Barca

Sources from old books

1682. Cosmography and geography in two parts by Richard Blome.

THE rest of the Coast of Barbary, is now known under the name of BARCA; it is bounded on the East with Egypt, on the South with the Desart of Nubia, on the West with Tripoli, and on the North with the Mediterranean Sea, which is also some of its Western bounds. The Ancients called it particularly Libya, comprehending that which is farther in the Land, and which we call the Desart of Barca, and divided this Libya into the Cyrenaick, the Marmarick, and Libya Exteriour. This last being the nearest to Egypt; the Cyrenaick to Tripoli; and the Marmarick resting for the middle. Likewise the most Northern and Maritim part of the Cyrenaick, hath passed under the name of Pentapolis, because it had five fair Cities; to wit, 1. Bernichum. 2. Torochara. 3. Ptolemais, now Ptolometa: and 4. Boni-Andreas; and these four are on the Sea; the fifth, Cayroan, within Land. This, by much the most famous, was a Colony of the Lacedemonians, and hath yielded Learned Men: Its scituation is on an eminence that discovers the Sea; and its Campaign, as of those other Cities, is moistned by divers Waters; and their Soil so fruitful, that some have esteemed the Hesperian Gardens with their Golden Apples about Berenice. Its other chief Towns and Cities are, 1. Barca, an Inland City of some account. 2. Melela. 3. Careora. 4. Camera. 5. Zunara. 6. Avium: and 7. Saline. All Maritim Towns and Cities, and of some account.

Battus gave the first beginning to Cyrene, and he and his Successors reigned near 200 years; after which the City was sometimes in Liberty, and sometimes under Tyrannism: Among which Nicocrates having put to death Phaedimus, Husband of Aretaphila, to espouse her; she endured him sometime her Husband, and that until she had occasion to gain the Brother of Nicocrates, named Leander; to whom she gave her Daughter in marriage, and by his means rid her self of Nicocrates, and soon after (by the means of her Daughter) of Leander also, and so set the City at liberty; which endured till the time of Alexander the Great, when the Country fell to the Ptolomies, Kings of Egypt; afterwards, to the Romans, to the Soldans of Egypt, and to the Turks; having almost always followed the Fortune famous of this Quarter, and hath given its name to the Kingdom. The Arab of Nubia makes much account of it in his time, and lays out divers ways, and gives the distances from this place to others farther in the Desart. Moreover this quarter of five Cities is called by some Mesrata, and its Inhabitants esteemed rich.* 1.71 They trade both with the Europeans, Negroes and Abissines, fetch from them Gold, Ivory, Civet, Musk, and Slaves, which they transport into Europe, besides their Native Commodities; and bringing from Europe, Corn, Linnen, Woolen Cloth, &c. which they carry to the Negroes, Abissines, and elsewhere. Its other chief places in the Kingdom of Barca are, 1. Doera. 2. Forcella. 3. Salinae. 4. Luchun. 5. Solana. 6. Musolomarus. 7. Cartum. 8. Albertonus. 9. Roxa. 10. Raibba; and, 11. Ripaealba. All Maritim Towns and Cities; and most of which having good and commodious Roads, Ports, and Havens, and well frequented and inhabited.

Between Cayroan and Alexandria, there is on the Coast the Port of Alberton Paraetonium, which is considerable both for its goodness and greatness: And sometimes the Ancients have called it Ammonia, because from hence was a way to the Temple of Jupiter Hammon. This Temple hath been very famous among the Pagans. Bacchus returning from Asia, which he had overcome, caused it to be built in honour of his Father, who under the shape of a Ram had shewed him, as he passed with his Army, where to find Water in those Desarts; and he first consulted the Oracle, and put it in such repute, that divers other Heroes afterwards consulted it. Perseus, when he was sent to fetch the Head of Medusa, the Gorgon: Hercules going from Mauritania, where he had overcome Antaeus, towards Egypt, where he was to defeat Busiris. Alexander the Great, to make it believed he was likewise the Son of Jupiter, and that the Empire of the World was destin'd to him. But Cambyses, the Son of Cyrus, having a design to pillage this Temple, beheld his Army perish in these Desarts, and was saved himself only to see his own madness, and to die unhappily by his own Weapon. About this Temple there are some Springs of Running water, and some Trees, which makes this quarter pleasant. Among these Waters, that which they called the Fountain of the Sun, had this particular quality, that it was very hot at Midnight, and very cold at Noon-day; the cold increasing from Morning till Noon, and diminishing until Evening; and from thence the heat increasing till Midnight, and diminishing until the Morning. There were three several ways which they used ordinarily to go to this Oracle: the shortest was by Alberton, which (as we have said) was upon the Coast, and from whence it was but 1300 Stadia, which are about 162000 Paces. Another way was from Cayroan; from whence it was 3000 Stadia, or 375000 Paces. 'Pliny saith, 400000; the difference is 25000 Paces. The longest way was from Memphis, from whence it was 3600 Stadia, or 450000 Paces. These are 180 Leagues for this last, 150, or little more, for the second, and 65 for the first. All these ways are very difficult, the Country being only Desarts of Sands; so dry, that the Wind moves them like the dust of the High-way, and that in so great a quantity, that they are able to interr Carravans. And if there be any Habitations in these Desarts, and where there is any Springs of Water, they are distant one from the other 40, 50, 60, sometimes a 100 Leagues; and these Habitations have little or nothing, since that of Hammon, the most considerable, is not above 80 Stadia, or 4 Leagues circuit; and yet it had a King, a Great Priest, &c.

