Purchas his pilgrimes. part 2 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

§. I.

The iourney by Sea from Lisbone to the Kingdome of Congo: Of the Ayre, Winds, Raines, Temperature thereof.

IN the yeare 1588. when Don Sebastian King of Portugall, embarked himselfe for the Conquest of the Kingdome of Morocco: Edward Lopes borne at Be∣neuentum. (a place foure and twentie miles distant from Lisbone, neere vpon [ 20] the South shore of the Riuer Tagus) sayled likewise in the moneth of Aprill towards the hauen of Loanda, situate in the Kingdome of Congo, in a ship cal∣led S. Anthony, belonging to an Vncle of his, and charged with diuers mar∣chandises for that Kingdome: And it was accompanied with a Patache (which is a small vessell) whereunto the ship did continually yeeld good guard, and ministred great releefe, conducting * 1.1 and guiding the same with lights in the night time, to the end it should not lose the way, which the shippe it selfe did keepe. He arriued at the Island of Madera, belonging to the King of Portugall, distant from Lisbone about sixe hundred miles, where he remained fifteene daies, to * 1.2 furnish himselfe with fresh Victuall and Wine; which in great abundance groweth in that Island, yea and in mine opinion the best in the world, whereof they carry abroad great store [ 30] into diuers Countries, and especially into England. He prouided there also sundry other Con∣fections and Conserues of Sugar, which in that Island are made and wrought both in great quantity, and also singular excellency. From this Island they departed, leauing all the Cana∣ries belonging to Castile, and tooke hauen at one of the Islands of Cape Uerde, called S. Anthony, without hauing any sight thereof before they were come vpon it: and from thence to another cal∣led S. Iacopo, which commandeth all the rest, and hatha Bishop & a Chaplaine in it, that rule and gouerne them: and here they prouided themselues againe of victuals. These Islands of Cape Verde were established by Ptolomee in the Tables of his Geography, to be the beginning of the West, toge∣ther with the Cape or Promontorie which he termeth Cornu vltimum, or the Islands Macarie or Blessed, which we commonly call Fortunate. In these Islands of Cape Verde: the Portugals do often [ 40] arriue, and in those Countries do Trafficke with sundry marchandises, as little balles of diuers coloured Glasse, and other such things, wherein those people doe greatly delight, and Holland cloath, and Caps and Kniues, and coloured Clothes: In exchange whereof they bring backe a∣gaine, Slaues, Waxe, Hony, with other kind of food, and Cotten-cloth of sundry colours.

Now the shippe called S. Anthony, holding on his course, met with the generall windes, * 1.3 and then turned their Prow and their Sayles, by North, and by North-west on the right hand towards the Kingdome of Congo. And sayling on-wards closely with the halfe shippe, they came in twelue dates and twelue nights, to the Island of S. Elena, not looking for the same, nor thinking of it. This Island was so called, because on the Feast day of S. Helena, which falleth [ 50] vpon the third day of May, it was by the Portugals first descried. And as it is very small, so is it (as it were) singular by it selfe: for being situate in the height of sixteene degrees towards the Antarctike, it containeth in compasse nine miles about, and is farre distant from the firme Land.

From the Island of S. Helena, they made sayle with the same weather, and so within the space of seuenteene daies came to the hauen of Loanda, which is in the Prouince of Congo, the winds being somewhat more calme then they were afore. This is a very sure and great hauen, so called of an Island of the same name, whereof we shall speake hereafter.

There are two courses of sayling from the Island of Cape Uerde to Loanda; the one of them now declared, which being neuer vsed afterwards, was at the first attempted and perfor∣med by the same shippe wherein Signor Odoardo went, being then guided by Francisco Mar∣tinez [ 60] the Kings Pilot, a man very greatly experienced in those Seas, and the first that euer con∣ducted vessell by that way: the other is atchieued by passing along the Coast of the firme Land. From the Island of San Iacomo, they came to Cape Das Palmas, and from thence direct them∣selues to the Island of San Thomas, which lyeth vnder the Equinoctiall; so called, because it

was discouered vpon that day, wherein the Feast of that Apostle is vsed to be celebrated. It is distant from the firme Land, one hundred and eightie miles, right against the Riuer, called Ga∣ban, which is so termed because it is in shape very like to that kind of Vesture, that it is called a Gaban, or a Cloke.

