abubenam Zuir Cazai Dura Zinzaler and others The vast kingdome of Fezor Morocco contains Agar or Agal Elebat Eris Geres Elcanus Elegazar or Elgezair with the kingdomes of Tâ—nes Bugie Constantine â—ipoli Telensin Tremesen Telche Teâ—esâ—e c. There is here a River which issuing from the bowels of Africa passes through many countries and threads Fesse where it seâ— three hundred and threescore mill-wheels of extraordinary compasse at work and gliding from thence under Miquinâ— and Elcassour throwes it self in sea at Mamocre under Arache little distant from Arzille Towards Tombut and Meli on the other side Senega lyes the wide-stretcht kingdome of Gago the King whereof is highly potent compelling in a manner adoration from his people who how great soever speak not to him but on knees holding in their hand a cup of sand which they cast on their head while they prostrate before him and retire without tergiversation He affords not audience to his subjects but at certain houres morning and evening and when they are found guilty in any crime he chastises them with confiscation of goods and sale of their wives and children for slaves to strangers The two great Rivers Niger or Gambra and Senega Wash a very great part of the country overflowing in the same sort and times as Nile doth Budomel which is in like manner a River of the same denomination as the country it travailes through unites it self with Gambra and the kingdome of Melli is upon a branch of Senega environed with dismal deserts and impenetrable Forests This river on the North and South is banked with the Deserts of Gilolef and Jalofel on the West it hath the vast Forest of Abacara and Gago on the West Next you come to Guber Mount Chigi or Gigi or Sierra de Meleguete then Guinga or Guinee or Guinoy These people are all black like quenched coles Salt in the kingdome of Gago is more precious then gold which there abounds as likewise Fruit and Cattle Guber abutts Northward on Cano Eastward on Zeger or Zegzeg a woody and desert country peopled with an infinite heard of beasts In these Deserts you meet with Cassena then drawing towards the Cape of bona Esperonza You enter upon the kingdomes of Benin and Zanfara under the Equatour well inhabited containing in length two hundred and forty leagues where from mid May to the middle of August it rains for the most part and almost constantly from noon till mid-night as I have
observed it to do in other countries under the same line In fine so fertile are these countries that like those water'd by the river Nile they yield two harvests annually and each harvest of sufficiency to furnish the people with provision for five years Whence it comes that storing up their corn in Cavernes under ground which the Moores call Mattamorres calked against moysture with a cement made of Sea-shels where being first dryed in the Sun they keep it what time they please they never think of sowing more while they have any thing to live on so as the land being thus laid up at rest becomes more fertile Their sheep breed twice a year and often two or three lambs at a time The Cape of Palmes is in the territory of Isma towards Guinnee with the Castle of Mina which the Portugues built upon this coast drawing towards the Cape de bona Esperanza the kingdom of Manicongo extends it self from the River Val de Biraco or da Borca as far as the River of S. Paul This River da Borca otherwise called Rio de Los Reyes is a quarter of a dayes journey from that of Agina or Asicera True it is there are Maps which place it near to Biafar though it be distant thence more then five hundred leagues Biafar lying near to Amasan and Medra the cause of this errour is that they take it for the River called the Infanta of Portugal which on the East hath the River Angra which waters the Town of Masire or Maciera directly over against the Isle of S. Thomas and fronts the great kingdome of Damute through the middle whereof passes the River of Bancara Vibris and Vamta with a branch of Noir all which conjoyne in Zaire Zaire overflowes like Nilus and runs through many countries some Mahometan some Pagan who adore the Sun and about the break of day compose themselves on some eminent place to make their Salema that is their prayer at his Rising casting themselves covered with a large cloth a hundred times to the ground and kissing it most devoutly Some say that these two great kingdomes Damute and Monicongo bound upon Goyame or Guiame which by reason of their great distance is most incredible It is rather on one side for on the South and West side Monicongo is divided by the River Bancara which lyes three degrees on the other side the line and two from Cape de Lopo or Loubo at his disgorging near the river Gouan or Gabam not far from the Cape Gonzal and the Cape St Catherine directly opposite to Cape Primaco something near the Torrent of Fremo which the Natives call Gouira The last Cape of Damute is Almada or Almadias into the Gulph whereof one branch of Zaire and the River of Saint Helen issuing forth at the same place do cast themselves having on the North Abidara which joynes it self to the Cataracts On the West the land of Jair and Gubara on the East Cogira where begins the Cape de Corrientes twenty four degrees from the South Next we come to the great Empire of the Abissins containing more then thirty five kingdomes insomuch as some would have it equall with all Europe The people for the greatest part are grosse and bruitish clothed with beasts skins though the country abound with gold which the Rivers wash in with their streams The women carry their Infants at their back in Goat skins and never go into the field without their staffe and victualls and cast their hanging breasts over their shoulders for their children to suck For the generality they are a very wretched people subjects to the great Neguz who Commissions certain Deputies for administration of Justice amongst them But these Deputies finding them so voyd of reason retire themselves to Townes twenty or thirty leagues distant and the others will not afford the paines to go so far so as when any difference happens they entreat the next Passenger to decide it and in case he refuses they way-lay him with bow and arrows and by force oblige him to give sentence which be it good or bad is observed most religiously for recompense presenting him with some beast to carry his baggadge most commonly with a Dent which is much like to a little Mule only it hath a hogs taile and little horns which grow only skin deep which it moves as the eares and is much more swift travelling on the sands his hoof will burn and cleave so as 't is impossible to get him wag a foot then their only way is to make meat of him his flesh being exceeding delicate though without salt not long to be kept from corrupting to worms The greatnesse of this part of the world is particularly seen in that we find within it a hundred and fifty large kingdoms without reckoning many more of lesse quantity which people this vast Peninsula of above two thousand leagues in length and latitude It is water'd with many fair rivers some whereof have their overflowes like the River Nile and as beneficiall others role before them sands of gold besides Lakes Marshes and impenetrable Forests rich gold mines numerous heards of cattle double harvests the horrible monsters the diversity of people some civilized others so bruitish they know neither religion nor articulate language some christians of various Sects others Mahometans and a great part Gentiles and Idolaters under the dominion of several Princes of which the chiefest are the Grand Seigniour who possesses Egypt wholly with great part of the Coast of Barbary The great King of the Abissins who holds almost all the intestine Africa with both the strands of Nile The great Monomotapa Lord of almost all the Southerne Verges even to the Cape de bona Esperanza The potent King of Fez and Marocco and a multitude of other Kings and particular Princes as those of Tombut Ganga Borno who possesse many kingdomes Of this so spacious and populous Africa the Ancients had discovered but some few countries under the name of Egypt Cirenaica Numidia Libia Mauritania Ethiopia Nigrites Garamantes Atlantes and very few more The Arabians at this day make a quadrupart division of it notwithstanding that it is not intirely known by reason of the dismal deserts which shut up passages and deprive us of discovery The first begins at the Cape of Babouchi or Guardafuni where they insert many countries out of Africa taken in by a Prince named Tramurat who subdued Arabia Felix and went in Arms as far as Carmanio to which they call Erac and amongst these are the kingdomes of Macran and Guadel which are contained herein The second called Biledugerid heretofore Numidia terminates Egypt at the Town Eleocat The third is a vast and horrid wildernesse which stretches it self to the bounds of Lible by them called Saria or the Desert because it takes beginning at Nile and ends at the Desert of Saria The fourth begins at the kingdome of Gonaga and ends at the kingdome of Galata Some
fro through very many towns and countries of Persia I could not so exactly remark the dayes journies nor the distances order or proceed of the voyage by reason of my youth I will content my self to discover a view of the country as faithfully and exactly as my memory will serve And first I will affirm that Persia called Azemia Azimir and Farsi is a vast Empire extending from the confines of Turky towards Armenia betwixt the River Tigris and the Persick or Elcatiff Sea The Caspien or the Bachu the Indian and the river Chesel anciently Jaxartes Westward 't is bounded by the Turkish Empire Eastward it lyes upon the kingdome of Samarcant the Empire of the Grand Mogul and Cambaye Northward upon the Caspian Sea Southward upon the great Indian Sea towards the desert Carmania and Guzarate This Empire containes many great Provinces or rather kingdomes and a great number of fair and flourishing Towns and Cities having ever continued famous since the first settlement under the Grand Cyrus two thousand two hundred years since untill it was possessed by the Grecians and Parthians and since she returned unto the natural Persians about the year of Grace two hundred they kept it many ages untill about foure hundred years since the Sarasins and Mahometans obtained it and have kept it ever since by many changes and diverse races of Kings and Lords Arabians Sarasins Parthians Turks and natural Persians and by the last settlement of the Sophyes not many yeares since The chiefest Provinces are Sequel pech formerly Susiania Chirmania or Carmania Struan or Media Corozan Zagathay or Hircania and the Bactriane Jex or Parthia Guzerat or Gedrosia then Arac Podel Iselbas Sigestan Sablestan Chabul Candahar and others The chiefest rivers are the Euphrates or Aforat the Tigris Araxes or Arasse Oxus and others Euphrates hath upon her banks many fair towns as Babylon where inhabit a great number of Christians as likewise at Mazestan Astmosia Artasara Tunisse perbent and elsewhere who freely exercise their religion being tributary to the Prince Northward are the famous town of Giett six days journy from Solstania Saban Comer Cozan Egex Jelli Sengan Maluchia Scio Mesen Ere Then towards the Persick gulph stands Guerdi upon the river Bindinimar or Bindamach and going up the river you discover Marous Viegan Maain Sana in Media are Tauris Rip Sidan Estrana Barbariben Bacchat Madranelli Samachi and others then the Royal townes of Soltania Espahan Casbin Siras without reckoning many other towns upon the river Benmir called by the Russes Bragadet where they trade much in cloth of gold silver and silk Thither they repair from all parts of the world for that trade as from the Indies Aethiopia Arabia Aegypt Turkie Tartary and other countries which yields a great profit to the Sophy of Persia We ran through most of these towns making but short stayes but better profit of our small commodities Babylon or Bagdet so famous and formerly the eye and marvail of all the Eastern towns scituate upon the great Euphrates Erat and Aforat which was fifty miles about there is nothing remaining at this day of that ancient town but the ruines since a total destruction given her by the Sarazens about 900. years since and instead of her upon the other side of the Euphrates some four leagues distant upon the current of the Tigris and Euphrates is built the town of Bagded or at this day the new Babylon whither the remains of the ancient were transported into a town formerly named Seleucia by the Califf Almanzor or Elmantzur It lyes Northward upon Armenia Westward upon the desert Arabia upon the happy Southward and Eastward upon Persia the Tigris washes her walls upon the other side is a pleasant village with a bridge of boats rising and falling with the flow and ebbe in this Burrough is the Fair kept and here inhabit most of the Merchants who trade freely The town is large and full of Merchants well rounded both with walls gardens and Arable land There was a strong Castle well provided with Artillery where a Bassa then Lieutenant General for the Turk lived but since the Persian regained it of the Turk having ever been subject to the Persian untill it was reduced by Soliman the magnicent who caused himself to be crown'd King by the Califf living there at this present day but without any power retaining the name onely and some rights to receive and crown the Emperours of Assyria There goes from this town monethly Caravaneâ— to all parts of the world In lieu of floats they transport their commodities down the river upon goat skins blown then they load the skins upon Camels for service again at need They say that the tower of Babel so much spoken of stood in a plain some two leagues off that she was three thousand paces about and that her foundation is onely at this day seen upon a hill covered with her ruines a Merchant that had seen the place related unto me that the Tower was built with a clay or earth so strongly cimented that endeavouring to take up a piece he could not and that there was a bed or course of that earth first laid then another of reeds platted like a matte not at all decayed but strong beyond imagination He told me he had passed over the lake of pitch proceeding from a great precipice which they trade withall into diverse places and that the great town of Nineve and the walls of Babylon were built with this Bitumen they burn of it in Holland instead of Turf for it casts a great light this lake or river of pitch is between Babylon and another town called Nane whence springs this pitch distilling out of a rock in several clefts and so plentifully especially at the full of the Moon that it is both strange and terrible from thence those springs disgorge themselves into this lake of their own composing Marriners thereabouts make use of it to calk their ships The inhabitants believe it to be Hels mouth 'T is the Bitumen or soft sulphurous mould so much spoken of by the ancients which they made use of and do to this very day instead of chalk I remember I have seen the like in Albema a Region in the Indies which the Inhabitants and neighbours thereunto burn in Torches which yields so black thick and ill-sented a smoak that the very birds flying over are giddyed therewith and fall down dead In Cuba an Isle in the West-Indies is such pitch towards the Cape Magdalen in the country of Aute and Province of Apalihen which Bituminous liquor flows upon the water with such a stink that often ships lost in their road by means of the sent retrive their way Euphrates and Tigris incorporate near Babylon and both run into the Persick sea near Balsora a town of great trade fifteen miles distant from the main sea The Town of Bagded or Babylon is divided into four quarters Precincts or
strength and importance of the place drawing both hatred and envy from the Indians The King of Cambaye and other neighbouring Kings indeavoured to recover it by meer strength but all in vain for the gallant opposition and defence of the Portugall hath kept them masters of it to this day The Indians had some reason for what they did for from thence depended the whole Trade of the Kingdom and adjacent Countreyes and the Portuguais keep all that Countrey in subjection from Diu to Goa and the Cape Comarin 270. leagues in length The chiefest part of the East is furnished with commodities from hence a place very rich well peopled and full of good Townes and of great trade In the adjacent parts to Diu upon the Continent are the Kingdomes of Circan and Reytenbura where stands the Royall Town of Ardanat then Campanell capitall Town of Cambaye stands beyond the River Indus and the Townes of Albiran Casdar Masura Sudustan Abedit all great Townes rich and well traded and inhabited by many Merchants Gentills Mores Jewes and Christians in this Town Malefactors are put to death by poyson only and not by the sword Beyond the River Araba stand many fair Townes viz. Savadir Barca Bermen Patenisir a fair haven where divers of the rarest and richest Carpets of the World are made in silke and figured which are transported to Bengale Malaco and Pegu and other places there are also made Calicoes stained of divers colours which is the chiefest and ordinary cloathing the Natives use and there is brought of it into all parts of the world Halfe a dayes journey from Batenisir stands Diu upon a creek of land separate by a river from the Continent there are paid great Customes upon all sorts of commodities which brings in a great profit to the Inhabitants the King of Spain having the least share in it and what he hath imployed to the maintenance of the Garrisons most of those payments fall to the Officers and receivers shares who agree very well with the Vice-Roy The King is often of a mind to quit the Countrey but his Councill is not of the same opinion the Countrey being too considerable to their Prince for strength and reputation and besides 't would indanger the losse of Christianity that is so hopefully rooted in those parts for the Turkes assault them often and took and sack't the Castle of Diu twice and had reduced the rest of the Town but for the help of three ships that came into their assistance from Cochin that preserved the rest and beat the Turks out of what they had already got The Portuguais in defence of them and the Nations have built two strong Forts the one in the sea the other that commands all passages by Land but the Natives having often fallen upon them to their own losse are now the Spaniards good friends according unto Articles and Agreements made between them The Inhabitants of Cambaye are strict observers of many superstitious customs they will not eat with a Christian although they visit them often if you touch their meat they think themselves polluted and this they have from the Guzerates in which they are more rigidly superstitious than the Jews themselves Those of any quality eat upon silken carpets diversly colour'd and to preserve their silks serve the dishes upon green leaves they are temperate in their diet and drink of severall sorts of liquors and they mingle some Areca to them all a fruit very common in the India's it is also held very wholesom preserves them and cures them of several diseases it preserves the teeth strangely for the Inhabitants are never troubled with any pains or aches in them women are there in very great esteem especially the great Ladies who never stir out of their houses some delight themselves never to see day light and are served all by candle light The whole Countrey is inhabited by Gentills and Guzerates The justest the most reasonable and religious of the East according to the ancient Pythagorean rule they never feed upon any living Creature whatever their chiefest food is rice white and black milk cheese garden stuffe and the like they do wrong to no persons nay they spare the bloud and lives of their mortallest enemies the Countrey towards Rasigut produces great store of Turkey stones of Storax Cornelians red and white This Kingdom extends it self towards South-east and the Sea Southward Westward it buts upon Guzerate Eastward are the lands of Mandao and Paleucate and Northward it reaches unto Sangan Dulcinde and the Territories of the Grand Mogull Through this kingdom runs the famous River of Indus called Indus Inder or Schind and hath given her name to the whole Countrey and chiefly to Indostan and other neighbouring Countries which make up the India citerior her head springs forth of the Mountain Caucasus Paropamisus called at this day Naugracot and Vssonte and taking her course thorough many great Kingdoms is swel'd by many great Rivers that lose themselves in her and at last discharges her self into the Indian Sea at two several mouths near unto the Town of Cambaye Cambaye is a large and flourishing Town seated upon a River called by the Inhabitants Amondoua and separates the Provinces of Guzerate and Cambaye both making one Kingdom This Town stands a league from the Sea and about the same distance from the River Indus which affords her a haven in two places the chiefest is in a corner of the Town Northward and is so narrow that in case of necessity the ships may be chained in the harbour the ships come and go with the ebbe and flow and are often very numerous and 't is to be noted that the tides are weakest at the full of the Moon which is wonderfull and contrary to ours the reason thereof is not yet found out by any Naturalist The same happens in Pegu as we shall speak of hereafter This Town is one of the richest of the Orient built very stately at the Italian model and the passages leading to her strengthened by many forts The Portuguais have often endeavoured to possesse themselves of it being plentifully furnisht with all things necessary to mankind and here are most excellent fruits Here Diu provides her self with what she wants at home Cambaye and she being Confederates she produces the best Turbith Galanga Nardus Assa foetida and other drugs is rich in silks cottons rice and all sorts of seeds and abounds in precious stones and Jewels The Prince that governs is a Mahometan gives liberty of conscience to all his Subjects to the Christians Jews Idolaters his guard consists of 2000. horse and 3000 foot armed with bows and cimeters He keeps fifty Elephants taught to reverence him dayly and are sumptuously trapped and caparisoned upon dayes of publick shews or festivals their stable well and neatly furnished painted and well set forth and are fed in silver vessels and their grooms or Governours dresse them with great respect and humility
sought for by the Great Ones studded and garnished with gold and silver jewells ivory and hart's-horn which they hold to be an antidote against poyson which I have experienced in many other diseases as the green sicknesse in women taken in the juyce of a reddish cich pea boyled with harts-horn poudred mingled with steel the weight of half a Crown with the double quantity of sugar taken every morning for twelve or fifteen dayes together This is an approved and infallible remedy against the green-sickness and jaundize yellow or black they have a beastly custome to betray the virginity of their young daughters to any strangers that are not tawny be they Christians or Mahometans but not to Gentiles nor Idolaters the women burn themselves after the decease of their husbands From Fernassery we passed to Ausly a Town upon the North of Narsingue on the east of Bengale and lyes southward to the main sea Governed by a Mahometan Prince Potent by sea and Land and sworn enemy to the Portuguese with whom they make Warr. The Town is provided with all necessaries for Warr and hath a large Harbor of capacity to contain a good Fleet the mouth thereof Southward which is chained in in case of necessity He is Master of another Town called Quelba since Maturane strong and well furnished with shipping and small Frigates wherewith they scowr that sea to the damage of the Portuguese they often fight on both sides reduced to streights This Kings Treasure chiefly consists in three Diamond Rubies and Jacynth mines besides all sorts of Groceries and Spices Their frigats or Busses are caulked with a certain hearb and Mastick is used in stead of Pitch They are built in such a manner they can hardly sink and saile with much security The Vice-Roy of Indies being upon a time informed of that Kings intentions to send his fleet to the Grand Jave to wait for the Spice fleet he set forth two great men of warr with two more St. Maloes men who drawing towards that Haven feigned an escape from shipwrack and the better to play their game tore all their sayles in peeces hiding their Canon and Soldiers under Deck They met with those Busses loaden and returning home desired their assistance to hale and tow them along unto Maturane that there they might mend their sayles and they promis'd a reward for their service the Mahometans enemies to the Christians resolved to conduct them thither and there to use them at will and having tow'd them two nights and a day to that Haven suddenly the others plaid with their Canon and seizing unawares of the place made great slaughter amongst those miserable creatures burnt their fleet sack't the Town and full fraught with rich plunder they retired The two French ships not satisfied with the pillage let the Town all on fire which was easie to effect as I have said of other places the houses were all thatched with palme returning homeward not victualled sufficiently for so much company their thoughts having been wholly taken up with Treasure they cast the men over Decks and landed the women in an Isle The mean time two Portuguais ships sayling by and seeing the Town a fire the Inhabitants fled seized of the Haven plundered the rest of the Town at leisure and loaden with rich prises they found in a Magazine untouched They retired with their booty ignorant of the cause and manner of the destruction of the Town such are the good and bad fortunes of sea-faring men Leaving the Coast of Coromandell we came to the Kingdom of Bengale the chiefe Town whereof beares the name or at least so called by the Portuguese and other Nations by the Natives Batacouta one of the greatest antiquity in the Indies Some would have it to be old Ganges a Royall Town upon the River Ganges This Kingdom of Bengale was 300 years since subdued by the great Cham of Tartary freed her selfe since and after that conquerred by the Parthians or Patates and is at last and remains stil subjected to the great Mogull Prince of Tartary and Supreme Lord of all Indostan and yet there remaine some Lords in that Countrey that are Soveraignes and obey the Mogull in a Noble manner This Kingdom reaches 200. leagues upon the sea side and containes the Kingdomes of Sirapu Chandecan Bacal Aracan or Mogor and others The Inhabitants of Bengale are Idolaters Mahometans and some Christians for there are Portuguaises and Fathers of the Society The Town is scituate upon one of the mouthes of Ganges whereof there are two Principall in regard that river as some persons believe with what reason judge ye is one of the four rivers of the Terrestriall Paradice called Whiton or Giho The opinions of the Antient and modern Authors do not agree whether 't is the true Ganges of the Antients or whether old Ganges be not rather a Canton in China or some more Eastern then this is I leave to be decided by the most curious and shall only say that the Portuguese take this for the true one relying chiefly upon the name Guenga or Gangen which she retaines to this day and 't is confirmed by many relations from the great Kingdom of Tebet or Tibet and Cathay and the Fathers of the Society say they have followed that River a great way since their leaving of Lahir The Moors and Gentills hold there is much holiness and vertue in that River-water and wash themselves therein thorough Ceremony and Superstition as you shall hear hereafter They say 't is the best and the wholesomest water in the World and sent for 500. leagues off Forty or fifty thousand persons bathe themselves therein at a time and many Kings come disguised thither her head springs out of the great hill Inde not far from Indus the Natives think she springs out of the Terrestriall Paradise at the mouth of the River is the Gulfe Gangetick or Bengale 500. leagues in circumference containing the Coasts of the Kingdomes of Narsingue Orixa Ternessari Bengale Pegu Sian and others unto Malaca I have been told that a Frenchman named Malherbe Breton a great traveller had taken a particular view of this River and had gone 400. leagues up the River and that she hath three Mouths or places she disgorges her self into the sea the one toward Pegu the second in the middle that makes some Islands and the third in the Country of Chingara and each eight or ten leagues over That at Labas a Royall Town of Mogor and fourty dayes journey from Bengale towards the North This River is a league over her mouth towards Bengale is in the three and twentieth degree The Kingdom of Bengale borders Northward upon Tartary or Mogor and is bounded by the River Hieropec sometime Hyphasis that looses her self in the Indus the bounds of Alexander the great 's Conquest 's in the East Eastward is the Province Edaspa that joynes to the Kingdom of Aracan on an other side is the Province of Mien
