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 customes, rites, and fashions of the citizens of Cairo.

THe inhabitants of Cairo are people of a merrie, iocund, and cheerefull disposition, such as will promise much, but performe little. They exer∣cise merchandize and mechanicall artes, and yet trauell they not out of their

owne natiue soile. Many students there are of the lawes, but very few of other liberall artes and sciences. And albeit their colleges are continually full of students, yet few of them attaine vnto perfection. The citizens in winter are clad in garments of cloth lined with cotton: in summer they weare fine shirts; ouer which shirts some put on linnen garments curiously wrought with silke, and others weare garments of chamblet, and vpon their heads they carrie great turbants couered with cloth of India. The women goe* 1.1 costly attired, adorning their foreheads and necks with frontlets and chaines of pearle, and on their heads they weare a sharpe and slender bonet of a span high, being very pretious and rich. Gownes they weare of woollen cloth with streite sleeues, being curiously embrodered with needle-worke, ouer which they cast certaine veiles of most excellent fine cloth of India. They couer their heads and faces with a kinde of blacke scarfe, through which be∣holding others, they cannot be seene themselues. Vpon their feet they weare fine shooes and pantofles, somewhat after the Turkish fashion. These wo∣men are so ambitious & proud, that all of them disdaine either to spin or to play the cookes: wherefore their husbands are constrained to buie victuals ready drest at the cookes shops: for very few, except such as haue a great familie, vse to prepare and dresse their victuals in their owne houses. Also* 1.2 they vouchsafe great libertie vnto their wiues: for the good man being gone to the tauerne or victualling-house, his wife tricking vp her selfe in costly apparell, and being perfumed with sweet and pretious odours, walketh about the citie to solace her selfe, and parley with her kinsfolks and friendes. They vse to ride vpon asses more then horses, which are broken to such a gentle pace, that they goe easier then any ambling horse. These asses they couer with most costly furniture, and let them out vnto women to ride vpon, toge∣ther with a boy to lead the asse, and certaine footmen to run by. In this citie, like as in diuers others, great store of people carrie about sundrie kindes of victuals to be sold. Many there are also that sell water, which they carrie vp and downe in certaine leather bags vpon the backs of camels: for the citie (as I said before) is two miles distant from Nilus. Others carrie about a more fine and handsome vessell with a cocke or spout of brasse vpon it, hauing a cup of Myrrhe or christall in their hands, and these sell water for men to drinke, and for euery draught they take a farthing. Others sell yoong chic∣kens* 1.3 and other fowles by measure, which they hatch after a woonderfull and strange manner. They put great numbers of egges into certaine ouens built vpon sundrie loftes, which ouens being moderately het, will within seuen daies conuert all the said egges into chickens. Their measures are bottom∣lesse, which being put into the basket of the buier, and filled full of chickens, they lift it vp, and so let the chickens fall into the basket. Likewise such as buie those chickens hauing kept them a few daies, carrie them about to sell againe. The cookes shops stand open very late: but the shops of other arti∣ficers are shut vp before ten of the clocke, who then walke abroad for their solace and recreation from one suburbe to another. The citizens in their

common talke vse ribald and filthie speeches: and (that I may passe ouer the rest in silence) it falleth out often times that the wife will complaine of her husband vnto the iudge, that he doth not his dutie nor contenteth her suffi∣ciently in the night season, whereupon (as it is permitted by the Mahumetan law) the women are diuorced and married vnto other husbands. Among the artizans whosoeuer is the first inuentour of any new and ingenious deuise is* 1.4 clad in a garment of cloth of gold, and carried with a noise of musitians af∣ter him, as it were in triumph from shop to shop, hauing some money giuen him at euery place. I my selfe once saw one carried about with solemne mu∣sicke and with great pompe and triumph, because he had bound a flea in a chaine, which lay before him on a peece of paper for all men to behold. And if any of them chance to fall out in the streetes, they presently goe to buf∣fets, and then a great number of people come flocking about them to see the conflict, who will not depart thence, till they haue reconciled them. Their most vsuall foode is buffles flesh and great store of pulse: when they goe to dinner or supper, if their familie be little, they lay a short and rounde table-cloth: but if their houshold be great, they spread a large cloth, such as is vsed in the halles of princes. Amongst the sundrie sectes of religion in this citie, there is one sect of the Moores called Chenesia: and this sect li∣ueth vpon horse-flesh, so that their butchers when they can heare of any halting or lame iade, buy him foorthwith, and set him vp a fatting, and ha∣uing killed him, the said sect of Chenefia come and buy vp his flesh hand∣smoothe. This sect is rife also among the Turkes, the Mamaluks, and the people of Asia; and albeit the Turkes might freely vse the foode before∣mentioned, yet doe they not inure themselues thereunto. In Egypt and* 1.5 in the citie of Cairo there are permitted fower seuerall sectes, differing each from other both in canon and ciuill lawes: all which sects haue their originall from the religion of Mahumet. For there were in times past fower men of singular learning, who by subtiltie and sharpnesse of wit, founde out a way to make particular deductions out of Mahumets ge∣nerall preceptes. So that each of them would interpret the opinions of Mahumet according to their owne fancie, and would euery man apply them to his owne proper sense; and therefore they must needes disagree much betweene themselues: howbeit growing famous among the com∣mon people in regard of their diuers canons & precepts, they were the first authors and founders of the saide fower sects: any one of which whatsoeuer Mahumetan professeth, cannot renounce the same at his pleasure and em∣brace another sect, vnlesse he be a man of deepe learning, and knoweth the reasons and allegations of both parts. Also there are in the citie of Cairo fower principall iudges, who giue sentence onely vpon matters of great im∣portance: vnder which fower are substituted other inferiour iudges, in eue∣streete of the citie, which decide petie contentions and brabbles. And if the parties which are at controuersie chance to bee of diuers sects, the plaintife may summon and conuent the defendant before the iudge of his

