REE Acero Se ee ne de eomone oenert 
Xxv 
The Introdudiion. 
Nature into good Suftenance to repair its Lofles, and propagate irs 
Kind, but likewife, however ftrange to us, are very greedily foughr 
after by thofe us’d to them. . Thus Perfons not us’d to eat Whales, 
Squirrils, or Elephants, would think them a ftrange Difh ; yet thofe 
us’d tothem, prefer them to other Victuals, 7 
Men and Women, who have not fo nice a Smell as fome Beafts, nor 
Faculties to diftinguifh by cheir Senfes what is wholefome Food fo well 
as they, were mosey {hort of them in this particular, were it not 
for Providence, and the due ufe of their Reafon. It was fome Matter 
of wonder to me, to think how fo many People, perhaps one fourth 
Part of the Inhabitants of the whole Earth, fhould come to venture 
to eat Bread, made only by baking the Koot of Caffada, which is 
one of the rankeft Poifons in the World, both to Man and Beaft, 
when Raw. Though, I muft confefs, there is an Inftance in feveral 
anunculi, common in our Meadows, which when green, Blifters and 
Ulcerates the Flefh, and are us’d for chat purpole by fturdy Beggars, 
to excite Compaflion ; thefe are not touch’d by Cartel, but left ftand- 
ing in the Fields; and yet, (asl am told) fed on greedily by all 
forts of Cattel, when only dry’d into Hay. ‘There is an Inftance 
alfo of this in the Roots or Leaves of Arum, of waich maay kinds, 
uncommon to Europe, are eaten, when dry’d and prepar’d, as Colo- 
cafia, ~c, and even the Roots of the common ones ate eaten in Italy, 
when dry’d into a Flower, and made into Bread, though every body 
knows the great Acrimony they have when Raw. I was fomewhat 
likewife furpriz’d to fee Serpents, Rats and Lizards, fold for Food, 
and that to underftanding People, and of a very good and nice Pa« 
late. But what of all thefe chings was moft unufual, and to my 
great Admiration, was the great Efteem was fet on a fort of 
Cofi, or Timber-Worms, call’d Cotton-Tree-Worms, by the Negros 
and Indians ; the one the Original Inhabitants of Africa, the others 
of America. ‘ 
The Negros and Indians are not the only Admirers of thefe Ver- 
mine, for I find the moft polite People in the World, the Romans living 
in a Neighbouring Country, accounted them fo great a Dainty, as to. 
feed them with Meal, and endeavour breeding them up. That 
they were commonly known and ufed, is likely from the word Coffus, 
Feftus tell us, uled to fignifie, one lazy or flow, like Worms: and 
a confiderable Family at Rome, from the Wrinkles and Furrows in 
their Face was call’d Coffutia. 
Pliny, where he {peaks of the Difeafes of Trees, lib. 17. cap. 24: 
fays thus, Vermiculantur magis minufve quedam, omnés tamen feré : idque 
ayes cavi corticis Jono experiuntur. Jam quidem eo in boc luxuria effe cepit : 
pragrandefque roborum delicatiores funt in cibo: coffos vocant, atque etiam 
farina fagmati hi quoque altiles fiunt. cannot find any mention 
CB) made 
ee eee 