Island assured us those Insularies eat the dead bodies but we have found the contrary for we have seen them buried they believe that the soules of the deceased enter into other bodies as Pythagoras held and therefore they welcome strangers they raise them brave monuments and tombes of stone and in honour to their bodies accompany them with winde-musick to their graves Parents exceedingly lament and abstain for a time from Areca and Betell They use a pretty recreative manner of fowling Their country abounding in many sorts of fruit which near unto their full ripenesse are easily corrupted by the raines they gather such as are rotten as they may not spoyle the rest and cast them into rivers or into the Sea These fruits being of many sorts as Melons Pumpions Pomegranates and others they are not sooner throwne into the water but great number of birds flock to them and feed upon the fruit the fowler stripping himself and hidden behind a tree with his head in a hollow Pumpion that covers his very shoulders they throw themselves thus into the water with a bagge under their arm the silly birds not discovering the men perch upon those fruits and come so neare to them that with ease they catch them by the legges and ring off their necks and put them in their bagge in this manner they take great store which makes fowl little worth There are birds sometimes too bigge and strong for a man to master and they get away not without a hideous noise thaâ— alarms the rest for that day that they are hard to be caught but the next day hunger banishes their fear and thus they are taken again The Kings of this Isle live in a most miserable condition being daily in danger of being slaine by the first person shall have courage and resolution to undertake it for such a person shall be esteemed a God and by all acknowledged their King crying God save our lawfull prince and naturall Lord. He that raigned at Pedir during our travels was called Arioufar and had been a poor fisherman overcharged with children who used to carry fish to the Kings Pallace and being known had free entrance He having on a time lost his nets came straight to the Pallace towards the King who had reigned many yeares and was very good to his people and finding him alone the guards not mistrusting him because he was beloved of the King and finding free egresse murthered the King and assisted by one of his sons he seized of all the treasure and the people received him for their King saying 't was the will of God The Assassin by force of money having raised a potent Army conquered the whole kingdom of Pedir and most of the other States of this Isle Thus the Kings establish themselves then and to such misfortunes are subject From Sumatra we went to Java the great CHAP. XXIV Of the Isle of Java of the Inhabitants their conditions and of the riches of the Countrey JAva the Great lies Eastward from Sumatra and is distant from her five and fourty miles only and the streight between them is called Sunde whence all those Isles in general take name the Isle is of good compass and unknown containing many Dominions or Kingdomes whereof the chiefest is Bentan or Bantan the Clymate sweet and temperate They say it is 150 l. long the breadth is undiscovered and some think it reaches the Continent Southward runs from East to West and South the Inhabitants are Idolaters grosse and brutish and some are Anthropophager it containes severall Kingdomes as Drasima Dragoyan Lembri Falec Sumara Balambua Bavarucam Passeruan Andrageda Auri Sandacanda Bacani Javara and others The Javanians say they came from China being oppressed with slavery they left that place and planted here they were for a time Tributary to the great Cham of Tartarye the Kingdom of Falec abounds in gold silver spices and all sorts of cattell the capitall Town is Bismari two dayes journey from an Island called Cambahar where is Basma a Town scituate upon the Sea towards the East where are bred Elephants Monkeys and Unicorns Dragoyen produces the Camphire as Borneo the Brasill and all Groceries neer this place are the Isles of Bombe Bacheli and Java the lesse The King of Passeruan is a Mahometan he demanded the daughter of the King of Balambua in Marriage and obtained her and having enjoyed her murthered her and all her train because she was not of his Religion Sandacanda and Bacani afford good store of spices their Kings are Mahometans they were infected with that imposture by a famous Pyrate named Mahomet Chap who left them two of his ships full of men to instruct them there are still some Idolaters amongst them who have not left their old error of strangling their neerest kindred when they think them taken with incurable diseases I was told of one named Basaram being sick and ready to be thus dispatched desired a slave of his to bear him company to death which he durst not deny and being tyed together were both cast into the Sea and the slave a lusty strong fellow striving for his own life drag'd his Master to shore untied him and put him to bed and conspired with another slave to save themselves from the Alerir or Magicians when they should come as the custom was to devour them and indeed as they came to strangle the poore men they cudgelled them so lustily that they left the sport and the man recovering his health lived many years after and thus was discovered the roguerie of those Magitians who thorough an insatiate thirst of blood when a man was the least indisposed made him believe he could not live advising him to hast to their fathers God Then the poore patient with teares in his eyes desired them to cleanse their bones when they should have consumed their flesh believing that their soules would not be at rest til their flesh were wholly consumed that then they would reunite to the body and to remain in peace for all eternity Meanwhile the King understanding what had happened to Basaram and his slave caused him to be brought before him and laughing told him that if he would not devour the Magitian he would put him to death The other most willing replyed he was ready to obey his Prince and that if the Magitian were brought him he would eat him up raw in his very sight The Judges had already condemned him and others for their deceipts and villanies to be banished and he others were fled into the I le of Camorre for safety but was taken brought to Basaram who with his slaves made a plenteous feast of him Thus for the most part live those brutish Islanders and although they have Rubarbe Scammone Agric and many other very Soveraine Medicinall druggs at command yet they seldome use them for when they are sick they wholly pin themselves upon the advice of those Magitians who tyrannize over them and
Pegu they called him the Bramaa of Tangu a great Tyrant and a Potent Prince who by force of Armes joyned many Kingdomes to his Empire as Pram Melintay Calani Bacam Mirandu Aua Martaban and others He afterwards was put to death by a Peguan Lord called Xemin of Zatan who made himself King but was defeated and slain by another called Xemindoo who likewise being made King was not long after defeated and put to death by Chaumigren of near aliance to Bramaa who became one of the most Powerfull Kings hath raigned in Pegu who brought totally under the Empire of the Kingdom of Syan with twelve great Kingdomes more They report that in the War of Syan he led into the field seventeen hundered thousand Combatants and seventeen thousand Elephants whereof nine thousand were for fight the rest for carriage To which the immense Armies brought heretofore by the Persian Kings against the Grecians may induce us to give credit the cause is that in all these Eastern Countreys the greater part of the people go to the wars and that there are not amongst them so many Ecclesiasticks Lawyers Clarks Book-men and idle Persons as are with us The King that raigned in Pegu in our time called the Brama was as I think the son of this Chaumigren afterwards hard enough dealt with by the Kings of Tangu Aracan and Syan as I said before But it is time to advance to the Provinces and Towns of high India subject or confining and neighbours to Pegu as Abdiare Vilep Canarane Cassubi Transiane Tasata Mandranella Tartary and others CHAP. XXXIII Of Abdiare and Vilep Towns of Pegu Fismans Apes Unicornes and other animalls Fotoque an Idol with three Heads PErsevering constantly in our trafick thorough the Towns and Provinces of this great Empire of Pegu and the Countreyes adjacent amongst others in the Town of Abdiare and Vilep a Kingdom in high India subject to the Peguan and having traded with certain Merchants whom we found open and reall treating with the Sensall or factor not by words but by fingers and joynts of the hand the practise of all the Indies to conceale the price of Merchandises We parted from Vilep with good company and within three houres came to the descent of a hill exceeding shady upon the hanging whereof was a pleasant fountain where the whole company stayed for refreshment but we had not been long there when there came about us an extraordinary number of Apes the greater part black as jet some small ones black and white very lepid one of them addressed himself to me as it had been to crave something of that I was eating and thinking to fright him away he was not scared at all as if he were accustomed to passengers I cast a piece of bread to him which he took very modestly and divided with his company and two young ones he had with him presently there came three more which seemed to crave their share I gave them something and they eat very quietly but on a sudden part of our company arose and took their Armes by reason of a heard of Fismans or wilde dogs they discovered making towards us which with one musket shot were all scared away in our sight they fed on grasse like sheep Proceeding on our way we met with abundance of other sorts of strange animalls as likewise of fruits some whereof of growth much to be admired some that bore rosin that smell like Mastick others a red berry wherewith they dye carnation which never fades but dayly becomes more lively Having thus travelled ten or twelve dayes through diversity of soyles meeting with many rivers animalls trees and other things unknown to us amongst others abundance of civit Cats whereof they have some domesticall which you may buy foure for one Pardai but they are stinking and their dung smells like Mans. At length we took to the River Jiame and in three dayes came to the Village called Tanza on the morrow to Canarane a faire Town rich and flourishing as any Town in India the Capitall of a Kingdom bearing the same name confining eastward on the Country of Tazatay south on Carpa and northward on Moantay another great Kingdom The Town is seated betwixt two great rivers Jiame and Pegu it is in circuit about foure leagues magnificently built in customes and conditions the people differ much from those of Pegu for they never go barefoot as the others do Princes and Noble Men weare rich buskins and sandalls set with gold The King of Canarane is Potent and Wealthy in Mines of gold and silver He hath also one of Emerald the finest in the east whence he drawes great profit This Prince was never known to diminish but augment his Treasure Likewise they have Mines of Turkesses When a King dies they interr all his Treasure with him and sweare his Successor not to meddle with it For the first year he and his Court are maintained at the Subjects charge and all the Nobility by obligation come to make their acknowledgment with rich presents and sue to be establisht in their Estates Offices Seniories for the King hath right to sell estates of all sorts then vacant and hereupon all his people high and low are tied with petition in hand and with presents to sue for their offices and vacancies which raises him in this year a marvellous treasure No one can wear shooes rings nor girdles of gold without the Kings license which brings him in a great gabel a share whereof belongs to the King of Pegu as soveraign who granted him the grace because the Countrey is colder than Pegu and I have heard it of Merchants that in the winter here rage certain in windes or Mounsons which come from the North so cold that travellers lose their toes the cold is so sharp and rigorous Their custom is if a Merchant will oblige himself he obliges likewise all his goods wife and children and failing at the day promised the Creditor may seize on all for slaves The usual money is called Canza and all the Peguan is currant there which the King stamps in gold or silver through the Indies called Jamis besides what every particular Prince coins of his own They have another sort of silver money called Pardain and Tazifo They make some likewise of tin mixt with copper which being no coyn royal is lawfull for any man to stamp as also another sort called Bise wherewith they may buy any thing one must be carefull in taking it or he may be deceived The King keeps abundance of slaves for his Elephants and stables In their structures they use ciment mixt with sugar as in Pegu which mixt with calcin'd shels becomes very firm the shels are dear and sold by measure They have many plantations of sugar the canes whereof they give their Elephants who love them exceedingly so as when they commit any fault they deprive them of that food and so easily chastize and instruct
for what concerns Zinguebar or Zanzibar which ancients called Agezymba and which they placed above the high and interiour Ethiopia 't is as it were an Island environed with seas and rivers 't is a plentifull country of all kinds of commodities for livelihood The town of the same appellation in twenty four degrees and a half hath a good Port well frequented upon a lake excellently well built of stone lime and sand after the manner of the Italian Towns embellished with pleasant gardens entirely beguirt with water as Meroc is but there is no drink but the draw-well The Princes Palace seems very lofty which defends the mouth of the haven before which there is a convenient place for calking vessels 'T is scituate in the best part of Monomotapa and fronts Eastward with the Province of Simen or Simis which joynes with the land of Melinde The Inhabitants are well civilized and 't is thought this is the same Monomotapa which lies upon the river of the Holy Ghost where all the houses are flat roofed as they are at Naples and the Palace royall like that at Calicut there is not one but hath his Alfongi which is a boat of one peice The Presterian or Natahachi and Abassi hath often attempted to take in this country but failed only he plundered it taking away a number of slaves to make Christians of his kinde Amongst his other warres he took the Region of Canfild which Geographers place where they should not This country stretches very far even to the lake of Zaflan which makes the faire Island of Zunan or Zanan near which is Garga or Gorga the capitall town of the countrey beautified with pleasant gardens and abounding in fowle and cattle rice and other commodities for livelihood This lake of Zaftan is as 't were a wide and vast sea of sweet water lying close upon the great Province of Gazasele which confines upon Cafates Cara Esaui Noua Ambian all which meet at Agag scituate between the two Cataracts called by the Inhabitants Zembra with the entire kingdome of Aygamar As to Cofala 't is likewise a reasonable large country rich and fertile at least from the lake Gourantes to the Cuama for the rest of the Coast from the River Magnice to the Cape is but barren This Magnice or the River de Espiritu Sancto as the Portugalls call it rises from one of the lakes whence Nile takes its Origine called Zembra or as others will have it more probably from Zachaf and crossing the mountaines of the Moon and the great Empire of Monomotapa deliver themselves in the Meridian Sea in twenty three degrees and a halfe forth of the same lake Cuama or Couesme takes his birth which disgorges it selfe at seven mouthes a little above the Cape of Courantes in sort that this kingdome of Sefala is invironed with two great Rivers which towards Mid August make exceeding inundations and fatten the soyle as Nile by its overflowes fertilizes the countries of Egypt Beniermi Nubie Tamatas Soba Bugamidei Goyame and others These two rivers then launch out of the lake Zaire and Zembre or Goyame as some think and moderne writers say from a lake called Zuman or Zuama or Sachaf as two great branches one whereof which is Magnice runnes into the sea as at a place by the Portugalls called Punca or Labras del Spiritu sancto The other is called Fuama that is faint because it failes at threescore and fifteene miles from Cefala and is lost in the sand whence it rises again afterwards The large lake of Zembre bears great vessels and some report they have sailed upon it above two hundred and fifty leagues It receives other rivers as the Paname sixty leagues beneath Cefala others about twenty leagues as the Libia Mariancia called by the Abissins Eshusula and Sancola both great inundations laying the whole country under water and in Marshes of difficult passage The soyle of Cefala is exceeding rich in gold and the river Cuama brings it ready fn'd in small threads which are found in the sand so as this river passes through mines of gold for which reason the Portugals by permission of a Mahometan Prince who rules the Country have here built a Fort to facilitate their negotiation with the Inhabitants Before they arrived here some Mahometans of Quiloa and Magadoxo built the town of Sefala in one of the Islands made by Geuesme this river augmented by Paname which takes birth near the town Amara and swelled by Laanga who leads with it the Arrouia and joyns with Monoua at the Ruenia and the Inedita called Iradi by the Ethiopians which together water many countries making vast inundations and Marshes which render the land so dangerous to passe that there needs well experienc'd guides and to make Mount Masima by the natives called Manica the way to Ethiopia there are many fair Provinces rich in ore of gold and silver They term the gold mine Manica the country Matuca or Mataca and those which get the gold Bothones There is another an exceeding rich one in the Province of Torta or Toroa and in that of Gag or Agag one of silver as there is also at Bocaua or Batua Boror Tacouir and other places and the soyle is universally very fertile as likewise at Potozzy and Perou To avoid these immense Marshes as I said one is forced to take the way of Mount Manica bending towards Ambea and Sabaim where at this day are seen huge ruines of ancient structures which resemble the greatnesse and magnificence of those of the ancient Romanes chiefly in the kingdomes Batua and Toroa where are the most ancient mines of gold in Africa There you finde likewise store of stones of excessive bulke so excellently pollished they never lose their lustre fixed together without Cement so fine it is not perceivable In like manner we finde there Remainders of walls of above twenty five handfulls thick with certain hieroglyphick characters engraved not to be read as the like is observed in Persia among the ruines of the town Persepolis Many do conceive 't was from hence Salomon fetcht his gold as I said elsewhere and these great ruines to have been of that Ages building and by the same King Howsoever we took not this road by the Mountain for being come from the Cape Gourantes with a Portugall Captain called Baccheo a fiery and insolent person with whom we had contracted for our passage with design to come for Spain by the Cape of Bona Esperanza and along the coast of Africa we were constrained to go on shore at Agoas de san Biasio by some called the coast of S. Rafuel to avoid the tyranny of this Captain 'T is scarce credible what discommodities one suffers in these Portugal vessels for though he shift his clothes and linnen a hundred times the day he is eaten up with lice have you need but of a glasse of water you must make insupportable
after their fashion till such time as perceiving a troop of about fifty men wrapt in woollen cloth which covered their whole bodies we made a soft retreat to our Barks Then we saw in the middle of the company one raised above the rest borne on a Palanquin having on his head a Miter enriched with stones who being come near our boates descended and having said Afrares which signifies come nigh entered affably into one of our Barks and saluted us with the word Ergaâ—i which is welcome The Sieur de la Courbe understanding this to be the Lord of Suguelane kissed his hand and by an Interpreter delivered him the occasion and design of our voyage This whole night was divided into good chear and dancing with the wives of this Potentate the Principall of whom The Sieur de la Courbe presented with a chain of various colour'd glasse beads which caus'd as much wonder and envie in the other Ladies as contentment in the Prince who reciprocally gave him a cup of Euate filled with Pepitaian gold which he forced upon our country-man by the strength of entreaties but in retribution out of the civility naturall to his country he presented a guilt Cimeterre with hangers of China work I likewise presented the Ladies with some rare pendants of red Pausell christall and very glittering who immediately cast off their upper garments and fell to dancing To conclude having seen Jerma and Simbada a great and huge Town erected in the water where is the right country of Agisimba staid fifteen dayes at Rifa where we became known to the Chanubi or Governour who gave us good instructions for our journey and brought us better then half the way to Cheticoura in a boat of his The Sieur de Courbe and I who had a particular curiosity to see the country resolved there to go render a deference to the great Taboqui or Monomotapa who was at his capital Town of Zanguebar or Monopotapa who bestowed many indulgements on us while we staid our boats being left with the rest of our company who had no such curiosity with order to meet all together at a certain place called Calboute without parting any more thenceforward I cannot give a particular account of the distance of places I may be excused by reason of the deviations and turnings we were forced to make returning sometimes the same way we came notwithstanding I shall speak precisely enough of what concerns Monopotapa CHAP. VI. Of Monopotapa the Princes estates and Government his way of living and the singularity of his Country THis Prince is by some called the Benemotapa or Benemataxa and by the native people the Grand Tahaqui he possesses so large an Empire that 't is given for a thousand leagues in circuit invironed with seas and great Rivers which render it inaccessable and inexpugnable for on the North it hath the vast lake Zembré or Zembaré on the South the Cape of Bona Esperanza and on the other sides the Eastern and Western seas Towards the Siroch it stretches it self as far as the Mountaines of Manice where the kingdome of Toroca or Toroa takes beginning whereof the principal town is Zenebra next is Tatuca rich in gold silver and ivory Then there are the kingdomes of Agag and Boro which on the Blacks side face towards the Beche on the West towards Tacui which goes as far as Mozambique Likewise within this Empire the Province of Butua lyes as also that of Simbage or Simbatni plentiful in Ivory by reason of the great multitude of Elephants in salt of the rock whence good part of Africa is furnished though at dear rates in some places by reason of the great distance and difficulty of the roads These people for the greatest part are Idolaters stiling their chief God Maziri the maker of all things others call him Atuno In great reverence they have likewise a Virgin by name Peru and have Monasteries where live recluse maids moreover they are grand magicians as they are through the whole country of Guynee There came a certain one who reported he had passed the kingdomes of Candabar Couzani Transiani Vsbeque and many other countries of the East as China San Pegu Bengale Besnagari Calicut and the wide sea of Alondon to have runne through all the dominions of Preste John to have been in the floods of the Torrid without wetting himselfe clothed with a meer Sattin walking upon the clouds to have passed the Zember upon the back of a devill and to have arrived in the kingdome of Sahama to finde the Monopotapa to declare his Religion to him having in few dayes gone thirteen thousand leagues He added far more the particular satisfaction he received after so long a travell in that the Prince caused four Christians their hateful enemies to be massacred and engaged in honour of their God to pray at the Temple five times the day under pain of the scourge The King building a faith in this sorcerer made an ordinance that all should yield obedience to this Mulila and his associates whom they named the Jubacumba For the first time the people presented themselves at their ceremonies but being absent the second time these impostor Priests coming forth fell upon them with scourges made of Elephants hyde and beat them most rudely persevering in this harsh way of treatment till on a day a young Portugues called Francisco Sanche who lived in the Fort of Safala being come to the town for trade and to visit a Mistresse he had a Merchants daughter received some lashes in the street from these magicians whereupon being sensible of his injury le ts flye his cimeterre at one of them and lays him dead on the ground without much trouble confiding in the Kings favour to whom he had brought a present from the Governour of the Fort Henrique Mendez and they joyning in their defence he killed four and wounded four more then mounted on horse and went safe off The King being told of it fell into laughter and praised the Portugues for his courage which ingratiated him with his Mistris so as she after married him True it is this Prince had not long before put some Jesuits to death but he made them ample satisfaction by putting to death all the Mahometans who gave him such councell whereupon the Fathers of Cochin being advertised of it sent others presently who declared to the King the benefit they were to all mankind in instruction and salvation of souls and gain'd so highly upon his grace that besides other particular favours which he did them he granted free liberty to his people to be converted and embrace the Christian faith So it is that Christian faith was introduced by the fathers of the society where to this day 't is preserved and practised by them and the Dominicans and though the Prince be an Idolater he is a well-wisher to the Christians He holds a stately gravity allowing audience to none but on the knee nor tergiversation in
