A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 21 – Part 22
Of Africke and Egypt.
FRom Arabia and Palestina, Situation of Africke.toward the West … A fricke, having on the North side, from the one end of it to the other, the Mediterranean sea. The greatest p rt of which Coun try, although it hath been guessed at by Writers in former time, yet because of the great heat of it, lying for the most part of it under the Zona Torrida, and or the Wildernesses therein it was in former time supposed by many, not to be much inhabited: but of certainty by all, to be very little discovered, till the Portugals of late began their navigation on the backe side of Africa to the East Indies. So exact a description is therefore not to be looked for, as hath been of Asia and Europe.
Joining to the Holy Land, by a little Istmos, in the Countrey of Egypt, The Country of Egypt.which is a land as fruitful as any almost in the world, although in these daies it doth not answer to the fertilty of former times.
This is that which in the time of Joseph did relieve Canaan, with corne, and the family of Jacob, which did so multiply in the land of Egypt, that they were grown to a huge multitude, when God by Moses did deliver them thence.
This Countrey did yield exceedingIn fertility. abundance of corne unto the City of Rome, whereupon Egypt as well as Sicilia, was commonly called Horreum populi Romani.
It is observed from all antiquity, that almost never any raine did fall in the land of Egypt. Whereupon the raining with thunder and lightning, and fire running on the ground was so much more strange when God plagued Phara…h in the daies of Moses: But the flowing of the River Nilus over all the Countrey, their Cities onelyonly, and some few hils excepted, doth so water the Earth, that it bringeth forth fruit abundantly.
The flowing of which river yearly,The flowing of Nilus. is one of the greatest miracles of the world, no man being able to yield a sufficient and assured reason thereof; although in Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus, many probable causes and opinions are assigned thereof.
That there doth not use any rain to fall in Egypt, besides other heathen testimonies, and experiences of Travellers, may be gathered out of the Scripture, for in the 10 Chapter of Deuteronomy, God doth make an Antithesis between the Land of Canaan, and Egypt, saying that Egypt was watered as a man would water a garden of herbes, that is to say, by the hand: But they should come into a Land which had hills and mountaines▪ and which was watered with the raine of Heaven: and yet some have written, that ever now and then▪ there is mists in Egypt, which yield, though not raine, yet a pretty dew.
It is noted of this River, that if in ordinary places it doe flow under the height of fifteen cubits, that then for want of moisture, the earth is not fruitfull, and if it doe flow above seventeen cubits, that there is like to be a dearth, by reason of the abundance of moisture, the water lying longer on the Land than the inhabitants do desire.
It is most probably conjectured, that the falling and melting of snow from those hils which be called Lunae Montes, do make the increase of the River Nilus. And the custome of the people in the Southerne parts of Arabia is, that they do receive into ponds and dams, the water that doth hastily fall, and the same they let out with sluces, some after some, which causeth it ordinarily to come down into the plaines of Egypt.
For the keeping up of these Dammes, the Countrey of Egypt hath time out of mind paid a great tribute to Prester-John▪ Which when of late it was denied by the Turke, Prester John caused all the sluces to be let go on the sudden; whereby he marveliously annoied, and drowned up a great part of the Countrey of Egypt.
In Egypt learning hath been veryLearning very ancient in Egypt. ancient, but especially the knowledge of Astronomy and Mathematicks, whereof before the time of Tully, their Priests would report, that they had the discent of 1500 yeares exactly recorded with observations Astrological; which as it is a fable, unlesse they do reckon their yeares by the Moone, as some suppose they did every month for a year, so it doth argue knowledge to have been among them very ancient.
Their Priests had among them a kinde of writing and describing of things by picture, which they did call their Hieroglyphica.
This in times past was a Kingdome,Their Pyramides one of the wonders of the world. and by the Kings thereof were built those great Pyramides, which were held to be one of the seven wonders of the world, being mighty huge buildings, erected of exceeding height, for to shew the magnificence of their founders.
There is part of two or three of them remaining unto this day.
Divers learned men are at this day of opinion, that when the children of Israel were in Egypt, and so oppressed by Pharaoh, as is mentioned in the beginning of the booke of Exodus, their labour in burning of bricke, was partly imployed to the erecting of some of those Pyramides, but the scripture doth onelyonly mention walling of Cities.
The founders of these Pyramides were commonly buried in, or under them: and it is not unfit to remember, that the Kings, and great men of Egypt, had much cost bestowed upon them after they were dead.
For in as much as Arabia was neare unto them, whence they had most precious balmes, and other costly Spices, they did with charge embalme their dead, and that with such curious art, that the flesh thereof and the skin, will remaine unputrified for divers hundred years: and all learned men think thousands of yeares: Whereof experiments are plentifully at this day, by the whole bodies, hands, or other parts, which by Merchants are now brought from thence, and doth make the Mummia which the Apothecaries use: the colour being very black, and the flesh clung unto the bones.
Moses doth speak of this, when he saith, that Jacob was embalmed by the Physicians; after the manner of embalming of the Egyptians. But this manner of embalming is ceased long since in Egypt.
In Egypt did stand the great CityThe City Memphis. Memphis, which at this day is called Caire, one of the famous Cities of the East.
Here did Alexander build that City, which unto this day is of his name, ca led Alexandria: being now the greatest City of Merchandized in all Egypt: of which Ammianus Marcellinus doth observe, that there was never any, or almost have ever been, but that once in the day the Sun hath been ever seen to shine over Alexandria. This City was one of the four Patriarchall seas. which were appointed in the first Ni…ene Councill.
