The Golden coast, or, A description of Guinney 1. In it's air and situation, 2. In the commodities imported thither, and exported thence, 3. In their way of traffick, their laws and customes, together with a relation of such persons, as got wonderful estates by their trade thither. 1665 Approx. 164 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 48 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2013-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2). A41375 Wing G1014 ESTC R6926 12143975 ocm 12143975 54894

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A41375) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 54894) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 597:14) The Golden coast, or, A description of Guinney 1. In it's air and situation, 2. In the commodities imported thither, and exported thence, 3. In their way of traffick, their laws and customes, together with a relation of such persons, as got wonderful estates by their trade thither. [6], 88 p. Printed for S. Speed ..., London : 1665. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.

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THE Golden Coaſt, OR A DESCRIPTION OF GUINNEY.

1 In it's Air and Situation. 2 In the Commodities imported thither, and exported thence. 3 In their way of Traffick, their Laws and Cuſtomes. 4 In it's People, Religion, War and Peace, 5 In it's Forts and Havens. 6 In four Rich Voyages to that Coaſt.

Together with a Relation of ſuch perſons, as got wonderful Eſtates by their Trade thither.

Quis niſi mentis inops, Oblatum repuit aurum?

Licenſed, according to Order.

LONDON, Printed for S. Speed at the Rain-Bow in Fleet-ſtreet. 1665.

AN Epiſtle to the READER.

WHen I look upon my Country, and find it an Iſland, when I conſider its Interest, and obſerve it is Trade; when I ſurvey its honour and Safety, and conclude it is Shipping, and the Dominion of the Narrow Sea, according to that old advice of the Emperour Sigiſmund, when in England, to Henry the fifth, in theſe old Verſes made 233 years ago.

And to the King thus he ſaid, my Brother: When he perceived two Towns, Callice and Dover. Out of an old book, called the Engliſh policy in keeping the Sea. Written 230 years ago. Of all your Towns to chooſe, of one and other, To kéep the Sea, and ſoon to come over, To werre outwards, and your Reign to recover. Kéep theſe two Towns ſure: and your Majeſty, As your twain eyes kéep the Narrow See, For if this Sée be kept in time of werre, Who can here paſſe without danger or woe? Who may eſcape, who may miſchief differ? What Merchandy may foreby be ago, For néeds them muſt take trewes every foe. Flanders and Spain, and other truſt to m , Or Ellis hindred all by this Narrow Sea, For four things our Noble ſheweth to mee, King, Ship, and Swerd, and Power of the Sée.

When I reflect on former ages, and note the circumnavigators thus; (1 Magellano a Spaniard, 2 Sir Francis Drake, an Engliſhman 3 Sir Tho. Candiſh, an Engliſh man. 4 Obwer Noore, an Hollander) two of the four our Country men; And when I think of mine own time, and meet with one Prince in his bed ſick, another in the field Warlike, a third in Counſel troubled, a fourth in diſtreſſe ſubmitting, a fifth in his cradle rocked, a ſixt in a Kingdome weary of it; and our King only able, knowing, and careful to promote the Honor Commerce, and Naval Glory of his Kingdomes, as his Pleaſure, as well as his Intereſt. And when I adde to all theſe, our ſucceſſes in Edward the third, and fourths time, against the French. Our Victories in Qu. Elizabeths time againſt the Spaniards; not to mention more modern Conqueſts of others our Neighbours; I am pleaſed with an innocent thought, that there is nothing at this time defective to our compleatneſſe, ſave a Lecture of Navigation in Greſham-Colledge in London, anſwerable to that in the Contraction Houſe in Sivill, ſet up by Charles the fifth, who wiſely conſid ring the rawneſſe of the Sea-men, and the manifold Shipwracks they ſuſtained, in paſsing and repaſsing from Spain to the Weſt-Indies, took this courſe to remedy it: inſtead whereof Diſcoveries and Voyages give no little ſatisfaction; Particularly this plain Relation of Guinney, wherein I finde the Authour hath, 1 Allayed mens fears, in his Doſcription of the Country. 2 Directed their Courſes, in his Account of their Havens, Rivers, Winds, Seaſons, Caſtles, &c. 3 Inſtructed their Commerce, about their Traffique Commodities, to be carryed thither, and had there. 4 Prepared their mindes, about their living there in peace and warre. 5 Furniſhed their Experience, by ſeveral former Voyages thither. 6 Encouraged their Hopes with particular inſtances of great eſtates got there in a little time. 7 Guided their Fortunes, with the way how to be Rich there in four years; and truely made it appear why it is called The Golden Coaſt.

Where a man may gain an eſtate by a handfull of Beads, and his pocket full of Gold for an Old Hat; where a Cat is a Tenement, and a few Fox tailes a Mannor; where Gold is ſold for Iron, and Silver given for Braſſe and Pewter; The Place that coſt Portugal 10000 l. the Diſcovery; the Place whoſe Trade that Kingdom farmed out for 150000 l. a year, and ours let out by Letters Patents.

In a word, when I conſider what is Related in this Book, of Times past, and what is done at preſent, that of Saluſt comes in my minde,

Saepè audivi ego Quintum Maximum, Pub. Scipionem praeterea Civitatis noſtrae preclaros viros ſolitos ita dicere cum majorum Imagines intuerentur, vehementiſſimè animum ſibi ad virtutem accendi, Scilicet non ceram illam neque figuram tantam vim in ſe habere ſed memoriâ rerum geſtarum flammam eam egregiis viris in pectore creſcere, neque priùs ſedari, Quàm virtus eorum famam & gioriam adaequaverit.

I have often heard (ſaith he) how Q. Maximus, P. Scipio, and many other worthy men of our City, were wont to ſay, when they beheld the Images, and Pourtraicture of their Ancestors, that they were moſt vehemently inflamed unto vertue; not that the ſaid Pourtraicture or wax had any ſuch force at all in its ſelf, but that by remembring their worthy Acts, ſuch a flame was kindled in their noble breasts, as could never be quenched, untill ſuch time as their own valour had equalled the Fame and Glory of their Progenitors.

So ſay I, let us imitate our Predeceſſors,

Farewel.
THE Golden Coaſt, OR A DESCRIPTION OF GUINNEY.
The Situation of Guinney.

IT being very reaſonable that the Curioſity of the Subject, ſhould enlarge its ſelf as far as the Empire of the Soveraign, that our Skill ſhould keep pace with his Power; and what hee hath Conquered for our benefit, wee ſhould underſtand for our advantage: it is as reaſonably inferred, that our pens ſhould go as far as his Sword, and our diſcoveries for improvement, as far as his acquiſts for enjoyment: It is his care that wee may have power, its ours that wee have skill to traffique over the World, the world that is open to our Trade, and to our ſervice, wee being not now as of old, diviſi ab orbe Britanni, ſeparatiſts from the Univerſe, but commanding the commerce of all Nations; our Negotiation being not limited in a narrower compaſſe than the whole Earth, and our dealing knowing no bounds but thoſe of the world, Europe affording us its Commodities, America its Rarities, Aſia its Pleaſure, and Africa its Treaſures.

Our Sugars come from the Canary Iſles,Du Bartas le Col un porley. From Candy Currans, Maskadels and Oyles: From the Moluccoes Spices; Balſamum From Egypt: Odours from Arabia come. From India Gumms, rich Drugs, and Ivory. From Syria Mummie; Black, Red Ebony, From burning hus: from Peru Pearls and Gold, From Ruſhia Furrs, to keep the ri h from cold. From Florence Silks: from Spain Fruit, Saffron, Sacks: From Denmark Amber, Cordage, Furs and Flax, From France and Flanders, Linnen, Wood and Wine. From Holland Hopps: Horſe from the Banck of Rhine. From Tangier Beaſts: all Lands, as God diſtributes, To Englands Treaſure pay their early Tributes.

§. The World is divided into two parts, viz.

1 Unknown, or not yet fully diſcovered. 1 In the Southern Continent. 2 On the North of Africa and America. 2 Known.

The Known Anciently into Europe, Aſia, Africa, Lately into America.

Africa is partly by Nature, and partly by Art divided into ſix parts, 1 Barbary. 2 Egypt. 3 Num dia 4 Lybia. 5 Aethiopia Superiour. 6 Aethiopia Inferiour.

Guinney is part of that place they call terra Nigritarum, or the Land of Negroes, which is bounded on the Eaſt with Aethiopia Superiour, on the Weſt with the Atlantique, on the North with Lybia deſerta, on the South with the Aethiopick Ocean, and part of Aethiopia Inferiour. The People called Nigrita, give the Land its denomination; and the River Niger, that runs through there, gives them theirs; or rather indeed their colour, which they are ſo much in love with, that they uſe to paint the Devil white, according to this Stanza.

The Land of Negroes is not far from thence, Neerer extended to'th Atlantick Main, Wherein the Black Prince keeps his Reſidence, Attended with his Jeaty-coloured train. Who in their native beauty most delight, And in contempt do paint the Devil white.

§ This terra Nigritarum, is by that neceſſity that forceth mankinde to pitch upon their Meum and Tuum, to ſet apart their reſpective allotments for Society and Commerce, divided into 18. chief Kingdoms; the ambition of thoſe people being rather height than bredth, rather to be Chief of a little place with authority, than graſpe at much with uncertainty: thinking their little Scepters as bright, though not as big, and their Coronets as glorious though not as large as thoſe of greater Princes. Pride we ſay is the Sin of Youth, and Covetouſneſs, of Old age. The old Kings aimed at the vaſtneſs, the new ones only at the Honour of Empire.

Theſe eighteen Kingdomes are there,

1 Tombutum, on the further ſide of Sanaga, which riſing out of the Lake Guoga, runs under ground ſome miles, and loſing its name, runs thence under the Notion of Gir, little inferour to Nilus, for the length of its courſe, the variety of ſtrange creatures bred therein, or the diſtinction it makes in the face of this Country, the people on the one ſide of it being Black, and on the other Tawney, the ſoyl on the one ſide very barren, on the other fruitfull, whence it falls into the Atlantick, by two great out-lets. Exceeding plentiful is this place of Corn, Cattle, Milk, Butter; deſtitute of Salt, but what they buy of Foreign Merchants at exceſſive rates: well watred by the River Niger.

2 Metts, Eaſtward of Tombutum, on a branch of the River Niger in bredth three: hundred miles, abounding with Corn, Cattle, Cotton-wooll, together with moſt witty, civil, wealthy and induſtrious people, Homagers and Tributaries to the King of Tombutum.

3. Geneoa, betwixt Tombutum and Metts, on the Ocean, lying open without either Town or Caſtle, to the Traffick or Conqueſt of Barbary, or any other Coaſt, that will take the pains for that uncoyned Treaſure of Gold, that is left on the banks of Niger, upon its monthly over-flowings.

4. Gieber (Eaſtward of Gheneoa) the Countrey of Shepherds, where thoſe Mountains are whereof the Marriners ſay, a man may chuſe whether he will break his heart in going up, or his neck in coming down.

5. Gumbra bordering on the Atlantick, and affording good ſtore of Rice, the receptacle of uncuſtomed goods, a place of refreſhment to Merchants in their paſſage to the Indies, where they beſtow their ſtock until they are taken off by the next years Fleet.

6. Gialofi, between the Rivers Sanagh and Camb ca, where the people can leap upon a Horſe in full gallop, and ſtand in the Saddle when he runneth faſteſt; the King whereof Bemoin by Name, would have been a Chriſtian Anno 1489. had not Pedro de Roy, the Portugal General ſhamefully murthered him.

7. Ora-Antirota, a long tract of Sandy and barren ground, extended from Cape le Blunci to the River Cornugh where the Portugez in their Fortreſs Arquin commanded the Trade of Porto de Dio.

8. Gualata, an hundred miles off the Sea, beyond Ora-Antirota, full of Dates, Milk, and Pulſe.

9. Agudez, bordering on Targue one of the five Deſarts of Lybia, where mens Habitations are onely Bowers and their Trade grazing.

10. Cano on this ſide of the River Canagu full of Rice, Cittorns, Pomgranats and Cotton-wool, well watred and too well wooded, until the Portugez taught the Inhabitants to burn down their Wood,Pantarius. the fire whereof was ſo dreadful, that all the Inhabitants were forced twelve miles into the Sea; and the Aſhes thereof ſo much, that it enriched that barren Country, ſo farre, that it yeilded in ſome places ſixty, in ſome places ſeventy, and in ſome eighty fold.

11. Catena, on the Eaſt of Cano, affording onely Milk and Barley; and a people of great Noſes, and vaſt lips, ſo ſtubborn, that not one of them ever turned Chriſtian, ſo well governed, that the Common people have no doors to their Houſes, that being the priviledge of Nobles; and ſo civil to Women,Nub. Geog. ch. 6. (a ſecond England) that the little King himſelf, if he meets any of them in the ſtreets, giveth them the way.

12. Sanagu, on the other ſide of the River of that name, extended to the Atlantick-Ocean, as far as Caput Vinde, or Cape Vert, a rich and plentiful Country, that affordeth ſeveral Commodities for the ſeveral daies in the year.

13. Nubia, which hath on the Weſt Garga, on the North Egypt, on the Eaſt Nilus, which parteth it from Ethiopia Superiour, or the Habaſtine Empire, formerly Chriſtian, where the Nubian Geography was written, which gives ſo much light to ancient Cuſtomes, but ſince Mahumetan, for want of Miniſters to inſtruct them. It being reported by Alvarez the Writer of the Ethiopick Hiſtory, that when hee attended in Prester John's Court, there came Ambaſſadors out of Nubia, to entreat a ſupply of Preachers to teach their Nation, and to recover loſt Chriſtianity; but were irreligiouſly affronted in their negotiation, and rejected in their ſuit.

Beſides Mahumetaniſme, there is another poyſon in this Country,P.H. Corm. of which the tenth part of a grain will diſpatch a man in a quarter of an hour, and is ſold at ten Duckets an ounce; the Cuſtomes for which to the King, is as much as the price to the Merchants; But for this one ill Commodity, yeilding many good; as Corn, Sugar, Civet, Sanders, Ivory, and maintains a great trade with the Merchants of Caire and Aegypt, in the great City Dongula, that containeth twelve thouſand Families and not one Houſe.

14. Guoga, lyeth between Berneo and the Deſarts of Nubia, extended four ſquare ſix hundred miles, where a Slave ſelling Men for Horſes, 1420. got up to be a little King, though their Bowers rather than Houſes, being tyed together, and ſet on fire once a year, he is burned yearly out of his Territories.

15. Bornue a large Territorie, reaching five hundred miles in length, on the Weſt of Guangury Nader to the Aequator, where there is no property of Wives, or of Children, and no differences of Names, but onely from the Marks of their bodies; Which ſaith my Author, Though it may ſeem ſtrange unto this preſent Age, yet was the Cuſtome of our Saxon Anceſtors; whence have we elſe the Names of White, Brown, Black, Gray, Green, or thoſe of Long; Short, Low, Courſe, Criſp, and others, but from ſuch Originals? And yet for all this, this King is ſo wealthy, that all the furniture of his Houſe, all his Diſhes, Cups, Platters, which they eat or drink in; yea the very chains of his Dogs are of fine Gold.

16. Guang r lyeth North of Brenin, wealthy, and well peopled, ragged and meanly Villaged, doing homage to Bornum.

17. Benin directly Eaſtward of Guinney, whereof it is commonly eſteemed a Province, or Kingdome ſo great, that the King thereof is allowed ſix hundred Wives, with all which twice a year hee goeth out in great State, attended by his Gentle-men with their ſixty Wives a piece, and others, with no leſſe than twelve; The more the merrier, though the fewer the better cheer. Next to which place, is

18. Guinney.

GUinney I ſay, is a Sea-Coaſt-Countrey; extended from Sierra Leona (ſo denominated, ſay Geographers, from the Lyon-like roaring of the Waves, beating on that promontory) in the Tenth degree of longitude to the borders of Benin in the thirty, though it is obſerved to my hand that the Portugez who firſt diſcovered this Coaſt, by Drego's directions, 1425. comprehended under this word, the whole Sea-coaſt of Affrica, from Cape-Blance, and the Country of Ora-Antirota, to Angola, and Congo incluſively in the lower Aethiopia, ſeated under the Tropick, though the Arabick Nubian Geographer tranſlated into Latine by the Moronites, of otherwiſe, a rare and precious eſteem, hath loſt himſelf in the diſtances of theſe, partly by miſtaking his meridian, and ſetting it to ſome, South ward, and not by his gueſſe way, of meaſuring by Inches. I muſt confeſs it is very hot in this place, but the natural heat of the place is much abated, by the cool gales of their trade-windes that cuſtomarily blow there, and the equal length of night and daies, the one ſcorching not ſo much with its Heat, as the other refreſheth with its Coolneſs.

The Ayre of Guinney.

