'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎24] (45/448)

Sholes of fudaa.
r'l
to be awed by her i and to command thofe golden Countries of
SoffaU, Mornhafa, Magadox*, Zmha,Mclindc, and other maritim Illes and parts of
Jkjmha that neighbour thislfle, molt of them djfcovered Anno 1 5oo. by
Gama and fubiefted to the Crown of Ported ■, proffering alfo many other petty Iflands
under'her as thofe of Cumrhoy Trimero, Mafcarenas, j4jjaaa, Caftle JJle, Moritjus, Dy-
parrois and Em lands For rejh which as it were environ, and in a fort defend her upon
occafion, fo asfhe feemstofit asEraprefs amongft them ^ n • ^
Nine leagues from Madagafcar (being upon a North Eaft courfe) we had well nigh
r for want of heed) run upon the Iholes of JvcUa-, fands memorably dangerous fince
Jimm a French-man here perifhed*, our variation was^ 13 degrees, 18 minutes from
the Cape • Hence we fteered North Eaft and by Eaft, aiming at Moheha. By the way one
of our Men took a Shark (a Man-eating Filh, who feldome mifsthe Hook out of
sreedinefs) 9 foot fhe was in length, and a half, by the Rule^ I fpeak it in this refped,
we found in her paunch five and fifty young ones, every Filh a foot long ( 100 in our
ftiip faw it) This ravenous Filh ('tis credibly reported) Spawn not like other Filhes,
but Whelp like Bitches', and as Rich. Hawkins witneffes, in ftorms, or dark Nights, re
ceive their young ones into their belly for fecurity: that Night we failed merrily by the
Mafcarenaty aGharybdisin 21 degrees, var. 13 and 17 minutes*, wherefufpeding no
dansen and the wind favouring, we were about ten at Night thrown ( by the fecret force
of an infeniible Current) upon die fhoalds of Mo^atnbique j fo as founding ( where we
thought we hada iooofathome)the Lead found bare eight: A wife Seaman chufes rather
to yield Unto a ftorm, or other accidents^ than feek his ruine •, and when he cannot
Cieer his right courfej will turn to any other point for prefervation: for here the wind
was high and the Sea rough, & cumulus immanis a^mnim In montisfpeciem was here true ^
the Moon was alfO cloudedthen it ftood our Captain upon to give fpeedy notice
(for that Night he bore the light in his Main-top) which was accordingly done by the
cccho of two roaring Gulverings, which warned our Fleets and were guided by our Lan
tern to tack aboutjfo as all the Fleet lowring their Top-failsy hovered till day-light might
help us by difcovery: at ourfecond founding we had 14 fathoms, 12, 15, and 14, after
that ^ then we had 22,24, 33,35, and 40 fathoms upon further founding •, by which
we faw the Lord in mercy had (as by aThred) direded our courfe from out of thofe
dreadful flats of Death, where not withftanding our Hydrographic cards (if his provi
dence, which let us ever magnifie, had not prevented) in half an hours fail further
we had doubtlefs been caft away moft luiferably: for future caution accept this Diftich,
, t . Cave fis ibi tu forbente charybdi.
Nam qetjue Neptunus poflet tibi ierre falutenaj
From us learn to avoid that deadly fandj
Where Neptune cannot lend a helping hand.
Capt. Saris found the current here much more to his difadvantage, for notwithftand-
ing a fair gale fill'd all his fails, and that his courfe was afore the wind ; the current was
fo ftrong, as in 24 hours forced the fhip 70 miles back v withal, being fo dreadful, that
the Sea raged arid feemed difturbed as it is under London-bridge and the froth made
him doubt it wasfhole water, but founding, he found 100 fathom. Experience teaches
that from that Cape de Bona Speranaa the current fets ftrongly Weft ward : from Cape de
Corientes to the iEquinodial line the Afrique fhore is for the moft part called Melindey a
Country abounding in Fruits, Corn,and Minerals", by Tliny calPd Sinus Troglodiricusy Bar-
haricus by others. Upon this Coaft are ftore of Fruits, Flowers, Plants, and Herbs,
Cattel of all forts, and in plenty. Amongft the reft are ftore of wild Hogs which the
Natives hunt and eat, unlefs Mahometans, for the Flefh is exceeding dainty *, but of
moft requeft is a Stone oft-times found in their Maw. Pietra del Porco the Spaniard calls
it, a Stone very foveraign againft Poifon, and other Maladies. The Vertue (as fup-
pofed) is from their feeding upon the Herbs and Drugs which the Earth puts forth
there plentifully, and in great variety. As we paft along, John de Novo, Primero and
other dangerous Ifles invironed us: Under i7deg. 37min. lat. 2odeg. 2omin. long,
cape var. 13 deg. 52 min. the current fets South Weft. At day-break we were clofe by
the Peninfule Moxjmbiquey a part of the great Kingdom of Zanzjbery in which alfo is
Mombaffa and Quiloa, not far diftant from that Cape or Promontory which Ptol. calls
Prafum, 'twixt which and the other Cape-land called Raptum the people in his time were
Men-eaters, and at this theNegros are little better. Heretofore, and as yet I think, it
abounds with the beft of Merchandife, as Gold, Silver, Elephants-teeth and Amber-
greece. A Fort of good ftrength was here taifedby the Portugal Anno 1560. foon af
ter theConqueft thereof*, who both all along .this South African and the Baft Indian
coaft