 Reference Base  The new found worlde, or Antarctike, wherein is contained... |
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Thevet, A., 1568. The new found worlde, or Antarctike, wherein is contained wonderful and strange things, as beastes, fishes, foules, and serpents, trees, plants, mines of golde and silver: garnished with many learned authorities, travailed and written in the French tong. London, Henrie Bynneman, folio 1-24
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| Location: |
Africa |
| Subject: |
History |
| Species: |
All Rhino Species |
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Of Ethiopia. Cap. 16.
ALthough that many Cosmographers haue sufficie?t?ly described the Countrey of Ethiopia, also among our writers, those the which haue made many faire Nauigations by this coast of Affrica, in many and farre Countreys, notwithstanding this shall not let, but that
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according to my endeuor, I wil declare some secretes ob?serued in sailing by this saide coast into the great Ame?rica. Ethiopia therfore extendeth so far,* that it hath parte bothe of Asia and Affrica, and therfore they are deuided in two. That parte which is in Affrica, is named India, or Leuant of the red sea, and to the North part of Egipt & Affrica toward the South parte of the floud Nigritis, the which as we haue said, is called Senega.* To the ponent it hath the whole parte of Affrica, the which extendeth to the banke side or brinkes of the West. And so it hath ben named by the name of Ethiops, the sonne of Vulcane, the which before had many other names. Toward the West it is hilly, small inhabited in the East,* others set it out after this sorte folowing. There are two Ethiops, the one is vnder Egipt riche and large, and in the same is the Ile Mirva, great among those of Nylle, and of the same parte extending to the East, raigneth Prester Iohn.* The other part is not so well knowen nor discouered, it is of suche a greatnesse, sauing only by ye borders of the sea. Others deuide it otherwise, that is to wit, the one parte being in Asia, and the other in Affrica, that now are called the In?dies of Leuant, compassed with the red Sea in Barbarie, towardes the Northe, to the Countrey of Libia in Egipt. This countrey is very hilly, of the which ye hils are Bed, Iona, Bardita, Mescha, Lipha. Some haue written that the first Ethiopians and Egiptians, among other were most rude & ignorant, leading a wild life euen as brute beasts, without lodging or remaining, but resting them wheras they wer benighted, worse than at this day do the Ma?sonists. From the Equinoctiall toward the Antartike, ther is a great cou?trey of Ethiopians, yt norish great Elipha?ts, Tigers, Rhinoceros, beasts so named. There is another region bearing Cynamon betwene the armes of Nylle:
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the realme of Etabecke,* on bothe sides of Nylle, is inhabi?ted with Christians. The others are named Ickthiopha?ges liuing only with fishe, being in times past brought vn?der the obedience and subiection of Alexander. The An?thropophages are neare to the hils of the Mone, and the rest extending from thence to Capricorne, and returning towarde the Caape of good hoppe, and inhabited with di?uers and sundry people, hauing diuers similitudes and monstrous. Neuerthelesse they are estéemed to be ye first borne into the world, also the first that haue inuented re?ligion and ceremonies, and therfore they were neuer vn?der the yoke of subiection, but haue alwayes liued at li?bertie.* It is a wonderfull thing to sée the honor and ami?tie that they beare to their King: for if it chaunce that he be grieued in his body, his subiects or houshold seruaunts will be the like, estéeming it a thing vnpertinent to re?maine whole, and their King grieued or offended.
The greatest part of these people are al naked, bicause of the extréeme heat of the Sunne, others couer their pri?uie partes with certaine skinnes, others couer halfe of their body,* and others their whole body. Meroa is the hed Towne of Ethiopia, in the olde time it was named Saba, and since by Cambises, Meroa. There are diuers kinds of religion. Some are Idolaters, as hereafter shalbe decla?red, the others worship the Sunne when it riseth, but they despise the West. This Countrey aboundeth in miracles and wonders, it nourisheth toward India very great bea?stes, as great Dogges, Eliphants, Rhinocerous of a wo??derfull height, Dragons, Basiliscus and others: further?more, trées so hie that no Archer can shoote to the toppe, with many other wonderfull things, as also Plinie reher?seth in the seconde boke, the .xvij Chapter of his naturall Historie. Their corne is customably Mill and Barley,
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with the which also they make a certaine drink, and they haue fewe other fruites and trées, sauing only certaine great Palme trées. They haue also in some places, good quantitie of precious stones more than in other. Also it shal not be out of the way, to say that these people are ve?ry blacke, according as the heat is more or lesse veheme?t, and that that colour commeth of a superficiall action, be?ing the great heate of the Sunne,* the which is the cause also, yt they are very fearfull. The heat of the aire being so violent, draweth out the natural heat of the heart, and other interior parts, & therfore they remain colde within being destitute of the naturall heate, and onely burned outwarde, as we may sée in other things. The action of heat in what thing so euer it be, is no other thing tha? re?solution or dissipation of the Eliments, when it perseue?reth and is violent, in suche sorte that the most subtillest Eliments being consumed, there remaineth but ye earth?ly part, keping colour and consistence of the earth, as we sée Ashes and burned woode. Then to the skin of this peo?ple so burned, there resteth but the earthly parte of the humor, the others being dispersed which causeth the coulour. I said they were fearful, bicause of the inward coldnesse: for hardinesse and manhoode commeth not, but with a vehement heate of the heart. The which causeth the Englishmen, & those that are vnder the North Pole, which co?trary are cold without, but maruelous hot with?in, to be hardy, couragious, & ful of great boldnesse. Ther¦fore these Neigers haue their heade curled, their téethe white, great lips, croked legges, the women vnconstant, with many other vices which wold be to long to reherse: therfore I wil leaue this to Philosophers. Let vs come to our purpose.* These Ethiopians & Indians vse Magike bicause they haue many herbes & other things proper for
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that exercise. And it is certaine & true, that there is a cer?tain Sympathia in things, and hid Antipathia, the which cannot be knowen but by long experience. And bicause that we coasted a countrey somwhat far in this land, na?med Ginney, I thinke good to write therof particularly.
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