858 KlEUHOfF*S BRAZIL, 



being fenfible that things y/o\i\d be worfe and worfe every day, I thought it the fafefl: 

 way for me alfo to defire a paffport for my return to Holland, which at laft with much 

 ado I obtained, and fo prepared every thing for my voyage. But before I leave Brazil, 

 I ought to give you a Ihort account of the produds of the faid country. 



The captainfhip of Pernambuko, and Brazil in general, being not only well flored 

 with cattle, but alio with feveral forts of herbs, trees, and fruits, we will give you a 

 fhort view of them, and begin with the Mandiiba, and its root, called Mandioka, unto 

 which the Brazilians (land chiefly indebted for their fuftenance. The moll parts of 

 America are ignorant hitherto of wheat or. any other grain, inftead of which, nature has 

 furnifhed them with a certain llirub, the root of which dried and powdered, and after- 

 wards boiled and baked as we do our bread, is the common food of the inhabitants of 

 America. This Ihrub grows in vaft plenty every where, being by the Brazilians called 

 Maniiba and Mandiiba, and its root Mandioka. There are divers kinds of it, diftin- 

 guilhed by the Brazilians by different names, but the root is in general called mandioka. 

 Their leaves are fmall, green, and long, pointed at the end, which grow upon large 

 ftalks or branches, each of which has five, fix, or feven leaves, growing in a clufter, 

 refembling a ftar, called by the Brazilians, Manikoba. The ftockr or item is dillin- 

 guifhed by certain knots, not above an inch thick, but generally fix, fometimes feven 

 feet high, from whence fprout forth feveral branches, which producing again lefler 

 ftalks, bear the before-mentioned leaves. It bears a fmall flower of a pale yellow 

 colour, and of five leaves only, with fmall fl:alks within, which at laft turn to feed. 

 The root mandioka refembles our parfnip in ftiape, being two or three foot long, and 

 about a man's arm thick, but grows thinner towards the bottom. Its outward rind re- 

 fembles that of a hazel-tree, but its fubftance is white, affording a milky fliarp juice, 

 which is pernicious to beafts. This fhrub grows in dry, barren, and fandy ground, its 

 nature being fo averfe to moifture, that they are obliged to plant it only in the fummer 

 months, where it is moft expofed to the fun. For this purpofe it is, that the inhabit- 

 ants cut down the woods on the hills and in the plains, which they burn, and fo pre- 

 pare the ground for the production of this root ; thefe fields are by the Brazilians called 

 Ko, by the Portuguefe, Roza or Chokas, and by our people, Roflen. Thefe fields are 

 turned up into fmall round hills like mole-hills ; the Portuguefe call them Montes 

 de Terra Cavada, or Hollowed Hills, the Brazilians, Kujo. Thefe hills they make about 

 two foot and a half afunder, each being about three foot in circumference, and half a 

 foot high, that the rain may be carried off with the more eafe. In each of thefe hills 

 they commonly plant three fmall taks of this fhrub, of about nine or ten inches or a 

 foot long, without leaves ; notwithftanding which, they grow and foon bear frefli leaves, 

 and in time produce new roots, which cannot be tranfplanted, becaufe no fooner are 

 they taken out of the ground, but they begin to putrefy and ftink. After thefe taks 

 have been about ten days in the ground, they begin to bud and produce as many frefh 

 taks as they have knots ; each of thefe taks is about a finger long, from whence fprout 

 forth many leffer ones of a purple colour. The fields muft be three or four times a year 

 cleared of the weeds, which grow in great plenty amongft it, and choak it up before it 

 comes to its full growth. The fmall taks and leaves of thefe fhrubs are mightily in- 

 fefted by the pifmires, and likewife coveted by the wild-goats, oxen, horfes, and fheep, 

 for which reafon they are very careful to fence thefe plantations with ftalks and branches 

 of trees. The bees, conies, and fome other Brazilian creatures, are mighty fond of the 

 root, which takes no harm, though the ftirub be ftripped of all the leaves, provided the 



root 



