to him and to all his armie Whereupon the king of Tunis was carried captiue vnto Fez and was afterward kept a while prisoner in the castle of Septa In the meane season Tripolis was by a Genouese fleete of twentie sailes surprised and sacked and the inhabitants carried away captiue Whereof the king of Fez beeing aduertised gaue the Genoueses fiftie thousand ducates vpon condition that he mightenioy the towne in peace But the Genoueses hauing surrendred the towne perceiued after their departure that most part of their ducates were counterfait Afterward the king of Tunis being restored vnto his former liberty by Abuselim king of Fez returned home vnto his kingdome and so the gouernment thereof remained vnto him and his posteritie till Abubar the sonne of Hutmen togither with his yoong sonne was slaine in the castle of Tripolis by a nephew of his who afterward vsurped the kingdome but he was slaine in a battell which he fought against Habdul Mumen who presently thereupon became Lord of Tripolis After him succeeded his sonne Zacharias who within a few moneths dyed of the pestilence After Zacharias Mucamen the sonne of Hesen and cosin to Zacharias was chosen king who beginning to tyrannize ouer the citizens was by them expelled out of his kingdome and afterward a certaine citizen was aduaunced vnto the royall throne who gouerned verie modestly But the king which was before expelled sent an armie of souldiers against Tripolis who loosing the field were all of them put to flight Afterward the king that began to raigne so modestly prooued a verie tyrant and being murthered by his kinsman the people made choise of a certaine nobleman leading as then an Hermites life and in a manner against his will appointed him their gouernour and so the gouernment of the citie of Tripolis remained vnto him and his posteritie till such time as king Ferdinando sent Don Pedro de Nauarra against it who on the sudden encountring this citie carried away many captiues with him The gouernour of Tripolis and his sonne in lawe were sent prisoners vnto Messina Where after certaine yeeres imprisonment they were restored by the Emperour Charles the fift vnto their former libertie and returned vnto Tripolis which towne was afterward destroyed by the Christians The castle of Tripolis being enuironed with most strong walles begin as I vnderstand to be replanted with new inhabitants And thus much as concerning the cities of the kingdome of Tunis Of the mountaines belonging to the state of Bugia THe territorie of Bugia is full of ragged high and woodie mountaines the inhabitants being a noble rich and liberall people and possessing great store of goats oxen and horses haue alwaies continued in libertie since the time that Bugia was surprised by the Christians The people of these mountaines vse to haue a blacke crosse vpon one of their cheekes according to the ancient custome before mentioned Their bread is made of barly and they haue abundance of nuts and figs vpon those mountaines especially which are neere vnto Zoaoa in some places of these mountaines are certaine mines of iron whereof they make a kinde of coine of halfe a pound weight They haue also another sort of siluer coine weighing fower graines a peece these mountaines yeeld abundance of wine and hempe but their linnen-cloath that they weaue is exceeding course And these mountaines of Bugia extende in length vpon the coast of the Mediterran sea almost a hundred and fiftie and in bredth fortie miles each mountaine containeth inhabitants of a diuers kinred and generation from others whom because they liue all after one manner we will passe ouer in silence Of mount Auraz THis exceeding high and populous mountaine is inhabited with most barbarous people that are wholy addicted vnto robberie and spoile From Bugia it is distant fowerscore and from Constantina almost threescore miles Also being separated from other mountaines it extendeth about threescore miles in length Southward it bordereth vpon the Numidian deserts and northward vpon the regions of Mesila Stefe Nicaus and Constantina From the very toppe of this mountaine issue diuers streames of water which running downe into the next plaines increase at length into a lake the water whereof in sommer time is salt The passage vnto this mountaine is very difficult in regard of certaine cruell Arabians Of the mountaine of Constantina ALl the north and west part of the territorie belonging to the citie of Constantina is full of high mountaines which beginning at the borders of Bugia extend themselues to the Mediterran sea euen as farre as Bona that is to say almost an hundred and thirtie miles Their fields vpon the plaines are replenished with oliues figges and all other kindes of fruites which are carried in great quantitie vnto the next townes and cities all the inhabitants for ciuill demeanour excell the citizens of Bugia and do exercise diuers manuarie arts and weaue great store of linnen cloth They are at continuall dissention among themselues by reason that their women will so often change husbands They are exceeding rich and free from all tribute and yet dare they not till their plaines both for feare of the Arabians and also of the gouernors of the next cities Euerie weeke vpon sundry daies heere is a market greatly frequented with merchants of Constantina of other places and whatsoeuer merchant hath no friend nor acquaintāce dwelling vpon the mountaines is in great hazard to be notablie cozened Vpon these mountaines they haue nether iudges priests nor yet any learned men so that when any of the inhabitants would write a letter vnto his friend he must trudge vp and downe sometime twelue and sometime fifteene miles to seeke a scribe Footemen for the warres they haue almost fortie thousand and about fower thousand horsemen The inhabitants are men of such valour that if they agreed among themselues they woulde soone be able to conquer all Africa Of the mountaines of Bona. THe citie of Bona hath on the north part the Mediterran sea on the south and west parts certaine mountaines adioining almost vnto the mountaines of Constantina and on the east side it hath most fruitfull fieldes and large plaines whereupon in times past were diuers townes and castles built by the Romains the ruines whereof are now onely remaining and the names quite forgotten All these regions by reason of the Arabians crueltie are so desolate that they are inhabited but in very fewe places and there they are constrained to keepe out the Arabians by force of armes The mountaines of Bona extend in length from east to west almost forescore miles and in bredth about thirtie miles Heere are great store of fountaines from whence certaine riuers issue running through the plaines into the Mediterran sea Of the mountaines standing neere vnto 〈◊〉 THe citie of Tunis standing vpon a plaine hath no mountaines nigh vnto it but onely on the west side towards the Meditterran sea where it hath a mountaine like vnto that which enuironeth Carthage Neere
the kingdomes of Adel and of Xoa consisteth the greatest parte of champion groundes which yeelde wheate barly and other graine most plentifully In this kingdome standes an exceeding high mountaine on the toppe whereof is a lake of twelue miles in compasse abounding with great varietie of fish and from this mountaine 〈◊〉 many riuers stored with fish also The kingdome of Damut as Sanutus affirmeth doth border vpon the kingdome of Xoa and is enclosed on either side with the lake of Barcena and the lande of Zanguebar Howbeit others place Damut betweene the kingdomes of Vangue and Goiame towarde the west which opinion seemeth most probable This countrey aboundeth with golde ginger grapes corne and beasts of all sortes The slaues of this kingdome are much esteemed and are commonly solde throughout all Arabia Persia and Egypt where they prooue most valiant soldiers The greater part of the people of Damut are Gentiles and the residue Christians who haue certaine monasteries In this kingdome is that exceeding high and dreadfull mountaine hauing one narrow passage onely to ascend by whither the Prete sendeth his nobles which are conuicted of any heinous crime to suffer ignominious death with hunger and cold About the fountaines of Nilus some say that there are Amazones or women-warriers most valiant and redoubted which vse bowes and arrowes and liue vnder the gouernement of a Queene as likewise the people called Cafri or Cafates being as blacke as pitch and of a mightie stature and as some thinke descended of the Iewes but now they are idolaters and most deadly enimies to the Christians for they make continuall assaults vpon the Abassins dispoiling them both of life and goods but all the day-time they lie lurking in mountaines woods and deepe valleies The stile vsed by Prete Ianni in his letters I the king whose name the lions doe reuerence and who by the grace of God was at my baptisme called Athani Tingil that is The incense of the virgine but now at the beginning of my raigne tooke vpon me the name of Dauid beloued of God the piller of faith descended of the tribe of 〈◊〉 the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Salomon the sonne of the piller of Sion the sonne of the seede of Iacob the sonne of the hand of Marie the sonne of Nahu according to the flesh the sonne of the holy Apostles Peter and Faul according to grace Emperour of the higher and greater 〈◊〉 and of most large kingdomes territories and iurisdictions the king of Xoa Caffate Fatigar Angote Barú Baaliganze Adea Vangue and Goiame where the fountaines of Nilus are as likewise of 〈◊〉 Baguamedri Ambea 〈◊〉 Tigremahon Sabaim the countrie of the Queen of Saba of Barnagasso and lorde as farre as Nubia which confineth vpon Egypt Certaine answeres of Don Francisco Aluarez who from the yeere 1520. for the space of sixe yeeres next ensuing had trauailed and remained in the countrey of PRETE IANNI with the Portugall ambassadour Rodrigo de Lima made vnto sundrie demaunds or questions of the Archbishop of Bragança concerning the state of the foresaide countrey and prince and of the disposition manners and customes of the people Io. Bap. Ramusius vol. 1. delle voiag fol. 254. 255. THe Ethiopian Emperour called Prete Ianni hath no setled place of abode where he continually resideth but is alwaies flitting vp and downe sometimes to one place and sometimes to another and liueth in tentes set vp in the fields enuironed with a kinde of fortification of which tents there may be in his campe of all sorts to the number of 5000. or 6000 and of horsemen and mules 50000. and vpwards It is a generall custome of the Prete and of all his subiects not to passe on horsebacke by any church so great is their reuerence to holy places but so soone as they approch thereunto they light vpon the ground and hauing passed by they mount on horsebacke againe Whensoeuer the Prete marcheth with all his troupes there is carried before him vpon the shoulders of certaine priests an altar and a consecrated stone whereon they vse to administer their communion the priests appointed to cary it vpon a frame of wood are eight in number seruing fower and fower by turnes before whom goeth a clerke with a censer and a little bell sounding at the sight and noise whereof all persons forsake the way and such as are on horsebacke dismount In all this countrey there is not any towne consisting of aboue 1600. families there are very few that haue so many neither are there any castles or walled places but 〈◊〉 manie villages and infinite numbers of people Their houses are built round al of earth flat-roofed and couered with a kind of thatch which wil last the time of a mans life being compassed about with courts or yards They haue no bridges of stone vpon their riuers but all of wood They sleep commonly vpon oxe-hides or else vpon certaine couches corded sustained with thongs made of the said hides They haue no kind of tables to eat their meat vpon but haue it serued in vpon plaine very broad platters of wood without any table-cloth at al. Also they haue certaine great deep dishes like basons made of black earth shining in maner of Iet with other cups of the same earth out of which they vse to drinke water wine Many of them eate raw flesh but others broile it vpon the coles or firebrands and some places there are so destitute of wood that the people are faine to dresse their meate with oxe-dung Their armour and weapons be Azagaie or short darts some few swords and certaine shirts of male verie long and streight and as some of our men which haue seene them doe report made of naughtie and vnseruiceable matter They haue bowes and arrowes great store but not with feathers as ours be as likewise helmets and head-peeces but very few and first brought in since they began to haue traffique with the Portugals howbeit they haue manie strong targets Of artillerie they had at our departure foureteene small yron-peeces which they had bought of certaine Turkes that vsually came to trafficke vpon the coast for which peeces the Prete willed that they should haue their vttermost demande to the end they might be the willinger to returne and bring more and he caused some of his seruants also to learne how to discharge them The riuer of Nilus I my selfe neuer saw although at one time I was within thirtie miles thereof howbeit some of our Portugales haue trauelled to the very fountaines of Nilus which are two great lakes comparable to seas situate in the kingdome of Goiame out of which hauing conueyed it selfe a small distance this riuer embraceth certaine Islets and then holdeth on his course to Egypt The reason why Nilus yeerely ouerfloweth Egypt is because the generall winter of Ethiopia holding on with most mightie and continual raines from the middle of Iune to the midst of September doth make the
