CHAP. XIX.
The strange Discoveries and Observations of the Portugals in Africa.
{MN} The Portugals on those Parts have the glory, who first coasting along this Western Shoar of Africa, to find passage to the East-Indies, within this hundred and fifty years, even from the Streights of Gibraltar, about the Cape of Bone Esperance to the Persian Gulf, and thence all along the African Coast to the Moluccas, have subjected many great Kingdoms, erected many Common-wealths, built many great and strong Cities; and where is it they have not been by Trade or Force? No not so much as Cape de Verd, and Sermleone; but most Bays or Rivers, where there is any Trade to be had, especially Gold, or conveniency for Refreshment, but they are scattered; living so amongst those Blacks, by time and cunning, they seem to be naturalized amongst them. As for the Isles of the Canaries, they have fair Towns, many Villages, and many thousands of People rich in Commodities.
{MN}How the Portugals coasted to the East Indies.
{MN} Ordoardo Lopez, a noble Portuguse, Anno Dom. 1578, imbarking himself for Congo to Trade, where he found such Entertainment, finding the King much oppressed with Enemies, he found means to bring in the Portugals to assist him, whereby he planted there Christian Religion, and spent most of his life to bring those Countries to the Crown of Portugal, which he describeth in this manner.
{MN} Or Edward.
{MN} The Kingdom of Congo is about 600 Miles Diameter any way, the chief City called St. Savadore, seated upon an exceeding high Mountain, 150 Miles from the Sea, very fertile, and Inhabited with more than 100000 Persons, where is an excellent Prospect over all the plain Countries about it, well watered, lying (as it were) in the Center of this Kingdom, over all which the Portugals now command, though but an handful in comparison of Negroes. They have Flesh and Fruits very plentiful of divers sorts.
{MN} The Kingdom of Congo.
{MN} This Kingdom is divided into five Provinces, viz. Bamba, Sundi, Pango, Batta and Pembo; but Bamba is the Principal, and can afford 400000 Men of War. Elephants are bred over all those Provinces, and of wonderful greatness; though some report, they cannot kneel, nor lie down, they can do both, and have their Joynts as other Creatures for use: With their Fore-feet they will leap upon Trees to pull down the Boughs, and are of that strength, they will shake a great Cocao Tree for the Nuts, and pull down a good Tree with their Tusks, to get the Leaves to eat, as well as Sedge and long Grass, Cocao Nuts and Berries, &c. which with their Trunk they put in their Mouth, and chew it with their smaller Teeth; in most of those Provinces, are many rich Mines, but the Negroes opposed the Portugueses for working in them.
{MN} Wild Elephants.
{MN} The Kingdom of Angola is wonderful populous, and rich in Mines of Silver, Copper, and most other Metals; fruitfull in all manner of Food, and sundry sorts of Cattel, but Dogs Flesh they love better than any other Meat; they use few Clothes, and no Armour; Bows, Arrows, and Clubs are their Weapons. But the Portugueses are well armed against those Engines, and do buy yearly of those Blacks more than five thousand Slaves, and many are People exceeding well proportioned.
{MN} The Kingdom of Angola.
{MN-1} The Anchios are a most valiant Nation, but most strange to all about them. Their Arms are Bows; short and small, wrapped about with Serpents Skins, of divers Colours, but so smooth, you would think them all one with the Wood, and it makes them very strong; their Strings little twigs, but exceeding tough and flexible; their Arrows short, which they shoot with an incredible quickness. They have short Axes of Brass and Copper for Swords; wonderful, loyal and faithful, and exceeding simple, yet so active, they skip amongst the Rocks like Goats. {MN-2} They trade with them of Nubea, and Congo, for Lamach, which is a small kind of Shell-fish, of an excellent azure, colour, Male and Female, but the Female they hold most pure; they value them at divers prices, because they are of divers sorts, and those they use for Coin, to buy and sell, as we do Gold and Silver; nor will they have any other Money in all those Countries, for which they give Elephants Teeth; and Slaves for Salt, Silk, Linen Cloth, Glass-beads, and such like Portugal Commodities.
{MN-1} The Kingdom of Anchios.
{MN-2} A strange Memr'y.
{MN} They circumcise themselves, and mark their Faces with sundry slashes from their Infancy. They keep a shambles of Man's Flesh, as if it were Beef, or other Victuals; for when they cannot have a good Market for their Slaves; or their Enemies they take, they kill, and sell them in this manner; some are so resolute, in shewing how much they scorn death, they will offer themselves and Slaves, to this Butchery to their Prince and Friends; and though there be many Nations will eat their Enemies, in America and Asia, yet none but those are known to be so mad, as to eat their Slaves and Friends also.
{MN} A shambles of Men's Flesh.
Religions and Idols they have as many, as Nations and Humours; but the Devil hath the greatest part of their Devotions, whom all those Blacks do say, is white; for there are no Saints but Blacks.
{MN} But besides those great Kingdoms of Congo, Angola, and Azichi, in those unfrequented Parts are the Kingdoms of Lango, Matania, Battua, Sofola, Mozambeche, Quivola, the Isle of St. Lawrence, Mombaza, Melinda, the Empires of Monomotapa, Monemugi, and Presbyter John, with whom they have a kind of Trade, and their Rites, Customs, Climates, Temperatures, and Commodities by Relation. Also of great Lakes, that deserve the Names of Seas, and huge Mountains of divers sorts, as some scorched with heat, some covered with Snow; the Mountains of the Sun, also of the Moon, some of Chrystal, some of Iron, some of Silver, and Mountains of Gold, with the Original of Nilus; likewise sundry sorts of Cattel, Fishes, Fowls, strange Beasts, and monstrous Serpents; for Africa was always noted to be a fruitful Mother of such terrible Creatures; who meeting at their watering places, which are but Ponds in desart places, in regard of the heat of the Country, and their extremities of Nature, make strange Copulations, and so ingender those extraordinary Monsters. Of all these you may read in the History, of this Edward Lopez, translated into English by Abraham Hartwel, and dedicated to John Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury, 1597. But because the Particulars are most concerning the conversion of those Pagans, by a good poor Priest, that first converted a Noble Man, to convert the King, and the rest of the Nobility; sent for so many Priests and Ornaments into Portugal, to Solemnize their Baptisms with such Magnificence, which was performed with such strange Curiosities, that those poor Negro's adored them as gods, till the Priests grew to that Wealth, a Bishop was sent to rule over them, which they would not endure, which endangered to spoil all before they could be reconciled. But not to trouble you too long with those Rarities of uncertainties; let us return again to Barbary, where the Wars being ended, and Befferres possessed of Morocco, and his Fathers Treasure, a new bruit arose amongst them, that Muly Sidan was raising an Army against him, who after took his Brother Befferres Prisoner; but by reason of the uncertainty, and the perfidious, treacherous, bloody murthers rather than War, amongst those perfidious, barbarous Moors, Smith returned with Merham, and the rest to Saffe, and so aboard his Ship, to try some other conclusions at Sea.
{MN} Divers Nations yet unknown, and the wonders of Africa.