The Hauen thereof is fore-closed with an Iland that raiseth it selfe in the Channell of the Ri∣uer, * 1.4 whereunto the Portugals doe sayle with small Barkes from Saint Thomas Iland, carrying thither such things as vsually they carrie to the Coast of Guinea, and from thence carrying backe with them Iuorie, Waxe and Honey, Oyle of Palme, and Blacke-moore slaues. Neere to the I∣land of Saint Thomas, towards the North lyeth another Iland, called the Ile of the Prince, di∣stant * 1.5 from the firme Land one hundred and fiue miles, being of the same condition and Trafficke, [ 10] that the Ile of Saint Thomas is, although in circuit some-what lesse. This Iland of Saint Thomas is in fashion almost round, and in breadth contayneth sixtie miles, and in compasse one hundred and eightie. Very rich it is and of great trafficke, discouered at the first and conquered by the Portugals, at such time as they began the conquest of the Indies. It hath diuers Hauens, but the principall and chiefest of all, whereinto the Vessels arriuing there, doe with-draw themselues, is in the place, where the Citie standeth.

The Iland breedeth an infinite deale of Sugar, and almost all kinds of victuals. In the Citie * 1.6 there are some Churches, and a Bishop, with many Clerkes and one Chaplain or Priest. There is also a Castle, with a Garrison and Artillerie in it, which beate vpon the Hauen, beeing a verie great and a safe Port, where many ships may ride. But a very strange and admirable thing it is, that when the Portugals did first come thither, there was no Sugar there planted, but they brought [ 20] it thither from other Countries: as they did Ginger also, which tooke roote, and grew there in * 1.7 most abundant manner. The soyle indeed is moyst, and as it were appropriated to foster the Su∣gar-cane, which without any other watering, multiplyeth of it selfe, and fructifieth infinitely: the reason whereof is, because the dew falleth there like raine, and moysteneth the Earth.

There are in this Iland aboue seuentie Houses or Presses for making of Sugar, and euery Presse * 1.8 hath many Cottages about it as though it were a Village, and there may bee about some three hundred persons that are appointed for that kind of worke: They doe euery yeare loade about fortie great ships with Sugar. True it is, indeed, that not long agoe the Wormes (as it were a * 1.9 [ 30] plague to that Land) haue deuoured the roots of the Canes, and destroyed the fruits of their Su∣gar, in such sort as now of the fortie ships, they doe not loade aboue fiue or sixe Vessels with that Merchandize.

The Iland of Saint Thomas holdeth Trafficke with the people that dwell in the firme Land, which do vsually resort to the mouthes or entries of their Riuers: The first whereof (to begin withall) is named the Riuer of Fernando di Poo, that is to say, of Fernando Pouldre, who did first * 1.10 discouer the same, and lyeth in fiue degrees towards our Pole. Right against the mouth of it, ri∣seth an Iland of the same name, lying thirtie and sixe miles distant from it. The second Riuer is called Bora, that is to say, Filth: The third, La riuiera del Campo. The fourth, di San Benedetto. [ 40] and the fifth, that of Angra, which in the mouth of it hath an Iland, called di Corisco, that is to say, Thunder. All these doe Trafficke the same Merchandizes, which we mentioned before.

But to returne to the Voyage of Saint Thomas: departing from thence towards the South, we found the Cape of Lupo Gonzale, which standeth in the altitude of one degree beyond the Equi∣noctiall towards the Pole Antarctike, one hundred and fiue miles distant from the foresaid Ile. And from thence they saile with Land winds, creeping still all along the Coast, and euery day casting Anchor in some safe place either behind some point, or else in some Hauen, vntill they come to the mouth of the greatest Riuer in Congo, called in their Tongue Zaire, which signifieth in Latine, Sapio, (in English, I know.) From whence if yee will goe through to the Hauen of Lo∣anda, ye must saile the length of one hundred and foure score miles.