Deserts of Goran towards Ethiopia there are people in abundance and a party of Giloses who come thither by reason of a sedition and a party from Zenega who came thither by reason that a daughter of the king of Azangues being married to the King of Gambra finding she was no maid repudiated her whereof arose great warres amongst them The people of Temesne say they were the Founders of Marocca they use a finer language then others which they call Aquela Marig that is the noble language the other kingdomes of Africa speaking but a rude language in comparison Another called Sigay which goes in the kingdomes of Galatas Tombut and Guinée Meli Gago different from the rest another at Juber which cannot be written because of the gutturall pronunciation and goes as far as Cana and Casena Again at Hea Gangara Borne they use other languages At Sena Terga Gueziga and Lenta they expresse themselves well something like the African and pronounce in the throat but distinctly They are much contented to see a stranger learn their language I was acquainted with a Physician learned in all these Languages as likewise in Latine Greeke and Italian and French reasonable well One night being in bed in the same Chamber with him and Captain Thomas Martin on a suddain enters a Moor mine Host having brought him in with a slave carrying a Torch cover'd from head to foot with woollen cloth who saluted us in French seeing him so black I blessed my self taking him for a devill whereat he laughed bidding me I should not be afraid for there was no danger He kissed his hand and took mine with many kindnesses and expressions that he could not have slept if he had not seen me entreating me to come to him on the morrow to communicate to me a matter of importance Asking how he came so perfect in our tongue he told me he was once servant to one Charbi at Marseills that he had had businesse with my father whom he named and my brother that he had been a slave 9 years then redeemed himself On the morrow he was with us at our first stirring and we took a walk together and then he invited us to dinner to his house which was very noble I demanded of him how a person of such quality had remained so long in slavery he told me that for five years his ransom being a thousand duckets was lost He had four horses in his stable his lodging chamber was gilt and had many other very fair rooms He had one wife only and he would never marry other but would live like a Christian His wife was fair in perfection He gave me high commendations to his wife that she might be courteous to me and she was therefore very civill to us He shewed us all his house and a fair Library of well-bound books and shewed me how the Africans had been Lords of a great part of the world shewing me a Book titled Albazer full of curiosities and histories of the renowned Africans as Hannibal Massinissa Septimus Severus Emperour and many other Kings Princes and Bishops as St. Augustine and others I asked him why he followed not the Law of so many holy Bishops He told me he was not so far divided and that in their Alcoran Mahomet confesses that Jesus Christ was greater than he that he met him in the sixth heaven and humbled himself to him beseeching him to pray to God for him which he never did to other Prophets who all beg of Mahomet to pray to God for them So as this man wanted nothing of a Christian but Baptisme and told us that having paid his ransom if his Master Churbi the Consul had not pressed him to marry a young widow whom he dearly lov'd he had willingly become Christian He was a man very upright wise and vertuous and if he would marry other wives of the chiefest in Town he might have plenty He told me as a secret that the Governour of Arzille who was in heart of the Spanish opinion would have given his daughter in marriage if he would have become Christian he had likewise a particular affection for Christians This is that Arzille which in the year 1421. was conquered by Cordoue the Moor which Don Alphonso King of Portugal regained from him But to return to Marocca I shall speak of what I have often seen in Mountains of Ziz that is how the people have a familiarity with serpents and very infants will play with them The Mahometans having it by precept of Law to kill none of these pernicious creatures insomuch as I was once reproved by one of them for throwing a stone at a toad Being departed from Sequeline we crossed the Mountains of Ziz which takes beginning at the skirts of Mezetazu towards the West and terminates at Telde towards Numidia The Arabians call it Segelmesse which are fifteen Mountains where these Serpentine people inhabit which the people call Zanaga who keep company with serpents and have their gardens full of toads 'T is true there are amongst them Magicians of divers kinds whereof some can charm these reptile Creatures as in the Indies they charm the Caymanes and Tiburons that these fish-monsters devour not them who fish for pearls they call these Magicians Malurman In these Mountains of Ziz there are other Magicians who boast they can cure all diseases them they call Mahazin and are in great esteem Another sort called Zairan conjure tempests lightenings hails and other Meteors which are hurtfull to fruits I remember I there saw a Magician who perceiving a horrid tempest approaching in a thick black cloud which would quite destroy their Seytume or olives then in flower he made a hole in the ground and with certain words urined in it which diverted the storm to another part yet they have another sort they call Machabell who say they can cure all diseases in cattle Others called Sadahachar who have power over devils and can compell them to any place they command them They have alwaies one amongst them and they call them white devils Others very skilfull in Geomancy who can shew spirits in a bright bason like a looking-glasse which represents what is desired Others they have that cause beasts or men to languish and die but this last sort is not onely amongst Infidels I have seen them likewise amongst Christians For being once at Seville in Spain I knew a Flemish Limner excellent in his art who languisht by this means betwitch'd by a famous strumpet called Segnora Maria de Villara who would have served a Comrade of his in like sort with certain biskets wherewith she entertained him whereof one was charm'd and the other not but he suspecting some villany cunningly conveyed it to her own plate and took another Afterwards she doubting nothing gave him one to present to his wife with a curious purse But he returning home made triall on a dog who immediately fell to howling and dyed Mean while the Bisket which
from him and safely accomplish my intended journey Thus we took our way for Zibit accompanied with severall Christians and other Merchants we Inn'd the first night at a little village called Ferragous where we were but ill accommodated the next day we came to Outor a Castle noted by some travellers not far remote from the red Sea There is a deep well whence they draw water with a wheel turned round by a yoke of Bulls the water was sharp and hard but nothing brackish necessity made us like it at two leagues from Outor we left the most part of our company they took the right hand the ready way to Ziden and we followed our tract for the Happy Arabia and reached a Town called Gaza and thence to Zibit Thus we left the desert to enter the Happy Arabia which is a Peninsula between the red and the Persick Sea scituate under the Tropick Cancer her length is from the Soltania of Sanna towards the red Sea unto Agior towards the Persick gulf or the Elcatif Sea so called by the Arabians I have often travelled there for trade sake and have visited most of her Towns this Arabia is of large extent divided into fair Provinces and Kingdoms We arrived at Zibit a Town of Soltania in the Company of a Jewish Merchant native of Alibenali a great Province of Arabia and married at Zibit he lodg'd us in his own house finding he could make a gain of us accompanying us where ever we would go carrying with him on horse-back things to refresh us being a man versed in the customs of the Countrey and some reason he had to be kind to us for I am sure my camarade was so to his wife she advised her husband to be thus familiarly assistant to us and he offered me a Daughter of his in marriage beleeving my Camarade to be my Father Zibit is five leagues from the red sea there is a Haven where ships are laden and unladen and from this place commodities are transported from the India's to Ziden Suez and other places From Ziden we went to Aden from thence thorough all the Provinces of Arabia trading and visiting the chiefest and fairest Townes and Kingdomes Although there be but one great Prince named Sequemir or Sechemir chief Commander of the fairest Provinces of the Happy Arabia yet there are severall Lords that acknowledge some the Persian others the Turke The King of Bacharin or Bescharin the nearest to Persia was not many yeares since subdued by the Sophy and was likely to have given Lawes unto Elcatif had not the Inhabitants of Erit and other Neighbours opposed him with a considerable Army composed of the people of Massa or Maffa Fartac Mascalat Amazarit Jurmalamam Gubelaemam Machyra or Macyra Suza and others This army had for their General the Sultan of Sanna that commanded the Van the Sultan of Elcatif the rear and gave a notable blow to the Persian with whom since they have made a peace and have thus preserved themselves The Soltania of Tabubari is not now governed by the Sechemir but by the Turk that subdued it in the last warre against the Persian this countries sand is very different from that I have seen in other places being as black as a coale and not so troublesome to travellers being something heavier and firmer upon this countries hills you find great store of Frankincense of Storax and Beniamin growing upon trees and other sweet gummes and persons are purposely appointed to gather them all this country is properly called Sabaea so famous in ancient times There growes great store of Olive trees Myrrhe Aloes Cinnamon and Cassia trees in abundance Falcons Sparhawkes and other birds feede thereupon and an innumerable company of flies bred out of the corruption of the Cassia causes so great an inconvenience as the Arabians are forced to burne part of it and in some other places they gather it not because being remote from the sea the Portage would stand them in more then the value of the Commodity though in many great Towns they use much of it where by reason of their greate heats they distill or melt the juice out of the canes and drink it I observed that the inhabitants of Arcora Ara Teza Samacara and of other Townes and places delighted much in this kinde of drinke which not only refreshed them but loosened them also and in the Townes of Andrivara Lagi and Dante it is the ordinary drinke used the summer time The fruite of this tree being ripe hath an unsavory sweet tast Apes and Squirells flock to it to feed and another beast called Masari those of Fez call it Chicali not much unlike a Fox a beast that unburies the dead to feed upon their carcasses they creepe up the trees shake down the fruit and make a great spoyle it is that sweetnesse that engenders those flyes we have already mentioned which were no small trouble to us passing by This Arabia is full of faire great Townes whether by reason of Traffick Merchants come from all parts as are Taesa Cana Asigni and Kada where is kept the Sequemirs principall Magazine or store house The chiefest haven and the nearest to this side of the Countrey is Pecher in the Soltania of Fartac whither those of Bangale Baticala Dabul Cambaye and Malabar bring their commodities to Bartar for Aromatick Drugges which in that Countrey are most excellent but the Jewes that inhabit those places are such cheates they sophisticate all that comes thorough their hands it is a particular trade to gather the Frankinsence Storax Benjamin and Mastick that harvest is got in July during the dog-dayes for then the trees are in their perfect ripenesse they gather some in other seasons but by a different manner making an incision in the tree towards spring from those holes runs forth a licquor or gumme which thickens of it selfe and is of a reddish colour but not so strong nor good as the other nor of so great a value the gumme that issues from the young trees is whiter then that is gathered from the old ones they have Myrrhe trees too but what of that is brought in to our parts is compounded and falsified all the Myrrhe that the Kingdom of Ciussimi or Elcatif affords is for the Sequemirs own use being the most perfect and the purest what the Prince uses not he sells and is therefore called Sequemir Pure and is sold at Naban Quesibi Naziri Carmon Liva-Orba Lanua-Orba Costague Manabon Batan Caybir Jague Aloron and in other places in the furthest parts of Arabia in the kingdom of Anna through which runs the river Cosan or Cosara very swift and loses her self in the Persick sea near the mouth of Euphrates CHAP. VII Of the state of Sequemir Prince of the Happy Arabia of his Salsidas and of the Califf of Bagdet SEquemir whom we have spoken of is supreme Lord of almost the whole Arabia Felix and is called
Sequemir as you may say Holy Lord for his goodnesse and clemency because he puts none to death except prisoners of warre but when a person hath committed a crime he keeps him fetter'd in prison during life without debarring him from the sight of the Sunne saying that God hath liberally distributed that light to all persons without exception there have been twenty thousand prisoners in irons at one and the same time His Court is stately and magnificent he hath a great number of men devoted to his service who freely offer up their lives for him at his command believing they go streight to heaven dying for their Prince They relate of a Turkish Emperour returning home from the Persick war through this country desired the sight of the Prince Sequemir and of his Salsidas or Saldridas for so his devotes were called having visited him in his towne of Samacara capital of that country after many Caresses and a Princely entertainment he desired the sight of his Salsidas and a proof of that great love and fidelity they bore unto their Prince Sequemir called some of them in and only spoke these words Amissi Barou and instantly four of them threw themselves out of the window and more of them attempting it were hindred by the Grand Seignior satisfied with the proof he had already made which he held so admirable that he demanded twelve of them to take back into his Country which the Sequemir willingly granted and being asked whether they would have as great an affection for a new Master and if they would as willingly dye for him as for their old Lord one of them made answer to the Turk if our Prince commands us to dye for thee we are from this very instant ready to obey him The Turk told them in time he should have need of them and that he would preserve them and esteem them his best friends and taking them away with him he maintained them handsomely and near his person but after the death of the Turkish Emperour they all returned back to their old Master esteeming it the greatest happinesse and safety to be near unto that Prince They accompany him yearly to Meka upon the three and twentieth of May to celebrate their great feast of Romadan Sequemir wears alwayes a sheeps-skin before and behind in imitation of Saint John Baptist who is there in great respect and honour he travels a foot with his whole Court yet his Courtiers go as they please carrying their wives and other trains upon able and good horses This King is Lord of the Soltania's of Fertac Siligni Dâ—efar and other places he was once Master of the entire happy Arabia but the Turk and the Persian have got several Provinces from him his chief residence is at Almacarama or Samacara a town very strong and impregnable scituate upon the top of a high hill but two wayes leading unto it and those craggy and easily maintained against the foe the town is big and well peopled and full of Nobility and Gentry there he keeps his treasure and his women this Prince cannot be made King but by the consent of the Califf of Bagdet likewise as the Prince of Mefra in pursuance of an ancient Law for that Califf though at present retaines nothing but the bare name yet keeps his ancient and undoubted right to elect and confirm the Kings of Assyria Arabia and others and Soliman himself passing through Babylon for form-sake was installed by his hand Next unto the Sequemir are severall Officers as the Gouvera Armicahir Almiracher the Cayet the Sidibir the Admimia the Bosoldar Amiseriech the Tababait and several others the Tacay Pacou is Master of the house CHAP. VIII Of Babylon the red sea Homerites Aden a strong Town and famous Haven Cameran and other places in the red sea WE travel'd stil through Arabia from town to town venting and trucking our commodities with an earnest desire to reach Persia all the towns of Arabia are fair ones and yield a great revenue to the Sequemir between Zidem and Zibit there are several and well peopled and from thence to Aden many more Zibit is not so near Aden as by some shee is said to be as they relate Dalatia in Aethiopia to be opposite to Meka and they stand three hundred leagues asunder This Arabia joynes to Persia Northward and the way thither lyes through Taeza Sanna Soufar Erit Almacara and other towns Almacara stands upon a hill but Eastward upon Gaza a bigge town and well inhabited where there is weekly a Fair or Market kept by night by reason of the heats and there all sorts of Merchandizes are exposed to sale perfumes especially The Nobility of the Country affect much to eat Ambar Musk and other sweets the Soudan of Aden subject to Sequemir spends yearly six thousand Duccats therein for his self wife and family their kitchins may be taken for perfumers shops so sweet and odoriferous The Red Seas coast towards Aden is thick of good towns and well traded and among the Merchants are many thieves which you must have a care on you see the towns called Ahra Damican Coubita Erit Aridan Magora Rabon Salta and others with many villages subjects to the Sequemir who commands six Soltania's or kingdomes all fill'd with good towns upon the Sea side grow store of reeds or Canes which in time make little Islands rendring the landing difficult and from thence the Hebrewes call that Sea Souf which signifies a reed Caravanes come to a town called Albir or Debir and there load their wares they carry unto Babylon as we found several travelling thither I intreated one of them to furnish me with as many Maps of the chiefest cities he could conveniently for I was very desirous of them and amongst the rest he procured me the Mappe of Babylon or Bagdet printed upon a Cotton which Mappe is made in a kinde of ceremony when the Sequemir receives his Crown and blessing from the Califf of Bagdet as the most ancient of Meka and to instruct him in his way they delineate Samacara from whence he sets forth for Babylon he goes through Byr then in twelve dayes reaches Falouchia in a flat boat from thence to Babylon in one day more As we were making sale of our commodities with intention to visit the East India's amongst other things we got some pieces of Velvet which we had in exchange for our wares I shall by the way advise those who intend to make the voyage of Arabia to store themselves with great horse bits for that is a commodity goes off there at a good rate you may make your own price not exceeding ten Duccats a piece Thus we travelled through Sanna passing through many fine towns as Adimar one of the fairest of all Arabia with intention to passe over into the Isle of Cameran where were three Portugais vessels bound for Calicut but we had so ill a passage that we altered our resolutions and sailed
sincerity and integrity is such that the Justices esteem their words and writings to equal sacred things and when a Merchant happens to die leaving his goods in one of these persons hands they are very faithfully restored to his heir or next of kindred From Diu and Cambaye unto the Cape Comorin by the Coast of Malabar it is some 300 leagues sayle and neer to Cambaye is the Kingdome of Jogues CHAP. XVI Of Deli Malabar of Goa the capitall Town of India NEer to Cambaye we fell into the Kingdom of Deli and Decan they say that 300. yeares since Sanosaradin King of Deli conquered Decan Canary Bellagatte Concam Goa and all the Countreyes reaching unto Comori but since under his severall Successors those Countreys were divided and allotted to severall Captains that have possessed themselves thereof acknowledging for forme sake only the King of Deli Idalcan was at Goa since Nysamaluco and the Negatana and many neighbouring Countreys are subjected to the Great Mogull who this last age hath conquered the chiefest part of the east Indies and threatens hard to the rest Malabar lies upon the Westerne Coaste from Goa to Comori as eastward on the other side lies Coromandell where are the Kingdomes of Bisnagar or Narsingue Orixa Menduo and severall others from Ormus to Goa it is 500. leagues or thereabouts We sailed all along this Coaste and we arrived at Goa an Isle and Towne of Malabar as faire rich and stately a Town as is this day in the east being as a key to the India's in the sixteenth degree of elevation devided from the Continent by a large River called Mandova as big as the Euphrates and by another little River named Guari from whence the Towne took her name formerly belonging to the Kingdom of Narsingue since unto Decan or Dealcan and since 't was conquered by the Portugall under Alphonsus Albukerke of the Moore Sabaco Generall unto the King of Decan in the yeare 1500. she hath eastward and northward the Countrey of Decan westward the great sea and southward the Kingdom of Mangalor subject to the King of Narsingue The Insularies or Inhabitants having ever been well addicted to trading they are people stout and haughty There is a great concourse of all the Indians a Haven at the village called Bonastariu with a block house that commands the entrance of it though it be strong of it selfe They have severall other good Ports as at Danda Alinga Banda Amolapole and Puntadasall then old Goa Rama Guisantole and Amadina each having her particular river on the continent side there are many Towns and Plantations most of them Mahometans and Idolaters kept in by the Portugais they have stately ship-timber They are pretty well awed for the present since they were punisht for a treacherous conspiracy which by the assistance of some neighbouring Countries they intended to have put in execution but was by Gods permission discovered by the Barbarians inhabitants of Paleacate and although they were 100 Gentills for one Christian and had almost gained the Fort yet they were gallantly repulsed by Don Garcias Acugna Governour of the Fort he very liberally rewarded those that gave him so timely advice distributing the Kings Treasure amongst them and since those freindly neighbours of Paleacate injoyed the same freedomes and Priviledges with the Portugais they were made subsidy and customes-free and so strict an alliance and unity contracted between them that many of them since are baptized turned Christians and do frequently enter-marry the Plotters were most of them put to death the rest banish't and their goods confiscated The Isle of Goa is some 15 or 16 miles about the Inhabitants are strong and able bodyed almost of an olive colour The Town is infinitely rich and the great street very full of goldsmiths that have their shops well stored with gold silver and Jewells The Gentills had a most magnificent Temple built of stone in a little Island neere to Goa called Dinary where they adored the Devill that appeared to them in diverse most terrible and horrid shapes The Portugais seeing this diabolicall profanation demolish't the Temple and the Idols without leaving the least marke behind them and with the stones they fortified the Town and built many fair houses which bred a great malice and hatred amongst the Idolaters The Temple was built of a black stone and their Pagodes or Idolls were most horribly shaped When the Portugais managed that great Warr against Samorin of Calicut it was then in their power to demolish this Temple But the respect they bore to an Image of our blessed Lady Mother of God made them spare it for that time They call the Blessed Virgin Sannacarin which signifies a bird and hold she is the spirit of God they give great honour to the holy Crosse and say that at the founding of the Town a perfect one was found in the ground The Inhabitants live very deliciously feed much upon Areca and are carried in rich Sedans by their slaves and the inhabitants have liberty of conscience Having been often at Goa amongst other things I admired the great commerce the richest good order and administration of Justice and above all a most admirable government in an Hospital which is very rich where notwithstanding are great number of sick and maim'd from the Armies The Viceroy and Archbishop contribute liberally thereunto the Portugais prove themselves of an affable and compassionate nature although the Indians hold them rough and uncharitable because they possesse much of their land This Hospital is the fairest and the most accomplisht in all necessaries I know in the world and I dare affirm that neither that of the Holy Ghost at Rome nor the infirmary of Malta although they are served in plate in both those places do equall her in riches good orders and services that are farre better observed and tended then you can expect to be in your own house as I often was a witnesse of visiting the French that were there sick the Fathers of the society have the keeping of it and are very charitable therein It is built upon a River founded by the Kings of Portugal besides the charity and gifts of the Nobility which are great they have for the most part a Factor at Cambaye a Country plentiful in all sorts of grain who makes their provision at the cheapest rates there a great number of slaves that are employed in all inferiour offices and are also made use of in the other Indian Hospitals and other Monasteries Perfumes are daily burnt to prevent infection and to lessen the unwholesome sents that would otherwise very much offend they use very fine linnen and wine of Dates is their onely drinke and is full as delicious as that of Grapes the Portugais are very voluptuous and great sensualists and are served in Purcelain which will not hold poyson This Country is much infected with the great pox and with another infection called
Mordesin that begins with vomiting and pains in the head and is infectious There is another disease very common amongst the natives called Scorbus and other diseases proceed from the enchantments of bad women They are no sooner sick but are carried to the Hospital where remedies are presently used for their recovery they are lodged in well-furnished and pleasant chambers and have very fine gardens The Churches of Goa are fair and well adorned the Windores of Mother of pearl very curiously carved At Pegu they are made of Tortoise shells of diverse colours and are the fairest of the world the Lanthornes belonging to the Hospital are made of the shell of a fish a kind of Mother of pearl They burn nothing but wax in the Churches nor little else in the town it is so well provided therewith This town being some eight thousand paces about may be of the bignesse of Roan or Avignon built and tyled as the fashion is in Europe Goa is an Archbishops See and hath four Bishopricks depending to her and her jurisdiction reaches unto Mosambick There are many magnificent Churches and Monasteries of Jesuites Franciscans Austin Friars discalceate and many Nunneries of Virgins and penitents There is great commerce of all wares and merchandise of slaves especially both males and females 't is but a peccadillie for a Master to lye with his slave but if she proves with child the law enfranchises her and she may go whither she pleases The waters are good and well tasted and although the tyde goes up beyond the town yet there remaines not the least brackishnesse in the water the best is fetched halfe a mile from the town from a place called Banquenin which is sold The Portugais are richly clad with breeches like Sea-men very rich buttons coats and Cassocks pretty short and broad hats they have their Parasols carried by them with bottles full of Colos and other pleasing drinks and they weare very rich swords and in a word they are very vain and proud as the Prophet speaks them Pocos y Locos The Haven is very good onely there is a shelf of sand as at Larack in Fez they have an inquisition or Court of Parliament which is their Judicature The Viceroy is removed every third year The profit there accrues to the Governours and officers and little comes to the King that depends much upon his Armies besides the pay of three thousand officers The Isle is mountainous sandy and reddish yet very fertile being well water'd with many springs and rivers of this red earth or clay are made many sorts of cups and vases white some gray others red and as clear and fine as glasse as Bolarmeni They have two crops a year of Rice and French Wheat and it is green all the year long this land is scituate under the Tropick Cancer near to the Equinoctial There grow many Date-trees and ships come daily into the Haven laden with Cocos and other commodities vented in the town The ships stay at the barre or mouth of the Haven wanting water to bring them up They hold it two miles from the town to the mouth of the river where are two strong Block-houses or Forts to defend the ships that sayle in the middle Then a league higher there is another called Pangari where dwells the Captain Major that grants the Cartacoes to trade both within and with out but since many have written of the Judicature Government Nobility souldiers the manner of life of both the Sexes of this town as well Portugais as Indians I will say no more I will onely relate a sad accident happened to some poor French-men that had stolne a ship laden with pepper but having suffered shipwrack some twelve leagues from Goa upon a shelve of sand the ship was taken and saved belonging to a Portugal Merchant of Goa the poor men arraigned and condemned to be hanged for the Pyracy committed as well as for their murdering the Captain the chief of these Malefactors was called Raymondin they were assisted at the time of their suffering by some good Fathers of the Church of the five wounds of our Saviour near to the publick place of execution and the fathers of our Ladies of Mercy cloathed them all in white according to their custom with white caps and a crosse in their hands they died very couragiously and penitently fully contrite and sorry for their sin and shame some were hanged at Saint Katherines key others in the Corne-Market Six of them were hanged there whereof the youngest broak two ropes and fell down from the Gibbet the good father that assisted at his death obtained his pardon and caused him to be taken back to the prison he turned Franciscan to the great contentment of the whole order and was visited by all the Nobility of the town he was born at Diepe his name Ratelin and fell into Raymondins company with no intention to Pyracy but to see the world and thus God gave him grace miraculously to escape I remember that being in Provence a young man borne at Aubayne was upon suspicion of a certain crime cast in prison and arraigned at Aubayne and being convicted thereof was condemned to be hanged he broak two new halters and fell without the least harm from the Gallows to the ground which accident caused the multitude to cry out for pardon for the poor man which was immediately granted him but miserable as he was ignorant of his own happinesse he ended his life by the Gibbet for some detestable crime by him committed in another place A Sicilian Gentleman was accused by thirty false witnesses to have intended the sale of Messina to the Turk and sentenced for that offence to be hanged and his children to be decapited protesting his own innocency upon the ladder the Rope breaking they tyed another to him newer and stronger which broak also the people saved him and his proces was reviewed the false witnesses examined condemned and executed the wronged Innocent with his children undertook a pilgrimage to our Lady of Loretto where I saw him At Goa as also at the other townes in the Portugais possession the Merchants may trade with great security with leave from the Viceroy or Deputy and paying the rights and customes otherwise their goods are confiscated CHAP. XVII Of Baticola Decan Amadiva and of the Kingdome of Cananor FRom Goa unto Comorin which is properly the Coast of Malabar are many Forts belonging to the Portugais as at Onor which is distant 14. degrees at Barcelor 13. degrees called by the Indians Barcelan at Mangalor 12. at Mosiri or Cananor 2. at Cranganor 10. the natives call it Cagnanora then at Cochin 8. degrees distant and at Coulan which is called Cosmans and at other places From Goa we came to Baticola which is a kingdom the town is large rich and plenteous in all commodities scituate upon a pleasant and deep river which yields her accesse easie the haven is a quarter