and valiant and the mountaine it selfe aboundeth with honie barlie and all kinde of cattel Here are likewise great store of pleasant and greene pastures But since that Chasasa was taken by the Spanyards the people of this mountaine seeing that for want of soldiers they were not able to withstande the violence of their enemies abandoned their owne mountaine burnt their houses and fled vnto the mountaines next adioining Of mount Beni Sahid WEstward this mountaine extendeth almost to the riuer Nocor for the space of fower and twentie miles The inhabitants are rich valiant and liberal and entertaine all strangers with great courtesie and bountie They haue abundance of iron and of barlie and their pastures are very commodious abounding with store of cattell and yet in those pastures are their iron-mines where they sometime lacke water neither pay they any tribute at all Their houses that dig the iron are not farre distant from the iron-mines This iron the merchants sell at Fez in rude lumpes because they vse not to frame it into barres neither indeede haue they the cunning so to frame it Also they make culters spades and such like tooles of husbandrie and yet their iron hath no steele at all in it Of mount Azgangan THis mountaine beginning southward from Chasasa is inhabited with most rich and valiant people for besides the great plentie of all things in the mountaine it selfe it hath the desert of Garet adioining vpon it The inhabitants of which desert haue great familiaritie and traffique with the people of the said mountaine howbeit this mountaine also hath remained void of inhabitants euer since the taking of Chasasa Of mount Beni Teuzin THe south part of this mountaine bordereth vpon the mountaine last mentioned the length whereof from the desert of Garet to the riuer Nocor is almost ten miles and on the one side thereof lie most beautifull pleasant plaines The inhabitants are all free paying no tribute at all and that perhaps because they haue more soldiers then Tezzota Meggeo and Bedis can affoord Moreouer they are thought in times past so to haue assisted the gouernour of Meggeo that by their aide he attained vnto that gouernment They haue alwaies been great friends with the people of Fez by reason of that ancient familiaritie which they had before Fez was gouerned by a king Afterward a certaine lawyer dwelling at Fez who was borne in this mountaine so represented vnto the king the said ancient familiaritie that he obtained freedome for his countrie-men At length also they were greatly beloued by the Marin-familie perhaps bicause the mother of 〈◊〉 sahid the third king of the saide familie was borne of noble parentage in the foresaide mountaine Of mount Guardan THe north part of this mountaine ioineth vnto the former and it stretcheth in length toward the Mediterran sea twelue miles and in bredth to the riuer of Nocor almost eight miles The inhabitants are valiant rich Euery saturday they haue a great market vpon the banke of a certaine riuer and hither resort many people from the mountaines of Garet and diuers merchants of Fez who exchange iron and bridles for oile for in these mountaines grow great plentie of oliues They haue little or no wine at all notwithstanding they are so neere vnto mount Arif where the people carouse wine in abundance They were for a certaine time tributarie to the gouernour of Bedis but afterward by the meanes of a learned Mahumetan preacher the king granted them fauour to pay each man so much tribute as themselues pleased So that sending yeerely to the king some certaine sum of money with certaine horses and slaues they are put to no further charge Of the extreme part of the desert of Garet THe prouince of Garet is diuided into three parts the first whereof containeth the cities and townes the second the foresaide mountaines the inhabitants whereof are called Bottoia and the thirde comprehendeth the deserts which beginning northwarde at the Mediterran sea and extending south to the desert of Chauz are bounded westward with the foresaide mountaines and eastward with the riuer of Muluia The length of these deserts is 60. miles and the bredth thirty They are vnpleasant and dry hauing no water but that of the riuer Muluia There are many kinds of beasts in this desert such as are in the Lybian desert next vnto Numidia In sommer time many Arabians take vp their abode neere vnto the riuer Muluia and so do another kinde of fierce people called Batalisa who possesse great abundance of horses camels and other cattell and maintaine continuall warre against the Arabians that border vpon them A description of Chauz the seuenth prouince of the kingdome of Fez. THis prouince is thought to comprehend the thirde part of the kingdome of Fez. It beginneth at the riuer Zha from the east extendeth westward to the riuer Guruigara so that the length thereof is an hundred fowerscore and tenne and the bredth an hundred threescore and ten miles for all that part of mount Atlas which lieth ouer against Mauritania ioineth vpon the bredth of this region Likewise it containeth a good part of the plaines and mountaines bordering vpon Lybia At the same time when Habdulach the first king of the Marin-family began to beare rule ouer Mauritania and those other regions his kinred began also to inhabite this region This king left fower sonnes behinde him whereof the first was called Abubdar the second Abuichia the third Abusahid and the fourth Iacob this Iacob was afterward chosen king bicause he had vanquished Muachidin the king of Maroco had conquered the city of Maroco it selfe the other three brethren died in their nonage howbeit before Iacob had woon Maroco the old king assigned vnto each of them three one region a peece The other three parts were diuided into seuen which were distributed among the fower kinreds of the Marin-family and two other tribes or families that were growen in great league with the same family insomuch that this region was accounted for three regions They which possessed the kingdome were ten in number and the regions onely seuen The foresaid king Habdulach was author of the saide partition who left the region of Chauz after his decease in such estate as we will foorthwith orderly describe Of the towne of Teurerto THis ancient towne was built vpon a mountaine by the Africans not farre from the riuer Zha The fields hereof not being very large but exceeding fruitfull adioine vpon a certaine dry and barren desert The north part of the same bordereth vpon the desert of Garet and the south vpon the desert of Adurha eastward thereof lieth the desert of Anghad which is neere vnto the kingdome of Telensin and westward it is enclosed with the desert of Tafrata which bordereth likewise vpon the towne of Tezza This Teurerto was in times past a most populous and rich towne and contained about three thousand families heere also are stately palaces temples and other such
the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea and being thirtie miles distant from Alger is enuironed with most ancient and strong walles The greatest part of the inhabitants are dyers of cloth and that by reason of the many riuers and streames running through the midst of the same They are of a liberall and ingenuous disposition and can play most of them vpon the citterne and lute Their fields are fertill and abounding with corne Their apparell is very decent the greatest part of them are delighted in fishing and they take such abundance of fishes that they freely giue them to euery bodie which is the cause that there is no fish-market in this towne Of the mountaines contained in the kingdome of Telensin Of the mountaine of Beni Iezneten THis mountaine standeth westward of Telensin almost fiftie miles one side thereof bordering vpon the desert of Garet and the other side vpon the desert of Angad In length it extendeth fiue and twentie and in bredth almost fifteene miles and it is exceeding high and difficult to ascend It hath diuers woods growing vpon it wherein grow great store of Carobs which the inhabitants vse for an ordinarie kinde of foode for they haue great want of barly Here are diuers cottages inhabited with valiant and stout men Vpon the top of this mountaine standeth a strong castle wherein all the principall men of the mountaine dwell amongst whom there are often dissentions for there is none of them all but woulde be sole gouernour of the mountaine I my selfe had conuersation with some of them whom I knew in the king of Fez his court for which cause I was honorably intertained by them The soldiers of this mountaine are almost ten thousand Of mount Matgara THis exceeding high and colde mountaine hath great store of inhabitants and is almost sixe miles distant from Ned Roma The inhabitants are valiant but not very rich for this mountaine yeeldeth nought but barly and Carobs They speake all one language with the people of Ned Roma and are ioined in such league with them that they will often aide one another against the king of Telensin Of mount Gualhasa THis high mountaine standeth nigh vnto the towne of Hunain The inhabitants are sauage rude and vnciuill people and are at continuall warre with the people of Hunain so that oftentimes they haue almost vtterly destroied the towne This mountaine yeeldeth great store of Carobs and but little corne Of mount Agbal THis mountaine is inhabited with people of base condition and subiect to the towne of Oran They all exercise husbandrie and carrie woode vnto Oran While the Moores enioied Oran their state was somewhat better but since the Christians got possession thereof they haue beene driuen to extreame miserie Of mount Beni Guerened THis mountaine being three miles distant from Tremisen is well peopled and aboundeth with all kinde of fruits especially with figges and cherries The inhabitants are some of them colliers some wood-mongers and the residue husbandmen And out of this onely mountaine as I was informed by the king of Telensin his Secretarie there is yeerely collected for tribute the summe of twelue thousand ducats Of mount Magraua THis mountaine extending it selfe fortie miles in length towardes the Mediterran sea is neer vnto the towne of Mustuganin before described The soile is fertile and the inhabitants are valiant and warrelike people and of a liberall and humaine disposition Of mount Beni Abusaid THis mountaine standing not farre from Tenez is inhabited with great multitudes of people which lead a sauage life and are notwithstanding most valiant warriors They haue abundance of honey barly and goats Their waxe and hides they carrie vnto Tenez and there sell the same to the merchants of Europe When as the king of Tremizen his kinsemen were lords of this mountaine the people paied for tribute certaine thousands of ducats Of mount Guanseris THis exceding high mountaine is inhabited with valiant people who being aided by the king of Fez maintained warre against the kingdome of Telensin for aboue three-score yeeres Fruitefull fields they haue and great store of fountains Their soldiers are almost twentie thousand in number whereof 2500. are horsemen By their aide Iahia attained to the gouernment of Tenez but after Tenez began to decay they gaue themselues wholy to robberie and theft Of the mountaines belonging to the state of Alger NEre vnto Alger on the east side and on the west are diuers mountains well stored with inhabitants Free they are from all tribute and rich and exceeding valiant Their corne fields are very fruitefull and they haue great abundance of cattell They are oftentimes at deadly warre togither so that it is dangerous trauailing that way vnlesse it be in a religious mans company Markets they haue and faires vpon these mountaines where nought is to be solde but cattle corne and wooll vnlesse some of the neighbour cities supplie them with merchandise now and then Here endeth the fourth booke IOHN LEO HIS FIFTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A description of the kingdomes of Bugia and Tunis WHen as in the former part of this my historie I diuided Barbaria into certaine parts I determined to write of Bugia as of a kingdome by it selfe and I found indeed that not many yeeres ago it was a kingdome For Bugia was subiect to the king of Tunis and albeit for certaine yeeres the king of Telensin was Lord thereof yet was it at length recouered againe by the king of Tunis who committed the gouernment of the city vnto one of his sons both for the tranquillitie of Bugia and also that no discord might happen among his sonnes after his decease He left behinde him three sonnes the eldest whereof was called Habdulhaziz and vnto him he bequeathed the kingdome of Bugia as is aforesaide vnto the second whose name was Hutmen he left the kingdome of Tunis and the third called Hammare he made gouernour of the region of dates This Hammare began foorthwith to wage warre against his brother Hutmen by whom being at length taken in the towne of Asfacos depriued of both his eies he was carried captiue vnto Tunis where he liued many yeeres blinde but his brother Hutmen gouerned the kingdome of Tunis full fortie yeeres The prince of Bugia being most louing and dutifull to his brother raigned for many yeeres with great tianquilitie till at length he was by king Ferdinand of Spaine and by the meanes of one Pedro de Nauarra cast out of his kingdome A description of the great citie of Bugia THis auncient citie of Bugia built as some thinke by the Romans vpon the side of an high mountaine neere vnto the Mediterran sea is enuironed with walles of great height and most stately in regard of their antiquitie The part thereof now peopled containeth aboue eight thousand families but if it were all replenished with buildings it were capeable of more then fower and twentie thousand housholds for it is of a
