Pilgrimage, Book 6 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
Of the Land of NEGROS.
NIgritarum terra, or the Land of Negros, aMaginus. Gi. Bot. Ben.either is so called of the Riuer Niger, or of the blacke colour of the Inhabitants: some thinke the Riuer is named Niger of the people: It hath on the North those deserts which we last left; on the South, the Aethiopike Ocean, and the Kingdome of Congo; on the East, Nilus; on the West, the Atlantike. Leo makes Gaogo in the East, and Gualata in the West, the limits thereof. On the side of the Riuer Canaga it is sandy and desert, beyond, it is plentifull, being watered with Niger, which runnes thorow the middest of it. There are no hills neere the bankes of Niger, but wooddy places diuers, receptacles of Elephants. Raines do neither good nor harme: only Niger Ministers them plenty, as Nilus in Egypt: Their encrease is likewise alike; forty dayes together after the middest of Iune doth Niger encrease, at which time the Negro townes are Ilands, and the way to them by boats; and as many it decreaseth. The Merchants in Iuly, August and September, trade in boats made of a hollowed tree (like the Indian Canoas) blo. Leo lib. 7.This Riuer, some thinke, ariseth out of a desert called Se…, from a great lake: some with lesse likelihood, thinke it an arme of Nilus: cCadamosto.and some with no truth, thinke it to bee deriued from Paradise. It is by Geographers dOrtel. Ramusius, &c.brought from a lake, which they call Niger, within two degrees of the Equinoctiall, and running thence Northwards, hides himselfe from the violence of the Sunnes fury, vnderunder a mantle of earth, sixty miles together; and then the Earth discouering him, he runnes not farre, but in reuenge he couers a great part of the Earth, and drowneth the same in a lake called Borneo, till the Earth againe with her strong armes claspes him in streiter bankes, and forceth him to turne his streame Westward, in which way hauing gotten fresh helpe of some other streames, that send in their succours; he againe preuaileth, and ouerthrowes the Earth in the lake Guber: but shegetting vp againe, makes him flee to the Ocean for aide, with whose tide-forces assisted, hee rendes the Earth in to many Ilands, which hee holds as captiues betweene his watery eOrtelius and others in their Mappes, make Senaga and Gambra to be armes or mouthes of Niger. Sanutus thinkes it to be Rio Grande, Leo alledgeth the opinion of some which thinke it to come from Nilus by some vnderunder-earth passage. The Truth is vncertaine, the angry deserts not admitting due search.Armes of Senaga, Gambra, and diuers others, which euer let slippe their hold, and hold them yet in euerlasting captiuitie. In this combate whiles both parts sweate in contention, a fatter excrement is left behinde, which all this way heartens the Earth with admirable fertilitie: especially then when the clouds in the Summer time take Nigers part, and daily marshall their mightie showers to the Riuers aide, shooting off continually in their march their airy Ordinance, with dreadfull lightnings, whereat the amazed Earth shrinkes in her selfe, and the insulting waters for three moneths space trample ouer all, and send colonies of fishes to inhabit the soile, engirting meane while all the townes with a strait siege. But when the Sunne, in his Autumne progresse, sends forth the windes to summon the cloudes to attend on his fiery Chariot; The Earth by degrees lookes vp with her dittie face, bemired with washing, and makes vse of the slime, which cannot runne away with the fleeting waters, to serue her all the yeare after, as harbenger of plenty and abundance.
Bichri and Meshudi, ancient African Writers, knew little of these parts: fLeo lib. 7.but a Mahumetan Preacher in the 380. yeare of the Hegeira, made the people of Luntuna, and Libya, of his faithlesse faith: and after that, they were discouered. They liued, saith Leo, like beasts, without King, Lord, Common-wealth, or any gouernment, scarse knowing to sowe their grounds: cladde in skinnes of beasts: not hauing any peculiar wife; but lie ten or twelue men and women together, each man chusing which he best liked. Warre they wage with no other Nation, nor are desirous to trauell out of their countrey. Some worship the Sunne at the rising: Others, as the people of Gualata, the Fire: & those of Gaoga are Christians, like the Egyptians: Ioseph King of Marocco subdued them: and after that the fiue peoples of Libya; of whom they learned the Mahumetan Law, and other Arts, and the Merchants of Barbary frequented those parts. The Libyans diuided them into fifteene parts, each third part of those fiue peoples possessing one.
But the gAnno 1526.present King of Tombuto, Ab…aci Izchia, being made Generall of the Forces of Soni Heli the former King, which was a Libyan, after his death slew his sons, and brought the Kingdome to the Negros, conquering many Prouinces. After which he went to Mecca on Pilgrimage, and therby set himselfe in debt an hundred and fiftie thousand duckats. A great part of those parts by their difference of language, and Religion, is yet vnknowne to vsus.