the River the town is ill built The ayr is good on Coromandel side and is divided but by a little streight not much longer then Gibraltar but more dangerous because the waves raise banks of sand which make it the more dangerous for vessels of great burthen forced to enter the Isle on the other side called Betala or the pearl-fishing Zeilan is held to be the ancient Taprobane and others with more reason say she was anciently called Sumatra however this Isle hath ever been potent formerly governed by one King of the race of the Sun or at least from thence he pretended himself descended This King was dethroned by one of Jafanapatan and since the country hath been divided into several kingdomes The Portuguais warred with the King of Jafanapatan who overthrown was constrained to deliver up the Isle of Manar which they fortified and inhabit to this day the Christians were grievously oppressed by the Badages their neighbours barbarous people great thieves but the Portuguese subdued them at last In this invasion the Portuguese amongst other things took that famous Idol made of the tooth of a Monkey adored by all the Indians of those parts and enriched with Jewels The King of Pegu so highly esteemed it that he sent yearly Ambassadours thither to take the print of it upon Amber Musk and other perfumes which he had great reverence unto and since it was taken he offered to redeem it at a great rate but they christian-like chose rather to destroy that Idolatry then to reap a profit thereby and so they burnt it and from it there came a most stinking and black smoak They relate many fables of that white Monky named Hanimam that he had been a God expelled heaven for some fault committed and Metamorphosed into a Monkey coming from the land of Badages or thence into Ceitan where after his death he was adored and his tooth kept as a relique The sea between the Cape Comori the lower Chilao and the Isle Zelan was called Pescaria Delle Perse a place of pearl-fishing which lasts about 50. days and at the point where they begin to fish upon a sudden many Cabbins and Booths are erected to last during the fishing onely then they that can dyne and fill their bagges with oysters and by a rope tyed about their middle are pulled up again and every fisher makes his own heap The seasons are not alwayes favourable alike some more some lesse and some seasons very dangerous by reason of several fishes that devour the fishers and other fishes will crop off a thigh or arme of a man as close and even as a hangar and those the Portugais call Poccaspada this fish hath two rowes of teeth very sharp and long and therefore to prevent the danger they have Magicians that charme the fishes upon a time a fisher-man ready to be devoured by a fish had his mouth open and within two fingers of reaching him suddenly the Wisard who was present cryed out Veruas which signifies come out or charm and the fish left him and the man having a sword in his hand struck a blow or two and the fish swam away leaving the Sea dy'd with his blood At night when they go to rest they dissolve their charmes because no one should venture to fish There are certain Commissioners to set a rate upon the pearle according to the season and there are of fine sorts of pearls some like stars others half stars others called Pedrati which are much esteemed and divided into five parts The Merchants stand in order to buy them The Portugese have those of greatest price which they call Quercos the Bengalians the seconds the Canaranians the thirds the Cambayans have the smallest and the last which are of little worth fall to the Jewes there which they polish for deceit It is a gallant sight to see so many Merchants together and so many heaps of pearles before every Cabbin which within few dayes are all pull'd down The best pearl is fished in the Channel of Setin near to Zeilan where they use flat-bottome boats called Tune because they have little bottome some are gotten at the other side of Chilao between Manar and the Continent There is no pearl to be found in all the East except in this place and at Baharem in the Persick gulph and the Isle Aynan near China those taken at Baharem are bigger but they are taken here in greater number The whole Coast of Malabar from Comori fifty leagues in length or thereabouts inhabited by people called Paravians is much frequented for this fishing where fifty or three score thousand Merchants resort to that purpose The Paravians are Christians and were instructed by St. Francis Ilaverius and live under the protection of the Portuguesse who have protected them from the Tyranny of the Mahometans their neighbours South-west of the Isle of Zeilan are the Maldives many in number dangerous to Saylers for the shelves of sand and rocks I will say no more of them because my knowledge is but small besides they have amply and exactly been described by others but I will say something of a wonderfull Isle on the Coast of Malduce Southward some ten degrees remote from the Line and called Patovi or Polovis now deserte though formerly inhabited and flourishing which as I learnt since at Pegu was Governed by a Prince called Argiac a Potent King of many Ilands and Kingdomes he having many children by severall wives gave this Island to one of the gallantest amongst them called Abdenac for his portion with several Treasures this Abdenac was possest of it peaceably for five yeares space his elder brother called Argiac after their Father and King of Achez in Sumatra refused him the share of Treasure his father had left him the other enraged craved the assistance of the King of Bengala who furnished him with ships with which he invaded his brother burnt his Townes and put to death most part of his followers but received a mortall wound himself and returning into his Island with the Treasures he had regained of his brother and finding himself near death distributed his wealth and bequeathed his Island to be inherited by his Duma or evill spirit intreating him to preserve it till the day of Judgement and that he then hoped to return into the World This Will made he dyed and had no other sepulchre then the bowells of his Alliance and Friends according to the Custome of that Countrey where in many places they eat the dead flesh of their Kindered and near Relations perswading themselves the Soule to be sooner at rest then if they permitted the corpes to putrifie and to be consumed by the wormes and that there could be no Sepulchre so Honourable as the bowells of a deare friend This Island falling to the devils share he became so turbulent that from the very time he took possession the Island was not
with a prodigious History of Serpents LEaving all those Isles to return into the Continent over against Sumatra Northward stands the Town and Kingdom of Malaca where is that so famous a spot of land with her Cape and Streight called Sicapura at one degree northward Malaca is a potent kingdom formerly the golden Chersonese as some yet hold and the Ophir of Salomon because much gold is found in many places of Sumatra contiguous to the other the Ancients believed her joyned to the Continent as you have heard already This Country obeyed the King of Siam untill a Lord of Java subjected her and by the assistance of some fishermen and Pyrates built the Town of Malaca Since the Malacans became Mahometans trading with the Persians and Guzerates and at last Alphonsus Albukerke surprized the Town for the King of Portugall it is the center of the East for trade and the mart for all Merchandizes of the East-Indies which improves her in grandeur treasure and power The language is esteemed the smoothest most elegant and copious of the Indies as the mother of all their other tongues which they diligently study they are much addicted to Poetry Amours and other Gallantries Malaca is scituate upon a pleasant river called Crisorant alluding to Chrise or land of gold which others rather believe to be China and Japan this river is not altogether so big as the Thames and divides the Town in two parts coupled by fair bridges stately built as is the rest of the Town The people are very civill of a good stature but a little tann'd the Country abounds in fruit subject to the King Siam though the Town belongs to the Portuguese where they have a strong Fort and a Haven that brings in great Revenues by reason of the customes imposed upon the infinite number of Merchandizes are imported from forreign parts Those imposts or customes were formerly paid to the King of Siam The Captain hath two good ships well rigged and man'd with which he scowres those seas and sailes into China loaden with wedges of gold and silver cloves pepper cinamon linnen and woollen cloth scarlets saffron corrall mercury vermillion and all other exquisite commodities of the Indies and brings back from thence silks purcelaines satins damask harts-horn musk rubarbe pearles salt-peter iron ivory boxes and fanns These two places are eight hundred l. distant and a great river upon which they say ships are drawn by Elephants to Quinsay capitall of Tabin or China where the ships arriving salute the King with three peeces of Canon and the Town with one if they think good then the Captain setting foot on land is sworn upon the Kings Picture that he comes Bona Fide to negotiate and then he is admitted The ayre of Malaca is not very wholesom to strangers nor natives From Malaca we went to the Kingdom of Siam very potent formerly containing many Kingdomes Their neighbour the King of Pegu got many of them in a Warr he maintained against Siam for a white Elephant which the Peguans adore and ever since the Kingdom of Siam hath been weak and divided into many Provinces or Dominions where the King is hardly acknowledged formerly it contained sixteen or seventeen Kingdomes or Principalityes and did reach from Tanansterin or Tarnatsery unto Champaa above 700. leagues from Coast to Coast between Malaca the Isles Pacanes Passiloco Capimper Chiammay the Lahos and Guttâ—s 'T is called the Empire of Sornao the King Prechau Saleu who kept his Court at the great Town of Odiva whither the Kings were tied to come yearly to acknowledge the Princes and pay their tribute kissing the Cimiter at his side Then by reason of the great distance and the many Rivers which lengthen their journeys and render them difficult he remitted this kind of acknowledgment to be made to a Lieutenant or Vice-Roy in the Town of Lugor neerer and more commodious This Country confines upon Pegu westward northward upon Chiammay southward towards the Province of Caburi and the main sea and eastward upon the Gulfe of Cambaye 't is one of the plentifullest and best Isles in the world abounding in all fruits victualls silver mines iron lead pewter salt-peter sulphure silkes honey wax sugars sweet-woods benjamin cottons rubies saphyres ivory and great plenty of all spices and other commodities imported from other parts The inhabitants are not warlike The women are very lovely and well disposed they are richly adorned with Jewells their coates tuck 't up to their knees their feet and legs bare to shew how they are decked and loaded with gemms they weare jewells upon their armes also their haire is platted and covered therewith in imitation of the Peguans They are carried in chariots richly covered their gownes open before discover their naked breasts their smocks being likewise slit when they walke they hold both their hands before them to hide their nakedness and yet so as t is plainly seen They say that custom was first brought up by Queen Tirada the wisest of her time and her bones are to this day kept with great reverence perceiving her Subjects to be besotted or violently addicted to Sodomie she thought by such charming allurements to withdraw them from that bestiality as indeed they are since wholly taken off from that abominahle sensuality and in truth that Countrey women are very faire and well shaped they play upon certain Musicall instruments which they are diligently instructed in from their infancy the men may marry two wives but they pay double customes for the second and most of them therefore are contented with one the women are very tractable humble and discreet their greatest care is to be beloved of their husbands They cruelly sacrifice Virgins and their manner of burying the dead is as inhumane for as soone as one of their alliance is deceased they erect him a Monument in the fields according to their conditions and abilities then they shave their whole body in signe of mourning Women cast off their jewels and are cloathed in white the doleful colour there all the deceased's friends and alliance are invited solemnly to attend the Corps to the Interment The Corps is clothed in a rich habit exposed upon a Chariot in a bed of state and drawn by six of his nearest kindred of the best of his family and six more of his best friends covered with an ash-colour canopy and of the same colour his Relations are cloathed before the Corpes go six flutes who with two kettle drums or tabors make so lamentable a noise that it drawes teares from the Assistants The slutes are hired and discharged by the Publick drawing neer to the buriall place they throw perfumes upon the Chariot This done they all retire the parents and kindred only excepted who strip the body and make it clean multiplying their cries and lamentations then roast it with their sweet woods gather round about it and with many sad groanes
they make of it a most mournfull repast This done they scrape the bones clean and perfume them with much ceremony and lap them up in linnen cloaths made of Arbeste which wil never consume by fire but grow whiter and cleaner nor rot under ground but will keep for ever I have got of the cloath in my Travels which I have shown to curious persons These Ceremonies ended and the bones laid in the Tombe every one drawes homeward Such is their strange manner of sepulture The Town of Siam stands upon the fair and large river of Mecan that springs from the famous Lake of Chiamay Sian is stately walled and conteines thirty thousand houses with a Castle strongly fortified built upon the water as Penivitan and Venice The Country breeds Elephants Rinocerots Giraffs Tygers Lions Leopards and all sorts of savage beasts the fairest Hermines of the East Camels Dromodaries and some say Unicornes which being very timerous beasts seldom appear in sight Some of them are found about Chyamay lake I will speak of them in another place This Lake is 200. miles about whence many great and famous rivers arise as Ava Caypumo Menan Cosmin and others they overflow like the Nilus This Lake is bounded Eastward with vast forrests and impassible Marshes and Fens and very dangerous prodigious Serpents are bread there with wings like bats which bear them from the ground and carry them with a strange swiftness flying they rest themselves upon the end of their tailes which are sharp they did once so swarm that they made a whole Province desert and desolate and without the juice of fig-leaves which was an antidote against their poison not one had escaped The Prince of those parts having armed his subjects made vast trenches and ditches in that Province and with the help of dogs tigers lions and other savage beasts trained up to hunting young and disguised in other skins he armed many other beasts against them he destroyed an innumerable number of those Serpents that cast themselves headlong into those ditches then he set a prize to be given to those that should kill any of them and by these meanes that breed was soon destroyed Notwithstanding there are some seen still in the forrest and I have seen of them of incredible length they prey upon sheep and other cattell There is another beast in the same Country faced like a man but all wricnkled which appeares by night only and is called Espaulouco This beast gets up upon the top of trees and makes a bewailing noise a purpose to catch something when she lights of no prey she feedes upon earth 'T is a very slow beast and there are of that kind in many places The Kingdom of Siam hath formerly suffered many changes some few yeares before we were there The King a most renowned and victorious Prince was by his own Queen poisoned who after married one of the stewards of her household with whom she had lived in adultery and made him King having likewise put to death her own son that succeeded his father since they were by conjurations both murthered at a feast and the Kingdom subject to continuall revolutions till Bramaa King of Pegu took occasion to besiege Odiaa but leaving his life in the siege hâ—r successor utterly demolished the Town and obtained the white Elephant I spoke of since that Siam hath revenged her self upon Pegu. Thus the Kingdomes of the Indies are very various never remaining long under the same condition or Government CHAP. XXVI Of the Kingdom of Martaban marvellous strength of Macaraou or the flowing of the sea Particularities of Pegu. FRom Siam we came to the Kingdom and Town of Martaban sometime subject to Pegu but since to the King of Syam It buts Westward upon the Gulfe of Bengale Northward upon Pegu Eastward upon Siam and Southward upon Tanasserim and Jangome The Fathers of St. Francis and those of the Society have built them Churches there The soyle is very fertile yielding ordinarily three crops the year there is plenty of Rice and other sorts of grain fruit trees sweet and medicinall hearbes of all sorts mines of all mettalls rubies and other stones and the aire is very wholesom The Capitall Town is Martaban sixteen degrees towards the North hath a good harbor and scituate upon the river Gaypoumo or rather upon an arme of the sea where the tide runs strangely toward Pegu for whereas ordinarily it flowes by degrees with an easie motion without violence here it fills that arme of the Sea or River on a sudden and flowes with such fury and impetuosity as it were mountains rolled up in water and the most rapid torrent in the world doth not parallel this in swiftnesse and by three passages fills the harbor and other receptacles with a most fearefull force and rapidity This arme is by the Indians called Macaroou which signifies beware the Tyger for the vehemence of the waves which I will more amply speak of in another place Martaban joynes to the Territories of Dougon the remotest Town of Pegu. The Inhabitants are given very much to trading and especially in Lacca a kind of gumm they draw out of trees very fine and better then that is made in Dalascia in Aethiopia which I have already spoken of They have many more Droggues as Galingall Turbith or Camomell Rubarb found upon the mountains of Pegu and is called Jubara The leafe is broad and bitter as gall they gather it in May which is the latter end of their winter the root is of a tan'd collour some is yellow purple and red according to the land that bears it Some season their meat therewith and 't is a preservative against many infirmities 't is sold very cheap and is mingled with perfumes there growes wood of Aloes red Sendal and Cittern upon the hills Women burn of all these to make concoctions and use them in their labours and delivered they seek for a black-headed lamb and carry the child to the Temple covered with flowers drugges and perfumes Then they begin their sacrifice delivering their child and lamb into the hands of the Banean or Priest called Satalico the skin head feet and entrals fals to his share this is done in honour of Castigay their Idol All those Flamins are great Magicians They cast the childrens nativities new-borne and set down what shall befall them during their lives This writing is carefully kept by the parents for to prevent the bad accidents For they esteem whatever those Baneans say infallible and when any person is sick they are consulted whether the party will dye or recover and when they have given their opinion 't is believed as Gospel One being once as I may say condemned or sentenced to death by a Wizard and left off was undertaken by one of our company and recovered in nine dayes which made them believe the Christians were more knowing then their Magicians the like
feed on in the Indies mean while our Geographers are mistaken who say that the river that runs through Tangus is the same that waters Pegu although they be different countries and remote This River rises at the Lake Chiammay passes through Brema or Brama washing in with her waves refined gold which she drawes from several mynes the country is full of She runs through the kingdom of Prom where are the famous towns of Milintay Calamba and Amirandou Those territories joyn to Alva then to Boldia called by the high Indians Siami where they are very courteous and it passes for a Proverb courteous as a Siamite Siami is a vast kingdom called the Empire of Siammon Then to Berma or Verma whereof the capital is Carpa and butts upon Tazatay and the kingdomes of Pandior and Muantay The King of Pegu subjugated the kingdom of Berma two years after he conquered Siam then there are Vilet Abdiar and Caypuma whereof the chief is Canarane of which more hereafter The King by his Talcada or Lieutenant hath conquered many other countries who subdued all the Provinces of Siam Berma Javay Manar and others unto the kingdom of Perperi Tarnasseri Maragoura Guertale Langoura Nigrane and Joncolan that touches Malaca Winning Siam he got Ban Ploan Odian Macaon and others conquered before by the King of Siam This Prince is a great lover of strange beasts and hath of divers sorts brought him from all parts of the world and land at several places as at Dagon two dayes journey from Pegu Martaban which is four at Guzan two dayes journey from Caponin where beginnes the great Gulph of Saharic at the mouth of Caypumo This River with that of Ava and Siam overflows like the Nile from Mid May to Mid August which improves the Country very much she draws refined gold by wyres wherewith the King enriches his Temples and Idols for gold and silver in those parts are but merchandizes their coin of brasse lead and pewter called Ganze or Ganza and any man coins with the Lieutenants leave who is Generall That coin is currant thorough the kingdom of Tauay the last of the territories of Pegu in the middle of the Province of Manar watered by that famous River of Marsina or Menan Pegu is so temperate that 't is green all the year long the people are rather whites than blacks and well shap'd women amiable gay and neatly dressed There are many hermaphrodites as at Sumatra There is plenty of pepper vermillion mercury cloves They make Chamlets hangings of feathers silk stuffs have store of rice and beasts for chase They want nothing but good horses which the Prince is curious to procure from other parts bating merchants their imposts to bring of them in The Kings Palace stands at the farther end of new Pegu sheltered from the Northwind by a little hill there grow all sorts of trees five sorts of palm trees inclosed with a wall like a park where they keep all sorts of beasts you can meet with in any part of the world which the King carefully seeks after never regarding each price as it appeared by that long war made by him and the King of Siam who refused him the white Elephant to put into his Calachar or park 'T was Aleager or Chaumigrem King of Pegu begun this cruell war with an Army of a million of martiall men two hundred thousand horse five thousand Elephants and three thousand Camels The Vaunt-guard was composed but of 50000. horse he sack't and ruined his principall Town Lagi or Siam which was reputed to be twice as big as Paris and thrice as Fez. The siege lasted 22. months From Pegu to Siam 't is sixty five dayes journey by camels he took all his treasure wife and children and brought them prisoners into Pegu with the white Elephant This deplorable King reduced to extremities cast himself down from the highest turret in his Palace and broke himself in pieces some of his daughters and Princesses made themselves away with a hoop or circle of iron edg'd about that closed it self when they thrust their necks therein with their feet in a noose hung thereunto which strangles them immediately and if Adigola and the other Ladies had had time they would never have been brought away alive there was but one Lady saved wife to the Grand Mogull's Son This Prince followed the Peguan Army to recover his wife was taken prisoner and by his frequent prayers and desires he obtained leave to visit his wife and mother-in-law The King himself gives them much comfort by his visits representing unro them the change and revolution of affairs he gave them freedom and remitted them ransomlesse sent them all back again with many and rich presents and married the young Prince to his Lady who were before but affianced conducted them to his confines with great honour and magnificence whence grew the greatnesse of the Mogor Mogoz or Mogull tributary to the King of Pegu who hath since broke his faith making himself a Soveraign You hear for what reasons the King of Pegu waged this war that bred so much ruine and desolation for a white Elephant onely a fatal and unhappy beast as Sejans horse hath proved to all that ever possessed him and hath cost five Kings their lives and whole Estates as it happened to the last King of Pegu who had it lately taken from him by the King of Aracan by the treachery of the King of Tangus his Brother-in-law White Elephants are very rare yet they are so besotted as to adore them at Siam festivals were kept in his honour called Quinday Pileu which is to say honest mens delight The King of Pegu drew four in his coach and I believe that in the rest of the East there were not more to be found The Kings Palace called Chalousbemba was built square with a Dosme at every corner stands the statue of a Gyant of polisht marble who Atlas-like upheld this goodly fabrick and are represented with such tortions of face you would think they complain of their load The stone 't is built with is smooth and resplendent as glasse for the adjacent forrests and gardens are therein perfectly discovered 'T is inviron'd in with a deep trench you enter over a draw bridge thorough a gate of excessive heighth and strength where are the figures of a Gyant and his wife each of a piece and of a mixt coloured marble the pavement is of the same and represents like the Sea this massy structure They spare neither gold nor azure and in Galleries you shall see carved the Histories of all the wars those Kings have made against their enemies From thence you descend some steps of marble into a lower Court encompassed with ballisters or railes where there is a pleasant fountain whence the water is conducted into severall gardens by pipes the gardens fenced with strong walls one of them is three miles long where grow various sorts of trees
