A geographical historie of Africa, written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More, borne in Granada, and brought vp in Barbarie. Wherein he hath at large described, not onely the qualities, situations, and true distances of the regions, cities, townes, mountaines, riuers, and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa; but also the descents and families of their kings ... gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations, and partly out of the ancient records and chronicles of the Arabians and Mores. Before which, out of the best ancient and moderne writers, is prefixed a generall description of Africa, and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo. ... Translated and collected by Iohn Pory, lately of Goneuill and Caius College in Cambridge

A description of mount Dedes.

THis high and cold mountaine greatly aboundeth with fountaines and woods. Westward it beginneth at mount Magran, extending thence almost as far as the mountaine of Adesan; and southward it bordereth vpon the plaines of Todga. The length thereof is almost fowerscore miles. Vpon the very top of this mountaine there was a citie built in ancient time, whereof a few ruinous monuments are to be seene at this present; namely certaine walles of white stone, wherein are diuers letters and wordes grauen, which the inhabitants themselues doe not vnderstand. Many are of opinion, that this citie was built long agoe by the Romans: howbeit I my selfe could neuer finde so much affirmed by any African writer, nor yet the citie it selfe mentioned. Sauing that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Essacalli in a certaine storie of his maketh mention of Tedsi, which he saith is neere vnto Segel∣messe and Dara: but he declareth not whether it bee built vpon mount Dedes or no. Howbeit for mine owne part I thinke it to be the very same:

for there is no other citie in the whole region. The inhabitants of Dedes are in very deede most base people; of whom the greater part dwell in caues vn∣der the ground: their foode is barly and Elhasid, that is to say, barly meale sodden with water, and salt, which we mentioned before in our description of Hea: For heere is nothing but barly to be had. Goates and asses they haue in great abundance. The caues wherein their cattell lodge are excee∣dingly full of * 1.1 Nitre: so that I verily thinke if this mountaine were neer vnto Italy, the saide Nitre woulde yeerely be woorth fiue and twentie thousand ducates. But such is their negligence and vnskilfulnes, that they are vtterly ignorant to what purposes Nitre serueth. Their garments are so rude, that they scarce couer halfe their nakednes. Their houses are very loathsome, being annoied with the stinking smell of their goates. In all this mountaine you shall finde neither castle nor walled towne: when they builde an house, they pile one stone vpon another without any morter at all, the roofe where∣of they make of certaine rubbish, like as they doe in some places of Sisa and Fabbriano: the residue (as we haue saide) do inhabite in caues, neither sawe I euer, to my remembrance, greater swarmes of fleas then among these peo∣ple. Moreouer they are trecherous and strong theeues, so giuen to stealing and quarrelling, that for one vnkinde worde they wil not onely contend, but seeke also the destruction one of another. They haue neither iudge, priest, nor any honest gouernour among them. No merchants resort vnto them: for being giuen to continuall idlenes, and not exercising any trades or han∣die-crafts, they haue nothing meet for merchants to buy. If any merchant bring any wares into their region, vnlesse he be safe conducted by their cap∣taine, he is in danger to be robbed of altogither. And if the wares serue not for their owne necessarie vses, they will exact one fourth part of them for custome. Their women are most forlorne and sluttish, going more beggerly apparelled then the men. So continual and slauish are the toiles of these wo∣men, that for miserie, the life of asses is not comparable to theirs. And, to be briefe, neuer was I so wearie of any place in all Africa, as I was of this: how∣beit in the yeere of the Hegeira 918. being commanded by one, to whom I was in dutie bound, to trauell vnto Segelmesse, I could not choose but come this way.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or Salt-peter.