NIEUHOFF*S BRAZIL. 



B65 



with incredible pains and charge. The hills furnifh alfo great ftore of wood, which is 

 of a very good fcent, and is ufed by dyers j as for inftance the Brazil wood, which is 

 from hence tranfported into Europe. 



The Item or trunk of this tree is knotty, of a very agreeable fcent, and fometimes 

 two or three fathoms thick : its leaves are dark-green, and fmall, thorny at the end, 

 and grow on fmall ftalks ; the bark, which is about three inches thick, is generally taken 

 from the trunk, before it is fitted for fale : it fprouts from its own root, and produces 

 neither bloflbm nor fruit. Moft of thefe trees grow about ten or twelve leagues from 

 the fea-fide, where they cut them down, take off the bark, and carry them upon wag- 

 gons to the fea-fhore, from whence they are tranfported into Europe for the ufe of the 

 dyers chiefly ; the Brazilians call this tree for its excellency's fake, Ibirapitanga. After 

 the Dutch had conquered part of Brazil, they found great ftore of this wood ready cut 

 and fitted for ufe by the Portuguefe, who fold it to the Dutch company ; fmce which 

 time it was cut down promifcuoufly by the Portuguefe as well as the Dutch, and fuch 

 vaft quantities of it were tranfported in 1646 and 1647, ^^^^ ^^^ members of the gr^t 

 council of the Dutch Brazil, Mr. Henry Hamel, Bulleftraet and Kodde, being* made 

 fenfible of the deftru<5live methods that were made ufe of in cutting this wood, which 

 muft in time have tended to the utter extirpation of thefe trees, did by their proclama- 

 tion regulate thefe abufes. They have another kind of very fine wood in Brazil, called 

 by the Portuguefe, Pao Santo, as likewife thofe called Gitayba, Vio Wood, Maflaran- 

 duba, cedar, and divers other woods fit for cabinet-work. The tree called Tataiba by 

 the Portuguefe, the wood of which the Portuguefe call Pao Amaretto, affords a yellow 

 colour for the dyers. The bark of the tree Araiba is of an afh colour, but boiled in 

 water gives a red tinfture. The tree Jakauranda, or Jaturiba, or the white-cedar, as 

 well as feveral other trees, furnifh the inhabitants with materials for building, being very 

 hard and durable. The Brazilians make alfo matches and a kind of hemp out of the 

 bark of fome trees. 



The moft barren places of Brazil do produce a certain kind of trees without leaves, 

 which they call Timbo or Tibo ; out of thefe they make hoops, by reafon of their flexi- 

 bility, and the bark ferves the fhip-carpenters inftead of hemp. 



The Brazilians light their fires by ftriking two pieces of wood, of the trees Karaguata 

 Guacu and Imbaiba, together, as we do with our flint-ftones and iron. The firft is a 

 tree of an admirable nature : its ftem grows fourteen or fifteen foot high, which being 

 come to its full perfection, bears yellow flowers on the top, and abundance of large, 

 long and thick leaves. Out of the ftem they make fticks to hang their mattraffes on, 

 the leaves affbrd the fifhermen ftuflF for yarn to make nets of; and out of the leaves 

 ilTues a certain unftuous liquor, which ferves inftead of foap. The trees and woods of 

 Brazil are never feen to be covered all over with leaves at a time ; but whilft fome caft 

 their leaves, you fee others bring forth new ones ; nay, fometimes one tree is half co- 

 vered with leaves, and bare on the other fide. Brazil likewife abounds in fhrubs and 

 reeds, fome of which creep along the grounds, whilft others twift themfelves up to the 

 top of the higheft trees, which affords a very agreeable fpectacle at a diflance, and a 

 pleafing fhadow to men anu beafts, tired with the heat, hunting, or any other exercife. 



Among other fruits, Brazil produces very fine oranges of divers kinds ; the' other 

 vegetables, which, befides the mandioka root, ferve for the fuftenance of the inhabitants, 

 are rice, millet, Patatas, Ananas, Bananas, melons, pompions, water-melons, cucumbers, 

 beans, figs, Bakovas, Marakuja, Mangavas, Arataku, Ape, cabbages, raddifh, lettuce, 

 purflane, parfley, chervel, carrots, &c. 



VOL. XIV, 5 s Nothing 