Corpes again that nothing as they say may be wanting at the day of Resurrection For this purpose there are six men engaged who buy their offices of the King and whosoever will cut a Tombe there must pay great rates to the King Their burialls are so considerable to them that so soon as they are marrried they provide for it By the way I shall tell you they are much inclined to divorces which they may make three severall times and accept again but not the fourth time for he must stay till the wife be married to another and after divorce she may marry with her first husband and the children stay with the father As to the dead bodies they who order them cleanse them exceeding carefully putting within them a perfume like Mastick then the ashes put in again as I told you the Nubis or Priests in their Ceremonies recommends them to their God with severall prayers and having dined with their kindered six women approach the corps with loud cries and lamentations which last till evening meanwhile six sworne men put the body in a sheet of Chantli or cotton the better sort have Taffeta with cotton under or over so disposing the hands that one lies on the eare the other stretched down by the thigh Then having watched by it all night they restore it to the kindred to be laid in a coffin and thence to be borne to a Tomb at the foot of the mountain where they remain incorruptible as well by reason of these drying winds as a composition they apply There are abundance of them in this place and if any through fatnesse which causes humidity and by consequence putrefaction chance to be consumed by worms they hold the soule that left this body lost and condemned to darknesse amongst the Devils When they bear the body to the Tomb they go all bare-headed and the women their hair dischevelled weeping and lamenting but wear no sort of mourning onely their nearest kindred will be shaved and abstain from eating Betel In this Mountain there are intire dryed bodies which they say are of seven or eight hundred years and this is the right Mummy brought into severall parts of the world For that Mummy that is taken out of the sands is a meer fable since there is nothing but bones to be found there the rest being eaten by the worms CHAP. XXXVII Of the Kingdom of Tazatay and the Philosophy of the Indians WEst of Transiana lies the kingdom of Tazatay or Tasatail otherwise called the red kingdom or the land of Liarrean or Hiarcan and the Kingdome of the Sun for the severall apparitions the Sun makes there during his twenty four hours course as they say While we were in Transiana a Country appertaining to the Empire of Pegu hearing speech of Tazatay and the wonders of a Mountain there I prevailed with my companion to go thither so with an Interpreter two small Elephants and two Hacambals or Camels we parted thence leaving all our goods and Merchandizes with our Host having registred them in the Casa de la contration in the Indies thoroughout there being such order that a Merchant can loose nothing though he should dye all being faithfully kept and restored to his heirs paying onely the dues of custome and impost After three dayes travaile we came on the top of a mountain where there was a small Town called Brasifir here we had convenient accommodation that night in the morning going down we crossed a River and came to the other great Mountain we so much desired to see that appeared exceeding high and arduous neverthelesse having ascended about two good leagues we met a man mounted on a Dromedary coming down the Mountain and asking him if we had far to the next habitation he answered we had but the tenth part of one Sun as through the Indies they count Suns that is by dayes journies Then travailing about an hour we came to Tambo and alighting from our beasts that were all in a water for the difficult travaile we found there plenty of provision for our refreshment There was a good old man and his wife that gave us freely what they had and amongst other things Areca the best methought I ever drunk At the same time there arrived a man we took by his carriage to be a fool he sate down with us at table neverthelesse would eat nothing but what we entreated him to and while we were at meat he told us severall stories answerable to the opinion we had of him Our Host asked us if we would not go see the Lord of the place at his Chabacaran or Palace to which we agreed and went this visit on foot for 't was on the top of the next mountain not far off Being arrived we went to make our respects to him and he returned us great civilities and discoursing of our voyage he told us 't was truth that at the top of the Mountain the Sun rose three severall times in four and twenty hours as we might easily perceive if we ascended whereupon out of curiositie I requested my companion we might go thither early in the morning and hereupon I asked the Lord being there two houres before day if I should see the rayes of the Sun he told me for this purpose I must be on the top of the Mountain upon a structure we saw some two leagues and a half above us in a bending of the Mountain and that below where his Castle stood it was not seen but twice a year that is once three houres before day and another time an hour and a quarter before Sun rising and seeking to be informed by the most ancient Inhabitants they all told me the same thing But I found my companion so incredulous of this matter as he had reason that we desisted and on the morrow took the way to return whence we came and since meeting with a Gentleman of great curiositie he told me he had been in a Countrey beyond Swedeland where for four moneths together the Sun continually appeared which must needs be in Lapland in seventy eight degrees from May to August And a Merchant of Sabooram assured me that in his Countrey the longest dayes were one and twenty hours of Sun with little or no night which is in about sixty four or sixty five degrees Hereupon I will say something of the Astronomy used amongst these East Indians their opinion is the earth is not round but flat and that there are not nor can be Antipodes else say they there must be two suns one to lighten us the other them that there is but one Hemisphere for the Sun and Moon to move in that the sun is not of the bignesse we make it nor so great as the earth whereof it is but the sixtieth part that the Sun never leaves our Hemisphere no not by night but then conceales himselfe behind certain Mountains That 't were a great folly to
say the earth were higher then the heavens which notwithstanding must needs be if we allow Antipodes That the Poles held immovable are not so but that these two starres turn within two degrees round the Pole That 't is an errour the Sun should by night go hide himself under us that the two Poles are not diametrically opposite since as they say they may be seen at the same time upon sea and land though very low neverthelesse That if there were Antipodes that must be the bottom of the earth and all rivers would naturally run thither contrary to experience and a thousand other opinions as strange as absurd for want of knowledge in the spheare and Astronomy So they laugh as at a thing childish and fabulous at the opinion of the Ancients and Moderns on this side of the rotundity of the earth in the middle of the world and the Ubiquitary habitation and that the Sun turns quite round from East to West They hold for certain that the Sunne rises in all other points as they observe in Tazatay where they imagine it to rise as 't were North and North-West They think to prove their phantastical imaginations when they describe the Iliaca a bright starre in the West and opposite to that Biliaca which appears beyond the Line and is that the shepheards fear so much by the Persians called Zobona so mortiferous to cattle for which cause they house them while that starre raignes and the better to preserve them they make them turn tayle to the starre for if they face it it makes them languish and dye in the end They say that these two opposite starres may be seen in a Line at the same time through a trunck and that each moves about his Pole in twenty four houres but that these are not the same as the North and the Crusero The North being no more distant from the Pole then two degrees and a quarter and one of the other two a degree and a half onely And whereas the ancients observed onely two Poles each in his Hemisphere they make six Poles in the same Hemispheare which are Casara the pole of the World that of the Zodiack the Artick and Antartick and these two starrs and a thousand other fancies as incomprehensible as they are farr from the sence of reason and experience And that which confirmes them in their errors is that they can discerne the two polar starrs from the same place as in Japaca seven degrees beyond the Line in Java and the like in Sumatra and other parts and accordingly in travell they make a strange calculation of the distances of places They jeer likewise at the frame of our spheare and the division of the Zodiack into twelve signes some to the North some to the South and understand not this but after their own way They call the Zodiack Cazatoni that is Significator The signes they call Ant Ronia Amiessem Emisen Courpsa Cheoser Irat Metrias Escorgat Tamasee Besir Bizihir Azourac Persan the highest spheare Birquen Emine the Ecliptick Zoberna that is obscurity because Ecclipses proceed thence That the Zodiack is an oblike circle and that from thence and the Region of fire the Sun takes his course and thence makes generation of all inferiour things Like some of the ancients likewise they hold that the Heaven stands like a vault over the earth and floates and swimmes upon the waters In breife I shewed them the work of Paul Rao the Italian who speakes of all this Astronomy of the Ancients which supposes the Equinoctiall divides the Zodiack in two parts South and North at which they scoffed and grew cholerick saying so base a book was fit for the fire that held nothing but errors and wondered our Prince would suffer such frauds and impostures as they called them to be published in his Dominions they believing as well the lands inhabited from East to West as from South to North are in view of the pole Artick and that it is false there should be any part of India under the Antartick since as they think they have the North as much elevated as we in Europe and many extravagancies hereupon which I leave to be argued and confuted by the learned in Astronomy and Cosmography Hearkning to these Indian opinions I have been told that the Chineses that speculative Nation hold the Heavens to be round but the Earth square and the Empire of China stands punctually in the middle as being the excellence and Principality of the World other parts being but as the skirts and accessaries so as they were a little cholerick when they saw our cards designe their Countrey in the extremity of the East as an indignity to the Grandeur and Majesty of their Country and King whom they call the sonne of the sun And truly these poore Indians wanting the knowledg of sciences and experience are not so much to be blamed for their opinions since in the middle of sage and learned Greece there were of the ancient Philosophers that maintained almost the same that the earth was not round but some as Lucipus that it was like a drum others that it was hollow like a barke as Heraelitus others like a Cilinder or Roler as Anaximandrus and Democritus others that it was absolutely flat as Empodocles and Anaximines some have wandered as far as this Paradox to release it from the center and make it run in the heavens about the immovable sun which with no less extravagancy hath been renewed in our times But for the Antipodes they who held the rotundity of the earth allowed them not for all that holding those parts inhabitable either for being covered with innavigable seas or for the insupportable heats of the Torrid Zone even some of the ancient fathers have for other considerations been taken with this opinion as Lactantius St. Augustine and others and they say a learned Germane Bishop was accused of Heresie for maintaining there was Antipodes But besides the reasons of science experience of Navigation and modern voyages shewes sufficiently the truth of this matter whereof I leave the large discourse to the more learned CHAP. XXXVII Of Tartary Frightfull deserts fierce dogs a strange History of two lovers the Empire of the Tartars and their Religion OF Grand Tartary which lies on the North of all the Provinces I have spoken of I know nothing but by the relation I received in these parts and by the Memorialls of a certain Hollander who was at Pegu. The Inhabitants of these Countreys then tould me that beyond the Kingdom of Tazatay Mandranella Transiana and Casubi towards the North are vast solitudes and sandy deserts which you must travell for many dayes before you can arrive at a Kingdom called Sinabo which at one end towards the East confines with Cochinchina subject to the great King of Tabin or China To passe these vast sands there must be made good provision of victualls water and beast for as
Priest in our company and being brought to one called Chaousandre who afterwards became a Capchin he confessed to him and told us that he had formerly travailed three hundred leagues to finde one to confesse to but at that time he was not in capacity for voyages of that length being guide of a family that he had but one single wife though fully as perverse as she was faire and deprived of the light of Religion as the rest of his houshold were He feasted us at his home with great kindenesse and we presented him with a Roman Primmer which he held in high esteem for the pictures onely for our characters were unknown to him nor did he understand our language He bestowed upon us a Girafe and a sheep all white but the head which was black as they are all in that countrey For Girafes they are docile beasts white and spotted with red their fore-feet very short in proportion to the hinder with a Deers head and very short horns there is great store of them in the land of Cefala CHAP. IV. The Country of Monbaze Melinde and Quiloa the nature of the Inhabitants and the respect they bear their PRINCE HAving left Bulgara we run all along that stretched forth coast of Ethiope where we visited Melindo Monbaze Quiloa Mozambique Cefala and other Townes for truck of our commodities The country of Monbaze takes name from a Town and Island so called which on the East hath the vast Indian sea on the North Melinde on the South Quiloa and Westward the spacious lake of Zaflan and the kingdome of Xoa belonging to the King of Abyssins Heretofore this kingdome was subject to a great Prince styled the King of Monemuge neighbouring to Ethiope Monatapa and Mozambique As for Monbaze 't is a Town about the rate of Monpellier built almost after the Italian model the people are of Olive colour affable courteous and well apparelled specially the women who delight in rich apparel There is a good Sea-port strong and much frequented by the Indians who drive a great trade in spices drugges and precious stones which much enriches the place and brings a great conflux of people from Zanzbar Penda Agair and other parts of Africa There is gold silver precious stones and Ivory in great quantity The country abounds in good fruit of all sorts particularly in Citrons and Oranges of prodigious bignesse and of excellent taste whereof the rind is sweet and good to eat There are likewise Peaches without stones but of little savour Pomegranates exceeding large and above all excellent waters fresh and light herein surpassing Quiloa which is defective The People are of a sweet disposition contrary to other Maritime places where the natives are ordinarily mutinous and litigious We had there an Host called Francesco Cosmel of complexion between black and white as he were born of a Father black and a Mother white he gave us testimonies of a generous soule and seemed to be of good extraction He lodged us in the chief chamber of the house hanged with Matte both walls and floore with abundance of well-wrought cushions with an artificial fountain on one side which water'd little trees where was a whole flight of birds of Paradise male and female which contrary to the common opinion had feet as I said elsewhere whereupon I shall relate a pleasant passage which befell us My companion resolving to go to a jolly town not far thence to put off some Safron which he had was taken with an extreme cholick which made him go to stool oftner then he would in our chamber there was a little Cistern full of pure water he finding himself pressed and conceiving this Cistern to be a place of purpose for discharge seats himself on it By misfortune there was a young maid washing clothes who finding this nasty showre fall upon her began to cry out and I that knew what the matter was immediately went out pretending I had something to buy so as my companion who suspected nothing was amazed when he saw two slaves fall upon him with cudgels who cured his disease with a new sort of Cataplasme Returning up again I saw this lucky adventure and my companion as well as he could defending himself In fine after many excuses the matter was taken up by mediation of twenty seven Miticales each being in value four French Livers which my companion was forced to pay for mundifying the Cistern True it is he was cured of his cholick but so ashamed of the accident he had not confidence to suppe with us The Territory of Monbaze is of no great extent confining on one side on the Town of Orgaba or Orgabea seated on the river Onchir which runs to powre it self into Nile near Mount Amara where the kingdome of Melinde begins having Amara on the North and Monbaze on the East The common diet of the country is honey and rice their drink Areta Fatigar and Belinganze which they keep in great Oxe hornes cut in severall figures that they may be the more useful This sort of vessel is much used in the Ethiopian Court as well for their capacity as their not being liable to break especially with the Monbazians who neverthelesse will make no use of any but of a beast that had his throat cut deriving this custome from the Jews In their traffick with Merchants they apply charms to force them to their intent a thing I never observed in any other nation When notice comes that some neighbour Prince hath sent Embassadours to their King upon affaires of importance they doe then much more They take a wilde goat by them called Machorati and having laid some charmes upon it mounted upon his Elephant the Prince passes three times over him with most horrible cries and imprecations which their Labis or Priests pronounce against their Singiscan or Demon Then having made three cries more in manner of prayer they require to know if this Embassadour comes for Peace or Warre if it be answered for Peace they march before him with abundance of perfumes and signes of joy and being arrived at the Town the perfumes are cast into the water to shew that all this was only to do him honour and to endear him But if it be for Warre they testify the plain contrary I have heard since my return that the town and Port of Monbaze is by the Portugals taken and demolished For a draught of Melinde which is a kingdom lying above Monbaze and subject to the same King the Capitall Town of the same name is scituate on the sea in two degrees and a halfe beyond the Line the Port is at some distance by reason that on the water side 't is pester'd with many craggy rocks which render the landing dangerous The country abounds in all sorts of Fruits and Viands bread excepted instead whereof they make use of Parates which are both good and wholesom They have likewise variety of flesh which they roast and
or falls amongst the Mountains which so compresse it that it seems a shot or lightning in quicknesse and thunder in horrid noyse till having crossed Egypt and entertained some Rivers of Nubia branching it self into many streams which compose the so much celebrated fair and fertile Countrey of Delta comes to render it self into the Mediterranean at mouthes and sluces which our Ancestors took for seven others nine at this day the most known and remarkable are those of Damiete Rosete heretofore called Heracleotique and Pelusiaque which compose the two sides of the triangle As to the surfluxes and inundations which fertilize all Egypt and serve instead of fructiferous rains from June to September laying the Countrey like an Archipelagus covered with innumerable little Islands wherein stand their habitations more excelse then the rest which is a piece of water I leave to Philosophers to search the causes who in all ages were much perplext and much divided some attributing it to the dissolving of snows from the Ethiopian mountains where snow never fell others to anniversary winds forcing the waters to remount and so overflow others with more probability to the continual rains of the torrid Zone in this season as I my self have seen it happen all along this Zone to the Indies both East and West Yea there are some who go further for a cause and will have it proceed from winds and furious tempests which at this season rage about the Cape of good Hope swelling the Sea which by certain secret Subterranian channels communicates it self with the Ethiopian Lakes which makes Nile and other Rivers taking birth from thence to surfeit But howsoever it is and whencesoever it proceeds certainly the effect is altogether admirable the encrease lasting fourty daies as likewise the decrease and some say the River Noir or Cambra or Senega do the same The course of this River from birth to dissolution is esteemed to be nine hundred leagues in right line and windings and bosomes considered to be above two thousand which is the longest course of any River in the Universe except the Plate and Maragnon in Brasile CHAP. IX Of the Town of Bagamidri and the coronation of their Kings TO return to our voyage I shal tell you that Bagamidri is a Town in Ethiopia in three degrees of altitude beyond the line in a fair champion upon the River Zuama which disbanks as Nile do's For the kingdom of Bagamidri it reaches to the Tropick watered by Zuama called by the inhabitants Zimbada which crosses the deserts of Manica where are dismal Mountains and goes til it ingulphs it self in the Oriental and Meridian sea composing a most commodious shore where vessels take in fresh-water and fuel Here are abundance of wild goats and small Buls and Cows so fierce that he must be very skilfull that takes them they have little horns which grow but skin-deep mooving them as their ears as I observed in another place This River of Zuama is by the Portugalls called Rio del Spiritu sancto for the content they receive who saile upon it Moreover in passing or bathing in this River there ought great caution to be had and to be well arm'd against the Crocodiles which are here in great numbers nor is the danger on land much lesse for the Tigars of which there are great Troupes and will very sawcily dismount you either from Horse or Mule Towards the West the Countrey borders on Mancigonge Eastward on Cafates to the North it lyes on Gidada which some call the Countrey of Amazons South-ward on Monopotapa The Town of Bagamidri is called Imperial by reason the King of Tigrai or Tigremahon having received his first Crown at the place of his election receives the second here This Ceremonie was first instituted in the time of St. Abiblicanus who lived in a cave near the Town in so high repute that the King who then reigned would have the honour to be crown'd by so great a Saint since which time there is an Ordinance that all the Kings of Tigray shal be crown'd here as the several Crowns of our Emperours were received at Aix Milan and Rome and the third he receives from the hand of the Grand Negus his Soveraign who hath onely a crown of silver whereas the King of Tigray hath his of inestimable value Here I shal tell you by the way that in Tigramahon I saw a Church of one intire piece wrought in a Rock near to Tecassin which they call the Church of Creatures for that 't is dedicated to the four Evangelists In the lower Ethiopia there is the like which they call the Maiant Calassen that is the Seat of Eternity For the Kingdome of the Amazons they report it to be betwixt the country of Damut and Gorage or Goraga and Gongara where they recount many things not unlike the stories of our Ancestors as that the women have the authority are exceeding valiant and excellent Archers that they cut off their right breast to draw a how the better with other things of that kinde There is mention made of the like women in many other parts of the world Some say the word Amazon is derived from a country belonging to the Negus or Monopotapa near Mancinconge where the women are of great courage though the men are Masters and Preste John makes use of them in his warres In this country stands the faire city Felucia or Falacia where they say is a sumptuous Tombe of a Princesse called Agagina built all of a black marble clear and transparent as glasse The people of these countries are of severall complexions according to the place that gives them breath For under the line they are neither white nor black but of a swart tawny colour though the world affords not a more temperate climate then they are under They who live Westward from the countrey of Agagne to Ambian are intirely black and four degrees from the Line troubled with excessive raines for three moneths together But they of the Province of Zembre are more white and very docile especially the women who are passably beautifull and gracefull and good Christians though they were the last that received the faith since the Eunuch baptized by Saint Philip planted it in the better part of the Provinces of Ethiope and as some will have in Arabia the happy it self and as far as Tuprobane CHAP. X. Of the Mansion of Preste John and his Justice A History upon this subject BEing at Bagamidri some of us more curious then the rest of our company agreed to go see the Court of the Grand Negus or King of the Abissins and to this purpose leaving them that had no such desire we took a side-way towards the towns Barra and Barua where we were told the Prince most commonly resided Following on this road and having crossed many Provinces and Kingdomes at length we arrived at Barra the chief town of the Country where we found a numerous multitude of people
weighed besides such a proportion of diet every day for their livelyhood as in Italy Cardinals Princes and the Nobility use to do CHAP. XIV Of the kingdom and policy of Mongibir of the Mountain Amara where the Abissin Princes are BEcause I have made mention of Mongibir I shall inform you that this Countrey the capitall Town whereof is called Scanfourin is subject to the Negus and neighbour to the Province of Calasen The Natives are of a middle size and olive colour which makes them affect strangers exceedingly esteeming them more beautiful than themselves though very few come amongst them for they are wretched base and timorous beyond imagination trembling at the report of a gun which they say is the Devils handycraft and call him Hocalsic that is a good man who carries none of these fire cudgels Neverthelesse they maintain a continuall war upon the Calasens who are Christians and they Idolaters worshipping the sun the Negus never being able to reconcile them nor introduce Christian religion amongst them Amongst other heresies they believe that after death the soule enters into another body which makes them indulge strangers so highly upon opinion they may be of their alliance yet they hold they cannot enter into the Calasenians nor the Suecans because they are Romarins that is Christians nor delight to inhabit a body of a contrary Religion and so ceremonious and austere as ours is The earth say they was made for our sustenance and 't were indignity to the Maker not to make use of all which it produces When one speaks to them of the kingdom of Heaven they say 't is the mansion of the Gods and Lights and not of men and that God will have no communication with sinners who are unworthy to approach a thing so holy which shews they once had better knowledge of our mysteries though in the whole time of our travaile there we saw not any book or the least record of the true religion They will invite Passengers to lodge with them and command their wives to keep them company while they go to the wood or river for entertainment for their guests their wives caresse them and esteem it a happinesse if they prove with child by a stranger which when they bring into the world they call it Gilchaquillan that is a child of the sun who being grown up the Prince takes him to his service saying this is the way to multiply his Nation with vertuous people And what is more the wife is the better esteemed of her husband and the Prince if it be a male child sends him a little snake of gold or silver in form of an ear-pendant which renders him so qualified that the time may come he may be capable of the charge of Benchaye who is the person next to the King if it be a girle she shall be married to a person of high degree Though they want not mines of baleys rubies and of silver besides other mettals as tin and copper whence they get an earth which makes the most pure violet colour in the world wherewith they make their houses very gracefull to the eye neverthelesse their fancy is to paint their arms and legs specially the nails and hang pieces of old iron in their ears A Portuguese one day shewed them a piece of gold against the sun which charmed them so that they immediately made it known to their king who resolved to have it at any price to hang in his ear as a thing miraculous and sacred and gave for it half a tun-weight of cinamon As concerning the Articles of their Faith they have no Idols in their Temples but on solemn feasts being assembled they dance round and sing hymns in honour of the sun abstaining from sustenance till his setting They acknowledge a place where sinners are tormented after death and some more grievously than others proportionably to their offences Further they have no speculation being Masters neither of literature nor characters a simple people easie to deceive content with a bare sufficiency for livelyhood not studying how to make use of their national commodities to the best advantage besides so kind they give freely to one another whatsoever they are possessed of and so grosse there are many things amongst them they know no name for and are absolute forrainers at a mile distance Their onely traffick is for honied wine which is brought them from Suechan and Calasen in truck for wild beef-hides and Elephants which they sell to Biguen They are of such fidelity in their commerce that they are really ignorant what 't is to lye and keep their promise with religious observation 'T is true the Ingresses to the Countrey are very dangerous by reason of robbers of diverse nations who rendezvous there but the King executes most severe justice on them that are apprehended condemning them to the jawes of wild beasts which he keeps in Parks This Princes court is governed with good policy and is most commonly attended with four hundred tall men at arms drawn out of his Provinces called Marac which on the South confine on the kingdom of Couran small Countries but the Inhabitants have a particular renown for their fidelity Besides he hath constantly near him 400. horsemen well mounted and in his stable a thousand able horses at rest because being generally bare-foot they are apt to batter their hoofs To march before him he hath 50. Cavaliers whom they call the Joarmamir that is the chief Guard cloth'd in cotton cloth with bow and arrow in hand then follow fifty Cavaliers more in cotton Cassocks variously painted with a short silk Cloak not unlike Meca Tapistry wearing on their head a cap in fashion like a Miter at their girdles hang little balls of steel with three pikes wherewith they seldom misse when they strike and at their Saddle bow a sharp'ned iron like the head of a lance These they call the Kings Champions These two troops march in the field about a bow-shoot before the Prince having between them fifty Elephants richly trapp'd with Tapistry of silk each bearing three or four men with strong bows and arrows three ells long Ethiopian bonnets on their head and Alparyates or open shooes on their feet them they call Jourles that is Archers Then 50. Cavaliers mounted on white horses bearing balls of silver richly wrought in white short cloaks with silver buckles on their head a red bonnet hanging over their shoulders like a Chapperoon they term these Gouaique Soumimara that is the Princes Councell of strangers Then a hundred more well mounted stuck with abundance of feathers their horses covered with cases of Beares Lions or other beasts skins fringed with little coloured feathers a bow in a scarfe and a club in their hand of a sufficient length In the last place comes up the troop which is called Mameiteque Ebaulbic or the Guard of the Body armed with long lances pointed with certain stones keen as any razor which next fire-pikes is
