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. ...

SUS, And the Countrey of YDAUSQUERIT.

THe chief Tracts of Lands in Numidia Westward, are those that Border on the Ocean, extending from Barbary and the Cape of Aguer, to the Cape of Nun.

¶ THis Countrey they call'd The wide-spreading Sus, bordering in the West, * 1.1 with the Atlantick-Sea; in the South, with the Lybick Islands, taking in a part of Nun; in the East, confined with the Territory of Dara; and in the North, with the other Sus belonging to Barbary.

¶ THe chiefest Inhabitants are all Extracted originally from the African Breberians, and are divided into Tribes or Families, which they call Gemies, as we said before, signifying a Maslin People. The first of these were the Offspring of the Ydausquerits, call'd by a special Name Hilela, who possess many Cities and Forts, as Ydiauzon, Merit, Deudysdud, Deuseniz, Yndeuzel, Arrahala, Ydeunadayf, Argan, Deuquinsus, Aytiakoli, and Tizitit. Among which the chiefest places are Ydeunadayf, lying about fifty miles from Taradan to Zahara; on the South, Ydeuquinsus and Argon; which all make but one onely Gemie, or Family, named Quincina, and are Consociates with the Souldiery of the House of Hilela.

¶ THis Countrey affords great store of Grain, Wheat and Barley, and in some places store of Oranges, Lemmons, and several sorts of such brisk, or sharp-relishing Fruits, as are frequent in Spain and Portugal. It breeds also plenty of Cattel, and such store of Horses, that they are reckon'd up by thousands.

Extuka.

EXtuka, * 1.2 a Territory of the wide-spreading Sus, in which are reckon'd to be above forty Cities and Castles, is inhabited by the African Breberi∣ans of Miceamunda.

The chiefest Place of which is Targuez, strengthened with a Fort, lying on a rising Hill; the Residence for the Xeque or Lord.

Their Neighbors are the other Breberians, that are also Possessors of several wall'd Cities and Castles; the chiefest of which are Ydaguazinguel, Ydanbaquil, Deursumugt, and Hilela.

This Countrey is Mountainous, and onely fit to produce Barley, and feed Goats; of which there are plenty.

Nun.

NEar the Western Ocean are several Forts and Cities inhabited by the meaner Breberians, * 1.3 and call'd Ydeuzel; but their chief Countrey ly∣ing in the wide-spreading, is Nun, according to the Name of its Head-City.

This spacious Tract of Land lying between Numidia or Biledulgerid, and Lybia or Zahara, of which the greatest part belongeth to Zahara: both which suffer extreamly, in being harrassed by the many Incursions of the spoiling and pillaging Arabs, which skulk in the Desarts, wandring up and down with their Tent-Villages.

Near the City Nun, * 1.4 lieth Cape Nun, or Non, so call'd by the Portuguese; be∣cause they say, whensoever any were returning home, they were ask'd if they would come thither again; who answer'd still in the Negative Voice, Non.

This Countrey affords no Grain, except a little Barley, and a few bad

Dates; therefore the Inhabitants are constrain'd to fetch their Provisions from the Kingdom of Gualata.

Tesset.

TEsset, a part of Numidia, a Countrey in the Wide-spreading Sus, * 1.5 is so call'd from a City near the Borders of Nun towards the Lybian De∣sart, twenty nine Degrees and ten Minutes Northern Latitude.

This Countrey on one side for threescore miles lieth desolate, without any Inhabitants. The Town is well fortifi'd with Brick-Walls, which become hard onely by baking in the Sun, and containeth about four hundred Fami∣lies; but in the adjacent Fields, scatter'd about are at least twelve thousand.

¶ THis Territory is full of Sandy Plains, except in one Spot near the City, in which grow many Dates, Barley, and Tares, which the In∣habitants use for Food. There are also a few Camels, Horses, and small Cattel.

¶ THe Inhabitants are hard-favor'd, very brown, and much tann'd; * 1.6 but the Women are of clearer Complexions. They drive a great Trade in Negro-Land and Guzule, so that for the most part they reside out of their own Countrey. They plow their Ground with a single Camel, and one Horse; which manner of Tillage is us'd through all Numidia. They are a Rustick People, and know nothing of Letters, onely Women educate their Children; yet as soon as they are of any Growth, they turn them to Plough, and so farewell all their Female Scholarship. Some learn to read, others Spin and Card, and the rest spend their time altogether in Idleness.

Most of the Inhabitants are of mean Estates; the Richest of them possess onely a few Cattel. They are under the Contribution of the Arabians, call'd Udaya, or Uled Vodey, which reside in the Lybian Wilderness.

Ifran, or Ufaran.

THe Countrey of Ifran, or Ufaran, * 1.7 hath in the most Southerly part of it the Wide-spreading Sus, four Fortifi'd Towns, distant from each other half a mile, near a small River, which in Summer dries up.

This Province abounds with Dates, and hath some Copper-Mines. The People are Mahumetans, yet Civil, and commonly well Habited.

They Trade much with the Portuguese in the Haven Guarlguessen, * 1.8 where they Barter their In-land Wares for Cloth, Woollen and Linnen, which they carry to Tombut and Gualata. They keep Weekly Markets in all their Towns, where Corn is always very dear.

They have amongst them a Judge, or Civil Magistrate, * 1.9 who hears and de∣cides all Causes, inflicting no more punishment on the greatest Criminals than Drubbings on their Feet.

Aka.

THe Land of Aka hath three strong Villages, * 1.10 lying one by another on the Desart of Numidia, in the Borders of Lybia; they were formerly very populous, but afterwards by the Civil Wars within the Coun∣trey were left desolate: yet in process of time by the Mahumetan Priests com∣posing dome stick Broils, and seeking Peace, they were re-peopled again, and so restored to their former Condition.

This Countrey yields nothing but Dates, and their onely business is to ga∣ther them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sus.
• * 1.2

  Extuka.
• * 1.3

  Nun.
• * 1.4

  Cape of Nun.
• * 1.5

  Tesset.
• * 1.6

  The Constitution of the Inhabitants.
• * 1.7

  Ifran.
• * 1.8

  The Trade of the Inha∣bitants with the Portuguese.
• * 1.9

  Their Government.
• * 1.10

  Aka.