Book II. Travels in India.. 157 



remarkable, was a natural Tree, all of Gold, two foot and four inches high, and 

 fix inches about in the ftock. It had ten or twelve branches, fome whereof mot 

 out half a foot in length, and an inch about $ others much fmaller. In (bine 

 parts of the great branches appear'd certain bunches that refembfd buds. The 

 roots of the Tree, which were alfo natural, were thick and fhort j the longeft not 

 exceeding four or five inches. ■.•'.. 



The Natives of Monomotopa knowing the time of the year that the Commo- 

 dities arrive, come to Sofala and Chepon-Goura to furnifh themfelves. Thither 

 alfo come the Cafres of other Provinces and Kingdoms for the fame purpofe. 

 Whereupon the Governors of thofe places fell them what they want, trulting 

 them till the next year, when they oblige themfelves to bring their Gold, which 

 they are very pun&ual to do, for elfe there could be no Trade between them. 

 The Natives of Monomotopa never live long, by reafon of the badnefs of the wa- 

 ters in the Countrey : For at the age of five and twenty years they begin to be 

 dropfical 5 fo that it is a great wonder if any among them live above forty years. 

 The Province where the River Sene has its head, is calPd Monkaran, and is under 

 the Jurifdidion of a certain King, beginning a hunder'd leagues, or there-abouts, 

 above Chepon-Gottra. The people of that Countrey find great itore of duft-Gold 

 in the Rivers that fall into the Sene; but it is much co'arfer than the other, though 

 they bring it to Cbepon-Goura and Sofala. The Countrey is very healthy, and the 

 people live as long as they do in Europe. Some years there are Cafres that come 

 from beyond the Province of Monkaran, even as far as the Cape of good Hop;. 

 The PortHgnez* have enquir'd after their Countrey, and the name; but they can 

 tell no more, only that it is calPd Sabia, commanded by a King j and that they 

 are four months generally travelling to Sofala. The Gold which they bring is 

 very fine, .and in pieces like that of Monomotopa, which they fay they find in the 

 high Mountains, digging only ten or twelve foot in the ground. They alfo bring 

 great quantities of Elephants-teeth ; wherewith, by their report, the Countrey 

 does fo abound, that you may fee them in herds in the fields ; and that all the 

 Falifado's of their Fortreffes, and the Pales of their Parks, are made of Elephants- 

 teeth. Their ufual Diet is Elephants-fiefh j which four Cafres will kill with 

 their Ageagayes, or a fort of Half-pikes. The water of their Countrey is very 

 bad, which is the reafon that their thighes are fwelPd, and it is a wonder to fee 

 any one of them free. 



Beyond Sofala there is" a Countrey commanded by a King who is calPd the 

 King of Bertie. In fome parts of his Countrey there grows a Root about an inch- 

 thick, and of a yellow colour. It heals all forts of Fevers, caufing the Patient 

 to vomit. But becaufe it grows very fcarce, the King ftriftly forbids his Subjeds 

 to export it. The taft of it is very bitter upon the tongue. 



As for Silver-Mines, there are none in all Afta but only in fapon; but fome 

 years fince, at Delegora i S angora, Bordelon and B4ta, have been difcover'd plenti- 

 ful Mines of Tin, to the great damage of the Englijh, there being now enough in 

 Afia of their own befides. 



§ CKAP. XXIV. 



The Relation of a Notable fiece of Treachery, whereby the Author was 

 abusdwhen he Embarked at Gomrom for Surat. 



*N the Month of April 166c, being ready to depart from Gomrom « for Swat, m 

 1 a VeiTel that belong'd to a /fo/W-Broaker, commanded by a ^//4^-Captain, 

 the EngUjh Agent gave me a Packet of Letters to deliver/p the Prefident at 

 Sura* The Packet was large, containing not only the Companies-Letters, but 

 feveral private Letters to particular perfons at Surat and other parts of Ind»*. 

 This Packet I receiv'd in theprefence of one Cafembrot, a Hollander, who inform d 

 another Dmh-manswhote name was Wauwuc^ of it. Thereupon they prefent y 



contnva 



