14-8 The Hiftory of Book I. 



certain large Apricocks, which are fair to the eye, and very 

 favoury to the p ilat 5 but the fobfeouent qualities of them are 

 many times mortal, or at beft, cauie long and painful difeafes to 

 fuch as have eaten of them. 



There grow Manchznillo-Txezs on the. Sea-fide and the 

 banks of Rivers, and if the fruit tall into the water, the 

 fifth eating thereof will certainly dye \ nay though it conti- 

 nue long in the water, yet will it not rot, fcnit is cover'd 

 with falt-peter, which gives it a folid cruftineft, as if it were 

 petrify 'd. In thofe Iflands where this Tree grows in abun- 

 dance the Snakes are venemous, it being fuppofed by fome, 

 that they fomerimes fuck the fruit of it : "Nay the Crabs which 

 feed under thefe Trees contract a dangerous quality from 

 tbt m, as we faid elfewhere \ and many have been fick after 

 the eating thereof: Whence it comes, that when thefe fruits 

 fall to the ground, fuch as are careful of their health will for- 

 beat s he earing of Cr- bs. 



Yet do not the Snakes or Crabs wholly live on this fruit, 

 bur feeding utder the Tree they dr^w the infection thereof to 

 tbemfeives, elpeciahy if they luck the venome ol itsfruir. It 

 m«y weil be, that what is mortal 10 fome creatines is not fo to 

 all } and that thefe Infers oftet feeding on this poyion, do by 

 cuftbni and continuance turn it into their fuftenance, as is re- 

 purted of Alithridates : And fo they may infect fuch as eat 

 thereof, receiving hemfelves no hurt thereby. 



Under the bark of the trunk and boughs of thefe Trees 

 there is contained a certain glutinous water, which is white as 

 milk, extremely malignant and dangerous : There being ma- 

 ny of them along the high-ways, if one fhould carelefly break 

 one of their branches, that milk or rather poyfon comet forth, 

 and falls upon him : If it light on his fhirr, it makes an ugly 

 ftain as it it were burnt } if on the (kin. and the place be not 

 immediately waflf d, it will be all bliftered : but if it fhould 

 chance that a drop of this cauftickand venemous water mould 

 fall into the eye, it will caufe an infupportable inflammation, 

 and the part} (hall lofe his fight for nine days, after which he 

 will have fume eafe. 



The dew, or rain-water, having continu'd a while on the 

 leaves of thefe Trees, produces the lame efFect,and if it mould . 

 light on the fkin, it would fcorch it like Aqua-fortis : So that 

 it is ahiioft as bad as the drops of rain falling under the Line, 

 which are fo contagious, as thofe who have felt them affirm, 

 that it they fall on the hands, face, or any uncover 'd part of 

 the body, there immediately rife up bladders and blifters with 

 muciipainj and if the party do not prefently fliift'his cloths, 

 his body will be full of wheals all over 3 not to mention the 

 Worms which are bred in the cloths. 



Nay the very (hade of thefe Trees is prejudicial ^to men, 



and 



