nieuhoff's brazil. 86 1 



About three bufhels of this meal (at the rate of two giWers per bufhel) will fuffice a 

 ftrong labouring man for a whole month, and a piece of ground planted with this 

 root, produces four times the quantity, as if it had been fown with wheat. There is 

 a certain kind of mandioka root called Pitinga by the Brazilians, the flour of which 

 cleanfes and heals old ulcers. This root is likewife found in the ifle of St. Thomas, 

 and in thofe of Hifpaniola, Cuba, and others thereabouts, and in moll parts of the 

 continent of America ; the inhabitants of which call it Yuka and Kalfave, and thofe of 

 Mexico, Quauhkamoth, and the bread which is made of the flour, Kazabis, Kazabi, or 

 Kakavi. The mandioka root is originally the natural produd of Brazil, and from 

 thence tranfplanted into other parts of America and Africk. Its flour furnifhes all 

 the inhabitants of Brazil, as well the Portuguefe and Dutch, as the natives and negroes, 

 with bread, which next to wheat is the befl; of all, fo that our foldiers would rather 

 chufe to have their allowance in farinha, than wheaten bread out of the magazines. 

 Since the war in 1645, ^^^ price of the farinha was rifen to three or four gilders per 

 bufliel, which, as it tended to the utter defl:ru6tion of the fugar-mills, fo by fpecial 

 orders from the great council of the Dutch Brazil, all the inhabitants of the open 

 country were enjoined, under a fevere penalty, to plant a certain quantity of mandioka 

 yearly, in proportion to their abilities, by which means the price of the farinha was 

 fo confiderabiy abated, that three bulhels vs^ere fold for two fhillings ready money, 

 at the Receif, and for lefs in the country. 



Brazil produces a certain herb called Kaaeo by the Brazilians, by the Europeans in 

 ^Latin, herba viva, becaufe it feems to flirink when you touch it, and fo it does like- 

 wife about fun-fet ; its feed has been tranfmitted into Europe, where it grows to its full 

 perfeftion. 



The Kalabafles are a kind of pompions, their rind, if dried, being fo thick and 

 ftrong, as to ferve for materials for cups, porringers, and fuch like utenfils. But what 

 is moft furprifmg, is, that they always grow of a different Ihape, fome being long, 

 others round, others oval, fome thick before, others at the end. They bloflTom and 

 bear fruit once a month, the bloflTom being yellow mixed with green ; the pulp is 

 white at firft, but turns to a violet colour ; they are of a tolerable pleafant tafte, but 

 very unwholefome, by reafon they are too aftringent. 



The tree called Imakaru by the Brazilians, is of a middle fize, its trunk round and 

 its bark grey, covered with fmall thirties of the fame colour. Its branches fprout 

 forth on the top, with broad leaves of an oval figure, edged likewife with fmall thiflles 

 of thorns. There is alfo another kind of Imakaru, much larger than the former, 

 called Kakabu by the Brazilians, and Kardon by the Portuguefe. This fprouts forth 

 firft of all in the form of a large oftangular leaf, upon which grows crofTwife many 

 thorns ; this produces other leaves of the fame kind, each being three, nay fometimes 

 fix foot long, and of the thicknefs of a man's arm. By degrees the firfl leaf turns 

 into a woody fubftance, of a greenifh colour, but fomewhat fpungy ; thofe leaves that 

 grow next to this ftem are inftead of branches, which produce other leaves. The ftem 

 bears only one large white flower, the fruit of which is of an oval figure, and of about 

 twice the bignefs of a hen's egg, of a dark brown colour, and fit for ufe. This tree 

 grows to a great height. There is alfo another kind of Imakaru, being altogether the 

 fame with the former in refped of its largenefs, bloflTom and fruit, except that its 

 leaves are of a triangular figure. 



What the Brazilians call Pako Kaatinga, the Portuguefe commonly call Canodo 

 Mato, or wild reed or canes. The ftem or ftalk is like that of other canes, about an 

 inch thick, containing a white marrow or pith, of a fweetifh tafte, on which grow 



1 2 leaves 



