VASCO DE GAMA.
494
The following curious Memoir was composed by Edmund Hogan, in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth, and lately found amongst the papers of
one of his descendants.
(A TRUE COPY.)
"_The Embassage of Mr. Edmund Hogan, one of the Sworne Esquires of
her Ma't's Person, from her Highnesse to Muley Abdelmelech,
Emperour of Morocco, and King of Fes and Sus, in the Yeare 1577.
Written by himselfe_.
"I Edmund Hogan, being appointed Embassadour from the Queens Ma'tie
to the above-named Emperour and King Muley Abdelmelech, departed
with my company and servants from London the 22d April, 1577, being
imbarked in the good ship called the Gallion, of London, and
arrived in Azafi, a port of Barbary, the 21st of May next
following. Immediately I sent Leonell Egerton ashoare with my
letters directed to John Williams and John Bampton, who dispatched
a courier to Morocco to know the Kings pleasure for my repaire to
the court, which letters came to theire hands on the Thursday
night. They with all speed gave the King understanding of it, who
being glad thereof, speeded the next day certaine captaines, with
souldiera and tents, with other provision, to Azafi; so that upon
Whitsunday at night, the said captaines, with John Bampton, Robert
495 Washborne, and Robert Lion, and the Kings officers, came late to
Azafi. In the meane time I remained aboard, and caused some of the
goods to be discharged, for lightning of the ship; and I wrote in
my letter that I would not lande 'till I knew the Kings pleasure.
The 26th day, being Saturday, the Mark-speed arrived in the roade
about two of the clock in the afternoone. The 27th day, being
Whitsunday, came aboard the Gallion, John Bampton, and others,
giving me to understand how much the King rejoyced of my safe
arrivall, coming from the Queens Ma'tie; and how that for my safe
conduct to the court he had sent four captaines, and an hundred
souldiers well appointed, with a horse furnished, which he used
himself to ride on, with all other furniture accordingly; they
wished me also to come on land in the best order I could, as well
for my self as my men, which I did, having to the number of ten
men, whereof three were trumpeters. The ships being four, appointed
themselves in the best order they could, for the best shew, and
shott off all theire ordinance to the value of twenty marks in
powder. At my coming, ashoare, I found all the souldiers well
appointed on horseback, the captaines and the Govern'r of the towne
standing as neer the water side as they could, with a jennet of the
Kings, and rec'd me from the boate, declaring how glad his Ma'tie
was of my safe arrivall, coming from the Queens Ma'tie my
496 Mistresse, and that he had sent them to attend upon me, it being
his pleasure that I should tarrie there on shoare five or six dayes
for my refreshing; so being mounted upon the jennet, they conducted
me through the towne into a faire fielde upon the sea side, where
there was a tent provided for me, and all the ground spread with
Turkie carpets, and the castle discharged a peale of ordinance, and
all things necessarie were brought into my tent, where I both tooke
my table and lodging, and had other convenient tents for my
servants. The souldiers inviron'd the tents, and watched about us
day and night as long as I lay there, altho' I sought my speedier
dispatch. On the Wednesday towards night, I tooke my horse, and
travelled ten miles to the first place of water that wee could
finde, and there pitched our tents 'till the next morning, and so
traveled till ten of the clock, and then pitched our tents 'till
four, and so traveled as long as day light would suffer, about
twenty-six miles that day. The next day being Fryday, I traveled in
like order but eight and twenty miles at the most; and by a
[293]river, being about six miles within sight of the Citty of
Morocco, wee pitched bur tents. Imediately after came all our
English Merchants, and the French, on horseback, to meete me; and
before night there came an Alcayde from the King with fiftie men,
and divers mules laden with victuall and banket for my supper,
497 declaring unto me how glad the King shewed himselfe to hear of the
Queens Ma'tie, and that his pleasure was I should be received into
his countrey as never any Christian the like; and desired to know
what time the next day I would come into his Citie, because he
would that all the Christians, as also his Nobilitie, should meete
me; and willed John Bampton to be with him early in the morning,
which he did. About seven of the clock, being accompanied with the
French and English Merchants, and a great number of souldiers, I
passed towards the Citie, and by that time I had traveled two
miles, there met me all the Christians of the Spaniards and
Portugals to receive me, which I know was more by the Kings
commandment then of any good wills of themselves; for some of them,
although they speake me faire, hung downe theire heads like dogs,
and especially the Portugals; and I countenanced them accordingly.
