Part 1. Travels into the hEv ant. 23c) 
that Countrey are the Mines out of which, they have the Gold that pafTes on 
the Coafts of Soffala and Guiney. Thefe Mines are not deep, as in many 
other Countrey s. From that Countrey alfo comes the Civet. I think itv/illnoc 
be amifs, here to lay fomewhat of Civets,which are fo rare in our Countrey, as 
that they deferve to be taken notice of where one can find them.They are called 
Civet-Cats, come from Naria, (as I juft now faid) and are taken in Snares. The 
Jews in Caire keep many of them in their Houfes, where for buying a few 
drachms of Civet, one may fee them. It is a Beaft almoft as big as a good Dog ; Civet, 
it hath a lharp Snout, fmall Eyes, little Ears, and muftachios like a Cat ^ 
the Skin of it is all fpotted black and white, with fome yellowifh fpecks, and 
hath a long bulhy Tail, almoft like a Fox. It is a very wild Creature ; and 
I believe the bite of it would put a body to no fmall pain, The Jews keep 
them in great fquare wooden Cages, where they feed them with raw Mutton 
and Beaf, cut into fmall Pieces. When they would get from them that which , 
is called Civet, (and is the Sweat of this Beaft, that fmells fo fweet) they Jjj^j ^^.^^ 
make him go back with a ftick which they thruft in betwixt the Bars of the '"^ '^^ 
Cage and catch hold of his Tail; when they have that faft, they take hold 
alfo of his two hind Legs, pulling him half out of the Cage by the Door, 
which falls down upon his Back, and keeps him faft there, then another opens 
a certain Cod of Flelh that thefe Beafts have, which is fiiaped like a fplit 
Gyferne, and with an Iron-Spatula fcrapes all the Sweat off of it within. The 
Males have that piece of Flelh betwixt their Stones and Yard, which is like 
a Cats. The Females have it betwixt their Fundament and Privities; and 
it is emptied of the Sweat but twice a Week, each Beaft yielding about a 
drachm at a time, by what I could difcern. When that Sweat or Excrement 
is taken out, it is of a whitifh grey, but by little and little in fome fhort 
fpace it turns to a very brown colour. It fmells very fweet at a diftance, 
but near hand it ftinks and caufes a Head-ach. There are as many kinds of 
Civet-Sweat, as there are of Civet-Cats, for it is more whitifh, greyifh, or 
yellowifli, and dryer in fome than in others, and yet they mingle all together. 
After all, it is in vain to think to have pure Civet, for the Jews faliifie it ; There is no 
and if a Man imagine it to be pure becaufe he has feen it taken from the ^ be had!^ 
Beaft, he ismiftaken, for before People come to their Houfes, they rub the 
infide of that piece of Flefh, with a little Oyl or fome fuch ftuff, that fo the 
Sweat and it together may make more weight, but when no body is prefent, 
they take it out pure, and mingle it afterwards. To find out the truth of 
this, I went one day to the Houfe of a Jew that kept Civet Cats, without 
giving him notice before, ( for becaufe 1 had bought a little of him, and 
promifed to come again another time, he asked me as often as he faw 
me, what day I would come^ and having defired him to get me fome frelh 
Civet, he told me that it was not the day he ufed to take it out ; and ha- 
ving returned without acquainting him before, upon one of the days when he 
faid he was accuftomed to gather it, he refufed then alfo to do it, pretending 
bufinefs, which confirmed all that had been told me of that maitter. In the 
mean time, they hold thefe Beafts very dear, for havihg afked that Jew, and 
others alfo, how much they would have of me, for a Cwet Cat, they all told 
me, an hundred Chequim. Dangda^ is the Capital City of Nubia, the King qÇ^^'?.^J<1' 
Danida, is King of the £^?-^m«j, who are a kind of Blacks, of the Mufulman 
Religion, that came in crouds to Caire to get Services ; they are fomewhat 
lilly, but very faithful, and ferve for a fmall matter ; for two AfWmaday, 
or z Mat dm 2iï\à. their Diet; you may make them do whatfoever you pleafe. 
They wear a blew-Shirt, plat all their Hair in TreiTes, and then rub it over 
with a certain Oyl, to keep their Head from being Loufie. h.t Caire when 
they have any falling out, they go before the Schetks of their own Nation, 
who make them Friends, and if they think It convenient, adjudge them to 
pay a Fine, with which they Feaft and make merry together. They are great 
lovers of Crocodiles Flelh ; and when any Frank has got one for the Skin, they 
come and beg the Flelh, which they drefs with a pretty good Sawce. When 
thefe blades have fcraped together ten or twelve Piafires, they return home 
again wealthy ta their own Countrey, provided they efcape being Robbed 
by the Arabs upon the way, who many times ferve them fo, therefore they 
commonly 
