The Longitude Is Reckoned By Abulfeda From The Most
Western Shores On The Atlantic Ocean, At The Pillars Of Hercules;
Supposed To Be 10 Deg.
E. of the Fuzair al Khaladat, or the Fortunate
Islands.
- Ast. I. 134.
These latitudes and longitudes are so exceedingly erroneous as to defy
all useful criticism, and are therefore left as in the collection of
Astley without any commentary; indeed the whole of this extract from
Abulfeda is of no manner of use, except as a curiosity. - E.]
POSTSCRIPT.-Transactions of the Portuguese in Abyssinia, under Don
Christopher de Gama[347].
While the Portuguese fleet was at Massua, between the 22d of May and
9th of July 1541, a considerable detachment of soldiers was landed at
Arkiko on the coast of Abyssinia under the command of Don Christopher de
Gama, brother to the governor-general, for the assistance of the
Christian sovereign of the Abyssinians against Grada Hamed king of Adel
or Zeyla, an Arab sovereignty at the north-eastern point of Africa,
without the Red Sea, and to the south of Abyssinia. In the journal of
Don Juan de Castro; this force is stated at 500 men, while in the
following notices from De Faria, 400 men are said to have formed the
whole number of auxiliaries furnished by the Portuguese[348]. This
account of the first interference of the Portuguese in the affairs of
Abyssinia by De Faria, is rather meagre and unsatisfactory, and the
names of places are often so disguised by faulty orthography as to be
scarcely intelligible. In a future division of our work more ample
accounts will be given both of this Portuguese expedition, and of other
matters respecting Abyssinia. - E.
[Footnote 347: From the Portuguese Asia of De Faria, II. 24.]
[Footnote 348: In an account of this expedition of the Portuguese into
Abyssinia, by the Catholic Patriarch, Juan Bermudez, who accompanied
them, this difference of the number of men is partly accounted for.
According to Bermudez, the force was 400 men, among whom were many
gentlemen and persons of note, who carried servants along with them,
which increased the number considerably. - E.]
* * * * *
Some time before the expedition of De Gama into the Red Sea, Grada Hamed
the Mahometan king of Adel or Zeyla, the country called Trogloditis by
some geographers, submitted himself to the supremacy of the Turkish
empire in order to obtain some assistance of men, and throwing off his
allegiance to the Christian emperor of Abyssinia or Ethiopia,
immediately invaded that country with a numerous and powerful army. On
this occasion he took advantage offered by the sovereign of Abyssinia,
to whom he owed allegiance, being in extreme youth, and made such
progress in the country that the emperor Atanad Sagad, otherwise named
Claudius, was obliged to retire into the kingdom or province of Gojam,
while his mother, Saban or Elizabeth, who administered the
government in his minority, took refuge with the Baharnagash in the
rugged mountains of Dama, a place naturally impregnable, which rising
to a prodigious height from a large plain, has a plain on its summit
about a league in diameter, on which is an indifferent town with
sufficient cattle and other provisions for its scanty population. On one
side of this mountain there is a road of difficult ascent to near the
top; but at the last part of the ascent people have to be drawn up and
let down on planks by means of ropes.
While in this helpless condition, the queen got notice that Don Stefano
de Gama was in the Red Sea, and sent the Baharnagash to him, desiring
his assistance against the tyrant, who had overrun the country,
destroyed many ancient churches, and carried off numbers of priests and
monks into slavery. The embassador was favourably listened to; and it
was resolved by the governor-general, in a council of his officers, to
grant the assistance required. Accordingly Don Christopher de Gama,
brother to the governor-general, was named to the command on this
occasion, who was landed with 400 men and eight field-pieces, with many
firelocks and abundance of ammunition. He was accompanied by Don Juan
Bermudez, Patriarch of Ethiopia, whose presence was much desired by the
Abyssinian emperor, on purpose to introduce the ceremonies of the Roman
church.
Don Christopher de Gama and his men set out on their march from Arkiko
under the guidance of the Baharnagash for the interior of Abyssinia, and
the men endured incredible fatigue from the excessive heat, though they
rested by day and marched only in the night. A whole week was spent in
passing over a rugged mountain, whence they descended into a very
pleasant flat country, watered by many rivulets, through which they
marched for two days to the city of Barua, the metropolis or residence
of the Baharnagash. Though much damaged in the late invasion, yet this
place had several sightly buildings, divided by a large river, with
goodly villages and country houses in the environs. The Portuguese were
received at the gates by a procession of several monks singing a litany,
one of whom made a speech to welcome them, extoling their generosity in
coming to the aid of their distressed country: After which the
Portuguese visited the church and encamped.
Don Christopher sent immediate notice of his arrival to the Emperor, who
was at a great distance, and to the queen mother who was near, upon the
mountain of Dama already mentioned. The Baharnagash was sent to conduct
her from the mountain, having along with him two companies of the
Portuguese as an escort, and brought her to Barua attended by a great
retinue of women and servants. On her arrival, the Portuguese troops
received her under arms, and the cannon were fired off to do her honour.
The queen was seated on a mule, whose trappings reached to the ground,
and she was hidden from view by curtains fixed to the saddle. She was
clothed in white, having a short black cloak or mantle with gold fringes
on her shoulders.
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