THe Ayre of the place is by moſt Engliſh-men judged unhealthful,The Ayre. neither is the Ayre of the place we live in, judged leſs by their People, there being no other inconvenience in removing from our colder Climates to their torrid one, than there is in coming from their torrid one to ours more cold. A prudent preparation of mens bodies, accommodating the inconveniences of both; A bottle of Aqua-vitae, or, a quart of Brandy, being a Soveraign Remedy in the cure, as recruiting that heat within, that is weakened by a more extream one without. There are two Guinneas, the higher from Senega to Congo, and the lower containing Congo and Angola. The higher, which we are now moſt concerned in, although it alwaies complains of a warmth, beyond that of our Countrey; yet hath a difference, at times of the year, and ſo the people of it account ſome months in the Summer, and ſome in the Winter; two ſeaſons that are there diſtinguiſhed only by the weather, for both in Summer and Winter the Trees are green, ſome of them having leaves twice a year: In the Summer their Fields are moſt bare, in Winter loaded with Corn; that time being their winter when the Sun is moſt directly over their heads, which is in April, May, and June; for then it Raineth, then it is very foul Weather, Thunder and Lightning (which the Portugez call Travados, and the Natives Agom bre ton) following the Sun, and being moſt uſual when it is at the higheſt.

2 Indeed ſome People bring a bad report of this Land, as if the Inhabitants were ſubject to many Diſeaſes, I'le aſſure you they make themſelves little reckoning of any of their maladies: they are troubled with Clapdollars, Botches, Worms, Pains in the Head, and Burning Feavours, but theſe are the favours of their Women, to whom they are inexpreſſably addicted, whoſe foul corruption and ſores they paſs by as if they ailed nothing, ſuffering their Wounds to ſwell and putrifie, without any means of remedy applyed thereunto; for they neither have, nor uſe any Phyſick among them, to eaſe them in their ſickneſs, nor Surgery to heal their Wounds, but let their Infirmities have their own courſe; whence I conclude, that if the Art and Skill of Europe did a while dwell in thoſe parts, it would abate their malignancy, and correct their unhealthineſs; for now of late, I muſt needs ſay for the Pox and Clap-dollars, they uſe much Salſa Parillia, which the Hollanders have furniſhed them with, and they ſeeth it in Salt-water and drink.

For the Pain in the Head, they make a Pap of green Leaves, and annoint the place affected.

If they have any Swelling about their Body which doth not break, they cut two or three ſlaſhes therein with a knife, and ſo give the wound a means to work, heal up, and grow together again; thats the reaſon their fleſh commonly riſeth in knobs: Nay, they have of late found out the way of Letting Blood, but it's a barbarous one, for they only make a hole in their bodies with a Knife, to let their blood come out.

People ſo inhumane to themſelves, cannot be kinde to others; as they will not help themſelves, ſo they will not comfort one another; but if one be amiſs, they ſhun him as it were the Plague, and ſpurn the ſick man like a Dog, and not once help him with a drop of Oyl or Water, though he hath never ſo much need, ſuffering him to dye, as he lived, like a Beaſt, and ſtarve with hunger, rather than periſh with weakneſs.

For all this they live to be Old, though they cannot reckon their own Age, nor tell how many years they have lived; and to ſpeak the truth, cannot endure to think of their decay, growing no leſs deformed and deſpicable when paſſed Thirty, than they do amiable and lovely until they arrive to it; their Skin then hanging looſe like old Hogs Bladders, and ill-favouredly wrinkled like Spaniſh Leather.

There is a kinde of long Worm, that ariſeth in the Legs, Arms, and Thighs of ſome men that come hither, either before, after, or in their voyages, and but of ſome; many having gone ſeveral Voyages thither, and never knew what they meant, Kiſſing goeth by favour: About the Caſtle Aleria, they are very rife, but Twenty five miles lower, very rare, and the very Inhabitants of St. Thome, the unwholeſomeſt place in the world, an Hoſpital, rather than a Plantation, underſtand as little what theſe Worms are, as we do; they have worms ſure in their brains that are afraid of them, for there is no more in it than this,

There are certain ſhowers called Alvais, that fall at certain times of the year, wherein if you are caught, you muſt run home and waſh your cloaths, and making a great ſtraw fire, lye along, and hold the ſoles of your Feet againſt that fire for an hour; doing this there is no harm done, but neglecting it, your cloaths will rot off of your backs: Theſe Worms will grow in your Legs or Thighs, as if your veins ſwelled, with a ſhaking and a Feavour, and ſuch pains, as that you can neither ſit nor lye ſometimes, and ſometimes ſo, as that you are not ſenſible of them.

The Worm appeareth in ſome like a ſpot or a fleabiting, in ſome like a little Blain, and in ſome with a little Swelling, ſo that you may often ſee the Worm between the Skin and the Fleſh: There is no remedy againſt it, till you ſee it ſeeking to break out, and hold out it's noſe, which you muſt immediately lay hold of, leſt he creep in again; They are moſt dangerous in the Cods, but the way is,

1 To be quiet, eſpecially when they are in the Legs, and not go much, and to keep the place warm where they begin to appear: when they come forth ſo far that a man may lay hold of them, they muſt be gently drawn until they ſtop, and then you muſt let them reſt, applying ſome exciting and provoking plaiſter, till they come forth again, and as much as comes out muſt be wound upon a ſtick or pin, or bound cloſe to the orifice with a thred, that it creepeth not in again; if it breaks or draws back, it poyſoneth or feſtereth the part; if it comes out whole, it draweth with it the corruption of the whole body, and makes a man mettle proof againſt the Malignancy of Guinney; ſo that I know not whether it bee their Diſeaſe or Phyſick, ſomething to heal, or ſomething to puniſh: This is the common apprehenſion of theſe Worms, yet have I known men, that let them have their courſe, waſhing the place with Salt water, and though they returned into the Leg, ſaw them conſumed to nothing with eaſe and ſafety.

But when all comes to all, this is certain, that keep but freſh water of your own, or dig the water of that Country ſome ſix fathomes deep, under the ſalt-water, as they do in Ormus, and you are as ſound as a Bell.

It's true indeed, that upon ſome ſhowers of Rain, there is ſuch a ſtinck ſometimes, as forceth ſtrangers to go ſome Leagues off into the Sea; but it is as true that there is ſuch a ſtinck in London, that there was a man I knewupon the Exchange, who could never ſtay in Town above an hour, inſomuch that he rid Twelve miles every day he came to the Exchange, and tied his Horſe to a Pillar there, took a turn or two, grew ſick, and immediately took his Horſe and rid Poſt out, and this at leaſt three times a week: There are ſome people that Swound at the ſmell of a Roſe, and others that dye at the very ſight of a Violet: The very Dung of ſome Cats is Musk in England, Fancy governeth the world; and I think there is little here but Opinion, by that time I lived there but three quarters of a year, the moſt noyſome of theſe ſmells pleaſed me; Uſe they ſay makes the Maſter, and Cuſtome is another Nature.

Not to ſpend our breath in the Air of this place; There is nothing more obſervable in it, but that there are a kinde of trade winds, as they call them here, that keep Ships ſometimes a quarter of a year from theſe Coaſts, even after they are come within ſight of them.

The Earth, the Tillage, and the Native Commodities of Guinney.

WHatever the Air is, I am ſure the Earth is rich and Plentiful; it is called the Coaſt of Gold, and the Rivers Niger and Sienga, carrying down that Mettal, as the Thames doth ſand, of which you will ſee more in the Chapter of Merchandize.

No man claimeth any Land to himſelf; the King keeping all the Woods, Fields, and Land in his hands; ſo that they neither Sow nor Plant therein, but by his conſent and licence, which when they have obtained, and have a place permitted them to Sow their Corn in; then they go with theit Slaves and burn their Woods, Trees, Roots, and Shrubs to the ground; after this they take their long Chopping-knives, which they call Coddon, and ſcrape up the ground about a foot deep, and let it lye eight or ten daies.

When they have all Tilled their Ground, every man takes his ſeed upon their Sunday, that is as you ſhall hear anon, our Tueſday, the better day the better deed; and goeth to the Kings houſe, whom they ſerve firſt, and then (after a Treatment of a ſod Goat, with Palm Wine, to which they fit and ſing about the burnt Roots, in the honour of their Fetiſſo or God, that their Corn might grow well and proſperouſly upon the Earth) to their Neighbours, whoſe allotments they Husband by turns, until the whole Countrey is ſowed, where the Corn ſoon groweth up, lying not long in the Ground, and ſprouts as high as a Mans head, at which time they make a woodden Houſe in the middle of the Field, covered with Reeds, wherein their Children watch the Corn, and drive away the Birds, wherewith they are much cumbred.

Their Ground being rank, the Corn is very weedy, yet they weed it not, but let it grow up weeds and all.

Their Corn is of two ſorts, 1 Milly. 2 Mais.

1 Milly, and that hath long Ears, and is a ſeed of colour like Hemp-ſeed, and long like Canary-ſeed, having no ſhells, but growing in a little husk, which is very white within. This Grain groweth ripe in three months, and when cut down, it lyeth a month in the Fields to dry, and then the canes are cut off and bound in Sheaves (the ſtraw being reſerved for Thatch) making wholſome and ſweet Bread; when they have paid the Kings Rent, every one according to his ability, and furniſhed the poor for Gold.

2 Mais, called by the Spaniſh and Portugez, Turkiſh Wheat; and brought out of Weſt India into St. Thomes Iſland, and from St. Thomes hither by the Portugez, is mixed with Milly, and makes excellent Meſſellan, though it is very good alone; and theſe Negroes make Bread with it, that will laſt three or four months; their Children alſo eating it inſtead of Bread, which they ſet a while upon the fire, and then cruſh the Corn out of the Husk, which breeds the Scurvy and the Itch.

But give me Mais, that makes the Wine called Chicha (wherewith the Negroes are dead drunk once a week) by being laid to ſoke in water till it is ſoft; and indeed it groweth in a moiſt and ſalty ground, as if it were a drunken Grain, bearing twice a year, and being not ſowed like other Corn, but thruſt into the Ground: It looks like Reeds in a Marſh ground, and every Reed hath his Ears whereon the Corn groweth, and notwithſtanding that they are heavy Ears, as big as your Cucumbers, yet every Reed hath ſeven or eight Ears upon it, inſomuch that I have told five hundred and fifty Grains upon one Reed, which came of one Grain alone.

Here is alſo a Tree called Palm, whoſe Bark they bore, and draw out of it moſt curious ſweet Wine, which mingled with a little water, is the beſt drink in the world, and excellent Oyl, wherewith they make their bodies ſhine, beſides this neceſſary uſe of it.

In the tempeſtuous and rainy time of April, May, and June, the rain being ſometimes ſo hot, as if it were warm water, the poor ſilly people are ſimply afraid of it, and do what they can that not a drop of it fall on their bodies, and if any happen to do ſo, they ſhiver and ſhake, as if they had a Feavour, until they have found the way to Annoint their bodies with this Oyl, ſo that a Negroe looks like a Spaniſh-leather pair of Boots well liquoured.

Here groweth Bunnana, or the Indian Fig, not on the Branches, as other Fruit, but on the body of the Tree, covered with leaves a fathome long, and three ſpans broad, which leaves are uſed in their houſes for paper, the Tree indeed being nothing elſe but a few leaves patched together; It is as high as a man, on the top the leaves begin to ſpring out, and riſe up an end, and as the young leaves come forth, the old ones wither away and begin to dry, until the Tree comes to his growth, and the fruit to perfection. The leaves in the middle have a very thick vein, which divideth it in two; and in the middle of the leaves, out of the heart of the Tree there groweth a flower as big as an Oſtridge-Egge, of a ruſſet colour, which in time waxeth long like the ſtalk of a Colewort, whereon the Figs grow cloſe one by another; when they are ſtill in their husks, they are not much unlike great Beans, and ſo grow more and more until they be a ſpan long, and four thumbs broad, like a Cucumber; They are cut off before they are ripe, and are in that ſort hanged up in bunches, which oftentimes are as much as a man can carry.

CHAP. II. The Wares to be carried to Guinney.

FIrſt we bring them great ſtore of ſlight Linnen-Cloath, whereof there is very much ſpent in thoſe Countries, for they apparel themſelves therewith, and it is the chiefeſt thing they uſe for that purpoſe; beſides this, we carry them great ſtore of Baſons, Barbers Baſons, Baſons to drink in, Platters of Copper, flat Baſons, great broad Copper-pans, at the leaſt two fathomes about, and ſmall Poſnets without edges: The ſmall Baſons they uſe to put Oyl in, wherewith they annoint themſelves, and the greater ſort of them they ſet in the Graves of the Dead, and uſe them to carry diverſe things in; The Barbers Baſons they uſe to waſh themſelves in, and when they cut their hair; Platters they uſe to lay over things to cover them withall, to keep duſt and filth from falling into their things; The great broad Pans are by them uſed to kill Goats or Hogs in, and to make them clean therein, inſtead of a Tub; The Poſnets they uſe to dreſs their Meat in, which ſerveth them to very good purpoſe, they will not have them with ſtales, as we uſe them here with us, and many ſuch like Baſons of Copper which our Ships bring thither in great quantities; and therewith fill the Countries ſo full, that by means thereof, they are ſold as good cheap to the Negroes, as they are bought in Amſterdam; And although there are ſo many of theſe Baſons brought thither, and no Ware that weareth ſo much as Linnen, yet you ſee but few old Copper things there, and therefore you muſt think that there is a great ſtore of People inhabiting further within the Land, which uſe ſo great quantity of ſuch things.

We carry thither great ſtore of Kettles, which they uſe to fetch water in, out of their Pits and Valleys; and ſome red Copper-pots Tinned within, wherein they uſe to put Water inſtead of a barrel of Beer to drink, as alſo Earthen pots, out of which they uſe to drink: Iron is uſed by them to make their Weapons; as Aſſagaies, Cutting-Knives, Poniards, &c. The Aſſagaies and Poniards they uſe for the Warrs, the Cutting-Knives to Till and cut up the Ground, inſtead of Spades, and ſome to cut Wood withall, and to uſe about their buildings, for they have no other Tools; They alſo buy great ſtore of Red, Blew, Yellow, and Green Rupiniſh Cloath, which they uſe for Girdles about their middles, to hang their Knives, Purſes, Poniards, and ſuch like things at: They uſe white Spaniſh Serges to wear upon their bodies, inſtead of Cloaks; Rings of Copper and Braſs which they wear about their arms, and feet for a great pride; they alſo uſe Tin things, as rings about their arms, but not many: they uſe many Knives which we make with us in Holland, and call them Dock Meſſen: They alſo uſe great ſtore of Venice Beads, of all kindes of colours, but they deſire ſome colours more than others, which they break in four or five peeces, and then grinde them upon a ſtone, as our Children grinde Cherry-ſtones, and then put them upon ſtrings made of the Bark of Trees, ten or twelve together, and therewith traffick much; thoſe ground Corals they wear about their Necks, hands, and Feet: They alſo uſe round Beads, and ſpecially great round Counters, which they hang and plait among their hair; and let them hang over their ears: Pins they uſe to make Fiſh-hooks, Horſe-tails they uſe when they dance, and alſo when they ſit ſtill, to keep the Flies from their bodies; Looking-glaſſes, and ſmall Copper Milk-pans, with many ſuch like things they likewiſe make uſe of. But the chiefeſt Wares that are uttered there, and moſt among them, is Linnen-Cloath, Braſs and Copper things, Baſons, Kettles, Knives, and Corals.

At firſt wee uſed many times to deceive them, not only in the meaſuring of Linnen, but in delivering them broken and patch'd Baſons, and peeced Kettles for their mony; rotten Cloath, through which they might have ſifted Beans; Knives that were ſo Ruſty, that they could hardly, without breaking, pull them out of their Sheaths, with ſuch like Wares; but now by uſe and experience, they have attained to ſuch skill in our Wares, that they are almoſt able to ſurpaſs us therein.

For firſt, when they buy any Linnen-Cloath, they look if it be not too ſlight and thin, and whether it bee white and broad, for they are very curious to buy white and broad Linnen, and reſpect not the ſtrength ſo much as the breadth of it; for they uſe to hang the Linnen about their Bodies, eſpecially the Women, which deſire to have it hang down from underneath their Breaſts, to their Knees.

Secondly, They take Woollen-Cloath and hold it up againſt the light, to ſee if it bee thin: They draw the Knives out of the Sheaths, to ſee if they be not Ruſty; they look upon the Baſons one by one, to ſee if they have no holes in them, or whether they be broken, and for the leaſt hole that they ſpy in them, they lay them away, and deſire to have others for them; and alſo if they be but a little foul or greaſie, they will have none of them; and for quantity and quality, they make trial of all other Wares, as curiouſly as is done in Europe.

CHAP. III. The firſt Voyage from England to Guinney.

