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

The empire of Monomotapa, the fourth generall part of the lower Ethiopia.

BEnomotapa, Benomotaxa, or Monomotapa is a large empire, so cal∣led after the name of the prince thereof, who in religion is a Gentile, and for extension of dominions, and military forces, a renowmed and mightie emperour; in the language of whose subiects an emperour is signi∣fied by this word Monomotapa. This empire of his lyeth, as it were, in an Island which containeth in compasse seuen hundred and fiftie, or (as some thinke) one thousand leagues, being limited on the north-west by the great lake whereout Nilus springeth; on the south, by the riuer Magnice and the tributarie kingdome of Butua or Toroa; on the east it hath the sea-coast and the kingdome of Sofala, which in very deed is a member thereof; and the North part abutteth vpon the riuer of Cuama, and the empire of Mohene∣mugi. That part of this great Island which lyeth betweene the mouth of Cu∣ama, and the cape de los Corrientes, is a very pleasant, holesome, and fruit∣full country. And from the said cape to the riuer of Magnice, the whole re∣gion aboundeth with beasts both great and small; but it is cold by reason of the sharp brizes which come off the sea; and so destitute of wood, that the people for fewel are constrained to vse the dung of beasts, and they apparel themselues in their skinnes. Along the banke of the riuer Cuama are diuers hilles and downes couered with trees, and vallies likewise watered with ri∣uers, being pleasantly situate, and well peopled. Here are such plenty of Ele∣phants, as it seemeth by the great quantitie of their teeth, that there are yeerely slaine betweene foure and fiue thousand. Their elephants are nine cubites high, and fiue cubites in thicknes: They haue long and broad eares, little eyes, shorte tailes, and great bellies: and some are of opinion, that Ethiopia yeeldeth as many elephants, as Europe doth oxen. The townes and villages of this empire are very few, and their buildings are of wood and clay, couered with thatch. None may haue doores to their houses but onely great personages. Their principal cities are Zimbas, and Benamataza, the first whereof is one and twentie, and the second fifteene daies iourney from Sofala. They serue this emperour at the table vpon their knees: to sit before him, is all one, as with vs for a man to stand vpon his feete, neither may any presume to stand in his presence, but onely great lords. He is tasted vnto, not before, but after he hath eaten and drunke. For his armes he hath a spade and two dartes. Tribute he taketh none, but onely certaine daies seruice and giftes presented vnto him; without which there is no appearing in his sight. Hee carrieth, whithersoeuer he go, foure hundred dogs, as a most sure and trustie guard. Hee keepeth all the heires of his tributary princes, as vassals, and as pledges of their fathers loialtie. There are no prisons in al his empire:

for sufficient testimonie being brought of the commission of any crime, iustice is executed out of hand: and of all offences none are punished with greater seueritie and rigour, then witchcraft, theft, and adulterie. His people are of a meane 〈◊〉〈◊〉, blacke, and well proportioned. They are Gentiles in religion, hauing no idols, but worshipping one onely God whom they call Mozimo. They go apparelled in cloth of cotton, either made by them∣selues, or brought from other countries: howbeit the king will in no case weare any forrein cloth for feare of poison or such like trecherie: and the meaner sort of his subiects are clad in beasts skins. Among all the armies and legions of soldiers, which this emperour (for the defence of his great estate) is forced to maintaine, his Amazones or women warriers before mentionied are the most valiant, being indeed the very sinewes and chiefe strength of all his militarie forces. These women, after the manner of the ancient Scythish or Asiatike Amazones, so much spoken of in histories of former times, seare off their left paps, that they might not be an hinderance vnto them in their shooting. They are most expert in warlike stratagems, and swift of foote. Their weapons are bowes and arrowes. At certaine times for generations sake they accompany with men; sending the male children home to their fathers, but keeping their daughters vnto themselues. They inhabite towards the west, not farre from the beginning of Nilus, in certaine places which themselues make choise of, and which are graunted vnto them by the fauour of the Emperour.

This empire of Monomotapa comprehendeth not onely the foresaid great island, but stretcheth it selfe farther also toward the cape of Buena esperanca, as farre as the kingdomes of Butua or Toroa, which being go∣uerned by particular lords, do acknowledge Monomotapa for their soue∣raigne. Throughout all this emperours dominions is found infinite quan∣titie of gold, in the earth, in the rockes, and in the riuers. The gold-mines of this countrey neerest vnto Sofala are those of Manica, vpon a plaine enui∣roned with mountaines; and those also in the prouince of Matuca, which is inhabited by the people called Battonghi, and situate betweene the Equi∣noctiall line and the Tropique of Capricorne. These mines are distant from Sofala, betweene the space of 300. and sixe hundred miles: but those of the prouinces of Boro and Quiticui are fifteene hundred miles distant towards the west. Others there are also in the kingdomes of Toroa or Butua: so that from hence or from Sofala, or from some other part of Monomotapa, some are of opinion, that Salomons gold for the adorning of the temple at Ierusalem, was brought by sea. A thing in truth not very vnlikely: for here in Toroa, and in diuers places of Monomotapa are till this day remaining ma∣nie huge and ancient buildings of timber, lime and stone, being of singular workemanship, the like whereof are not to be found in all the prouinces there abouts. Heere is also a mightie wall of fiue and twentie spannes thicke, which the people asoribe to the workemanship of the diuell, being accoun∣ted from Sofala fiue hundred and ten miles the neerest way. All other

houses throughout this empire (as is aforesaid) consist of timber, claie, and thatch. And heere I may boldly affirme, that the ancient buildings of this part of Africa, & along the coast of the east Indies, may not onely be compared, but euen preferred before the buildings of Europe. The authors of which ancient monuments are vnknowen: but the later African buil∣dings haue beene erected by the Arabians. In the time of Sebastian king of Portugale, the emperour of Monomotapa and many of his nobles were baptized: howbeit afterward being seduced by certaine Moores, hee put Gonsaluo Silua to death, who conuerted him to the Christian religion. Whereupon Sebastian king of Portugall sent against him an armie of sixteene thousand, consisting for the most part of gentlemen and men of qualitie, vnder the conduct of Francisco Barretto. The Monomotapa be∣ing afraid of the Portugall forces, offered Barretto as good and acceptable conditions of peace as might be desired: but he not contented with reason, was quite ouerthrowne, not by his enimies, but by the vnholesome aire of Ethiopia, and by the manifold diseases which consumed his people.

Notes

• Some will haue Magnice and Cuama to be two branches of one mightie ri∣uer springing out of the great lake; which be∣ing so, they must quite separate Monomotapa from the same lake.
• This place both in regard of the name and situation may seeme to haue been Agysimba mentioned by Ptolemey.
• * Mine author here setteth downe too great a number.