Gualata was subdued by the King of Tombuto, a beggerly Countrey. This Region adioyneth to Cape Blanco. The Portugals, when they discouered these Coasts for Henry the Infanta, traded heere for slaues as is farre as Canaga, or Senaga (to which our Nation hRich. Raia…lds, Hack.hath since traded) and is an arme, as is said, of Niger. These people inhabiting on this Riuer, Aluise iCadamosto.di Cadamosto, a Venetian, calls Azanaghi, and saith, that when first the Portugals sailed thither, their simplicity was such, hauing neuer before seene a shippe, they tooke the shippes for great birds with white wings, out of some strange place comming thither: but when they saw them strike saile, they changed their opinion, and thought them to be fishes, seeing them a sarre off: but when they saw them the next day so farre off from that place, they tooke them for night-goblins or spirits.
This did he learne of diuers of the Azanaghi, slaues in Portugal. They hidde their faces no lesse then the priuities, esteeming the mouth vnmeete to be seene, whence they belched such sowre breath. They had a kind of muffler to hide it, and part of the nose, onelyonly discouering the same at meate. Other Gouernours they then had not, only more reuerence was done to the most rich. A beggerly, theeuish, lying, trecherous Nation, as any in the world. They annoynt their haire eueryevery day with fatte of fish for great gallantry, whereof they stinke exceedingly. And lest you should thinke better of their eyes then of their nose, their women esteeme it the greatest part of goodly feature, to hauehave large breasts, which by Art and industrious stretching of them, they enlarge, and some of them hauehave them hanging to their Nauill.
Neere vntounto those are certaine Negros, which suffer not themselues to be seene of any, nor to be heard speake: but hauehave excellent gold which they exchange with other Negros, which bring vntounto them Salt, such as the minerall salt of Tagazza, and leauing the same, they goe away from thence halfe a dayes iourney: the Negros come downe in certaine Barkes, and lay at eueryevery heape of Salt a quantity of gold, and goe their wayes. When the Salt-Merchants returne, if they like the summe, they take it; if not, they leaue the gold still with the Salt, and goe their wayes: and then the other returne, and what heapes of Salt they finde without gold, they take for their owne: the other, either they leaue more gold for, or else leaue altogether. This seemeth hard to beleeue, but many of the Arabians and Azanhagi testified it to our Authour for truth. The Merchants of Melli affirmed to me, that their Prince had once by a plot taken one of them, thinking to hauehave learned the condition of that people, but either of sullennesse, or because he could not, he neither eate nor spake, and within three dayes died. Their stature, they which had taken him, affirmed to be a hand higher then themselues: and that their nether lippe was thicke and redde, and so great that it hung downe to their brest, and it together with their gummes bloudie: their teeth great, and on each side one very large: their eyes standing out: terrible they were to looke vponupon. And because they had apprehended this man by their ambushment, they returned not in three yeares: but after forced by the need of Salt to cure their diseases (whence happily that deformity proceeded) they renewed that traffique.
To leaue these farre within Land, and come to the kBarrius dec.1. lib.3. cap.8. & Maffaeus hist. Ind. lib.1. saith that Senaga and Gambea were by the Ancients called Sta…biris and D… ratus. This name Senaga was giuen by reason that the Prince was so called.Riuer Senaga, Cadamosto iustly maruelled at the partition which that Riuer caused: for on the one side the Inhabitants were well proportioned, very blacke, and the soile very fertile: on the other side, the Inhabitants meagre, small, swart, and the ground barren. The people, that dwell on the bankes of Niger, are called Gilofi. The Kings name in my time (which was l1455.almost a hundred and threescore yeares since) was Zuchali. Hee had thirtie wiues. When Richard mHak. to.2.Rainolds was there 1591, the Kings name was Amar Melik. All that Region betwixt Sanaga and Gambea is called by one generall name, Gia Lof: of which, Maffeus nMaff. l.1. Bar.Dec. 1.l.3. c.6,7,8.and Barrius write, That in an accident of ciuill warres Bemoin came to the King of Portugall for aide, and was there royally entertained and baptized with his followers; of which, some were of such admirable dexteritie and nimblenesse of bodie, that they would leape vponupon a horse as he galloped, and would stand vpright in the saddle, when he ranne fastest, and turne themselues about, and suddenly sit downe; and in the same race would take vp stones layd in order on the ground, and leape downe and vp at pleasure. This Bemoin was shamefully murthered by Peter Vaz, the Portugall Generall, and the hope of Christianitie in those parts disappointed. This was Anno 1489.
