The Entire Northern Coast Along The Mediterranean Is Now
Called Barbary, And Is Inhabited By The Moors.
The inner part is called
Lybia and Ethiopia.
Lesser Africa, in which stood the noble city of
Carthage, has Numidia on the west and Cyrenaica on the east.
On the east side of Africa, to the west of the Red Sea, are the
dominions of the great and mighty Christian king or emperor Prester
John, well known to the Portuguese in their voyages to Calicut. His
dominions reach very far on every side, and he has many other kings
under his authority who pay him tribute, both Christian and Pagan. This
mighty prince is named David emperor of Ethiopia, and it is said that
the Portuguese send him every year eight ships laden with merchandise.
His dominions are bounded on one side by the Red Sea, and stretch far
into Africa towards Egypt and Barbary. To the southwards they adjoin
with the great sea or ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope, and to the
north are bounded by the great and dangerous _Sea of Sand_, lying
between the great city of Cairo in Egypt and the country of Ethiopia; in
which are many uninhabitable deserts continuing for the space of five
days journey. It is affirmed, if the Christian emperor were not hindered
by the deserts, in which there is great want of provisions and
especially of water, that he would ere now have invaded Egypt. The chief
city of Ethiopia, in which this great emperor resides, is called
_Amacaiz_, being a city of some importance, the inhabitants of which are
of an olive complexion. There are many other cities, such as the city of
_Sava_ on the Nile, where the emperor ordinarily resides during the
summer. There is likewise a great city named _Barbaregaf_ and _Ascon_,
whence the queen of Saba is supposed to have gone for Jerusalem to hear
the wisdom of Solomon[193]. This last city though little is very fair,
and one of the principal cities of Ethiopia. In this province there are
many very high mountains, on which the terrestrial paradise is supposed
to have been situated; and some say that the trees of the sun and moon
which are mentioned by the ancients, are to be found there, but no one
has ever been able to go to them, on account of great deserts extending
to an hundred days journey. Also beyond these mountains is the Cape of
Good Hope.
[Footnote 193: The names of places are so corruptly given as hardly even
to be guessed at. Amacaiz may possibly be meant for Amba Keshem, Sava
for Shoa, Barbaregaf for the Baharnagash, and Ascon for Assab. - E.]
_Journal of the Voyage_.
On the 12th of August 1553, there sailed from Portsmouth two goodly
ships, the Primrose and the Lion, with a pinnace called the Moon, all
well furnished with 140 able bodied men, and with ordnance and victuals
fitting for the voyage. They were commanded by two captains; one of whom
was a foreigner named Antonio Anes Pinteado, a native of Oporto in
Portugal, a wise, discreet, and sober man, who, for his skill in
navigation both as an experienced pilot and prudent commander, was at
one time in such favour with the king of Portugal, that the coasts of
Brazil and Guinea were committed to his care against the French, to whom
he was a terror in these seas. He had been likewise a gentleman of the
household to the king. But as fortune ever flatters when it favours,
ever deceives when it promises, and ever casts down whom it raises, so
great wealth and high favour are always accompanied by emulation and
envy; in like manner was he, after many adversities and malicious
accusations, forced to take refuge in England. In this golden voyage
Pinteado was ill-matched with an evil companion, his own various good
qualities being coupled with one who had few or no virtues. Thus did
these noble ships depart on their voyage; but previously captain Windham
put out of his ship at Portsmouth a kinsman of one of the head
merchants, shewing in this a sample of the bad intention of his mind,
which grew from this small beginning to a monstrous enormity; yet happy
was that young man for being left behind.
Arriving at the island of Madeira, they took in some wine for the use of
the ships. At this island was a great galleon belonging to the king of
Portugal, full of men and ordnance, which had been expressly fitted out
to interrupt our ships in their intended voyage, or any others that
might intend a similar expedition; for the king of Portugal had been
secretly informed that our ships were armed to attack his castle of
Mina, though no such thing was intended; yet did not that galleon
attempt to stay our ships, nor could she have been able to withstand
them if that had been tried.
After their departure from Madeira the worthy captain Pinteado began to
experience affliction from Captain Windham, who had hitherto carried a
fair appearance of good will, but now assumed to himself the sole
command, setting both captain Pinteado and the merchants factors at
nought, giving them opprobrious words and sometimes abusing them most
shamefully with threats of personal ill-treatment. He even proceeded to
deprive captain Pinteado of the service of the boys and others who had
been assigned him by order of the merchant adventurers, reducing him to
the rank of a common mariner, which is the greatest affront that can be
put upon a Portuguese or Spaniard, who prize their honour above all
things. Passing the Canaries, they came to the island of St Nicholas,
one of the Cape Verds, where they procured abundance of the flesh of
wild goats, being almost its only produce. Following their voyage from
thence, they tarried by the way at certain desert islands, not willing
to arrive too early on the coast of Guinea on account of the heat.
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