Auguſt 12. 1553. There ſailed from Ports-mouth two goodly Ships, the Primroſe, and the Lyon, with a pinnace called the Moon and ſevenſcore luſty men, under two expert Pilots and politick Captains; to one whereof the King of Portugal had committed the cuſtody of Guinney againſt the French; happy was that man that could go with them; in ſeventeen daies they arrived at the Coaſt of Madera, an Iſland that ſtandeth thirty two degrees diſtant from the Aequinoctial line, and ſeventy leagues from the Iſle of Tenariffe, Northweſtward, and Southweſtward from Hercules Pillars, called Madera, quaſi Materia, by Anacham that firſt diſcovered it, from the abundance of Trees in the Coaſt, where they had abundance of Pears, Apples, Plums, wilde Dates, Peaches, Mellons, Batalas, Oranges, Lemmons, Pomgranates, Citrons, Figs, ſixteen Sugar-Houſes, and incomparable Wines, wherewith they ſtored their Ships: Here they met with a Man of War, that was ordered to obſtruct all Trade on thoſe Coaſt, but eſpecially to ſecure the Caſtle Mina; hence there happening a difference between the two Captains, ſo that the Marriners caſt off one of them, they ſailed forward till they came to the Canaries called in old time, the Fortunate Iſlands, twelve Leagues long, and as many broad; called ſo, not from the two Dogs wherewith Juba planted it, but from the Canes wherewith it is repleniſhed.

Here they ſaw how Sugar is made:

1 The Fruits brings forth a Bud called Plants.

2 That is laid along in the furrows, ſo as a ſluce may water it, being covered with Earth.

3 This Root ſpringeth into Canes.

4 It groweth two years, whatever the French Geographer Thevet ſuggeſted to the contrary.

5 Then are they cut cloſe to the ground, the leaves being lopped off, and the Canes bound into bundles like Faggots.

6 Being carried to the Sugar-Houſe, called Ingenio; theſe ſticks are ground in a Mill, whence the juice of them is conveighed to a great veſſel for that purpoſe.

7 There it is boyled thick, then its put into a Furnace of Earthen pots, of the mold of a Sugar-loaf.

8 Then it is carried into another Houſe, called a Purging-Houſe, where it is placed to Purge the blackneſs, with a certain clay that is laid thereon.

9 Of the remainder in the Cauldron is made a ſecond ſort, called Eſcumas; and of the purging liquor that droppeth from the White-Sugar, is made a third ſort, and the remainder is called Panela, or Netas, the refuſe of all the purging is called Remial, or Malaſſes, and then of another is made Refinado.

When this firſt-fruit is in this ſort gathered, called Planta, then the Cane-field where it grew, is burned over with Sugar ſtraws to the ſtumps, of the firſt Canes, and being Husbanded, Watred, and Trimmed, at the end of other two years it yieldeth the ſecond fruit called Zoca, and the third called Tertia Zoca, and the fourth called Quarta Zoca, and ſo orderly the reſt, till age cauſeth the old Canes to be planted again.

Here they went to Civitas Palmarum, as Batutas, Mellons, Pears, Apples, Oranges, Lemmons, Pomgranats, Figs, and Peaches, eſpecially the Plantano fruits, which groweth like Cucumbers on a tree, which is nothing but folded leaves, black and delicate as any conſerve, twenty ſeven degrees from Aequator. Thence they continued their courſe to St. Nicholas, where they victualled themſelves with freſh Mear, wilde Goats, Sheep, Hens, Ducks, great Partridges, &c.

From Canary they followed on their courſe, taking the deſart Iſlands here and there in their way, becauſe they would not come to Guinney when it was too hot.

The 19th. day at twelve a clock, wee had ſight of the Iſle of Palmes and Teneriffa: The Iſle of Palme riſeth round, and lyeth South eaſt and North weſt, and the North weſt part is loweſt. In the South is a round hill over the Head land, and another round hill above that in the Land. There are between the South eaſt part of the Iſle of Madera, and the North weſt part of the Iſle of Palme, ſeven and fifty Leagues; The Iſle of Palme lyeth in eight and twenty degrees, and their courſe from Madera to the Iſle of Palme, was South and South by Weſt, ſo that they had fight of Teneriffa. The South eaſt part of the Iſle of Palme, and the North eaſt part of Teneriffa, lye South eaſt and North weſt, and between them are twenty Leagues. Teneriffa and the weſt part of Porteventura, ſtand in ſeven and twenty degrees and a half. Gomera is a fair Iſland, but very ragged, and lyeth Weſt, South weſt of Teneriffa; and whoſoever will come between thoſe two Iſlands, muſt come South and by Eaſt; and in the fouth part of Gomera is a Town, and a good Rode in the ſaid part of the Iſland; and it ſtandeth in ſeven and twenty degrees, and three terces. Teneriffa is a High Land, with a great high Pike like a Sugar-loaf, and upon the ſaid Pike is Snow throughout all the whole year, and by reaſon of that Pike, it may be known above all other Iſlands, and there they were becalmed the twentieth day of November, from ſix of the clock in the morning, untill four in the afternoon.

The two and twentieth day of November, under the Tropick of Cancer, the Sun goeth down Weſt and by South, upon the Coaſt of Barbary, five and twenty Leagues by North Cape-Blank; at three Leagues off the Main, there are fifteen fathomes, and good ſhelly Ground, and ſand among, and no ſtreams, and two ſmall Iſlands ſtanding in two and twenty degrees and a terce.

From Gomera to Cape de las Barbas, is an hundred Leagues; and their courſe was South and by Eaſt: The ſaid Cape ſtandeth in two and twenty and a half, and all that Coaſt is flat ſixteen or ſeventeen fathome deep: Seven or eight Leagues off from the River Del Oro to Cape de las Barbas, there uſe many to trade for Fiſhing, during the month of November, and all that Coaſt is very low Lands. Alſo they went from Cape de las Barbas, South, South weſt, and South Weſt and by South, till they brought themſelves in twenty degrees and a half, reckoning themſelves ſeven Leagues off, and there were the leaſt ſholes of Cape-Blank.

Then they went South till they brought themſelves in thirteen degrees, reckoning themſelves five and twenty Leagues off. And in fifteen degrees they did rear their Croſſiers, and they might have reared them ſooner if they had looked for them. They are not right a croſs in the month of November, by reaſon that the nights are ſhort there, nevertheleſs they had the ſight of them the twenty nineth day of the ſaid month at night.

The firſt of December, being in thirteen degrees, they ſet their courſe South and by Eaſt, untill the fourth day of December, at twelve of the clock the ſame day, then they were in nine degrees, and a terce, reckoning themſelves thirty Leagues off the River called Rio Grande, being Weſt, South weſt of them; the which ſholes be thirty Leagues long.

The fourth of December they began to ſet their courſe South Eaſt, they being in ſix degrees and a half.

The nineth of December they ſet their courſe Eaſt, South Eaſt; the fourteenth day of the ſaid month, they ſet their courſe Eaſt, they being in five degrees and a half, reckoning themſelves thirty ſix Leagues from the Coaſt of Guinney.

The nineteenth of the ſaid month, they ſet their courſe Eaſt and by North, reckoning themſelves ſeventeen Leagues diſtant from Cape Menſurado, the ſaid Cape being Eaſt, North Eaſt off them, and the River of Seſto being Eaſt.

The one and twentieth day of the ſaid month, they fell with Cape Menſurado to the South Eaſt, about two Leagues off; this Cape may be eaſily known, by reaſon the riſing of it is like a Porpoſe-head; alſo toward the South eaſt there are three Trees, whereof the Eaſtermoſt tree is the higheſt, and the middlemoſt is like a high ſtack, and the Southermoſt is like unto a ginet; and upon the main are four or five high Hills, riſing one after another, like round Hommocks or Hillocks; and the South eaſt of the three trees Brandiernwiſe, and all the Coaſt along is white ſand, the ſaid Cape ſtandeth within a little, in ſix degrees.

The two and twentieth of December, they came to the River of Seſto, and remained there untill the nine and twentieth day of the ſaid month. Here they thought it beſt to ſend before them the Pinnace, to the River Dulce, called Rio Dulce, that they might have the beginning of the Market, before the coming of the John Evangelist.

At the River of Seſto they had a Tun of Grains; this River ſtandeth in ſix degrees lacking a terce: From the River Seſto to Rio Dulce, is five and twenty Leagues; Rio Dulce ſtandeth in five degrees and a half; the River of Seſto is eaſie to be known, by reaſon there is a ledge of Rocks on the South eaſt part of the rode; and at the entring into the Haven are five or ſix Trees that bear no Leaves; this is a good Harbour, but very narrow at the entrance into the River; there is alſo a Rock in the Havens mouth, right as you enter, and all that Coaſt between Cape de Monte, and Cape de las Palmas lyeth South Eaſt and by Eaſt, North Weſt and by Weſt, being three Leagues off the ſhore; and you ſhall have in ſome places Rocks two Leagues off, and between the River Seſte, and Cape de las Palmas.

Between the River of Sesto, and the River Dulce, are five and twenty Leagues, and the High Land that is between them both, is called Catreado, being eight Leagues from the River of Seſto; and to the South Eaſtward of it, is a place called Shawgro, and another called Shyaw, or Shavo, where you may get freſh water: Off this Shyaw lyeth a ledge of Rocks; and to the South eaſtward lyeth a Head land called Crotre: between Catreado and Crotre, are nine or ten Leagues: To the South eaſtward of it, is a Harbour called St. Vincent; right over againſt St. Vincent is a Rock under the water, two Leagues and a half off the ſhore: To the South eaſtward of that Rock, you ſhall ſee an Iſland about three or fourſcore Leagues off; this Iſland is not paſt a League off the ſhore: To the Eaſt, South Eaſt of this Iſland, is a Rock that lyeth above the water, and by that Rock goeth in the River Dulce, which you ſhall know by the ſaid River and Rock: the North weſt ſide of the Haven is flat Sand, and the South eaſt ſide thereof is like an Iſland, and a bare plat without any trees, and ſo is it not in any other place.

In the rode, you ſhall ride in thirteen or fourteen fathomes, good Oare and Sand being the marks of the rode, to bring the Iſland and the North eaſt Land together, and there they Anchored the laſt of December.

The third of January they came from the River Dulce.

Note that Cape de las Palmas, is a fair High Land, but ſome Low places thereof by the water ſide, look like red cliffs, with white ſtatues like High waies, and a Cable length a peece, and this is the Eaſt part of the Cape. This Cape is the Southermoſt part in all the Coaſt of Guinney, and ſtandeth in four degrees and a terce.

The Coaſt from Cape de las Palmas, to Cape Trepointes, or de Tres Puntos, is fair and clear, without Rock or other danger.

Twenty and five Leagues from Cape de las Palmas, the Land is higher than in any place, untill you come to Cape Trepointes; and about ten Leagues before you come to Cape Trepointes, the Land riſeth ſtill higher and higher, until you do come to Cape Trepointes, alſo before you come to the ſaid Cape, after other five Leagues to the North weſt part of it, there is certain broken ground with two great Rocks, and within them in the bight of a bay, is a Caſtle called Arra, pertaining to the King of Portugal, you ſhall know it by the ſaid Rocks that lye off it, for there is none ſuch from Cape de las Palmas, to Cape Trepointes: This Coaſt lyeth Eaſt and by North, Weſt and by South. From Cape de las Palmas, to the ſaid Caſtle, is fourſcore & fifteen Leagues; & the Coaſt lyeth from the ſaid Caſtle, to the Weſtermoſt point of Trepointes, South Eaſt and by South, North Weſt and by North. Alſo the Weſtermoſt point of Trepointes, is a low Land, lying half a mile out in the Sea; and upon the innermoſt neck to the land-ward, is a tuff of trees, and there they arrived the eleventh day of January.

The twelf day of January they came to a town called Samma, or Samua, being eight Leagues from Cape Trepointes, towards Eaſt, North Eaſt. Between Cape Trepointes, and the town of Samua, is a great ledge of Rocks, a great way out in the Sea; they continued four daies at that Town, and the Captain thereof would needs have a pledge a ſhore: But when they received the pledge they kept him ſtill, and would traffick no more, but ſhot off their Ordnance at us, they have two or three peeces of Ordnance and no more.

The ſixteenth day of the ſaid month, they made reckoning to come to a place called Cape Corea, where Captain Don John dwelleth, whoſe men entertained them friendly: This Cape Corea is four Leagues Eaſtward off the Caſtle of Mina, otherwiſe called La Mina, or Caſtello de Mina, where they arrived the eighteenth day of the month; here they made Sale of all their Cloath, ſaving two or three Packs.

The twenty ſixth day of the ſame month they weighed Anchor, and departed from thence to the Trinity, which was ſeven Leagues Eaſtward off them, where ſhe ſold her Wares; Then they of the Trinity willed us to go Eaſtward off that eight or nine Leagues, to ſell part of their Wares, in a place called Perecow, and another place called Perecow Grande, being the Eaſtermoſt place of both theſe, which you ſhall know by a great round Hill near unto it, named Monte Rodondo, lying Weſtward from it, and by the water ſide are many high Palm-trees: From hence did they ſet forth homeward, the thirteenth day of February, and plyed along till they came within ſeven or eight Leagues to Cape Trepointes. About eight of the clock, the fifteenth day afternoon, they did caſt about to Seaward, and beware of the Currants, for they will deceive you ſore. Whoſoever ſhall come from the Coaſt of Mina homeward, let him be ſure to make his way good Weſt, untill he reckon himſelf as far as Cape de las Palmas, where the Currant ſetteth alwayes to the Eaſtward. And within twenty Leagues Eaſtward off Cape de las Palmas, is a River called De los Potos, where you may have freſh water and ballaſt enough, and plenty of Ivory or Elephants teeth: This River ſtandeth in four degrees, and almoſt two terces. And when you reckon your ſelf as far off as Cape de las Palmas, being in a degree, or a degree and a half, you may go Weſt, and Weſt by North, untill you come in three degrees; and then you may go Weſt, North Weſt, and North Weſt and by Weſt, untill you come in five degrees, and then North Weſt. And in ſix degrees they met Northerly winds, and great ruffling of tides; and as they could judge, the Currants went to the North, North weſt. Furthermore, between Cape de Monte and Cape Verde, go great Currants which deceive many men.

The twenty ſecond day of April, they were in eight degrees and two terces, and ſo they came to the North weſt, having the wind at North eaſt, and Eaſt, North eaſt, and ſometimes at Eaſt, untill they were at eighteen degrees, and a terce, which was on Mayday: And ſo from eighteen and two terces, they had the wind at Eaſt, and Eaſt North eaſt, and ſometimes at Eaſt South eaſt, and then they reckoned the Iſland of Cape Verde, Eaſt South eaſt of them, they judging themſelves to be forty eight Leagues off, and in twenty and one and twenty degrees, they had the wind more Eaſterly to the Southward than before. And ſo they rann to the North weſt, and the North North weſt, and ſometimes North and by Weſt and North, untill they came into one and thirty degrees, where they reckoned themſelves a hundred and fourſcore Leagues South weſt and by South, of the Iſland De los Flores, and there they met with the wind at South South eaſt, and ſet their courſe North eaſt.

In twenty three degrees, they had the wind at the South and South weſt, and then they ſet their courſe North North eaſt, and ſo they came to forty degrees, and then they ſet their courſe North eaſt, the wind being South eaſt, and having the Iſle De Flores eaſt of them, and ſeventeen Leagues off.

In the one and forty degrees, they met with the wind at North eaſt, and ſo they ran Northweſtward, then they met with the wind Weſt North weſt, and at the Weſt within ſix Leagues, running toward the North weſt, and then they caſt about, and lay North eaſt, untill they came in forty two degrees, where they ſet their courſe Eaſt North eaſt, judging the Iſle of Coruo South and by Weſt of them, and ſix and thirty Leagues diſtant from them.

A remembrance, that the one and twentieth day of May they Communed with John Raſe, and he thought it beſt to go North eaſt, and judged himſelf twenty five Leagues Eaſtward to the Iſle De Flores, and in thirty nine degrees and a half.

Note, that on the fourth day of September, under nine degrees, they loſt the ſight of the North Star.

Note alſo, that in forty five degrees, the Compaſs is varied eight degrees to the Weſt.

Item, in forty degrees the Compaſs did vary fifteen degrees in the whole.

Iem, in thirty degrees and a half, the Compaſs varied five degrees to the Weſt.

Be it alſo in memory, that two or three daies before they came to Cape de Tres Puntas, the Pinnace went alongſt the ſhore, thinking to ſell ſome of their Wares, and ſo they came to Anchor three or four Leagues Weſt and by South off the Cape de Tres Puntas, where they left the Trinity.

Then their Pinnace came a board with all their men, the Pinnace alſo took in more Wares; they told moreover, that they would go to a place where the Primroſe was, and received much Gold at the firſt Voyage to theſe parts, and told furthermore, that it was a good place; but fearing a Brigantine that was then upon the Coaſt, they did weigh and follow them, and left the Trinity about four Leagues off from them, and there they rode againſt that Town four daies; ſo that one of the Company, by his own deſire, and aſſent of ſome of the Commiſſioners that were in the Pinnace, went a ſhore to the Town, and there ſome others went to traffick from them, being three miles off trafficking at another Town: The Town is called Samma, or Samua, for Samma, and Samma terra, are the names of the two firſt Towns, where they did traffick for Gold, to the North eaſt of Cape de Tres Puntas.

Hitherto continueth the courſe of the Voyage, as it was deſcribed by the ſaid Pilot.

Now therefore it will be requiſite to ſpeak ſomething of the Country and People, and of ſuch things as are brought from thence.

