Purchas his pilgrimage. Or Relations of the vvorld and the religions obserued in all ages and places discouered, from the Creation vnto this present In foure partes. This first containeth a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the Floud ... With briefe descriptions of the countries, nations, states, discoueries, priuate and publike customes, and the most remarkable rarities of nature, or humane industrie, in the same. By Samuel Purchas, minister at Estwood in Essex.

CHAP. XIII.

Of Biledulgerid and Sarra, otherwise called Numidia and Libya,

WE haue now, I suppose, wearied you with so long discourse of that part of Africa on this side Atlas, but such is the difference of the mindes wearinesse, from that of the bodie, that this being wearied with one long iourney, if the same be continued with a second, it is more then tired: the other after a tedious and irkesome way, when another of an∣other nature presents it selfe, is thereby refreshed, and the former wearinsse is with this varietie abated, yea although it be, as this is, from a better to a worse. Euen the mounting vp this cold hill, and thence to view the Atlantike Ocean on the West, Southward and Eastward the deserts, will neither make the soule breathlesse with the steepe ascent, nor faint with so wilde prospects of manifold wildernesses; this of bar∣ren Earth, and that of ba•••• Waters; a third seeming to be mixt of both, a sea without waters, and earth without soliditie, a sand not to hazard shippes with her priuie am∣bushments, but with open violence swallowing men, and disdaining to hold a foot∣print as a testimony of subiection; a winde not breathing aire, but sometimes the higher element in fiery heats, and sometimes the lower in sandie showers: once, a Na∣ture mocking Nature, an order without order, a constant inconstancie; where it is Natures pastime to doe and vndoe; to make mountaines and valleyes, and moun∣taines of valleyes at pleasure. Strange is the composition of these places, but stranger is that of the minde, which feedes it selfe with the cruell hunger, and satiates thirst with the insatiable thirstinesse of these deserts. And whereas the bodie feareth to bee drowned, euen there, where it as much feareth to want water, in this sandy iourney: the Soule (modell of Diuinity, life of Humanitie) feares no such accidents to it selfe, but in a sweetnesse of variety delights to suruey all that her first and ancient inheri∣tance (howsoeuer since by sinne mortgaged and confiscated) and being sequestred from all societies of men, can heere discourse with GOD and Nature in the Deserts. Hither now, after so long a preamble, wee bring you, and at first present vnto your view Numidia, where you shall be feasted with Dates, which haue giuen the name Biledulgerid (that is Date-region) thereundo, and before is made one entire part of seuen, in our a 1.1 diuision of Africa. L••d••ui••us b 1.2 Marmelius writes it Bild el Gerid

The Easterne Border is Eloacat, a City distant 100 miles frō Egypt; the Westerne is the Atlantike Ocean; the Northerne, Atlas; the Southerne Libya. This is the basest part of Africa c 1.3 ; the Cosmographers not deigning it the name of a Kingdom, the inhabitāts

thereof are in many places so farre distant from any other. As for example, Tesset a Citie of foure hundred housholds, is separated from all other habitation three hun∣dred miles. Some places thereof are better peopled. The Numidia described by d 1.4 Pto∣lomey, Mela, and Pliny, is of farre lesse bounds, and is rather a part of Barbary, then of this which we heere describe: called (saith Pliny) Metagonitis, and famous for nothing but Marble and wilde beasts: the Numidae called Nomades of their pastorall life, and change of pastures, carrying their houses on their carts. The Cities whereof were Cyr∣tha, called now Constantina and Iol, now as some write Bugia. The Numidians are notorious for excessiue venery. For the Religion of these, whom Leo termeth Numidi∣ans, he saith, That in old time they worshipped certain Planets, and sacrificed to them: and were like to the Persians in worship of the Sunne, and the Fire, to both which they built Temples; and like the Vestals in Rome, kept the fire continually burning. Chri∣stian Religion began to quench this fire (as is e 1.5 thought) in the Apostles dayes, which af∣ter was peruerted by Arianisme, subuerted by Mahometisme. Iewish religion had heere some footing also, before that Christianity was preached to them.

