’ 
6 ~The nineteenth Booke of 
terpret) meant, That fhip-tackling, failes,cords,andropes,were made of this Line; {peaking as G- 
‘ Called y he doth of * Sparta, whereby hee underftandeth in deed Sata, #.cordage offowne Line orgar- 
CUVEAS, SC- y . aon - 3 a he au 
ifs den Flax, LSBs enol’ e 9 dsb eaveerhingsh yd ond rie aioeeedhe. 
vilia, as Fefius 
noteth. { 
20s NOH ces Sai see 
9 SCL Ra ~ Cuaretads, 2vO.aningud daivi Sta. 09 06 264 9 
| P& The nature of Spart.or Spanifhbroome “the manner of handling andidveaneiti 112 
“eed clog when it was firt ufed in cordage swhat plants therebetbat live (ano 
. | and grow without root. Od att Sus W9o xd 20ulicd} i013 
ow stodw odtniet iss Ded bag lisuicnivensrigget pained se 
> Part verily was not in ule and requeftfor many hundred yeares after, neitherwasit knowne _ 
"y before the firft voyage and expedition that thé Garthaginianstnade_ in warlike, manner in- Ho 
~ , to Spaine, An hearb this is alfo,growing of it felfe without fetting orfowing(which indeed 
« itcarinot abide.) Full well and properly it moughtbecalled,theruth of.a. dry andleane ground, 
and 3.very defect or imperfection appropriate) cothatcountrey alone of Spaine:for,to faya 
truth, it is the fault and badnefle of the foile in the higheft degree, that breedeth its and where it 
cometh up, nothing elfe can be fowed and {et,or will growat all. That in Africke on Barbarie 
is very {mall, and good for nothing. In the territorie of new Carthageor Cartagena(whichisin 
the higher part of Spaine) it growethmuch: howbeit all that tra is not given to. breed it, but 
looke where it commeth up,youthallfeewhole mountains all over-{pread and. covered with it, 
Hereof the rufticall peafants make their mattracesand beds; this is their! fewell’ wherewith they 
kcepe fires; ofitthey make their torchesand links togivethem light; withitthey arecommon- 
ly fhod; and the poore fhepheards cloaththemfelves therewith. Howbeit,hurtfullisthis plant 1 
unco cattaile unleffe it be the tender tops and crops of the braunches, which they may broufe 
and. eat without harme. For other ufes, when the Spaniards would plucke itup, they have much 
adoe withall, and a great toile aboutit ; for their legs muft be well booted as it were with grieves 5 _ 
their hands covered with thicke hedging gloves,as gantlets: and beingthus armed atall points, 
yetthey lie tugging ait, pulling, writhing,and wrefting the fame with hookesandcrooks either 
of bone or wood, untill they have cheirwill of it, Come they about thisworkein wintertime, it 
is in manner unpoffible to get it up: but fromthe Ides[7. the mids] of Mayunto mid-lune, itis 
5 very tractable: for this. isthe gime and feafon when itis ripe, and then commonlythey gather it 
for their ordinarie ufes before named. Being once pulledand forted,the good from thebad, itis 
made up into bundles and faggots with the hife ftillin it, and fo piled on aheape forthe firfttwo K 
daies ; the third day they unbind it, Jayit loofe and {cattering inthe Sun forto be dried : which 
done, they make it up againe into faggots, and fo bring it in and lay itup within-houfe, After all, 
this, they {teepe itin fea water (for that is beft) orels in freth,for want of the other, After this wa- 
tering,it muft be dried in the Sun, and chen fteeped in water a fecond time : but ifa man have ur- 
gent occafion to ufe it prefently out of hand, he muft put itin a great tub or bathing veflell, and 
let it foke there in hot water a time. Now if when it is dried againe,it be ftiffe and will ftand alone, 
they take it fora {ure figne that icis fufficiently watered, and hath that which it fhould have, This 
is a very neare and readie way, and faveth them much labour, Thusbeing prepared one ofthefe 
two waics, itoughtto be brayed and beaten before it will ferve the curne ; andthenno,cordage 
in the world is better than that which is made of it, norlafteth fo well within the water and the 
fea efpecially,for it will never be done, For drie worke,] confeffe,and out of the water,the gables. 
and ropes nade of hempe are better ; but Spart wrought into cordagewill live and receive nou- 
rifhmene within the water, drinking now the full as it were to make amends for that thirft which it 
had in the native place whereit firft grew. Of this nature is Spart befides, thatif the ropes made 
thereofbe worne,and (with much occupying) out of repaire, alittle thing will mend and refrefh 
them,yea & make them as good asever they were ; for how old foever it be,yet will it be wronght 
very well againe with fomenewamong. A wonderfull thing it isto confider andlooke into the 
nature of thishearbe,andnamely,how much it is ufed in allcountries, whatincablesandother 
{hip-tackling what in ropes for Mafons and Carpenters,andin a thoufandnecefiities ofthisour M 
life.And yet {ee!the place which furnifheth all this ftore, lying along the coaft of new Carthage, 
we fhall find to bee within che compaffe of thirtie miles in breadth,and lefle fomewhat in length, | 
And verily, if it were ferched farther off within che maine, the cariage would not quit for the coft 
and expences, hut eiagt 
om ThE 
