As there is nothing more surprizing and delightful in Voyages or Travels, than beholding the different Habits, Customs, Dieting, and Religion of the different Natives; so there is none I believe, wherein that Difference can be found, so much as here. A Colour, Language and Manners, as wide from ours, as we may imagine we should find in the planetary Subjects above, could we get there.
But before I proceed on any Observations of my own, it may be proper from others, to convey some Idea of Guinea in general; so much as carries Probability, either from the Dead or Living.
Africa, one of the four Quarters of the World, next in bigness to Europe, by the Ancients had several Names; Olympia, Ammonis Ortygia; but the most noted, Apher, from a Nephew, it’s said, of Abraham’s. It extends from about 36 N. to as many Degrees of Southern Latitude; and excepting Egypt, Barbary, Morocco, and in this last Age the Coast of Guinea, is a Country as little known as any Part of the Globe. Marmol says, the Arabians in the 400 of the Hegyra, passed into Afric and divided it. This is certain, that it has many fine large Rivers, some of them navigable for Ships. Along the Banks of these Rivers, the Inhabitants abound with Millet, Rice, Pulse or, Indian-Corn. The further we depart from Morocco on this West Side, or Egypt on the East, there is always found less Industry and more Ignorance: For Governments, tho’ never so tyrannical, are better than none, extending some Improvement to Humanity.
The Niger, which is one of the largest Rivers in Africa, is said to have the same Property of overflowing every Year, like Nile, remunerating to the inland parts a vast Fertility and Increase; and this very probably, because it has been traced some hundred Leagues, and by the Course, descends from the Ethiopian Mountains, the common Fountain of both.
The Senega and Gambia, Branches of this great River, disgorge here at the windward Part of Guinea; they are large Rivers, driving considerable Trade: To the former of these, the King of Morocco extended his Dominions, about 1526, by the Conquest of the Kingdom of Tombuto, which still continues tributary, and whence that King raises considerable Negro Armies, his chief Strength. A College of the Sect of Haly, is founded in Melli, a Kingdom upon this River. They have many Crocodiles or Alligators, Sea-Horses, and Shirks in them. Senega affords great quantity of Gum; and at Gambia begin our Factories for Slaves, Teeth, and Gold, on which this general Remark, That the Slaves there, faring softer from a better Soil, are not so hardy as those lower down. The Teeth are as large, and in as much plenty, as at any one Part of the whole Coast; those taken out of the Sea-Horse are small, not weighing above 5 or 6 Pounds, but more solid than the Elephant’s. And lastly, their Gold is current in what the Traders call Bars, little twisted Lengths, or in Rings of 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8s. Value.
All the great Rivers flow and ebb regularly, being governed by the Moon, as the Tides on our own Coasts; but the Sandiness of the Soil, and Nearness of the Sun, makes the Country between, so extreamly dry, that they have great scarcity of Water for an hundred Miles an end sometimes; and this Drought is what brings the Beasts of all sorts in Droves to the Banks, for satisfying Thirst, (Tygers, Panthers, Leopards, Antelopes, Elephants, Apes; Ostriches, &c.) From which Accident, say they, might probably have happened the many Hebridous Productions that have made this Country the Proverb of all Ages; it continually producing something new or monstrous.
Their chief Diet is Indian Corn, Rice, Palm-nuts, Bananas, Yamms, Pine-apples, and now and then a little Fish, or a Fowl; all which thro’ Ignorance, and want of Necessaries, are very slovenly cooked by them.
Africa is almost a Triangle in shape; the Kingdoms on the North are Mahometans; and in the trading Towns of Barbary, and Turky, there is a little Mixture of Jews. On the Eastern Line next Persia, are said to be some of the Sect of Gaurs, followers of Zoroastes, a very learned Persian Philosopher, that appeared, according to Dr. Prideaux, about 2300 Years ago: He instituted Fire-worship, and established it by a superiour Cunning, through most parts of Persia and India, where there are still some left, poor and despised, (called Persees) since the seventh Century, when the Mahometans over-run that Country, and almost extinguished them. In Æthiopia, (Prester John’s Country) Writers say, are a sort of Christians, still acknowledging the Patriarch of Alexandria; meerly nominal I believe, for the Greeks themselves, much nigher his Pastorship, have since their Conquest by the Turks, in a manner lost their Christianity; Poverty and Ignorance, the Consequence of Captivity having obliterated the outward Pomp, which, next to Power, is the main Pillar in all Religions. Inland, and to the Southern Extremity, they are Pagans. And on this Western Line (the Negroes) all trust to the Gregory or Fetish; which in the bulk of it means no more than what we in Europe call Charms, which in many respects carries strong Superstition, that is, a vain Religion in it; only their consecrated Materials having more Reverence from their Ignorance and Fear, work more stupendous Effects; or are imagined to do so, which is the same thing. So much may serve for a general Idea of Africa, since several of the Articles will, in the progress of the Voyage, be occasionally expatiated on.
