Ancient Africana. 311 



of gold and silver and other commodities." The 

 inhabitants, we learn, " lived not as if reason 

 guided their actions," and are said to " have enter- 

 tained all Eeligions that came in their way. First 

 their owne, then the Jewes, the Mahumetans, and 

 some of them the Christian," indeed we are not 

 surprised to learn that it was considered ' ' a poore 

 Country, God wot, not worth either Gentrie or 

 Lawes, or indeed the name of a Kingdom." 



^Ethiopia superior, "likewise called the King- 

 dome of the Abissines," was the land of Presbyter 

 John " one of the mightiest Emperours in the 

 World " who drew his line from Saloman and the 

 Queene of the South. 



Speed has little else to tell us of this division, 

 except that in one Province there was a law 

 that "no man marrie till he have killed twelve 

 Christians," after which statement it is not 

 astonishing to find that the inhabitants were 

 "base and idle," and that their religion was 

 "mixt." 



Lastly, Ethiopia inferior comprised the whole 

 of South Africa. " On every side begirt with Sea 

 except toward the North," this was divided into 

 five " kingdomes." Aina, of which our author has 

 nothing to say, except that it abounds "with 

 Flesh, Hony, Wax, Gold, Ivorie, Corne, very large 

 Sheepe." 



Zanguebar, in which " stands Mesambique, called 

 by Ptolmie Prassum Promontorium, and was the 

 utmost part Southward of the old world." Mono- 