They brought from thence at this Voyage, four hundred pound weight and odd of Gold, of two and twenty Carrats, and one grain in fineneſs; alſo ſix and thirty Buts of Grains, and about two hundred and fifty Elephants Teeth of all quantities; of theſe ſome were meaſured, and were nine ſpans in length, as they were crooked; ſome of them were as big as a mans thigh above the knee, and weighed about fourſcore and ten pound weight a peece. They ſay that ſome have been ſeen of an hundred twenty five pound weight a peece. Others there were, which they call the Teeth of Calves, of one or two or three years, whereof ſome were a foot and a half, ſome two foot, and ſome three or more, according to the age of the Beaſt. Theſe great Teeth, or Tusks, grow in the upper jaw downward, and not in the nether jaw upward, wherein the Painters and Arras-workers are deceived. At this Voyage was brought from Guinney, the head of an Elephant, of ſuch huge bigneſs, that only the Bones or Cranew thereof, beſides the nether-jaw and great tusks, weighed above two hundred weight, and was as much as could be well lifted from the ground, inſomuch that conſidering alſo herewith, the weight of two ſuch great teeth, the nether jaw with the leſs teeth, the tongue, the great hanging ears, the big and long ſnout or trunk, with all the fleſh, brains, and skin, with all other parts belonging to the whole head, it would weigh little leſs than five hundred weight. This Head divers have ſeen, in the houſe of the worthy Merchant, Sir Andrew Judde, and that not only with bodily eyes, but much more with the eyes of minde and ſpirit, conſidering by the work, the cunning and wiſdome of the Workmaſter, without which conſideration, the ſight of ſuch ſtrange and wonderful things, may rather ſeem Curioſities, than profitable Contemplations.

The Elephant (which ſome call Oliphant) is the biggeſt of all four footed Beaſt, his fore legs are longer than his hinder, he hath ancles in the lower part of his hinder legs, and five toes on his feet undivided; his ſnout or trunk is ſo long, and in ſuch form, that it is to him inſtead of a hand, for he neither eateth nor drinketh, but by bringing his trunk to his mouth; therewith he helpeth up his Maſter or keeper, therewith hee overthroweth trees: Beſide his two great tusks, he hath on every ſide of his mouth four teeth, wherewith he eateth and grindeth his meat; either of theſe teeth are almoſt a ſpan in length, as they grow along in the jaw, and are about two inches in height, and almoſt as much in thickneſs. The tusks of the Male are greater than the tusks of the Female; his tongue is very little, and ſo far in his mouth, that it cannot be ſeen: Of all Beaſts, they are moſt gentle and tractable, for by many ſundry waies they are taught, and do underſtand, inſomuch that they learn to do due honour to a King, and are of quick ſenſe and ſharpneſs of wit. When the Male hath once ſeaſoned the Female, he never after toucheth her. The Male Elephant liveth two hundred years, or at the leaſt one hundred and twenty, the Female almoſt as long, but the flower of their age is but threeſcore years, as ſome write; they cannot ſuffer winter or cold, they love rivers, and will often go to them up to the ſnout, wherewith they blow and ſnuff, and play in the water, but ſwim they cannot, for the weight of their bodies. Plinie and Soline ſay, that they uſe no adultery: If they happen to meet a man in the wilderneſs, being out of the way, gently they will go before him, and bring him into the plain way; Joyned in battle, they have no ſmall reſpect to them that be wounded, for they bring them that are hurt or weary into the middle of the army to bee defended, they are made tame by drinking the juice of Barbery. They have continual war againſt Dragons, which deſire their blood, becauſe it is very cold; and therefore the Dragon lying in wait, as the Elephant paſſeth by, windeth his Tail (being of exceeding length) about the hinder legs of the Elephant, and ſo ſtaying him, thruſteth his Head into his Trunk, and exhauſteth his breath, or elſe biteth him in the ear, whereunto hee cannot reach with his Trunk, and when the Elephant waxeth faint, he falleth down on the Serpent; being now full of blood, and with the poiſe of his body breaketh him, ſo that his blood, with the blood of the Elephant runneth out of him mingled together, which being cold, is congealed into that ſubſtance which the Apothecaries call Sanguis Draconis, (that is) Dragons blood, otherwiſe called Cinnabaris, although there be another kinde of Cinnabaris, commonly called Cinnoper, or Vermillion, which the Painters uſe in certain colours.

They are alſo of three kindes, as of the Marſhes, the Plains, and the Mountains, no leſs differing in conditions. Philoſtratus writeth, that as much as the Elephant of Lybia in bigneſs, paſſeth the Horſe of Nyſea, ſo much do the Elephants of India, exceed them of Lybia; for the Elephants of India, ſome have been ſeen of the height of nine Cubits; the other do ſo greatly fear theſe, that they dare not abide the ſight of them. Of the Indian Elephants, only the Male have Tusks, but of them of Ethiopia and Lybia, both of them have Tusks: They are of diverſe heights, as of twelve, thirteen, and fourteen Dodrants, every Dodrant being a meaſure of nine Inches. Some write that an Elephant is bigger than three wilde Oxen or Buffs; they of India are black, or of the colour of a Mouſe, but they of Ethiopia, or Guinney, are brown; the hide or skin of them all is very hard, and without hair or briſtles; their ears are two Dodrants broad, and their eyes very little.

Of other properties and conditions of the Elephant, as of their marvellous docilities, of their fight and uſe in the Wars, of their generation and chaſtity, when they were firſt ſeen in the Theatres and Triumphs of the Romans, how they are taken and made tame, and when they caſt their tusks, of the uſe of the ſame in Medicines, whoſo deſireth to know, let him read Pliny in the eight book of his Natural Hiſtory. He alſo writeth in his twelfth book, that in old time they made many goodly works of Ivory, or Elephants teeth; as Tables, Treſſes, Poſts of houſes, Rails, Latteſſes for windows, Images of their Gods, and divers other things of Ivory, both coloured and uncoloured, and intermixed with ſundry kindes of precious woods, as at this day are made certain Chairs, Lutes, and Virginals. They had ſuch plenty thereof in old times, that Joſephus writeth, that one of the Gates of Hieruſalem was called Porta Eburnea, (that is) the Ivory Gate: The whiteneſs thereof was ſo much eſteemed, that it was thought to repreſent the natural fairneſs of a mans skin, inſomuch that ſuch as went about to ſet forth (or rather corrupt) natural beauty, with colours and painting, were reproved by this proverb, Ebur atramento Candefacere, (that is) to make Ivory white with Ink. The Poets alſo deſcribing the fair necks of beautiful Virgins, call them Eburnea Colla, (that is) Ivory necks; and to have ſaid thus much of Ivory and Elephants it may ſuffice.

Now therefore to ſpeak ſomewhat of the People, their manners, and manner of living, with another brief deſcription of Affrica alſo: It is to bee underſtood, that the People which now inhabit the regions of the Coaſt of Guinney, and the middle parts of Affrica, as Lybia the inner, and Nubia, with diverſe other great and large regions about the ſame, were in old time called Aethiopes, and Nigritae, which we now call Moors, Moorens, or Negroes, a People of beaſtly living, without a God, Law, Religion, or Commonwealth; and ſo ſcorched and vexed with the heat of the Sun, that in many places they curſe it when it riſeth. Of the Regions and People about the River Lybia (called Lybia interiour) Gemma Phryſius writeth thus.

Lybia interiour is very large and deſolate, in the which are many borrible Wilderneſſes and Mountains, repleniſhed with diverſe kindes of monſtrous Beaſts and Serpents.

Firſt from Mauritania, or Barbary, towards the South, is Getulia, a rough and ſavage Region, whoſe inhabitants are wilde and wandring people. After theſe follow the people called Melanogetuli and Pharuſit, which wander in the wilderneſs, carrying with them great gourds of water. The Aethiopians, called Nigritae, occupy a great part of Affrica, and are extended to the Weſt Ocean: Southward alſo they reach to the River Nigritis, whoſe nature agreeth with the River of Nilus, for as much as it is increaſed and diminiſhed at the ſame time, and bringeth forth like Beaſts, as the Crocodile: By reaſon whereof, it may be thought that this is the ſame River which the Portugals call Senega, for this River is alſo of the ſame nature. It is furthermore, marvellous and very ſtrange, that is ſaid of this River; and that is, that on the one ſide thereof, the Inhabitants are of high ſtature and Black, and on the other ſide of brown or tawny colour, and low ſtature; which thing alſo the Travellers in the Voyage confirm to be true.

There are alſo other People of Lybia, called Garamautes, whoſe Women are Common, for they contract no Matrimony, neither have reſpect to Chaſtity. After theſe are nations of the people called Pyrei, Sathio daphnitae, Odrangi, Mimaces, Lynxamatae, Dolopes, Aganginae, Leuci Aethiopes, Xilicei Aethiopes, Galcei Aethiopes, and Nubi: Theſe have the ſame ſituation in Ptolome, that they now give to the Kingdome of Nubia. Here are certain Chriſtians under the dominion of the great Emperour of Aethiopia, called Preſter John: From theſe towards the Weſt, is a great Nation of People, called Aphricerones, whoſe Region (as far as may bee gathered by conjecture) is the ſame that is now called Regnum Orguene, confining upon the Eaſt part of Guinney; from hence Weſtward, and ſomewhat towards the North, are the Kingdomes of Gambra and Budomel, not far from the River of Senega. And from hence toward the inland Regions, and along by the Sea Coaſt, are the Regions of Ginota, or Guinney, which we commonly call Ginnee: In the Weſt ſide of theſe Regions towards the Ocean, is the Cape or Point, called Cabo Verde, or Caput Viride (that is) the Green Cape, to which the Portuguls firſt direct their courſe when they ſail to America, or the Land of Braſile. Then departing from hence, they turn to the right hand toward the quarter of the wind called Garbino, which is between the Weſt and the South. But to ſpeak ſomewhat more of Aethiopia; although there are many Nations of People ſo named, yet is Aethiopia chiefly divided into two parts, whereof the one is called Aethiopia under Aegypt, a great and rich Region; to this pertaineth the Iſland Meroe, embraced round about with the ſtreams of Nilus. In this Iſland Women reigned in old time; Joſephus writeth, that it was ſometime called Sabea, and that the Queen of Saba came from thence to Hieruſalem, to hear the wiſdome of Solomon. From hence towards the Eaſt reigneth the ſaid Chriſtian Emperour Preſter John, whom ſome call Papa Johanner, and others ſay that he is called Pean Juan, (that is) great John, whoſe Empire reacheth far beyond Nilus, and is extended to the Coaſts of the Red-Sea, and Indian-Sea: The middle of the Region is almoſt in ſixty ſix degrees of longitude, and twelve degrees of latitude. About this Region Inhabits the People called Clodi, Riſophagi, Babylonii, Axiunitae, Molili, and Nolibae: After theſe is the Region called Troglodytyca, whoſe Inhabitants dwell in Caves and Dens, for theſe are their Houſes, and the fleſh of Serpents their Meat, as writeth Pliny, and Diodorus Siculus; they have no ſpeech, but rather a grinning and chattering. There are alſo People without Heads, called Blemines, having their eyes and mouth in their breaſt: Likewiſe Strucogaphi, and naked Gauphaſantes. Satyrs alſo, which have nothing of men but only ſhape. Moreover Oripei great Hunters; Mennones alſo, and the Region of Smyrnophora, which bringeth forth Myrrhe. After theſe is the Region of Azaniah, in the which many Elephants are found. A great part of the other Regions of Affrica, that are beyond the Aequinoctial line, are now aſcribed to the Kingdome of Melinde, whoſe Inhabitants are accuſtomed to traffick with the Nation of Arabia, and their King is joyned in friendſhip with the King of Portugal, and payeth Tribute to Preſter John.

The other Aethiope, called Aethiopia interiour, (that is) the Inner Aethiope, is not yet known for the greatneſs thereof, but only by the Sea-Coaſts; yet is it deſcribed in this manner.

Firſt, from the Aequinoctial towards the South, is a great Region of Aethiopians, which bringeth forth white Elephants, Tygers, and the Beaſt called Rhinocerotes: Alſo a region that bringeth forth plenty of Cynnamon, lying between the branches of Nilus: Alſo the Kingdome of Habech, or Habaſia; a region of Chriſtian men, lying both on this ſide and beyond Nilus: Here are alſo the Aethiopians called Itchthiophagi, (that is) ſuch as live only by Fiſh, and were ſometimes ſubdued by the Wars of great Alexander: Furthermore, the Aethiopians called Rhapſii, and Anthropophagi, that are accuſtomed to eat Mans fleſh, Inhabit the regions near unto the Mountains called Montes Lunae, (that is) the Mountains of the Moon: Gazaria is under the Tropick of Capricern: After this followeth the rout of Affricks, the Cape of Buena Speranza, or Caput bonae spei, (that is) the Cape of good hope, by the which they ſail from Lisbon to Calecut: But by what names the Capes and Gulfs are called, for as much as they are in every Globe and Card, it were here ſuperfluous to rehearſe them.

Some write that Affrica was ſo named by the Graecians, becauſe it is without cold; for the Greek letter Alpha, or A, ſignifieth privation, void, or without; and Phrice ſignifieth cold; for indeed, although inſtead of winter they have a cloudy and tempeſtuous ſeaſon, yet is it not cold, but alſo ſmoothering hot, with hot ſhowers of rain alſo; and ſomewhere ſuch ſcorching winds, that what by one means and other, they ſeem at certain times to live as it were in furnaces, and in manner already half way in Purgatory or Hell. Gemma Phriſius writeth, that in certain parts of Affrica, as in Atlas the greater, the Air in the night ſeaſon is ſeen ſhining with many ſtrange fires and flames, riſing in manner as high as the Moon; and that in the Elements are ſometime heard as it were, ſometimes the ſound of Pipes, Trumpets, and Drums; which noiſe perhaps, may be cauſed by the vehement, and ſundry motions of ſuch fiery exhalations in the Air; as we ſee the like in many experiences wrought by Fire, Air, and Wind; the hollowneſs alſo, and diverſe reflections alſo, and breakings of the Clouds, may be great cauſe hereof, beſides the vehement cold of the middle region of the Air, whereby the ſaid fiery exhalations aſcending thither, are ſuddenly ſtricken back with great force; for men, common and dayly experience teacheth us, by the whiſſing of a burning Torch, what noiſe Fire maketh in the Air, and much where it ſtriveth when it is incloſed with Air, as appeareth in Guns, and as the like is ſeen in only Air incloſed, as in Organ-Pipes, and ſuch other inſtruments that go by wind: For wind (as ſay the Philoſophers) is none other then Air vehemently moved; as we ſee in a pair of Bellows, and ſuch other.

Some men of good credit that were in this Voyage to Guinney, affirm earneſtly, that in the night ſeaſon, they felt a ſenſible heat to come from the beams of the Moon; the which thing, though it be ſtrange and inſenſible to us that inhabit cold regions, yet doth it ſtand with good reaſon that it ſo may be, for as much as the nature of Stars and Planets (as writeth Pliny) conſiſteth of Fire, and containeth in it a ſpirit of life, which cannot be without Heat.

And that the Moon giveth Heat upon the Earth, the Prophet David ſeemeth to confirm, in his 121 Pſa. where ſpeaking of ſuch men as are defended from evils by Gods protection, hee ſaith thus, Per diem Sol non exurat te, nec Luna per noctem; that is to ſay, In the day the Sun ſhall not burn thee, nor the Moon by night.

They ſay furthermore, that in certain places of the Sea, they ſaw certain ſtreams of water, which they call ſpouts, falling out of the Air into the Sea, and that ſome of theſe are as big as the great Pillars of Churches, inſomuch that ſometimes they fall into Ships, and put them in great danger of drowning: Some feign, that theſe ſhould bee the Cataracts of Heaven, which were all opened at Noah's Flood; But I think them rather to bee ſuch fluxions and eruptions, as Ariſtotle in his book De Mundo ſaith, do chance in the Sea; for ſpeaking of ſuch ſtrange things as are often ſeen in the Sea, hee writeth thus; Oftentimes alſo even in the Sea are ſeen evaporations of Fire, and ſuch eruptions and breaking forth of Springs, that the mouths of Rivers are opened: Whirle-pools, and fluxions are cauſed of ſuch other vehement motions, not only in the midſt of the Sea, but alſo in Creeks and Streights; At certain times alſo, a great quantity of water is lifted up, and carried about with the Moon, &c. By which words of Ariſtotle it doth appear, that ſuch waters bee lifted up in one place, at one time, and do ſuddenly fall down in another place, at another time. And hereunto perhaps pertaineth it, that Richard Chanceller related, that hee heard Sebaſtion Cabot report, that about the Coaſts of Braſile, or Rio de Platu, his Ship, or Pinnace, was ſuddenly lifted from the Sea, and caſt upon Land. The which thing, and ſuch other like wonderful and ſtrange works of nature, while we conſider, and call to remembrance the narrowneſs of mans underſtanding and knowledge, in compariſon of her mighty power, wee can but ceaſe to marvel and confeſs with Pliny, that nothing is to her impoſſible; the leaſt part of whoſe power is not yet known to men.

