The estates, empires, & principallities of the world Represented by ye description of countries, maners of inhabitants, riches of prouinces, forces, gouernment, religion; and the princes that haue gouerned in euery estate. With the begin[n]ing of all militarie and religious orders. Translated out of French by Edw: Grimstone, sargeant at armes.

[ A] ¶ The Qualitie.

ACcording to the opinion of the Auncients, this countrie was inhabitable, for that [] they held all that was vnder the burning Zoane (where they place this countrie) to be so burnt vp, as there was no meanes to liue there. But experience hath proued the contrarie, as Edward Loup a Portugal doth witnesse, who liued long in those parts, with many other Portugals. This Authour reports, That the ayre is so temperat, as Winter is like vnto Autumne, at Rome; so as they change not their garments, neither doe they [ B] seeke for any fire in that season. The tops of mountaines are free from any sharpe cold; and generally in Winter the heat is greater than in Sommer, by reason of the raine which falls continually, especially for the space of two houres before noone, and as much after: And this is the heat that is most insupportable to the men of Europe when they come there.

The night is in a manner equal to the day, and throughout the yeare they obserue ve∣rie little difference. They haue their Winter when we haue the Spring: it begins the fif∣teenth day of March, and Sommer in the middest of September. The raine continues fiue moneths, during Aprill, May, Iune, Iulie, and August: you shall seldome see a cleare day during that time; and raine poures downe so aboundantly, as it is in a manner admi∣rable; [ C] all the moysture being consumed, and drunke vp by the pores of the dried and par∣ched ground. Sommer, on the other side, is exceeding drie, and it seldome raines during all that season. This is the reason why that riuers are filled vp with a thicke and muddie water, and ouerflowing the land, leaues vpon it that grosse humour.

In Sommer, they haue the winds, whic Iulius Caesar, and Hippocrates before him, called Etesies: the Portugals giue it the name of Mestro, or Generall, for that they be com∣mon to that countrie, and we take them for the Easterly winds. This wind causeth raine by the agitation of mists vpon the tops of mountaines, for being encountered, they dis∣solue into raine, and fall to the ground: And commonly they see mists vpon the tops of mountaines, whenas raine approcheth. This continuall raine causeth the swelling of the riuers of Nyle, and Nyger, or Senega, and others of this countrie, which discharge them∣selues [ D] into the Ocean or Mediterranean Seas, and doe moysten and fatten the countries which they water. Wherefore, there f••lling such aboundance of raine during their Win∣ter, which is our Sommer, as well in the realme of Congo, as in the countries of Presbiter Iohn, it is no wonder at the swelling and inundation of the riuers: yet in Aegypt, and in the driest countries wich are neuer watered with raine, except the country which is about Alexandria, they hold the swelling of Nyle for admirable, which neuer failes at a cer∣taine time of the yeare to come and fatten their lands with a slime and muddie water, the which otherwise would yeeld no fruit, vnlesse they are watered after this manner: by rea∣son whereof, in former times they did sacrifice to Nyle, giuing it the name of good An∣gell, [ E] as Prolome doth witnesses; and the Christians at this day which dwell in those coun∣tries, hold the inundation of Nyle for a myraculous thing, without the which they should be famished. Wherefore, the West and North-West, which blowes here in the Sommer season, during the which they haue their Winter, gathers mists and vapours to∣gether vpon the tops of mountaines, and calls the raine, which there doth temper the Winter, by reason of their hot vapours. It is the raine therefore that doth commonly cause the swelling of Nyle, and of other riuers of those countries.

But whenas those people haue their Sommer, their winds are contrarie, being South-East or North East, the which are cold winds, and refresh the grounds as they doe in our countries: for it makes their skie cleare, whereas they cause mists with vs▪ and threatens [ F] raine, by a naturall disposition of the ayre, ground, and climat. And without doubt if this wind did not coole and refresh the countries of Congo, and Aethiopia, the heat would be insupportable. The inhabitants of Greece, Candie, Cypres, Natolia, Syria, and Aegypt, enioy the same wind.

You must all obserue, that no snow falls vpon the mountaines of Aethiopia, Congo,

and the neighbor countries, but vpon those which are towards the Cape of good Hope, [ A] or vpon those which the Portugalls call the mountaines of Snow. If the realme of Con∣go had snow or yce, without doubt one of these two would be more esteemed than gold, for that by this meanes they might refresh their drinke: wherefore, we must conclude, that it is contrarie to the truth to affirme, that the riuers encrease when the snow melts, for that the continuall raine during fiue moneths, is the cause.

