To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
This text has been selected for inclusion in the EEBO-TCP: Navigations collection, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
THis Province of Mesrata Marmol calls Cyrenaica, or Pentapolis; and the Mo∣derns, Korene; and the Moors, Ceyret.
Cyrenaica, once part of the Antient Lybia, beginning by the unanimous Consent of all Geographers, at the Philenian Altar beforementioned, and did extend, as Mela and Strabo averre, to the Valley of Katabathmus in Egypt, and to Nylus; by consequence comprehending Marmarica.
At this present Mesrata is distant about nineteen miles from Tripoli, West∣ward
of the Territory of Mesellata, and Eastward of Barka, containing five Ci∣ties; from whence call'd Pentapolis, which carries as much in its signification: Their Names be these; Cyrene, Berenice, by Mela call'd Hesperia, Apollonia, Ptole∣mais, and Arsinoe, or Teuchire.
Cyrene, the Birth-place, as Strabo witnesses, of Callimachus, Eratosthenes, Carnea∣des, and Aristippus; all Antient Philosophers, and Olivarus upon Mela, denomi∣nates it Korene.
Berenice, as the same Olivarus reports, is now vulgarly stil'd Berrich; Apollonia, Bonaudria; Ptolimais, Tolomete; Arsinoe and Teuchire, Trochata. But Marmol retains the old Name Cyrene; and as to the rest, Berenice he names Berbik; Arsinoe or Teuchira, Trokara; Ptolemais, Eptolometa; Apollonia, Bon Andrea; which differ very little from Olivarus.
¶ THe chiefest Places upon the Coast, beginning from the West, * 1.1 are these; Alcudie, by Ptolomy call'd Autemalan, an old Fort; Cape Sabbia, formerly Promontorium; Drepanum the Salt Pans, known to the Romans by the Name Stationes Maritimae; Zanara, was the Haven Diarchea, or the Birds Island; Camara, or Cambra, according to Mercator, formerly Hercules Tower; Carkora, a Fort, heretofore Diachersis; Teionis or Teiones, once the Cape of Briois; and lastly Ard∣bry, antiently the Coast of Briois. Further up the Coast of Pentapolis, stands Berbick, or Bernich, or indeed Bernice and Hesperides; because some have here placed the Gardens of Hesperides, so fam'd among the Poets.
¶ THe onely River of note is Milet, by Ptolomy call'd Lathon or Lethon, which some have imagin'd to be Lethe, the River of Oblivion.
Having past this River, we come to the Cities Trokara, Tolomata, and Zadra, formerly call'd Ausigda; Longifana or Longifaria, in elder time the Tem∣ple of Aptuch, the Fort of Aras Ausen, by the Italians call'd Cape Carane, and Rax∣alsen, the Point of Fikos: Afterward Bon-Andrea or Apollonia, with its Haven, heretofore Naustathmes; Forceli once Erythron; Favora antiently Chersis, and Dar∣na, or Dardania, of old the Point Zephyrium, to the East of Mesrata, bordering upon Marmarica or Barka. Lastly, to the Inland, Cyrene, Arguide, Quereda, and Napolis.
Cyrenaica formerly was very Rich, but now lies for the most part waste and unhabited, because of the Arabians who continually oppress this Countrey with Robbing and Spoiling.
¶ THe Mesratines are Warlike and Rich, * 1.2 Trading with the Christians for European Wares, which they transport to Negro-Land, and exchange for Blacks to make Slaves, as also for Civet, Musk, and other Commodities, which they afterwards sell to the Turks for great gain.
¶ THey can bring into the Field an Army of ten thousand Men, * 1.3 with which they make Wars continually against their troublesom Neigh∣bours, the Pilfering Arabs; nor could they be brought to pay Tribute tō the King of Tunis; however they are subjected at present to the Great Turk: yet, as Gramay says, their Governours are of their own Countrey, onely they own him their Superior, rendring some small Acknowledgments.
Strength.
Riches.
Places.