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 Desart Zanhaga, or Zenega.

ZEnega, also call'd by Marmol and others, Zanhaga, or Zenega, * 1.1 is a De∣sart bordering the Atlantick Ocean, from the Countrey of Nun, one part belonging to Lybia, the other to Numidia, (some places being inha∣bited) to the River of Zenega, which separates the Whites and Blacks. * 1.2

¶ THe Borders are in the North, the Countreys of Nun and Dara; * 1.3 in the East, the Wilderness of Tegaza; in the South, the people Benays and Jaloes, and the Kingdoms of Gualata, Geneva, Melley, and Tombut; and lastly in the West, the Ocean.

On the Sea Coast, about three and thirty miles from Cape Nun, * 1.4 lieth Cape Bojador, formerly call'd, The Mountain of the Sun; since, The Point of the Canaries; but as Mercator sets forth, The Arsinarium Point of Ptolomy; but others know it by the name of Cabo Verde, or Green-Head. * 1.5

But this Name Bojador signifies no more in Portugal than a winding or dou∣bling Cape; for the crooking Shore bended like a Bow, in Sayling makes the Prospect of the adjacent Coast suddenly vary by opening and shutting in the Points one with another. The Portugals at first durst not adventure beyond this Cape; for the Stream hurrying swiftly over the Shoals, being full of Whirling∣eddies, the Waves boyling like Liquor in a Cauldron, being very terrible to behold, stopped there their Voyage, till one Gill Yanes also a Portugal, sent out by King Henry, in the Year Fourteen hundred thirty three, went stoutly by it, undaunted at such Chymera's, and then gave it the Name which it bears at this day.

About seventeen miles Southward of Cape Bojador lieth a Space of Land on that Coast, which the Portugals call'd Angra de los Ruvos, so nam'd from the great abundance of Fowls that haunt there. Eight miles farther is a Tract of Ground nam'd, Angra des Cavelleros, that is, The Countrey of Horses, * 1.6 or Steed-Land: Yet eight miles more Southward, they find a River, whose Current sets to the In-land, but soon returning, ends its short progress in the Sea; it

is by the Portugals call'd Rio do Oro, * 1.7 that is, The Golden Stream; because the Inha∣bitants oftentimes redeem'd some of their Natives, taken Prisoners by the Portugals, * 1.8 paying there their Ransoms in Gold, which was the first Africk Gold the Portugals were masters of.

Eight miles more Southward, * 1.9 is a piece of Land call'd Angra de Gonzalo de Sintra; next that, the Haven Kavallero; and about seventeen miles farther, Ca∣bo Blanko, or White-Head; discover'd first by Nunno Tristan, and Antonis Gonzales, Anno 1441, * 1.10 lying in twenty Degrees and a half North Latitude. At this Cape beginneth the Coast of Anterote, so call'd from a little Town there reaching to the River Zenega.

Cabo Blanko makes a Bay, by some call'd The Gulf of Arguin, named from a neighbouring Isle: it is a wild and unsafe Road, not onely lying open to the Sea-winds, but full of blind Rocks and shifting Sands, and a sprinkling of small Isles, like Warts upon the Sea.

Beyond this Southward, * 1.11 opens another Bay, in which are the Isles of Arguin, and the Seven Cliffs, which had once peculiar Names; but now call'd onely Arguins, from a Fort built on the chiefest of them, by Alphonso, first King of Portu∣gal, * 1.12 Anno 1441. But these were their former Names, The White Island, that the Por∣tugals call Blanca, because of the white Sands; The Island of Skins, by the In habi∣tants call'd Adeger, lying about two miles from the main Land; Ilheo, or Little Island, otherwise call'd, The Island de Las Garcas, or Crane Isle, not far from the main Land; Nar and Tider two more, near the Coast; and lastly Arguin, which now gives the denomination to all the rest, long since possessed and fortifi'd by the Portugals: * 1.13 whose Fort lies on a commanding Point, strong, built all of Stone, four hundred and five and twenty Foot in circuit, defended on the Land-side with a Wall, or Out-work, of eleven Foot thick, and four and twenty high: It hath also three Batetries, two towards the Land, and one to the Sea. This Fort hath more than ordinary accommodation, sixteen handsom Rooms of State and Address, with their Apartments, a large Kitchin, good Cellars, and other Offices, and close by accommodated with a Fountain of fresh Water. But in Sixteen hundred thirty and three, on the nine and twentieth of January, onely with three Ships of the Netherland West-India Com∣pany, though so defensive, the Portugals surprized with a pannick fear, deliver∣ed it up to the Hollanders.