[ III] The chiefe riuer of these countries is that of Zaire, which comes from the second lake of Nyle, and is verie great among all them of Africke. It is eight and twentie miles broad at the mouth. She makes diuers great Islands in her course, and among others receiues the riuer of Vambe and Barbela, which come from the first lake; and also, many others [ B] which haue their springs in the lake of Aquelond.

The principall are Coanze, which bounds the realme of Congo, and Angola: and Lelonde, which ingenders Crocodiles, and Sea-horses, from the which the Island of hor∣ses hath taken her name. It doth also ingender a fish called Hogge, which are so great and fat, as there are some of fiue hundred weight, or more.

The Hippopotame, or horse of the riuer, is tawnie, hath little haire, and leapes to land to feed, and in the day time returnes to the water. The Afrikans make some of them tame, and they are exceeding swift, but they must not passe ouer deepe riuers, for they [ III] will presently diue. There doe also ingender in those riuers certaine water oxen, which liue for some dayes vpon the land. The aboundance of water, together with the heat, by [ C] reason of the neerenesse of the Sun, makes the countrie exceeding fertile, and to abound in plants, fruit, hearbes, and graine, and it would yeeld much more, if the industrie of the inhabitants did helpe nature.

But let vs come to the particularities of the prouinces which we haue described, ha∣uing discoursed in general of all these countries.

In the prouince of Bamba, there is a mountaine, where they find many mynes of sil∣uer, and other mettalls. They haue also in this countrie many Elephants, by reason of the many forests, and riuers. These Elephants are exceeding great, for that they grow vnto the middest of their age, and they liue commonly vnto the age of one hundred and fiftie yeares. [ D]

Those which we haue seene in Portugall, and elswhere in Europe, were lesse, for that they were brought away too young. The greatnesse of these beasts may be conceiued by their teeth, which haue beene gathered vp, whereof some haue beene two hundred weight. In the language of Congo, the Elephants tooth is called Mene Manzao. The young Elephants are called Moana Manzo. Their eares are not lesse than the greatest Turkish targets; the greatest are six foot long, fanshioned like an egge, and they are narrow towards the shoulder. With the motion of their eares and tayle, they driue away flies, and they kill them when they rest vpon them, drawing together their skin. The haire of their tayle is verie thicke, and like to little blacke shining reeds, and those of the youn∣ger are the fairest and strongest, and of greater price. [ E]

Without doubt the Auncients did not know the nature of the Elephant, whenas they said they could not bend their hammes, and therefore they did leane against some tree to sleepe, and by this meanes were easie to be taken: for the Portugals and Flemings haue seene the contrarie, for they get vp into trees drawing vp their haunches to gather leaues orboughes, or stoope easily downe when they drinke in any place where the water is low, the which they could not doe if they had no joynts.

This prouince hath Tygres of the same forme we see them painted in these parts. These beasts, as Edward doth witnesse, doe neuer set vpon white men, but they often assaile the Negroes; so as at a time finding two men, the one white, and the other blacke, slee∣ping together, these beasts did furiously fall vpon the blacke man, and neuer offered to [ F] hurt the white. Whenas they are prest with the sharpenesse of hunger, they fall vpon tame cartell, whenas they find nothing in the field. The people of Congo call them En∣goi. They hold that the arme holes of this beast are venimous, and that if any eats them, he dyes mad.

[ A] The same prouince breeds another beast called Zebre by the inhabitants, the which is like vnto a mule, but it ingenders. Finally, the disposition of the haire is very strange; for from the ridge of the backe to the bellie, there are lines or strikes of three colours, white, blacke, and yellow, all being ordered by a just proportion, and euery strike being of the breadth of three fingers. These beasts multiplie greatly, for that they haue young euery yeare. They are wild, & exceeding swift; so as the Portugals among their prouerbs, haue that of the swiftnesse of the Zebre. This beast being made tame, might serue for a horse in the war, bearing and drawing men and burdens, to the end we may see how God hath prouided for things necessarie.