From thence oAl.Cadam.Cadamosto went to Budomel; the Prince whereof was had in great respect by his people: which when they come into his presence, kneele on both their knees, and bowing their heads to the ground, cast sand ouer their shoulders, and on their heads, with both hands, and then goe towards him on their knees; and when they speake to him, cast sand ouer their shoulders still, with their head bowed downe, the Prince scarcely deigning them a looke, or word. For eueryevery light offence he would sell their wiues and children. He suffered our Author to goe into his Moschee, where his Arabian Chaplaines, after their manner, mumbled their Mattens tenne or twelue times in halfe an houre; all the companie rising and falling againe to the earth, and kissing it. He also heard him willingly confute the Mahumetane, and proue the Christian Faith: but said, he thought it was harder for a Christian to be saued then a Negro, because GOD was a iust GOD and LORD, who had giuen to vsus many good things in this world; to them nothing in comparison, who should therefore in the other world hauehave their Paradise, which here they wanted. Easily might he hauehave beene turned to Christianitie, but for feare of loosing his State. His wiues prouide him his diet, as it is vsuall among the Negros, and none but his Priests and some principall men eate with him; which is after a beastly sort lying on the ground, the dish set in the middest, and all taking out the meat with their hands. They eate little at once, but eate often, foure or fiue times a day. From October to Iune it raines not there. They hauehave great Serpents, and many, which they vse to charme: and the Prince when he would poyson his weapons, did (as was reported) make a great Circle, and enchaunted by his Charmes all the Serpents thereabouts thereinto, and then killed that which seemed to him most venomous, letting the rest goe: with the bloud thereof, and the seed of a certaine Tree, he tempered a poyson for that purpose, with which a weapon infected, drawing neuer so little bloud, did kill in a quarter of an houre. They hauehave great store of Parrats, which are instructed by a maruellous naturall cunning to preuent the Serpents, which would else destroy their neasts. They build therefore on high Trees, and on the end of some tender bough thereof they fasten a Bull-rush, which hangs downe two spannes, thereunto weauing and working their neast in such sort, that the Serpents, for feare of falling, dare not aduenture to deale therewith. The Negros came about Cadamosto, with wonder to see his apparrell, and the whitenesse of his colour (neuer before had they seene any Christian) and some of them with spittle rubbed his skinne, to see whither his whitenesse were naturall, or no: which perceiuing to be no tincture, they were out of measure astonished. They would then giuegive nine, or sometimes foureteene slaues, for a horse furnished. And when they buy a horse, they will bring some of their Enchaunters, which make a fire of hearbes, and set the horse ouer the smoake, vttering certaine wordes; and after that annoint him with a thinne ointment, and shut him vp twentie dayes, that none may see him, hanging certaine trumperie about his necke, thinking that hereby they are more secure in battaile. Gunnes seemed to them, for their hideous noyse, to be of the Deuill. Bagge-pipes they thought to be a liuing creature, that thus sang in variable accents. But when they were suffered to handle them, they thought them to be some heauenly thing, that GOD had made with his owne hands, to sound so sweetly. They beheld the Shippe with great curiositie; and Eyes that were carued in the Prow of the Shippe, they tooke to be eyes indeede, by which it saw how to direct the course at Sea. They said, the Christians that could thus make voyages by Sea, were great Enchaunters, and comparable to the Deuill; themselues had ynough to doe to trauell by Land. Seeing a Candle burne in the night, they which knew not to make any light but their fires, esteemed it wonderfull. Honey they hauehave, which they sucke out of the combes, but the Waxe they hurled away, till they were instructed how to make Candles thereof.
Senega (Boterus sayth) comes from the Lakes Chelonidi. A hundred and fiftie Leagues from the mouth it hath certaine Falls, or Cataracts (as Nilus hath) that men may passe vnderunder the fall of the streame, without wetting.
Cadamosto doubled the Promontorie, called Cape Verde, or the greene Cape, because of the greene Trees which the Portugalls (who had first discouered it in the yeare before) found there growing in abundance; as oLikewise Cape Sierra Liona is so called of the Lionlike terrour thereof, alwais couered on the top with Clouds, which yeeld dreadful thunders and lightnings. It seems to be the same that Ptolomey and Hann. call the Chariot of the Gods. G. …ot. Ben.Cape Blanco, or the White Cape, was so called of the White Sands there. The inhabitants they found were of two sorts, Barbacini, and Sereri. They hauehave no Prince. They are great Idolaters, and hauehave no Law: but are very cruell. They poyson their arrowes; with which, and the situation of their Countrey, they hauehave preserued themselues from the Kings of Senega.
In Gambia they were, some Idolaters of diuerse sorts, some Mahumetanes. They were also great Enchaunters. Their liuing, as at Senega, saue that they eate Doggesflesh. Here the Prince hunted an Elephant, and gaue them to eate: the flesh is strong and vnsauorie. The Elephants delight in myre like Swine. They hunt them in the Woods: for in the Plaines an Elephant would, without running, soone take and kill the swiftest man; whome yet they hurt not, except they be first prouoked.
Here was a kinde of Fish (Cadamosto pCadamosto apud Ramus. No…us. 47.calls it Cavallo, and his Latine Interpreter, Piscis Caballinus; I take it for the Hippopotamus, or Riuer-Horse) which is (sayth he) as bigge as a Cow; his legges short, with tuskes like to a Bores, but so great, that I hauehave seeue one of two spannes, and longer, clouen-footed, and headed like a Horse: he liues on both Elements, sometimes in the Water, otherwhiles on the Land. The women vponupon their breasts, neckes, and armes, had certaine workes, done with a Needles point, heated in the fire, in manner as with vsus they worke hand-kerchiefes. This being done in their youth, would neuer out. The like flesh-branded workes they vse at Cape Sagres, as Pietro qPietro di Sintra.di Sintra, a Portugall, obserued vponupon their bodies and faces. The inhabitants there are Idolaters, and worship Images of Wood, to whome they offer some of their meat and drinke, when they goe to their meales. They goe naked, couering their priuie parts with the Barkes of Trees. This is rThe Hollanders were entertained of a King in Guinee, but very miserably: an old woman naked, three times went about the Captaine, with certaine murmuring words, and cast ashes on his clothes. The Nobles about the King were naked. Hol. Nauig. 1599.in Guinea.