The Numidians liue long, but lose their teeth betimes (sowre sauce for their sweet Dates) and their eyes also pay vntimely tributes to the sands, which the windes very busily and often send as their searchers and customers, till at last they can see to pay them no more. In all Numidia the French disease (as we terme it) is vnknowne, and in Libya. I haue knowne, saith Leo, an hundred persons that haue beene cured of that malady, onely by passing ouer Atlas and breathing this ayre. This disease was not heard of in Africa, till King Ferdinand expelled the Iewes out of Spaine, & the Moores by lying with the Iewes wiues got the same; and generally infected Barbary, calling it therefore the Spanish disease. The Plague also infecteth Barbary once in ten, fifteene, or fiue and twentie yeares, and destroyeth great multitudes, because they haue little regard or remedy for it. In Numidia it is scarce knowne once to happen in an hundred yeares, and in the Land of Negros neuer. Worse diseases then Pox or Plague possesse the Numidians, namely, ignorance of Diuine, Morall, and Naturall knowledge, Trea∣son, Murther, Robbery, without all respect of any thing. If any of them are hired in Barbary, they are employed in base offices, Scullians, Dungfarmers, and what not? Neither are the Libyans or Negros much better.

Of the Numidians and Libyans are fiue peoples, Zenaga, Guenzaga, Terga, Lemta, and Berdeua, and liue al after the same manner, that is, without manners or order at all. Their garments of base cloath, scarce couer halfe their bodie. The Gentlemen (Gen∣tlemen must pardon me the abasing of the name) to be distinguished from the rest, weare iacket of blew cotton with wide sleeues. Their Steeds are Camels, on which they ride without stirrops or saddles, and vse a goad in stead of spurres, and a lether fa∣stened in a hole bored thorow the gristles of the Camels nose, serues them for a bridle. Mattes made of rushes are their beds, and wooll growing on their Date-trees yeelds matter for their tents. Their food is often-times patience with an empty belly: which when they fill, bread or meat after any sort is absent: Onely they haue their Camels milke, whereof they drinke a dish-full next their heart: and certaine drie flesh sodde in butter and milke, euery one with his hands raking out his share of these dainties, and after drinking the broth; and then drinke vp a cup of milke, and supper is done. Whiles milke lasteth they care not for water, especially in the Spring-time; all which soason, some neuer wash hands or face, because they neuer goe to the places where they may haue water. And the Camels haue ioyned with their masters in this neatnesse, not re∣garding water, whiles they may feed on grasse.

All their life (or that space rather before they die, not worthy the name of life) is spent in hunting, and robbing their enemies; not staying aboue three or foure dayes in a place, as long as the grasse will serue their Camels. They haue ouer euery tribe one, in manner of a King, whom they honour and obey. Very rarely is a Iudge found amongst them, and to him such as are litigious ride sometimes fiue or six dayes iourney. Him will they amply-reward with a thousand duckats, more or lesse by the yeare. As for Letters, Arts, Vertue, they dwell not in these deserts.

They are very iealous, which is the death of many. Yet are they liberall after their man∣ner to strangers, as I my selfe (it is Leo's report) can testifie. For going ouer the deserts with a Carauan of Merchants, the Prince of Zanaga encountered vs with fiue hundred men on Camels, and caused vs to pay our customes: and then inuited vs to his tents. There did he kill many Camels to feast vs, both yong and old, and as many gelt, and Ostriches, which they had taken in the way. And when the Merchants shewed them∣selues loath that he should make such slaughters of them, he said that it were shame to entertaine them with small cattell only, being strangers. So we had roast, and boiled: and bread of Panike, very fine; and Dates great plenty. Hee honored our company with his presence; but he ate together with his Nobles separate from vs: and had with him certaine religious and learned men, to sit with him, which all the meale-time tou∣ched no bread, but only flesh and milke. The reason the Prince gaue vs, because they were borne in the deserts where no corne grew. Only they ate bread on certaine so∣lemne Feasts, as at their Easter, and day of Sacrifices. Thus did this liberall Prince spend on vs ten times the value of his customes. After this manner also liue the Afri∣cans called Soaua.

