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

Of the towne called Vrbs.

BY the name of this towne it sufficiently appeareth, that the Romans were the first founders thereof. Situate it is vpon the most beautifull plaine of al Africa, which by reason of the abundance of fountaines is so wel stored with corne, that from thence to Tunis (which standeth 190. miles northward of this place) and to other regions adioyning, great plentie of corne is transported. In this towne are to bee seene sundrie monuments of the Romans, as namely images of marble, and euerie where vpon the walles are sentences in Latin letters engrauen: the towne-walles are most artifici∣ally and sumptuously built. This towne the Gothes, being assisted by the Moores, surprised, when as it contained the chiefe treasure and wealth that the Romanes enioyed in all Africa. Afterward it remained for certaine yeeres desolate, being at length notwithstanding inhabited a new, yet so, that it deserueth rather the name of a village then of a towne. Not far from this towne runneth a certaine riuer, vpon the which are diuers water-milles; and this riuer taketh his beginning from a little hill but halfe a mile distant from the towne. All the inhabitants are either weauers or husbandmen, and are continually molested by the king of Tunis. Howbeit if the fertilitie of the soyle, the pleasantnes of the place, and the holesome disposition of the aire, were as well knowne to the king, as they are to my selfe, I thinke verily that he would leaue Tunis, and goe and dwell in this region. The Ara∣bians are well acquainted with the place, for from hence they yeerely tran∣sport great store of corne vnto their deserts.