A little from thence they found men who vsed as great brauery in their eares, which they bored full of holes, and ware therein rings of gold in rowes or ranks. They ware one great ring in an other hole bored through their nose, like to buffles in Italie: which, when they eate their meat, they tooke away. The men and women of sort weare such rings also in their lips, in like sort as in their eares, an ensigne of their Nobilitie and greatnesse, which they put in and out at pleasure. Beyond the Riuer of Palmes they found others thus beringed, and for greater gallantry ware about their necks certaine chaines of teeth, seeming to be the teeth of men. They tooke a Negro whom they carried into Portugall, who affirmed, if a woman which only could vnderstand him, did interpret him rightly, that in his Country were Vnicornes. On this coast the Portugals erected a Castle, called Mina, for their better trading. And these Countries hauehave since beene sought to sThe Guineans esteeme well of the French, ill of the Flemish, and not well of the Portugalls. Arthus Hist.Ind.Or.c.9.by French, Flemish, and many of our English Merchants. In the yeare 1553. tTho. Windam. Antonie Pinteado. See Hakl. voyages, to.2. part.3.Thomas Windam and Antonie Ponteado, a Portugall, in two English ships traded alongst those coasts, as farre as Benin, where they presented themselues to the King, who sate in a great Hall, the walls whereof were made of earth without windowes, the roofe of thinne boords, open in diuers places. His Nobles about him neuer looke him in the face, but sit cowring vponupon their buttocks, with their elbowes vponupon their knees, and their hands before their faces, not looking vp till the King commaund them. And when they depart out of his presence, they turne not their backes vponupon him. Such reuerend regard doth that Negro-King receiue of them.
The next yeare uIohn Lock.Master Iohn Lock went for Captaine into those parts, to trade for Gold, Graines, and Elephants teeth. And after that, diuerse Voyages were thither made by William xWilliam Towerson.Towerson, who obserued at the Riuer of S. Vincent strange Trees, with great leaues like great Dockes, longer then that a man could reach the toppe of them; and a kinde of Pease by the Sea-side growing on the Sands like Trees, with stalkes seuen and twentie paces long. Diuerse of the women had breasts exceeding long. At the Cape Tres puntas they made him sweare, By the Water of the Sea, that he would not hurt them, before they would trade with him. King Abaan, a Negro, entertained our men kindly; he caused a pot of Wine, of Palme, or Coco, which they draw forth of Trees, as wee hauehave elsewhere obserued; but their ceremonies in drinking are thus: First, they bring forth their pot of drinke, and then make a hole in the ground, and put some of the drinke into it, and after that cast in the earth againe, and thereon set their pot, and with a little thing made of a Gourd, take out of the same drinke, and put it vponupon the ground in three places: and in diuerse places they hauehave certaine bunches of the pills of Palme-trees set in the ground before them, and there they put in some drinke, doing great reuerence in all places to the same Palme-trees. All these ceremonies done, the King tooke a Cup of Gold, in which they put Wine, and whiles he dranke, all the people cryed Abaan, Abaan, with certaine other words; and then they gaue drinke to eueryevery one. The like ceremonies they vse in all the Countrey.
In Benin yIames Welsh.the people goe naked till they be married; and then are clothed from the waste to the knees. Their Bread is a kind of Rootes, called Inamia; which, when it is well sodden, may be preferred before ours. They hauehave here great Spouts of water falling out of the Ayre, which if they light on a Shippe, doe endanger the same. They fall like the Pillars of Churches. As for those Voyages to these parts, made by zWillid Rutter. George Fenner. Antonie Ingram.Rutter, Fenner, Ingram, or others, I referre them to Master Hackluyts Collections.
These Coasts are vsually called Guinea, by a more generall appellation, although that be properly one Region onelyonly. About the Castle of Mina they are subiect to such Wormes, as Master Ienkinson aAnt. Ienkinson Hak. to. 1. These wormes come out of their legges, or some fleshie part.hath obserued to grow vponupon men at Boghar in Bactria, by drinking the water of the Riuer there: which are an ell long, and must be pulled out by degrees, eueryevery day a little: if they breake by the way, it is very dangerous. The tortures they cause is vnspeakable.
The inhabitants of Benin bG…tard Arth. Dant. Hist. India, c. 9. Ind. Orient. part. 6. de Bry.obserue Circumcision, and other Mahumeticall Superstitions: they cut or rase the skinne, with three lines drawne to their Nauell, esteeming it necessarie to saluation. They will not easily doe iniurie to any, especially a stranger. They hauehave Birds in such respect, that it is deadly to any that shall hurt them. And some are appointed to hauehave a peculiar care of them, and to prouide them soode; which they doe in high Mountaines, where they lay meat for them: which they come and eate.
