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 Island MOSAMBIKE.

THe Island Mosambike, half a Mile from the Main Land, contains about three quarters of a League in length, a quarter in breadth, the whole compass not exceeding a League and a half, with a white Shore. It extendeth South and North, along the Main Land; between which and this Isle and Fort, appears the Bay, serving for a convenient Haven, Land-lockt from all Winds, being very large, and carrying eight or ten Fathom Water: Within a Stones-throw of which the Ships ride at Anchor.

This Island hath the Main Land on the North, and two other uninhabited small Islets on the South, the one nam'd St. James, or Jago, and the other St George; but neither affording any conveniency, not being inhabited, being wholly overgrown with Shrubs and Bushes.

Some place two Cities upon Mosambike-Isle, affirming the one to be plenti∣fully peopled by Portuguese, and the other with Blacks; but Pyrard makes the whole so fully inhabited, that it seems but one Town, comprehending within its Circuit a very large and strong Fort, together with five or six Churches, Chappels, and Cloysters.

From the Description of the Navigation to the East-Indies, made by Verhoeven, in the Year Sixteen hundred and seven, it appears that the City of Mosambike is very large, having good Walls, fine Houses, and some Churches and Cloy∣sters: wherewith agrees Paul van Caerden, in the Journal of his Voyage to the East-Indies.

Moquet allots to the City not above two hundred Houses; but Linschot leaves all the places open and unwall'd, except the Castle, where the Portuguese Go∣vernor with his Soldiers have their Residence.

Garias de Silva Figueora, in his Persian Embassy, comprises in the City an hun∣dred and fifty Houses, but most of them built of Wood, Straw, and Palm-Tree Leaves.

For the deciding these different Relations we may suppose, that the first Writer, who placeth two Cities here, mistook two Villages for Cities; and Linschot himself mentions the Dwellings severally, making one part of the old Fort, commonly call'd Fortarez a Velha, and another of some Houses close by it. Others may have taken a great number of Houses standing close together to be a City; however it is, we may modestly guess, that at the time of these Wri∣ters things were found thus.

There is a Cloyster of St. Domingo, with a rich Hospital, said to have been a Castle in former time, built by the Kings of Portugal, into which those of that Nation are put, coming sick from Sea.

Besides St. Anthony, St. Dominick, and St. Gabriel's Church, all lying without the Fort; they have another, Nossa Seniora do Balvarte, built close under the Fort.

The Air being generally more than warm, proves very unwholsom, * 1.1 inso∣much that few live there any while free from dangerous Distempers, which no doubt are much augmented by the want of fresh Water, there being onely one small Spring, of little consequence, in a Thicket of Palm-Trees; so that most of them drink salt Water, mingled with a little of that fresh.

This great Drought sufficiently declares, that the Land proves barren, * 1.2 and unfit to produce any thing: Yet provident Nature hath recompenced the want of all other Provision with Coco-Nuts, Oranges, Citrons, Ananassed-Figs, and other Indian-Fruits, but these onely in manured and well cultivated Gar∣dens.

They have neither Wheat nor Rice growing, but all brought from the Main Land, or from Goa and the East-Indies; so also Raisins or Grapes, and Spa∣nish-Wines, with several other Necessaries both for benefit and sustenance; so that it is much dearer living here than in any other Place possessed by the Por∣tuguese in this Coast.

Here breed great Herds of Oxen, Cows, Sheep, * 1.3 with Tails as big as a fifth part of their Bodies; Bucks, Goats, and Swine: whose Flesh hath gain'd such

an esteem, that the Doctors oftentimes order the Sick to eat it, and forbid them all other sort of Meat; it being a delicate Food, pleasant and delightful of taste.

There are also many excellent Birds, with black Feathers, and black Flesh, either boyl'd or raw, yet accounted no unwholsom Food.

The Haven swarms with Fishes, which the Inhabitants call Marraxos, and the Portuguese, Tintoreas; they are very ravenous after Man's-flesh, for so soon as they see a Man fall into the Water by chance, or go to swim, they will im∣mediately catch and devour him.

The Inhabitants are a mixture of Mestiffs, Mahumetans, and absolute Hea∣thens, yet all subject to the Portuguese.

The Natives of this Island are black of Complexion, * 1.4 and low of Sta∣ture, with short Curl'd Hair like Wool; they smell very ranck, when grown warm; they are by nature barbarous, cruel, and revengeful, but withall, ti∣morous.

Both Sexes go naked, * 1.5 onely the Men have a small Clout before their Priva∣cies, and the Women cover their Bodies from their Breasts half way to their Knees, with course Cotton-Clothes.

Their Ornaments consist in three or four Strings of white, * 1.6 green, blue and red Beads about their Necks, and ten or twelve Copper or Tin Armlets about their Arms. They make holes in their Ears, wherein in stead of Pen∣dants they hang pieces of Copper or Lattin; cutting and carving the rest of their Skin for an Ornament.

Their common Food is Fish, * 1.7 and Rice boyl'd in Water with Honey.

Their Drink is Palm-Wine and Water, and a sort of Liquor call'd Arak, made of Rice.

Their Skiffs, Boats, or Canoos, consists all in one Piece, as we often men∣tion'd.

They speak generaly a kind of broken Arabick. * 1.8

There are a certain sort of handsom Mats, * 1.9 made by the Inhabitants, which are sent to Goa.

The Portuguese drive a smart Trade here with Spanish-Wine, Oyl, Cotton, Skiffs, red Beads, and such like, notwithstanding they have a quick Market at Sena, Makuno, Sofala, Quamma, and other places.

Their Arms are Bowes, * 1.10 Arrows, or Lances; but of late they have begun to learn the use of Fire-Arms.

The Portuguese have many years ago built a Fort, supposed the strongest they possess in those Parts, consisting of four Bulwarks, from whence with their mounted Artillery they can defend and make good the Haven against any ordi∣nary attempts. It hath strong and well designed Flankers, fortifi'd and sur∣rounded with three double Walls, and a broad Trench made about it in the Year Sixteen hundred and thirteen.

Several vain Onsets have the Dutch made upon this Fort, but chiefly in the Year Sixteen hundred and six, when after a formal Siege of thirty two days, they were compell'd to withdraw first, as an effect of their malice, having burn'd many Ships, Canoos, Houses, and Churches, those two especially of St. Ga∣briel and St. Domingo beforemention'd.

Some of the Inhabitants, by reason of the Converse and Trade of the Arabi∣ans on this Coast, are drawn to Mahumetanism, others are Christians; but the most part of them are Idolaters.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Air.
• * 1.2

  Unfruitfulness of the Soyl.
• * 1.3

  Beasts.
• * 1.4

  The Nature of the Inha∣tants.
• * 1.5

  Apparel.
• * 1.6

  Omaments.
• * 1.7

  Food.
• * 1.8

  Language.
• * 1.9

  Trade.
• * 1.10

  Arm••.