THE SECOND VOYAGE TO GUINEA a.d. 



1555- 

 the cut branches of the barren Date trees, called Palmitos. 

 For either they hang great gourdes at the said branches 

 every evening, and let them so hang all night, or else 

 they set them on the ground under the trees, that the 

 droppes may fall therein. They say that this kinde of 

 drinke is in taste much like unto whey, but somewhat 

 sweeter, and more pleasant. They cut the branches 

 every evening, because they are seared up in the day 

 by the heate of the Sunne. They have also great beanes 

 as bigge as chestnuts, and very hard, with a shell in 

 the stead of a huske. 



Many things more might be saide of the maners of 

 the people, and of the wonders and monstrous things 

 that are engendred in Africke. But it shall suffice to 

 have saide thus much of such things as our men partly 

 sawe, and partly brought with them. 



And whereas before speaking of the fruit of graines, Graines 

 I described the same to have holes by the side (as in 

 deede it hath, as it is brought hither) yet was I afterward 

 enfourmed, that those holes were made to put stringes 

 or twigges through the fruite, thereby to hang them 

 up to dry at the Sunne. They grow not past a foote 

 and a halfe, or two foote from the ground, and are as 

 red as blood when they are gathered. The graines 

 themselves are called of the Phisicions Grana Paradisi. 



At their comming home the keeles of their shippes Shels that 

 were marveilously overgrowne with certaine shelles of cleave to ships 

 two inches length and more, as thicke as they could 

 stand, and of such bignesse that a man might put his 

 thumbe in the mouthes of them. They certainely 

 affirme that in these there groweth a certaine slimie 

 substance, which at the length slipping out of the shell 

 and falling in the sea, becommeth those foules which 

 we call Barnacles. The like shelles have bene seene in Barnacles. 

 ships returning from Iseland, but these shels were not 

 past halfe an inch in length. Of the other that came 

 from Guinea, I sawe the Primerose lying in the docke, 

 and in maner covered with the said shels, which in my 



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