The inhabitants of Guinea cGet. Art. c.10.11,12,13.giuegive religious respect also vntounto certaine Trees. And in the yeare 1598 certaine Hollanders cutting them, and not ceasing at the persuasion of the Negros, whose Superstitions in that case they derided, it passed from words to blowes betwixt them, and the Dutchmen were forced to get them to their shippes; one of their companie being slaine in the chase. But the murtherer was offered to the Hollanders to be punished: which they refusing, his countreymen cut off his head, and quartered his bodie, bestowing the one as a monument of reuenge, ouer the slaine parties graue, the other on the Fowles, vnburied. Their noses are flat, not naturally, but by pressing them downe in their infancie, esteeming it a great part of beautie. Their hot stomackes can digest raw flesh; and therefore dAlex.Problem. l. 1. & 2. Cael. l. 16.c. 15.Alexander Aphrodisieus, and Coelius Rhodiginus, that thinke their naturall heat, extracted to the outward parts, to be the cause of their blacknesse, are deceiued. They eate their enemies which are slaine in the warres (which are very rise amongst those Nations) and those which are taken, are euerlasting prisoners. And in some more important warres which they vndertake, they will burne their dwellings before they goe, least either the enemie might possesse them by conquest, or themselues become too mindfull of a returne. In these warres they prouide themselues of some light armour, wearing at such times no other apparrell. Some men, of greater sort, had a white confection, wherewith they whited their faces and bodies. Their women are vnfaithfull Secretaries in Natures most hidden secrets, vsing in the sight of men, women, boyes, and girles, to be deliuered of their children, whome after they circumcise, whether they be of the male or female sexe. Their funeralis they celebrate with much singing and solemnitie. They beleeue, that men, when they die, goe into another world, where they shall hauehave like need of many things, as here they hauehave, and therefore vse to put with the dead corpes some part of household. And if they loose any thing, they thinke, that some of their friends, which in the other world had need thereof, came thence and stole it. Of bThe Religion of the Guineans.GOD being asked, they said he was blacke and euill, and did them much harme; their goods they had by their owne labour, and not by his goodnesse. Circumcision they vse, and some other Turkish Rites. They hold it vnmeet and irreligious to spit on the ground. They hauehave no Letters, nor Bookes. They obserue a Sabbath, herein agreeing, and yet disagreeing, with Turke, Iew, and Christian, for they obserue Tuesdayes rest, from their Fishing and Husbandrie. The Wine (of the Palme-tree) which is that day gathered, may not be sold, but is offered to the King, who bestoweth it on his Courtiers, to drinke at night. In the middest of the Market-place (this was in the Riuer Gabam, and the Hollanders the reporters) they had a Table standing on foure Pillars, two elnes high, whose flat couer was made of Straw and Reedes wouen together. Hereon were set many strawen Rings, called Fetissos, or Gods, and therein Wheat, with Water and Oyle, for their God, which they thinke eates the same. Their Priest they call Fetissero, who eueryevery festiuall day placeth a Seat on that Table, and sitting thereon, preacheth to the people; which done, the women offer him their infants, and he sprinkleth them with water, in which a Newt doth swimme, and then besprinkleth the Table aforesaid with the same water, and so vttering certaine words very loud, he dismissed his deuout assembly. Many weare such Rings of Straw next their bodies, as preseruatiues from those dangers, which else their angrie God might inflict on them. In honour of the same Deitie (or Deuill, as it seemes they conceiue him to be) they bechalke themselues with a kind of chalkey earth, and this is vntounto them in stead of their morning Mattens. The first bit at meales, and first draught, is consecrate to their Idoll, and therefore they besprinkle therewith those Rings, which I said they weare on their bodies. If Fishers cannot speed at Sea, they giuegive a peece of Gold to the Fetissero, to reconcile their frowning Saint. He therefore, with his wiues, walkes a kinde of procession through the Citie, smiting his breast, and clapping his hands with a mightie noyse, till he come at the shore: And there they cut downe certaine boughes from the Trees, and hang them on their neckes, and play on a Tymbrell. Then doth the Fetissero turne to his wiues, and expostulates with them, and withall hurleth into the Sea Wheat and other things as an offering to Fetisso, to appease his displeasure towards the Fishermen. When the King will sacrifice to Fetisso, he commaunds the Fetissero to enquire of a Tree, whereto he ascribeth Diuinitie, what he will demaund. He, with his wiues, comes to the Tree, and in a heape of ashes, there prouided, prickes in a braunch plucked off the Tree, and drinking water out of a Bason, spouts it out on the braunch, and then daubeth his face with the ashes: which done, he declareth the Kings question, and the Deuill out of the Tree makes answere. The Nobles also adore certaine Trees, and esteeme them Oracles: and the Deuill sometimes appeareth vntounto them in the same in forme of a blacke Dogge, and otherwhiles answereth without any visible apparition. There are which worship