The Kingdome * 1.11 of Congo in the middle part thereof, is distant from the Equinoctiall [ 50] towards the Pole Antarctike (iust where the Citie called Congo doth lye) seuen degrees and two thirds: so that it standeth vnder the Region which ancient Writers thought to be vnhabitable, and called it Zona Torrida.

The habitation there is exceeding good, the Ayre beyond all credit temperate, the Winter nothing so rough, but is rather like Autumne in Rome. The people vse no Furres, nor change of apparell, they come not neere the fire, neither is the cold in the tops of the Mountaynes grea∣ter then that which is in the Plaines: but generally in Winter time, the Ayre is more hot then it is in Summer, by reason of their continuall raines, and especially about two houres before and after noone, so that it can hardly be endured. The men are blacke, and so are the women, and some of them also somewhat inclining to the colour of the wild Oliue. Their hayre is blacke [ 60] and curled, and some also red. The stature of the men is of an indifferent bignesse, and excep∣ting their blacknesse they are very like to the Portugals. The apples of their eyes are of diuers colours, blacke and of the colour of the Sea. Their lips are not thicke, as the Nubians and other Negroes are: and so likewise their countenances are some fat, some leane, and some betweene both, as in our Countries there are, and not as the Negroes of Nubia and Guinea, which are very

deformed. Their nights and their dayes doe not greatly differ, for in all the whole yeare yee shall not discerne the difference betweene them to bee more then a quarter of an houre. * 1.12

The Winter in th••s Countrey (to speake at large) beginneth at the same time, that our sping heere beginneth, that is to say, when the Sunne entreth into the Nor∣therne Signes, in the moneth of March. And at the same time that wee haue our Win∣ter, when the Sunne entreth into the Southerne Signes in the moneth of September, ber, then beginneth their Summer. In their Winter it rayneth fiue monethes almost continual∣ly, that is to say, in Aprill, May, Iune, Iuly and August. Of faire dayes they haue but a few, because the raine falleth so greatly, and the drops of it are so big, as it is a wonder to see. These waters doe maruellously supple the ground, which is then very dry, by reason of the heate of [ 10] the Summer past, wherein it neuer rayneth for the space of sixe monethes together, and after the ground is full, and as it were ingorged with water, then do the Riuers swell beyond all cre∣dit, and are so replenished with troubled waters, that all the Countrey is surrounded by them.

The winds which blow in these Moones through all this Region, are the very selfe-same * 1.13 that Caesar calleth by a Greeke word Etesij, that is to say, Ordinary euery yeare: whereby are meant those winds that in the Card are noted from the North to the West, and from the North to the North-east. These winds do driue the Cloudes to the huge and high mountaynes, where∣vpon they rush with very great violence, and being there stayed of their owne nature, they are afterwards melted into water. So that when it is likely to raine, you shall see the Cloudes stan∣ding [ 20] (as it were) vpon the tops of their highest hils.

And hence ariseth the increasing and augmentation of the Riuers that spring in Aethiopia, * 1.14 and especially of Nilus and others, that discharge themselues into the East and West Ocean. And in the Kingdome of Congo and Guinea, through which runneth the Riuer Niger, so called by the ancient Writers; and by the new, termed Senega, you shall see the said Riuer increase at the very selfe-same time that Nilus doth; but indeed carrieth his waters towards the West, di∣rectly against the Ilands of Cape Uerde, whereas Nilus runneth by the Ile of Meroe in Egypt to∣wards the North, refreshing and watering all those Regions that are full of scorching Heates, and Wildernesses, and Deserts.

Now, for as much as in the Regions of Congo and Aethiopia, it is alwayes woont to raine e∣ry [ 30] yeare at a certaine set time, the swelling and ouer-flowing of the Riuers there, is of no great consideration, nor any strange accident to make account of. But in the Countries, that are farre distant and very dry, as in Egypt, where it neuer raineth (sauing onely in Alexandria, and the Territories thereof) it is accounted a maruellous matter, to see euery yeare so great a quantitie of thicke troubled water come vpon them, from places so remote, at a certaine set time, with∣out missing: which water doth quicken the ground, and ministreth food both to man and beast.

This is then the cause of the increase of Nilus, and other Riuers in that Climate, whereof the Ancients of olde times made so great doubt, and inuented so many Fables and Errours.