This Countrey was governed byGood Laws made by the King of Egypt. a King, as long agoe as almost any Countrey in the World. Here reigned Amasis, who made those good Lawes spoken of by Herodotus, and Diodorus Sioulus: in whose writings the ancient customes of the Egyptians are worthy to bee read.
After Alexanders time, Ptolomeus one of his Captaines, had this Kingdome, of whom all his successors were called Ptolomeis, as before time all their Kings were called Pharaohs, they continued long friends, and in league with the people of Rome, till the time of Julius Caesar, but after wards they were subjects to the Romanes, till the Empire did decay.
When they had withdrawne themselves from the Romanes government, they set up a Prince of their owne, whom they termed the Sultan or Souldan of Egypt; of whom, about 400 yeares since, Saladine was one. But when the race of these were out, the Mamabucks (who were the guard of the Sultaine, as the Janizaries be to the Turke) appointed a Prince at their pleasure, till that now, about an 100 yeares ago or lesse, the Turk Solimus possessed himself with the sole government of the Countrey: so that at this day Egypt is wholly under the Turke.
There be Christians that now live in Egypt, paying their tribute unto the Turke, as others do now also in Graecia.
Aeneas Sylvius doth report in his History, de mundo universo, cap 60. that divers did go about to dig through that little Istmos or strait, which at the top of the Red Sea, doth joyne Egypt to some part either of Arabia, or of the Holy Land; imagining the labour not to be great, in as much as they conceived the space of ground to be no more then one thousand five hundred furlongs. Sesostris the King of Egypt (as he saith) did first attempt this. Secondly, Darius, the great Monarke of the Persians. Thirdly Ptolomy, one of the Kings of Egypt, who drew a ditch a 100. foot broad, 30. foot deep, and 37. miles and a halfe long; but when he intended to go forward, he was forced to cease, for fear of inundaiton, and over-flowing the whole land of Egypt; the Red Sea being found to be higher (by three Cubites) than the ordinary plaine of Egypt was. But Pliny affirmeth, that the digging was given over, lest the Sea being let in, should marre the water of Nilus, which alone doth yield drinke to the Egyptians.
Pet. Maffaeus in his Indian story, doth tell, that there was a Portugal also, that of late yeares, had a conceit to have had this work finished, that so he might have made the third part of the old known world Africa, to have been an Iland compassed round with the Sea.
Men commonly in the description of Egypt, do report that whole Country to stand in Africk, but if we will speake exactly, and repute Nilus to be the bound between Asia and Africa, we must then acknowledge that the Easterne part of Egypt, from Nilus, and so forward to the Red Sea, doth lye in Asia; which is observed by Peter Martyr in that pretty Treatise of his Delegatione Babylonica.
Although this Country of Egypt doth stand in the selfe same Climat that Mauritania doth, yet the inhabitants there are not black, but rather dunne, or tawny. Of which colour Cleopatra was observed to be; who by inticement, so won the love of Julius Caesar, and Antonie. And of that colour do those runnagates (by devices make themselves to be) who go up and down the world under the name of Egyptians, being indeed but counterfets and the refuse of rascality of many Nations.
Of Cyrene, and Africke the lesse.
ON the West side of Egypt, The Country of Cyrene.lying along the Mediterranean, is a Country which was called in old time Cyrene, wherein did stand that Oracle which was so famous in the time of Alexander the Great, called by the name of the Temple or Oracle of Jupiter Hammon, whither when Alexander did repaire, as to take counsell of himselfe, and his successe, the Priests being before taught what they should say, did flatteringly confesse him to be the Sonne of God, and that he was to be adored: so that as the Oracle of Delphos, and some other, were plaine delusions of Sathan, who did raigne in that darke time of ignorance: so this of Jupiter Hammon, may be well supposed to be nothing else but a cousenage of the Priests.
In this Countrey, and all neare about where the Oracle stood, are very great wildernesses: where did appeare to Alexander for foure daies journy, neither Grasse, Tree, Water, Man, Bird, nor Beast, but onelyonly a deep kind of Sand: so that he was enforced to carry water with him for himself and his company (and all other provision) on Camels backs.
At this day, this Countrey hath lost his old name, and is reckoned as a part of Egypt, and lieth under the Turke.
In dry Countries, as in Africa, and the Wildernesse of Arabia, they have much use of Camels. First, because they can carry a huge burthen of water and other provision. Secondly, because that themselves will go a long time without drinke travelling (as Solinus writeth) foure daies together without it, but then drinking excessively, and that especially of muddy and puddle water: And thirdly, because that in an extremity, those that travell with them do let them blood in a veine, and sucke out the blood; whereby as the owner is much relieved, so the Camell is little the worse.
Westward from this Countrey, along the Mediterranean, lieth that which in ancient time was called Africa minor: for as in Asia one part above another, was by an ex cellencie called Asia or Asta the lesse, so this part of Africa, was termed by the Romanes, sometimes Africa simply, some Africke the lesse.
In this Countrey did stand that place so famous mentioned by Salust, under the name of Philionorum aroe; which was the bound in that time, betweene Africke and Cyrene.
On the North and East part, hereof, in the Sea neere unto the shore, was the Quick-sand, which in times past did destroy so many ships, and was called Syrtis magna as also on the North and West part, was the other sand called Syr tis parva. Some part of this Country was heretofore under the Sultan of Egypt, whose Dominion did extend it self so farre to the West, and there was divided from the Kingdome of Tunis: but it is now wholly under the Turke, and is commonly reputed as a part of Barbary. For now, by a generall name, from the confines of Cyrene unto the West, as farre as Hercules Pillar, is called Barbary▪ though it containe in it divers Kingdomes, as Tunis, Fessa and Morocco.