In the Desart of BARCA there are some Parts peopled and frequented amongst those vast and floating Sands; as, 1. Angela, where there are three Cities, and many Villages; and their People have a great power against the Serpents, and therefore may answer to the Ancient Billi, (if the South-wind have not buried these in the Sand, for resolving to make upon him, because he had dried up all their Waters,) 2. Serta, which hath been once a great City, but at present reduced to Ruins. 3. Alquechet, which hath three Cities, and some Villages; and possibly Elchochat or Eleocath, is the same; or if they be two, they answer to the ancient Oasis Magna, and Oasis Parva. Its other chief places are, Sabia, Ernet, Couzza, Ascor, Angela, Ebaida, Gorham, and Ammon, spoken of before. Among these Desarts are many Arabs, of which some are powerful in Horse and Foot, and will not suffer any Cities, except of some Africans, which pay them Tribute.

At present the People of these Desarts are in part Africans or Bereberes, part Arabs, and all extreamly barbarous. And since we are faln on these People, and that we have here the occasion, let us say, That Barbary, Billedulgerid, and likewise Znaxa, and part of Nubia, are for the most part inhabited by these two sorts of People. The Africans and Bereberes are, the Natural Inhabitants of the Country, or at least have been long seated there. They are divided into five principal Races, to wit, of Zanhagia, Musmuda, Zeneta, Haora, and Gumera: And these five Races are subdivided into more than six hundred Branches or numerous Lines, which distinguish themselves very well the one from the other, being very curious to keep the Antiquity of their Race, and to know from what People they are descended.

The Arabs passed into Africa in the year of Grace 999, or the 400 of the Aera of Mahomet: and there was but three Races which passed, viz. those of Esquequin and Hilel, coming from Arabia Deserta, and that of Maquil from Arabia the Happy, they might make together 50000 Fighting men; but they so multiplied afterwards, that the Race of Esquequin hath eight or nine principal Lines, under which are many Branches, which they call Heyles or Cob-Heyles, that is, Assemblies, and live by Aavares, which are like Boroughs, of 100, 150, or 200 Tents, which they carry along with them, and dispose as they think fit; they may make together about 40000 Horse, and 400000 Foot, in 1200 Advares. The Race of Hilel is divided into 11 Lines, these Lines into many Branches, and may make 30000 Horse, and 150000 Foot. The Race of Maquil hath 23 First or Second Lines, and may raise about 30000 Horse and 400000 Foot; which are for the three Races 100000 Horse, and near a Million of Foot. We cannot find how many Advares or Communalties are in the two last Races.

And these Arabs are on all Coasts among the Bereberes; yet so, that they have their Habitations distinct the one from the other, some in one quarter, some in another of the same Province. And it is to be observed, that there are Bereberes and Arabs still in the Cities, and others still in the Field; but these are accounted the most Noble, because the freest, often reaping the Harvest of their Neighbours labour.

1695. A New Body of Geography by A. Sewall & T. Child.

The Kingdom of BARCA.

BARCA lyes between Aegypt and Lybia the Great, which is called the Desarts of Barbary. The extent of it from South to North is about 40 leagues in some places, and in others more or less; from East to West more than 200 leagues, from Aegypt to the mouth of the River Salines, which is near 300 leagues by the Coasts.

The Air is very temperate, the Soil barren, because 'tis full of Rocks. The most remarkable Rivers are Nache, Doero, and Melelo, or Medela: These three Rivers rise out of the Mountain Meyes, in the desart of Barca, and run into the Mediterranean. This Kingdom is subject to the Grand Seignior, who hath a Judge there under the Bassa of Tripolis in the City of Barca, which is the chief City in the 30 D. of Latitude, and gives the name to this Kingdom. This Country hath but a small revenue, being very little cultivated or tilled, and but thinly inhabited; it affords nothing but a little Corn, and a few Dates.

The Cities and chief places in it are Barca, Cairaon, of old called Cyrene, and the head City of a Kingdom, the Cape of Raxaltin, called by Ptolomy the great Chersonesus; the Port of Trabucho, heretofore Batrachus, the Cape of Luco or Promontory of Catyomus; the Port of Mesulomer, the Haven of Salonefaut; the Port of Panorn, Carte, or Catabatmus, which is a great Valley; the Port of Alberton, or Soudan, Laguxi, or Trisachi, the Haven and Cape of Raxa or Parefonium.

The Inhabitants are ugly and lean, especially the Arabians. Their poverty makes them Highway-men, so that the Caravans are forced to avoid them. Those that dwell by the Sea-side are very little civiller, than those who dwell in the midst of the Country, save that these last have neither Temples, nor Religion, but the former are Mahometans.

The Kingdom of Barca hath these Cities,

• ...Barca.
• ...Caraon.
• ...Raxaltin.
• ...Trabucho.
• ...Mesulomar.
• ...Salonef.
• Carte, Alberton, a Port.
• ...Laguxi.
• Raxa, a Cape and Haven.