[ B] But for that this countrie wants horses, and the inhabitants haue not the art to make the Zabre tame, nor know how to vse oxen, notwithstanding they haue many in these countries: the men do the office of beasts; for being set at the corners of streets or high∣waies, they carrie litters or chaires: so as they that are to make a journey speedily, change the men often that carrie them, and by this meanes they soone dispatch the way they are to go.

They do also find other beasts, whereof some are as big as an oxe, others are lesse, which they call Empalanges: then they haue wild bugles or oxen, woolues which smell very farre off, and which doe exceedingly loue a certaine oyle which they draw out of palme trees. Moreouer, they haue foxes, stags, goats, conies, and hares, in great aboundance, for that they pursue them not to death when they hunt, as they doe in Europe. They [ C] haue great numbers of Ciuit Cats, the which they take and make tame, to the end they may get the good scent which comes from this beast, the which is wonderfull plea∣sing vnto them.

There are diuers sorts of serpents and vipers, whereof some are fiue and twentie foot long. and fiue broad, hauing the bellie very large, and the throat so wide, as they will de∣uoure a stag, or any other beast of the like bignesse. They liue as well vpon the land as in the water. When they are full they sleepe willingly, and then the inhabitants kill them, and feed vpon their flesh, which they hold to be better than that of any foule. Finally, there are vipers whose poison is so strong, as when they haue bitten any one, he dies within fiue and twentie houres. There are also to be seene certaine beasts as big as a ram, [ D] hauing wings like a dragon, they haue a taile, a long beake, and many rankes of teeth. they liue of raw flesh, and haue but two legs: their skinne is red mixt with greene and blew.

The same prouince hath also camelions, with great store of hens, turkies, peacocks, geese, ducks, tame & wild partridges, phesants, pigeons, turtles, eagles, faulcons, sparrow∣haukes, and pelicans: and this countrie abounds in parrats both greene and gray; and there are great numbers of red birds, which are exceeding faire, with many other kinds of small birds, which sing like vnto them of the Canaries.

The prouince of Congo breeds many elephants, and there are diuers sorts of apes, [ E] the which will play a thousand trickes, seeking to imitat men. There are many kine and diuers of those other beasts whereof we haue made mention. Besides all these things, there growes great store of chrystall, and other mettalls, among the which, the in∣habitants preferre yron.

In the countrie of Pemba, they find yron in that great mountaine whereof we haue made mention in the description of prouinces. The soile of this mountaine is very fruit∣full, by reason of the bountie of the aire. It hath excellent good water, which neuer hurts any man that drinkes it. There is store of grasse, and aboundance of cattell, and fruit trees, which are continually greene. This soile yeelds all kind of graine that is ordinarie in those countries, especially, that which they call Luco, the which they esteeme as [ F] much as we do our best wheat: it is like vnto mustard seed, but that it is somewhat big∣ger. They grind it in a hand mill, and it makes good meale, of a good tast, and very plea∣sing. The bread which is made thereof, yeelds nothing in bountie to ours. There is great aboundance of this graine in Congo, whether it hath beene brought of late yeares

from the countrie whereas Nile hath her spring, especially from that, whereas Nile filles [ A] the second lake.

This prouince doth also beare aboundance of white millet, which they call mazze, that is to say, graine of Congo. It doth also yeeld meaz or Turkie wheat, which they esteeme but little, and the inhabitants call it Mazza Mamprito, that is to say, corne of Portugal. There is store of rice, but they esteeme it not. The same prouince hath diuers fruit trees, whereof the poore people liue, as cytron and lymon trees, which beare fruit of a won∣derfull pleasing tast. There grow bananes, which some hold to be the same that the Aegyptians and Syrians call muse, and some others Indian figs: there tast is very good and pleasing, hauing a sweetnesse mixt with sharpnesse, and it is a good food, and hath [ B] nothing hurtfull.

