University of Virginia Library

Chapter XVIII.
The observations of Captaine Smith; Master Henrie
Archer and others in Barbarie.

BEING thus satisfied with Europe and Asia, understanding of the
warres in Barbarie,

hee went from Gibralter to Guta and
Tanger, thence to Saffee, where growing into acquaintance with a
French man of warre, the Captaine and some twelve more went to
Morocco, to see the ancient monuments of that large renowned
Citie: it was once the principall Citie in Barbarie, situated in a
goodly plaine Countrey, 14. miles from the great Mount Atlas, and
sixtie miles from the Atlanticke Sea; but now little remaining, but
the Kings Palace, which is like a Citie of it selfe, and the Christian
Church, on whose flat square steeple is a great brouch of iron,
whereon is placed the three golden Bals of Affrica: the first is neere
three Ells in circumference, the next above it somewhat lesse, the
uppermost the least over them, as it were an halfe Ball, and over all
a prettie guilded Pyramides. Against those golden Bals hathbeen
shot many a shot, their weight is recorded 700. weight of pure gold,
hollow within, yet no shot did ever hit them, nor could ever any Conspirator
attaine that honor as to get them downe. They report the
Prince of Morocco betrothed himselfe to the Kings Daughter of
Æthiopia, he dying before their marriage, she caused those three
golden Balls to be set up for his Monument, and vowed virginitie all
her life. The Alfantica is also a place of note, because it is invironed
with a great wall, wherein lye the goods of all the Merchants securely
guarded. The Juderea is also (as it were) a Citie of it selfe, where
dwell the Jewes: the rest for the most part is defaced: but by the many
pinnacles and towers, with Balls on their tops, hathmuch appearance
of much sumptuousnesse and curiositie. There have been many
famous Universities, which are now but stables for Fowles and Beasts,
and the houses in most parts lye tumbled one above another; the walls
of Earth are with the great fresh flouds washed to the ground; nor is
there any village in it, but tents for Strangers, Larbes and Moores.
Strange tales they will tell of a great Garden, wherein were all sorts
of Birds, Fishes, Beasts, Fruits and Fountaines, which for beautie, Art
and pleasure, exceeded any place knowne in the world, though now
nothing but dung-hils, Pigeon-houses, shrubs and bushes. There are
yet many excellent fountaines adorned with marble, and many
arches, pillers, towers, ports and Temples; but most only reliques
of lamentable ruines and sad desolation.

When Mully Hamet

reigned in Barbarie, hee had three sonnes,
Mully Shecke, Mully Sidan, and Mully Befferres, he a most good and
noble King, that governed well with peace and plentie, till his Empresse,
more cruell ∥ than any beast in Affrica, poysoned him, her
owne daughter, Mully Shecke his eldest sonne borne of a Portugall
Ladie, and his daughter, to bring Mully Sidan to the Crowne now
reigning, which was the cause of all those brawles and warres that
followed betwixt those Brothers, their children, and a Saint that
start up, but he played the Devill.

King Mully Hamet was not blacke, as many suppose, but
Molata,

or tawnie, as are the most of his subjects; everie way noble,
kinde and friendly, verie rich and pompous in State and Majestie,
though hee sitteth not upon a Throne nor Chaire of Estate, but
crosse legged upon a rich Carpet, as doth the Turke, whose Religion
of Mahomet, with an incredible miserable curiositie they observe.
His Ordinarie Guard is at least 5000 but in progresse he goeth not
with lesse than 20000. horsemen, himselfe as rich in all his Equipage,
as any Prince in Christendome, and yet a Contributor to the Turke.
In all his Kingdome were so few good Artificers, that hee entertained
from England, Gold-smiths, Plummers, Carvers, and Polishers of
stone, and Watch-makers, so much hee delighted in the reformation
of workmanship, hee allowed each of them ten shillings a day standing
fee, linnen, woollen, silkes, and what they would for diet and
apparell, and custome-free to transport, or import what they would;
for there were scarce any of those qualities in his Kingdomes, but
those, of which there are divers of them living at this present in
London. Amongst the rest, one Master Henry Archer, a Watch-maker,
walking in Morocco, from the Alfantica to the Juderea, the
way being verie foule, met a great Priest, or a Sante (as they call all
great Clergy-men) who would have thrust him into the durt for the
way; but Archer, not knowing what he was, gave him a box on the
eare, presently he was apprehended, and condemned to have his
tongue cut out, and his hand cut off: but no sooner it was knowen at
the Kings Court, but 300. of his Guard came, and broke open the
Prison, and delivered him, although the fact was next degree to
Treason.

