say that so they find it written in the books, that God commanded
circumcision. And let not the reader of this be amazed--they also
circumcise the females as well as the males, which was not in the Old
Law. Baptism they do in this manner: they baptize males at forty days,
and females at sixty days after their birth, and if they die before
they go without baptism. I, many times and in many places, used to
tell them that they committed a great error, and went against what the
Gospel says: Quod natum est ex carne caro est; et quod natum est ex
spiritu spiritus est. They answered me many times that the faith of
their mother sufficed for them, and the communion which she received
whilst in a state of pregnancy.[31] They perform this baptism in the
church, with water which they keep in a vase, and which they bless, and
they put oil on the forehead and on the breasts and shoulder-blades.
They do not put ointment,[32] nor do they have it, nor the oil of
extreme unction. This office of catechism which they celebrate seems to
me to be much the same form as the Roman, and at the time of pouring
the water on the child they do it in this way. One who is the godfather
takes the child from the hands of the woman that has it and raises it,
holding it under the arms, and holds it suspended; and the priest who
baptizes, with one hand holds the vase and pours the water over the
child, and with the other washes it all over, saying in his language
the words which we say, that is: I baptize thee in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. They always perform
this office on a Saturday or a Sunday, and it is done in the morning at
mass, because every child that receives baptism receives the communion,
and they give it in very small quantities, and cause it to be swallowed
by means of water. With regard to this, also, I used to tell them that
this communion was very dangerous, and in no wise necessary. As I said
that they put oil on the forehead, you should know that every child
comes to baptism shaved with a razor, and the scars or marks which they
bear on the nose, between the eyes, and at the corners of the eyes, are
not made by fire nor for anything of Christianity, but with cold iron
for ornament, and because they say that it is good for the sight. There
are here women who are very skilful at making these marks. They make
them in this manner: they take a clove of garlic, large and moist, and
place it on the corner of the eye; with a sharp knife they cut round
the garlic, and then with the fingers widen the cut, and put upon it
a little paste of wax, and over the wax another paste of dough, and
press it down for one night with a cloth, and there remains for ever
a mark which appears like a burn, because their colour is dark. On
the occasion of death, I never saw great personages borne away; but of
small people, and of others rather better, an infinite number. Their
burials are in this manner. They do not use candles after death, but
much incense. They carry them away wrapped up[33] in a shroud, and some
of the more honoured have over the shroud tanned ox-hides, and are
placed on trestles. The priests come for them, and pray shortly, and
then set out at once with them on the way to the church, with cross,
thurible, and holy water, running so that a man cannot catch them up.
They do not bring the dead man into the church, but place him close
to the grave; they do not use our office for him, nor do they recite
psalms, neither do they say anything from the Book of Job. I asked
what it was that they prayed; they told me that they read the Gospel
of St. John all complete. And so they give him to the grave with their
incense and holy water, and they do not say mass for the defunct, nor
of devotion for any living person, nor more than one mass a day in each
church; and all are communicants, as many as go to it.
CAP. XXIII.--_Of the situation of the town of Barua, chief place
of the kingdom of the Barnagais, and of his hunting._
This town of Barua is very good, and it is situated on a very high
rock above a river, upon which are situated the king’s houses, which
they call Beteneguz, which means houses of the king. They are well
situated in the manner of a fortress. All the rest is a great plain and
an infinite number of large villages at the extremities of the fields.
There is much breeding of all sorts of flocks, cows, goats, and sheep,
and of much game of all sorts. In the river there is much fish, and
many wild ducks of different kinds,[34] and on land much game of all
kinds, such as wild cattle; in the plains hares in great quantity,
so that every day we killed twenty or thirty of a morning, and that
without dogs, but caught with nets. There are partridges of three
kinds, which do not differ from ours, except in size and the colour of
their legs. There are partridges like big capons of the same colour
and fashion as ours, except that their beaks and feet are yellow.
There are others the size of hens; these have red beaks and feet like
ours. There are others the size of ours, not different in colour or in
anything else, except that their beaks and feet are grey. To the taste
all are very good partridges, as they are good in colour. They do not
frighten them to the earth.[35] Wild hens cover the ground, quails are
in infinite numbers, and so of all other birds that can be mentioned,
such as parrots and other birds not known to us, great and small,
and of many shapes and colours; birds of prey, such as royal eagles,
falcons, hawks, sparrow hawks, blue herons, and river cranes, and all
other sorts that can be mentioned. In the mountains are many hogs,
stags, antelopes, gazelles, deer. It will be said, how is it that there
is so much game on the land and fish in the river, when the country is
so populous? I say that nobody hunts or fishes, nor have they engines
nor devices, nor the will to do it; on this account the game is very
easy to kill, because it is not pursued by the people. There are many
wild beasts--lions, ounces, tigers, wolves, foxes, jackals, and other
animals not known to us. I never heard that these wild beasts did any
harm, although the people are in great fear of them; only in one place
which is called Camarua, and which is about half a league from this
town of Barua, a man was lying asleep at night at the door of his
enclosure, and his little son was with him, keeping his cows, and a
lion came and killed this man without anyone perceiving it, and he ate
his nose and opened his heart, without touching the child. The people
of the country were greatly afraid, and said that he would remain with
a taste for man’s flesh,[36] and that no one would escape from him. The
Lord was pleased that he never did any more harm. We used to go hunting
at that time near this place, and we never found any lion, but we found
ounces and tigers; we did them no harm, neither did they do us any.