a certaine Bird, which is spotted and painted (as it were) with Starres, and resembleth the lowing of a Bull in her voice. To heare this Bird lowing in their iourney, is a luckie boding, saying, Fetisso makes them good promises, and therefore set him, in that place where they heare it, a Vessell of Water and Wheat. And as the Earth and Ayre yeeld them Deities, so the Sea is not behind in this liberalitie, but yeelds certaine Fishes to thier canonization. In this respect they take not the Tunie at all, and the Sword-fish they take, but eat not till his sword be cut off, which is dryed, and holden in great veneration. The Mountaines would bend their sullen browes, if they should not hauehave some redde letters in their Calendar, to which their toppes aspire, threatening to scale Heauen, or ouer-whelme the Earth, if this Fetissan portion did not pacifie their angrie moode, by daily presents of meat and drinke set thereon. Neither can Nature alone vsurpe this Prauiledge, but Art, in other things her e…ulous corriuall, and farre vnequall competitor, in this matter of God-making, commonly gets the vpper hand. And therefore they with their ceremonious Art can make them Fetisso's, or Gods, at pleasure. Principally in their Funeralls they obserue it: for when one is dead, they make a new Fetisso, or Funerall rites.Ring of Straw, and pray it to beare the dead partie companie, and protect him in his iourney into the other world. The friends and kinsfolkes assembling, prepare a Henne, and then setting themselues in a corner of the dead mans house, they place all his Fetisso's on a row, the greatest in the middest, adorning the same with garlands of Pease and Beanes, like to the Popish praying-Beades. Then they sprinkle the same with the bloud of the Henne, and hang a chayne or garland of hearbes about their neckes. After this, the women set the Henne, now sodden, in the middest of the Fetisso's, and the Fetissero takes water in his mouth, which amiddest his Exorcismes and Charmes he spouts on those Fetisso's, and taking two or three hearbes from his necke, he rolles the same in forme of a ball, which after certaine ceremonies hee layeth downe, and so doth, till all his Hearbe-garland be spent; and then makes them all into one great Ball, and therewith besmeareth his face, and thus is it made a Fetisso; and the partie deceased is now at rest. In the meane time the dearest of his wiues filleth all the house with mourning, the neighbours and friends with Songs and Musicke (such as they hauehave) and Daunces. And at last they take vp the Corps, and carrie it to the Graue, which is digged foure foot deepe, and couer it with stakes, that nothing may fall therein. The women creeping about the Sepulchre, expostulate with him, Why he would leaue them? Then doe they hurle on earth, so that none can get into the Corps; for he hath with him his Household, Armour, and whatsoeuer he vsed in his life time; Wine also (if before he loued it) to drinke in the other world. Lastly, they couer the Sepulchre with a Roofe, to defend all from raine. If the King dies, not onelyonly greater solemnitie is vsed: but the Nobles thinking it necessarie for so great a Personage to hauehave attendants, they offer vntounto him one, a seruant; another, a wife; a third his sonne or daughter, till there be many of both sexes in that other life to attend him. All which are suddenly slaine at vnawares, and their bloudie carkasses buried together with the King. Yea, the Kings wiues, which loued him best, refuse not this last and euerlasting seruice, as they suppose; but yeeld themselues to die, that they may liue with him. The heads of all these, thus slaine, are set vponupon poles round about the Sepulchre: Meat, Drinke, Rayment, Armes, and other Vtensils are added for their vse, and buried with them. They, in vncertainetie of criminall accusations, as of Adulterie, Murther, and such like, hauehave a certaine water offered them to drinke by the Fetissero, made of those hearbes whereof their Ball-Fetisso is made, and in effect like the cursed water, Num. 5. none daring to drinke, for feare of sudden death thereby, if he be guiltie.
And now leauing the Coasts of Guinea, Benin, Melegete, and other Regions of the Negros, adioyning to the Sea, we will looke backe againe into the in-land Countries: whereof Gualata is a hundred myles distant from the Ocean, and hath alreadie beene mentioned. The next thereunto, in hLeo.l.….Leos Relations, is Gheneoa, which is not the same with Guinea before-mentioned, if Leo had true intelligence, but is situate betwixt Gualata, Tombuto, and Melli, and in one place bordereth on the Ocean, where Niger falleth into the Sea. They had great Traffique with the Merchants of Barbarie. They hauehave Gold vncoyned, and vse also yron money. There is neither Towne, nor Castle, but one, where the Prince, with the Priests, Doctors, and Merchants reside. Those Priests and Doctors goe apparrelled in white, the rest in blacke or blew Cotton. In Iuly, August, and September, Niger ouerfloweth it. Izchia, the King of Tombuto, conquered it, and kept the King prisoner at Gago, till his death. Melli is the head Citie of a Kingdome, which hence taketh name, and hath in it great store of Temples, Priests, and Readers or Professors, which reade in the Temples, because they hauehave no Colledges. They are more ingenious then other Negros, and were the first that embraced the Mahumetan Law. Izchia also subdued them.