So I passed on, 'till I came within two English miles of the Citie;
and then John Bampton returned, shewing me that the King was so
glad of my coming, that he could not devise to doe too much, to
shew the good will that he did owe to the Queens Ma'tie and her
Realme; His counsellors met me without the gates; and at the entrie
of the gates, his footmen and guard were placed on both sides of my
horse, and so brought me to the King's palace. The King sate in his
chaire, with his Counsell about him, as well the Moores as the
498 Alkaids; and, according to his order given unto me before, I there
declared my message in Spanish, and made deliverie of the Queens
Ma't's letters, and all that I spake at that present in Spanish, he
caused one of his Alkaids to declare the same to the Moores present
in the Arabic tongue; which done, he answered me againe in Spanish,
yeelding to the Queens Ma'tie great thankes, and offering himselfe
and his countrey to be at her Graces comandment; and he comanded
certaine of his counsellors to conduct me to my lodging, not being
farr from the Court. The house was faire, after the fashion of that
countrey, being dayly well furnished with all kinde of victuall at
the Kings charge. The same night he sent for me to the court, and I
had conference with him about the space of two houres; where I
throughly declared the charge co'mitted unto me from her Ma'tie,
finding him conformable, willing to pleasure, and not to urge her
Ma'tie with any demands, more then conveniently she might willingly
consent unto, hee knowing that out of his countrey the Realme of
England might be better served with lackes, then he in comparison
from us. Further, he gave me to understand, that the King of Spain
had sent unto him for a licence that an Embassadour of his might
come into his countrey, and had made great meanes, that if the
Queens Ma'tie of England sent any unto him, that he would not give
him any credit or entertainment; albeit (said he) I know what the
499 King of Spaine, and what the Queene of England and her realme is;
for I neither like of him, nor of his religion, being so governed
by the Inquisition, that he can doe nothing of himselfe. Therefore,
when he cometh upon the licence which I have granted, he shall well
see how little account I will make of him and Spaine, and how
greatly I will extoll you for the Queenes Ma'tie of England; he
shall not come to my presence as you have done, and shall dayly,
for I minde to accept of you as my companion, and one of my house,
whereas he shall attend twentie dayes after he hath done his
message. After the end of this speech, I delivered Sir Thomas
Gresham's letters; when as he tooke me by the hand, and led me
downe a long court to a palace, where there ranne a faire fountaine
of water, and there sitting himselfe in a chaire, he comanded me to
sitt downe in another, and there called for such simple musicians
as he had. Then I presented him with a greate base lute, which he
most thankfully accepted, and then he was desirous to hear of the
musicians; and I tolde him, that there was great care had to
provide them, and that I did not doubt but upon my returne they
should come with the first ship. He is willing to give them good
entertainment, with provision of victuall, and to let them live
according to theire law and conscience, wherein he urgeth none to
the contrary. I finde him to be one that liveth greatly in the fear
500 of God, being well exercised in the Scriptures, as well in the Old
Testament, as also in the New, and he beareth a greater affection
to our nation then to others, because of our religion, which
forbiddeth worship of idols; and the Moores called him the
Christian King. The same night, being the first of June, I
continued with him till twelve of the clock, and he seemed to have
so good likeing of me, that he tooke from his girdle a short
dagger, being sett with 200 stones rubies and Turkies, and did
bestowe it upon me; and so I, being conducted, returned to my
lodging for that time. The next day, because he knew it to be
Sunday, and our Sabboth day, he did let me rest; but on the Monday
in the afternoone he sent for me, and I had conference with him
againe, and musick. Likewise on the Tuesday, by three of the clock,
he sent for me into his garden, finding him layed upon a silk bed,
complaining of a sore leg; yet, after long conference, he walked
into another orchard, whereas having a fair banketing house, and a
great water, and a new gallie in it, he went aboard the gallie, and
tooke me with him, and passed the space of two or three houres,
shewing the great experience he had in gallies, wherein (as he
said) he had exercised himselfe eighteene yeares in his youth.