Many things more the Travellers obſerved in this Voyage, worthy to be noted, whereof I thought good to put ſome in memory, that the Reader may as well take pleaſure in the variety of things, as knowledge of the Hiſtory. Among other things therefore, touching the manners and nature of the People, this may ſeem ſtrange, that their Princes and Noble Men uſe to pounce and raſe their skins, with pretty knots in diverſe forms, as it were branched Damask, thinking that to bee a decent ornament; and albeit they go in manner almoſt naked, yet are many of them, and eſpecially their women, in manner laden with Collars, Bracelets, Hoops, and Chains, either of Gold, Copper, or Ivory; their Ivory Bracelets are made of one whole peece, of the biggeſt part of the tooth, turned & ſomewhat carved, with a hole in the midſt, wherein they put their hands to wear it on their arms: Some have on every one eight, & as many on their legs, wherewith ſome of them are ſo galled, that although they are in manner made lame thereby, yet will they by no means leave them off: Some alſo wear on their legs great Shackles of fine Copper, which they think to bee no leſs comely; they wear alſo Collars, Bracelets, Garlands, and Girdles, of certain blew Stones, like Beads; likewiſe ſome of their women wear on their bare arms, certain fore-ſleeves, made of the Plate of beaten Gold; On their fingers alſo they wear Rings, made of Gold wires, with a knot or wreath, like unto that which children make in a Ring of a Ruſh: Among other things that our men bought of them for exchange of their Wares, were certain Dogs-Chains, and Collars.

They are very wary people in their bargaining, and will not loſe one ſpark of Gold of any value; they uſe weights and meaſures, and are very circumſpect in occupying the ſame; they that ſhall have to do with them muſt uſe them gently, for they will not traffick or bring in any Wares, if they be ill uſed. At the firſt Voyage that our Engliſh men had into theſe parts, it ſo chanced, that at their departure from the firſt place, where they did Traffick, one of them either ſtole away a Musk-Cat, or took her away by force, not miſtruſting that that ſhould have hindred their bargaining in another place, whither they intended to go; but for all the haſte that they could make with full ſails, the fame of their miſuſage ſo prevented them, that the people of that place alſo, offended thereby, would bring in no Wares; inſomuch that they were inforced either to reſtore the Cat, or pay for her at their price, before they could Traffick there.

Their Houſes are made of four poſts or trees, and covered with boughs.

Their common feeding is of Roots, and ſuch Fiſhes as they take, whereof they have great plenty.

There are alſo ſuch flying Fiſhes, as are ſeen in the Sea of the Weſt Indies; our Engliſh men ſalted of their Fiſh, hoping to provide ſtore thereof, but they would not take ſalt, and muſt therefore bee eaten forthwith as ſome ſay: Howbeit others affirm, that if they be ſalted immediately after they are taken, they will laſt uncorrupted ten or twelve daies. But this is more ſtrange, that part of ſuch Fleſh as they carried with them out of England, which putrified there, became ſweet again, at their return to the clime of temperate Regions.

They uſe alſo a ſtrange making of Bread, in this manner.

They grinde between two ſtones, as much Corn as they think may ſuffice their family; and when they have thus brought it to flower, they put thereto a certain quantity of water, and make thereof very thin dough, which they ſtick upon ſome poſts of their Houſes, where it is baked by the heat of the Sun; ſo that when the Maſter of the Houſe, or any of his Family will eat thereof, they take it down and eat it.

They have very fair Wheat, the ear whereof is two handfulls in length, and as big as a great Bulruſh, and almoſt four inches about, where it is biggeſt; the ſtem or ſtraw ſeemeth to bee almoſt as big, as the little finger of a mans hand, or little leſs. The grains of their Wheat are as big as our Peaſon, round alſo and very white, and ſomewhat ſhining, like Pearls that have loſt their colour: Almoſt all the ſubſtance of them turneth into flower, and maketh little bran or none: I told in one ear, two hundred and threeſcore grains. The ear is incloſed in three Blades, longer than it ſelf, and of two inches broad a peece. And by this fruitfulneſs, the Sun ſeemeth partly to recompence ſuch griefs and moleſtations, as they otherwiſe receive by the fervent heat thereof. It is doubtleſs a worthy contemplation, to conſider the contrary effects of the Sun; or rather the contrary paſſions of ſuch things as receive the influence of his beams, either to their hurt or benefit. Their drink is either water, or the juice that droppeth from the cut branches of the barren Date-trees, called Palmitos; for either they hang great Gourds at the ſame branches every evening, and let them hang ſo all night, or elſe they ſet them on the ground under the trees, that the drops may fall therein: They ſay that this kinde of drink, is in taſte much like unto Whey, but ſomewhat ſweeter and more pleaſant: They cut the branches every evening, becauſe they are ſealed up in the day, by the heat of the Sun; they have alſo great Beans, as big as Cheſs nuts, and very hard, with a ſhell inſtead of a Husk.

At their return, the Keels of their Ships were marvellouſly over grown with certain ſhells, of two inches length and more, as thick as they could ſtand, and ſo big, that a man might put his finger in their mouth; out of which ſome think are generated the Fouls, wee call Barnacles.

Among other things that chanced to them in this Voyage, this is to bee obſerved, that whereas they ſailed thither in ſeven weeks, they could not return in twenty; the reaſon whereof is this, that about the Coaſt Cape Virde, the wind is ever at the Eaſt, by reaſon whereof they are enforced to ſail farre out of their courſe, into the main Ocean, to finde the wind at the Weſt, to bring them home, going ſo far, that they had the Sun North of them at noon.

CHAP. IV. Another Voyage to Guinney out of a Captains Relation.

WIth much ado did wee get out of the Hope the firſt of November, ten daies after wee were in one and thirty degrees of Latitude; the fifteenth of November, wee got ſight of that bleak place, called Porto Sonto, and Madera; the twentieth being becalmed under Madera, wee deſcried the Pyke of Teneriffa, the Iſle of Palma and Gomera, twelve Leagues Eaſtward Palma, and eight Weſtward from Teneriffa, and the twenty third, notwithſtanding the croſs-winds, wee doubled the Iſle Ferro by going ſomething Eaſtward, the wind continuing there for the moſt part North Eaſt; and South Eaſt. The thirtieth after a great Fog, wee found our ſelves on the Coaſt of Barbary, which is about ſixteen Leagues to the Eaſtward of the River Del Oro, where we were refreſhed by ſeveral Fiſhing Carnets wee met with, being under the Tropick of Cancer. About twelve a clock, December the eighteenth, wee were thwart Cape Blank, and about the two and twentieth, over againſt the Cape Verde. The ſix and twentieth wee were on the Coaſt of Guinney, to whoſe ſhore wee haled, but diſcovering ſome Rocks, wee went a little Eaſtward (it is a low Land and full of high trees) and kept along the ſhore, being gone too far, ſo that what with the wind, and what with the Currant running alwaies againſt us, wee went to ſhore there for freſh water and trade; where the firſt day they ſlighted our Commodities, and over-valued their own, but the ſecond, they made ſigns for the Diago, and offered reaſonable penny worths, eſpecially when wee ſhewed them how our Cats could catch Mice, wherewith they are infinitely troubled; and this was at St. Vincent, under the fourth degree, where the womens breaſts are ſo big, that they lay them by them; thence we ſailed among the ill-favoured Rocks and ſhelves, untill Negroes meeting us with grain, and inviting us to Land, by a fire on the Coaſt: wee doubled the Point Das Palmas, under the fourth degree; between which place and De Seſto, is the greateſt ſtore of grain. Much ado we had to get into the River, while the Negroes on ſhore ſhewed, us ſtore of Elephants teeth, good freſh Water, and Goats, which we had in abundance from the two Towns that were of both ſides of us; the people whereof eſteemed little of any thing wee brought, ſaving Manilivis and Morgarites, for which wee had ſome ſmall Elephants teeth, ten one day, and thirteen another; after wee had ſworn by the water of the Sea wee would not hurt them: Thence wee ſailed by ſome Cliffs Weſtward, the ſixteenth of February we fell with the Cape des Punctos, a very High Land, opening in three bays, or Capes, with Rocks before them, where the winds are croſs, and the Currant turbulent, but the people were civil, and ſummoned by ſound of Drum to Trade with us (notwithſtanding we were threatned from the Caſtle of Mina) where wee took in five men to learn our Language, and diſcover to us that Country.

At St. John, in a great deep bay, we ſold Baſons, Cloath, Knives, Horſe-tails, Horns, Caps, Daggers, Hats, &c. giving a reward to the Negroes that firſt boarded us, and ſhewed us their meaſure and weight, and how much they required of the one for the other, for their bargaining there is by way of weights, which they bring, for ſo much which wee bring, which they ſtand upon very ſtifly, till you threaten to depart; when they have bought what they think enough, they make a general out cry, as a ſign to every man to bee gone.

The ſixteenth of March wee went a ſhore to Don Devis, and there came out a Boat with good ſtore of Gold, and having driven off the matter along time, and having brought the meaſure to a nail leſs than three ells, and their weight to an angel and twenty grains, then they parted their Cloath amongſt them upon the ſhore, which they hid every one in the Wood, untill they came to us again, beſtowing ſome three fathomes, with four Baſons upon the Portugez of the Caſtle of Mina for their good will: As wee went along the ſhore, the Towns were thicker and longer, and the Hills blacker; here wee miſſed many Creeks and Havens, where they waved their Flags to us, and wee preſented their Captain with Baſons and Cloath, who made us a ſign by the Sun, that the Merchants would be there within two hours, bringing us a Bottle and a Hen, and requiring Hoſtage from us; after which they offered us the civility of building up a Caſtle on their ground; and took off moſt of our Stuffs and Frizes, only a Portugal brigandine watched us all along that ſhore, while wee took every day ten or eleven ounces of Gold, for Belts, Thimbles, &c. At laſt wee returned homeward, obſerving the North Eaſt wind that bloweth off the ſhore about two a clock at night, untill eight a clock in the morning, and that all the reſt of the day and night it comes out of the South Weſt; and as for the Tide and Currant upon the ſhore, it goeth continually with the wind: Within twelve daies wee got off the Capes Des Palmas, De Monte, Weſtward of Seſto and De Verde, untill wee were under the Tropicks, diſperſed by a Turnade, and twenty daies after wee found our ſelves in the heighth of the Azores; and forty daies after that, wee fell upon the Coaſt of Ireland Southerly, furniſhing our ſelves with freſh water and ſheep, untill wee arrived in Plymouth, where wee bleſſed God for our good Voyage.

CHAP. V. A third Voyage to Guinney.

THe fifteenth of October wee ſet ſail from Plymouth, and the firſt of December wee fell with the Iſle of Porto Santo, and next day with Mera: The nineth wee fell thwart the Iſle of Palme, and Cape-Blank; and the three and twentieth wee found our ſelves in the heighth of Serra Leona, where the Currant falling like a Cataract, detained us ten daies, ſo that not before the ſixth of January, could wee diſcry the Coaſt of Guinney, known by three Hills, which lay North eaſt and by Eaſt from us, and two great Trees between the Hills: Here we kept about to fetch the River De Seſtos, which we found we had over-ſhot, where lay a Portugez rowing as faſt as hee could to defend Mina; along this River, and that called De St. Andre, wee found abundance of Elephants-Teeth, till wee came to the Red Cliffs, where wee made a league with the French, and thence hovered about Tres Puntos, obliging the Negroes with Margarites, Baſons, and other little matters; creeping along the ſhore by Mina, Shama, Hunta, &c. and the other bayes, ſelling three yards of Cloath for an Angel Ducket all along, which the Negroes liked ſo well, that they diſcovered to us all the deſigns of the Portugez upon us, ſhooting ſome peeces, being the ſign between us; even the King of Abaan himſelf, upon a little Preſent ſent him, engaging to command all the Gold in his Country to the ſhore, in ſo much that in two months time, wee had two hundred twenty three pounds weight of Gold: When being frighted from our watering place, wee had a device to uſe ſalt water, untill wee came thwart Cape das Palmas, from whence in four daies wee fell in with the high Cape Menſurado; the twenty eighth of Aprill wee fell in ſight of two Iſlands, ſix Leagues off the Head land of Serra Leona, regarding the Currants which ſet North North weſt; the twelfth of May wee were in the height of Cape Verde; the eighteenth we were directly under the Tropick of Cancer; the firſt of June wee were in the height of St. Michael; and the twenty third bearing in with the Lizard, wee arrived ſafely at Foy.

CHAP. VI. A fourth Voyage to Guinney.

THe laſt of December wee ſet out of the Sound of Plymouth, and met with two hitches of Dantzick with enemies Goods, and fearing wee ſhould looſe our Voyage if wee returned to England, went directly to Spain and ſold them, only wee took a Hogſhead of Aqua-vitae, ten Tuns of Wine, fix Cakes of Rozzen, and ſome Cheſs-nuts for our own ſervice; the nineteenth of December wee had fight of the Grand Canary, to which road, avoiding that foul one of Tenariffe, wee went; the twenty eighth wee had ſight of Riodel Oro, almoſt under the Tropick of Cancer, the height of Cape-Blank; the ſix of January wee had a board the Cape de Verd, having refreſhed our ſelves at a bay Northward off it, where the French trade for Gaunards (little Birds ſo called) Elephants-Teeth, Musk, and Hides: The ſixteenth of March wee fell with the Coaſt of Guinney, five Leagues to the Weſtward of Cape de Monte, beſides a River called Rio das Palmas, whence we ſet into the Rivers De Seſto, & De Roſtos, along the Coaſt whereof we had Gold and Elephants teeth enough for our Wares, eſpecially at Perinnen, Laguon, Wiumba, Perecow, and Eagrand, Villages ſome four Leagues diſtance from one another, and at Mowr, Cormantine, and Shamma, where the Inhabitants would Trade with us but three daies in the week, that is, Munday, Wedneſday, and Friday; here wee got fourſcore pound weight of Gold, where being ſtayed by a Currant, below which wee had run unawares; we were belated on the Coaſt, where they that ſtay till May hardly eſcape ſickneſs, eſpecially near St. Thome, or the Iſle of Salt, therefore as ſoon as wee could, wee returned along St. Nicholas, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, St. Anthony, which four Iſles lye the one from the other North Weſt and by Weſt, South Eaſt and by Eaſt, where wee diſcharged the Tyger in the Lee ward leaking paſſed all remedy, whence wee came in ten daies within ſight of two Iſles of the Azores, St. Mary, and St. Michael; and twelve daies after, North Weſt and by Weſt of the Cape Fineſter, within one hundred and twenty Leagues of England, whether after a great ſtorm Weſt, South Weſt, and Weſt, and the loſs of our ſail, wee halled with an old Bonnet in the Foreyard, untill wee came to the Iſle of Weight; bringing home with us 171 Elephants Teeth, weighing 1780 pounds, and 22 Buts full of Grain.

Rules for Fortifications and Settlement at the Coaſt of Guinney, obſerved by all that trade thither. 1 THat the Ground ſo ſerve, that it may bee by the Sea, or a River on one ſide at leaſt, ſo that we may Lade and Unlade before it. 2 That the Earth bee a good Mold. 3 That wee have good Timber at hand. 4 That we have plentiful and wholeſome proviſion. 5 That our Fortifications bee naturally ſtrong. 6 That wee have freſh Water at hand. 7 That wee have good correſpondence with the Negroes by little gifts, and a noble appearance, to defend or build our Fortification. 8 That the King of Haban bee moved about the building of ſome forts, ſo as that hee may not underſtand our meaning. 9 That the Country be ſearched by Negroes of our own breeding, along the Coaſt, and in the Inland part of it. 10 That upon the fall of the Coaſt, about Cape-Blank, wee beware how wee borrow in twelve, ten fathome, for within two or three caſts of lead, we may bee on ground. 11 That the Negroes be not truſted but upon great advantage.
At a meeting of the Adventurers for Guinney.

IT was reſolved, 1 That Captain Peirce ſhould bee ſent to Deptford, to Mr. Hickman, for his Letters to Peter Williams, to go about Rigging one of the Royal Ships, and to Gillingham for mony. 2 That every Partner ſhould ſupply 29 l. 6. s. for every 100. l. value, towards the new Rigging. 3 That every of the Partners bring 50. l. for furniture. 4 That the Voyage bee finiſhed before April, and the dangerous time of the year in Guinney. 5 That they call in at Sancta Cruz, and Tenariffe, (where by the way though its as hot in Winter as in Summer, yet there is Snow ſeen on the Pyke all the year) for proviſions. 6 That there bee a Committee of Seamen, for regulating the Voyage. 7 That the Committee keep a book of their proceedings. 8 That all miſdemeanours bee tried by twelve men. 9 That there be the names of Gentlemen privately ſet down, to ſucceed the Captains if they dye. 10 That there bee an Inventory of all Tacklings, Munition, and Furniture drawn, before they ſet out. 11 That they paſs not to the Northeaſtward of the ſixteenth degree, but keep their courſe by Cape de Buena Speranza. 12 That they appoint places to meet, in caſe they are ſeparated by a tempeſt, leaving tokens in the reſpective promontories. 13 That you deal honeſtly and courteouſly with the Ethnicks, ſo as to procure their friendſhip and good liking, eſpecially you muſt take care of your word and promiſe. 14 That no man ſell any thing about him but in the publick ſtock. 15 That a Table of Orders bee ſet up in each Ship. 16 That ſome Negroes bee brought over to ſettle a further trade.