on the north Tombuto on the east and the kingdome of Melli on the south In length it containeth almost fiue hundred miles and extendeth two hundred and fiftie miles along the riuer of Niger and bordereth vpon the Ocean sea in the same place where Niger falleth into the saide sea This place exceedingly aboundeth with barlie rice cattell fishes and cotton and their cotton they sell vnto the merchants of Barbarie for cloth of Europe for brazen vessels for armour and other such commodities Their coine is of gold without any stampe or inscription at all they haue certaine iron-money also which they vse about matters of small value some peeces whereof weigh a pound some halfe a pound and some one quarter of a pound In all this kingdome-there is no fruite to be found but onely dates which are brought hither either out of Gualata or Numidia Heere is neither towne nor castle but a certaine great village onely wherein the prince of Ghinea together with his priestes doctors merchants and all the principall men of the region inhabite The walles of their houses are built of chalke and the roofes are couered with strawe the inhabitants are clad in blacke or blew cotton wherewith they couer their heads also but the priests and doctors of their law go apparelled in white cotton This region during the three moneths of Iulie August and September is yeerely enuironed with the ouerflowings of Niger in manner of an Island all which time the merchants of Tombuto conueigh their merchandize hither in certaine Canoas or narrow boats made of one tree which they rowe all the day long but at night they binde them to the shore and lodge themselues vpon the lande This kingdome was subiect in times past vnto a certaine people of Libya and became afterward tributarie vnto king Soni Heli after whom succeeded Soni Heli Izchia who kept the prince of this region prisoner at Gago where togither with a certaine nobleman he miserably died Of the kingdome of Melli. THis region extending it selfe almost three hundred miles along the side of a riuer which fâ—lleth into Niger bordereth northward vpon the region last described southward vpon certaine deserts and drie mountaines westward vpon huge woods and forrests stretching to the Ocean sea shore and eastward vpon the territorie of Gago In this kingdome there is a large and ample village containing to the number of sixe thousand or mo families and called Melli whereof the whole kingdome is so named And here the king hath his place of residence The region it selfe yeeldeth great abundance of corne flesh and cotton Heere are many artificers and merchants in all places and yet the king honorably entertaineth all strangers The inhabitants are rich and haue plentie of wares Heere are great store of temples priests and professours which professours read their lectures onely in the temples bicause they haue no colleges at all The people of this region excell all other Negros in witte ciuilitie and industry and were the first that embraced the law of Mahumet at the same time when the vncle of Ioseph the king of Maroco was their prince and the gouernment remained for a while vnto his posterity at length Izchia subdued the prince of this region and made him his tributarie and so oppressed him with greeuous exactions that he was scarce able to maintaine his family Of the kingdome of Tombuto THis name was in our times as some thinke imposed vpon this kingdome from the name of a certain towne so called which they say king Mense Suleiman founded in the yeere of the Hegeira 610. and it is situate within twelue miles of a certaine branch of Niger all the houses whereof are now changed into cottages built of chalke and couered with thatch Howbeit there is a most stately temple to be seene the wals whereof are made of stone and lime and a princely palace also built by a most excellent workeman of Granada Here are many shops of artificers and merchants and especially of such as weaue linnen and cotton cloth And hither do the Barbarie-merchants bring cloth of Europe All the women of this region except maid-seruants go with their faces couered and sell all necessarie victuals The inhabitants especially strangers there residing are exceeding rich insomuch that the king that now is married both his daughters vnto two rich merchants Here are many wels containing most sweete water and so often as the riuer Niger ouerfloweth they conueigh the water thereof by certaine sluces into the towne Corne cattle milke and butter this region yeeldeth in great abundance but salt is verie scarce heere for it is brought hither by land from Tegaza which is fiue hundred miles distant When I my selfe was here I saw one camels loade of salt sold for 80. ducates The rich king of Tombuto hath many plates and scepters of gold some whereof weigh 1300. poundes and he keepes a magnificent and well furnished court When he trauelleth any whither he rideth vpon a camell which is lead by some of his noblemen and so he doth likewise when hee goeth to warfar and all his souldiers ride vpon horses Whosoeuer will speake vnto this king must first fall downe before his feete then taking vp earth must sprinkle it vpon his owne head shoulders which custom is ordinarily obserued by them that neuer saluted the king before or come as ambassadors from other princes He hath alwaies three thousand horsemen and a great number of footmen that shoot poysoned arrowes attending vpon him They haue often skirmishes with those that refuse to pay tribute and so many as they take they sell vnto the merchants of Tombuto Here are verie few horses bred and the merchants and courtiers keepe certaine little nags which they vse to trauell vpon but their best horses are brought out of Barbarie And the king so soone as he heareth that any merchants are come to towne with horses he commandeth a certaine number to be brought before him and chusing the best horse for himselfe he payeth a most liberall price for him He so deadly hateth all Iewes that he will not admit any into his citie and whatsoeuer Barbarie merchants he vnderstandeth to haue any dealings with the Iewes he presently causeth their goods to be confiscate Here are great store of doctors iudges priests and other learned men that are bountifully maintained at the kings cost and charges And hither are brought diuers manuscripts or written bookes out of Barbarie which are sold for more money then any other merchandize The coine of Tombuto is of gold without any stampe or superscription but in matters of smal value they vse certaine shels brought hither out of the kingdome of Persia fower hundred of which shels are worth a ducate and sixe peeces of their golden coine with two third parts weigh an ounce The inhabitants are people of a gentle and cherefull disposition and spend a great part of the night
the aire and vnusuall heat which consumed them were also euilly entreated by the Moci-Congi For although they shewed themselues docible and tractable enough while they were instructed onely about ceremonies and diuine mysteries because they thought that the higher those matters were aboue humaine capacity the more they sorted and were agreable to the maiestie of God neuerthelesse when they began to entreate seriously of Temperance continence restitution of other mens goods forgiuing of iniuries and other heades of Christian pietie they found not onely great hinderance and difficultie but euen plaine resistance and opposition The king himselfe who had from the beginning shewed notable zeale was now somewhat cooled who because he was loth to abandon his soothsaiers and fortune tellers but aboue all the multitude of his concubines this being a generall difficultie among the Barbarians would by no meanes giue eare vnto the Preachers Also the women who were now reiected one after another not enduring so suddenly to be banished from their husbandes brought the court and roiall citie of Saint Saluador into a great vproare Paulo Aquitino second sonne to the king put tow to this fire who would by no meanes be baptized for which cause there grew great enmity betwixt him and Alonso his elder brother who with all his power furthered the proceedings and maintained the grouth of the Christian religion During these troubles the old king died and the two brothers fought a battell which had this successe that Alonso the true heire with sixe and thirtie soldiers calling vpon the name of Iesus discomfited the huge armie of his heathenish brother who was himselfe also taken aliue and died prisoner in this his rebellion God fauoured Alonso in this warre with manifest miracles For first they affirme that being readie to enter into battaile he saw a light so cleere and resplendent that he and his companie which beheld it remained for a good while with their eies declined and their mindes so full and replenished with ioy and a kind of tender affection that cannot easily be expressed And then lifting vp their eies vnto heauen they sawe fiue shining swords which the king tooke afterwards for his armes and his successors vse the same at this day Hauing obteined this victorie he assembled all his nobles and streightly enioined them to bring all the idols of his countrey to an appointed place and so vpon an high hill he caused them all to be burned This Alonso raigned prosperously for fiftie yeeres togither in which space he exceedingly furthered by authoritie and example as also by preaching and doctrine the new-planted Christianitie Neither did Don Emanuell the King of Portugall giue ouer this enterprise for he sent from thence to Congo twelue of those Fryers which the Portugals call Azzurri of whom Fryer Iohn Mariano was head with architects and smiths for the building and seruice of Churches and with rich furniture for the same After king Alonso succeeded Don Pedro his sonne in whose time there was a Bishop appointed ouer the isle of Saint Thomas who had also committed vnto him the administration of Congo Where at the citie of Saint Saluador was instituted a colledge of eight and twentie Canons in the Church of Santa Cruz. The second bishop was of the bloud roiall of Congo who trauailed to Rome and died in his returne homeward Don Francisco succeeded Don Pedro who continued but a small space Don Diego his neere kinsman was after his decease aduanced to the crowne In whose time Iohn the third king of Portugall vnderstanding that neither the king himselfe cared greatly for religion and that the merchants and priests of Europe furthered not but rather with their bad life scandalized the people new conuerted he sent thither fower Iesuits to renew and reestablish matters of religion These men arriuing first at the isle of Saint Thomas and then at Congo were courteously receiued by the king and presently going about the busines they came for one of them tooke vpon him to teach sixe hundred yoong children the principles of christian religion and the other dispersed themselues ouer the whole countrie to preach But all of them one after another falling into tedious and long diseases they were enforced to returne into Europe At this time there was appointed ouer Congo a third bishop of the Portugall nation who through the contumacie of the Canons and clergie found trouble enough In the meane while Don Diego dying there arose great tumults touching the succession by meanes whereof all the Portugals in a manner that were in Saint Saluador except priests were slaine In the end Henrie brother to Don Diego obteined the crowne and after him for he quicklie died in the warres of the Anzichi Don Aluaro his son in law This man reconciled vnto himselfe the Portugall nation caused all the religious and lay sort dispersed heere and there throughout the kingdome to be gathered togither and wrote for his discharge to the king and to the Bishop of Saint Thomas The bishop hauing perused the letters passed himselfe into Congo and giuing some order for the discipline of the clergie he returned to Saint Thomas where hee ended his daies It so fell out that what for the absence and what for the want of Bishoppes the progression of religion was much hindred For one Don Francisco a man for bloud and wealth of no small authoritie began freely to say that it was a vaine thing to cleaue to one wife onely and afterwardes in the end he fell altogither from the faith and was an occasion that the king grew woonderfully cold They affirme that this Francisco dying and being buried in the church of Santa Cruz the diuels vncouered a part of that churches roofe and with terrible noise drew his dead carcase out of the tombe and carried it quite away a matter that made the king exceedingly amazed but yet another accident that ensued withall strooke him neerer to the hart For the Giacchi leauing their owne habitations entred like Locusts into the kingdome of Congo and comming to battaile against Don Aluaro the king put him to flight who not being secure in the head citie abandoned his kingdome and togither with the Portugall priests and his owne princes retired himselfe vnto an island of the riuer Zaire called The isle of horses Thus seeing himselfe brought to such extremitie for besides the losse of his kingdome his people died of famine and miserie and for maintenance of life sold themselues one to another and to the Portugals also at a base price for reparation of his state and religion he had recourse to Don Sebastian king of Portugall and obteined of him sixe hundred soldiers by whose valour he draue his enimies out of the kingdome and within a yeere and an halfe reestablished himselfe in his throne In his time Antonio di Glioun à Spaniard was made bishop of Saint Thomas who after much molestation procured him by the captaine of that island went at
