CHAP. XVIII.
The Observations of Captain Smith; Mr. Henry Archer, and others in
Barbary.
Being thus satisfied with Europe and Asia, understanding of the Wars in Barbary, he went from Gibralter to Ceuta and Tangier, thence to Saffee, where growing into Acquaintance with a French Man of War, the Captain and some twelve more went to Morocco, to see the ancient Monuments of that large renowned City: It was once the principal City in Barbary, situated in a goodly plain Country, 14 Miles from the great Mount Atlas, and sixty Miles from the Atlantick Sea; but now little remaining, but the King's Palace, which is like a City of it self; and the Christian Church, on whose flat, {MN-1} square Steeple is a great broach of Iron, whereon is placed the three Golden Balls of Africa: The first is near three Ells in Circumference, the next above it somewhat less, the uppermost the least over them, as it were an half Ball, and over all a pretty gilded Pyramid. Against those Golden Balls hath been shot many a shot, their Weight is recorded 700 weight of pure Gold, hollow within, yet no shot did ever hit them, nor could ever any Conspirator attain that Honour as to get them down. They report, the Prince of Morocco betrothed himself to the King's Daughter of Æthiopia, he dying before their Marriage, she caused those three Golden Balls to be set up for his Monument, and vowed Virginity all her Life. {MN-2} The Alfantica is also a place of note, because it is invironed with a great Wall, wherein lie the Goods of all the Merchants securely guarded. The Inderea is also (as it were) a City of it self, where dwell the Jews: The rest for the most part is defaced; but by the many Pinnacles and Towers, with Balls on their tops, hath much appearance of much sumptuousness and curiosity. There have been many famous Universities, which are now but Stables for Fowls, and Beasts, and the Houses in most parts lie tumbled one above another; the Walls of Earth are with the great fresh Floods washed to the ground; nor is there any Village in it, but Tents for Strangers, Larbes and Moors. Strange Tales they will tell of a great Garden, wherein were all sorts of Birds, Fishes, Beasts, Fruits, and Fountains, which for Beauty, Art and Pleasure, exceeded any place known in the World, though now nothing but Dung-hills, Pigeon-Houses, Shrubs and Bushes. There are yet many excellent Fountains, adorned with Marble, and many Arches, Pillars, Towers, Ports, and Temples; but most only reliques of lamentable Ruins and sad Desolation.
{MN-1} The three Golden Balls of Africa.
{MN-2} The description of Morocco.
{MN} When Muly Hamet Reigned in Barbary, he had three Sons, Muly Sheck, Muly Sidan, and Muly Bufferres, he a most good and noble King, that governed well with Peace and Plenty, till his Empress, more cruel than any Beast in Africa, poisoned him, her own Daughter, Muly Sheck, his eldest Son, born of a Portugal Lady, and his Daughter, to bring Muly Sidan, to the Crown now reigning, which was the cause of all those brawls, and Wars that followed betwixt those Brothers, their Children, and a Saint that started up, but he played the Devil.
{MN} A bloody Empress.
{MN-1} King Muly Hamet was not black, as many suppose, but Molara, or tawny, as are the most of his Subjects; every way noble, kind and friendly, very rich and pompous in State and Majesty, though he sitteth not upon a Throne nor Chair of state, but cross Leg'd upon a rich Carpet, as doth the Turk, whose Religion of Mahomet, with an incredible miserable Curiosity they observe. His ordinary Guard is at least 5000, but in Progress, he goeth not with less than 20000 Horse-men, himself as rich in all his Equipage, as any Prince in Christendom, and yet a Contributor to the Turk. {MN-2} In all his Kingdom were so few good Artificers, that he entertained from England, Gold-smiths, Plummers, Carvers, and Polishers of Stone, and Watch-makers, so much he delighted in the Reformation of Workmanship, he allowed each of them ten Shillings a day standing Fee, Linen, Woollen, Silks, and what they would for Diet and Apparel, and Custom-free to transport, or import what they would; for there were scarce any of those qualities in his Kingdom, but those, of which there are divers of them, living at this present in London. Amongst the rest, one Mr. Henry Archer, a Watch-maker, walking in Morocco, from the Alfantica to the Juderea, the way being very foul, met a great Priest, or a Sante (as they call all great Clergy-men) who would have thrust him into the dirt for the way; but Archer not knowing what he was, gave him a box on the Ear, presently he was apprehended, and condemned to have his Tongue cut out, and his Hand cut off: But no sooner it was known at the King's Court, but 300 of his Guard came, and broke open the Prison, and delivered him although the Fact was next degree to Treason.
{MN-1} King Muly Hamet or the Great Zeriff of Barbary.
