'ten. 



Ohfervations 6cc. 261 



vided the SoUtanna, which Varro ' tells us contained five Gal- 

 lons, ftill continued to be a Native of thefe Seas, It would 

 make confiderable Amends, as well for the Want of fome, as 

 for the Scarcity there is in feveral other Species of the teftaceous 

 Clafs of Fifties. 



Thefe are the Obfervations, I have to offer, in Relation to Africa ;>,w«- 

 the Animals of thefe Kingdoms : in theCourfe of which, fome/' f''^''^^'"'' 

 Perfbns perhaps may be furprized, that they have been fo very 

 little , if at all entertained with an Account of fuch ftrange 

 and wonderful Objedls, as might be expedled from This Coun- 

 try. Now , in Anfwer to this , it may be obferved , that 

 the natural, and ordinary Courfe of Things is much the 

 fame in Barhary as in other Places ; each Species, as far as 

 ever I could be informed, keeping inviolably to Itfelf For, 

 if we except the Mule and the Kumrab, (which are procreated 

 from Animals under the Direction of Mankind, and therefore 

 not fo properly left to themfelves) few, I prefume, if any o- 

 ther Inftances can be fairly urged in Favour of the old Obfer- 

 vation. That Africa ^ is always producing fome new Monfier, 



CHAP. III. 



Of the Learning, Arts, Manufactures, Habits, 



Cultoms ^c. of the Inhabitants of thefe Kingdoms. 



T 



HE liberal Arts and Sciences continue to be, as they^r/j^</5«- 

 have been for many Ages, in a low State and Condiition knownlr en- 



among the Mahometans. Philofophy, Phyfick, and Mathe-"""^"'^' * 

 maticks, which a few Centuries ago, they had almoft entire- 

 ly to themfelves, are at prefent very little known among them. 

 The roving and unfettled Life of the .Arabs, and the perpe- 

 tual Grievances the Moors meet with from the Turks , will 

 not permit either of Them to enjoy that Liberty, Quiet, and 

 Security, which have at all Times given Birth and Encourage- 



1 Ex y^fr'u.t qus vocantur5o/<f4H)7(t (Cochles) ita magns funt, ut in eas 80 quadrantes 

 conjici polTunt. Var. de Re ruftica. 1. 13. cap. 14. 2 AiyLTou Si itt Tw^z/u^a 077 «« ipefo 71 Ai- 

 CuHyjiiyiv. Artfl. Hirt. Anitn. 1.8. cap. 18. Idco (fc. propter inopiam aquarum ad paucos 

 amnes congregantibus fe fen's) multiformes ibi animalium partus: varie feminis cujulquc 

 generis marcs, aut vi aut voluptate mifcente. Unde etiam vulgare Gr£c'i£ didtum, semper 



ALIQUID NOVl AFRICAM aFFERRE. Pl'ltl. 1. 8. Cap. 1(5. 



U u u ment 



