quest and inquire of Religions. It is a great Peninsula, by one Isth••••••••, or necke of
land betweene the red sea, and Mediterranean, ioyned to the continent, which with
the red sea aforesaid is the Easterne limit of Africa, as the Mediteranean on the North,
and elsewhere the Ocean.
For Nilus is a more obscure, and vncertaine vmpire. It is twice
as bigge as
Europe, and yet not so much peopled: Nature hauing made heere her solitarie place
of retiring, attended by scorching heates, and showers of sands, as a counterfeit of
those heauenly raines, and mouing waters, which the aire and seas afford in other
places.
Such are the many deserts in Africa, onely fertile in barrennesse: although in other
parts it is both fruitfull and populous. The Equinoctiall Circle doth in manner di∣uide
it in the middest. And yet old Atlas neuer sheddeth his snowie haires, but hath
alwayes on his huge and high ••op••es vnmolten snow, whence sometime it is
dispersed as from a store-house, in such incredible quantitie, that it couereth carts,
Horses, and the toppes of trees, to the great danger of the inhabitants: and the
fountaines are so cold as a man is not able to endure his hand in them. Mount
Atlas aforesaid stretcheth from the Ocean,
bearing name of him almost to Egypt.
Other Mountaines of name are those of Sierra, Leona, and the Mountaines of the Moone, &c.
One Lake Zembre, yeeldeth three mightie Riuers, disemboking themselues in∣to
three seuerall seas: Nilus which runneth Northwards fortie degrees from hence,
in Astronomicall reckoning; Cuama which runneth into the Easterne; and Zaire in∣to
the Westerne seas: of which Riuers, and of other like, the Reader shall finde more
in due place spoken.
The Romans reckoned sixe Prouinces in Africa: Ptolomey numbereth twelue. But
then was not Africa so well knowne as now. Iohn Leo
(a Moore, both learned and
experienced) hauing spent many yeares in trauell, diuideth Africa into foure parts;
Barbaria, Numidia, Lybia, and the Land of Negros. Numidia he calleth Biledulgerid,
or the Region of Dates: and Lybia, he calleth Sarra, for so the Arabians call a desert.
But he thus excludeth Egypt, and both the higher and lower Aethiopia, which others
adde hereunto, and make vp seuen parts of Africa.
Many are the
Creatures which Africa yeeldeth, not vsuall in our parts. Ele∣phants
are there in plentie, and keepe in great herdes together: The Giraffa or Ca∣melopardalis;
a beast not often seene, yet very tame, and of a strange compositi∣on,
mixed of a Libard, Hart, Buffe, and Camell,
and by reason of his long legges
before, and shorter behinde, not able to grase without difficultie, but with his
high head, which he can stretch forth halfe a pikes length in height, seemeth to feed
on the leaues and boughes of trees. The Camels in Afrike are more hardie then in
other places; and will not onely beare great burthen, but continue to trauell fiftie
dayes together, without carrying with them any corne to giue them, but turne
them out at night to feed on thistles, boughes, and the little grasse they finde: And
no lesse patient are they of thirst, being able to endure fifteene dayes without drinke
vpon necessitie, and fiue dayes ordinarily. The Arabians in Africa count them
their greatest wealth: for so they defcribe a mans riches, saying, Hee hath so ma∣ny
thousand Camels: and with these they can liue in the deserts without dread of any
Prince.
Of Camels they haue three sorts: the first called Hugiun, of great stature, and
strength, able to carry a thousand pound waight: the second lesle, with two bunches
on the backe, fit for carriage and to ride one; called Becheti, of which they haue one∣ly
in Asia. The third sort, called Ragnahil, is meagre and small, able to trauell (for
they are not vsed to burthens) aboue an hundred miles in a day. And the King of Tom∣buto
can send messengers on such Camels to Segelmesse or Darha, nine hundred miles
distant in seuen or eight dayes, without stay or change by the way.
Their Camels also are docile: they will more be perswaded to hold on a iourney fur∣ther
then ordinary by songs, then blowes. In the spring they are mare-wood, & mad of