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. ...

THE KINGDOM OF TAFILET, AND TERRITORY OF ITATA.

THe Realm of Tafilet, * 1.1 so call'd from its Metropolis Tafilet, scituated in a Sandy Soyl near Zahara, and the Daran Countrey, is well fortifi'd with a strong Wall, and defended by a Castle; and hath above two thou∣sand Families, extracted from the Africanian Brebees, call'd Filelis: And from Zahara near the City a great River leads to, and cuts through Mount Atlas.

The Territory of Ytata, part of Tafilet on the Borders of Lybia, is almost as big as the Daran Countrey. The Inhabitants are a mixt People, call'd Garib; and their Neighbors are Breberians, Sikutaners, and Etuaguits.

¶ THis Countrey is Mountainous, * 1.2 and yields not much Grain, but super∣abounds in Dates the best of all Numidia, and hath some good Pa∣sturage for Cattel. There grows also a Plant, of which Anil or Indigo is made. They have store of Cattel, Camels, and Horses for the Race, which they highly esteem; who wanting Oats and Barley, are contented with Dates. As for Ytata, the whole Countrey seems a Grove of Dates; of which onely they have great store, and scarcity of all other Fruits.

¶ THe Tafiletters are not so well accommodated as their Neighbors, * 1.3 their Countrey being rough and barren; yet they are subtle and ingeni∣ous. * 1.4 Those of Ytata are a mixt people, and speak neither good Arabick nor Zenetish, but a broken Dialect betwixt both.

Those of Tafilet drive a great Trade in Indigo, * 1.5 and Hides, which in Arabick they call Xerques, that is, the Lant-Skin; which Beast we have at large de∣scrib'd in the General Africa; and in Linnen woven after the Morisk manner em∣broider'd with Silk. Here you must observe, that most of the Dates which are brought into Europe, are transported from Tafilet; because the Kings of Morocco and Fez prohibit the Exportation of them from any other part in their Dominions.

¶ BOth these places are under the Xeriffs, the Kings of Morocco and Fez, * 1.6 who commonly write themselves Lords of Dara and Tafilet, and cause those Countreys to be Governed by some of the Stock of Xeriffs, which they permit to be call'd Kings of Tafilet.

This Countrey was formerly pillaged by the Arabians, call'd Uled Eelem, Uled Abdulquerims and Zorgan, and was under a Xeriff, or Supream Head, of the same People. But afterward Hanen, Xeriff, or King of Morocco, made himself Ma∣ster of the chief City of Tafilet by the help of his great Guns, which was such, that the Xeque, or Supream Head, call'd Amar, of the Family of Uled Abdulqueris, Governour of the Countrey, found himself necessitated to surrender: so like∣wise those of Ytata are under the King of Fez and Morocco.

Sugulmesse.

THe Territory of Sugulmesse, or Segelmesse, so call'd from the chief City, * 1.7 which stands upon the River Ziz, and spreads it self from the narrow∣est part of it, lying near to Gerseluin, extends Southwards to the Bor∣ders of the Lybian Desart about twenty eight miles, running in length from the Darran Countrey, to the Borders of Tesset.

Segelmesse, the chief City of the Countrey, scituated on a Plain by the River Sis, formerly strong, and well built; but the Air proving unhealthy, the Inhabi∣tants quitting it, dispersed themselves into small Towns and Hamlets, so that it became desolate. But, as Gramay affirms, it recovered its former lustre in the Year Fifteen hundred forty eight.

In this Countrey on the Banks of Ziz, * 1.8 are three hundred and fifty Wall'd Towns and Cities great and small, and Hamlets innumerable. Amongst these are three more eminent than the rest: the first Tenegheut, near Segelmesse, containing a thousand Houses; next, Tebuhasan; the third and last, is Mamun, or Mamua, which is both large and populous. This Countrey being Mountain∣ous, reacheth from Mezetazu on the West to Telde. It affords little Grain, but many Dates; and most places suffer extreamly with venomous and various Serpents, and the worst sort thereof, Scorpions.

¶ HEre the Summer Heatsare so excessive, that the Sun-beams draw up the Sand in minute Atoms like moist and watry Exhalations, which agi∣tated by the Winds, beats so much in their Faces, that they are always troubled with inflamed and ulcerated Eyes.

This Droughty Season also exhausting the Rivers, necessitates them to dig for Water; which they are forced to drink, though the most of what they find proves brackish.

The Air of Sugulmesse is pure and healthy, unless in Winter, then growing danky and gross, being moister it affects them with cold Rheums, Catarrhs, and sharp Defluxions, causing sore Eyes; which are easier to be Cured than those which they get in Summer.

These People have amongst them, as they distinguish, five sorts of Wizards, or rather Witches, such as are skilful in Black, or Magick Arts; the first they call Malurman, these Exorcising, Charm the Reptilia, or creeping Animals; the

second call'd Mahazin, take upon them to Cure all humane Distempers, resto∣ring health to the sick Bodies; the third Makabelt, Cure onely Cattel; the fourth Zira; these boast of raising Storms and Tempests, mustering showers of Rain and Hail, Clouding and Serening the Skie at pleasure; the fifth are the Sadulacha's; these go highest, professing to drive out the evil Spirits from those that are possessed, making no doubt to confine the Devil after excluded, if you will believe them.

In Tebuhasan are many Foreigners, * 1.9 and amongst them Jews, that Trade. Their Food is Corn and Dates. * 1.10

¶ THis Countrey had formerly Kings of their own, * 1.11 but afterwards by King Joseph of Morocco, of the Race or Stock of Luntune, they were subdu'd and made Tributary to that King next to the Almohadie, and after that to the Merins; but at length they Rebelling, slew their chief Governour: in which Commotion the whole City was destroy'd, and lay desolate till Anno 1548. Then they gathering together re-built the City, and Planted many other Towns and Villages; some of which are yet free, others under the Arabs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tafilet. Marm••l lib. 7. c. 28. Diego de T••rres. Hister. de los. Xeriffs, c. 103.
• * 1.2

  The Nature of the Soyl.
• * 1.3

  The In••ab••tants.
• * 1.4

  Their Language.
• * 1.5

  Their Trade.
• * 1.6

  Their Government.
• * 1.7

  The Borders of the Ter∣ritory of Sugulmesse.
• * 1.8

  Grammay lib. 10. c. 11.
• * 1.9

  Their Trade.
• * 1.10

  Their Food.
• * 1.11

  Their Government.