After supper he shewed me his horses, and other co'modities that he
had about his house; and since that night I have not seene him, for
that he hath kept in with his sore legg; but he hath sent to me
501 dayly. The 18th of June, at six of the clock at night, I had againe
audience of the King, and I continued with him, till midnight,
having debated, as well for the Queenes co'mission, as for the
well-dealing with her merchants for their traffick here in these
parts, saying, he would do much more for the Queenes Ma'tie and the
Realme; offering that all English ships with her subjects may with
good securitie enter into his ports and dominions, as well in trade
of merchandize, as for victuall and water, as also in time of warr
with any of her enemies, to bring in prizes, and to make sales as
occasion should serve, or else to depart againe with them at theire
pleasure. Likewise for all English ships that shall passe along his
Coast of Barbary, and threw the Streights into the Levant seas, and
so to the Turks dominions, and the King of Algiers, as his owne;
and that he would write to the Turke, and to the King of Algiers,
his letters for the well using of our ships and goods. Also, that
hereafter no Englishman that by any meanes may be taken captives,
shall be sold within any of his dominions; whereupon I declared
that the Queenes Ma'tie, accepting of these his offers, was pleased
to confirme the intercourse and trade of our Merchants within this
his countrey, as also to pleasure him with such commodities as he
should have need of, to furnish the necessities and wants of his
country in trade of merchandize, so as he required nothing contrary
to her honour and law, and the breach of league with the Christian
502 Princes her neighbours. The same night I presented the King with
the case of combes, and desired his Ma'tie to have speciall regard
that the ships might be Iaden back againe, for that I found little
store of salt-peter in readinesse in John Bampton's hands; he
answered me, that I should have all the assistance therein that he
could, but that in[294] Sus he thought to have some store in his
house there, as also that the Mountainers had made much in a
readinesse; I requested that he would sende downe, which he
promised to doe. The eighteenth day I was with him againe, and so
continued there till night; and he shewed me his house, with
pastime in ducking with water spaniels, and baiting bulls with his
English doggs. At this time I moved him againe for the sending
downe to Sus, which he granted to doe; and the 24th day there
departed Alcayde Mammie, with Lionell Egerton, and Rowland Guy, to
Sus; and carried with them, for our accounts and his company, the
Kings letters to his brother Muly Hammet, and Alcayde Shavan, and
the Viceroy. The 23d day the King sent me out of Morocco to his
garden called Shersbonare, with his guard and Alcayde Mamoute; and
the 24th at night I came to the Court to see a Morris-dance, and a
play of his Alkaids; he promised me audience the next day, being
503 Tuesday, but he putt it off 'till Thursday; and the Thursday at
night I was sent for to the King after supper, and then he sent
Alcayde Rodwan and Alcayde Gowry to conferr with me; but, after a
little talk, I desired to be brought to the King for my dispatch.
And being brought to him,. I preferred two bills of John Bampton's,
which he had made for provision of salt-peter, also two bills for
the quiet traffique of our English Merchants, and bills for sugars
to be made by the Jewes, as well for the debts past, as hereafter,
and for good order in the Ingenios. Also I moved him againe for the
salt-peter, and other dispatches, which he referred to be agreed
upon by the two Alcaydes. But the Fryday, being the 20th, the
Alcaydes could not intend it, and upon Saturday Alcayde Rodwan fell
sick; so on Sunday wee made meanes to the King, and that afternoone
I was sent for to conferre upon the bargaine with the Alcaydes and
others; but did not agree. Upon Tuesday I wrote a letter to the
King for my dispatch; and the same afternoone I was called againe
to the Court, and referred all things to the King, accepting his
offer of salt-peter. That night againe the King had me into his
gallie, and the spaniels did hunt the duck. The Thursday I was
appointed to weigh the 300 quintals grosse of salt-peter,, and that
afternoone the Tabybe came unto me to my lodging, shewing me that
the King was offended with John Bampton for divers causes. The
504 Sunday night late, being the 7th July, I got the King to forgive
all to John Bampton, and the King promised me to speake againe with
me upon Monday. Upon Tuesday I wrote to him againe for my dispatch,
and then he sent Fray Lewes to me, and said, that he had order to
write. Upon Wednesday I wrote againe; and he sent me word that I
should come and be dispatched, so that I should depart upon Fryday
without faile, being the 12th July. So the Fryday after, according
to the Kings order and appointment, I went to the Court; and
whereas motion and petition was made for the confirmac'on of the
demands which I had preferred, they were all granted, and likewise
which were on the behalfe of our English Merchants requested, were
with great favour and readinesse yeilded unto. And whereas the
Jewes there resident, were to our men in certaine round sum'es
indebted, the Emperor's pleasure and co'mandment was, that they
should without further excuse or delay pay and discharge the same.
And thus at length I was dismissed with great honour and speciall
countenance, such as hath not ordinarily bene shewed to other
Embassadors of the Christians. And touching the private affairs
intreated upon betwixt her Ma'tie and the Emperour, I had letters
from him to satisfie her Highnesse therein. So to conclude, having
received the like honourable conduct from his Court, as I had for
my part at my first landing, I imbarked myself with my foresaid
505 company; and arriving not long after in England, I repaired to her
Ma'ties Court, and ended my embassage to her Highnesses good
liking, with relation of my service performed."
