VOL. XXVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 53 



wood. For a too great heat of the breast, and spitting of blood, they cover 

 over with paste a giraumont, which is an Indian fruit like a gourd, and tastes 

 like a citrull, which they bake in an oven, and drink the water that comes from 

 it. For the colic, that either proceeds from wind or watery humours, they give 

 to drink 4 spoonfuls of water, in which aniseeds and a little pepper have been 

 boiled to a consumption of half. They also bruise an onion with ginger, and 

 apply it to that part of the belly where there is most pain. For the lientery, 

 they roast a clove of garlic under the ashes, and when they go to bed they hold 

 it in the mouth, and suck out the juice of it. If they drink the juice of the 

 leaves of cucumber bruised, it purges and vomits them. They cure a difficulty 

 of urine, by drinking a spoonful of oil of olive, well mixed together with a like 

 quantity of water. For a looseness, they torrify a spoonful of white cummin- 

 seed, and a little powdered ginger, which they swallow mixed with sugar. I 

 have seen them cure fevers which begin with a shivering fit, by giving the 

 patient 3 large pills, made of ginger, black cummin, and long pepper. For 

 tertian agues, they give the person, for 3 days together, 3 spoonfuls of the 

 juice of teucrium, or great germander, with a little salt and ginger. 



Concerning the Luminous appearance observable in the Wake of Ships in the 

 Indian Seas, &c. By Father Bourzes. N° 337, art. 23, p. 230. 



1 . When the ship ran apace, we often observed a great light in the wake, 

 or the water that is broken and divided by the ship in its passage. Those 

 that did not view it narrowly, often attributed it to the moon, the stars, or the 

 lantern at the stern; as I did myself, when I first perceived it; but having a 

 window that looked directly down upon it, I was soon undeceived, especially 

 when I saw it appear more bright when the moon was under the horizon, the 

 stars covered with clouds, and no lights in the lantern, or any other light 

 whatever cast upon the surface of the water. 



2. This light was not always equal: some days it was very little, others not 

 at all; sometimes brighter, others fainter; sometimes it was very vivid, and at 

 other times nothing was to be seen. 3. As to its brightness, I could easily read 

 by it, though I was Q or 10 feet above it from the surface of the water: that is, 

 the title of my book, which was in large letters. 



4. As to the extent of this light, sometimes all the wake appeared luminous 

 to 30 or 40 feet distance from the ship; but the light was very faint at any con- 

 siderable distance. 5. Some days one might easily distinguish in the wake such 

 particles as were luminous from those that were not: at other times there was 

 no difference. The wake seemed then like a river of milk, and was very plea- 

 sant to look on. ' X, ? 



