_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.
* * * * *