Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms

Volume 39: The Small Western Ocean

Countries of East Africa, Part II

...honey, yellow wax, and pigments. The six regions mentioned above all belong to Portugal.

Zanguebar original: 山維麻 (Sanweima); likely a transliteration of Zanguebar or the Swahili Coast borders the sea to the east and the wilderness to the west. To the north, it borders Ajan original: 阿偃 (Ayan); the Somali coast, and to the south, it borders Mozambique original: 莫新彌斐爾 (Moxinmifeier).

When Portugal original: 葡萄亞 (Putaoya) first arrived in this land, it was formerly occupied by the Swahili original: 蘇恢里西 (Suhuilixi) people. Now, however, the territory is divided into three parts:

The interior of the southern corner was seized by the Arabs original: 牙爾臘 (Ya'erla). These Arabs are barbarians from the interior of the kingdom of Abyssinia original: 阿邁司尼何 (Amaisinihe). The various coastal shores of the southern corner were seized by the people of Aden original: 阿丹 (Adan); likely referring to the Omani Sultanate based in Muscat and Aden, which ousted the Portuguese from much of the Swahili coast.

In the northern corner, the great tribe of Mogadishu original: 麻雅諾沙 (Mayanousha) occupies the land. They reject Europeans original: 歐羅巴 (Ouluoba) and maintain no contact or trade with them. In the year 1707 (the 47th year of the Kangxi The Kangxi Emperor's reign, 1661–1722 era), a British original: 英吉利 (Yingjili) navigator steered a small skiff ashore to explore; he was detained and never returned.

Gazing from the open sea, the Mogadishu tribe's settlement appears half-composed of thatched huts and half-composed of tall, grand stone tombs. The craftsmanship of these structures is magnificent; for this reason, Europeans call it the City of the Dead original: 埋人城 (Mairen Cheng); literally 'City for Burying People'. Barawa original: 壘臘瓦 (Leilawa) is [part of] Mogadishu...