The Merchandize, Wares, and Commodities, that are moſt deſired in Guinney. 1 OLd Hats, and Caps. 2 Cats to catch their Mice, for there it was Whittington was made an Alderman by a Cat. 3 Salt. 4 Swords, Daggers, Knives, Frize-Mantles and Gowns, Clothes, Red Caps, Axe-heads, Hammers, ſhort peeces of Iron, little Belts, Sheep-skin Gloves, Leather-Bags. 5 Manils of Braſs or Iron. 6 Baſons, moſt Lattin or Flanders, and Ewers. 7 Courſe tin Pots. 8 Beads, Corals. 9 Courſe Red Cloath, Linnen, and Kerſie. 10 Lavers and great Dutch Kettles with handles. 12 Graved Braſen Veſſels. 13 Horſe-tails. 14 Great Pins. 15 Patch'd Sheets, and courſe French Coverings. 16 Sleight Flanders Casket, and Cheſts of Roan, of a low price.
A note of the heights of the moſt eminent places in the South Sea. IMprimis, Cape Cantin ſtandeth in latitude, thirty two degrees, four minutes. Item, The Iſland Mogador ſtandeth one and thirty degrees, thirty minutes. Item, Cape de Ore, thirty degrees, twenty minutes. Item, Iſlands Canaries, twenty eight degrees. Item, Cape Badacor, twenty ſeven degrees, thirty minutes. Item, Cape Verde, fourteen degrees, thirty minutes. Item, Serra Leona, eight degrees. Item, Iſland called Ilha Verde, ſeven degrees, thirty minutes.
Soundings on the Coaſt of Guinney.

IMprimis, Going unto Serra Leona, having the Cape Eaſt North Eaſt off you, ſeven Leagues off, you have twenty two fathomes brown Sand, and halling in, you ſhall finde very fair ſhoalding; you may bee bold to borrow on the Southermoſt ſhore; but beware the Rock that lyeth in the fair way, a good bredth off the ſhore, two miles off the South Bay.

Item, You may borrow hard by the Rock, for on the Northern part of it, there lyeth a Long Sand, which runneth South Eaſt, and North Weſt, diſtant from the South ſhore two Leagues, and you will Anchor in fourteen or fifteen fathomes hard by the ſhore.

Item, Sailing to Ilha Verde, ten Leagues to the Southward of Serra Leona, the courſe is South South Weſt, and North North Eaſt, and there are betwixt them nine or ten fathomes, and if you Anchor in that place, you have five or ſix fathomes hard by the ſhore.

Item, Being bound Southward, you muſt go Weſt South Weſt off, for fear of the ſhoald that is called Madera Bomba, the which ſhoald is to the Southwards of the Iſland.

Item, You muſt alwaies remember the great Currant, that ſetteth along the Coaſt of Guinney, to the Eaſtward.

CHAP. VII. The Merchandize and commodities of Guinney.

BEfore the Pertugez came thither, they had very little or no Merchandize to traffick withall, only they had plenty of whatever is needfull for mans ſuſtenance; in the former time they brought their Gold unto the Portugez, but the People dwelling further within land, durſt not venture to trade with them, or any other White-men, and men apparrelled, therefore they do now bring their Gold to the Sea ſide; thus,

Betimes in the morning, they come a board our Ships with their Canoes or Scuts, betimes in the morning I ſay, for that in the morning the wind which they call Bofone, bloweth off from the Land, and then it is calm ſmooth water; for about noon, the wind which they call Agem-Bretton begins to blow out of the Sea, and then they row to Land again; the people that dwell within the Land not brooking the Sea, for when they are aboard they can ſcarce go or ſtand, but lye down & ſpue like Dogs, and are very Sea-ſick; but their Rowers or Pilots that carry them are hardy enough, and rarely are ſick, by reaſon of their dayly uſing to the Seas: But ſome of their Merchants, when they come aboard our Ships, are ſo ſick that they caſt out all that are within their bodies; and by reaſon of their being ſo ſick in fair weather, they are ſo afraid of the wind (when the Waves go any thing high) that they make as much haſte home as they can, and ſome of them dare not venture upon the Seas to go aboard the Ships, but deliver the mony to the Pilots or Factors, telling them what Merchandize they deſire to have, and thoſe Tolken come with the Gold aboard the Ships, having a Purſe which hangeth about their middles, wherein they put their Gold, and every ſeveral mans Gold is in a peece of cloath or paper by it ſelf, and they can tell which is every mans, and what Wares hee deſireth for it; and ſometimes they deſire to have mens Gold to beſtow, which is called an Engliſh of Gold, and of ſome two, or three, or more; and when any of their mony is not weight, then they put it into their Purſe, and carry it to the man again, for if they ſhould put any thing to it to make it full weight, the Merchant would not give it them again; for they weigh their Gold firſt upon the Land, and know how much it is before they ſend it aboard the Ship, for they credit not one the other; and when they have beſtowed their mony, then wee muſt give them ſomething to boot, which they call Dache.

When we began to Traffick here in the Country with two or three Ships, as one of Middleburgh, one of Amſterdam, and one of Schiedam, and that all our Ships met and lay at Anchor together to ſell our Wares, the one Ship ſeeing that the other Trafficked more, and vended more Wares than his fellows; to finde the means to get the Merchants aboard their Ships, they willed the Pilots (with whom they muſt hold friendſhip, for they carry the Merchants aboard) to bring them aboard their Ships, and they would give them ſomething for their labours; and the Pilots accordingly to get ſomething, brought them aboard that Ship, which had made them that offer (for they are very covetous) which the other Ships perceiving, willed the Pilots to bring the Merchants aboard their Ships, and they would likewiſe give them ſomething; and they made them anſwer, that if they would give them as much as the other did, they would come aboard their Ships, which they promiſed to do, and gave them more Dache than the other, and by that means drive the Merchants, Pilots, and Tolken aboard their Ships, which the other Ships ſeeing, and thinking that their Merchants Wares coſt, them no more than the others, gave them more Dache than the others, and by that means ſtriving one with the other, they diminiſhed one the others gain; and in fine, their gifts grew to ſuch a rate, that at this day, their Dache amounteth unto ſix or ſeven per Centum.

And now it is come to paſs, that whereas the Country People and Merchants were wont to pay the Litridge and Brokeridge, to the Pilots and Tolken to carry them aboard their Ships, they ſought to the Merchants and Country Moores, to get them into their Canoes for greedineſs of Dache, which they got of the Factors for their labours, to bring the Merchants aboard, and thereby inſtead of paying them for going aboard, they give the merchants much Dache, inregard of the great profit they get thereby.

Many Merchants coming to the Sea-ſide to buy Wares, ſome of them a hundred or two hundred miles from within the Land, bringing great ſtore of Gold, and have diverſe ſlaves with them, which they lade with the Wares which they buy in the Ships, whereof ſome have twenty, other thirty, and ſome more, as they have means, and according to the trade that they uſe; which Merchants or Mooriſh Country people, know the houſes or lodgings where they uſe to lye, and weigh their mony to their Tolk or Hoſt, and tell them what Goods or Wares they will have, who coming aboard, commonly bring one of the Merchants with them (for they truſt not one the other) and leave the reſt with their ſlaves upon the Land, which tell them what Wares they deſire to have; and if it bee a Merchant that can ſpeak no Portugal ſpeech, they will preſently tell you, and will the Factor to ſpeak Mooriſh ſpeech unto them, becauſe their Merchant is one that dwells within the Land; thereby giving you to underſtand, that they mean to deceive and beguile him of much mony. The poor Merchant being ſick, and lying in the Ship ſpuing like a Dog, in the mean time the Brokers make the match for them, telling the Factors how much Ware they deſire to have for ſo much Gold, for that the Wares are commonly ſold all at one price. The Tolken makes not many words with the Factors, but certain Wares before the Merchant, as little as they can to content him for his mony; and the price being made with him, hee weighs their Gold, and takes the Wares, and goes on Land again; and the Merchant being gone home, then the Pilots and Tolken come aboard the Ships again, to fetch that which they have cozened the Merchants of; So that oftentimes the Merchants are deceived of a third part of their Goods by ſuch practices; others, whiles hee looks about, or turns to ſpue, ſteals a peece of the Merchants Gold, and puts it into their Mouths, Ears and Noſtrils, making the Merchant beleeve that his mony is two light; the Merchant for his part, ſeeing that by means of their theevery his mony will not hold out, becauſe it is too light, that it may weigh more then it is, blows into the Ballance, which the Factors oftentimes not perceiving, and thinking that they have their full weight, are by that means deceived, and come ſhort of their reckoning; ſo that they have a thouſand devices to ſteal, and to beguile the Merchants. At firſt they were wont to bee very ſimple in their dealing, and truſted the Netherlands very much, whereat we wondred; for they were of opinion, that White men were Gods, and would not deceive them, and then took the Wares upon their words, without reckoning it after them, whereby they were deceived; ſo that if they bought ten fathom of Linnen-Cloath, they found but eight, and by that means loſt two fathom, and other things after that rate, which the Factors did ſo groſly, that the Merchants at laſt perceived it, and looked better to themſelves, and grew ſo ſubtil in their reckoning, that if they bought one hundred fathom of Linnen, they could reckon it to a fathom, and tell whether they had their meaſure or not, ſo that now if you do them any wrong by meaſuring, they will not come aboard your Ship any more; and which is more, for any bad look, or haſty word that you ſhall give them, they will never bee friends with you again.

The next Commodity to their Gold, is their Elephants Teeth, and their Ivory. The Elephants they take thus: Where they know they uſe oftneſt, they digge large and deep pits, which they cover over with ſtraw, and foul leaves of Trees, which the Elephant knowing nothing of, goeth the way hee was wont, and falls in, which the Negroes obſerving, run upon him with their Aſſagacies, and divide him in peeces among themſelves, reſerving the Hide for ſtooles; beſtowing the tayl on the King, to beat the Flies from his naked body; and ſelling the Tooth in the Market.

Next the Elephant comes the Monkeys, ſome with white beards and black muſtachoes, called by the Hollanders beard-men; ſome with nothing white but their noſes, ſome called Boertkens, that cannot live a whole day in the ſight of a man; the firſt of theſe are in very great eſteem with their women, and may bee ſo with our Ladies, there being no kinder creatures under the Sun.

After the Monkeys, they offer us Musk-cats, called by the Portugez, Cato degalia, which eat Fleſh (as Hens, Pidgeons) and are ſo ſweet, that they eaſe themſelves in a place apart, leaving the Ordure, and never lying in it, being taken up young in the Woods, with ſprigs which hang on the Trees, they are brought up, and the Musk is taken from them and put in Glaſſes, the male Cats yeelding the beſt and moſt Agalia, by reaſon the females piſs in the Cod wherein the Musk groweth, and piſs it out with their water; When the Natives perceive that, they tear their bag, and take their Agalia from them; for they do ſo to be rid of it: The wilder and worſe they are to rule, ſo much the coſtlier and richer their Agalia.

Neither are their Birds a viler Commodity than their Beaſts, for firſt there are blew Parrots, which being taken out of their Neſts, are tamed and made ſo teachable, that they out-prate the Green Braſilian Parrots. Secondly, Thereis a bigger Green Bird, like the Catalinkin of Weſt-India, called Auſuront, or Parokite, taken with Nets, as wee do Sparrows, uſing much the Low corn grounds, and being ſo kinde the one to the other, that put the male and female in a Cage, they ſit ſo quietly and reſpectfully, the Hee on the right hand, and the Shee on the left, as may teach many a man civility and duty.

To which I may add another kinde of Parokiton, Red ſpotted, with a black tail, which would entertain us with very great delight, though the Natives make no more of them than eat them alive, feathers, bones, and all. But to come to what is more uſeful, wee have their Cotton yarns, Hides, and what they ſell at the deareſt rate; Slaves and Children, which the Parents will trappan to the Sea ſide, and ſell away for a Crown.

It alſo yeeldeth good Trennuelis, like milk (when the Tree is cut down) which cometh out of the body thereof, having hanged three or four daies they are through ripe, the Tree bears but one bunch at a time, whereon there is at leaſt a hundred Figs, or more, and when they cut off the bunch of Figs, the Tree alſo is cut down to the ground, the root ſtaying ſtill in the earth, which preſently ſpringeth up again, and within a month hath its full growth, and ſo all the year long, no time excepted. The tree beareth fruit very delicate to eat; you muſt pull off the husk wherein the fruit lyeth, very delightfull to behold, the colour whereof is whitiſh and ſomewhat yellow; when you bite it, it is ſoft as if it were Meal and Butter mixed together; it is mellow in biting, it cooleth the Maw; much thereof eaten, maketh a man very looſe and raw in the throat, it maketh women leacherous if they eat any ſtore. Some are of opinion, becauſe it is ſo delicate a fruit, that it was the ſame Tree that ſtood in Paradiſe, whereof God forbad Adam and Eve to eat: It hath a very good ſmell like Roſes, but the taſte is better: The Portugals will not cut it through with a knife, but break it, by reaſon of a ſpecial obſervation which they have in the cutting thereof, which is, that then it ſheweth like a croſs in the middle of the fruit, and therefore they think it not good to cut it.

The Bachonens (by us ſo called) are very like the Bannanaes, for the condition and form is all one, only that the fruit is ſmaller, ſhorter, white of colour within, and ſweeter of taſte, and is eſteemed wholeſomer to bee eaten than the Bannanaes; but there is no ſuch great quantity of them, and for that they were firſt brought out of the Kingdome of Congo into other Countries, they have gotten the name thereof.

The Annanas is alſo a delicate and pleaſant fruit for ſmell, and of the beſt taſte that any fruit can bee; it hath alſo diverſe ſeveral names; there are two ſorts, the Male and the Female; the Cannarians call it Annanaſa, the Braſilians, Nana; thoſe of Hiſpaniald, Jajawa; and the Spaniards in Braſilia, Pinas, becauſe one of them found that and the Pinas firſt in Braſilia; It is as great as a Mellon, fair of colour, ſomewhat yellow, Green and Carnation; when it begins to bee ripe, the greenneſs turneth into an Orange colour; it is of pleaſant taſte, and hath a fine ſmell like an Apricock, ſo that it is to bee ſmelt a far off; when you ſee the fruit a far off, being green, it ſhews like Artichokes, and is eaten with wine; it is light of diſgeſture, but eating much thereof it inflameth a mans body: In Braſilia there are three ſorts thereof; the firſt Jajama, the ſecond Boniama, the third Jajagma; but in Guinney there is but one ſort: The time when they are in their flower is in Lent, for then they are beſt; it grows half a fathom above the ground, the leaves thereof are not above Semper Vinum: When they are eaten they are cut in round ſlices, and ſopt in Spaniſh Wine; you cannot eat enough thereof, it is very hot of nature, and grows in moiſt ground; the ſops that you take out of the Wine, taſte like ſweet Musk, and if you do not preſently wipe the knife, wherewith you cut the fruit, but let it lye half an hour, it will bee eaten in as if there had been ſtrong water laid upon it; being eaten in abundance, and without knowledge, it cauſeth great ſickneſs.

There are great ſtore of Iniamus growing in Guinney in great fields, which are ſowed and planted like Turneps; the Root is Iniamus, and groweth in the Earth like Earth-nuts; thoſe Iniams are as great as a Yellow-root, but thicker and fuller of knots, they are of a Mouſe-colour, and within as white as a Turnep, but not ſo ſweet; being put in a Kettle and ſodden with fleſh, and then peeled and eaten with Oyl and Pepper, they are a very delicate meat; in many places it is uſed for bread, and is the greateſt meat that the Negroes eat.

The Battatas are ſomewhat redder of colour, and in form almoſt like Iniamus, and taſte like Earth-nuts; thoſe two kinde of fruits are abundant in Guinney, they are commonly roſted, or elſe eaten with a Hodge-potch inſtead of Parſneps or Turneps.

The Palm-wine tree is almoſt like the Cocos-Tree, or a Lantor, with diverſe others, and are of three or four ſorts, moſt of them have all one kinde of leaf, but in manner of Wood they are all unlike, for this Tree is ſhorter of Wood then all the reſt; The Wine is drawn out of thoſe Trees by boring them, from whence there iſſueth a Sap like Milk, which is very cool and freſh to drink; at the firſt when it is drawn, it is pleaſant and ſweet, having ſtood a while it is as ſower as Vinegar, ſo that you may uſe it in a Sallet, but being drunk ſweet and freſh, it cauſeth a man to void Urine well, whereby in thoſe Countries, there are very few found that have the diſeaſe of the Stone; by drinking much thereof a mans head will ſoon bee light; but that lightneſs a man hath in his head thereby, cauſeth it not to ake: When it cometh firſt out of the Tree, it is ſweeter of taſte, than when it hath ſtood a while, but yet it is eſteemed better when it hath ſtood a while, and is ſomewhat ſettled, than preſently to bee drunk; for it ſtandeth ſeething and bubling, as if it hung over the fire and ſod, ſo that if it were put into a Glaſs and ſtopt up, without letting any air come into it, the force thereof would break the Glaſs in peeces; but being a meal-tide old it is nothing worth, becauſe it is ſo ſowre, and then it is of another colour very wateriſh, therefore it is much mixed with water, and ſeldome comes pure into the Market, as it is taken out of the Tree, which is done partly to increaſe their Wine, as alſo that then it is the ſweeter to drink, and hath the taſte of Syder, and the colour of Muſt; when the Tree is old and will yeild no more wine at the top, it is cut down at the foot, and a fire made at the root thereof, where they ſet a pot, whereinto the Wine (by reaſon of the heat) runneth; the Tree being changed, and yeilding no more profit, there groweth another Tree out of the root thereof, but it is half a year old before it giveth any Wine, in the morning betimes an hour before day, the Wine is drawn out, and brought to the Market at noon-time.