[Footnote 293: The Tensift.]
[Footnote 294: Great quantities of superior saltpetre are
produced at Terodant in Suse.]
_Letter from the Author to Macvey Napier, Esq. F.R.S.L. and E._
Sir, London, 17th January, 1818.
Having read, with considerable satisfaction, your very able and
judicious dissertation respecting Africa, in the new Supplement to
the Encyclopedia Britannica, I will take the liberty to offer some
animadversions that have occurred to me in the perusal of that very
interesting article.
_Bahr Kûlla_ I conceive to be an immerged country, of considerable
extent, similar to Wangara; for the name, which is Arabic, implies
as much. The correct orthography, translated literally into English
is _Bahr Kûlha_, which signifies the sea, wholly or altogether,
implying, therefore, an alluvial country.
Respecting goat-skins dyed red or yellow, these are not brought by
caravans from central Africa to Marocco, but are manufactured at
Marocco, Fas, Mequinas, and Terodant the metropolis of Suse, from
which manufactories they are conveyed to the interior regions for
sale. Goat-skins, with the hair, in the raw state only, are
exported from Mogodor to England.
506
When Moore asserted that there was no such river as the Niger, he
evidently meant that the _natives of Africa_ knew it not by that
name; which is undoubtedly correct; for the word being an European
word, it would not be known in Africa: but its translation into
Arabic is _Bahar El Abeed_, i. e. the river of Negroes. Edrissi
called it Niger, from the same motive, viz. because it was so named
by _Europeans_, and by them only.
I conceive that the hypothesis which has been credited by some,
viz. that there is no receptacle for the two Niles, between Cashna
and Timbuctoo, must now necessarily fall to the ground; since the
sea of Sudan, first declared by me to be between Cashna and
Timbuctoo, and since confirmed by Ali Bey, and by Park, in his
second journey, can (as I apprehend) no longer be doubted: and it
is not improbable that this is the common receptacle of the Nile of
the West and the Nile of the East. This hypothesis is strengthened
by the testimony of the Shereef Imhammed, who has said, that he
himself saw the Nile, at Cashna, flowing so rapidly westward, that
vessels could not stem the current. If this be true, the [295]_Ba
Sea Feena_ of Park, which is only another name for the _Sea of
Sudan_, must lie west of Cashna, and, probably, about the same
507 point that it is stated by me to be situated, viz. fifteen journeys
of horse-travelling, or from 400 to 450 British miles east of
Timbuctoo.
[Footnote 295: The Arabic orthography is _Bahar S'feena_ which
being literally translated into English, signifies the Sea of
Ships.]
The word _Djinawa_ is the African word that denominates Guinea, but
I cannot imagine that it was ever intended to signify Gana. (See
Supplement to Encyclopædia Britannica, p. 104.)
You say there are, in Africa, two rivers to which the name of
_Niger_ has been given: this is evidently an error, but possibly of
the press only. There are, however, two rivers in Africa to which
the name of _Neel_ has been given.
The Proceedings of the African Association, vol. i. p. 540, declare
that the Nile is a name applied in Africa to any great river; but
as this assertion is calculated to produce confusion in the
geographical elucidation of the interior of that continent, and as
it certainly is not the fact, I must here beg leave to contradict
it, and declare that there are absolutely but two rivers in Africa,
that bear the name Neel or Nile, viz. the Neel El Kabeer, Neele
Sudan, or Neel El Abeed, i.e. the great Nile, the Nile of Sudan or
the Nile of the Negroes; and Neele Masser, i.e. the Nile of
Egypt.[296]
[Footnote 296: _Nile_ is a French term, and loses its proper
pronunciation and is unintelligible when pronounced by an
Englishman to an African; but if written _Neel_, and pronounced
by an Englishman, it is intelligible.]
If my knowledge of the African Arabic can be of any service in
508 giving you the signification or correct orthography of African
words, in the event of your favouring the public with a future
edition of your New Supplement to the Encyclopædia Britannica, any
information that I can communicate to you will be very much at your
service; and you may in this and in any other respect that regards
Africa freely command my services.
_Observations on an Historical Account of Discoveries and Travels
in Africa, by the late John Leyden, M.D., by Hugh Murray, Esq.
F.R.S.E._