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. ...

GIGERI, Or GIGEL.

THis Countrey bordering with the Sea, Marmol so calls, from a Village of that Name. In the way between Algier and Bugie, being fifteen miles from the later, consisting of about five hundred mean Houses, near which stands an old Castle upon a Hill almost inaccessible.

This Territory reacheth Southward to the Borders of the Numidian De∣sart, containing Mount Haran, being about twenty miles from Bugie, and fif∣teen from Constantine; and running Northward to the pleasant Valleys of Me∣sile, Stefe, Nekaus, and Constantine.

¶ THe Soil is generally barren, and fit onely for Lime and Hemp, which there groweth in great abundance.

Mount Auraz hath many Springs, which so water the Plains, that they are Plains, that they are all Morass; but dried up in the Season of the Year by the Heat of the Sun. All this high Land is inhabited by Arabs, a fierce and jealous people, not permitting any Intercourse, or the least Commerce with the Low-Landers, lest they should dispossess them of their Habitations.

The Village Gigeri is very rich, especially by the Trade they had in former times with the French who us'd to put in there for Hides and Wax.

The Inhabitants Traffick in small Vessels laden with Nuts and Figs to Tu∣nis, giving to the Bashaw of Algier, the Tenth of all their Cargo's.

¶ IN the Year Fifteen hundred and fourteen Barbarossa subdu'd this Terri∣tory, * 1.1 and gave himself the Title of King of Gigeri. And by that means when Cheridin, Barbarossa his Brother and Successor in his Conquest, submitted to the Grand Seignior, this with the rest became subject to the Turks; who di∣sturb'd by the French that had won something upon it, there were still Endea∣vors by the one to keep what they had got, and by the others, to regain what they had lost: So the French in November, 1664. designing to Fortifie them∣selves, had an Assistance sent to them under the French Admiral Duke de Beau∣fort; who arriving with a Naval Army, sent a Spy to finde out the Strength of the Moors; and to prevent his Discovery, attir'd him in Turkish Habit, promising him for a Reward of his Fidelity and care, fifteen Pistols, deter∣mining upon his return to fall upon the Moors with eight hundred men; fifty of which he intended for an Ambuscade.

In this interim also the French Spy not being heard of, one pretending to have fled from the Moors came, and upon audience promised to bring the French, if they would Habit themselves like Turks, to surprize the Enemy: This Wheedle took effect, so that in imagination, the French were already Masters of all, and calling a Council of War, wherein consulting of affairs, it was resol∣ved, that the Places with them possessed, were Tenable by the Strength they

[illustration]

The Citÿ GEGERY DE STADT GIGERI••

had; upon which resolution of the Council, the French Admiral withdrew with the greatest part of his Fleet, leaving behind onely the Marquess of Martell with four Ships. And now for a while they were full of Courage, intending to disguise themselves according to their design, when the Moors, not uncon∣cern'd, providing themselves with Cannon and other Necessaries for Battery, surprized the Surprizers, giving the new French Fort so smart an Assault, that a Redoubt was laid level, and many of the Defendants kill'd on the Spot. Hereupon Mounsieur Fretee was sent out with some Troops to try if he could by any means force the Moors from their Post; which well he might have ac∣complished, if another Officer that should have assisted him with a Party of select Foot, had not fail'd in timely Juncture: so that the Moors perceiving their small numbers, soon put them them to flight; then renewing their Bat∣teries, the great Guns quickly made the green and unsettl'd Walls of the French Cittadel to shake; which struck such a Panick Fear through the whole Camp, that they could not be staid by Blows or Commands, shewing no re∣spect to their Officers, but ran away totally in a confused Rout. This shew'd the Vanity of the former Resolution of the Defensiveness of the Place; not∣withstanding which, and the Report thereof given in Writing by the Gene∣ral of the Horse, and Engineer of the Army, to the French King, both Soul∣diers and Commanders now judg'd the place untenible: So that at length it was determin'd with general Consent, to leave Gigeri, and embarque the Soul∣diers, and what portable Goods they could in the four Ships left, as we said before, and by good fortune still remaining in the Harbor. But this could not be put in execution with such speed; but that assisted by the darkness of the night, before all were gotten on Board, the Turks fell in upon the Rear, doing great execution; besides many sick and wounded Souldiers that fell into their hands, the whole Rear-Guard of four hundred men were cut off and taken; Six and thirty Pieces of Ordnance with the French Arms upon them; many Horse and a great quantity of Provisions newly receiv'd. Nor did this ill Fortune go unattended, for in passing over from Gigeri to Toulon; not much above two Leagues distant from thence, a great Ship call'd The Moon, being old and crazy, and as it seems overladen, also sunk, and was utterly lost, with ten Troops of Horse in her. And this was the Event of the French Expedition to Gigeri.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The French are driven out of Gigeri.