The Main Land Coasting this Bay, is dry and barren; but about five miles there are some Shrub and Heathy Grounds, from whence those of Arguin fetch their Fewel. Formerly there dwelt upon this Isle some Moors call'd Sebek-Moors, who liv'd by Fishing, and some Trade, giving the fifth part of their Gain to the Castle. Also the French Fisher-men yearly in December, January, and February, using large Nets, above fourscore Fathom long, Fish up and down this Bay for Grampos's, which they cut up at Land, and dry in the Sun, making Train-Oyl of them. And also hereabouts the Portugals drive a notable Trade with the wild Arabs and the Whites, bartering their Woollen and Linnen Cloth, Sil∣ver, course Tapestry, but most of all Corn for Blacks, Gold, and Ostrich-Plumes. They bring thither also Horses, which yielded them a dozen or fifteen Slaves.

Under the Desart of Zannaga is also contained The Wild of Azoat, * 1.14 so call'd because of the general dryness and infertility, reaching from the Pool of Azoat to that of Azoan, near thirty miles distance from Tombut.

Here are to be seen two Stone Monuments with Inscriptions upon them,

signifying who were there Interr'd, and the cause of their lying there, which was thus: One of them a wealthy Merchant, travelling through those De∣farts, over-power'd by invincible Necessity, suffering strangely by Thirst, met by chance with a poor Carrier, who had not yet spent all his Water, though under the same calamity, with whom he contracted at no less Rate than ten thousand Ducats, which he laid down upon the Spot for the Moiety thereof: but so it happened that neither of them had any great purchase; for the Water being divided was soon exhausted, and proved not sufficient to save either, so that languishing with extream drought, they both lost their lives, and were there Interr'd.

The Desart of Zenega, inhabited by the People Zanaga's, is wondrous hot, and hath little or no Water but what is bitter and brackish; and those Pits or Wells are at least twenty miles one from another; But the Wild of Zenega is destitute of all Water, seldom or never raining there, having but one Pit in all the way of thirty miles.

This Soyl is all Sandy, and utterly unfruitful, being a vast Plain, so flat and level, that the Traveller hath no mark to find his way, or know where he is, but is forced to steer his Coast by the Sun and Trade-Winds, which blow al∣ways Easterly, and other little knowledges they gather by former Prints from the Claws of Fowl, as Crows, Ravens, and such like, which always wait up∣on the Caravans, as on great Armies, expecting Prey: for none ever travel through this Desart but with great Company.

This Countrey produces a kind of Grain like Wheat, * 1.15 which grows of its own accord without Sowing; But those near the Banks of the River Zenega reap Barley, not wanting Dates; having also good store of Camels, Goats, and other Cattel.

The Inhabitants of these Desarts are Breberians, Ludays, Duleyns, and Zenega's, or Zanaga's, by Sanutus call'd Azaneghes, and some Arabs, * 1.16 who live upon others sweat and labour, stealing their Cattel, which they convey to Dara, and else∣where, there bartering them for Dates. Sometimes the Arabians of Beni-Anir pil∣lage this Countrey, between Nun and the City Tagaost.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Desart of Zenega. Leo Afric. 6. Decl.
• * 1.2

  The Limits between the Whites and the Blacks.
• * 1.3

  The Borders.
• * 1.4

  The Cape of Bojador.
• * 1.5

  What Bojador fignifieth.
• * 1.6

  Augres dos Cavelleros,
• * 1.7

  The River of Gold.
• * 1.8

  The first Gold brought to Portugal.
• * 1.9

  Angra de Gouzalo de Sintra.
• * 1.10

  Sanutus.
• * 1.11

  The Islands of Arguin.
• * 1.12

  Its Names.
• * 1.13

  Castle of Arguin.
• * 1.14

  The Desart of Azoat.
• * 1.15

  Plants or Vegetables.
• * 1.16

  Sanutus.