Tombuto was founded in the yeare of the Hegeira 610. And it is situate within twelue myles of a braunch of Niger. There are many Wells, to receiue the ouerflowing waters of Niger. Salt is brought them fiue hundred myles from Tagazza, and is very deare. I, at my being there (sayth Leo) saw a Camels burthen sold for fourescore duckats. The King had many Plates and Scepters of Gold, some whereof weighed thirteene hundred pounds. They which speake to him, cast Sand ouer their heads, as Cadamosto obserued at Budomel. The King would admit no Iewes into his Citie, and hateth them so extreamely, that he would confiscate the goods of such Merchants as held traffique with them. He greatly honoured men of Learning, and no merchandise yeelded more gaine then Bookes. There were many Iudges, Doctors, and Priests, to whome he allowed their stipends. The people vsed much dauncing in the streets, from tenne to one a clocke at night. They mingle Fish, Milke, Butter, and Flesh together in their gallimausrey kind of diet, neither toothsome, nor holsome. Hamet, King of Marocco iPory.in translat. Ro C. Historie of Barbarie., conquered the same Kingdome 1589, and also Gago, and other Countries of the Negros, extending his Empire six moneths iourney from Marocco, by Camels; whose riches thereby acquired, appeare in the letters of Lawrence kHak. to.2. Madoc.Madoc, and we before hauehave touched.
Gago is much frequented by Merchants, and things sold at excessiue rates. In an hundred myles space you shall scarce find one in those parts that can reade, or write: and the King accordingly oppresseth them with taxations.
In Guber they sow their Corne on the waters which Niger, with his ouerflowings, brings vponupon the Countrey, and hauehave abundant recompence. Izchia, King of Tombuto lLeo, l.7., conquered the King of Guber; of Agadez also, and of Cano, which hauehave great store of Merchants: Likewise, of Casena, and Zegzeg, and Zanfara; in which I finde little worth the remembrance. Cano hath some Relikes of Christianitie, and they are named by the Apostles names. Guangara was not onelyonly oppressed by the said Izchia of Tombuto, but by Abraham King of Borno.
Borno confineth with Guangara on the West, and extendeth Eastwards fiue hundred myles. The people hauehave no Religion, neither Christian, Iewish, nor Mahumetan; but like Beasts liue with their wiues and children in common: and as a Merchant which liued long amongst them, and learned their Language, told Leo, they hauehave no proper mFuen our auncestors, the Saxon, had no surnames, but by some accidents, as White, Long, Short, &c. And the Normans brought ouer their customes of naming men by the place of their habitation; as the Towne, Oke, Style, or their Occupation. And in auncient Writings few proper names, but their Christian, may be found. So the Roman Craessi, Nasones, &c.names, as in other Nations, but as they giuegive him some name of distinction by his height, fatnesse, or other peculiar accidents. The King warreth with his neighbours: he is descended of the Libyan people Bardoa. For maintenance of his Warres hee will giuegive great prices for Horses, exchanging fifteene or twentie slaues for one, which slaues he tooke from his enemies. When I was in this Kingdome, I found there many Merchants that were wearie of this traffique, because they stayed for their slaues till the King returned from his Warres. Yet the King seemes to be rich: all his Horse-furniture, Stirrops, Spurres, Bridles, Bitts, were of Gold; and his dishes, Platters, or whatsoeuer he did eat or drinke in: yea, his chaynes for his Dogges were for the most part of most fine Gold. He hath many, both white and blacke people, subiect to him.
Gaoga bordereth Westward on Borno, and thence trendeth to Nubia, betweene the Desarts of Setta on the North, and another Desart confining on a winding crooke of Nilus, about fiue hundred myles square. It hath neither Ciuilitie, Letters, nor Gouernment. The inhabitants hauehave no vnderstanding, especially they which dwell in the mountaines, who goe naked in the Summer time, their priuities excepted. Their houses are made of boughs which easily take fire. They hauehave store of cattell. A hundreth yeares before Leo's time they were brought in subiection by a Negro slaue, who first slew his Master, and by helpe of his goods made preyes in the next Regions, exchanging his captiues for horses of Egypt: and so became King of Gaoga. His Nephewes Sonne Homara then reigned, and was much respected by the Soldan of Cairo. Leo was at his Court, and found him a man passing liberall. Hee much honored all that were of the linage of Mahomet.
The Nubae in old times were many Kingdomes, as Strabo nStrabo.l 17.affirmeth, not subiect to the Aethiopians: and were then Nomades, or wanderers, and robbers. As it is now taken (Iohn Leo being our Author) Nubia stretcheth from Gaoga vntounto Nilus, hauing the Egyptian confines on the North; and the Deserts of Goran on the South. They cannot saile out of this Kingdome into Egypt. For the Riuer Nilus, whiles it is couetous of largenesse, looseth his deepnesse, and couering certaine plaines, becommeth so shallow that both men and beasts may wade ouer. Dangala is their chiefe Towne, and hath ten thousand Families, but ill built, their houses being chalke and straw. The Inhabitants with their traffique to Cairo become rich.
There is in this Kingdome great store of Corne and Sugar, Ciuet, Sandall; and I…orie. They hauehave a strong poison, one graine whereof, giuen to ten persons, will kill them all in a quarter of an houre, and one man, if hee alone take it, presently. An ounce hereof is sold for a hundred Ducats. It is not sold but to strangers, which first take their oath that they will not vse it in their Country. And if any sell thereof secrety, it costs him his life: for the King hath as much for custome as the Merchant for price.