CAP. XXIV.--_Of the lordship of the Barnagais, and of the lords
and captains who are at his orders and commands, and of the dues
which they pay._
The lordship of the Barnagais is in this manner: its title is that of
King, because nagais means King, and bar means sea, so Barnagais means
King of the Sea. When they give him the rulership they give it him with
a crown of gold on his head, but it does not last longer than what the
Prester John pleases. For in our time, which was a stay of six years,
there were here four Barnagais, that is to say, when we arrived Dori
was Barnagais; he died, and at his death the crown came to Bulla, his
son, a youth of ten or twelve years of age, by order of the Prester
John. When they crowned him he was at once summoned to court, and while
he was at the court Prester John took away his sovereignty and gave
it to a noble gentleman, who was named Arraz anubiata. This man held
it two years, and they took from him this lordship and made him the
greatest lord of the court, which is Betudete,[37] and the lordship
of Barnagais was given to another lord, who was named Adiby, who was
now Barnagais. Beneath the Barnagais are some great lords whom they
call Xuums, which means captains; and these are, first, Xuum Cire, a
very great captaincy, he is now married to a sister of Prester John.
We never went to this country and Xuumeta because it is distant and
out of the way. There is another Xuumeta named Ceruil. We knew this
lordship, and they say that its Xuum brings into the field fifteen
thousand spearmen with shields and archers. Also Xuum Cama, and Buno
Xuum, and Xuum bono. These Xumetas had been one, and on account of its
being large, and the Prester having misgivings that they might set
themselves up against the Barnagais, he made it into two, and even yet
each of them is very large. They say that this lordship which is now
two was the dominion of Queen Candace, without having been larger in
her time. She was the first Christian that there was in this country,
and whom the Lord called powerful. Also two other captaincies, one is
named Dafilla, the other Canfila; these two border on Egypt, and their
captains are like lords of the marches. All these captains before
mentioned are of kettledrums, which nobody except great lords can
carry: and all these serve with the Barnagais in wars when he goes to
them, and wherever he may go. They have other great gentlemen under
their command who are called Arraz,[38] which means heads. We knew one
of these, who was named Arraz Aderaan, he is head over fifteen thousand
men at arms, whom they name chavas. I saw this Arraz Aderaan twice at
the court, both times I saw him before the gate of the Prester John
going without a shirt, and from his waist downwards a very good silk
cloth, and on his shoulders the skin of a lion, in his right hand a
spear, and in his left hand a shield. I asked how it was so great a
lord went about in that manner, they told me that the greatest honour
he had, since he was Arraz of the Chaufas, that is, head or captain of
the men at arms, was to go about like a man at arms. In the fashion
that he went, there followed behind him twenty or thirty men with
spears and bucklers, so that he goes about the court like a provost
with his men. I knew another Arraz Tagale, and Arraz Jacob, lords of
large lands, and many other Xuums, lords of lands, but without titles.
Thus the Barnagais is the lord of many lords, and of many lands and
people, and so he and all these lords that have been mentioned are
subject to the Prester John, and he removes and appoints them as he
pleases: so they pay to him large dues. As all these lords and their
lordships are on the side of Egypt and Arabia, from whence come the
good horses, and the brocades and the silks, they pay in these same
goods: that is to say, horses, brocades, and other silks. They come to
the Barnagais with all these dues, and the Barnagais to Prester John,
and pays for himself and for the others, in each year, a hundred and
fifty horses; as to the brocades and silks, it cannot be known how much
they amount to, only I heard say that they were many; I also heard that
they pay a large sum of cotton cloths from India for the customs which
they levy in the port of Arquiquo.