The Tracts of Numidia f 1.6 most in name, are these: Dara, which extendeth it selfe two hundred and fifty miles in length, where are great store of Date-trees, whereof some are male, and some female; the first brings forth only flowers, the other, fruit. And they take a flowred bough of the male, and engraft it in the female: otherwise, the Dates proue nought, and almost all stone. They feed their Goats with the stones of the Dates beaten, and there with they grow fat, and yeeld store of milke. Segelmesse was built (if any list to beleeue g 1.7 Bicri, an African Cosmographer) by Alexander the Great. Heere were certaine Colleges and Temples. The people of the Country liued on Dates. They haue no Fleas; a small priuiledge, for they haue infinite store of Scorpions.

Fighig, hath industrious and wittie people, whereof some become Merchants, others Students, and go to Fesse, where hauing obtained the degree of Doctors they returne into Numidia, and are made Priests and Preachers, and so become rich. Tego∣rarin hath traffique with the Negros. They water their corne-fields with Well-water, and therefore are forced to lay on much soile. In which respect they will let strangers haue their houses rent-free, onely the dung of themselues and their beasts excepted. They will expostulate with that stranger, which shall in some nicer humour goe out of doores to that businesse, and aske him, if he know not the place appointed thereunto. Heere were many rich Iewes, which by meanes of a Preacher of Telensin, were spoi∣led, and most of them slaine, at the same time that Ferdinand chased them out of Spaine. Techort is a Numidian Towne, exceeding courteous to strangers, whom they entertaine at free-cost, and marry their daughters to them rather, then to the natiues. Pescara is exceedingly insested with Scorpions, whose sting is present death, wherefore the Inhabitants in Sommer time forsake their Citie, and stay in their coun∣trey-possessions till Nouember.

Libya extendeth it selfe from the confines of Eloachat vnto the Atlantike, betwixt the Numidians and Negros. It is one other of the seuen parts, into which we haue di∣uided Africa. The Arabians call it Sarra, that is, a Desert. Pliny h 1.8 in the beginning of his fifth booke, saith, that all Africa by the Grecians was called Libya. Taken in a more proper sense, it is diuersly i 1.9 bounded by the Ancients; and therefore we will heere hold vs to Leo's description. The name Libya is deriued from Libs, a Mauritani∣an King, as some k 1.10 affirme. Herodotus l 1.11 saith, of a woman named Libya. Among the Libyans are reckoned m 1.12 the Libyarchae, Libyophaenices, Libyaegrptij, and diuers other nations, euen of the n 1.13 Ancients accused for want of inward and outward good things, cunning only in spoile and robbery. The Libyans worshipped one Psaphon o 1.14 for their god, induced thereunto by his subtilty. For he had taught birds to sing, Psaphon is a great god; which being set at liberty, chaunted this note in the woods, and easily per∣swaded the wilde people to this deuotion. It was the custome of women to howle in their Temples, p 1.15 whence some of the Bacchanal rites were borrowed by the Grecians. Vnto the Libyans are reckoned those nations, whose barbarous rites are before related

in the seuenth Chapter of this booke. We will now come to later obseruations. q 1.16 Men may trauell eight dayes or more in the Libyan deserts, ordinarily without finding any water. The deserts are of diuers shapes, some couered with grauell, others with sand, both without water: heere and there is a lake, sometime a shrubbe, or a little grasle. Their water is drawne out of deepe pits, and is brackish, and sometimes the sands co∣uer those pits, and then the trauellers perish for thirst. The Merchants that trauell to Tombuto, or other places this way, carry water with them on Camels; and if water faile them, r 1.17 they kill their Camels, and drinke water which they wring out of their guts. Their Camels are of great abilitie to sustaine thirst, sometimes trauelling with∣out drinke twelue dayes or more. Otherwise they were neuer able to trauell thorow those deserts.