those brought from Persia and Arabia which they esteem the best of the world They affect to go handsomely apparelled wearing two corner'd hats of Chamlet lin'd with cloth of cotton or silk their garments long their doublets and hose of the Mariners cut like them of Goa The women are decently dressed in silk their face open with little round bonnets exquisitely wrought at the crown whereof which is slit comes out a lock of their hair deck'd with gemmes of pearls they wear abundance especially the Nobility others wear a vaile of linnen over their face They have an hearb they call Amatura which makes the best Carnation and Nacar dye in the world and being washed becomes an excellent crimson which never loses colour The town in prospect may be aptly said like Tauris Directly over against it on the other side the river stand two other towns and a spacious Village The kingdome of Saba is stor'd with many other good towns as Madrara Ambadarae or Ambadora Mathida or Machada Betmaria Madraneli or Manadelli and others of great trade the people Christians of devotion enough but with some mixture of Judaisme They worship Saints but above all the blessed Virgin and when the Angelical salutation or Ave Maria is rung the Prince if he be on horse-back descends to say the prayer on his knees otherwise he should be mulcted They have a Legend of a Paralitick who being on horse-back and hearing the Bell ring without excuse presently alighted and was cured whereupon he became a Monk of S. Abiblicanus giving all his wealth to the poor 'T is death to blaspheme the name of God or the blessed Virgin and all both men and women as they are generally addicted to labour while they work sing pious songs to cheer them Curtesans and publick Harlots are there expressely prohibited and severely punished A Shoomaker seeing one who was very beautiful for lewdnesse led to punishment took her to wife and saved her for which he had a general applause of all men and she ever after lived vertuously and modestly during her matrimony They bear great honour to the Crosse and salute it on their knees as oft as they finde one on the high way insomuch as one shall scarce see a Crosse without divers kneeling about it When a Church Chappel or Oratory is to be erected they ring the Gadapi which means the bell of charity the bell made of baked clay and the clapper of wood which calls them together and a Calsena declares the necessity of the structure to which they make a general voluntary contribution I have seen the very principal Ladies along the river carry two and two the necessaries to it as Stones Lime Sand and other materials which some will carry on their heads The Princesse her self leads the way on such occasions and all the other Ladies follow her example The men likewise do their parts and in certain stations stand religious persons with musical instruments to recreate the Lady-taskers on the other side 't is the Princes part to provide fruits and other refreshments for them with tables set here and there furnished with all sorts of diet and wine of honey in large hornes for they seldom use other wine except some of Dates wine of the vine being forbidden by Law to all whatsoever In this town is the Church of S. Mary of Sion of which I spoke before which they will have to be the first in Christendom built by the Queen of Saba wherein they deceive themselves there being more probability 't was the Queen Candace or some other after her for in the dayes of Salomon and long after there was no Temple but that of Jerusalem whither they resorted from all parts to the services and sacrifices at certain solemn feasts There are 300. Debeteres or Cannons belonging to this Church There is likewise a stately Palace for the Tribunal Justice called the Macabate where they judge the Processe and Appeal to Tigray whereon they depend the Province being tributary to the kingdome of Tigray The Town of Saba or Soba is properly upon that Nile which comes from Zaire for the other branch called Tecassin or Tagazzi descends from the Lake Baretna in high Ethiopia and they joyn about Ermita From Saba before we went aboard we had a desire to go see the Town of Caraman the Seigniory whereof confines upon Gianamora or Gianamara towards the East and North towards the South upon the Kingdom of Cauas and on the West upon the Province of Sieto which touches upon Nubia Here is a Church dedicated to the sacred Virgin which is one of the most famous in the country for that by exquisite artifice 't is cut out of the natural rock Candaces Eunuch is said to be the Founder of it Within we saw thirteen Domes or Niches excellently wrought with fine columns and drawing near the Altar in one of the Niches the picture of the Virgin with her infant Jesus crowned and a crescent at his feet then in the middle of the Church the figure of a Bird signifying the Holy Ghost without any either image or figure in the whole Church The Niches made Seats for the Priests in representation of the thirteen Apostles They have many Sects amongst them The chiefe Prelate wore a long garment close girt to him at which is fastened a picket capouch The man shewed much gravity and Majesty and stood amazed when he saw us on our knees before the image of the Virgin whereof he desired to know the reason But as there were but few amongst them of the ancient religion so omit they not to sing the Prime the third the sixt and other Canonical houres singing the Psalmes standing Interjecting many sentences and prophane ceremonies They much rejoyced at our devotion to the blessed Virgin and began to cry out with great joy Anderi behold people of the farthest point of the world of our religion then shewing them our Primmers with some pictures in them they could not contain from kissing our garments welcoming us with such profound humility that in tendernesse we melted tears The Prince of the place having heard of us and that we were entertained by these Priests conceived well of us and imagined we were Priests travailing towards Saba in Meroe to visit the chaire of a holy Prophet of the great God Magoura which they hold to be the Chaire Saint John Baptist preached in by them called Nabi Asista and the Robe King David danced in before the Ark preserved as a venerable Relick with a ring presented as they say by Salomon to the Queen of Saba a very splendid one and seems like a burning coale Now being lodged in the Priests apartment he entertained us with excellent fare variety and well-dressed but the first dish seemed strange to us for 't was flesh raw seasoned with spices 't was of no ill taste but rather procuring appetite then we were served with all sorts of good meat At this feast many came to
nothing for the terrour our late danger had left in us and the affliction for our great losse but for the men above all For the Sieur de la Courb lost a servant that had serv'd him twenty years besides a thousand Spanish doublons and a pound of pearles by estimation of great value with great store of other rich commodities and curiosities Notwithstanding 't was our duty to embrace all with patience with praises to God that preserved our persons and in this misfortune the Sieur de la Courb had a bason full of gold of Pepitas as the Spaniard calls them or seeds given him by one of the Lords in our travaile which was in another Almadie with the rest of his people and now stood us in good stead On the morrow we went to Carsiane and lodged at her house who was saved when our bark was lost she made us a free entertainment and upon her account we were visited by all the principall of the Town There we rested our selves two daies and the good woman in acknowledgement of her obligation thought no treaty sufficient for me taking so much care for me that next morning she brought me a clean shirt and gave me other presents as she was able amongst the rest a peice of very sine cloth of Calicut to make me shirts Thence we went to Saraboma or Saraboesun that so famous Island which the Ancients called Meroe and now Caeguere between the line and the Tropick Some say 't was originally called Saba and took the name of Meroe from a sister of Cambyses king of Persia This Island is embraced by the two arms of Nile the one anciently called Astaboras the other Astupus or Astusapes which is on the west side Saraboma standing betwixt two rivers like Saba is quite hidden in trees very pleasantly There we saw not so much as one Trades-man or publick shop but every man in his own house works by himself The greatest part spin wool or silk and dames of the best quality make stuffs of silk In brief they all work except those of base repute They are a people of honest and religious life where there is not a Malefactor nor a person in the hands of justice no Lawyers nor no Pettyfoggers They celebrate Masse after the Georgian rites with some ceremonies of the Jew or Abissine Through all the churches they say but one Masse a day as through the rest of all Ethiopia and all men women girls and infants must hear every day one there cannot be a people better nor more devout They generally observe lent and the greater part fast it entirely They give the Communion to sucking infants use extream austerities are of very reserved life timorous to offend God in the least grounding themselves on the words of the Evangelist who saith Hardly shall the just man be saved From thence we passed by many habitations of tents composed in the form of Tremisen or Ducalia where throughout the people were very large of person and stoutly armed and waited on with fierce dogs Then we travailed five dayes not meeting with any Town but Guelba a place inconsiderable nor durst we lodge there for fear of some injury but lay in our barks As we passed along we enquired stil of the Country-men if they saw by the banks the bodies of any drowned men but in vain for we could learn no tidings The fifth day we came to a fair Town called Essere in the same Isle of Meroe seated on a soyle covered with dates oranges and other fruit trees They have likewise Coloquintida but make no account of it We had sight of a wild Rhinocerot that was crossing a thick wood that with breaking the boughs as he went made the woods ring afterwards we saw the female follow him The people of the Country venture not to destroy them for that he is so dangerous and his natural armour impenetrable From Essere we made towards Bigan having taken in provision because we had four dayes journey thither The way is something dangerous by reason of certain Cafies assassines who murther the passengers and live onely upon pillage There they call them Tammatans because they are of the kingdom of Tamatas They can subsist three or four dayes together without eating any more then a little butter and two dates a day They are of a large size by a good span taller than the ordinary but very megre and lean and they never lie down As we passed we saw vaste Countries but few inhabitants except some shepherds But before we arrived at Bigan we came to a great hamlet called Carfouran where we went on shore to refresh and recreate a little There we bought a barrel of wine of honey which barrel was made of a cane of one piece all but the ends They have of these barrels that are wonderful large towards the West we saw a great field covered over with capers of which they make little account we boiled a young calf which they gave us I think for fear we should do them some harm seeing us go in company and well appointed and every where we took passes of the Princes and Lords Neverthelesse when we came away we gave them some few dragmes which are little square pieces of silver currant all along Nile up into high Egypt and are taken by weight Thence we came at night to Bigan and we neglected not as soon as we landed to go visit the Governour whom they call the Basira we shewed him the Negus's pasports which with great ceremony in token of reverence he laid upon his head shewed us great kindnesses and invited us to supper He sent us to our lodging four great hornes of date-wine exceeding strong and searching for drinking it without water one would think himself on fire and I believe it passes through some distillatory We kept it to take in mornings in the manner of strong-water We returned the Governour some sweet-meats in exchange which were very acceptable and he gave us besides certain birds which are good meat in Province we call them Fransons with six turkeys and four white partridges Departing from Bigan we came in one day as far as Casima directly over against the desert of Goran which lies on the East and South of it This was a day of great pleasure to us passing still by Lawrels and other sorts of lovely and wholsom fruit-trees and meeting with many Towns and hamlets where they have horses in abundance We saw there a great troop of Munkies passing by a lake in the middle of a Plain and a Gentleman fishing with Hawkes which took great store of good fish and carried them to their Master The sight of this fishing retarded us above an houre though we had seen the like in several places in India When the people saw we were delighted with their sport they brought us a good part of their fish as Eels Trouts Carps and Barbels and we returned them two fine horns excellently wrought full of Date
wine They walked by us upon the River Bank and desired us we would stay and drink with them mean while one of them wrote a note to the Lord of Casima whereupon when we were arrived he ordered us very noble accommodation sent us divers sorts of fruits and a dozen of rabbets black and white exceeding small but of excellent taste With great courtesie he offered us any thing we had use of and on the morrow he invited us to dinner in his garden called the Motochon which word is vulgar Greek though used in Nubia This garden was made at the Princes charge with great art full of abundance of trees graffed with several kindes one above another which to the eye is delightful to see several variety upon the same stock as amongst others two several sorts of figs. The like I have seen in the Isle of Chio and at Zaure at the Convent of S. Francis for there on the one side I have seen fruit ripening on the other side fruit decayed and rotten out of which corruption certain knats take life which immediately go and peck the others which makes them presently perish which otherwise would endure for ever an admirable thing in nature neverthelesse most true There were besides certain trees which bear nuts as bigge as Estridge egges full of cotton as fine as silke There were other sorts of fruit which I never saw but there and one amongst the rest leav'd like the Siccamore with fruit like the golden apple but no gall more bitter and within five kernels as big as Almonds the juyce whereof is sweet as sugar betwixt the shell and the nut there growes a thick skin of Carnation colour which taken before it be throughly ripe they preserve with Date-vinegar and makes an excellent sweet meat which they present to the King as a great curiosity Another tree bears of the finest sort of Lacque for Painters Also they sow here Orient Auil or Indico an hearb that makes a dye of great price whereof they make great traffick and profit Besides they have another grain from which they draw an excellent oyle beyond that of Cinamon which they use for restoration of the spirits Then they have a tree like a Pomegarnat which bears a most soveraign balme as I have had the experience for I brought one of these nuts from thence which I had of this Governour in truck for a Turquese wherewith I did great cures amongst my friends I should never conclude if I should write but half the curiosities of this garden where there is a collection of all the Oriental singularities But that which seemed of all most rare and artificial was two hands of transparent Marble at the Fortal which held a bow bent when any one knock't at the gate the hands discharged arrowes upon them but the arrovves had no piles and the danger vvas not great all this done by springs dexterously set on vvork The beauty and excellence of this garden stay'd us tvvo vvhole dayes here in contemplation of the rarities In fine we took our leave of this worthy Lord whom they called Lebetera and bent our course for Misan through which vve vvere to enter Nubia a kingdom vvhich confronts the Deserts of Goran Egypt Ganga and Borno the bounds of Preste Johns Empire vvhich confines on that side on Nubia and Egypt We crossed many countries in a short space because Nile is more rapid and svvift here then in any other part for having reunited all his vvaters and meeting sometimes vvith open plain countries vvhere he spreads himself at length and breadth sometimes vvith rocks and mountains vvhich gird and straighten him he cannot so properly be said to glide or run as to precipitate himself headlong with falls that make such noyse it deafens the people round about There are the Cataracts so celebrated in antiquities the great and the lesse not far above the ancient Townes Elephantina and Siena or Asna CHAP. XVIII A prodigious History of a young Abissin Prince by name Joel by enchantment transformed into an Ape AS we passed along Nile in our Bark entertaining the day with various discourses one shewed me a book of many prodigious histories and amongst others this of Prince Joel of whom I had heretofore heard at Pegu where the story is represented in a Tapistry of the Kings after this manner In Janamira a Province of Ethiopia there lived a Prince called Rostan Sofar otherwise Fafarin who by a first wife had a son named Alarin Sofar but usually called Joel and by a second wife two Aman Sofar and another whose name I know not Not long before his death he made his will and left to Joel his eldest sonne his principial dominion and all his treasure betwixt the other two he divided the rest of his dominions The guardian-ship of young Joel he committed to a friend to whom he discovered the place where the greatest part of his treasure lay hid which he had inclosed in a stone that was laid in the bowels of a wall Three dayes after his decease this friend dyes with grief so as the treasure together with Joels person were left in the power of Rostans widow Joels step-mother who ambitious the succession should come to her own children out of a frantick malice resolved to send Joel upon a specious pretence far enough from his Palace to a sister of hers a most powerful Magician who to raze out all remembrance of him should by vertue of charms transform him to an Ape giving out that he was lost and could by no means be heard of They say the work was executed after this manner This Sorceresse was blind but on the Sabbath that darknesse left her and she could see as others do a On a Sabbath day she took Joel with her to sacrifice to Sathan and do him such homage as his professed servants use to do But he refusing to perpetrate such abhominable duties to the Prince of darknesse she resolved to dispatch him by murther but again moved to compassion by the gracious sweetnesse in his face she changed her designe She composed a Bath wherein she put him and by power of her inchantmens transformed him to an exceeding pretty and tractable Ape superinducing an Apes skin over his humane shape so abstracting his reason and sence that little more remained in him then was proportionable to a meer sensual creature notwithstanding which a knowledge was something more perfect though he had not the use of articulate speech and with a marvellous addresse to render those little services to them of the family who cherished him and fancied him exceedingly The deplorable Prince lived divers years in this condition at length he made his escape into the woods where he suffered great acerbities and often perplexed with illusions of the devill but was still assisted by an extraordinary flame of grace and the vigilancy of his guardian Angell who for his consolation appeared to him sometimes in the form of a dove
from a mountain of sand of excessive height I saw since near the Town of Lima or of Rois in Poru which exalting to an extraordinary height amongst many other hills never alters or diminishes for any wind or storm that can assault it a thing much admired by all men and for this the Indians adore it as divine but of this we shall with Gods leave speak in another tract of a voyage to the West-Indies But returning to the sands of Egypt 't is thence the greatest part of Mummy or flesh buried and rosted in the sand is gotten which the wind uncovering the next passenger brings to town for trade it being very medicinable Here you see a dead man is often more serviceable to the living then the living themselves yet some approve not of the physick But howsoever embalmed flesh is prefer'd before it for the Aromatick drugs the Egyptians used for preservation of dead bodies wherein they were at great charge and study whether for their hope of resurrection or for the opinion of some Philosophers that soules should so long live after departure as the bodies remain intire and incorrupt for which cause they seasoned and embalmed them with Bitumen Salt Frankincense Myrrhe and other Aromaticks and bodies thus embalmed and preserved for many ages by the Arabians are called Mummies To proceed the land of Egypt is highly renowned for a very potent and wealthy kingdom where some say heretofore have been reckoned 20. thousand wall'd towns to entertain the infinite multitude of Inhabitants she had in those dayes but now there remaines but little of all this The first Kings of the world were their Rulers from whom they derive their lines of so many thousand fabulous years Their first and kings were called in the Scripture by the generall name of Pharoes then the Persians became their Masters afterwards the Greeks then at last the Romans till the Saracins got them under their Califes and Soudans and the Turks for this last age The ayre is good and temperate the soyle fertile and abounding in all commodities but so plentiful of corn that 't was held the Granary of Rome in her chiefest glory in medals of antiquity Egypt was still figur'd with ears of corn The country about Caire they call Sabida heretofore Sais and Egypt taken together Chibib in Heibrew Mitfraim by the name of the son of Chus who first possessed it thence the Arabians at this day call it Mesre The region called Delta from the triangular form is the fertile part of it because 't is water'd and cut through by seven branches or armes of Nile This country is exceeding fertile throughout but the rest from Caire to Ethiopia is not so but only along the Nile for three or four leagues on each side where the river flows the rest is sandy parched and waste except some places where the river comes in channels which they say were heretofore the work of Joseph son of Jacob. CHAP. XXI Of the Town of Alexandria the Isle of Malta and the Authours return to Marseils WE staid some dayes at Grand Caire where in the advance of my voyage I staid many moneths but before I go away I will tell you how we met there with a brother of my companion Guillen Cassis whom he had so basely abused at our coming from Meca as I said in another place when he cheated him of seven Cammels under colour to go to traffick in the red sea and Ethiopia and we passed into Arabia the happy to Persia the East Indies and Affrica where in all we were forth in our travailes six years and a halfe But as soon as he perceived at a distance his brother Marat he got slily into a company that his brother might not take notice of him at length he passed by us with a fixed eye but said nothing no one thinking of him for my part I knew him not yet me thought I had seen him before till at last I called him to mind and told the whole story to our company who condemned it for an unworthy action In fine the good fellow by this means scap'd a bad encounter Being departed from Grand Caire we went to embarke in our Almadies which staid for us at Boulac which is the Rendezvous of all Merchants Christians and others who are bound for Alexandria Thence we came in a day and a half to Auas where we met with my friend who had made all speed for fear of his brother From Auas we came in a day and a half to Rousette called by the natives Raschill a town by the ancients called Metilis or Canapus upon an arm of Nile called Heraclettick which Historians call Rexi At Roussetta we sold our Almadies and imbarked by night in a Germe and the next day were in Alexandria Alexandria is a town half ruinate of little pleasure a most remarkable example of the inconstancy of worldly things that this town should now be brought to so lacerate a condition that was for many ages one of the most ample fair populous rich and flourishing towns of the world chiefly renowned for excellent and commodious scituation for her Founder Alexander the great for having been the Seat-royall of the Ptolomiâ—s for her so famous and frequented Haven for her proud buildings amongst the rest Pharoes tower one of the wonders of the world for her Academy renowned for all Sciences for being the mother of so many famous Philosophers great Doctors and holy Patriarcks who kept the christian faith so long flourishing in those parts briefly for so many ornaments of art and nature from which glory she fell after she was taken with the rest of the country by the Sarasins and their third Calife Homar so as after this consternation she never recovered any thing of her pristine splendour But she remains a good Haven and a good landing place for all Merchandizes of the Levant and Indies where all Levantine Merchants Africans and Europians come to traffick Heretofore the Romans afterwards the Ptolemies made it the greatest Mart in the world by the means of the sea and Nile drawing thither all sorts of drugs spices and other Arabian commodities from India by the red sea then by land to Nile and so to Alexandria Since again under the Soudans this course was continued where the Venetians and all Europians fetched their spices till the Portuguese found out another way as we said in another place I will say no more either of this town or Caire as places sufficiently understood in these parts by the ample relations of divers accurate travailers only I shall observe that in this town when the Nile flowes they preserve sweet water in their Cesterns and make Channels to water their gardens There is resident a Consul for the French Nation Le sieur de Rhode was then the person who shewed us much kindnesse and much admired our tedious and painful peregrination He had his wife there with him by whom he had two twin daughters
