Innumerable Quantities Of Large And Excellent Fish Of Various Kinds Are
Caught On This Coast, Similar In Taste To Those We Have At Venice, But
Quite Different In Shape And Appearance.
The gulf of Arguin is shallow
all over, and is full of shoals both of rocks and sand; and, as the
currents are here very strong, there is no sailing except by day, and
even then with the lead constantly heaving.
Two ships have been already
lost on these shoals. Cape _Branco_ lies S.W. of Cape Cantin, or rather S.
and by W. Behind Cape Branco there is a place called Hoden, six days
journey inland on camels, which is not walled, but is much frequented by
the Arabs and caravans, which trade between Tombucto,[2] and other places
belonging to the Negroes, and the western parts of Barbary. The
provisions at Hoden are dates and barley, which they have in plenty, and
the inhabitants drink the milk of camels and other animals, as they have
no wine. They have some cows and goats, the former being greatly smaller
than those of Italy; but the number of these is not great, as the country
is very dry. The inhabitants are all Mahometans, and great enemies to the
Christians, and have no settled habitations, but wander continually over
the deserts. They frequent the country of the Negroes, and visit that
side of Barbary which is next the Mediterranean. On these expeditions
they travel in numerous caravans, with great trains of camels, carrying
brass, silver, and other articles, to Tombucto and the country of the
Negroes, whence they bring back gold and _melhegette_, or cardamom
seeds[3]. These people are all of a tawny colour, and both sexes wear a
single white garment with a red border, without any linen next their skins.
The men wear turbans, in the Moorish fashion, and go always barefooted.
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