4^% TKe fixteendi Booke ol 



''for Arrowcs for ncccfTarie they bee in time both of warre and '''peace ; they have their ufe befidcs, and are G 

 ♦fbr'writing- accepted among the "^dehghtfome pleafures ofthis world, Moreovcr^in the Northern regions, 

 pcnj. thcpeople ufe therewith tocover and thatch their houfes : arid cWs kind of roilfe will lailniany 

 IndPi'^^^' agcsj if it be laid with a thicke coat^evcn upon high and ftately houfes. In other parts alfo of th.e 

 ' world 3 they arc woontwith it to rnake their arch-roiifesj and hainging -floores of moft flight 

 vsorkc. As for Canes particularly^ arid thofe of ^Egypt by name , whic h have a certaine refem- 

 blance of the Papyr reed in Nilus, they (erve for writing-paper, Howbeit thofe of Gnidos ^ and 

 which grow in Afia along the lake or mcere of Anaia, be held foi; the beft . As for ours here iii 

 Italy 5 they arc of a more Ipungeous fubftance and griftly matcet;, ^pt to fucke and drinke up any 

 liquor. The fame within-forth is full of holes and concavities, but converted aloft into a finer 

 woodic rindj and in time becommeth drie^faft, and hard. Apt itis to cleave^ and the clifts evfcr- | | 

 morecarie with them a very fharpe edge jand befides^it isfull'of joynts , Now this woodie fub- 

 ftance being thus di(Hn6lly parted by knots, riinneth alwaieseven and fmooth, growingfmalkr 

 and fmalleruntill it proovcHiarpe pointed in the tt>p 5 with a head eonfifting of a good thicke 

 downc or plume, which fervcth alio to right good purpofes : fof either in ftead of feathers they 

 ule to ftuffe beds therewith in common Innes 5 or when it is grownehard and hath aflimie cal- 

 Mtic about ifj they in Picardie and thdfd nether-lands doe ilampeir, and therewith calfretor 

 calke the joynts of their fhips, bctweene the ribsand plankes ; and herein it hath no fellow, for it 

 takcih faftcr hold than ^ny gleWj and for filling up any rifts and chinkcs, no folder fo ftrong, no 

 pitch fo fiire and truftie. Of Reeds, the Eafterlings make their fhaftsj and archers they be that 

 fight their battailes and determine ail quarels. Thcfc l"hafts tlicy arme with l^arpebarbcd arrow 

 headsin manner of fiili hookesj which wound with a mifchicfe, becaufe they cannot be dra\^ne J 

 out of the bodie againe : and to make thefe arrowes flie the fafier and kill moreprefently, they 

 fet feathers unto them. Now fay that a fhaft be broken as it is fer fait in the bodie, that end with-* 

 out the flefh will ferve againe to be fhot: and fo inured arc the people in thofe parts to thefe kind 

 of weaponsjfopradifed.withallin difcharging of them fo nimbly, that a man feeing how thick 

 thethafts flie in the aire, would fay they were a cloud of arrowes that fliadowed the very funne. 

 And therefore when theygoe to battaile, they wil"h c,\ct for faire weather and Sunne-fbine 

 dayes. Winds and raine, as moft adverfe iinto their warres, they cannot abide : then are they 

 quiet and reft m peace, full fore againfl thcif v^illsij beeaiife their weapons at fuch a time will not 

 lerve their turne. Certes if a man would fall to an exad reckoning and seftimate of ^thyopi- 

 ans,i^gyptians, Arabians, Indians, Scythians, atid Baclrians, ot fbmany nations aifo of the K 

 Sarraacians, and other Eaft countries, togither with all the kingdomcs of theParthians, hee 

 iliould find, that the one moietie orhalfe of the world hath been vanquillicd and conquered 

 by the meanes of arrowes and darts, made of Reeds. The Candiots above all others, were lb 

 I'eadie and perfect in this kind of feat, chat the overweening of their owne skill , and the confi- 

 dence whicli they had in this manner of fetvice, made them too bold, and was in the end their 

 owne overthrow. But herein alfo, as in all other things elfewhatfoever, Italic hath carried th6 

 name, and woon the prize: for there is not a better Reed growing fortomakefhafts, than that 

 which is found along the Rhene, a hitle river running under Bononia ; veric full of marow or 

 pith j ffiffealfoitis and weightie withall; itcutt^th the aire,itflyeth awaymoft fwiftly ;andlafl £ 

 of all, it will hold the owneandftandinthe weather focountrepoifed, that no wind hath any » 

 power on it . And thofe Reeds in Picardie and the low countries, arc nothing comparable ; ne 

 yet ofCandie^how highly foever they bee commended for warrc-fervice. And yet the Reeds 

 that grow in India bepreferred before them, and beare the name, which indeed fbme thinketo 

 be of another nature, confidering they be ibfirmeand biggewithall,that bceing well headed 

 with yron, they ferve in ff ead of Ipeares and javelins . In very truth, the Indian Canes for the 

 inoflpartj growtothebignefTe of trees, fuch as we fee commonly in temples, ftanding there 

 forafhcw . Thclndians doe affirme, that there is a difference among themalfb,in regard of 

 fcx 5 and namely, that the fubflanceand matter of the male, ismore fail and mafTiCj but that 

 of the female, larger and of greater capacitie within . Moreover, (if wee may bekeve their ^ 

 words) the very Cane bctweene every j oyntjis fofficient to make a boat , Thefe great Canes doe 

 grow principally along the river Acefine. All Reeds in generall, doe fhootand fpringin great 

 number from one root and principall ftocke: and the more they bee cut, the better they come 

 againe. The root livcthlongjand without great injuric offered untoit^ will not die: it alfo is di- 

 vided 