Straight conquered by the Portuguese as Arzile and others and joynes to the Province of Errif which beginnes at the Straight and Eastward stretches as farre as the River Necor Northward to the Mediterranean The principall town of it is Targa or Terga upon the said sea who traffick with the People of Tunnis and Bisette There are besides the Townes of Jelles Gebba and others Garet joynes to this Province which reaches as farre as the Deserts of Numidia and the Cities there are Mazelle Megger and others where there are many Mines of Iron This Countrey joynes upon the Region of Chaus which Westward runnes to the River Barnagara that goes to the borders of Lybia with her townes of Teurere Besornin c. It extends as farre as the Kingdome of Telesin exceeding rich which on the West bounds upon the Rivers Moluia and La South upon the deserts of Numidia comprehending from West to East near four hundred miles environed with many great deserts confining on the blacks and hath two remarkable Havens Marzalquibir and Oran besides the townes of Gualdida Hauan the great City of Nodroma and Telesin the capitall where the King resides who keeps a magnificent Court There is also Constantina the Walls whereof are black stone polished scituate upon a Mountain at the foot whereof the River Sufamar runnes About it are other Provinces whereof some joyn to the desert of Barqua which borders upon Tenez a City of Numidia and on the North embraces the Province of Daro which joynes upon Sequelme or Segelmesse taking name from the capitall towne and extends to the River of Zez which confines on the Deserts of Lybia All these countries are inhabited by severall barbarous people as Zonetes Azonagia Zabara Egilefe and runnes to the Province of Chenega which joyns to the Mountaine of Atlas This Mountaine reaches to the Deserts of Numidia amongst which there is one countrey terminates upon the kingdom of Bugia called Zeb on the North having Biledulgerib or Numidia Lybia is of great extent and Numidia larger In Lybia are the vast Deserts of Zonzaga and Zuenziga almost all inhabited on the skirts with Arabians who have the blacks on the West and South called Galata confining upon Tombur In the middle is the Desert of Zarat which is two hundred miles over without any habitation but the desert of Aroboan affords some comfort and it joynes upon Tombur Then next are the deserts of Hair over which lyes the passage from Tombur to Telensin We leave the Desert of Gosde on the right hand for the numbers of fierce beasts that resort thither then to the desert of Gir which on the North confines on Tuas Tegerin and Damesab which hath the kingdome of Agades on the South a countrey plentifull of Herbage Fountaines and Manna which they use much in their Diet and Pottages they have such abundance of it it renders them exceeding strong and agile they likewise boyled with water make drink of it They are subjects to the King of Tombur and border upon Cano another kingdome tributary to Tombur The people are all black as pitch Near the Town of of Masar in Arabia Salban there was once a Gulph of the Sea There was formerly a Temple dedicated to Venus where maids did prostitute themselves for pleasure or profit they report but a famous Courtisan beautiful and rich by name Ameliga being courted by divers Princes and great persons would accept of nothing from them only obliging them to give something to the poor using these words Honour the Goddesse Ameliza to whom you offer this which made her famous through all Africa so as they came from very forrain parts to see her and the King of Bodumal sued to have her to wife which she refused amongst others there was a Maraban who visiting her erected a magnificent Temple to her which was immediately frequented with a concourse of people and everyone repair'd thither to obtain their desire provided they were able of member otherwise 't was not to be looked for The People of Guiner Tombur and others were of this devotion The Priests of the Temple received the word and render'd them at certain houres For the kingdome of Melli 't is very wealthy by reason 't is cut through with the black river or Senega or a branch of it or rather a channell made by hand so as 't is very fruitfull in Dates Raisins Cotton and other commodities for 't is said this River flowes as Nile does and at the same houres They have abundance of Canoes or boats of one piece in which they travaile upon their little negotiations passing from kingdome to kingdome moved out of the History of Jonas who they say came on shore there They make great benefit of Whales and believe no Whale can passe that way without bursting An ancient Gentleman of Siban told me that in the yeare one thousand five hundred seventy one walking on the shore he saw three great Whales which being entered the Gulph made a most horrid noyse and on the morrow one of them was cast up with his belly slit as it had been done with a knife the other two were carried away with the streame of the water Whether this be a miracle or magick I will not judge Melli borders upon Gago and Gago is the better countrey of the two and though Melli have the better townes yet the other is of much more esteem for many things but chiefly for the quantity of gold brought thither by the Moores from all parts and this gold is very exquisite whereof they make most part of their pieces of a crown and halfe which they call Miticales But Melly hath the glory from all her neighbours for a fair Colledge of their Prophet Haly where all the other kingdomes come to study the Sciences there being many learned Doctors of their kind Thither for this purpose repaires the youth of Cambre the chief town of Tambur as also from Gago and other place Gago is a Town of great traffick where there is a great Mart for pepper and slaves of all parts of Christendom whom they employ in Mines there being some who for avarice bring their own children for this purpose Gago borders Eastward on Cober and the capital towns of these two countries are 200. leagues distant They are also under the inundation of Niger which manures the countrey and makes it plentifull in cattle and provisions the reason the people apply themselves more to husbandry then study and so are grosse and rustick Westward from thence lyes the great Cape Serrelyonne on the East the kingdome of Agades then Cano Zegeg which breeds such store of horse then Zanfara and Guangara Northward whose King hath a Guard of 7000. men foot and horse with bowes and Cimeterres Then comes Borro which runs above five hundred miles Eastward having on the South the Deserts of Get and on the North those of Barea They are a brutish people and entertain their wives in common Towards the Piroc are the
days we came to Cape Nona where we took in fresh water and seven dayes after we arrived at the white Cape a main shelter in the winter season where the fish lye so thick the ship brushes and rubbes upon them as 't were sayling through a shelf of sand There we found two vessels a Fleming and a Marseillian the Master whereof was John Baptista le vust called Servat who for his Merchant employed Aurigues the 15. of November we were upon a River of Guinea called Senega I ever carried with me a little memorial or diurnall where I set down all the curiosities I met with for which purpose I informed my self of the scituation of the countrey the quality of the Prince and government of which I will make a brief relation Guinea on the West is bounded with the River Senega which ingulfs into the Ocean at sixteen degrees to the North and the borders of Angela are at thirteen Guinea is divided into the high and the low the high Guinea inclines to the North the lower lyes along the Senega which they call Jeni and reaches to the kingdome Manicongo that begins at the first degree of the Line Upon the coast of Cape Verde are many Islands of one appellation the principal is of S. James in the hands of the Portuguese since the year 1446. where they have a well-fortified town and a Bishoprick stil'd Civitad an Island of 60. miles in length and 36. in breadth a mountanous country where they have never rain but in September and October which comprehend their winter The valleyes are fertile and afford excellent Melons the year round Dates and Sugar-canes in abundance flesh of all sorts Fowle and Venison with beards of horses and special good 'T is inhabited as that of S. Thomas by a conflux of all nations and the ayre being unwholesome they transport their infirm to an Island two leagues distant called Praya under a fine climate the ayr healthful and a commodious Haven betwixt two fair Rivers which compose two gulphs for harbours one whereof is capable to containe many vessels in security having before the mouth of it a little Island which guards it from the Maritime gusts and the land lying high defends it from windes by shore The other Islanders affect to land at this Port for that the rest are pester'd with sands and chiefly Borlouento and S. Thomas where there is ever some vessel cast away This Isle lyes close upon the Isle of Mago otherwise called Barlouento and near to Bona Vista Saint Nicholas Saint Anthony Saint Vincent Saint Lucie and Fell Islands plentifull of Cattle and Venison the inhabitants applying themselves onely to the chase powdering the flesh to sell to strangers as the skinnes likewise A little Eastward lyes the Isle del Fuego where they get as good wine as in the Canaries next is the Isle of Braua full of Venison and wilde Beeves whereof the Hydes are much sought after as being thick and tough But to Guinea the kingdome of the Jalofes is the first which beginnes Northward at the River Senega hath the Ocean on the West the Jalofes called Fonlogageias on the East and the kingdom of Barbessin on the South 't is above a hundred and fifty leagues in length of several commodities there is abundance as gold and silver which the natives conceale with all care from strangeers though in dealing with them 't is plain they have store for that by whiles they produce some unfined Taboucaton is their chief town They are Blacks but of good shape the women comely round-faced with eyes lively and attractive The men are martial dextrous in throwing a Javelin which they will throw with as exact arm as we shoot with our Gunnes They ride on good horses clothe as the African in short breeches a large Harnus like a sheet of wollen covers them from head to foot shod with Date-tree Sandals Vpon the coast they have the good and well-fortified Haven Beziguche whose entrance is skreen'd with a fair Island much frequented with strangers trading for the Indies Here are many Portuguese setled amongst them some married others who think of nothing but to heap up gold living something after the Barbarian Many of the Blacks go naked painted with dissolved gold their bodies carved and drawn with a various tincture as azure red and yellow which hold their life-time There are amongst them maids adorned in the same manner with great pendants in their ears and their lips pierced like the Brasilians they are generally libidinous and given over to luxury They who are thus engraved and inlay'd with paints or juyce of hearbs most commonly do it for want and this curiosiry is their attire Throughout the coast we find abundance of leather wax gold silver ivory and Amber-gris which is the reason the English Hollanders and Flemings visit them so oft The Jalofes are easie of belief and inclined to Christianity when they behold the Moon they make strong ejulations with sorts of adoration They adore yet some other Idols which neverthelesse fixe not their faith the Mahometans on one side who impugne them with their law on the other the Portuguese preaching ours and their own Priests charming them with their delusions and Idolatries They make their sacrifices in the woods making large hollow trees their Temples where they keep many Idols to which they sacrifice pulse Mill Rice and the blood of beasts whose flesh they eat The countrey of Bracala confines upon the rapide River of Gambra which in the mouth is five good leagues over ships cannot enter it without a direct wind with which they may advance three hundred leagues within the Countrey This River cuts the great kingdome of Mandinga in the middle peopled with Blacks Idolaters and abundance of Sorcerers wicked treacherous and base people When they hold a counsel t is in a cavern under ground to secure them from the prying of strangers They have store of Brasil wood as good as they of America and upon the river many townes and villages where they mantain many vessels of Warre to encounter with any whatsoever but upon advantage This countrey ends Southward at the Cape of S. Mary 30. leagues from the river Chougala by the Portuguese called S. Dominick There are two nations of the same quality the Barbachins called Ariates and Falupes who trade in nothing but fish and cattel They have an excellent way to take the sea-oxe the skins whereof they make great use of They apply themselves to till the soyle and get Mill Rice Pulse and other graine Out of this countrey comes the River Casamanca bounded Northward with the Jabundos on the South with the people of Bemum who on the East have the Casangas Of late yeares the Portuguese have discovered a way by an Arme of the Sea to Casangas and for this purpose have erected a good Fort upon the cheek of it called S. Philips This kingdome reaches Northward to Jaren and together do homage to the Sultanship
are two more Capor and Tanabasira descending from a high Mountain called Machamala where stands a great rock of Chrystal with divers Pyramids of the same hanging from the top downwards almost entirely in the air two or three spans distant from the ground which seems a great wonder for touching it with the least fillip it sounds like a bell They say 't is a congelation made so by the heat of the Sun which melting the foot of the Rock left these points hanging in the air 'T is for a truth that certain Magicians on a feast carried their Idols thither whither they ran from all sides to the sacrifice two thousand notwithstanding lost their lives and the Priests in the first place for making their sacrifice and suffumigation at the foot of the Chrystall rock the roof at which these Pyramids hung shook so as they broke and crushed to pieces the greater part of them The Devil having not power to hinder the extraordinarie heate of the Sacrifices from dissolving the congelations since which time no one comes near this Chrystall grotte Something farther North there are other great Rivers which render this Province of Serrilyonna as a pack of Islands particularly over against the mouth of one of them there are two very pleasant and good the one called Toro where are rocks called St. Anne which bear pearl oysters yet they go not to fish for them by reason of Sea-monsters which have swallowed some who ventured In one degree to the South lye the Islands Dolos and Tansente inhabited with Dates Sugar-canes Citrons and abundance of Cattell covered with Rice Millet and long Pepper To conclude these Blacks are governed by a King and have Judges who administer justice to them whom they call Foncos At certain times the King in a various coloured robe comes into a room hang'd with mat set round with seats for Counsellours whom they call Seitequi and Advocates to plead for both parties The Counsellors speak their opinion and the King gives sentence which is immediately executed When the King of Guinalla dies who governs many kingdoms there go twelve Seitequi in long gowns of divers colours made of feathers with twelve trumpetters before them sounding the more dolefully by reason of a certain skin they make use of for rendering the note more sharp and proclaim his death whereupon every one comes out of his house mussled in a white cloath while the allyes of the deceased assemble to elect another They take the corps and wash it burn the bowels before their Idol and preserve the ashes to be embalmed with his body His Funerals are not celebrated till the next moon when the people assemble from all parts of his dominion bringing balm incense ambergris white and black musk and other aromaticks to burn and perfume his body which then six principall persons in robes of white silke bear to his Sepulcher flutes and hoboyes sounding mournfully and attended with a concourse of people cloathed in white cloth sadly singing and lamenting The Princes who are in election are mounted on horses caparisoned with white and themselves cloathed with the like The corps laid in the monument well closed and cimented they return to the Palace to feast and make good cheer On the morrow is the election of a new King and as they say 't is made according to divine inspiration without favour or affection Then four Bacharin or twelve Seitequi go to his house bind him and lay him upon a Palanquin four carry him to the Palace where the chief Bachir unbinds him gives him three rude lashes with a whip he being on his knees makes a speech of remonstrance to him then takes him by the beard or ear and sayes to him If I deliver you this Scepter will you bring such a shame upon me as to be a Tyrant to your people whereto he answers nec Bachir that is no my Lord. The other then striking harder sayes do you promise this by the living God he answers Nec Bachis Ameleichina which is before the Almighty God I promise it Then they vest him in Royall robes put a triple Scepter in his right hand a lance in his left then that person casts himself at his feet and craves his pardon this done he goes in triumph through the Town where all rejoyce and bring him presents CHAP. I. The Authours voyage in the West Indies The description length and distances of America THe coast of America taken intirely as it lies on the North Sea from end to end containes near upon six thousand leagues as I have found it in two severall voyages the first when I went from Marseilles in the Salamander laded by one Boudar under the command of James Varin and the other with John Andes who carried me from Marseilles to Cadiz This new world is a continent from the Northern Sea to the Southern and Northward extends to Groneland Island c. from Island they esteem it 200. leagues to Ronevado thence 110. leagues to Cape Maluas the Countrey of Labrador opposite to the Isles of Divels frō Maluas to the cape of Marcos 60. to cape Belgado 50. This coast is of 200. leagues in right line lying on the same bound and buts upon the River St. Laurence where Captain Velasco a Spaniard landed who found it to be a good air the Countrey well peopled and full stocked with cattle in the middle of the River he went upon an Island so covered with pidgeons they could not passe for treading on them He sayes the people called Piperons were giants of ten foot high but kind and affable This Captain Velasco thought this gulf had been an arm of the Sea and sailed upwards above 200. leagues meeting with divers habitations where they live meerly upon venison and fish butter and cheese They presented him divers sheep goats and kids and in lieu Velasco presented Cacique a rich sword and poniard and a watchet-Tassata coat The people wear short cloaks of skins neatly made up and instead of bread have another substance which is very tastefull 't is a root whereof being dryed they make meale then taking odoriferous flowers they boile them together in earthen pots scum them and put thereto a good quantity of milke and salt then binding this close in goat-skins they lay it for two or three daies in the sun and it becomes firm as Parmasan cheese which they eat for excellent bread The disclosure of this River frames a square harbour extending as far as Bacalaos From this harbour or gulf to Florida is 6000. leagues from thence to Baya del Rio 60. leagues thence to the Islands 70. l. in 40. d. to Rio fendo 75. l. in the River of Gama 70. l. 43. d. Cape St. Maria 50. l. Cape de Baco 50. l. Rio di Sancto Antonio 100. l. Cape di Arenos 80. l. passing by the harbour called in those parts Ariousa the Cape whereof is in 23. degrees thence to Cape Alegano or of the Princes 75. leagues to the River
businesse then to be merry They are a strenuous people docile and capable of religion were it not for the unsufferable Tyranny of the Spaniard who of four hundred thousand soules found on this Island have left scarce the hundreth part which is the cause you meet scarce with any thing but desolation and dead mens bones The first of these kingdomes is called Mangna a fertile soyle with many good and large rivers in length 80. leagues from the South sea to the North invironed with mountaines amongst which are these Cibar where are gold mines of 23. Carats and a half the second kingdome is Sigouaya the third Magana or Magnane the fourth Xantiga the fifth Hegay Magana abounds in gold and sugar and different from the rest the King is created by election The King dead foure Tabusamin who are principal Peeres assemble the people at the Palace of Bibical a Conquerour and establisher of the state This Bibical was the miracle of his time for strength who came hither from Mecheoarin on the Continent in Mexico to visit his brother servant to the King of Mangna and one of his chief dancers being here would needs see the other dominions of the Island at Sigouaya where the exercise of wrestling is much in request he made some stay as indeed in war it self the matter is decided as much or more by vigour of arm as weapon and being very perfect he entered lists with the best amongst them and in the Princes presence came off with such advantage that he gained the honour of a Lions skin a matter so considerable with them that in warre 't is worne by none but persons of quality Invited by the King he stayed at Court but the King of Mangna with whom his brother was having notice he sent expressely to have him return and that he would find an honourable employment for him withall sent him an ample present not in wealth but Mexican curiosities as Jewels to hang in the ears and lips and the like the people not prizing so much gold as innocent and simple gaity and with great reason liberty above all All the Kings civilities nor his brothers entreaties could draw him from the Prince of Sigouay who had designed him to march with a hundred Indians into the kingdom of Magana and take a strong town called Saalan for that it maintained it self a free town and would submit to no Prince With much joy Bibical received the Commission and by his valour reduced the place to his Princes obedience with many famous gallantries putting numbers to the sword and the rest to flight Their Bastion called Courcoumeca barrocadoed with timber twice mans height he took by assault By this means not the town alone but the whole countrey was subjugated to the King of Sigouaya who repayed Bibical with collation of honours and erected him monumental trophies of stone with this inscription Aray jourcoumac Bifical that is a man worthy of principality Gibbeleca the Kings sister became so passionate a lover of him that she resolved to marry him though her brother in displeasure secur'd her in a secret prison Biblical freed her married her and carried her to Magana where he made himselfe King of the Countrey which so incensed the brother he used all meanes to destroy him for which purpose he suborned an Indian who from an ambush shot him on the high way with a poysoned shaft this so moved Biblical that he invaded him with a vigorous and violent warre assisted by his brother Gouayquibal and at last overthrew him but the venome of the wound he had formerly received by degrees so prevailed over him that he dyed swelled and black as a coale leaving no child behind him The people petitioned the Dowager she would marry again that they might have a Prince to govern them whereto though with difficulty she at last condescended and called a Councel where 't was ordered that the most strong and active should succeed and marry the Queen Then they proclaimed an Assembly at all exercises of strength as leaping wrestling and Clubbe-fight in which amongst them all one Calips prov'd eminent and was made King For his chief Councel he elected the deceased Kings brother to whom he gave his sister in marriage and since that time the Kings have been elected by strength which custome continued to Moulsamberc who died at the Spaniards invasion This Island was heretofore exceedingly vexed with the Canibales of the Antilles and other neighbour-Islands who come to hunt men and women as others do savage beasts the men to eat them and the women for procreation This Island though under the torrid Zone enjoyes a temperate ayre and almost a perpetual spring by meanes of Mountains which shelter it from the North and refresh it as in most parts under the Zone The Fecundity of the soyle is such that corn sowed produces most great and long eares of above a thousand cornes in an ear Besides it yields Gold Mastick Aloes Cotton Silk Sugars Spices Pepper and Ginger with Jucan and Cassaue whereof they make their bread 'T was from hence the Spaniards first took and brought into Europe the Morbus and remedy Guaicum Here chiefly raign the furious winds called Vracans or Foracanes furies that rend trees dash the waves against the sky destroying Navies and other prodigies But as these people were delivered from the cruelty of the Canibales they fell under that of the Spaniards a hundred times worse who laid the Island with the rest of her neighbours desert and depopulate though the Natives at their landing used them with all humanity but they fell presently to bloudy butchery carrying them slaves to other Countries and reduced them to such despair that the wretches thought better to use violence on themselves and children then to be led slaves under these Salbins thieves and tyrants As one of these miserable Kings was going to be burnt a Father of St. Francis exhorted him to baptism he liked well of all he told him of eternal life and heaven but understanding the Spaniards went thither also he lost his vocation saying in his language Heiti siltiba Salbin Spaniards in heaven and I with them fie fie adding he had rather live with the Yares the Devil and so dyed they destroyed all generally being glutted weary with slaughter they made markets of the rest as of Cattle to toyle and carry burthens not regarding any countermands of the Spanish King to keep them slaves These new guests at first they called children of the Sun but afterwards they changed their stile and called them Solbins and Devils and with good reason when these new-comes would lay insupportable burthens on them and when they failed or fainted cut off their heads to save a labour of unlocking an iron collar about their neck to put upon another Notwithstanding they were a people very capable of religion and doctrine as appeared in such as were converted who proved very pious Christians but
Poetry and verse in measure with Meetre and called their Poets Harauee that is Inventors Their Temples were of stone magnificently built sumptuous for gold and silver The statue of the Sun was massy gold which a Spaniard took and gam'd away in a night whereupon one said by way of jeâ—r that he had plaid away the Sun before he was up Of precious stones they have none but Emeraulds and Torqueses the country yields neither Diamonds nor Rubies In their golden garden were all sorts of hearbs and plants trees flowers fruits animals of massy gold and silver to the life In short the Spaniard found there unspeakable wealth yet all was nothing in comparison of that the Natives concealed or cast into the Sea or Lakes which could never be recovered There were Monasteries of maids dedicated to the Sun bound to perpetual virginity and never beholding other person the superiours called them Mamacunes The last of these Incas was Atahualpa the 14 from Manco Capac Leon the 7. Inca called Viracocha was a great souldier and Conquerour who saw in a vision one of their Gods Viracocha a Phantasm with long Mustachoes and a long gown of the Spaniards fashion whom for this cause they call Viracocha the Indians having no beard and wearing short garments They say this Phantasme foretold the arrival of the Spaniards an unknown people who should take away their Estates and Religion Tapangui the tenth King atchieved great conquests and extended his Empire to Chisa above 1000. leagues and built the fortification of Cusco that seems rather rocks grafted together by enchantment than an edifice built by industry and strength of men for the vastnesse of the stones of 38. foot long and 18. broad when they had use neither of Iron Waggons Oxen Cranes nor Pullies but fetched all from remote parts by humane strength The 12. Inca Huaina Capat by the Spaniards called Guainaecauan that made the famous roads with the monumentall stones and Innes from Quito to Cusco for above 500. leagues the one by the Mountains the other along the Sea shore upon the plain works far surpassing all the Romans boast of for length art labour and cost besides the rich and prodigious chain of gold every link wrist thick made for a sort of dance never found by the Spaniards This King was capable of the true Religion for he would reason that the Sun could not be the Soveraign God but that there must be one more powerful that commanded his perpetual circulation because were the Sun his own master he would sometimes rest for his pleasure not for necessity whereas the Soveraign God ought to enjoy the most perfect tranquillity without perturbation which was not seen in the Sun King Huiana now in peace at his palace of Tamipampa in 1515. had intelligence of certain strangers not altogether unknown that coasted the shore of his Dominions First Nunez Balboa discovered it in 1513. afterwards Pizarra and his Company who first gained it in 1531. The news much disturbed the King calling to mind an ancient oracle amongst them how a forraign bearded people should conquer and destroy their Empire besides in 1512. they had divers presages that portended the same For which reason the King dying advised his Sons with the white men with beards that were to be their Masters and the Indians in excuse that they no better defended themselves against such a handfull of Spaniards say 't was not for want of courage but in obedience to the orders and premonitions of their Prince Huiana had by all his wives above 300. children yet but one legitimate called Hilascar by his wife who was his Sister and one other by his dear Concubine called Acabalipa to whom he left the kingdom of Quito and Huascat reigned soveraign at Cusco But Acabalipa to throw off his homage to his Brother invaded him with a bloudy war defeated him and took him and put to death all the Incas and Princes of the blood-Royal that he might reign sole King though according to the Sanctions of the State not capable his Mother being Daughter neither of Coya that is a Queen nor of Palla a Princess of the blood He gave death to above two hundred of his Brothers then to as many of his alliance as he could lay hands on as well men as women with cruell torments and extended his tyranny upon the very servants and officers royal with fire violations and other villanies In the Province of Canares alone he put to death sixty thousand men because they had held with his Brother and covered the land with carcases and horrible desolations In recompense this villain was justly punished by the Spaniards more wicked than himself and they afterwards by themselves not finding any that could exceed them again in villany In the year 1526. Francisco Pizarra and Diego Almagro being at Panarma having lived a long time in the Indies and assisted at the conquest of Vraba Cartagena and other places resolved upon the expedition and discovery of Peru where they met with ill-favoured entertainments at their first landing Then Pizarra going to Spain obtained the chief command in the designed conquest and with four of his Brothers Diego Almagro and others made their invasion in the year 1531. with most fortunate success Acabalipa they took who paid a ransom of gold and silver neverthelesse they gave him an ignominious death by the hands of the Hangman Thus was this mighty and opulent Empire conquered by a handfull of Spaniards divine providence in inscrutible councels making the avarice cruelty and other vices of these Victors instrumentall to bring these people to the knowledge of the true God Now is the time the Spaniards glut their avarice and cruelty perpetrate all insolencies and truculencies imaginable which have been so fully represented observed and exaggerated by their own histories and Authours I shall not need to paint them in any other colours but they all or the greatest part paid dear for it when by intestine discord envy and amutinies amongst themselves they butchered one another and so revenged the nefarious treatment of the poor Indians and those who overstood this self-destruction were justly executed by the command of Charles the fifth who commissioned certain Licenciados Vacca de Gastro and Gasca to pronounce severe justice upon these seditious Mutineers there the Pizarras Almagros and others all perished The fifth Viceroy established in Peru was Blasius Nuez 1544. Lima or the Town of Kings was founded at this time first by Pizarra in 1533. afterwards the residence of the Viceroys the seat of Parliament Inquisition University and the Metropolitan Church of the whole Countrey As to Chila that wide Countrey which the Incas could never subdue Almagro first discovered it then in 1540. oâ—e Valdiâ—ia entred and over-run it but he found such opposition of the Araucans a small people of this great Territory that he breathed his last there was slain and eaten and from that time for 50. years they