CAP. XXV.--_Of their method of guarding their herds from wild
beasts, and how there are two winters in this country: and of
two churches that are in the town of Barua._
The settlement of this town of Barua and of those adjoining it, is
this. There are ten, twelve, or fifteen houses, and one walled and
closed yard, served by a gate: in this yard they shut up their domestic
cows which they use for their milk and butter, and also small flocks,
and mules and asses. They keep the gate well fastened, and a great
fire, and men who sleep there to watch, from fear of the animals that
roam about the villages all night: and if they did not keep this watch
nothing alive would remain which they would not devour. The people who
go to sow millet in the mountains of Bisan belong to this country and
the neighbouring towns. The reason why they go and do it is this. Here
there are very numerous grain crops of every kind and nature that can
be mentioned, as I have already said; and because it is near to the
sea, by which go all the provisions for Arabia, Mekkah, Zebid, Jiddah,
and Toro,[39] and other parts; and they carry the provisions to the sea
to sell them. And because in this country the winters are divided into
seasons, and the seed crops do not grow except with the rains, they go
to sow these millet fields at the mountain of Bisan, where it is winter
in the months of February, March, and April. There is this same winter
in a mountain called Lama, in this kingdom of the Barnagais, which
is fully eight days’ journey from the mountain of Bisan. In another
country, which is named Doba, and which is quite a month’s journey from
this lordship of Lama, there is winter in these same months. As for
these millet fields, they require rains, and as these winters happen
out of season, they go and sow them where it rains, and so profit
by both winters. In this town of Barua are two churches with many
priests, one close to the other, one is for men, the other for women.
The men’s church is called St. Michael, that of the women is named
after the apostles Peter and Paul. They say that a great lord, who
was then Barnagais, built the men’s church, and gave it the privilege
that no woman should enter it, except only the wife of the Barnagais,
with one damsel, whenever she went to take the communion, and even she
does not now enter the church, but takes the communion at the door in
the inner circuit with the laity, and so the other women do in the
church of the apostles, who take it in its place. I always saw the
women of the Barnagais go to the women’s church to take the communion
with the other women, and I did not see them use the privilege which
they say they have, of taking the communion, with one damsel, in the
church of the men. The circuits of the churchyards join to one another;
they are of very high walls. They make the sacramental bread for both
churches in one building, and they say the masses in both churches at
the same time, and the priests who serve in one church serve also in
the other; that is two thirds of the priests in the men’s church, and
one third in the women’s church, and so they are distributed. These
churches have not got tithes, but they have got much land belonging to
the priests, and they put it out to profit and divide the revenues of
the lands among themselves: the Barnagais gives what is necessary to
the churches, such as ornaments, wax, butter, incense in sufficient
quantity, and he supplies them with everything. There may be in these
churches twenty priests and always twenty-two friars. I never saw a
church of priests which had not got friars, nor a monastery of friars
which had got priests; because the friars are so numerous that they
cover the world, both in the monasteries as also in the churches,
roads, and markets: they are in every place.
CAP. XXVI.--_How the priests are, and how they are ordained,
and of the reverence which they pay to the churches and their
churchyards._
The priests are married to one wife, and they observe the law of
matrimony better than the laity: they live in their houses with their
wives and children. If their wife should die they do not marry again;
neither can the wife, but she may become a nun or remain a widow as
she pleases. If a priest sleeps with another woman whilst his wife
is alive he does not enter the church any more, nor does he enjoy
its goods, and remains as a layman. And this I know from having seen
a priest accused before the patriarch of having slept with a woman,
and I saw that the priest confessed the offence, and the patriarch
commanded him not to carry a cross in his hand, nor to enter a church,
nor to enjoy the liberties of the church, and to become a layman. If
any priests after becoming widowers marry, they remain laymen. As it
happened to Abuquer, who married Romana Orque, sister of Prester John,
who I have already said was a priest, chief chaplain of Prester John,
and he was disordained[40] and made a layman. He no longer enters
the church, and receives the communion at the door of the church as
a layman, and among the women. The sons of the priests are for the
most part priests, because in this country there are no schools, nor
studies, nor masters to teach, and the clergy teach that little that
they know to their sons: and so they make them priests without more
legitimisation, neither does it seem to me that they require it, since
they are legitimate sons. All are ordained by the Abima Markos, for in
all the kingdoms of Ethiopia there is no other bishop or person who
ordains. The orders are given in two stages, as I will relate further
on. I with my own eyes saw them given many times. In all this country
the churchyards are inclosed by very strong walls, that the wild beasts
may not disinter the dead bodies. They show them great reverence, no
man riding on a mule passes before a church, even though he is going in
a great hurry, without dismounting, until he has passed the church and
churchyard a good bit.
