The Most Powerful Of The Independent Kings Is He Of Mongas,
Bordering On The Cuama Or Zambeze, Which Falls Into The Sea By Four
Mouths Between Mozambique And Sofala.
The first or most northerly of
these mouths is that of Quilimane, ninety leagues from Mozambique; the
second or Cuama is five leagues farther south; the third Luabo five
leagues lower; and the fourth named Luabol five leagues more to the
south.
Between these mouths are three large and fertile islands; the
middle one, named Chingoma, is sixty leagues in circumference. This
great river is navigable for sixty leagues upwards to the town of
Sena, inhabited by the Portuguese, and as much farther to Tete,
another Portuguese colony [388]. The richest mines are those of
Massapa, called Anfur[389], the Ophir whence the queen of Sheba
had the riches she carried to Jerusalem. In these mines it is said, that
one lump of gold has been found worth 12,000 ducats, and another worth
40,000. The gold is not only found among the earth and stones, but even
grows up within the bark of several trees as high as where the branches
spread out to form the tops. The mines of Manchica and Butica are not
much inferior to those of Massapa and Fura, and there are many others
not so considerable. There are three fairs or markets which the
Portuguese frequent for this trade of gold from the castle of Tete on
the river Zambeze. The first of these is Luanze, four days journey
inland from that place [390]. The second is Bacuto [391] farther off;
and the third Massapa still farther [392]. At these fairs the gold is
procured in exchange for coarse cloth, glass beads, and other articles
of small value among us. A Portuguese officer, appointed by the
commander of Mozambique, resides at Massapa with the permission of the
emperor of Monomotapa, but under the express condition of not going into
the country, under pain of death. He acts as judge of the differences
that arise there. There are churches belonging to the Dominicans at
Massapa, Bacuto, and Luanze. The origin, number, and chronology of the
kings of Mohomotapa are not known, though it is believed there were
kings here in the time of the queen of Sheba, and that they were subject
to her, as she got her gold from thence. In the mountain of Anfur or
Fura, near Massapa, there are the ruins of stately buildings, supposed
to be those of palaces and castles. In process of time this great
empire was divided into three kingdoms, called Quiteve, Sabanda, and
Chicanga[393], which last is the most powerful, as possessing the
mines of Manica, Butua, and others. It is believed that the negroes of
Butua, in the kingdom of Chicanga, are those who bring gold to Angola,
as these two countries are supposed to be only one hundred leagues
distance from each other [394]. The country of Monomotapa produces rice
and maize, and has plenty of cattle and poultry, the inhabitants
addicting themselves to pasturage and tillage, and even cultivating
gardens. It is divided into 25 kingdoms or provinces named Mongas,
Baroe, Manica, Boese, Macingo, Remo, Chique, Chiria, Chidima, Boquizo,
Inhanzo, Chiruvia, Condesaca, Daburia, Macurumbe, Mungussi, Antiovaza,
Chove, Chungue, Dvia, Romba, Rassini, Chirao, Mocaranga and
Remo-de-Beza.
[Footnote 387: According to modern maps, the Zambeze divides the empire
of Mocaranga, the sovereign of which is called Monomotapa, from the
empire of the Bororos; and the river Chireira or Manzara on the south of
the Zambeze, which it joins, is entirely confined to the country of
Mocaranga. - E.]
[Footnote 388: Sena is 220 English miles from the sea; Tete is 260 miles
higher up: so that this great river is navigable for 480 miles, probably
for small vessels only. - E.]
[Footnote 389: Massapa is the name of a Portuguese fort or settlement on
the river Mocaras, a branch of the Chireira, in the interior of
Mocaranga. Anfur or Fura is a mountain about 100 miles from Massapa,
said to contain rich gold mines. - E.]
[Footnote 390: Luanze is about 100 miles south from Tete, on one of the
branches of the Chireira. - E.]
[Footnote 391: Bacuto is 40 miles south of Luanze. - E.]
[Footnote 392: Massapa is about 45 miles S.S.W. from Buento or Bacuto,
or 170 miles in that direction from Tete. - E]
[Footnote 393: Quiteve is that kingdom or province of Mocaranga, now
named Sofala from the river of that name by which it is pervaded.
Sabanda is probably the kingdom or province of Sabia, on the river of
that name, the southern province of Mocaranga. Chicanga is what is now
called Manica, the south-west province of Mocaranga, the king or chief
of which province is named Chicanga. - E.]
[Footnote 394: The Butua of the text is probably the kingdom of Abutua
of modern maps, in the interior of Africa, directly west from the
northern part of Mocaranga. The distance between Abutua and the eastern
confines of Benguela, one of the provinces of Angola or Congo, is about
800 or 900 miles. - E.]
The emperor [395] has a large wooden palace, the three chief apartments
of which are, one for himself, another for his wife, and the third for
his menial servants. It has three doors opening into a large court, one
appropriated for the queen and her attendants, one for the king and the
servants attached to his person, and the third for the two head cooks,
who are great men and relations of the king, and for the under-cooks who
are all men of quality below twenty years of age, as none so young are
supposed to have any commerce with women, or otherwise they are severely
punished. After serving in the palace, these young men are preferred to
high employments.
[Footnote 395: The chief of Mocaranga is named Monomotapa, which latter
is often used as the name of the country. His residence is said to be at
Zimbao near the northern frontiers, between the Portuguese forts of Sena
and Tete.
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