Page 9 Books of the lives and sects of Mahomets successors Page 13 Benjamin Page 19 Biharen Page 30 Benmir Page 32 Babylon ibid. Bagded Page 32 33. Balsora ibid. Bacchat Page 35 Besoart stone Page 36 Barcas Page 40 Batinisar and her Carpets Page 44 Baticola Page 54 Bisnegar Page 72.74 A History of the King of Bisnegar Page 73 Bramins high Priests Page 75 Barrs of gold Page 94 Ball-play Page 99.155 Betell a tree Page 101 Birds of Paradise Page 115 Beasts trained up to hunt Page 166 A bloody battell Page 178 Birds of strange nature ibid. Belugara a town in Monopotapa Page 186 Butua a Province Page 198 Bagamidri a town in Ethiopia Page 218. Bagamidri called Imperial and why ibid. Bagamidri a kingdom ibid. Bagamadri how bounded ibid. Barua a town Page 241.227 Biguen a strong town Page 235 Bridges of straw Page 236 Baza a pleasant town Page 256 Beniermi a desert Page 271 Bazuelle a fair town Page 273 Natural Balsome and how it growes Page 275 Barua an Isle Page 321 Bracala a country Page 322 Baris an Ape very serviceable Page 325 Bread made of fish Page 333 Beseé espada a dangerous fish Page 336 A History of Bibical Page 338 Breezes winds Page 341 Bacaltos why so called a coast annoyed with fish Page 347 Bacaltos discovered by an English man Page 348 Strange beasts Page 380 Birds of prodigious greatness ib. A good bargain Page 380 Brasile described Page 395 Brasile a fruitful and for pleasure a miraculous country ibid. Strange beasts in Brasile Page 397 Brasile divided ibid. Brasile by whom discoverrd ibid. Brasilians their nature their weare and ornaments Page 397 Brasilians Religion Page 398 Brasilian ceremonies at marriage ibid. The Brasilian customes Page 399 The Brasilian way of traffick ibid. Brasilians man-eaters Page 400 Brasilians their arms and wars ibid. Brasilian usage of prisoners at war ibid. Brasilians kind to strangers Page 402 Brasilians given to divinations and superstitions ibid. C. CAire Page 2 Candia ibid. Chrysorrhas Page 4 Carauane Page 9 A cheat Page 12 Cassia Page 19 Cinamon ibid. A Cutler Page 5 Cassis deceived his brother Page 13 Carauanes from Aleppo Damas and the grand Cair ibid. Cassis his treachery Page 17 Chicali Page 19 Cosan or Cosara a River Page 20 Camaran an Island Page 23 Camara Page 25 Camelots Page 26 Caymans or Crocodils ibid. Ceyfadin Page 29 Cimites of Persia Page 31 A Marseillan Curtisan Page 35 Casbin Page 36 Cusa Page 39 Calander ibid. Caidsidibir Page 40 Cassandera ibid. Christianisme in the Indies Page 42 Cambaye a town Page 45 46. Children sold by Parents Page 47.85 Calicut Page 57 Cochins scituation Page 62 Cinamon Page 67 Circles of poysoned iron Page 75 Christian faith preached in the Indians and by whom Page 76 Ceremonies Page 89 Cruelty of the Javans Page 98 Chiamay a famous Lake Page 105 Castigay an Idoll Page 107 Chaubanoys disaster Page 108 Caipomo a River Page 112 Confession amongst Idolaters Page 124 Communions extravagant Page 129 Cannons in the Indies from all antiquity Page 132 Cock-fights Page 138 Ceremonies Page 143 Casubi a kingdom Page 154 Casubi a town Page 155 Cocos and the benefit Page 156 The Cape of Palmes Page 180 Cape of Natall Page 183 where Christianity first planted in Africa ibid. Crocodiles and how taken Page 185 Christians in Belugara Page 187 Courtesy of savages Page 195 Courtesy of the Prince of Belugara ibid. Suguelane a town and the entertainment of that town with their customes Page 197 The Court of Abissina under tents in the field Page 215 Combats of savage beasts Page 222 Couzan a kingdom Page 238 Ceremonies at matrimony ibid. Crown revenues of the grand Negus Page 243 Churches and Church-service in Ethiopia Page 244 Candace Queen Page 252 Caraman a town Page 254 A Church cut out of the natural Rock founded by Candaces Eunuke ibid. The Chair of Saint John Babtist ibid. The celebrated cataracts Page 261 Christians delivered from Infidels by miracle Page 272 Caire built upon the ruines of Babylon and Memphis Page 274 Crocodiles and their nature Page 277 Constantina a town in Morocca Page 298 Constantinople the scituation and founder Page 306 A stupendious rock of Christal Page 325 Canaries why so called Page 331 A Cave in a rock once a Church Page 332 Cuba the most fruitful Island of America Page 336 Crocodiles good meat Page 337 Canibals hunt men and why Page 339 Cruelty of the Spaniards Page 340 Coasts of Mexico Page 341 Canada or New-France by whom discovered Page 349 the King of Canada whence extracted Page 350 the Canadans nature religion laws habit and customes ibid. An example of covetousnesse Page 365 Cordileras vast extended mountaines of wonderful scituation Page 372 Cosca a Province ibid. Charcas a Province in Peru. Page 373 the Calandar of Peru. Page 388 Cruelty revenged Page 389 Chica a country Page 392 D. DAmas Page 5 A Deruis Page 6.39 Dan Caerea Page 7 Dalatia Page 22 Dehir ibid. Dalascia a town Page 25 A strange dispute Page 27 Derbent Page 35 Delicacies Page 38 Durmisar Page 39 Diu assaulted by the Turk Page 44 Delidecan Page 49 Dinari Page 50 Country dames Page 74 A declaring of war Page 75 Diamond mines Page 83 the Devill adored Page 99 Dead bodies eaten Page 104 How drugges are brought into Europe Page 133 Documents for Princes Page 136 The devil's dance Page 143 A dance in Armes Page 164 Deserts frightfull Page 174 Dumes a river Page 191 King Davids robe Page 254 Dangala a town Page 272 Delusion of a Mahometan Priest Page 274 Deserts of Caire and how travailed Page 279 a difference ingeniously reconciled Page 319 Domingo an Island Page 332 Inhabitants of Domingo their Nature Lawes Customes and Religion ibid. Discovery of the new World Page 346 The Devil Gods ape Page 361 Dancers on the rope in Mexico Page 365 a discovery Page 379 Diving men Page 386 F. A Fatall execution Page 6 Erithreos a King Page 23 Ecade Page 40 Ebony Page 56 Euate a precious wood Page 81 A story of an Elephant Page 117 The manner of their keeping Page 118 Exorcisms Page 150 Number of Elephants in Pegu. Page 135 Extent of Africa Page 178 The Empire of the Abissins Page 180 Extent of the Abissins country Page 212 Ethiopians descended from Chus the sonne of Cham the first Idolaters Euate a precious vessel that endures no poyson Page 216 An entertainment Page 255 Ermin a Judge with the Turks Election of the King Page 327 Encrease of corn admirable Page 339 Election of the King of Mexico Page 358 Earthquakes Page 375 Emerald enemy to inconstancy Page 386 F. FErragous Page 17 Frankincense Page 19 Forests Page 38 Prodigious food Page 46 The French pox in Indies Page 51 Fish charmed Page 72 A fortunate escape Page 96 Two Franciscans eaten Page 98 Strange funerals Page 104 Faithful trading Page 111 Fraternal amity Page 145 Faith of the Indians Page 154 French highly esteemed in the
East Page 162 A female guard for a King The flowing of Nile whence it proceeds Page 217 Fidelity in subjects Page 243 Flesh eaten raw for a dainty Page 255 Fougira an odoriferous town Page 257 The fountain where the Virgin Mary rested when she fled into Egypt Page 276 Figs of particular quality Page 305 A gallant fight at Sea Page 318 Del Fuego an Isle Page 321 A mystical fruit Page 344 Florida discovered and described Page 352 Florida why so called ibid. Floridans their nature and customes ibid. Floridans wealthy Page 353 The miraculous Fountain of youth ibid. French hanged in Florida Page 356 A fountain of hot oyle Page 377 A fountain congealing immediatly Page 378 Fountains medicinable with accommodation for the sick Page 358 Fish in Mexico both useful and dangerous Page 381 French naturalized amongst the Brasilians Page 398 G. GRots of persecuted Christians Page 5 Ginger Page 26 Gedri Page 30 Gezempee Goa Page 50 Ganges a River Page 83.88 The Gulph Bengala Page 84 Giraffe a beast Page 105 Gaypoumo a strange River Page 106 Gunnes Page 110 Geographers mistaken Griffins Page 115.152 Grages extraordinary Page 155 Guber how bounded Page 179 Goragues wild and sanguinary people Page 227 A Garden at Casima most pleasant Page 261 Guinea how bounded Page 321 Gambra a famous River Page 322 Guinalla a Kingdom a River and a Haven The king of Guinalla 's State ibid. Gutulea a pleasant country the riches thereof Page 324 Gold for things inconsiderable Goulmaran the name of a River and countrey Page 351 Goulmarans their nature housing habit diet religion warre and innocence ibid. Goulmarans their armies of dogges H. HUnting Page 38 Hali. Page 38 Hamar Page 38 A History of a Bear Page 78 A history of a Spanish woman and a Monkey Page 79 Hunting of Elephants Page 92 Hermophrodites Page 92 A history of Serpents Page 105 Horses Page 110 Holy ashes and holy water Page 121 Hens black of flesh Page 127 A deplorable history of two Princes Page 144 Horses and their breeding Page 166 A Royall hunting ibid. A history of an Incubus Page 175 Horses sucked by Cowes Page 202 Dexterous horsemen ibid. A history of Prince Aranubi Page 220 Hereticks condemned to fire with the Ethiopians Page 246 A prodigious history of Prince Joel Page 261 A history of the Popes Almne Page 314 An accidental destruction of Idolaters Page 325 Hispaniola by whom discovered and when Page 337 In Hispaniola the people how governed their Laws and Nature ibid. A history of a slave Page 406 I. Jurabi a guide uses the Compasse Page 10 Jewes thieves Page 12 Jesrab a town Page 13 Jubara Abrahams mountain Page 15 Saint John Baptist Page 21 Ibram Page 25 Ismael Sophy Page 39 Icorma Page 39 Inhabitans of Genoa Page 41 Ivory Page 47 Idolatry Page 50 A miraculous discovery of innocence Page 53 Idoll of a Monkeys tooth Page 69 Indian earthen ware Page 78 Idolaters fear of Christianisme Page 88 Idolaters superstitious ibid. Java an Island Page 96 Infirme eaten ibid. Inhabitants of Sapara Page 98 Idolatrous and Mahometan Martyrs Page 125 Idolls of Pegu. Page 125 Idolls destroyed by the Portugals Page 123 The Image of the Virgin Mary in the Indies respected Page 154 Interrement ibid. Interrements Page 168 Igname a delicate root Page 182 Janiharou a Town and River Page 185 Joguia a root Page 186 Justice betwixt Creditor and Debtor severe Page 244 Joconomites an austere order Page 245 Kingdome of the Jalofes Page 321 Jalofes have person'd and qualified their ornaments and nature Page 322 Jalofes in their dealings lawlesse Page 323 An Island seen and not known Page 331 The Isbane of Iron Page 332 Jagares famous for swiftnesse Page 353 Jucatan described Page 370 Incas Kings of Peru. Page 387 The Isle of Saint Thomas described Page 404 K. A Kingdome left for heaven Page 88 Kingdomes conquered by Pegu. Page 112 Kingdomes tributary to the Emperour of the Abyssins Page 213 Knights of Malta and their institution Page 283 L. LIbanus Page 4 Ladamum Page 19 Lacca Page 26 Lawes in Narsingue Page 74 Lagi a town Page 113 Largaray a Kingdom Page 177 The Isle of Saint Laurence or Madagascar Page 182 In the Isle of Saint Laurence how they employ the Inhabitants Page 184 Lacque for painting Page 260 Lions their nature Page 271 Saint Laurence a river in the East-Indies Page 327 An unfortunate love Page 355 A prodigious lightning ibid. M. MAnna Page 4 Morets entertainment Page 8 A description of Medina Page 13 Mahomets tombe ibid. Mahomets birth Page 14 Mahomets law ibid. Medina taken by Mahomet ibid. Marabuts sacrificators Page 15 Mahometan ceremonies Page 15 Mazara a beast Page 19 Mirrhe Page 20 Mezua Page 25 Machif Page 35 The Virgin Mary honoured by the Indians Page 50. A most admirable medicine Page 56 Maladives Isles Page 72 A history of the Magicians of Pegu. ibid. Merchants deceived Page 74 Musk and from whence Page 81 Metempsicosis Page 94.97 Malaca and the traffick Page 102 Martaban Page 106 A miraculous delivery of a Christian exposed to beasts to be devoured Page 116 Meat perfumed Page 137 Mandronella a town Page 152 A Monkey armed Page 160 Militia of Transiana Page 165 Mountains remarkable Page 168 Mummy Page 169 Mountain of the Sun ibid. Mastiffes for prey Page 175 Magicians Page 180 Madrogan the chief towns of Monopotapa Page 200 The Monopotapian Kings habit ibid. The King of Monopotapa's Pallace service officers and magnificence Page 201 The King of Monopotapa's accoutrement for the warre ibid. The order of his Militia Page 202 Military Mastiffes ibid. The Monopotapian Eunuchs how clothed and their office ibid. The Monopotapian punishments Page 203 Monopotapian Princes are distinguished by a Lyons skin ibid. Manica a gold Mine Page 194 Mount Manica and the ruines of stupendous structures ibid. Magnificence of the Negus Page 203 Three mysticall dishes Page 226 The Mongibir Kings resignation Page 230 Mongibir a Kingdom Page 233 Mongibirians low-spirited and timerous ibid. Mongibirians Idolaters worship the Sun ibid. Mongibirians opinion of the Christians ibid. Magnificence in Mongibir Page 234 A mountain never free from snow Page 337 Moucall an uniforme town ibid. A passionate mourning Page 240 The march of the grand Negus Page 241 Monkes married Page 245 Men turned into Wolves Page 269 A man turned into an Asse by Magick ibid. A magical relation Page 270 A famous Mosquee Page 273 Mummi Page 279 Morocca Page 297 Melli a kingdome very wealthy Page 299 Magicians of divers kinds Page 302 A cruell murther Page 317 The Crick S. Michael Page 331 Marriage in Domingo Page 334 Mexico and the coasts Page 341.345 Mexico how called and described Page 356 Mexicans ingenious and Idolaters Page 357 Of the temperature of Mexico ib. The ancient Mexicans Page 358 The Mexicans armes Page 359 The King Montezuma ibid. Mexicans divided into several nations Page 360 Mexicans Religion Page 361 The Mexican year and month Page 362 The
French Pirates An unheard of curtesie from the hand of a Pyrate Punishment of the wicked Cassia The Pirâ—ts perfidiousnesse Antropophayes Marvellous seasons in the same parallells Cinamon Oyle of Cinnamon Butter and Hony Rubyes Betale a pearle-fishing A fish charmed Matouca a Ruby King of Zeilan Bread made of Rice Camouch Haven Streight of Zeilan Jafanapatan Manar an Island Badages Idoll of a Monkeys tooth Hanimam a Monkey Pescaria The manner of fishing for pearl Fish charmed Chitmi are Commissioners Setin Baharem Paraves Maldives Isles Polovis the devills Isle History of the Magitian of Pegu. Bisnegar or Marsingue A vast Army Horsebits History of the King of Bisnegar Var or Viridi Pagont Transiane Treason punished Timeragi Gondariane Merchant deceived Chandegry Narsingue Thatched houses Lawes observed at Narsingue Coutry Dames Bramins High-Priests Thus did the Bardes amongst the ancient Gauls A manner of declaring war Poysoned circles of Iron Palecate S. Thomas his shrine Christian faith preached in the Indies and by whom Chaldean tongue Meliapur signifies a pea-bird St. Thomas intomb'd Albuna in Aethiopia Indian earthen ware Nutmegs Calanfour a Clovegilliflowr A story of a Bear Ismahan Bâ—zari Agarida Sagistan Town History of a Spanish woman and a Monkey Maginus and Bartheme say this town stands between Bengale and Narsingue Modern Authours between Malalaca and Nateabam unlesse there are two towns of the same name Ternassery Musk and from whence Euate Bettell wood Quelba Maturane Diamond mines Bengale or Batacouta Ganges River The Gulfe Bengale Seraglio guarded Subtle poyson Children sold in market Apura A prodigious age Bonane is an â—ndian fig. A kingdom left for heaven The Idolaters fear of Christianisme Sartagan Idolaters superstitions The river Ganges how esteemed Strange ceremonies Andemaon Sad accident Caselba Resolution in extremity Sumatrans Insularies false people Continual rains Bahar Peper Hunting of Elephants Hermophrodites English and Hollanders in this Island Names of fruits Golden coyne Barres of gold Two Arms of the sea Nicobar Catarana called Sombrero Metempsycoses Severall Kingdomes The infirm eaten A fortunate escape Camorre Metympsphyâ—asâ—s Two Franciscans eaten Japara Igname Gouera Pirates how taken Cruelty of the Javans A sort of ball-play or Tennis the like at Mexico Bantan The devil adored French at Bantan Ambergris To be impaled is to have a stake thrust thorough the fundament and to come out of the mouth Nutmegs of Banda Touman Cocuma Ginger Betel Durions Malaca Ophir The traffick of Malaca Quinsay Siam War for a white Elephant The Empire of Sornao Odiva Lugor Pretty women Tirada Queen Strange Funeralls Dolefull Instruments Dead body eaten Gigraff a beast got by a Camell and a female Panther Unicornes Chiamay Lake A story of serpents Espaluco Martaban Gaypoumo Dougon Laque Rubarbe Aloes· Banean Satalico sacrificators Castigay an Idoll Chaubaina's disaster Pegu. Seas from North and South meet in the strait of Magellan Maskaret of Bourdeaux Garonnne River Kingdom of Pegu. Empire of Pegu's length Town of Pegu. Iron Guns Good horses and from whence Statues of beaten gold Other of silver Ganze a mixt mettle Byze a coyne Tahaba Goudons or Merchants houses Taregha Faithful trading Sensals true River Cappumâ— Geographers deceived Siami or Siammon Canarane Talcada Kingdoms conquered by Pegu. Ayr at Pegu is temperate Hermaphrodites War for a white Elephant Lagi White Elephants adored Aguari the musk car Sindero Unicorn Besouarts Tanarif Tiscan Griffin Ostriches Water fowle Francolin a red leyd fowle bigger then a Godwit Miracle of a Christian exposed to beasts to be devoured Asoufarâ— Telansin How they raise an Army Triennial Governours Zimbou Admirable obedience Differences quickly decided Areca Betel Peguans Armes The Kings march A jester baptized Big canes A Vision A heathen King converted S. Thomas marâ—yred Oysima Nestorians Tempest Charms against the tempest Confession amongst Idolaters Vldarin Punishments for crimes Idolatrous and Mahometan Martyrs Deruis Martyrs Talapoyes Idols of Pegu. Bleeding sacrifices Holy ashes and holy water An oraculous Idol Idols destroyed by the Portuguese The tooth of an ape Fotoque an Idoll The flesh of hens black Sacrifices for the dead Mâ—tempsycose Superstitious salutations Asses for chase Peguans whence derived The Peguans creed Jesuites in Pegu. Conversion and truth Extravagant communions Zibi demons Possessed Exorcisms Sacathy Coranita and the Sacrifice The Peguans diet Salutations Military exercises Cannons Medicinable drugs Cocos Summer in Pegu. Rubarbe How drugs are brought into Europe Royall Officers Coronation of the King Gadalaro Amicassen Respect given to strangers Amirsent Zanfart Atefiar Caranizi Archilet Dramont Number of Elephants in Pegu. Creation of the Prince and the Ceremonies A Crown of lead Wholsome documents for Princes The Ashes what Shoulders kissed Feasts for the people Subject Princes Talcadifs Viands perfumed Presents to the King Besistan Cock-fight Revenues of the King of Pegu. Calin a mettle Sodomie Bells for beasts only Honour and service to the King Justice officers Debtors sold Hospitals All employed in Pegu. Silk upon trees A great policy Adultery punished Marriage Repudiation Testimonies of love Sacrifice of their own children Palpes or Priests The devils dance Strange accidents to the authour Feasts and ceremonies Laudative songs How the Priests dispose of wars Reward of valour A deplorable History of two Princes Fraternal amity Curiosity and predictions dangerous A reasonable condition An unfortunate meeting Talc instead of glasse Musicall Instruments Hydrac The Peguan yeares Alterations in Pegu Vast Armies in the East Apes Fismans Fruitâ— Civit cats Mines Mounsons windes cold in extremity Debtors slayes Sugar used in buildings Elephants instructed Women Unicorns hornes Estriffe or a Gâ—iffon Mandranel Califerech Fanon money Chiza Artipan Ramata Sanacarin or virgin The Indians faith Interment and Ceremonies Widowes how remarried Ball play Sapony a moâ—tiberous herb Casubi and the ayre Women Goncha grapes Manna Long life Furs Cocos the benefit of the tree Confession in Casubi Procession Reconcilements This is partly taken out of the Ecclesiasticall History out of Socrates Sedomenes Theodoret and Ruffinus Ardesius and Frumentius Wood to strike fire Macharana Women swimers Quinsin Pudomel Poultry Money Bindi Apes importunate Azoufa Chicali Ira's A beast of the same nature as the Chicali but red Tygars Tygar skins Tygar hunting Elephants A story of the Rhinocerot of Escurial Very dangerous Wolfes An armed Monkey The King of Transiana his curiosity and affability Esteem of the French on the East The Courb's present Birds of Paradise Transiana Women Jewels and to whom Adultery punished Maids free A female guard for the King A dance in armes Viluaires Lambri The militia of the King of Transiana Horses and their breeding Beasts brought up to hunt Chase of recreation Apes Ront Armes Beasts skins Rhubarb Remarkable Mountaines Interments Divorces Nubis Priests Mummy Fidelity for the Merchants in India The mountain of the sun Tambo an Inne Ridiculous opinions of the surrising Lapland Sabooram Liberia in high Tartary The Indians strange opinions in Astronomy The Indians Iliaca and Piliaca This
a Merchant of Drogomania told me a Country confining Eastward upon these Kingdomes the deserts of Arabia are little in comparison to them and when I told him the fourty tedious days it cost us betwixt Suria and Medina through the deserts of Arabia he answered this was nothing in respect since by the help of guides they might here and there find a well whereas in the deserts of Asia in two and twenty dayes journey together nothing was to be found but sand and that one day as he travailed along with the convoy by misfortune one of the jarrs of water broke which was a great mischiefe to them and a very important losse being forced for want of it to kill one of their Camells to drink the loathsome water within him and eat his flesh He told me then for more commodious passage above all things it was necessary to provide good beasts and chiefly Persian Asses the best beast the world affords for carriage and the most proper for those wayes and are worth as much as a good horse That after these sands they came to huge Mountains absolutely barren which in my opinion must needs be mineralls but they try them not they are so far distant and the way so troublesom I observed in my East and Western voyages that where the Mines of gold silver and precious stones where the Mountains were ordinarily barren having nothing growing about them as they observe of the Calanfour or clove which suffers no plant near it The Merchant observed likewise that in these Mountains which must be those the Ancients called Juac dividing high and low Asia there are abundance of serpents of prodigious bignesse but are more advantage then damage to them for being free from venom and of an excellent substance and nourishment they eat there nothing else As I remember I saw in the Mountains of Syr in Africa For passing these Mountains and lodging with the Arabians under their tents 't was our admiration to see huge serpents play with children who would give them morsells of bread But to return to our Tartarian Merchant he told me that having passed this Mountainous Country they came to another desert of twenty dayes over void of all food where he was constrained to stray a good dayes journey to hunt for water and other commodities and this too with weapon in hand because there lives a certain Horde or nation of Shepherds or Tartars Nomades who keep huge Mastifes the most fierce and bloody in the world which indeed have more of the wolf then the dog they keep these dogs to destroy passengers on the way to which they train them for diet for themselves He told me that about three yeares before this breed of Rascals were almost all devoured by their own dogs after their cruell usage of certain Merchants who passed that way these to revenge themselves made an Ambush and having taken them served them as they had done others He told me many other curiosities of this country and amongst others that about twenty years before he passed by the Isle of Volmous or Ayman near to Cauchinchina and the country of the Meores that the people are haughty great souldiers well clothed and very civil lovers of honour and vertue and of complexion rather white then black that the land is full of impenitrable Forests but well stor'd with Venison and betwixt the Mountains good pasturadge that they had there a potent King by the title of Emperour on the day of his birth wearing on his head three Crowns in form of a Tiara for the three kingdomes he possessed that this Prince was King of Sinabo the Magers and Patanes Amongst other particulars of this country he related to me a strange History if it be true Thus that in a mountanous country vulgarly called Ismanca very fertile where there are clownes very wealthy in cattell whereof they drive a great trade as also in skins of divers beasts there was a rich shepherd called Ismahan who amongst other children had a daughter of excellent beauty who according to the custome of the country kept her fathers flocks This maid of twenty yeares of age loved a young shepherd her neighbour and kinsman but poor and to whose Father the rich shepherd had sent some corn who seeing he could not be paid and being aware of his daughters affection he told his debtor that on condition he would send his son to live in some remote parts he would forgive the debt which the other did the young man being thus banished by force the maid was extremely afflicted and as one day she walked alone in the fields lamenting the absence of her beloved Liza so he was called a Fiend in the same shape appeared to her and demanded for whom she was so much tormented since she had him assuredly present and that he loved her more then the world besides Some say this poor young man being banished the presence of his dear Mistresse sought out a Magician who promised he should see and enjoy her but bringing into a room to him a spirit in the form of the maid as the spirits of joy and love made him fly to embrace her the Demon strangled him afterwards taking the shape or rather the body of the dead youth continued his visits a long time to the maid whereof her Father and Brothers having notice resolved to surprize him and in effect breaking up her chamber door they found a stinking carcasse in bed by her at which both she and the rest were extremely frighted and the King of the country having notice of it sent for the maid to know the truth which she related as it was The King sent her to live with an Aunt of his where they say the Devil still frequented her and would visit her publickly in the shape of her friend wherein she took extreme content nor could she be disswaded from his conversation How I know not but they say she conceived and was delivered of two children who grown up became the most valiant and strong in the country so as since spirits are incapable of generation as the best Divines conclude we may suppose this was the youth himself who by the Magicians means enjoyed the maid and was afterwards killed by the devil that abused him and indeed some authentick authours mention such another History of one Phillinnion and Machetus and others But let us come back to Tartary where I learnt many other things of one Amador Baliora a Limner with whom I met coming back from Pegu and saw good part of his Memorials He had been in the Indies twelve or thirteen years and had drawn the plots of several Towns excellently well insomuch as having escaped shipwrack and arrived in health at Diu when all his company was hanged for his qualification the Governour saved his life and he drew him many exquisite pictures for which he gave him five hundred Croysades He had about fifty