The Palmitas-Tree is not much to bee ſeen in Guinney, but for that a Negro in that Country ſhewed mee the fruit thereof, I thought good to ſay ſomething of it in this place; It is a Tree without branches, on the top of the Tree the fruit groweth, and it is almoſt like the Annanas when it is ripe: It is outwardly of a fair Gold-colour, and withering it hath grains, like Pomgranates, they are of a very ſweet taſte, the other is hard and unfit to eat.

But what is ſtranger than all this, here is a Tree called the Oyſter-Tree, that bears Oyſters three times in the year; but I beleeve it hath been ſince Noah's flood when (Piſcium & ſumma genus haeſit ulmo, Nota quaeſedes fuerat Columbis) the fiſh forgot their way into the Sea again.

The Gold of Guinney.

HEre bee ſome Politicians, who had rather fetch their Gold from other Coaſts, than diſcover that in their own, leſt ſuch Diſcovery ſhould draw thither the Covetous and Ambitious Armies of the Neighbour-hoods: The chief Commodity that is bartered for Gold is Salt, which is ſold certain deformed Negroes, who will not bee ſeen, and therefore it is left in the field, where the Negroes take it away, and leave as much Gold; the trueſt dealing men in the world. Then returneth the Merchant, and if hee likes the Gold, hee taketh it away, if not, hee leaves it, the Negroes returning, addeth to it, or elſe brings the Salt, and takes away his Gold. I have not found ſo much faith, nor faithfulneſs, no not in Iſrael. In this Inland Country where houſes are covered with Gold, Iron is far more eſteemed, eſpecially to the Southward of the Bay of Vallay, whoſe ſand is all Gold, driven down with freſh water, and taken up in ſpoones by the Inhabitants. Solomons Gold wherewith hee built his Temple being ſuppoſed to be brought out of this place: where, after a ſhowre of Rain, neither man, woman nor childe, ſtayeth within the Town, but go out to ſeek for Gold in the fields, and all the way the water runneth, turning up the Earth with ſtaves, the earth in ſome places having two parts of Gold, and but a third of Mould, eſpecially where a Gold mountain gliſtereth as the Sun, where there are no Bridges permitted to make any eaſie paſſages, only the people ſwim with their burdens on their backs, by the tayle of their Buffes, which ſwim before them, where its more profitable trading than at Peru, or the Indies: they dig deep pits in the earth, and waſh the earth in great bowls, and therein finde Gold, making piles round with Brick, that the earth fall not in.

How careful they are, not to ſpit in the Earth, how fearful to look up into the Sky before the Sun riſeth, I will not rehearſe.

Only when they dye, the next of kin makes a Petiſto, or God of ſtraw, to go along with them to another World, ſetting before him a ſodden Hen, with many Fetiſtoes round about him, of Beads, Shels, Peaſe, &c. With the blood of the Hen, they make the dead hand ſprinkle the Fetiſto, for there the dead muſt offer blood to their Gods; then the Kinſman taketh a few green Herbs, and wrings the ſap of them on the Fetiſto, putting them about his Neck with certain words, to bid him not leave the dead in the Regions of Darkneſs; with whom his deareſt Wives and Friends go, ſaying, Auzy, or Love, into another World.

The Morimni, or chief Man of the place, gathering twelve pence a peece of the Inhabitants, towards a Funeral Feaſt, whitherto the Corps is carried by armed men; after which Feaſt they fill the Grave with Palme Wine, and other good Viaticum, for that great journey, the dead goeth; after which they all go together to a River up to the middle, and there with Baſons and other noiſe fill the air, and then after a Banquet go home, leaving the dead with his Fetiſto and dead Wives, and beſtowing his goods not on his Wife or Children, but on his Brethren: Theſe cuſtomes reach from Cape tres punctos to Rio de Valte, and the Kingdome of Bennin, along the Rivers, Rio de Valto, Rio de Ardra, Rio de Lago, where wee Traffick back for Slaves; only we are in great danger there of ſtrange calms, and ſtrong currants.

Their Gold.

GOld though common, yet is as much eſteemed there, as by us (of whom thoſe Heathens ſay, Gold is our God) becauſe they ſee what pains the Hollanders take, and what Merchandize they give for it; the Mines are well kept by the reſpective Kings, and few by the Sea-ſide know where they are; they finde it in deep pits, and ſee it carried down by waters, at which they ſit with ſpoons to take it up, ſand and all, which they make clean in running water; they confeſs it hath coſt many men their lives in their Mines, and he that findes three Engliſhes a day doth well, and hath carried a good daies hire; the rough Gold is the beſt; but let it bee what it will, half is the Labourers and half the Kings; and the King of Portugal did Let out the Trade of Guinney to Fernand Gomez, for 138 l. 14 s. 6 d. to diſcover every year an 100 Leagues, and ſince it hath been Let for 12000 l.

CHAP. VIII. Their Meaſures, Weights, Scales, Markets, and Cuſtomes.

AS ſoon as it is day they come with their Sugar-Canes in bundles, about nine a clock, when the Sugar-Canes are ſold, the women come with their Oranges, Lemmons, Bannanas, Backovens, Balatoes, Indianaes, Millia, Mais, Rice, Manogette, hens, Eggs, Bread, &c. about noon when theſe are gone, the men come with our Commodities, and Fiſh, Fiſh that it may be ſtinks a quarter of a mile diſtance, and is but a compound of Maggots; and then the women trudge home with their Children on their backs, and their Commodities, eſpecially Millia on their Heads five or ſix miles diſtance, paying no Cuſtome to the King, but drop down now and then ſome Grain to their Fetiſto, which they call Tythe (the very Heathens it ſeems pay Tythe) theſe women go home ſeven or eight in a company ſinging; towards the evening the Husbandmen bring in their Pots of Palme wine, with their Aſſagayes in their hands, which they are bound to lay aſide in one place, when they enter the Town, and taking every one his own when they go out, for they are very orderly, for their ſitting, going out, and ſtanding. Theſe Markets are kept by turns in their ſeveral Towns, where they have no coyn, but they weigh their Gold in four ſquare peeces, of a grain, or half grain, though they knew not how to melt it before the Portugez came, and therefore they bartered Wares, or paid one another in ſmall peeces of Iron, with an Half Moon upon them. Their Weights and Scales are Copper, round and hollow like an Orange peel, whereof a Benda is the chiefeſt, and a Loot the leaſt.

They meaſure their Linnen by two fathomes together, and their Woollen-Cloath likewiſe, which they cut into peeces for Girdles; they are not very well skilled in Arithmatick, for when they have paſſed the number ten, they rehearſe ſo many words one after the other, for one number, that they are ſo cumbred, that they cannot tell how to get out of it, and ſo ſit buzzing ſo long, till at laſt they have forgotten their number, and are forced to begin to tell again, untill of late the Dutch have laughed them out of that humour; and they tell ten, and then take one of their fingers into their hands, and then tell ten again, and again take another finger into their hand, and ſo proceed till they have both their hands full, which in all maketh an hundred, then they mark that up, and then begin again to tell ten, and uſe the ſame order as before.

Theſe very Heathens know that they muſt give their Kings a part of their eſtate to ſecure the whole, therfore they pay him Cuſtome, who keeps ſeveral Veſſels with a Kinſman on the Coaſt, to ſee he is not abuſed, and ſeveral Slaves to carry his Cuſtome, that is the fourth part of Fiſh and other Commodities, beſides the weight of ſix pence in Gold, hee hath of the Merchants for their paſſage through his Country, how much or how little ſoever they intend to buy, and agree commonly for the Cuſtome of what is worth above two ounces, with the King, and what is leſs, with the Cuſtomer, or La Guarda, as they call him.

Beſides this Cuſtome, the Kings Revenue comes in ſeveral other wayes, As

Firſt, In Fines for Theft.

Secondly, In the two ounces of Gold paid by every man that lyeth with another mans Wife; and in the ſix penny forfeiture for bringing their Weapons within their City.

And now I have named ſtealing, on my conſcience I think there are not ſuch Theives in the world, they are not more aſhamed to ſteal from one another, which they reckon diſhoneſty (for they have ſome 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of good and evil) than they are proud to ſteal from ſtrangers, which they eſteem as policy, and look for honour as the reward of ſo brave an action; a little lead without the Ships to keep them from being eaten with Worms, ruſty nails, greaſe, weights (which they hide in their Hair, Ears, or Mouths, or any ſmall buſineſs of that kinde, is the exerciſe of their Theft; yea, though they bee never ſo great Merchants, and beſtow three or four pound of Gold with you for Merchandize, their opinion being that they may ſteal, and wee not; I asked them the reaſon, and they ſaid, wee were rich, and brought great ſtore of Ware, which would ſtand upon our hands, if they took not ſome away, and they naked.

You muſt preſently ſearch them all, for they conveigh it from one to another, and beat him that hath it ſoundly, bee hee never ſo rich, and the reſt will laugh at him for a Bungler; if you beat them they will come again, if not they fear worſe, and will not come near you.

Neither are they more Theeviſh, than they are falſe to us in their words, though moſt true one to another, eſpecially after an Oath, which they take thus.

The Negro wipes his face upon the ſole of his foot to whom hee ſwears,Their Oaths. and likewiſe upon his ſhoulders, and breaſt, and upon all his body, both crying thrice Jau, Jau, Jau, and each time clapping their hands together, and ſtamping with their feet upon the ground, then they drink and kiſs their Fetiſtoes or Gods on their arms.

The drink they drink when they ſwear,Their Oathdrink. they call Enchionkenon, made of the ſame Herbs with their Fetiſtoes, a kinde of water of jealouſie, which they think upon a falſhood would kill them, whereby they accuſe and ſwear likewiſe againſt one another, ten years after the thing is done, forcing the neareſt of kin to the offending party to pay his fine if he be dead.

And from this diſcourſe of Theft, you may gueſs that they have ſome propriety and juſtice among them, wherein the proceeding is after this ſort.

1 Every man tells his tale (for they have no Lawyers) by turns, without interruption (which they ſpecially forbid upon pain of corporal puniſhment) before the Judge, who having heard both ſides, gives his own judgement, which they muſt ſtand to without appeal; if there bee any forfeiture to the King, it muſt bee paid preſently, or the party muſt bee baniſhed from his Majeſties juriſdiction, with all his relations, untill it is paid; if it bee a controverſie among the Nobility, they come to a Combate, whether both parties bring their relations, who engage ſide againſt ſide; the Plaintiff and Defendant fighting in the middle of them, hee that is beaten muſt ſuffer, and if hee runneth away to another little Kings dominion, hee muſt bee delivered up to the Wife of the dead man, to bee diſpoſed of; or it comes to a War.

In moſt matters the Plaintiff certifieth the Captain, who cauſeth a Drum to bee beat by one of his Slaves, who carrieth it about his neck, and two boyes with Cow-bells (a ſign that juſtice is to bee done) whereupon the Captain and his armed Gentlemen ſit round the Market place, whether the people flock, not knowing what is to bee done, untill the accuſed party is called, and bound to anſwer all the allegations againſt him, or pay the penalty with his Purſe or freedome (for they buy their lives there with mony, divided among the Mornans) I was preſent at this caſe.

A man came from one Town to another to gather up his debts, which man a year before had lain with another mans Wife, and the ſame woman was by chance come to the Market, and ſeeing him, went ſtraight and complained to the Aene, i.e. the chief Officer, who preſently ordered his apprehenſion; the good woman complained hee had forced her, and not paid according to his promiſe; hee made anſwer, hee did it with her good will; after a great conteſt, the Fetiſtero (or the Prieſt that hath to do with their Fetiſtoes, Gods) came thither with a certain drink in a pot, and ſet it down before the Captain (as they call their Magiſtrate, where Arms are the Law) the woman took the pot and drank of it, to juſtifie hee had not ſatisfied her for the loſs of her honour; and if the man durſt have drunk thereof before the woman, hee had been acquitted, but knowing his guilt, hee paid his three Bendaes, that is ſix ounces of Gold.

But in caſe a man deſerveth death, and cannot pay a fine, hee dieth without any more adoe, after this manner;

The Executioner takes him,Their Executions. bindes his hands behinde him, covers his eyes, leadeth him into a field or a wood (there being no peculiar place allotted for it) and being there alone, for none aſſiſts there, makes him kneel down, and ſtoop with his head, when he taking an Aſſagaie, ſteppeth back, and ſtrikes him into the body, wherewith hee falleth down, and then takes his Cutting-knife to cut off his Head, not beleeving in thoſe parts, that a man is dead untill his Head is off; the body is quartered and left in the field to the Eagles and Elephants, but the Head is boyled by his friends, who meet together, and eat the broath it makes, and hang the bare skull to their Fetiſto; the women of that Village making a ſad lamentation for three daies, for the deceaſed.

CHAP. IX. How they live together in Guinney.

MArriage being the foundation of Society, they keep their Daughters in Cloyſters when they are Marriagable, and their Sons leave themſelves to their Fathers diſpoſal, never wooing or looking on their Wives before they Marry them; giving nothing with their Sons, but what they earne themſelves, only the Father gives a Peto and an half of Gold, and the Mother half a Peto, i. e. half an ounce, and the richeſt no more; The Portion being paid, they meet one another naked, as Sir Thomas Moor ſaid they do at Utopia, and as Sir Francis Bacon wiſheth they might do in Atlantis, it being a great diſadvantage (ſaith he) that a man ſhall ſee no more of his wife than two handfulls, that is, her face, and ſwear faithfulneſſe to the Bed, and Board, and it is a Marriage: I mean, the Woman ſwears, but not the man, for hee is at liberty.

Upon the leaſt offence, ſhee is at her Husbands mercy for a Divorce, or a Fine of ſo many Petoes of Gold.

If the man doth but ſuſpect her, ſhee muſt eat the ſalt of jealouſie, which if ſhe refuſeth, he ſends her out of that Kingdom; If the man thriveth, hee buyeth more Wives, whereof the eldeſt ſerve the youngeſt, in ſo much, that many Wives is a ſign of a rich man.

Indeed their drinking and feeding is ſo diſorderly; that they are very luſtful and impudent, eſpecially, when they come to hide their nakedneſs, (for a Negroes hiding his Members, their extraordinary greatneſs) is a token of their Luſt, and therefore much troubled with the Pox.

2. Their bread is of Millia, or Mais, baked on a warme Harth, their meat they eat raw, as Birds, Doggs, for ſome of them being in our Ships, and ſeeing our Hens would tice them to hang out their necks out of the Cage, and kill them, ſhewing the Sailors that ſome of the Hens were dead, thereby onely contriving that they might eat their Raw guts, not ſtaying till they were clean; but eating them raw as they came out of the hens belly, though they can dreſſe meat very well with their Palm-Oyle, the beſt ſauce for their Fiſh.

'Tis ſtrange, yet true, that in thoſe hot Countries, they would eat all day long, and when they do eat they ſit upon the ground, and cram it into their mouth, without any reſpite between morſel and morſel.

But they drink more civilly than they eat, for they will ſet a wooden Kilderkin of Poitous, i. e. Ale, or Palme-Wine, in the middeſt; and ſitting round it drinke by turnes, all ſtanding up, while one drinks, laying their hands on their heads, and crying Tautoſi, Tautoſi, at their firſt draught, not drinking their cups out, but leaving ſome for thier Fetiſſo, or their God, ſaying I. O. U. what ever they can couzen white men of, is devoted to a drinking, and laid in a common bank for a merry meeting.

The Husbands and Wives neither eat nor lye together but on their Tueſdaies, when they ſpread a Mat upon the ground, and lay ſtools under their heads with a fire at the end of the bed to warme the ſoles of their feet.

Although the Husband commands, yet the Wife carrieth the purſe until ſhee is with Childe, and her time is come, when in the middle of the field, ſtarke naked, among all the people of the Countrey ſhe is delivered, and ſhe throweth the Bagg to her Huſband, until taking a ſpoonful of Oyle, and an handful of Manniget, ſhee goeth abroad next day as other women, having Circumciſed her Childe, Feaſted her Neighbours, and let the Infant ſprawle on the ground, a day or two, and then carrying it on her ſhoulder, like an Iriſh-woman. When the Childe is above a year Old, they hang a ſhirt of Net-work made of barke, about him with Coral, which they call their Fetiſſo, to keep him from evil, the firſt Fetiſſo being good againſt vomiting, the ſecond againſt falling, the third againſt bleeding, the fourth to procure ſleep, the fifth againſt the Ague.