length into Congo with two friers and fower priests and ordered matters reasonablie well In the meane while Don Aluaro died and his sonne of the same name succeeded him who failed not to sollicite both Don Sebastian and Don Henrie kings of Portugall and the king of Spaine also that they would send him some competent number of preachers and ecclesiasticall persons for the augmentation of the Christian faith in his kingdome and amidst these determinations he died and a sonne of his called also Don Aluaro succeeded him During these tumults certaine other Portugall Priests went into Congo labouring to prune that vine which had beene long time giuen ouer and forsaken These men haue built them an house in the island of Loanda where do remaine sixe or seauen of their companie that are readie to goe sometimes hither and sometimes thither as neede requireth In the yeere of our Lord 1587. king Aluaro who bicause hee was not borne of lawfull matrimonie was but little esteemed by his people would needes haue one of these priests about him by whose meanes and authoritie he came to reputation and credite And God himselfe fauoured his proceedings for meeting a sister of his by the fathers side and one of her brothers with a great armie in the fielde he gaue him battaile and bore himselfe therein with such valour as he did not onely ouerthrow the forces of his enime but further slew the ring-leader and generall thereof and in the place where he was slaine he would needs build a church to the honour of Christianitie And the more by his owne example to mooue others himselfe was the very first man that put hand to this worke and likewise with edicts and fauourable proclamations he furthered and doth still aduance the preaching of the Gospell and the propagation of religion Who so is desirous to be more fully instructed concerning the Christianitie of this kingdome let him read the third and eight bookes of Osorius de Reb. gest Eman. the second booke of Philippo Pigafetta his story of Congo most properly and decently translated by the iudicious master ABRAHAM HARTWELL Of the Christian religion in the kingdome of Angola THose Portugal priests that remaine in the Iland Loanda as aboue we declared bend themselues more to the conuersion of Angola then of Congo The reason is as I suppose because the enterprise is new and more neerely concerneth the Portugals who there make war vnder the conduct of Paulo Diaz to get possession of the mountaines of Cabambe which abound with rich mines of very fine siluer It seemeth that god hath fauoured the amplification of his holy name in those parts with some myraculous victories For first in the yeere 1582 a fewe Portugals in an excursion that they made put to flight an innumerable companie of the Angolans And by this victory they brought in a manner the halfe of that kingdome into their handes and many Princes and nobles of the land vpon this were moued to request and make suit to be baptized Among whom was Songa prince of Banza the kinges Father in law whose brother and children were baptized already Tondella also the second person of Angola was conuerted many Idols were throwne to the ground and insteede thereof they erected crosses and built some churches And within this little while all the Prouince of Corimba is in a manner conuerted Also in the yeere 1584 an hundred and fiftie Portugals together with such succors as were conducted by Paule Prince of Angola who was not long before conuerted discomfited more then a million of Ethiopians In an other place we declared the readie meanes and oportunities that the Princes of Ethiopia and of India haue to assemble and bring togither such infinite armies They say that certaine Ethiopians being demaunded by a Portugal how it came to passe that so great a multitude turned their backes to so few men they answered that the Portugals strength did it not which with a blast they would haue confounded but a woman of incomparable beawty apparelled in shining light and brightnes and an old man that kept her company with a flaming sword in his hand who went aloft in the ayre before the Portugals and ouerthrew the squadrons of the Angolans putting them to flight and destruction In the yeere 1588 were conuerted Don Paulo Prince of Mocumba and with him a thousand persons more The Christian religion of Monomotapa IN the dominions of the Monomotapa the light of the faith being with incredible ease kindled was also as suddenly 〈◊〉 by the deuises of the Mahumetans For some Portugals going to the court of that monarche and giuing himselfe with some of his Princes and vassals a taste of the gospel were an occasion afterwards that Gonsaluo de Sylua a man no lesse famous for the integrity of his life then for his bloud and parentage went ouer thither from Goa in the yeere 1570. This man arriuing with a prosperous voiage in the kingdome of Inambane conuerted and baptized the king his wife children and sister with his Barons and nobility and the greatest part of his people Through whose perswasion Gonsaluo left his companions prosecuting his voiage towards the Monomotapa onely with sixe Portugals Thus hauing passed Mozambique and the mouth of the riuer Mafuta and of Colimane they came to Mengoaxano king of Quiloa where they were courteously receiued entertained And though they had licence in this place to preach the gospell yet would not Gonsaluo here stay iudging that vpon the cōuersion of the Monomotapa that of the neighbor kings would follow without delaie Embarking themselues therefore vpon the riuer Cuama they sailed along the coast of Africa eight daies till they came to Sena a very populous village where Gonsaluo baptized about fiue hundred slaues belonging to the Portugal merchants and prepared for the receiuing of the gospel the king of Inamor one of the Monomotapaes vassals In the ende Antonio Caiado a Portugall gentleman came from the court to guide Gonsaluo towardes the same place Whither being in short time come he was presently visited on the emperours behalfe and bountifullie presented with a great summe of gold and many oxen But he returning back these presents gaue the Monomotapa to vnderstand that he should know of Caiado what he desired The emperour was astonished at this his magnanimity receiued him afterwards with the greatest honor that could possibly be deuised And causing him to sit vpon the same carpet whereon also his owne mother sate he presently demaunded how many women how much ground and how many oxen thinges mightily esteemed of in those countries he would haue Gonsaluo answered that he would haue no other thing but himselfe Whereupon the emperour turning to Caiado who was their interpreter said that surely it could not be otherwise but that he who made so little account of thinges so highly valued by others was no ordinary man and so with much courtesie he sent him back to his lodging Not long time after
are certaine mightie lakes by the benefite whereof a great part of Nubia is watred and made fruitfull The Isle of Meroe MEroe called at this time by the names of Guengare Amara and Nobe being the greatest and fairestisle which Nilus maketh and resembled by Herodotus to the shape of a target containeth in bredth a thousand and in length three thousand stadios or furlongs It aboundeth with golde siluer copper iron Eben-wood palme-trees and other such commodities as are in Nubia Some write that there growe canes or reeds of so huge a bignes that the people make botes of them Heere also you haue minerall salt and lions elephants and leopards This island is inhabited by Mahumetans who are confederate with the Moores against Prete Ianni Strabo affirmeth that in old time the authoritie of the priests of this island was so great that by a meane and ordinarie messenger they woulde command the king to murther himselfe and woulde substitute an other in his roome But at length one king hauing in a certaine temple put all the saide priests to death quite abolished that monstrous custome And heere as Nilus vnfoldeth himselfe into two branches to embrace this Islande he receiueth from the east the riuer of Abagni and from the west the riuer Sarabotto which haue likewise other smaller riuers falling into them The Abassins are of opinion that the Queene of Saba which trauelled so farre to heare the wisedome of Salomon was mistresse of this isle Paulus Ionius saith here are three kings one a Gentile the second a Moore and the third a Christian subiect vnto the Prete From Meroe to Siene it is accounted fifteene daies iourney by water Abassia or the empire of Prete Ianni THe Abassins are a people subiect to Prete Ianni whose empire if we consider the stile which he vseth in his letters hath most ample confines For he intituleth himselfe emperour of the great and higher Ethiopia king of Goiame which as Botero supposeth is situate betweene Nilus and Zaire of Vangue a kingdome beyond Zaire of Damut which confineth with the land of the Anzichi and towards the south he is called king of Cafate and Bagamidri two prouinces bordering vpon the first great lake which is the originall fountaine of Nilus as likewise of the kingdomes of Xoa Fatigar Angote Baru Baaliganze Adea Amara Ambea Vaguc Tigremahon Sabaim where the Queene of Saba gouerned and lastly of Barnagaes and lorde as farre as Nubia which bordereth vpon Egypt But at this present the center or midst of his Empire as Iohn Barros writeth is the lake of Barcena For it extendeth eastward towarde the Red sea as farre as Suaquen the space of two hundred twentie and two leagues Howbeit betweene the sea and his dominions runneth a ridge of mountaines inhabited by Moores who are masters of al the sea-coast along except the porte of Ercoco which belongeth to the Prete And likewise on the west his empire is restrained by another mountainous ridge stretching along the riuer of Nilus where are founde most rich mines of golde amongst which are the mines of Damut and of Sinassij wholie in the possession of Gentiles which pay tribute vnto the Prete Northward it is bounded by an imaginarie line supposed to be drawen from Suachen to the beginning of the isle Meroe aboue mentioned which line extendeth an hundred and fiue and twentie leagues From thence the Abassin borders trend south somewhat crookedly in manner of a bowe as farre as the kingdome of Adea from the mountaines whereof springeth a riuer called by Ptolemey Raptus which falleth into the sea about Melinde for the space of two hundred and fiftie nine leagues next vnto the which borders inhabite certaine Gentiles of blacke colour with curled haire And heere the 〈◊〉 empire is limited by the kingdome of Adel the head citie whereof called Arar standeth in the latitude nine degrees So that all this great empire may containe in compasse sixe hundred threescore and two leagues little more or lesse It is refreshed and watered by two mightie riuers which conuey their streames into Nilus called by Ptolemey Astaboras and Astapus and by the naturall inhabitants Abagni and Tagassi the first whereof taketh his originall from the lake of Barcena and the second from the lake of Colue Barcena lieth in seuen degrees of north latitude Colue vnder the verie Equinoctiall The first besides Abagni ingendereth also the riuer of Zeila and the second besides Tagassi giueth essence to the riuer of Quilimanci Between Abagni and the Red sea lieth the prouince of Barnagasso betweene Abagni and Tagassi are the kingdomes of Angote and Fatigar and more towards the bay of Barbarians the prouinces of Adea and of Baru and somewhat lower that of Amara In briefe beyond the riuer of Tagassi ly the regions of Bileguanzi and of Tigremahon The Abassins haue no great knowledge of Nilus by reason of the mountaines which deuide them from it for which cause they call Abagni the father of riuers Howbeit they say that vpon Nilus do inhabite two great and populous nations one of Iewes towards the west vnder the gouernment of a mighty king the other more southerly consisting of Amazones or warlike women whereof wee will speake more at large in our relation of Monomotapa Throughout all the dominion of the Prete there is not any one city of importance either for multitude of inhabitantes for magnificent buildings or for any other respect For the greatest townes there containe not aboue two thousand housholds the houses being cottage-like reared vp with clay and couered with straw or such like base matter Also Ptolemey intreating of these partes maketh mention but of three or foure cities onely which he appointeth to the south of the Isle Meroe Howbeit in some places vpon the frontiers of Abassia there are certaine townes verie fairely built and much frequented for traffique The Portugales in their trauailes throughout the empire haue often declared vnto the Abassins how much better it were for auoiding of the outragious iniuries and losses daily inflicted by the Moores and Mahumetans both vpon their goods and persons if the emperour would build cities and castles stronglie walled and fortified Whereunto they made answere that the power of their Neguz or emperour consisted not in stone-walles but in the armes of his people They vse not ordinarily any lime or stone but onely for the building of churches saying that so it becommeth vs to make a difference between the houses of men and churches dedicated to God and of their Beteneguz or houses of the emperour wherein the gouernours of prouinces are placed to execute iustice These Beteneguz stand continually open and yet in the gouernours absence no man dare enter into them vnder paine of being punished as a traytour Moreouer in the city of Axuma esteemed by them to haue beene the seate of the Queene of Saba stand certaine ruinous buildings like vnto pyramides which by reason of their greatnes
