The vvorke of Pomponius Mela. the cosmographer, concerninge the situation of the world wherein euery parte, is deuided by it selfe in most perfect manner, as appeareth in the table at the ende of the booke. A booke right plesant and profitable for all sortes of men: but speciallie for gentlemen, marchants, mariners, and trauellers, translated out of Latine by Arthur Golding Gentleman.

Of Ethyope.

The tenth Chapter.

BEyond them dwell the Ethyopians. The Meriones haue the Land which Nylus em∣braceth about, in the first windlasse that he fetcheth, where he maketh an Iland. Some of them (because they liue halfe as long a∣gaine almost as we doo) are called Macrobians: and some of them (because they came out of Egipt) are named Auto∣males.

They are beautifull of personage, streight bodied, and somewhat more honourable of countenaunce, then other men, as the followers of most excellent vertues. It is a custome among them, to choose him that they will obey, by his beautie and strength. Among them is more Gold then among the Persians, and therefore they count that to be the preciouser▪ whereof they haue the lesse store. They make their ornamentes of Brasse, and their fetters for offenders of Golde. There is a place continuallie furnished with meates readie dressed to eate, and because euerie man may eate thereof at his pleasure, they call it the Table of the Sunne, and they affirme that such thinges as are set there in Messes, doo come thither by the prouidence of God.

There is a Lake, with the water whereof▪ if men washe themselues, their bodies become as crispe and shining as if they were annointed with Oyle. Yet is the same droonke also: and it is so shéere, and so weake to beare vp thinges

that fall into it or are borken into it, that it is not able to beare vp the leaues that fall from the Trées about, but that by and by they sincke down to the very bottome. There are also most cruell beasts, as Licaons spotted with all kinde of colours, and Sphinxes in such sort as we haue read of them. There are also wonderfull Birdes, as Tragopomones which haue hornes, and Pegasies which haue eares like hor∣ses. But as men sayle along the coastes into the Eastward, they méete with nothing worth remembraunce, all is wast, all is full of stéepe cliffes, and there are rather bankes then shores. From thence is a great Coast inhabited. It was a doubtfull matter a good whyle, whether there were a Sea beyond, and whether the land might bee coasted a∣bout, or whether Affricke béeing altogether voyd of fruite, extended so farre as that there were none ende of it. But Hanno of Carthage béeing sent by his countrimē to search the coastes, when he had passed out at the mouth of the O∣cean, saylinge about a great parte thereof, reported that he wanted not Sea roome, but victuall. And in the time of our graundfathers, one Eudoxus fléeing from Latirus King of Alexandria, passed out of the gulfe of Arabia, and (as Nepos affirmeth) was brought by this Sea euen vnto the Gads, by meanes whereof some thinges of that coast are come to knowledge. Beyond those places which wée sayd euen now to bée desert, there are dumbe people which vse signes in stéede of spéeche. Some haue no sound of tongue: some haue no tongue at al: some haue their lippes growing together, sauing that they haue little rounde pipeholes in their Nosethrilles at which they sucke in drinke: and when they haue list to eate, they are reported to drawe in one graine of Corne at once, which groweth euery where. There are people towhom (before y^e comming of Eudoxus) fire was so vnknowne, that they were wonderfully deligh∣ted with the vse thereof, and gladly embraced the flames and put burning coales in their bosomes, vntill such time as they felt it hurt them. Aboue them the shore fetching a great compasse, encloseth a great Ile, wherein are reported

to bée none but women, heary ouer al their bodies, which of their owne nature beare children without the companie of men: and they bée of so f••erce and boystous kind, that some of them can scarce be restrained from strugling, no not e∣uen with chaines.

This report was made by Hanno, and because he brought home the skinnes of some that hée had killed: hée was the beter beléeued. Beyond this gulfe is a highe Hill called of the Gréekes Gods Chariot, which burneth with continuall fire. Beyond this mountaine is another Hill with a long ridge fresh and gréene, lying all along the Sea side, from whence is a prospect into a Champion Countrie of much more widenesse, then that a man may sée to the ende of it. The opinion of the Pannes and Satires tooke credit herevp∣pon, for that whereas in this quarters, there is nothing til∣led or husbanded, no place for men to dwell in, nor print of mans foote, but a day times waste solitarinesse, and there∣withall more waste silence: in the night time there appear•• many blasing ••ires, and as it were Campes pitched farre a∣brod, with noise of Trumpets and Dromes, and Shalmes, which are heard much lowder then those that men vse.

Then againe are the Aethiopians, not ritch as those wée spake of heretofore, nor like them in bodies, but lesser, vn∣nurtured, and called by the name of Westerne Aethiopi∣ans▪ In the Countrie of these men is a fountaine supposed of some to bée the head of Nile. The inhabiters call it Mu∣chull, and it may séeme to bee all one name with Nilus, though more corruptly pronounced of the barbarous pople. It nourisheth a Riuer also, which breedeth the same kindes of beastes that Nile dooth, though somewhat lesser: whereas all other runne toward the Ocean, this onely Riuer goeth into the hart of the land toward the East, and no man can say where his issue is.

Herevpon it is coniect••red, that Nilus béeing conceiued in this spring, and caried foorth a while through wailess•• places, and therefore vnknowne where he becommeth, sheweth himselfe againe when he hath procéeded into the

East: but by meanes of béeing hidden so longe, it comes to passe, that men thinke that this fountaine runneth to some other place then to Nile, and that Nile springeth from some other head then from this fountaine. Among them is bred a beast of no great bignesse, but hauing a great and ouergreat béetle head, and therefore hanging his muzell (for the most part) alwayes downeward to the ground, called a Cato∣blepe, worthie to be intreated of for his singular power. For whereas by stinging or bitinge hee is able to doo no harme at all, yet to behold his eyes is present death. Ouer against them are the Iles Gorgones, sometime (by report) the dwelling place of the Gorgones. The maine land it selfe taketh his ende at a promontorie, called Hesperion∣keras.

Notes

• The goodlinesse of the Inhabiters of Meroe, and of their customes.
• The Table of the Sunne.
• A s••raunge Lake.
• Straunge beasts.
• Straunge Birdes.
• The voyage of Hanno Captaine of Carthage a∣bout the coast of Affricke.
• The Iourney of Eudoxus.
• Speechlesse peo∣ple.
• People vnac∣quainted with fyre.
• A straunge kind of Women.
• A Hill called Gods Chariot.
• Pannes and Sa∣tires.
• The Westerne Aethiopians.
• The head of Nilus.
• The beast called Catoblepe.
• The Gorgon Ile••
• The Western•• horne