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 Mahumetans of Africa in particular.

THe Mahumetan impietie hath spred it selfe throughout A∣frica beyond measure: this pestilence entred into Egypt in the yeere of our Lord 637. by the armes of Omar. From whence a captaine of Odoman first passed into Africa in the yeere 650. with fower-score thousand fighting men, who there defeated Gregorius Patritius. But they perpetually cast out of Africk the Romaines with the people of Absimacus, and Leontius the emperour, in the yeere 699. and wholie impatronized themselues of Barbarie. They pier∣ced into Numidia & Libya in the yeere 710. and ouerthrew the Azanaghi, and the people of Gualata, Oden, and Tombuto. The yeere afterwards 973. hauing passed Gambea, they infected the Negroes, and the first that drunke of their poison were those of Melli. In the yeere 1067. Iaiaia the sonne of Abubequer entred into the lower Ethiopia, and by little and little subuerted those people which confine vpon the deserts of Libya and Egypt, piercing euen to Nubia & Guinea. The Arabiās haue augmēted their sect in Africk, first with force of armes, by banishing of the naturall inhabitants, the which they might well do, by reason of their infinite multitude: and of them, that verse of Dauid may well be vnderstood: In circuitu impij ambulant: secundum altitudinem tuam, multiplicasti filios hominum, &c. The wicked walke round about; according to thy greatnes, thou hast multiplied the sonnes of men. Where they could not come, nor giue no blow with armes; there they haue ingraffed themselues, by preaching and traffike. The heresie of Arrius fur∣thered their enterprize, wherewith the Vandales and Gothes being then in∣habiters of Africa were infected. To further their designments they brought in the Arabicke language and letters. They founded Vniuersities and Stu∣dies, both for riches of reuenew, and magnificence of building most no∣ble, especially in Maroco, and Fez. But there is nothing that hath greatlier furthered the progression of the Mahumetan sect, then perpetuitie of victo∣rie, & the greatnes of conquests, first of the Califas in the east, & afterwards of the Miramolines in Affrick: In that the greatest part of men, yea, and in a manner all, except such as haue fastned their confidence vpon the crosse of Christ, and setled their hope in eternity, follow that which best agreeth with sense, and measure the grace of God by worldly prosperitie. And yet Christ (as Iustinus the Philosopher, and glorious martyr testifieth) promised no earthly reward to good works. Carnal men therefore perceiuing the empire of the Califas and Mahumetans continually to encrease in the east and west, taking into their hands both sea and land, (for this their felicitie in armes continued three hundred yeeres, wherein they conquered all that which lieth betweene the riuer Abianus and the Atlantike Ocean, and sub∣dued Spaine, Sicilia, and a part of Italie and France) and iudging that tem∣porall prosperitie and victories were the effects and fruits, or at least the

arguments and signes of the grace and fauour of God, they easily fell into Apostasie, whereunto the impietie of Arrius and other heretikes opened the way, who for long tract of time estranging themselues more and more from the Euangelicall truth, fell in the end into Atheisme: as we see hath fallen out in the course of some moderne enormities. But to returne from whence we haue digressed; in progresse of time there grew great differen∣ces betweene the Mahumetans: for their sect being no lesse sottish and foolish, then wicked and perfidious, the mainteiners of it were driuen to fetch reasons farre off for defence of the same. But the Arabians not con∣tented in Africa to haue subiugated with armes, and with false doctrine to haue pestered Barbarie, Numidia, Libya, and the countrey of Negroes, they further on the other side assailed the lower Ethiopia, both by sea and land. By lande entred thereinto in the yeere 1067. Faiaia the sonne of Abubequer, and by meanes of certaine Alsachi, he dispersed that pesti∣lence into Nubia, and the neighbour prouinces. On the other side passing the Red sea, they first tooke knowledge of the coast of Ethiopia, euen to Cabo de los corrientes, by their continuall traffike thither: and afterwards being encouraged by the weakenes of the naturall inhabitants, they erected the kingdomes of Magadazo, Melinde, Mombazza, Quiloa, Mozambi∣que, and seazed on some ports of the island of Saint Laurence: and gathe∣ring force by little and little, they enlarged their empire within the land, and established therein the kingdomes of Dangali and Adel. So that on the one side they haue spred their sect, from the Red sea to the Atlantike Oce∣an, and from the Mediterran sea to the riuer Niger, and farther: and on the other, haue taken into their hands all the easterne coast of Africk, from Suez to Cape Guardafú, and from this, euen to that De los corrientes, and the adioining islands. In which places though the people be not altogither Mahumetans, yet haue the Mahumetans the weapons & dominion in their hands; the which how much it importeth for the bringing in of sects, we may easily conceiue. To conclude, they haue often assailed the Prete Ianni; sometimes the Turkes, who haue taken from him the ports of the Red sea; and otherwhiles the Moores, vnder the conduct of the king of Adel, who hath, and doth molest them greatly, leading into captituitie a great number of Abassins, where they become for the most part Mahumetans.