legions of soldiers which this emperour for the defence of his great estate is forced to maintaine his Amazones or women warriers before mentionied are the most valiant being indeed the very sinewes and chiefe strength of all his militarie forces These women after the manner of the ancient Scythish or Asiatike Amazones so much spoken of in histories of former times seare off their left paps that they might not be an hinderance vnto them in their shooting They are most expert in warlike stratagems and swift of foote Their weapons are bowes and arrowes At certaine times for generations sake they accompany with men sending the male children home to their fathers but keeping their daughters vnto themselues They inhabite towards the west not farre from the beginning of Nilus in certaine places which themselues make choise of and which are graunted vnto them by the fauour of the Emperour This empire of Monomotapa comprehendeth not onely the foresaid great island but stretcheth it selfe farther also toward the cape of Buena esperanca as farre as the kingdomes of Butua or Toroa which being gouerned by particular lords do acknowledge Monomotapa for their soueraigne Throughout all this emperours dominions is found infinite quantitie of gold in the earth in the rockes and in the riuers The gold-mines of this countrey neerest vnto Sofala are those of Manica vpon a plaine enuironed with mountaines and those also in the prouince of Matuca which is inhabited by the people called Battonghi and situate betweene the Equinoctiall line and the Tropique of Capricorne These mines are distant from Sofala betweene the space of 300. and sixe hundred miles but those of the prouinces of Boro and Quiticui are fifteene hundred miles distant towards the west Others there are also in the kingdomes of Toroa or Butua so that from hence or from Sofala or from some other part of Monomotapa some are of opinion that Salomons gold for the adorning of the temple at Ierusalem was brought by sea A thing in truth not very vnlikely for here in Toroa and in diuers places of Monomotapa are till this day remaining manie huge and ancient buildings of timber lime and stone being of singular workemanship the like whereof are not to be found in all the prouinces there abouts Heere is also a mightie wall of fiue and twentie spannes thicke which the people asoribe to the workemanship of the diuell being accounted from Sofala fiue hundred and ten miles the neerest way All other houses throughout this empire as is aforesaid consist of timber claie and thatch And heere I may boldly affirme that the ancient buildings of this part of Africa along the coast of the east Indies may not onely be compared but euen preferred before the buildings of Europe The authors of which ancient monuments are vnknowen but the later African buildings haue beene erected by the Arabians In the time of Sebastian king of Portugale the emperour of Monomotapa and many of his nobles were baptized howbeit afterward being seduced by certaine Moores hee put Gonsaluo Silua to death who conuerted him to the Christian religion Whereupon Sebastian king of Portugall sent against him an armie of sixteene thousand consisting for the most part of gentlemen and men of qualitie vnder the conduct of Francisco Barretto The Monomotapa being afraid of the Portugall forces offered Barretto as good and acceptable conditions of peace as might be desired but he not contented with reason was quite ouerthrowne not by his enimies but by the vnholesome aire of Ethiopia and by the manifold diseases which consumed his people Cafraria the fift generall part of the lower Ethiopia CAfraria or the land of the Cafri we esteeme to be both the coasts and inlands of the extreame southerly point of Africa beginning from the riuer Magnice and thence extending by Cabo da pescaria Terra do Natal Bahia da lagoa Bahia fermosa about the cape of Buena esperança by the bay called Agoada Saldanha and thence Northward along the westerne coast of Africa as far as Cabo Negro or the blacke cape which is situate verie neere vnto eighteene degrees of Southerly latitude The saide Cape of Buena esperança is deuided into three smaller headlands or capes The westermost being called Cabo de buena esperança or The cape of good hope after the name of the whole promontorie and being cut from the rest of the firme land The middlemost is named Cabo falso because the Portugales in their voiage homewards from the east Indies haue sometimes mistaken this for the true cape beforementioned betweene which two capes runneth into the sea a mightie riuer called by the Portugales Rio dolce where their caraks often take in fresh water and by the naturall inhabitants Camissa which springeth out of a small lake called Gale situate among The mountaines of the moon so much celebrated by ancient geographers The third and eastermost cape stretching farthest into the sea is called Cabo das Agulhas or the cape of Needles because there the needles of dialles touched with the loadstone stand directly North without any variation either to the east or to the west betweene this cape and the foresaid westermost cape which ly forth into the sea like two hornes is the bredth of this mightie promontorie containing about fiue and twentie leagues the length whereof from the riuer of Fernando Poo where it beginneth to iuttie forth into the sea along the westerne coast southward to the cape das Agulhas amounteth to two thousand two hundred Italian miles and from Cabo das Agulhas along the easterne shore northward to Cape Guardafu are three thousand three hundred of the same miles This cape at the first discouerie thereof was called by Nauigators The Lyon of the sea Cabo tormentoso or The tēpestuous cape not so much as I take it for the dangerous and stormie seas more about this cape then any other but partly in regard of the chargeable dangerous and long trauels of the Portugals before they could attaine vnto it and partly bicause of the great compasse which in their voiages outward they are constrained to fetch for the doubling thereof and partly also in regard of some tempestuous and stormie weather wherewith they haue beene encountered at this Cape which notwithstanding at certaine times is an ordinarie matter vpon all shores and promontories ouer the face of the whole earth And albeit some will not come within sight of this cape but keepe a great distance off for feare of the dangerous seas beating thereupon as namely Francis de Almeida who sailed aboue an hundred leagues to the south in fortie degrees of latitude Pedro de Agnaia in fortie fiue and Vasco Carualho in fortie seuen where in the moneth of Iuly eight of his men died for cold yet we finde by the late and moderne experience of sir Francis Drake master Candish master Lancaster in his returne from the east Indies and of the Hollanders in their nauigations thither begun in the yeere
king ouer all Africa But Califa Elcain hearing this newes at Alchair was woonderfully afflicted in minde partly because he saw himselfe repelled from his owne kingdome and partly for that he had spent all his money which hee brought with him insomuch that he knew not what in the world to doe determining some seuere punishment for Gehoar by whose counsell he left his kingdome of Arabia Howbeit there was one of his secret counsellers a very learned and wittie man who seeing his Lord so sad and pensiue and being desirous by some good aduise to preuent the danger imminent comforted him in this wise Your highnes knoweth most inuincible Califa that fortune is most variable and that the courage of your soldiers is no whit daunted by reason of these mishaps For mine owne part as I haue heretofore shewed my selfe to be your trustie seruant so will I at this time giue you such profitable counsell whereby you may within short space recouer all those dominions which haue beene so treacherously taken from you and may without al peraduenture most easily attaine vnto your owne harts desire And this you may doe without maintaining any armie at all yea I assure you if you please to take mine aduise that I will foorthwith procure you such an armie as shall giue you great store of money and yet notwithstanding shall doe you good seruice also The Califa being somewhat 〈◊〉 these speeches asked his counsellour how this might possibly be brought to effect My Lord saith his counseller certaine it is that the Arabians are now growen so populous and to so great a number that all Arabia cannot containe them scarcely wil the yeerely increase of the ground suffice to feede their droues and you see with what great famine they are afflicted and how they are destitute not onely of habitations but euen of victuals and sustenance Wherefore if you had heeretofore giuen them leaue they would long ere this haue inuaded Africa And if you will now licence them so to doe doubt you not but that you shall receiue of them an huge masse of golde This counsell could not altogether satisfie the Califa his minde for he knew right well that the Arabians would so waste all Africa as it should neither bee profitable for himselfe nor for his enemies Notwithstanding seeing that his kingdome was altogether endangered hee thought it better to accept those summes of money which his counsellour promised and so to be reuenged of his enemie then to lose both his kingdome and gold all at once Wherefore hee permitted all Arabians which would pay him ducats apeece freely to enter Africa conditionally that they would shewe themselues most deadly enemies vnto the treacherous king of Barbarie Which libertie being granted vnto them it is reported that ten tribes or families of Arabians being halfe the people of Arabia deserta came immediately into Africa vnto whom certaine inhabitants of Arabia foelix ioyned themselues insomuch that there were found amongst them about fiftie thousand persons able to beare armes their women children and cattell were almost innumerable the storie whereof Ibnu Rachu the most diligent chronicler of African affaires whom we haue before mentioned setteth downe at large These Arabians hauing trauersed the desert betweene Aegypt and Barbarie first laid siege vnto Tripolis a citie of Barbarie which being ouercome they slew a great part of the citizens the residue escaping by flight Next of all they encountred the towne of Capes which was by them taken and vanquished At length they besieged Cairaoan also howbeit the citizens being sufficiently prouided of victuals are said to haue indured the siege for eight monethes which being expired they were constrained to yeeld at what time there was nothing in Cairaoan but wofull slaughters hideous outcries and present death This land the Arabians diuided among themselues and began to people and inhabite the same requiring in the meane space large tributes of the townes and prouinces subiect vnto them And so they possessed all Africa vntill such time as one Ioseph the sonne of Ieffin attained to the kingdom of Marocco This Ioseph was the first king of Marocco who endeuored by all meanes to aduance the friends and kinred of the late deceased king of Africa vnto the kingdome neither did he cease vntill he had expelled all the Arabians out of Cairaoan Howbeit the Arabians possessed the regions thereabout giuing themselues wholy to spoiles and robberies and the friends of the said deceased king could beare rule but in certaine places only Afterward succeeded in the kingdome of Marocco one Mansor who was the fourth king and prelate of that Mahumetan sect which was called Muachedim This man albeit his grand-fathers great grand-fathers had alwaies fauoured the posteritie and friends of the foresaid deceased African king and had restored them to their ancient dignitie deuised altogether how to oppose himselfe against them and to vsurpe all their authoritie Wherefore making a fained league with them we reade that he prouoked the Arabians against them and so very easily ouercame them Afterward Mansor brought the greatest part of the Arabians into the westerne dominions of Africa vnto the better sort of whom he gaue the habitation of Duccala Azgara and vnto the baser remnant he bequeathed the possession of Numidia But in processe of time he commanded the Numidian slaues to be set at libertie and so in despight of the Arabians he caused them to inhabite that part of Numidia which he had allotted vnto them But as for the Arabians of Azgara and of certaine other places in Barbarie he brought them all vnder his subiection For the Arabians out of deserts are like fishes without water they had indeede often attempted to get into the deserts but the mountaines of Atlas which were then possessed by the Barbarians hindred their passage Neither had they libertie to passe ouer the plaines for the residue of the Barbarians were there planted Wherefore their pride being abated they applied themselues vnto husbandrie hauing no where to repose themselues but onely in villages cottages and tents And their miserie was so much the greater in that they were constrained yeerely to disburse vnto the king of Marocco most ample tribute Those which inhabited Duccala because they were an huge multitude easily freed themselues from all tribute and imposition A great part of the Arabians remained still at Tunis for that Mansor had refused to carie them along with him who after the death of the said Mansor grew to be Lords of Tunis and so continued till they resigned their gouernment vnto the people called Abu-Haf vpon condition that they should pay them halfe the reuenues thereof and this condition hath remained firme euen vntill our daies Howbeit because the Arabians are increased to such innumerable swarmes that the whole reuenues are not sufficient for them the king of Tunis most iustly alloweth some of them their duties to the end they may make secure passage for merchants which indeede