In the desert of Azaoad there are two Sepulchres of stone, wherein certaine letters ingrauen testifie, that two men were there buried; one a very rich Merchant, who tor∣mented with thirst, bought of the other, which was a carrier or transporter of wares, a cup of water, for ten thousand duckats, and died neuerthelesse; both buier and seller, with thirst.

Their liues for leaudnesse resemble the Numidians before mentioned, but for length come much short of them, few attaining to sixty yeares. s 1.18 They are (as little need as they haue thereof) often plagued with those clouds of Grashoppers, which couer the aire, and destroy the earth.

The Libyan desert of Zanhaga beginning at the Westerne Occan, extendeth it selfe farre and wide betweene the Negros and the Numidians, to the Salt-pits of Tegaza. From the Well of Azaoad, to the Well of Araoan, an hundred and fifty miles space, is no water; for lacke whereof, many both men and beasts there perish. Likewise in the desert Gogdem, for nine daies iourney no drop of water is found. In the desert of Tar∣ga is Manna found, which the Inhabitants gather in little vessels, and carry to Agadez to sell. They mingle it with their drinke, and with their pottage: It is very holesome. Tegaza is an inhabited place, where are many veines of Salt, which resembles Mar∣ble, they digge it out of pits, and sell it to Merchants of Tombuto, who bring them victuals. For they are twenty dayes iourney from any habitation, the cause that some∣times they all die of famine. They are much molested with the South-east winde, which maketh many of them to lose their sight. Bardeoa was found out lately by one Hamar, a guide vnto a Carauan of Merchants, who lost his way by reason of a mala∣dy which fell into his eyes; yet blinde as he was he rode on a Camel; none else being able to guide them: and at euery miles end caused some sand to be giuen vnto him, whereon he smelled, and thereby at last told them of an inhabited place, forty miles before he came at it: where, when they came, they were denied water, and were for∣ced by force to obtaine it. The Riuers that arise out of Atlas, and by the vnkindnesse of their Kinde, fall this way, finding these thirstie wildernesses to yeeld them the rea∣diest chanells, are trayned alongst by the allurements of the sands, stouping and crou∣ching to them, till being further from witnesses, they are either swallowed vp of great lakes, or else whiles they hold on their pursuit for the Ocean, lose themselues in the search, and whiles they are liberall to the thirstie sands in the way, at last die them∣selues (I cannot say, diue themselues, as elsewhere in the world) for thirst in the deserts. And yet through these way-lesse wayes, doth couetousnesse carry, both the Arabians in their roauings, and Merchants with their Carauans to the Negros for wealth: whi∣ther, I thinke, at last you expect the comming of this our Carauan also.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Lib.6.cap.1.
• b 1.2

  L. Marmelius.
• c 1.3

  Leo lib.1.
• d 1.4

  Ptol. lib.4. Plin.lib. 5 cap 3. P. Mela.l.1.c.6. Olinarius in Melam. Cael. Rhod.lib. 18. cap. 38.
• e 1.5

  Mermannij Theatrum.
• f 1.6

  Leo lib. 6.
• g 1.7

  Bicri an Afri∣can Cosmo∣grapher his er∣rour.
• h 1.8

  Plin.lib. 5.
• i 1.9

  Strabo lib. 17. O••tel Thesaurus.
• k 1.10

  ••••. Coruini Geograph.
• l 1.11

  Herodoti lib.3.
• m 1.12

  Niger. Aph. Com. 3.
• n 1.13

  Isidurus, Orig. lib. 6.
• o 1.14

  Alexand. ab Alex. lib.6.c 4.
• p 1.15

  Cael. Rhod.lib. 12. cap.2.
• q 1.16

  G. Bot. Ben. part.1.lib.3. Maginus.
• r 1.17

  Leo. lib.1.
• s 1.18

  A. Cadamoste.