Some oG. …ot Bed.Portugals trauelling through Nubia saw many Churches ruined by the Arabians, and some Images. The Iewish and Mahumetan superstition hauehave there almost preuailed. In old time they had Bishops sent them from Rome, which by meanes of the Arabians was after hindred.
The Nubian King warreth with the Inhabitants of Goran, called Zingani; who speake a language that none else vnderstand; and with others in the deserts, on the other side of Nilus, towards the Red Sea, whose language seemes to be mixt with the Chaldaean, and resembles the speech of Suachen, in the Country of Prester Iohn. They are called Bugiha, and liue very miserably. They had once a Towne on the Red Sea, called Zibid, whose Port answereth directly to that of Zidem, which is forty miles from Mecca. This Zibid for their robberies was destroyed by the Sultan. Ortel…s pOrtel. Theat.saith, that in Nubia they were sometimes Christian, and now are scarcely of any religion at all. They sent into Prester Iohns Country for Priests, when Aluares qF.…luares. … c.30.ch 137.was there, to repaire their almost-ruined Christianity, but without effect.
Sanutus rS…tus apud Maginu…t.reckons here other Kingdomes, Gothan, Medra, Dauma, whereof because we hauehave little but the names, I can write nothing.
Now if any would looke that wee should here in our discourse of the Negro's assigne some cause of that their black colour: I answere, that I cannot well answere this question, as being in it selse difficult, and made more, by the variety s…nc…de…. apud Strabode…. lib.15.of answeres, that others giuegive hereunto. Some alledge the heat of this Torrid Region, proceeding from the direct beames of the Sunne; And why then should all the West Indies which stretch from the one Tropike to the other, hauehave no other people? except a few in Quareca, which haply were not naturalls of the place. And if this were the cause; why should Africa yeeld white people in Melinde, and neare the Line, blacke, at the Cape of Good hope in fiue and thirtie? Some leaving the hot impressions in the Aire, attribute it to the drynesse of the earth: as though the Libyan Deserts are not more drie, (and yet the people no Negro's) and as though Niger were here dryed vp. Some, to the hidden qualitie of the soile; And why then are the Portugalls Children and Generations white, or Mulatos at most, that is tawnie, in St. Thomez and other places amongst them, and the Inhabitants of Melinde, Madagascar, and other places, in the same height, in and adioyning to Africa? Some ascribe it (as Herodotus) to the blacknesse of the Parents sperme or seede; And how made they the search to know the colour thereof, which if it hath (a thing by others denyed) by what reason should it imprint this colour on the skinne? Some ascend aboue the Moone, to call some heauenly constellation and influence into this consistorie of Nature; And there will I leaue them: yea, I will send them further to him that hath reserued many secrets of nature to himselfe, and hath willed vsus to content our selues with thinges reueiled. As for secret thinges, both in Heauen and Earth, they belong to the Lord our God, whose holy name be blessed for euer, for that he hath reueiled to vsus thinges most necessarie, both for body and soule, in the thinges of this life, and that which is to come. His in comprehensible vnitie, which the Angells with couered faces in their Holy, holy, holy. hymnes resound and Laude in Trinitie, hath pleased in this varietie to diuersifie his workes, all seruing one humane nature, infinitely multiplyed in persons, exceedingly varied in accidents, that wee also might serue that tVn…s & si dicipotest vnissimuss. Bernard.tpl….l.2.c.78.tMacrob la … …p.l…2. cap.10.onemostu God; the uV…d Poly-olb.uAlexand. … 2 S… that the heat… of the S… br…ngs h… naturall heat into the outward parts, & thereby makes… h…m black of hew, and of hew, and fearfull of heart: & more easily dye of a feuer then others. lib.1. Calius Rhod. hath a long disputation thereof, lib.16.cap.15. but all his reason may aswell conclude of America, which yet are not black. Od…ardo Lop…z, & P. Pizafella, In the storie of Congo, denie the Sunne to be the cause. …amus…, In this discourse of the Red Sea, att…. but…th the colours of the people to the differing site of places, as of mountainous, low, wet, drie, &c. Some …ell a tale of Chams knowing his wife in the A…ke, whereupon by diuine curse his sonne Cbus was black with all his Posterisie.tawney Moore, black Negro, duskie Libyan, Ash-coloured Indian, oliue-coloured American, should with the whiter Europaean become one sheepe-fold, vnderunder one great shepheard, till this mortalitie being swallowed vp of life, wee may all xI0.17.22.be one, as he and the father are one; and (all this varietie swallowed vp into an ineffable vnitie) only the language of Canaan be heard, only yApoc.7.& 14the Fathers name written in their foreheads, the Lambs song in their mouths, the victorious Palmes in their hands, and their long robes being made white in the bloud of the Lambe, whom they follow whither soeuer he goeth, filling heauen and earth with their euerlasting Halleluiahs, without any more distinction of colour, Nation, language, sexe, condition, all may bee One in him that is ONE, and only blessed for euer.