christall water falling into a cesterne within the porch at each corner of the saide porch standeth the image of a leopard framed of white marble which is naturally adorned with certaine blacke spots this kinde of particoloured marble is no where to be founde but onely in a certaine place of Atlas which is about an hundreth fiftie miles distant from Maroco Not farre from the garden stands a certaine woode or parke walled round about And here I thinke no kinde of wilde beasts are wanting for heere you may behold elephants lions stagges roes and such like howbeit the lions are separated in a certaine place from other beasts which place euen to this day is called The lions den Wherefore such monuments of antiquity as are yet extant in Maroco albeit they are but few do not withstanding sufficiently argue what a noble citie it was in the time of Mansor At this present al the courts and lodgings before described lie vtterly voide and desolate except perhaps some of the kings ostlery which tend his mules and horses do lie in that court which we saide euen now was to lodge archers and crossebowe-men all the residue are left for the fowles of the aire to nestle in That garden which you might haue named a paradise in olde time is now become a place where the filth and dung of the whole citie is cast foorth Where the faire and stately librarie was of old at this present there is nothing else to be founde but hens dooues and other such like foules which builde their nests there Certaine it is that the foresaid Mansor whom we haue so often mentioned was a most puissant and mightie prince for it is well knowen that his dominion stretched from the towne of Messa to the kingdome of Tripolis in Barbary which is the most excellent region of Africa and so large that a man can hardly trauell the length therof in fourescore ten daies or the bredth in fifteene This Mansor likewise was in times past Lord of all the kingdome of Granada in Spaine Yea his dominion in Spaine extended from Tariffa to Aragon ouer a great part of Castilia and of Portugall Neither did this Iacob surnamed Mansor only possesse the foresaid dominiōs but also his grandfather Abdul Mumen his father Ioseph his sonne Mahumet Enasir who being vanquished in the kingdome of Valençia lost 60000. soldiers horsemen footemen howbeit himselfe escaped returned to Maroco The Christians being encouraged with this victorie refrained not from warre till within 30. yeeres space they had woon all the townes following to wit Valençia Denia Alcauro Murcia Cartagena Cordoua Siuillia Iaen and Vbeda After which vnhappie warre succeeded the decay of Maroco The said Mahumet deceasing left behinde him ten sonnes of a full and perfect age who contended much about the kingdome Hereupon it came to passe while the brethren were at discord and assailed each other with mutuall warres that the people of Fez called Marini and the inhabitants of other regions adiacent began to vsurpe the gouernment The people called Habdulvad enioyed Tremizen expelling the king of Tunis and ordaining some other whom they pleased in his stead Now haue you heard the end of Mansor his progenie and successors The kingdome therefore was translated vnto one Iacob the sonne of Habdulach who was the first king of the familie called Marin And at length the famous citie of Maroco it selfe by reason of the Arabians continuall outrages fell into most extreme calamitie so great is the inconstancie of all earthly things That which we haue here reported as touching Maroco partly we saw with our owne eies partly we read in the historie of one Ibnu 〈◊〉 Malich a most exact chronicler of the affaires of Maroco and partly we borrowed out of that treatise which our selues haue written concerning the law of Mahumet Of the towne of Agmet THE towne of Agmet built of old by the Africans vpon the top of a certaine hill which beginneth almost from Atlas is distant from Maroco about fower and twentie miles In times past when Muachidin was prince thereof it contained moe then sixe thousand families at what time the people were very ciuill and had such plentie and magnificence of all things that many would not sticke to compare this towne with the citie of Maroco It had on all sides most 〈◊〉 gardens and great store of vines whereof 〈◊〉 grew vpon the mountaine it selfe and others on the valley By the foote of this hill runneth a faire riuer which springing foorth of Atlas falleth at length into Tensift The field which lieth neere vnto this riuer is said to be so fruitfull that it yeeldeth euery yeere fiftie fold encrease The water of this riuer looketh alwaies white albeit if a man stedfastly behold the said riuer it may seeme vnto him in colour to resemble the soile of Narnia or the riuer Niger of Vmbria in Italie And 〈◊〉 there are which affirme that the very same riuer runneth vnder ground to Maroco and not to breake foorth of the earth till it come to a certaine place very neere vnto the said citie 〈◊〉 princes in times past being desirous to know the hidden and intricate passages of the said riuer sent certaine persons into the hollow caue who the better to discerne the same carried candles and torches with them But hauing proceeded a little way vnder ground there met them such a flaw of winde that blew out their lights and perforce draue them backe to the great hazard of their liues so that they said they neuer felt the like They affirme likewise that the riuer being full of rocks which the water driueth to and fro and by reason of the manifold chanels and streames their passage was altogether hindred Wherefore that secret remaineth vnknowne euen till this day neither is there any man so hardie as to attempt the same enterprise againe I remember that I read in some histories that king Ioseph which built Maroco being forewarned by the coniecture of a certaine astrologer that the whole region should perpetually be vexed with warre prouided by arte-magique that the passage of this riuer should alwaies bee vnknowen least if any enimie should afterward practise 〈◊〉 he might cut off the course thereof from the saide citie Neere vnto this riuer lies the common high way which crosseth ouer mount Atlas to Guzula aregion of Maroco Howbeit the citie of Agmet which I haue now described vnto you hath at this day no other inhabitants but woolues foxes deere and such other wilde beasts Except onely at my being there I found a certaine Hermite who was attended vpon by an hundred persons of his owne sect all of them were well-horsed and did their best endeuour to become gouernours and commanders but their forces were insufficient With this Hermite I staide as I remember for the space of tenne daies and founde one amongst his followers with whom I had old 〈◊〉 and familiaritie
family of Idris decaying it became a pray vnto the enemie At this present the ruines of the wals are onely to be seene and certaine forlorne gardens which because the ground is not manured bring foorth naught but wilde fruits Of the towne called Homar THis towne was built by one Hali a disciple of the foresaid Mahumet vpon a little hill and by a riuers side being situate about fourteene miles to the north of Casar and sixteen miles to the south of Arzilla which although it be but a small towne yet is it well fortified and fairely built and enuironed with fruitfull fieldes vineyardes and gardens replenished with woonderfull varietie of fruits The inhabitants being most of them linnen-weauers gather and prouide great store of flaxe But euer since the Portugals woon Arzilla this towne hath remained desolate A description of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 THe great citie of Arzilla called by the Africans Azella was built by the Romans vpon the Ocean sea shore about seuentie miles from the streits of Gibraltar and an hundred and fortie miles from Fez. It was in times past subiect vnto the prince of Septa or Ceuta who was tributarie to the Romans and was afterward taken by the Goths who established the said prince in his former gouernment but the Mahumetans wan it in the yeere of the Hegeira 94. and helde the same for two hundred and twenty yeeres till such time as the English at the persuasion of the Goths besieged it with an huge armie and albeit the Goths were enemies to the English because themselues were Christians and the English worshippers of idols yet the Goths 〈◊〉 them to this attempt hoping by that meanes to draw the Mahumetans out of Europe The English hauing good successe tooke the citie and so wasted it with fire and sword that scarce one citizen escaped so that it remained almost thirtie yeeres voide of inhabitants But afterward when the Mahumetan patriarks of Cordoua were lords of Mauritania it was againe reedified and by all meanes augmented enriched and fortified The inhabitants were rich learned and valiant The fields adiacent yeeld graine and pulse of all sorts in great abundance but because the towne standeth almost ten miles from the mountaines it sustaineth great want of wood howbeit they haue coales brought them from Harais as is aforesaid In the yeere of the Hegeira 882. this citie was suddenly surprised and taken by the Portugalles and all the inhabitants carried prisoners into Portugall amongst whom was Mahumet the king of Fez that now is who together with his sister being both children of seuen yeeres old were taken and led captiue For the father of this Mahumet seeing the prouince of Habatreuolt from him went and dwelt at Arzilla the very same time when Esserif a great citizen of Fez hauing slaine Habdulac the last king of the Marin-familie was by the fauour of the people aduanced vnto the Fessan kingdome Afterward one Saic Abra being pricked forward with ambition went about to conquer the citie of Fez and to make himselfe king howbeit Esserif by the aduise of a certaine counsellour of his being couzin vnto Saic vanquished and put to flight the saide Saic to his great disgrace Moreouer while Esserif had sent his said counsellour to Temesna to pacifie the people of that prouince being about to rebell Saic returned and hauing for one whole yeere besieged new Fez with eight thousand men at length by treason of the townesmen he easily wan it and compelled Esserif with all his familie to flee vnto the kingdome of Tunis The same time therefore that Saic besieged Fez the king of Portugall as is aforesaid sending a fleete into Africa tooke Arzilla and then was the king of Fez that now is with his yoong sister caried captiue into Portugall where he remained seuen yeeres in which space he learned the Portugall-language most exactly At length with a great summe of money his father ransomed him out of Portugall who afterward being aduanced to the kingdome was by reason of his long continuance in Portugall called king Mahumet the Portugall This king afterward attempted very often to be auenged of the Portugals and to recouer Arzilla Wherefore suddenly encountring the said citie he beat down a great part of the wall and entring the breach set all the captiue-Moores at libertie The Christians retired into the castle promising within two daies to yeeld vnto the king But Pedro Nauarro comming in the meane season with a great fleet they compelled the king with continuall discharging of their ordinance not onely to relinquish the citie but also to depart quite away with his whole armie afterward it was so fortified on all sides by the Portugals that the said king attempting often the recouerie thereof had alwaies the repulse I my selfe seruing the king in the foresaid expedition could find but fiue hundred of our companie slaine But the warre against Arzilla continued from the yeere of the Hegeira 914. to the yeere 921. Of the citie of Tangia THe great and ancient citie of Tangia called by the Portugals Tangiara according to the fond opinion of some historiographers was founded by one Sedded the sonne of Had who as they say was emperour ouer the whole world This man say they determined to build a citie which for beautie might match the earthly paradise Wherefore he compassed the same with walles of brasse and the roofes of the houses he couered with gold and siluer for the building whereof he exacted great tributes of all the cities in the world But the classicall and approoued authors affirme that it was built by the Romanes vpon the Ocean sea shore at the same time when they subdued the kingdome of Granada From the streites of Gibraltar it is distant almost thirtie and from Fez an hundred and fiftie miles And from the time that the Goths were first lordes of Granada this citie was subiect vnto Septa or Ceuta vntill it and Arzilla were woon by the Mahumetans It hath alwaies beene a ciuill famous and well-peopled towne and very stately and sumptuously built The field thereto belonging is not very fertill nor apt for tilth howbeit not far off are certaine vallies continually watred with fountaines which furnish the said citie with all kinde of fruits in abundance Without the citie also growe certaine vines albeit vpon a sandie soile It was well stored with inhabitants till such time as Arzilla was surprized by the Portugals for then the inhabitants being dismaied with rumours of warres tooke vp their bag and baggage and fled vnto Fez. Whereupon the king of Portugall his deputie at Arzilla sent one of his captaines thither who kept it so long vnder the obedience of the king till the king of Fez sent one of his kinsmen also to defend a region of great importance neere vnto the mountaines of Gumera being enemie to the Christians Twentie fiue yeeres before the Portugall king wan this citie he sent foorth an armada against it hoping