CAP. XXVII.--_How we departed from Barua, and of the bad
equipment we had until we arrived at Barra._
We were at Barua the first time, without their giving us equipment for
our departure, for eleven days; we departed on the 28th day of June
1520, joyful and contented, because we were travelling on our way; and
those that conducted us went with our baggage a distance of half a
league, saying that their bounds went no further, and that another town
had to take us further on. As I said, it was in June, in the force of
the winter of this country, and they set us down, and our goods, in a
plain, and very heavy rain. The ambassador and three of us went on the
road to Barra to speak to the Barnagais, the factor and clerk and the
other Portuguese remaining with our goods. As soon as we arrived we
went to the palace of the Barnagais to tell him what his vassals were
doing to us. They did not give us an opportunity to speak to him that
day. On the following day we did not sleep in the morning, and went to
speak to him: as soon as we spoke to him he told us he would at once
send for the goods. He ordered it to be brought a distance of a league
and a half, in which it passed through three districts, by reason of
the great population which is in that country, and they came and placed
the baggage in another plain, where they let it remain four days in the
rain and storms. In these days the ambassador and those that were with
him were not quiet: at one time we went to the baggage, which was a
league and a half off from us, at other times at our resting place, at
others in the house of the Barnagais, to require him to send for these
goods which belonged to the King, and were going to Prester John, or to
tell us that he did not choose, and we would have it set on fire, and
go our way disembarrassed. His speech was always fair, but the fruits
of it never came. When four days were completed he sent for the goods.
CAP. XXVIII.--_How the goods arrived at the town of Barra, and
of the bad equipment of the Barnagais._
On the 3rd day of July of the said year, ’20, our baggage arrived at
the town of Barra, where we were. We hoped to start at once, and went
to speak to the Barnagais requiring him to despatch us. We met with
good words from him. On the following day a gentleman from the court of
Prester John arrived, and the Barnagais gave him such a reception that
he forgot us. When this gentleman arrived the Barnagais went out of the
town to receive him at a small hill near the houses; and there went
out with him many people, and he was naked from the waist upwards. The
gentleman placed himself on the highest spot above the rest, and his
first words were: the King sends to salute you. At these words all went
with their hand upon the ground, which is the courtesy and reverence of
this country. After that, he spoke the message which he had brought,
and when he had finished hearing it the Barnagais clothed himself with
rich garments, and took the gentleman to his house. It is the usage
of this country to hear the words which the Prester sends outside the
house, and on foot, and he to whom they are sent has to be naked above
the waist until they have been delivered, and if the message is one
of satisfaction on the part of Prester John, as soon as it is given
he at once dresses himself: if it expresses his dissatisfaction, he
remains naked as when he heard it. This Barnagais is brother of the
mother of Prester John. After this the ambassador, and we with him,
came to speak to the Barnagais, and he sent us away saying that for
the love of God we should leave him, that he was sick. When we came
they did not allow us to enter, saying that he was sleeping. So much
passed of this sort that the ambassador said that he ill remembered
what he had sworn and promised to the Captain-major of the King of
Portugal, that is to say, to assist us and order equipment to be given
us for our journey, that he forgot all this, and also that he was not
mindful of the friendship which they had established and sworn, since
he did so little for the affairs of the King of Portugal. Neither on
this account did he make any more haste, but always excused himself
with his guest, and with being ill. On the 6th of July seven or eight
horsemen arrived, very gaily caparisoned, these were Moors, and seemed
to be honourable persons, they came from other countries, and brought
many very beautiful horses, which they were bringing to pay as tribute
which they owed to Prester John and the Barnagais. As the arrival of
the Moors redounded to his profit, neither his guests nor his sickness
impeded him. The great reception and honour which the Barnagais paid
to these Moors gave us great trouble. The ambassador had told him that
he wanted twelve mules, and asked him to order them to be lent: he
said that he could not lend them, and that we should buy them. When we
wished to buy these mules which the people of the country were selling
to us, the servants of the Barnagais came and interrupted the purchase,
telling the vendors not to sell them, and that if they sold them they
would be punished, and the gold would be taken away from them, for
in this country money is not current. This happened in such manner
that the rumour of it spread throughout the country, and the people
told us that even if they wished to sell to us they did not dare,
from fear of the Barnagais, because he wished to sell his own mules,
and therefore forbade their selling them. (He has another method with
the people of his country.) In all the kingdoms of Prester John money
is not current, but only gold by weight, and the principal weight is
called _ouquia_,[41] and this, which is an ounce, makes in weight
ten cruzados, and for change there is a half ouquia, and from twelve
drachms to ten make an ouquia. This Barnagais forbade the people in
his country having any other weights except his own, and they had to
ask the Barnagais or his factors for the weights whenever they had
to sell or receive gold, so that he had knowledge of what was in the
country, and he takes it when he pleases, according to what his country
people say, who must know it well.
CAP. XXIX.--_Of the church of the town of Barra, and its
ornaments, and of the fair there, and of the merchandise, and
costumes of the friars, nuns, and priests._