A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 91 – Subpart 92
The Country of the Mandigos described.
In Guinie upon the River Gambra live the Mandingos: The River abounds with Crocodiles, River-horses, Torpedoes, running-fishes, &c. On the banks of it are many Geese, Ducks, Hernes, Curlews, Storks, Plovers, &c. On the Land are Beeves, Goats, Guinie Hens, &c. The people are perfeclty black, and live a very idle life, except it bee in their seed-time, and harvest: their usual food is Rice, or some Grain boiled; their drink is water, or Dullo, made of Grain like our Ale: Their houses are round covered with Reeds, many of them built together, and compassed with a wall of Reeds six foot high, to defend them from wild-beasts, which yet many times, much endanger them. There are Ant-hills cast up by Pismires; some of them twenty foot high, and in compasse able to contain twelve men, which with the heat of the Sun are baked into that hardnesse, that our English which trade thither for gold, use to hide themselves in the ragged tops of them, when they take up their stands, to shoot at Deer, or other beasts. The Town wherein the King dwels is seated on the River, compassed about with Hurdles ten foot high, and fastened to strong poles: On the outside is a Trench of great breadth, beyond which the Town is again circled with Posts, set close together of about five foot high: their Armes are Azegaies, or Javelins, made of Reeds six foot long, with an Iron Pike artificially made, and dangerous: they have others that they cast like Darts, with barbed heads: as also swords about two foot long. Some have Bows and Arrows made of Reeds, headed with Iron poisoned: when any of them come to the King, they presently kneel down, and comming nearer, they lay their hands first upon the ground, then upon their head, then comming to him, they lay their hand with much submission upon the Kings thigh, and so retire back: the King answers them with nodding his head: They are generally cloathed in cloth made of Cotton, whereof there is plenty; their apparrel is a shirt to their knees▪ and a pair of breeches; they are mostly bare-headed, their hair bedecked with Gregories, made of leather, of several fashions, which whilst they wear, they think that no evil can betide them.
The King hath two wives sitting by him, laying their hands on his naked skin, stroaking, and gently pulling the same. VVhen the woman is with child, shee lyes no more with her husband till the child bee weaned. The wives live in great servitude, beating their Grain in Morters: they never are admitted to sit, and eat with their husbands: you shall never see kissing, or dalliance betwixt husband and wife, nor brawling amongst the wives, though one man hath many, and they equal: each woman hath her several house for the night, and when they appear in the morning, they salute their husbands, kneeling, laying their hands on his thigh: her apparrel is loose, and party-coloured: from the wast upward shee is bare, to shew her painted razed body, whereof they are proud, turning themselves to shew it, and well pleased when you handle it. Few either of men or women are without Tobacco-pipes made of earth well glazed, about two inches long, the bowle will hold half an ounce of Tobacco: into these they put Reeds about a yard long, and so draw the smoak.
They have store of Palmita wine: and gourds which grow like our Pumpions carryed up their walls, of unequal size, from an egge to a bushel, yeelding variety of houshold vessels to eat, drink, and wash cloaths in: they have store of great Locusts trees, which yeeld clusters of Cods, ripe in May, which they eat. They have store of Bees, and Honey. They have a sort of trees, which on a long stalk have a great and round fruit with a pleasing pith therein, on which Baboons and Monkeys feed. There is a tree or shrub commonly growing on the River bank like our great Briars, having a ragged leaf, which leaf with the gentlest stealing touch, betwixt the finger, and thumb, will make the whole bough to close up all his leaves, and the touch of a sprig, will cause the whole tree to close up all his leaves: It bears a yellow flower like our Eglantines. There are many Lions, Jackals, Ouzes, and Leopards. The Civit-Cats, and Porcupins rob them of their Poultry. There are also abundance of Elephants, which going in companies spoil their Corn, and Cotton grounds: they feed amongst sedges, and upon boughs of trees: the blacks eat their flesh▪ There are Deer of all sorts, Antilops, wild Bulls, and huge Bears. The Baboons go by three or four thousand in a Heard, some of the bigest being leaders, which are as big as Lions: the Females carry their young under their bellies, and if any have two, shee carries one on her back.
There are infinite store of Guinie-hens, Partridges, Quails as big as Woodcocks, Pidgeons, Parrats, and Parakitos: Their greatest fowl is a Stalker, who standing upright is taller than a man: the next is a Wake, which makes a great noise as hee flies, and doth much hurt in their Rice grounds: of smaller birds there are many sorts, pleasant to the eye, and delighting the ear.
Aethiopia inferior Described.
Aethiopia inferior hath on the East the Red-sea: on the VVest the Aethiopian Ocean: on the North the Land of Blacks, and Aethiopia superior: and on the South the Southern Ocean. It hath in it these Kingdomes.
Atan between the mouth of the Red-Sea, and the River Calimanci. It abounds with flesh, Honey, Wax, Corn, Gold, Ivory, and abundance of Sheep, whose tails usually weigh five and twenty pounds.
Zanzibar extending from the River Calimanci to Monomopata: Its divided into fifteen Provinces, or Kingdomes, the chiefest whereof is Sofila, where there is so much Gold, and Ivory, that some would have it to be Solomons Ophir.
Cafraria, which hath on the East the River de Infanto: on the VVest and South the Ocean: and on the North the Mountains of the Moon: it extends Southward to the Cape of Good hope, first discovered by the Portugals, Anno Christi. 1497.