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. ...

BARKA, Or MARMARICA.

IT seemeth that this Name of Barka is of great Antiquity; for Ptolomy places hereabouts a People call'd Barrceitors: which contradicts not their Resi∣dence in Cyrene, because Strabo and Mela extend that Countrey to Katabath∣mus in Egypt, and to the Nyle, and so by Consequence comprehended Ptolomy's Marmarika, and our Modern Barka: So Strabo sets the Marmarides in Cyrenaica, whereas there is no mention of Marmarika in that place. Marmol saith it is now call'd Barka; but the Arabians name it Sahart Barka, that is, A stormy Wilderness; or Cyrat Barka, The passage of the Storm: and who ever intends to go by Land from Barbary to Egypt, must go through it: It is a great Desart, beginning on the Easterly Borders of Mesrata, and reacheth from the Cape of Arraxaltin, or Raxal∣tin, by Ptolomy denominated the great Chersonesus to the Point Glaukun, on the Borders of Alexandria or Scanderoon; * 1.1 being in length above two hundred sixty eight miles from West to East, and in breadth, from North to South from the Midland-Sea to Numidia, above thirty.

The most eminent Places are the Cape of Raxaltin, * 1.2 mention'd but just be∣fore; the Haven Trabucho, formerly of Batrachus. Farther to the In-land lieth first Augele; then Lako, formerly Antipirgus; Cape Lako, or the Point Kalyonium; Mosolomar Port, but since the Haven Salone, although before of Panorme: This brings you to the great Katabathmus, by Ruscelius named Carto, a great Valley reaching to Egypt: Opposite to this, but more deep into the Countrey, was the Oracle and Temple of Jupiter Hammon, four hundred thousand Paces from Cyrene, say both Pliny and Solinus, in the midst of a Sandy Desart, three miles in length. Gramay by mistake sets it in the Desart of Lybia; and Leo Africanus in Numidia, between Jasliten and Teorreque; but where-ever it stood, they call it now in Arabick, Hesachbir, that is, A Heap of Stone. Afterwards followeth the Haven formerly call'd Selin, now Soudan, having but a narrow Entrance, but

spacious and convenient within. Next appears Laguixi, formerly Trifachi, of late time Raxa, taken for the Paresonium of Ptolomy and Strabo; although Mercator rejects that opinion, and maintains Paresonium to have been Alberton. Farther to the In-land stands the chief City Barka, from whence the Coun∣trey taketh its Name.

All the whole Countrey is almost nothing but a barren Wilderness, * 1.3 that hath neither Water for refreshment or use, or Soyl fit for Tillage, which makes them live very poorly. A few Dates they have indeed, but of little con∣sequence to supply so great a Tract of Land: Some Sheep and Camels they are Masters of, but make little Profit of them, the scarcity of Pasturage and Fodder making them so Lean, that they are unfit for use or service. Nay, such is the unhappy necessity of the People, that Parents often send their Children over to Sicily, to become Servants, and undertake all sorts of Drudgery onely for their sustenance.

The Arabians that possess Barka are ill-favour'd, and crooked of Body and Conditions, driven by want continually to Rob; so that no Carravan dare pass along the Sea-Coast opposite to the Desart, but take their way sixty miles about to the In-land.

When these Arabians go to steal in Biledulgerid, * 1.4 and ransack Pilgrims and Travellers, they give them hot Milk to drink, then lift them up by their Legs with their Heads down, so that of necessity all must break forth that is in their Body; which Excrements these Villainous Thieves search, in hope therein to find some Ducats, supposing Travellers coming that way, out of fear have swallowed their Money. But the places on the Sea-Coast are better ordered, * 1.5 being subject to the Turks, and under the immediate Command of the Bashaw of Tripoli, who usually sends to Barka, the principal City, a Kadiz to administer Justice.

All the People are Mahumetans, excepting the wild Arabs in the Desarts, * 1.6 who live by Rapine and Villany, without any sence of Religion, Honesty or Goodness.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bigness.
• * 1.2

  Places.
• * 1.3

  Their Soyl.
• * 1.4

  The Arabian's Robbery.
• * 1.5

  Their Government.
• * 1.6

  Their Religion.