By that time they have crawled three or four years, they are brought by the Mother, to the Father, who ſets them to ſwim as ſoon as they can walk, and then to knit Nets, to row, and fiſh, giving them not a rag of cloathes but what they can earn, and therefore the firſt Gold they have they beſtow on a fathom of Linnen to cover their middle; They are flat Noſed, white-ey'd, ſmall ear'd, thick-bodied, broad ſhouldered, long hands and limbs, as eſpecially the token of a Gentleman, which they ſcrape with Ivory and uſe to take their Gold in, inſtead of ſpoons; they are very ſubtil and ſevengeful, very nice and ſuperſtitious, very craving and beggarly, yet very clean; eaſing themſelves out of the way, at the end of the Town, in an Houſe made above ground for the purpoſe, for they think it abominable to do it upon the ground, piſſing likewiſe by jobs as Hogs do, every one cuts his curled haire, and weares his Reed Turban of ſeveral faſhions, but all agree in their Rings, and Wreathes of Say, Coral, &c. which they worſhip, and offer meat to every day, under the notion of their Fetisto.

As naked as they are, they are proud, and walk a Spaniſh pace, looking ſo ſcornfully forward, that a man muſt not ſpeak to them, till they come to their ſeats; eſpecially meaner perſons, whom as ſoon as they ſpy a far off, they cry, Hold your peace.

In the morning when they go out and meet with any of their friends or acquaintance, they embrace and kinkle one another by the arm, bowing the head and ſaying, Auzi, Auzi; then they comb, with their one-tooth comb, their frizled and lowſie pates, making a round bob at top, as our Gentlemen uſe to do; and then eſpecially about the Caſtle Damina, they buy proviſions for the day, and ſufficient to the day is the proviſion thereof: Their Houſes are like Souldiers Cabins, and the Cities are Tents built on ſticks, about which they twine the rods, which they daub in thin morter, inſtead of paint; the Hog-ſties they cover with four ſquare coverings of Palme Tree leaves, which they open and ſhut at pleaſure; the floor being a flat peece of red Earth, in the middeſt of which is a hole, for their pot of Palme Wine; their Sconces are only of Reed and Straw; their ſtreets being ſo narrow, that but one goeth a breaſt; their Towns being filthy and ſtinking, inſomuch that ſometimes, when the wind ſits that way, you may ſmell the ſtink a mile and a half into the Sea.

Only the Strangers have taught them to make their Towns more ſtrong and wholeſome, eſpecially their Sea Towns, where are none but their Officers, Factors, &c. eſpecially at Tres Punctos, under four degrees and a half, where the Portugez have a Caſtle called Aziem.

Five miles Eaſtward is Anta, where we ſell Iron; a mile lower is Rio de St. Georgio, Jubbe, and Carrua, where the Portugez have a Houſe and good Fiſhing to furniſh the Caſtle of Mina; below here is Commando where wee ſell Venetian Madrigetton and Corals (for the common people traffick much therewith, by grinding and ſelling them one to another) ſmall Copper Baſons, Blew Cloath, and broad Linnen-Cloath in ſmall parcels, where their Gold is moulten, and therefore very deceitful; not far from which place is the Caſtle De-Demina, to command Trade, a mile below which, is Cape Croſtio.

Sailing a mile lower, wee come to the chief place of Traffick, called Mourre, and a mile below that is Infantin, and not far from that is the Caſtle Cormantin, under the King of Fatus, where wee have hoops for our Veſſels.

Five miles lower is the fine Dairy-place Biambis, whee they ſell great Cows and fair Women; not far off is Chinha, a place of great Traffick with Canoes or Boules, where a Gibbet is worſhipped for a Fetiſto or God.

Their Religion.

NO Nation ſo barbarous, but owneth a Religion and a God, theſe have Birds, Hills, Vale-Tree Gods, every ſtrange thing being divine with them, in ſomuch that wee had much ado to keep them from worſhipping a Bagpipe, which for a great while they took for a living creature, and ſtill ſay it's the work of the Gods; as the Manichees, ſo they hold two Gods, one that doeth them harm, and another that doeth them good, which they ſay fight together; yet they think there is a God, whom they do not ſee, but beleeve black like themſelves; for though, ſay they, wee ſow Millia, who ſends rain to make it grow? you can ſhoot (ſay they) but who thundereth? therefore they pray to God under the notion of Juan Goemain: Once wee had a Negro aboard impriſoned for counterfeiting of Gold, who took every morning a tub with water in it, and waſhed his face therein, which done, hee took his hands full of water, and caſt it over his head, ſpeaking diverſe words to himſelf, and after that ſpitting in the water, which wee ſeeing, asked him why hee did ſo? whereupon hee anſwered, hee prayed his Fetiſſo that it might rain, that ſo his friends might finde much Gold to releaſe him, and hee might go home again; ſome of them under the Hiſtory of Chriſtianity; all beleeve they dye not, and therefore they give their dead bodies ſomething to carty to another world.

They keep their Fetiſſoes day, one day in ſeven, and that Tueſday (a Sabbath it ſeems is natural) more ſolemnly and ſtricktly than the Hollanders do their Sunday; when they offer meat and drink to their Fetiſſo on a four ſquare place, covered with wires, or Fetiſſoes ſtraws, which the Birds of the air, which they call the Birds of God, eat up.

Not far from which place their Fetiſſero ſits on a ſtool with a pot of drink in his hand, and the people about him ſtroking the people with a wiſp, and ſpeaking ſomething they will not tell us; only when hee hath done, they clap their hands and cry, I ou, I ou.

Thence they go with the Holy Straw-wiſp, which preſerves them from the Fetiſſoes; when they miſcarry in Fiſhing, Trading, &c. they think their Fetiſſo is angry; then the Fetiſſor, with all his Wives (for hee hath ten at leaſt) goes up and down the City with ſad groans and a drum, to the tree which is the Fiſh Fetiſſo, and from thence caſts Millia to the water, as if it were to the Gods, but indeed to bring the Fiſh together; theſe and many other computations they have, which would bee as frivolous in the relation, as they are in the performance.

CHAP. X. Their War, and their Gentlemen.

THeſe little Kingdomes have often occaſions of War among themſelves, and oftner with ſtrangers, upon both which occaſions, the King firſt calleth for his Guard, i. e. twelve hundred men that have nothing elſe to do but to wait, who ſleep like dogs round his royall Cottage; and if his occaſions require more, hee gives his Captains order to ſummon more, who with ſuch Drums as Children uſe to carry, go up and down for a weekes ſpace untill the rabble get together, and painting themſelves, march out with their Fetiſſoes, that is, their Beads and Corals, wherewith they think themſelves ſecure; there is a Holy Wreath of Bark about their necks, the Ponyard hangs to the Girdle, the Aſſagaie was in the right hand, the Bow and Arrows in the left; the whole Family follows every man, all the Country is burned and deſtroyed, that the enemy may not have where to invade, nor the cowardly where to retreat; the whole Kingdome ſurrounds the King, and becomes a Court; and in that poſture march with their Turbands of Libards-skins, having diſpatched their Houſhold-ſtuff into a neighbour Country.

They ſhoot ſtrait, and can hit the very breadth of a Stiver, whom they take they enſlave, whom they kill they eat, whom they conquer they take Hoſtages from; their Ponyards are four fingers broad, their Shields of Goat skin, or Oxe hide four foot broad, every man keeping ſix or ſeven of each by him upon all occaſions, with a Bow and Arrow ſtringed, with the Bark of a Tree, feathered with Dogs hair, tipped with Iron, and moſt commonly poyſoned with a green Herb called Aſſapi; their Drum is a peece of hollow wood, covered with Bucks-skin, and beaten with a wooden ſpoon.

In the Wars the Gentlemen have a peculiar priviledge, and a Gentleman is made thus; A man finding himſelf Rich, preſents the King with a Dog, a Goat, and a Cow, and his neighbours with an Oxe, and therewith a Feaſt is made, with Palme-wine, muſick, dancing, and the man goes home a Gentleman, and a begger, having uſually ſpent all his eſtate at the Inſtallation.

After the Wars, on the Coronation day, and on the quarter daies for cuſtomes, there is a Royal Feaſt whereat they are mad for three daies, after which the King ſets up the heads of the beaſts he hath ſpent among his Fetiſſoes or Gods, in his Hall, in perpetuum rei memoriam, for the Kings there have no deſign in their Grandeur but honour, providing nothing for their Children, but what they ſhall earn with the ſweat of their brow.

How they agreed with us about their Lands.

THe people being perſwaded that wee were an inconſiderable nation, kept aloof a great while, till on the 18th. of January, one Achor zano was ambitious to be the white mens Alcade or Factor, whom wee entertained with a ſtring of Chriſtal, and a double one of Coral about his neck, and ſo with drinking a cup of Roſa ſolis, and ſhooting off five thunders, for ſo they call Muskets, he was ſolemnly proclaimed Alcard, Alcard, he adding his fidlers muſick, the people their bows, arrows, and what improved the ſolemnity, their wives, as ſoon as he came on ſhore, he diſtributes thoſe Nuts whereof 500 buyeth a wife, among his friends, as a token of his joy in his new honour (Nuts that have yet nothing to recommend them, but that they are ſo bitter, that they ſet over their river water, and makes it ſweet to him that eats them.

This done, as an hanſell of his office, he goeth to the Kings houſe, who ſate without doors, their faſhion being as ſoon as it is dark, to make a fire of reeds without doors, and the beſt ſort to have mats, on which to ſit down and uſe their Ceremonies; he placed our Captain by the King, and went himſelf ſix paces off, right before him, and made a ſpeech, which one repeats after him as he ſpeaks, to intreat his kinde uſage of the White men; the King anſwered with a like ſpeech, giving us liberty to ſhoot any thing on the Land, and none ſhould offend us; Achor zano kneeled down and gave him thanks, ſending him in our behalf Corall and Chriſtal; whereupon the King made a long ſpeech, concluding that he would give the place we were in for ever; upon which gracious ſpeech, our Alcade pulled off his ſhirt to thank him, and kneeled down naked, untill diverſe Marybuches with their hands, raked up a heap off of the ground, upon which he lay flat upon his belly, and covered him with the earth lightly, from head to heel, when with his hands he threw the earth round about amongſt us all; and the Marybuches gathered a round heap again together, and compaſſing it with a round ring of the ſame earth, bad him write with his finger, as much as the round would contain. Which done, our Alcade, Achor zano took of that earth in his mouth and put it forth again, and then he and our two Marybuches or Waiters, brought their hands full of the ſame earth into our laps; after which ceremonies, preſenting their bows and arrows on their knees, they withdrew, only they made their ſeveral ſpeeches (for every one of faſhion muſt needs make his ſpeech when they meet) and led about ſome dances, after which we were Maſters of that land, and friends to the great Tivil.

A Relation of ſuch perſons as got wonderful Eſtates by their Trade to Guinney.

I. SIr John Tintam and Sir Pierce Fabian in the year 1481. in the daies of Edward the 4th. Sir John Tintam, and Sir William Fabian, the great Mathematicians and Geographers of thoſe times, having Spirits above the model of their age, and the narrowneſs of their Fortunes; and hearing of the Portugals rich diſcoverie upon the Coaſt of Guinney, and Terra Nigritarum (as Keckerman confeſſeth) that wee are the beſt adventurers in the world) joyned heads and purſes to ſet out ſome Engliſh Veſſels with Hanſe Towns Marriners, for the Trade of Guinney, while they were ſetting out, John the ſecond, King of Portugal, upon the French-mens ſuggeſtion, (with whom wee had great Sea-fights at that time, and by fighting with whom, wee grew expert at Sea) ſent Ruyde Souſa, with Dr. de Elvas, and Fardinando de Pira, to confirme the ancient League with England, and deſire the King to diſſolve the fore ſaid Fleet, which the King did, but the Duke of Medina Sidonia, encouraged the fore-ſaid Gentlemen, inſomuch that they appeared at Cape Verde, the 5th of March 1482. and making no ſtay there, crept along the Coaſt to Rio de Feſtos the 8th. of April, whence all the French on the Coaſt fled upon the firſt ſight of them, they Trafficking ſecurely, and underſtanding of the Negroes, the ſtate of the Countrey, who directed them to Rio de Pontis, and to the River St. Andras, where a great Ship and Carvel of the King of Portugal ſhot at them, but they getting to the formoſt of them, ſliped between them and the Caſtle De tres Punctos, where the Engliſh beat them, to the no ſmall joy of the Negroes, as well as the ſecurity of themſelves, whom the Inhabitants invited to Mowre, ſome three leagues behinde, where they ſaid was the beſt place to Trade with them; conſidering the ſtrength of the Portugez, whither they brought more Gold than they knew what to do with: Here they had a hundred pounds worth of Pewter, ſixty five of Tin and Braſſe; an hundred twenty four pound, thirteen ſhillings ſix pence of Iron: For which they carryed away two hundred ſixty ſeven Elephants teeth, weighing two thouſand ſeven hundred fifty eight pound; and Grains ſixty five Buts full, all along the Coaſt of Rio de Feſtos, and Rio de Barbos, which at laſt they improved to a Million, half whereof they payed the Duke their Patron, and half they divided among themſelves, who were within three years able to buy their Traffick with Portugal, and their peace with England, putting up an hundred thouſand pounds a piece in their purſes: For Sir P. Fabian Nephew to Sir William, dyed the richeſt Subject in Medina.

Of Van Heer Vizkſted,

II. THe next Inſtance is a Dutch-man, who was left at Cormantin, May the third, 1562. who bearing affection to a young Maid, broke it to her friends, who appointed the two young Parties to run a race together, the Maid being allowed in the ſtarting, the advantage of a third part of the Race; as the manner of that Country is, wherein the Maid being willing, the Dutch-man prevailed, and Married her: Whereupon hee is made a Factor between the Negroes and the Dutch, and in ten years time, by the very gifts that were beſtowed upon him, he returned to Holland with twenty thouſand pound in two Veſſels, and not long after, lives to break for an hundred and fifty thouſand pound, whereof he paid nine in the hundred, and died worth fifty thouſand pound.

Alfonſo Albuquerque.

III. THe third Inſtance is a Portugez, who bound for Guinney was ſtruck on ground, yet wave follows not wave faſter, than wonder, doth wonder, in the preſervation and advancement of this man: For 1. Hee and twelve more, got into a ſmall Boat of a tun and a half, which had but one Oare to work withal. 2. They were ſixty Leagues from Land, and the weather ſo foul, that it was not poſſible for a Ship to brooke half a courſe of Sail. 3. The Veſſel being over-ſet Don Alphonſo made a motion to caſt Lots, that thoſe four who drew the ſhorteſt, ſhould be caſt over-board, the people were contented, onely they provided, that if the Lot fell upon Alphonſo, he ſhould notwithſtanding bee preſerved, as in whom all their ſafeties were concerned. 4. Brave Alphonſo refuſed that kindneſſe; vowing, that they ſhould live and dye together. 5. It pleaſed God, that two of the Paſſengers dyed. 6. For five daies and nights, they ſaw the Sun and Stars but once, ſo that they onely kept up their Boat with their ſingle Oare; going as the Sea drove it. 7. Four daies they were without ſuſtenance. 8. About three a Clock the fifth day, they came on the South of Guinney, within halfe an hour after their Landing, the winde turned North-ward, which if it had done any of the ſix daies they were afloat, they had never ſaved themſelves. 9. The very Infidels were civil to them, after ſome general and wary account they gave of themſelves, eſpecially for two things, Alphonſo had by him: Firſt A Cat to catch their Mice, and ſecondly, an Oyntment to kill their Flies, for both which, the King of the place gave him his weight in gold, which he improved within five years, to ſixty thouſand pound upon the place, returning to Portugal, after 15. years traffick the third man in the Kingdome.

John Towers.

IV. THe fourth inſtance is an Engliſhman, and an Apprentice of London, who ran from his Maſter, May the firſt, 1551. with forty pounds in mony, and ſome rings, wherewith he got to Antwerp, where hee liſted himſelf in a Guinney ſhip, as a Chaplams boy in which capacity, he was Landed at Mina, where his Maſter dying, and leaving him his part of the fraught, the youth traded ſo ingenuouſly, that the company left him there, to diſcover the Country; which he did ſo effectually, that when Queen Elizabeth gave Tho. Gregory of Taunton, and Will. Pope a Pattent, for 10. years, to Traffick to Guinney from the Northern-moſt part of the River Nonnia, to the Southern-moſt part of the rivers, Madrubanda and Sierra Leona; and to other parts, as well to the South-Eaſt, as to the North-Weſt, for a certain number of Leagues therein ſpecified, which amount to an hundred or thereabout, they found that this perſon was head King of Tombuto, three years before, having left an hundred Millions of Gold, among forty Children he had gotten of the Negroe women, not one whereof enjoyed any of his Royalty, nor could they endure an Europian.

FINIS.