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. ...

KOUKO.

THe Kingdom of Kouko, by the Marsi••••n Merchants call'd Kouque, or Kouke; by the Italians and Spaniards, Kuko, suppos'd to be the Cinna∣ba of Ptolomy, now subject to the Turks, and paying Tribute to Algier.

On the Borders of the Fields of Metiia, towards the South and East ap∣pear many Mountains; among which is Mount Kuko, giving Name to the whole Kingdom.

Gramay says it is a very high and craggy Mountain, eleven or twelve Dutch miles from Algier, nine Westward of Bugia, and three from Mount Labes: But Peter Dan, in his History of Barbary averres, that Kouko is a place lying thir∣ty French miles from Algier, environ'd with almost inaccessible Mountains, pos∣sessed by Arabians and Moors.

¶ THe City of this Name contains more than sixteen hundred Houses; strong in Scituation, as being surrounded with high and steep Rocks. Here the King of Kouko hath his chiefest Palaces.

And not far-distant, in former times was the Haven Tamagus, belonging to the same King; but now in Possession of the Algerians.

This Countrey hath many Springs and Gardens Planted with all sorts of Fruits, especially Olives.

The plain Grounds yield plenty of Figs, Raisins, Honey, and Flax, of which is made excellent Linnen; Salt-Peter is there digged. The Inhabitants are warlike, necessitated thereto by their Neighboring Enemies; yet their Fields stockt with Cattel, their Woods with Monkeys, and the whole Region with Horses fit for Service in the Wars.

¶ THe yearly Revenue of the King, is reckon'd to seven hundred thousand Crowns, which he raises by the Barter of Native Commodities; nor can he easily be deprived thereof, the Mountain serving as a Bulwark to keep out whom they are not willing to admit; there being but onely one way to ascend them, and that so narrow and uneasie, that a small number with stones may keep back a strong Army.

¶ THe Inhabitants are all Mahumetans, here and there mingled with Chri∣stian Merchants: But such is their enmity to Jews, that they will on no terms have any Converse with them.

¶ GRamaye and Peter Davity, give the Title of King to the Lord of these Countreys; but Ananie ascribes to him onely the Name of Xeque, though we may believe him mistaken; because within this hundred years, or thereabout, one Benel Kadi, of the Stock of Celmi Beni Tumi, King of Algier, by Aruch Barberossa murther'd, relying upon the strength of his People, call'd himself King of Kouko; for whose Death all the people became deadly Ene∣mies to the Turks: which continued till Hassen or Asan Bassa, Son of Hayredin Barberoussa, inter-married the Daughter of this King; by which means he gain'd the Assistance of his Armies against the King of Labez.

The King keeps no Court nor State, but onely a Guard for Safeguard of his Person: Nor makes Ostentation of his Strength; for his Countrey lying inclosed with the Provinces of Algier, they have always had an evil eye upon him, endeavoring utterly to extirpate the King, and bring the State under their absolute Obedience. This being not unknown to him, makes him Side with the Spaniard, as he did openly in the Year Fifteen hundred forty and two, when he sent the Emperour Charles the Fifth, lying before Algier, two thousand Moors for his assistance. Which upon the News of the miscarriage of his Fleet, he withdrew: but this was so highly resented, that shortly after in revenge came Asan Bassa, King of Algier, with an Army of three thousand Turks and Moors upon him, and he durst not strike one stroke against him, but made a Peace, upon a promise of a yearly Tribute, and gave his Son Sid-Amet Benalkadi for a Hostage. This begun a tie of Friendship between Kouko and Algier; which yet were more strongly united in a League, in the Year Fifteen hundred sixty one, by the Marriage of Asan Bassa with Kouko's Daughter, whereby his People got liberty to buy Arms and other Necessaries at Algier.

But this brought no small suspicion into the Janizaries, whose Aga having in October publish'd a Prohibition upon pain of Death, that no Arms should be sold to the Koukians, within two hours drew the Janizaries out of the City, seized upon Asan Bassa, together with his Sisters Son Ochali, the General of the Army, whom he sent bound in six Galleys to Constantinople. This raised new fears in Couko, and encreased their hatred to Algier, so that in Sixteen hundred and nine, they sold the Haven of Tamagut to the Spaniards: but before delivery the Algerians took it by force. Afterwards in Sixteen hundred and eighteen, af∣ter the death of Hamaert the Kings Brother, who usurped the Kingdom, the old League of Friendship was renewed with Spain, and Hostages given for perfor∣mance: this made the hatred between them and Algier break out afresh: but his death the year after quite altered the Case; for his Nephew, Murtherer and Successor, made Peace with Algier, and sent thither Hostages, who in a short time there ended their lives.

Of this Enmity between the King of Kouko and Algier, the Spaniards made great advantage, contriving thereby to get Algier into their hands, and accord∣ing to their Design, in the Year Sixteen hundred and three, thus attempted it: There was a Franciscan Monck, named Matthias, well skill'd in the Language of the Countrey by his long Slavery there, when he was ready to return for Spain, he held secret intelligence with the King of Kouko, between whom 'twas agreed, that Matthias should furnish him with some Spanish Souldiers, for whose reception and safeguard the Koukian was to deliver up a small Fort, lying in the Entrance of the Mountain; and so with Joynt-Forces fall upon Algier. The Enterprise thus concluded; a day was appointed to effect it; but the Council and Souldiery of Algier having privately some intelligence thereof, at the very hour sent a great number of Janizaries to the place; which at first approach summoned, was by Abdala, Nephew to the King of Kouko, yielded, together with a discovery of the whole design to the Bashaw of Algier, Solyman of Katagne, a Venetian Renegado; who promised him for every Head of a Spa∣niard concerned in the Plot, and by him either taken or kill'd, fifty Sul∣tanies, and for the Head of Matthias two hundred. At last four Spanish Galleys appeared under the Vice-Roy of Majorca, on the appointed day, close by the Fort, with a good number of Souldiers, and the sum of fifty thousand Escues, Abdala also, accompanied with a great many Moors, did not fail to come to the Place; whereupon the Jesuit Matthias instantly, with four and twenty of the chiefest of the Galleys, stepping out to Land, asked for the Kings Son, which was promised him for a Hostage; Abdala answered, He was in the Fort: this gave Matthias cause to suspect Treachery, whereupon he would have retreated; but Abdala and his Souldiers opposing fell in upon them, and knockt him, and all that came on Land with him, to the ground: Where∣upon the Vice-Roy of Majorca took up his Anchors, and withdrew, leaving all behind him that were Landed.

Notes

• The Mountain Kouko
• The City.
• The Haven of Tamagus.
• The Revenue.
• Their Religions.
• Government.
• The continual Enmity of those of Algier against Kauke.
• A fruitless Enterprise of the Spaniards to take Algier.