buildings to be seene The towne wall is built of most excellent marble Euer since the Marin-familie enioied the westerne kingdome of Fez this towne was an occasion of great warres for the Marin-family woulde haue it belong to the crowne of Fez but the king of Telensin chalenged it as his owne Of the towne of Haddagia THis towne was built by the Africans in manner of an Isle for it is enuironed with the riuer Mululo which not far from hence falleth into the riuer Muluia It was in times past a most populous flourishing towne but after the Arabians became lords of the west it fell by little and little to decay for it bordereth vpon the desert of Dahra which is inhabited with most lewde and mischieuous Arabians At the same time when Teurerto was sacked this towne was vtterly destroied also whereof nothing remaineth at this day but the towne wals onely Of the castle of Garsis IT standeth vpon a rocke by the riuer Muluia fifteene miles distant from Teurerto Here as in a most impregnable place the familie of Beni Marin laide their prouision of corne when as they inhabited the deserts Afterward it became subiect vnto Abuhenan the fift king of the Marin-familie It hath no great quantitie of arable or pasture ground belonging thereto but it hath a most pleasant garden replenished with grapes peaches and figges and enuironed on all sides with most thicke and shadie woods so that it is a paradise in respect of other places thereabout The inhabitants are rude and vnciuill people neither do they ought but keepe such corne as the Arabians commit vnto their custodie If a man behold the castle a farre off he woulde thinke it rather to be a cottage then a castle for the wall being in many places ruined maketh shew of great antiquitie and the roofe is couered with certaine blacke stones or slates Of the towne of Dubdu THis ancient towne was built by the Africans vpon an exceeding high and impregnable mountaine and is inhabited by certaine people of the familie of Zeneta From the top of this mountaine diuers springs come running into the towne From this towne the next plaines are distant almost fiue miles and yet they seeme to be but a mile and an halfe off for the way is very crooked and winding All the iurisdiction longing to this towne is onely vpon the toppe of the mountaine for the plaine vnderneath is vnpleasant and barren except certaine gardens on either side of a little riuer running by the foote of the hill neither haue the townesmen corne growing vpon the same hill sufficient for their prouision vnlesse they were supplied with great store of corne from Tezza so that this towne was built for a fortresse onely by the family of Marin what time they were dispossessed of the westerne kingdome Afterward it was inhabited by a certaine family called Beni Guertaggen who are lords of the saide towne euen till this day But when the Marin-family were expelled out of the kingdome of Fez the next Arabians endeuoured to winne the towne howbeit by the aide of one Mose Ibnu Chamu who was one of the saide family the Arabians were so valiantly resisted that they concluded a truce with the people of Marin and so Mose Ibnu remained gouernour of the towne after whose death his sonne Acmed succeeded him who treading iust in his fathers vertuous steps kept the saide towne in great tranquillitie euen till his dying day After him succeeded one Mahumet a man highly 〈◊〉 for his noble valour and great skill in martiall affaires This Mahumet had before time conquered many cities and castles vpon the foote of the mount Atlas southward whereof bordereth the land of Numidia But hauing gotten this towne in possession he beautified it exceedingly with store of faire houses and buildings likewise he greatly altered and reformed the gouernment of this towne and shewed such extraordinarie curtesie vnto al strangers that he grew very famous Moreouer the saide Mahumet consulted howe to get Tezza from the king of Fez offered great matters to the performance of his intent and that he might the easlier attaine his purpose he determined to go to the market of Tezza in a simple habite and so to make an assault vpon the captaine of the towne for he hoped that a great part of the townesmen whom he knew to be his friends woulde assist him in that enterprise Howbeit this practise was at length discouered vnto the king of Fez which king was called Saich and was the first of the family of Quattas and father vnto the king that now reigneth who presently assembled an huge armie and marched of purpose against Dubdu vtterly to destroy it and so comming vnto the foote of the mountaine he there encamped The people of the mountaine hauing gathered an armie of sixe thousand men hid themselues craftilie behinde the rockes suffering their enimies to ascende by certaine difficult streite passages from whence they were sure they could hardly escape so at length they brake foorth on the sodaine encountred their said enemies being wearie of ascending and because the way was very troublesome and narrow the king of Fez his soldiers could not endure their assaults but being constrained to giue backe were moe then a thousand of them throwne downe headlong and slaine In this skirmish were slaine in all to the number of three thousand Fessan soldiers and yet the king not being dismaied with so great an ouerthrow prepared foorthwith a band of fiue hundred crossebowes and three hundred Harquebuziers and determined to make a newe assault vpon the towne But Mahumet seeing that he could no longer withstand the king resolued to goe himselfe vnto him that he might if it were possible obtaine peace and to release his countrie from the furie of the enemie Wherefore putting on the habit of an ambassadour he went and deliuered a letter with his owne hand vnto the king Which the king hauing perused asked him what he thought concerning the gouernour of Dubdu Mary I thinke quoth Mahumet he is not well in his wits in that he goeth about to resist your Maiestie Then said the king if I had conquered him as I hope to doe within these few daies I would cause him to be dismembred and torne in peeces But what if he should come hither saith Mahumet to submit himselfe and to acknowledge his offence might it then please the king to admit him into fauour Then the king answered I sweare vnto thee by this my head that if he will come and acknowledge his fault in manner as thou hast said I will not onely receiue him into fauour but will espouse my daughters vnto his sonnes and will bestowe most ample and princely dowries vpon them But I am sure being distraught of his wits as thou hast said that he will by no meanes come and submit himselfe Then said Mahumet he would soone come I assure you if it pleased the king to protest this for a certaintie
assaults He is at perpetuall enmitie with a certaine people inhabiting beyond the desert of Seu who in times past marching with an huge armie of footemen ouer the saide desert wasted a great part of the kingdome of Borno Whereupon the king of Borno sent for the merchants of Barbary and willed them to bring him great store of horses for in this countrey they vse to exchange horses for slaues and to giue fifteene and sometime twentie slaues for one horse And by this meanes there were abundance of horses brought howbeit the merchants were constrained to stay for their slaues till the king returned home conquerour with a great number of captiues and satisfied his creditors for their horses And oftentimes it falleth out that the merchants must stay three moneths togither before the king returneth from the warres but they are all that while maintained at the kings charges Sometimes he bringeth not home slaues enough to satisfie the merchants and otherwhiles they are constrained to awaite there a whole yeere togither for the king maketh inuasions but euery yeere once that at one set and appointed time of the yeere Yea I my selfe met with sundrie merchants heere who despairing of the kings paiment bicause they had trusted him an whole yeere determined neuer to come thither with horses againe And yet the king seemeth to be marueilous rich for his spurres his bridles platters dishes pots and other vessels wherein his meate and drinke are brought to the table are all of pure golde yea and the chaines of his dogs and hounds are of golde also Howbeit this king is extreamely couetous for he had much rather pay his debts in slaues then in gold In this kingdome are great multitudes of Negros and of other people the names of whom bicause I tarried heere but one moneth I could not well note Of the kingdome of Gaoga GAoga bordering westward vpon the kingdome of Borno and extending eastward to the confines of Nubia adioineth southward vnto a certaine desert situate vpon a crooked and winding part of Nilus and is enclosed northward with the frontiers of Egypt It stretcheth from east to west in length fiue hundred miles and as much in bredth They haue neither humanitie nor learning among them but are most rusticall and sauage people and especially those that inhabite the mountaines who go all naked saue their priuities their houses are made of boughes rafts and are much subiect to burning and they haue great abundance of cattel whereunto they giue diligent attendance For many yeers they remained in libertie of which libertie they were depriued by a certaine Negro slaue of the same region This slaue lying vpon a certaine night with his master that was a wealthie merchant considering that he was not far from his natiue countrey slue his saide master possessed his goods and returned home where hauing bought a certaine number of horses he began to inuade the people next adioining and obtained for the most part the victorie for he conducted a troupe of most valiant warlike horsmen against his enimies that were but slēderly appointed And by this means he tooke great numbers of captiues whom he exchanged for horses that were brought out of Egypt insomuch that at length the number of his souldiers increasing he was accounted of by all men as souerainge K. of Gaoga After him succeeded his son being no whit inferiour in valour high courage vnto his father who reigned for the space of fortie yeeres Next him succeeded his brother Moses after Moses his nephew Homara who beareth rule at this present This Homara hath greatly enlarged his dominions and hath entred league with the Soldan of Cairo by whom he is often presented with magnificent gifts which he most bountifully requiteth also diuers merchants of Egypt and diuers inhabitants of Cairo present most pretious and rare things vnto him and highly commend his surpassing liberalitie This prince greatly honoureth all learned men and especially such as are of the linage of Mahumet I my selfe being in his court a certaine noble man of Damiata brought him very rich and roiall gifts as namely a gallant horse a Turkish sworde and a kingly robe with certaine other particulars that cost about an hundred and fiftie ducates at Cairo in recompence whereof the king gaue him fiue slaues fiue camels fiue hundred ducates of that region and an hundred elephants teeth of woonderfull bignes Of the kingdome of 〈◊〉 NVbia bordering westward vpon the kingdome last described and stretching from thence vnto Nilus is enclosed on the southside with the desert of Goran and on the north side with the confines of Egypt Howbeit they cannot passe by water from this kingdome into Egypt for the riuer of Nilus is in some places no deeper then a man may wade ouer on foote The principall towne of this kingdome called Dangala is exceeding populous and containeth to the number of ten thousand families The wals of their houses consist of a kinde of chalke and the roofes are couered with strawe The townesmen are exceeding rich and ciuill people and haue great traffike with the merchants of Cairo of Egypt in other parts of this kingdome you shall finde none but villages and hamlets situate vpon the riuer of Nilus all the inhabitants whereof are husbandmen The kingdome of Nubia is most rich in corne and sugar which notwithstanding they knowe not how to vse Also in the citie of Dangala there is great plentie of ciuet and Sandall-wood This region aboundeth with Iuory likewise bicause heere are so many elephants taken Heere is also a most strong and deadly poison one graine whereof being diuided amongst ten persons will kill them all within lesse then a quarter of an hower but if one man taketh a graine he dieth there of out of hand An ounce of this poison is solde for an hundred ducates neither may it be solde to any but to forraine merchants whosoeuer buieth it is bound by an oath not to vse it in the kingdome of Nubia All such as buy of this poison are constrained to pay as much vnto the king as to the merchant but if any man selleth poison without the princes knowledge he is presently put to death The king of Nubia maintaineth continuall warre partly against the people of Goran who being descended of the people called Zingani inhabite the deserts and speake a kinde of language that no other nation vnderstandeth and partly against certaine other people also dwelling vpon the desert which lieth eastward of Nilus and 〈◊〉 towards the red sea being not farre from the borders of Suachen Their language as I take it is mixt for it hath great affinity with the Chaldean toong with the language of Suachen and with the language of Ethiopia the higher where Prete Gianni is said to beare rule the people themselues are called Bugiha and are most base and miserable and liue onely vpon milke camels-flesh and