Concerning this Archer, there is one thing more worth noting:
Not farre from Mount Atlas, a great Lionesse in the heat of the day,
did use to bathe her selfe, and teach her young Puppies to swimme
in the river Cauzeff,

of a good bredth; yet she would carrie them
one after another over the river; which some Moores perceiving
watched their opportunitie, and when the river was betweene her
and them, stole foure of her whelps, which she perceiving, with all
the speed shee could passed the river, and comming neere them they
let fall a whelpe (and fled with the rest) which she tooke in her mouth,
and so returned to the rest: a Male and a Female of those they gave
Master Archer, who kept them in the Kings Garden, till the Male
killed the Female, then he brought it up as a Puppy-dog lying upon
his bed, till it grew so great as a Mastiffe, and no dog more tame or
gentle to them hee knew: but being to returne for England, at Saffee
he gave him to a Merchant of Marsellis, that presented him to the
French King, who sent him to King James, where it was kept in the
Tower seven yeeres: After one Master John Bull, then servant to
Master Archer, with divers of his friends, went to see the Lyons, not
knowing any thing at all of him; yet this rare beast smelled him
before hee ∥ saw him, whining, groaning, and tumbling, with such
an expression of acquaintance, that being informed by the Keepers
how hee came thither; Master Bull so prevailed, the Keeper opened
the grate, and Bull went in: But no Dogge could fawne more on his
Master, than the Lyon on him, licking his feet, hands, and face,
skipping and tumbling to and fro, to the wonder of all the beholders;
being satisfied with his acquaintance, he made shift to get out of the
grate. But when the Lyon saw his friend gone, no beast by bellowing,
roaring, scratching, and howling, could expresse more rage and
sorrow, nor in foure dayes after would he either eat or drinke.

In Morocco, the Kings Lyons are all together in a Court, invironed
with a great high wall; to those they put a young Puppy-dogge:
the greatest Lyon had a sore upon his necke, which this Dogge
so licked that he was healed: the Lyon defended him from the furie
of all the rest, nor durst they eat till the Dogge and he had fed; this
Dog grew great, and lived amongst them many yeeres after.

Fez also is a most large and plentifull Countrey,

the chiefe Citie
is called Fez, divided into two parts; old Fez, containing about 80.
thousand housholds, the other 4000. pleasantly situated upon a River
in the heart of Barbarie, part upon hils, part upon plaines, full of
people, and all sorts of Merchandise. The great Temple is called
Carucen, in bredth seventeene Arches, in length 120. borne up with
2500. white marble pillars: under the chiefe Arch, where the Tribunall
is kept, hangeth a most huge lampe, compassed with 110.
lesser, under the other also hang great lamps, and about some are
burning fifteene hundred lights. They say they were all made of the
bels the Arabians brought from Spaine. It haththree gates of notable
height, Priests and Officers so many, that the circuit of the Church,
the Yard, and other houses, is little lesse than a mile and an halfe in
compasse; there are in this Citie 200. Schooles, 200. Innes, 400.
water-mils, 600. water-Conduits, 700. Temples and Oratories; but
fiftie of them most stately and richly furnished. Their Alcazer or
Burse is walled about, it hathtwelve gates, and fifteen walks covered
with tents, to keepe the Sun from the Merchants, and them that
come there. The Kings Palace, both for strength and beautie is excellent,
and the Citizens have many great privileges. Those two
Countreyes of Fez and Morocco, are the best part of all Barbarie,
abounding with people, cattell, and all good necessaries for mans
use. For the rest, as the Larbes, or Mountainers, the Kingdomes of
Cocow, Algier, Tripoly, Tunis, and Ægypt; there are many large
histories of them in divers languages, especially that writ by that
most excellent Statesman, John de Leo, who afterward turned
Christian. The unknowen Countries of Ginny and Binne, this six
and twentie yeeres have beene frequented with a few English ships
only to trade, especially the river of Senaga, by Captaine Brimstead,
Captaine Brockit, Master Crump, and divers others. Also the great
river of Gambra, by Captaine Jobson, who is returned in thither
againe in the yeere 1626. with Master William Grent, and thirteene
or fourteene others, to stay in the Countrey, to discover some way to
those rich mines of Gago or Tumbatu, from whence is supposed the
Moores of ∥ Barbarie have their gold, and the certaintie of those
supposed descriptions and relations of those interiour parts, which
daily the more they are sought into, the more they are corrected. For
surely, those interiour parts of Affrica are little knowen to either
English, French, or Dutch, though they use much the Coast; therefore
wee will make a little bold with the observations of the Portugalls.