Africa being an accurate description of the regions of Ægypt, Barbary, Lybia, and Billedulgerid, the land of Negroes, Guinee, Æthiopia and the Abyssines : with all the adjacent islands, either in the Mediterranean, Atlantick, Southern or Oriental Sea, belonging thereunto : with the several denominations fo their coasts, harbors, creeks, rivers, lakes, cities, towns, castles, and villages, their customs, modes and manners, languages, religions and inexhaustible treasure : with their governments and policy, variety of trade and barter : and also of their wonderful plants, beasts, birds and serpents : collected and translated from most authentick authors and augmented with later observations : illustrated with notes and adorn'd with peculiar maps and proper sculptures / by John Ogilby, Esq. ...

The Island of Linose.

THe Island of Linose, by Ptolomy (if Sanutus guess not amiss) call'd Ethu∣so, and made African, lies seven or eight Miles, or according to Brevis, five Miles to the North-East of Lampadouse, in four and thirry De∣grees North Latitude, almost over against the City of Mahometa in Barbary: The Circumference about five Miles; but affording no convenient place to receive Shipping.

In the Year Fifteen hundred sixty five, the Turks besieg'd Malta and Gozo, with eight and thirty thousand Soldiers, and a hundred ninety three Ships, Galleys, Galleons, and Brigantines, under the chief Command of the Bassa Mustapha, and his Substitute Bassa Piali, in this order. The Turkish Forces ap∣pear'd the eighteenth of June, about four or five Miles from Malta; upon no∣tice whereof from the Castle, and the Old City St. Angelo, a great fear possess'd the poor People in the Countrey, who immediately betook themselves, with what they had, to the Fortifi'd Places; but the Knights, Soldiers, and other Warlike People, betook themselves to Arms. The Grand Master De Valette caus'd immediately all the Water on the Island to be poyson'd with Arsnick, or Ratsbane, and other appropriate Drugs; and muster'd all his Forces, consist∣ing of about eight thousand five hundred Fighting Men of all Nations; with one Troop of Banditi, or Exiles, of Cicilia, who behav'd themselves very vali∣antly. In the Night the Turks went out with a Rere-guard of five and thirty Ships, and set three thousand Men on Shore by the Cape of St. Thomas, who were follow'd continually by many others in Barques; for their Landing in the day-time was prevented by the Marshal Copier, who was drawn thither with a thousand Horse; but the Grand Master commanded him at last, That as soon as the Enemy was Landed, he should Retreat to the Fort; and sent the General of Gio, with a Troop of Knights and Foot-Soldiers, to impede their March. The Marshal, before he had receiv'd these Orders, had sent a Party of Horse, under the Conduct of one Egaras, to Mugaro, to get Intelli∣gence, and to entrap one Turk or other, in hopes to learn some News: But this prevented not their coming on, and making further Attempts; whereby, after many flerce Assaults made upon the Besiged, with the loss of many of their Men, the Besieged at last were reduc'd to Extremity; when in a lucky Hour, they receiv'd not only Comfort, but fresh Courage, by the coming of Don Alvaro Garcia, who after a long stay, provided with a good number of Ships and Soldiers, came in the sight of Malta about Noon, on the sixteenth of September, in the year Fifteen hundred fifty six; but kept till the next Break of day about the Island Comin; and then he approach'd with his Fleet under Malta, by a Place call'd Melekka, and Landed all his Aids in less than an Hours

time; but went back himself with his Galleys to Sicily, with promise to return again in six days. Hereupon both the Bassa's gave command to Fire all the Guns against the Fort, and the Island Sengle, and immediately to bring them on Board the Ships; and so presently forsaking their Trenches, and setting their Huts on fire, sail'd away with their Fleet. The Bassa's arriving at Galipolis, made their Adventures known to the Grand Seignior by Letters, and how that since their departure from Constantinople, they had lost thirty thousand Seamen and Soldiers together. The Grand Seignior receiv'd this Letter with so much discontent, that he threw it on the ground, and said with a loud voice, That his Sword had no luck in another Mans Hand: Yet notwithstanding, the Bassa's were receiv'd with signs of great Honor at Constantinople, with the Beatings of Drums, and Sounding of other Instruments.

The Pope also held a Solemn Procession at Rome, wherein himself in Person assisted, to thank God for the Preservation and Deliverance of Malta; and wish'd the Grand Master, in his Letter to him of the tenth of October, much Happiness with his Glorious Victory. The Grand Master Valette caus'd by a Collection to be gather'd at Lyons, Marseiles, Lovorn, Naples, and on other Pla∣ces, Gunpowder, Saltpetre, Metal for casting Guns, all sorts of Arms, Masts for Shipping, all sorts of Necessaries of Wood and Iron, and other needful Things, for the strengthening of the Island. Moreover it was concluded (for the better conveniency of the Island) to build a City on the Mountain Sceber∣ras. Towards the building of this City, since call'd Valette, thirty thousand Escues, or Gold Crowns, were taken up at Interest by the Order at Palermo: The Pope himself gave to that end five thousand out of his own Purse, and sent thither a great quantity of Gunpowder and Saltpetre, with a Master-Build∣er call'd Francois Laparel, and offer'd the Grand Master a Cardinals Cap; but he modestly refus'd the same. The King of Spain gave towards this Building a Present of thirty thousand Escues; the King of Portugal, thirty thousand Cru∣sadoes; and the French King, a hundred and forty thousand Guilders. Then im∣mediately, by the command of the Grand Master, all sorts of People were set to work upon the Fortifications, and to scowr and cleanse the Ditches and Moats, to which the Knights themselves put their helping hand: And from the Castle of St. Elmo, where onely before a Ditch had been, there was now a Moat cut in the Rock, down to the Sea.

The Grand Master being brought to the corner of the Bulwark St. John, af∣ter many Benedictions, and other Ceremonies, laid the first Stone of this Ci∣ty: Whereupon the Master-Builder Laparel kiss'd his hands, and had bestow'd on him a gold Chain with a Medal, which the Grand Master put about his neck. Under this Stone several Gold, Silver, and Copper Medals were laid, for an everlasting Mark and Remembrance of the Building, whereof the best had this Latin Inscription, Immotam Colli dedit, that is, He hath built the City immove∣able upon a Rock. On this first Stone Letters were cut, which manifested the utmost danger which they endur'd in this Siege, with the Happy Success, and their Deliverance; and likewise the Occasion and Reason of this Building, with a Prayer to God, and the Name of the Grand Master Valette the Founder. The same Grand Master presented the City likewise with a Coat of Arms, being upon a Round Scutcheon, a Field Or, charg'd with a Lion Gules: After which Ceremony, all the Guns round about were Fir'd, and Gold and Silver Money, Coyn'd with the Picture of the Grand Master, thrown amongst the People, who all cry'd, Vive le Grand Valette, that is, Long live the Grand Valette. The

Charges to the Workmen amounted daily to the Sum of fifteen hundred or two thousand Crowns; but to ease the Payment, and to make good the Char∣ges, the Grand Master caus'd Copper Money to be made: One Piece to the value of two Tarins; on the one side, with the Arms of the Order and the Grand Master; and on the other side, with the Mark or Ensign of his Digni∣ty, with these Words about the Border, Non Aes, sed Fides; that is, Not Coyn, but Fidelity.