{MN-2} His great love to English Men.
{MN} Concerning this Archer, there is one thing more worth noting: Not far from Mount Atlas, a great Lioness in the heat of the day, did use to bathe her self, and teach her young Puppies to swim in the River Cauzef, of a good breadth; yet she would carry, which some Moors perceiving, watched there them one after another over the River; opportunity, and when the River was between her and them, stole four of her Whelps, which she perceiving, with all the speed she could passed the River, and coming near them, they let fall a Whelp (and fled with the rest) which she took in her mouth, and so returned to the rest: A Male and a Female of those they gave Mr. Archer, who kept them in the King's Garden, till the Male killed the Female, then he brought it up as a Puppy-dog lying upon his Bed, till it grew so great as a Mastiff, and no dog more tame or gentle to them he knew: But being to return for England, at Saffee he gave him to a Merchant of Marseillses, that presented him to the French King, who sent him to King James, where it was kept in the Tower seven Years: After one Mr. John Bull, then Servant to Mr. Archer, with divers of his Friends, went to see the Lions, not knowing any thing at all of him; yet this rare Beast smelled him before he saw him, whining, groaning, and tumbling, with such an expression of acquaintance, that being informed by the Keepers how he came thither; Mr. Bull so prevailed, the Keeper opened the Grate, and Bull went in: But no Dog could fawn more on his Master, than the Lion on him, licking his Feet, Hands, and Face, skipping and tumbling to and fro, to the wonder of all the beholders; being satisfied with his acquaintance, he made shift to get out of the Grate: But when the Lion saw his Friend gone, no Beast by bellowing, roaring, scratching, and howling, could express more rage and sorrow, nor in four days after would he either eat or drink.
{MN} The strange love of a Lion.
{MN} In Morocco, the King's Lions are altogether in a Court, invironed with a great high Wall; to those they put a young Puppy-dog: The greatest Lion had a sore upon his neck, which this Dog so licked, that he was healed: The Lion defended him from the fury of all the rest, nor durst they eat till the Dog and he had fed; this Dog grew great, and lived amongst them many years after.
{MN} Another kind Lion in Morocco.
{MN-1} Fez also is a most large and plentiful Country, the chief City is called Fez, divided into two parts; old Fez, containing about 80 thousand Households, the other 4000 pleasantly situated upon a River in the heart of Barbary, part upon Hills, part upon Plains, full of people, and all sorts of Merchandize. The great Temple is called Carucen, in breadth seventeen Arches, in length 120, born up with 2500 white Marble Pillars: under the chief Arch, where the Tribunal is kept, hangeth a most huge Lamp, compassed with 110 lesser, under the other also hang great Lamps, and about some, are burning fifteen hundred lights, They say, they were all made of the Bells the Arabians brought from Spain. It hath three Gates of notable heighth, Priests and Officers so many, that the Circuit of the Church, the Yard, and other Houses, is little less than a Mile and half in compass, there are in this City 200 Schools, 200 Inns, 400 Water-Mills, 600 Water-Conduits, 700 Temples and Oratories; but 50 of them most stately and richly furnished. Their Alcazer or Burse is Walled about, it hath twelve Gates, and fifteen Walks covered with Tents, to keep the Sun from the Merchants, and them that come there. The King's Palace, both for strength and beauty is excellent, and the Citizens have many great Privileges. Those two Countries of Fez and Morocco, are the best part of all Barbary, abounding with People, Cattel, and all good Necessaries for Man's use. For the rest, as the Larbs, or Mountainers, the Kingdoms of Cocow, Algier, Tripoli, Tunis, and Ægypt; there are many large Histories of them in divers Languages, especially that writ by that most excellent Statesman, John de Leo, who afterwards turned Christian. {MN-2} The unknown Countries of Guine and Binn, this six and twenty years have been frequented with a few English Ships only to Trade, especially the River of Senega, by Captain Brimstead, Captain Brockit, Mr. Crump, and divers others. Also the great River of Gambia, by Captain Johnson, who is returned in thither again, in the Year 1626, with Mr. William Grent, and thirteen or fourteen others, to stay in the Country, to discover some way to those rich Mines of Gago or Tumbatu, from whence is supposed the Moors of Barbary have their Gold, and the certainty of those supposed Descriptions and Relations of those interiour parts, which daily the more they are sought into, the more they are corrected: For surely, those interiour Parts of Africa, are little known to either English, French, or Dutch, though they use much the Coast; therefore we will make a little bold with the Observations of the Portugals.
{MN-1} The description of Fez.
{MN-2} A brief description of the most unknown parts of Africa.