In
The Desert There Are Many Lions, Leopards, And Ostriches, The Eggs Of
Which I Have Often Eaten, And Found Them Very Good.
Don Henry has farmed out the trade of the island of Arguin, under the
following regulations.
No person must enter this gulf to trade with the
Arabs, except those who are licensed according to the ordinance, and have
habitations and factors on the island, and have been accustomed to
transact business with the Arabs on that coast. The articles of
merchandize chiefly provided for this trade are, woollen cloth and linen,
silver trinkets, _aldtizeli_ or frocks, and cloaks, and other things, and
above all, wheat; and the Arabs give in return negro slaves and gold. A
castle has been built on the isle of Arguin, by order of the prince, to
protect this trade, on account of which caravels or ships arrive there
every year from Portugal.
The Arabs of this coast have many Barbary horses, which they carry to the
country of the Negroes, which they barter with the great men for slaves,
receiving from ten to eighteen men for each horse, according to their
goodness. They also carry thither silken staffs of Granada and Tunis,
with silver, and many other things, in return for which they receive
great numbers of slaves and some gold. These slaves are brought first to
Hoden in the desert, and thence by the mountains of Barka into Barbary,
whence they are transported across the Mediterranean into Sicily. Part of
them are sold in Tunis, and in other places along the coast of Barbary;
and the rest are brought to Arguin, where they are sold to the licensed
Portuguese traders, who purchase between seven and eight hundred every
year, and send them for sale into Portugal.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 321 of 812
Words from 88163 to 88457
of 224388
