as made diligent inquisition to know the trueth thereof, as much as shall be requisite, omitting to speake of many particular things, not greatly necessarie to be knowen:  which neuerthelesse, with also the exact course of the navigation, shall be more fully declared in the second voiage.  And if herein fauour or friendship shall perhaps cause some to thinke that some haue bene sharply touched, let them lay apart fauour and friendship, and giue place to trueth, that honest men may receiue prayse for well doing, and lewd persons reproch, as the iust stipend of their euill desertes, whereby other may be deterred to doe the like, and vertuous men encouraged to proceed in honest attempts.

But that these voyages may be more plainly vnderstood of all men, I haue thought good for this purpose, before I intreat hereof, to make a briefe description of Africa, being that great part of the world, on whose West side beginneth the coast of Guinea at Cabo Verde, about twelue degrees in latitude, on this side the Equinoctiall line, and two degrees in longitude from the measuring line, so running from the North to the South, and by East in some places, within 5, 4, and 3 degrees and a halfe vnto the Equinoctiall, and so foorth in maner directly East and by North, for the space of 36 degrees or thereabout, in longitude from the West to the East, as shall more plainly appeare in the description of the second voyage.

A briefe description of Afrike gathered by Richard Eden.

In Africa the lesse are these kingdoms:  the kingdom of Tunis and Constantina, which is at this day under Tunis, and also the region of Bugia, Tripoli, and Ezzah.  This part of Afrike is very barren by reason of the great deserts, as the deserts of Numidia and Barca.  The principall ports of the kingdome of Tunis are these:  Goletta, Bizerta, Potofarnia, Bona, and Stora.  The chiefe cities of Tunis are Constantina and Bona, with diuers other.  Vnder this kingdom are many Ilands, as Zerbi, Lampadola, Pantalarea, Limoso, Beit, Gamelaro, and Malta, where at this present is the great master of the Rhodes.  Vnder the South of this kingdom are the great deserts of Lybia.  All the nations in this Africa the lesse are of the sect of Mahomet, and a rusticall people, liuing scattred in villages.  The best of this part of Afrike is Barbaria lying on the coast of the sea Mediterraneum.

Mauritania (now called Barbaria) is diuided into two parts, as Mauritania Tingitana, and Caesariensis.  Mauritania Tingitania is now called the kingdom of Fes, and the kingdom of Marocco.  The principall citie of Fes is called Fessa:  and the chiefe citie of Marocco is named Marocco.

Mauritania Caesariensis is at this day called the kingdom of Tremisen, with also the citie called Tremisen or Telensin.  This region is full of deserts, and reacheth to the Sea Mediterraneum, to the citie of Oram, with the port of Mersalquiber.  The kingdom of Fes reacheth vnto the Ocean Sea, from the West to the citie of Argilla:  and the port of the sayd kingdom is called Sala.