Flaccus Africa scarce breathing from bloudie warres an horrible and extraordinarie destruction ensued For whereas now throughout all Africa infinite multitudes of locustes were gathered togither had not only quite deuoured the corne on the grounde and consumed the herbes with part of their rootes and the leaues and tender boughes of the trees but had gnawne also the bitter barke and drie woode being with a violent and sudden winde hoised aloft in mightie swarmes and carried a long time in the aire they were at length drowned in the African sea Whose lothsome and putrified carcases being by the waues of the sea cast vp in huge heapes farre and wide along the shore bred an incredible stinking infectious smell whereupon followed so general a pestilence of al liuing creatures that the corrupt dead bodies of foules cattell and wilde beasts dissolued by the contagion of the aire augmented the furie of the plague But how great and extraordinarie a death of men there was I cannot but tremble to report for in Numidia where Micipsa was then king died fowerscore thousand persons and vpon the sea-coast next adioiningto Carthage and Vtica aboue two hundred thousand are saide to haue perished Yea in the citie of Vtica it selfe were by this meanes swept from the face of the earth thirtie thousand braue soldiers which were appointed to be the garrison for all Africa And the destruction was so sudaine and violent as they report that out of one gate of Vtica in one and the same day were carried aboue fifteene hundred dead corpes of those lustie yoong gallants So that by the grace and fauour of almightie God through whose mercy and in confidence of whom I doe speake these things I may boldly affirme that albeit sometime in our daies the locusts in diuers parts and vsually doe some domage which is tolerable yet neuer befell there in the time of the Christians so insupportable a mischiefe as that this scourge of locusts which being aliue are by no meanes 〈◊〉 should after their death prooue farre more pernicious and which also liuing the fruits of the earth would haue beene quite deuoured it had beene much better they had neuer died to the plague and destruction of all earthly creatures Hitherto Paulus Orosius The second testimonie taken out of the 32. and 33. chapters of the Ethiopian historie of Francis Aluarez which for the satisfaction of euerie Reader I haue put downe with all particularities and circumstances Of the great multitude of Locusts and the infinite domage that they procure in the dominions of Prete Ianni Chap. 32. IN this quarter and throughout all the dominion of Prete Ianni there is an horrible and great plague to wit an innumerable companie of Locustes which eate and consume the corne and trees of fruite and so great is the number of these creatures as it is not credible for with the multitude of them the earth is couered and the aire so ouerspred as one may hardlie discerne the sunne and further I affirme that it is a thing most strange to him who 〈◊〉 not seene it and if the domage they performe were generall through all the prouinces and kingdomes of Prete Ianni his people woulde die with famine neither coulde men possiblie there inhabite But one yeere they destroy one prouince and the next yeere another 〈◊〉 as if for example they waste the kingdome of Portugall or Castile this 〈◊〉 an other yeere they are in the quarters of Lenteio an other in Estremadura an other in Beira or betweene the riuer Dorus and Minius an other on the mountaines an other in old Castilia Aragon or Andaluzia and otherwhiles in two or three of these prouinces at once and wheresoeuer they come the earth is more wasted and destroied by them then if it had beene all ouer consumed with a fire These locusts are as bigge as the greatest grashoppers hauing yellow wings Their comming into the countrie is knowne a day before not for that we can see them but we know it by the sunne who is yellow of colour this being a signe that they draw neere to the countrie as also the earth looketh yellowe by reason of the light which reflecteth from their wings whereupon the people in a manner become presentlie halfe dead saying we are vndone for the Ambati that is to say the locustes are come And I can not forbeare to set downe that which I sawe three sundrie times and first in Barua where we had now beene for the space of three yeeres and heere we often heard it saide that such a countrey and such a realme was destroied by the Locusts and being in this prouince we sawe the sunne and the vpper part of the earth looke all yellow the people being in a manner halfe dead for sorrow But the day following it was an incredible thing to see the number of these creatures that came which to our iudgement couered fower and twentie miles of lande as afterward we were enformed When this scourge and plague was come the priestes of that place came and sought me out requesting me to giue them some remedie for the driuing of them away and I answered that I could tel them nothing but only that they shoulde deuoutly pray vnto God that he woulde driue them out of the countrie And so I went to the Ambassadour and told him that it would be very good to goe on procession beseeching God that hee woulde deliuer the countrie who peraduenture in his great mercie might heare vs. This liked the Ambassadour very well and the day following we gathered togither the people of the land with all the priests and taking the consecrated stone and the crosse according to their custome all we Portugals sung the Letanie and appointed those of the land that they should lift vp their voices aloud as we did saying in their language Zio marina Christos which is as much to say as Lord God haue mercy vpon vs and with this manner of inuocation we went ouer a peece of grounde where there were fieldes of wheate for the space of a mile euen to a little hill and heere I caused many of these locustes to be taken pronouncing ouer them a certaine coniuration which I had about me in writing hauing made it that night requesting admonishing and excommunicating them enioining them within the space of three howers to depart towards the sea or the lande of the Moores or the desert mountaines and to let the Christians alone and they not performing this I summoned and charged the birdes of heauen the beasts of the earth and all sorts of tempests to scatter destroy and eate vp their bodies and to this effect I tooke a quantitie of locusts making this admonition to them present in the behalfe likewise of them absent and so giuing them libertie I suffered them to depart It pleased God to heare vs sinners for in our returne home they came so thicke vpon our backes as it seemed that they woulde haue broken our heads
greeue at nothing but you Christians who haue abandoned me In that the knights of Malta onely sent him small succour of powder and shot These Morabites affirme to declare some of their fooleries that when Allé fought he killed ten thousand Christians with one blow of a sworde and that this sword was an hundred cubits long Then there is the foolish and 〈◊〉 sect of Cobtini One of these shewed himselfe not many yeeres sithence in the market places and quarters of Algier mounted on a reed with a bridle and raines of leather giuing the multitude to vnderstand that vpon that horse in one night he rid an hundred leagues and he was for this greatly honored and reuerenced In tract of time there grew amongst the Mahumetans through the vanitie of their law and the incredible variety and difference of opinions great disorders For their sect being not onely wicked and treacherous as we haue declared but also grosse and foolish those that made profession thereof to defend and maintaine it were enforced to make a thousand interpretations and constructions far sometimes from reason and otherwhiles from the expresse words of Mahumet him selfe The Califas endeuoured mightily to reforme this but their prouisions of greatest importance were two For first Moauia this man florished about the yeere of our Lord 770 called an assembly of learned and iudiciall men to establish that which in their sect should be beleeued and to this end he caused all the bookes of Mahumet and his successors to be gathered together But they not agreeing amongst themselues he chose out of them sixe of the most learned and shutting them within an house with the said writings he commaunded them that euery one should make choise of that which seemed best vnto him These men reduced the Mahumetan doctrine into sixe books setting downe the pennaltie of losse of life to them that should otherwise speake or write of the law But because the Arabians gaue their mindes to Philosophie in the vniuersities of Bagdet Fez Maroco and Cordoua and being of piercing and subtile wits they could not but looke into the fopperies of their sect There was added vnto this another prouiso which was a statute that forbad them the studie of Philosophie by meanes of which statute their Vniuersities before most flourishing haue within these fower hundred yeeres daily declined At this day the sects of Mahumetan impietie are distinguished more through the might and power of those nations that follow them then of themselues and the principall nations are fower that is to say Arabians Persians Tartars and Turks The Arabians are most superstitious and zealous The Persians stand more vpon reason and nature The Tartars hold much gentilisine and simplicitie and the Turkes especially in Europe are most of them Libertines and Martialistes The Arabians as they that esteeme it for great glorie that Mahumet was of their nation and buried in Mecca or as others thinke in Medina Talnabi haue laboured with all arte and yet procure to spread their sect ouer the whole world In India they first preuailed with preaching and afterwards with armes Considering that seuen hundred yeeres sithence king Perimal reigning in Malabar they began there to sow this cockle and to bring the Gentiles more easily within their net they tooke and at this daie take their daughters to wife a matter greatly esteemed of them by reason of these mens wealth By this policie and the traffike of spices which yeelded them infinite profite they quickly set foote and fastned it in India They built townes and planted colonies and the first place where they grew to a bodie was Calicut which of a small thing by their concourse and traffike became a mightie citie They drew king Perimal to their sect who at their perswasion resolued to go and end his daies at Mecca and for that purpose he put himselfe onward on the voiage with certaine ships laden with pepper and other precious commodities but a terrible tempest met him in the midst of his course and drowned him in the sea They inhabite in Malabar where two sorts of Arabians or Moores as we may terme them haue more exceedingly increased and preuailed then in any other part of the Indies one is of strangers that arriue there by reason of the traffike of Arabia Cambaia and Persia and the other be those that dayly are borne of a 〈◊〉 father and a mother Gentile or both of father and mother Moores and these who are called Nateani and differ from the other people in person customes and habit make as it were a fourth part of the inhabitants of that countrey From Malabar they went to the Maldiue and Zeilan Here they began to take vpon them the managing of the customs and impositions of cities and townes and by making them greater then in times past they attained to the grace and fauour of the Princes and Lords together with great reputation and authority yea preeminence and superiority ouer the common people and fauouring those who embraced their sect daylie preached and diuulged by the Papassi but holding their hands heauie ouer such as shewed themselues repugnant they incredibly aduanced mahumetisme Afterwards perceiuing themselues strong and mightie both in richesse and followers they seazed on the townes and cities So that at this day they commaund a good part of the Maldiuae and the ports of the most noble iland of Zeilan except that of Columbo where the Portugals haue a fortresse By like stratagem are they become masters of the west part of 〈◊〉 within little 〈◊〉 then these two hundred yeeres first preuailing by trade and commerce then by marriage and affinitie and last of all by armes From hence going forwarde they haue taken into their hands the greatest part of the ports of that large Archipelago of the Luçones Malucos Iauas c. They are Lords of the citie of Sunda in the greater Iaua they enioy the greatest part of the Ilands of Banda and Maluco they raigne in Burneo Gilolo They came once as far as Luçon a most noble Iland and one of the Philippinas had planted therein three colonies On the other side they conquered vpon the firme land first the rich kingdome of Cambaia there established their sect as they did the like in all the places adioining from hence they went to Bengala and became Lords thereof They cut off by little and little from the crowne of Siam the state of Malaca which the Portugals holde at this day as likewise those of Ior and Pam and more then two hundred leagues along the coast Finallie they are entred into the most ample kingdome of China and haue built Moscheas in the same and if the Portugals in India and the Malucos and afterwards the Spaniards in the Philippinas had not met them on the way and with the gospell and armes interrupted their course they would at this instant haue possessed infinite kingdomes of the east yea in this they are so industrious and bould to