A.D. 



1578. 



Marvellous 

 fruitfull soile 

 under the 

 Equinoctial/. 



[in. 49. 



Great trees. 



Commodities 

 and pleasures 

 under the 

 Equinoctial!. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



manner of Graine, Hearbes, grasse, fruite, wood and 

 cattell, that we have heere, and thousandes other sortes, 

 farre more wholesome, delectable and precious, then any 

 wee have in these Northerne climates, as very well shall 

 appeare to him that will reade the Histories and Navi- 

 gations of such as have traveiled Arabia, India intra 

 & extra Gangem, the Islands Moluccas, America, &c. 

 which all lye about the middle of the burning Zone, 

 where it is truely reported, that the great hearbes, as 

 are Radish, Lettuce, Colewortes, Borage, and such like, 

 doe waxe ripe, greater, more savourie and delectable in 

 taste then ours, within sixteene dayes after the seede is 

 sowen. Wheate being sowed the first of Februarie, was 

 found ripe the first of May, and generally, where it is 

 lesse fruitfull, the wheate will be ripe the fourth moneth 

 after the seed is sowne, and in some places will bring 

 foorth an eare as bigge as the wrist of a man's arme 

 containing 1000. graines ; Beanes, peace, &c. are there 

 ripe twice a yeere. Also grasse being cut downe, will 

 grow up in sixe dayes above one foote high. If our 

 cattell be transported thither, within a small time their 

 young ones become of bigger stature, and more fat then 

 ever they would have bene in these countreys. There 

 are found in every wood in great numbers, such timber 

 trees as twelve men holding handes together are not able 

 to fathome. And to be short, all they that have bene 

 there with one consent affirme, that there are the goodliest 

 greene medowes and plaines, the fairest mountaines 

 covered with all sorts of trees and fruites, the fairest 

 valleys, the goodliest pleasant fresh rivers, stored with 

 infinite kinde of fishes, the thickest woods, greene and 

 bearing fruite all the whole yeere, that are in all the 

 world. And as for gold, silver, and all other kinde of 

 Metals, all kinde of spices and delectable fruites, both 

 for delicacie and health, are there in such abundance, 

 as hitherto they have bene thought to have beene bred 

 no where else but there. And in conclusion, it is nowe 

 thought that no where else but under the Equinoctiall, 



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