But in their Summer, which is our Winter, there blow other winds that are quite opposite [ 40] * 1.15 to the former, euen in Diametro, and are noted in the Carde, from the South to the Southeast, which out of all question must needs be cold, because they breathe from the contrarie Pole Ant∣arctike, and coole all those Countries, euen for all the World as our winds in Summer doe coole our Countries. And whereas, there with them, these winds doe make the Ayre very faire and cleere, so doe they neuer come vnto vs, but they bring with them great store of raine.

And certainly, if the breath of these winds did not refresh and coole these Countries of Ae∣thiopia, and Congo, and other places neere about them, it were not possible for them to endure the heate, considering that euen in the night time they are constrayned to hang two couerings ouer them to keepe away the heate. The same cooling and refreshing by winds, is common also to the Inhabitants of the Ile of Candie, and of the Ilands in Archipelago, and of Cyprus, and of [ 50] * 1.16 Asia the lesse, and of Soria, and of Egypt, which doe liue (as it were) with this refreshing of the fore-said winds of the North-west, and of the West: so that they may well bee called as they are in Greeke, Zepheri, quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, breeders of life.

Let it be also remembred, that in the mountaines of Aethiopia, and of Congo, and the Regions neere adioyning, there falleth no Snow, neither is there any at all in the very tops of them, sa∣uing onely towards the Cape of Good Hope, and certaine other hils, which the Portugals call, Sierra Neuada, that is to say, the Snowie Mountaines. Neither is there any Ice or Snow to bee found in all the Countrey of Congo, which would be better esteemed there then Gold, to mingle with their drinkes: So that the Riuers there doe not swell and increase by melting of Snow, * 1.17 but because the raine doth fall out of the Cloudes for fiue whole Moones continually together, [ 60] that is to say, in Aprill, May, Iune, Iuly, and August: the first raine sometimes beginning on the fifteenth day, and sometimes after. And this is the cause why the new waters of Nilus, which are so greatly desired and expected by the Inhabitants there, doe arriue sooner or later in Egypt.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Patache 1. a Brigandine or a Pinnasse.
• * 1.2

  The Island of Madera. The Canaries. Isle of S. An∣thony. Isle of S. Iames.
• * 1.3

  These gene∣rall winds are the Etesij, which blow from some Northerly point vnto twentie nine degrees South latitude. For a∣bout sixe mo∣neths together for this cause they vse to set off toward Bra∣sil, to gaine the wind and re∣turne to Congo. Isle of S. Elena, all of Eben. wood. The Port of Loanda. De las Palmas. The second course of say∣ling to Loanda. The Isle of S. Thomas.
• * 1.4

  The Hauen of S. Thomas.
• * 1.5

  The Ile of the Prince. The Ile of S. Thomas. Great tafficke.
• * 1.6

  Sugar. Churches. A Castle.
• * 1.7

  Ginger.
• * 1.8

  Seuentie hou∣ses to make Sugar in.
• * 1.9

  Wormes hurt∣full.
• * 1.10

  The Riuer and Iland of Fer∣nando Poo. Riuer, Bora. La Riuiera del Campo. Riuer, di San Benedetto. Riuer, di Angra The Ile of Corisco. The Cape of Luso Gonzale. Zaire, the grea∣test Riuer of Congo.
• * 1.11

  Here begin∣neth the se∣cond chapter as it is in the Booke, which method I haue for breuitie al∣tered, and brought to longer Para∣graphs. The tempera∣ture of the Kingdome. The complexi∣on of the peo∣ple.
• * 1.12

  Small diffe∣rence between their dayes and nights. Their Winter and Summer.
• * 1.13

  The winds in this Countrey in Winter time
• * 1.14

  The cause of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 increase of Nilus, and o∣th〈…〉〈…〉 Riuers in Aeth••opia. The Riuer Ni∣ger, or Senega, runneth West∣ward. Nilus runneth North-ward. It ••eldome rai∣neth in Egypt but onely in Alexandria, and the rains which there fall are vnwholsome.
• * 1.15

  Their winds in Summer time.
• * 1.16

  Cooling of hot Regions by the breeze or winds.
• * 1.17

  No Snow nor Ice in Aethiopia or Congo.