streete: howbeit the defendant may, if he will, appeale from him vnto the highest iudge of all, being placed ouer the fower principall iudges aforesaid, and being gouernour of the sect called Essafichia; and this high iudge hath authority to dispense withal or to disanul the decrees of the fower principal, and of all the other inferiour iudges, according as he shall see cause. Who∣soeuer attempteth ought against the canons and precepts of his owne reli∣gion, is seuerely punished by the iudge of the same religion. Moreouer, al∣beit the priests of the foresaid sects differ very much, both in their formes of Liturgie or praier, and also in many other respects, yet do they not for that diuersitie of ceremonies hate one another, neither yet do the common peo∣ple of sundrie sects fal to mutinie & debate: but men indeed of singular lear∣ning & much reading confer oftentimes togither, & as in priuate each man affirmeth his owne sect to be the best, so likewise do they confirm their opi∣nions by subtile arguments, neither may any man vnder paine of greeuous punishment reproch any of the saide fower ancient doctors. And in verie deed they all of them follow one and the same religion, to wit, that which is prescribed in the canons of Hashari the principall doctor of the Mahume∣tans, which canons go for currant ouer all Africa, and most part of Asia, ex∣cept in the dominions of the great Sophi of Persia; who bicause he reiec∣teth the saide canons, is accounted by other Mahumetans an heretike, and a schismatike. But how such varietie of opinions proceeded from the fowre doctors aforesaid, it were tedious and troublesome to rehearse: he that is desirous to knowe more of this matter, let him read my Commentaries which I haue written concerning the lawe and religion of Mahumet, accor∣ding to the doctrine of Malich, who was a man of profound learning, and was borne at Medina Talnabi, where the body of Mahumet lieth buried: which doctrine of Malich is embraced throughout all Syria, Egypt, and Arabia: wherewith if any man be delighted, let him peruse my foresaide Commentaries, and they will satisfie him to the full. Vpon malefactors they inflict most greeuous and horrible punishment, especially vpon such as haue committed any heinous crime in the court. Theeues they con∣demne to the halter. A murther committed trecherously they punish in manner following: the executioners assistants take the malefactor one by the head, and another by the feete, and then comes the chiefe executioner with a two-hand sword, and cutteth his body in twaine, the one part where∣of adioining to the head is put into a fire full of vnslaked lime: and it is a* 1.6 most strange and dreadfull thing to consider, howe the same dismembred and halfe body will remaine aliue in the fire for the space of a quarter of an hower, speaking and making answer vnto the standers by. But rebels or sedi∣tious persons they flea aliue, stuffing their skins with bran till they resemble mans shape, which being done, they carrie the saide stuffed skins vpon ca∣mels backs through euery streete of the citie, and there publish the crime of the partie 〈◊〉〈◊〉: then which punishment I neuer sawe a more dread∣full, by reason that the condemned partie liueth so long in torment: but if

the tormenter once toucheth his nauel with the knife, he presently yeeldeth* 1.7 vp the ghost: which he may not do vntill he be commanded by the magi∣strate standing by. If any be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for debt, not hauing wherewithall to satisfie the same, the gouernour of the prison paieth their creditors, and sendeth them, poore 〈◊〉〈◊〉, bound in chaines, & accompanied with cer∣taine keepers, daily to begge almes from streete to streete, all which almes redoundeth to the gouernour, and he alloweth the saide prisoners very bare maintenance to liue vpon. Moreouer there go crying vp and downe this* 1.8 citie certaine aged women, who (though that which they say in the streetes cannot be vnderstood) are notwithstanding inioined by their office to cir∣cumcise women according to the prescript of Mahumet: which ceremonie is obserued in Egypt and Syria.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The attire of the women of Cairo.
• * 1.2

  The libertie of the women of Cairo.
• * 1.3

  Birds hatched after a strange manner in Egypt.
• * 1.4

  The reward of new and inge∣nious deuises.
• * 1.5

  Fower seuer all sects of the Ma∣humetan reli∣gion permitted in the citie of Cairo.
• * 1.6

  An horrible kind of execu∣tion.
• * 1.7

  The nauel be∣ing cut is pre∣sent death.
• * 1.8

  Women 〈◊〉〈◊〉.