CAESAR FREDERICK ad. 



1563-8: 

 laden with great Nuts cured, and with Sugar made of the 

 selfe same Nuts called Giagra : the tree whereon these 

 Nuts doe grow is called the Palmer tree : and thorowout 

 all the Indies, and especially from this place to Goa 

 there is great abundance of them, and it is like to the 

 Date tree. In the whole world there is not a tree 

 more profitable and of more goodnesse then this tree is, 

 neither doe men reape so much benefit of any other tree 

 as they do of this, there is not any part of it but 

 serveth for some use, and none of it is woorthy to be 

 burnt. With the timber of this tree they make shippes 

 without the mixture of any other tree, and with the 

 leaves thereof they make sailes, and with the fruit thereof, 

 which be a kinde of Nuts, they make wine, and of the 

 wine they make Sugar and Placetto, which wine they 

 gather in the spring of the yeere : out of the middle of the 

 tree where continually there goeth or runneth out white 

 liquour like unto water, in that time of the yeere they 

 put a vessell under every tree, and every evening and 

 morning they take it away full, and then distilling it 

 with fire it maketh a very strong liquour : and then 

 they put it into buts, with a quantity of Zibibbo, white 

 or blacke and in short time it is made a perfect wine. 

 After this they make of the Nuts great store of oile : of 

 the tree they make great quantity of boordes and quarters 

 for buildings. Of the barke of this tree they make 

 cables, ropes, and other furniture for shippes, and, as 

 they say, these ropes be better then they that are made 

 of Hempe. They make of the bowes, bedsteds, after 

 the Indies fashron, and Scavasches for merchandise. The 

 leaves they cut very small, and weave them, and so 

 make sailes of them, for all maner of shipping, or els 

 very fine mats. And then the first rinde of the Nut 

 they stampe, and make thereof perfect Ockam to calke 

 shippes, great and small : and of the hard barke thereof 

 they make spoones and other vessels for meat, in such 

 wise that there is no part thereof throwen away or cast 

 to the fire. When these Mats be greene they are full 



379 



