Their Houses Are Built Of Wood; Their Apparel Is Made Of Cotton,
Those Of The Better Sort Being Mixed With Gold Threads; Their Funerals
Are Very Superstitious.
The attendance on the monomotapa is more
ceremonious than grand, his usual guard being 200 dogs, and he is always
attended by 500 buffoons.
His dominions are ruled over by a great many
princes or governors, and to prevent them from rebelling he always keeps
their heirs about him. They have no law-suits. Their arms are bows and
arrows, javelins, daggers, and small sharp hatchets, and they all fight
on foot. The women of this country are used with so much respect, that
even the kings sons when they meet a woman, give way to her and stand
still till she has gone past. The Moors of Magadoxa were the first who
possessed the mines of Sofala, after which they were seized by the King
of Quiloa: But Yzuf, one of their governors, rebelled and usurped the
government to himself, assuming the title of king. This was the same
person with whom Annaya had now to contend, and whose son Solyman he
established in the sovereignty, under the protection and vassalage of
Portugal.
While these things happened at Sofala, the zamorin of Calicut was using
every exertion to raise up enemies to the Portuguese, even entering into
alliance with the Mameluke Soldan of Egypt, hoping by his assistance to
drive the Christians from the Indian seas. His measures and preparations
however became known to the Rajah of Cochin, who communicated the
intelligence to the viceroy Almeyda.
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