The fields are full of diuers sorts of palme trees, wereof the one beares dates, and the other nuts. There is also another kind of palme tree, vnlike vnto the other two, from the which, they draw oyle, wine, vineger, fruit, and bread. They dray oyle from the fruit, as from oliues, and this oile hath the colour and substance of our butter: yet it is somewhat greene tending to yellow. They vse it in steed of oile and butter, putting it in their lamps, and rubbing their bodies, that they may run more nimbly. To conclude, it is of great vse in time of necessitie, for that they of these countries which haue trauelled thither, had died for hunger without this oyle. They draw wine from the tops of the trees which they pierce, and then there runs out liquor which is white, cleere, and fresh. First of all it [ C] is sweet, and then it growes sower; so as they may put it vpon their sallets in s••eed of vi∣neger. This liquor being taken fresh prouokes vrine; so as there are few in these coun∣tries that are troubled with grauell or the stone. Moreouer, when they drinke much, it makes them drunke, and doth nourish exceedingly. They make bread of the stones or shells of this fruit, and these stones are fashioned like an almond, but harder. The meat that is within is of a very good tast, and this fruit is greene both within and without, and it is good raw or roasted. There are other trees which beare a fruit called Cola, as big as a pineapple, and somewhat like vnto chestnuts, in the which there be foure stones, the which are red, or incarnat, the which they breake with their teeth, and roule them in their mouthes to disalter them. These fruits being cast into the water, make it sharpe and [ D] pleasing to the tast, they fortifie the stomach, and correct the corruption of the liuer. There are other kinds of wild palme trees, which beare great store of fruit good to eat, and whose leaues serue to couer their cottages, and to make baskets, and other thing ne∣cessarie for the houshould. There are yet other trees called ogegues, which carrie fruit like to yellow plummes, whose tast and smell is very pleasant. Besides these fruits, they haue others which may serue for phisicke, and are also of a good tast, as the Tamarindes, which are sweet and sharpe, and are good against burning feuers. The Moores and Turks which trauell by land, take the pappe of the Tamerinde, and mingle it with water, the which they drinke to coole the liuer, the reines, and the inward parts, as also to keepe the bodie soluble, vsing Cassia for the same effect. This prouince hath Melons, coucum∣bers, [ E] and such like, in great aboundance.

There is moreouer great store of stone, and mountaines of as goodly marble as can be seene, which were sufficient to build a whole Temple: and besides there are mountains of Iaspis and Porphyrie, as also of white marble, and of many other colours, and it is this marble which at Rome they call of Numidia, and of Africke. And in some there grow Iacinth stones, which may easily be seperated from the rest. They may make whole pillars, obeliskes, and other workes, which would be very faire, yea admirable, by reason of the Iacinths which are mixt among the stone. There are other rockes, in which they find mettalls, as brasse which is greene and yellow, whereof they may make goodly sta∣tues, and other things. [ F]

But I am resolued in the conclusion hereof to speake something of the riuer of Zaire, which is the greatest riuer of the realme of Congo, and comes partly from the same lake, from whence Nile hath her spring. This riuer hath such aboundance of water, as

[ A] it is almost incredible, being fiue miles and a halfe broad, before it comes vnto the sea, and when it enters, her water runs among the salt, and looseth not her freshnesse for the space of eight, ten, yea sixteene leagues: whereby Sea men doe easily know where they are. They may go with their boats fiue leagues vp the riuer verie safely, but afterwards they find the water verie violent and forcible, for that the riuers falls in that place from a precipe with a great noyse, like vnto Nyle, and Danowe in some places.

As for the riuer of Lelonde, which runs at the foot of the mountaine, where the roy∣all towne of Congo is built, whenas the raine ceaseth, it dries vp, and one may easily wade ouer it.

[ B] They find vpon the shore of the Island of Loande, certaine cockles, which be gray, and verie glistering; and although there be some vpon the other shores of the realmes of Congo, yet those of Loande are most esteemed. There growes also a strange tree called Ensanda, the which is alwaies greene, and hath many vertues. The branches grow verie high, and there hang downe certaine small threeds, which comming to the ground, take root; so as these trees multiply strangely. Vpon the first barke of this tree, there growes a kind of lynnen cloth, which being made clean, serues to make garments for the common people.

In that part which is neerest to the firme land, there growes certaine trees, at the foot whereof salt water springs vp. There they find oysters as bigge as a mans hand, of a verie good tast, the which are well knowne to the inhabitants, who call them Ambizimitare, [ C] as a man would say, fish of a stoane. Neere vnto this Island, about the exterior part, there are many blacke Whales seene, which commonly make warre together; so as many die, which the inhabitants fish for, and hauing caught them, they take their fat, with the which, being mingled with pitch, they calke their ships. Here they also find many Pil∣chards, and verie great store of Soles, Sturgeons, Mulets, and Crafishes, which are of good substance.