Chap. III. the Empire of Cm n K. 985 
Leaf is longifh like that of the Pear-tree^ and full of Fi- tranfported to all Parts _of the Wotld. There are alfo 
bres j at the End of which the Cloves grow in Bunches, Shrubs and Sprouts which produce this Wool, and^ are 
and out of their Heads fprout the Blofforns, which, as not very different from this Tree 1 but their B-ofloms 
well as the Cloves, afford a very ftrong Scent •, the are of a deeper Yellow, and their Leaf more fagged 5 
Blofforns are of various Colours, and like the Fruit befides which, the Cotton which thefe lafl yield is ^bet- 
chancre in Ripening j for the Cloves are not black or ter and finer, and of that are made the w^hite Calli- 
brown at firft, but green 5 and accordingly the Flower coes. T-he Stems of thefe fecond Sort of Plants, which 
is firfl wliite and then red. The Cloves are pluck- are like Reeds, run up to a good Height i when come 
ed of beaten off, and then gathered •, and if any to Maturity, they are cat down, thrown into the Wa- 
happen to remain on the Tree, they fall on the ter to rot, and afterwards peeled. The Province of 
GroW without any farther Trouble, and from thence Fokien yields prodigious Quantities of this Shrub, of 
fhoot up young Sprouts, which are nourifhed by the which the beft and finefl Callicoes are made. Here 
Soil, and thrive without Culture. I fhall not fay any are alfo whole Thickets of Canes or tough Ofiers, which 
Thing more of this Tree, becaufe it is very well known the Pomguefe call Kota 5 they grow fpontaneouay, 
all over the World, and fnall only lightly touch on the fpread very kindly, and are very tough *, of them are 
Cinnamon Tree. made all Sorts of Ropes or Cords, Hurdles, Baskets, 
I have already hinted, that Cinnamon grows in vaft Chairs, Stools and Couches, which in Summer are 
Plenty in the Province of ^wangft, and not only fmells very cool, and for that Reafbn are very much in Ufe 
yery well, but is alfo very fharp upon the Tongue. 1 he amongft the Chinefe. 
Tree on which it grows is like that which bears Lem- Sugar-Canes grow in great Abundance in the Pro- 
mons, but its Leaves are fomewhat like thofe of Lawrel. vince of Suchuen, and produce the beft Sort of Sugar j. 
This Plant hath a very fragrant Bloffom, which after- befides which, other Provinces yield very good ; and 
"Wards affords us a Fruit like a Plumb •, but neither the this proves a very valuable Commodity. 
Fruit, Bloffom, nor Leaf, agree in any one Particular Bambooes grow here wild, on wafte and untilled 
,^ith the Bark ; which is the Cinnamon^ and is alone Lands ; and though they are but a Sort of Canes of 
endowed with the fpicy and odoriferous Virtue, for be- rather Reeds, fome of them grow to fuch a vaft Thick- 
•fides that, the Tree is a perfcd infipid Wood, whofe nefs, that fmall Boats are made of them, which both 
Truit is of no other Ufe than to be eaten by the Apes, the Chinefe and Indians make Ufe of, and row ve- 
This Bark, which clings clofe to the Tree, when the ry dextroufly : But the chief Ufe which is made of 
outmoft Rind is fcaled off, appears green, is dried in the Bambooes is, that of ferving for Stakes or Poles 
the Sun, and after it is cleanfed and thoroughly dried, for the Pepper to grow up and cling round. When 
it turns to the known Colour. The Tree being ttrip- they are young, the ordinary People draw from them 
ped of its Bark, does not die, but, after the Expiration a Juice of an agreeable Tafte ; from whence they pre- 
of fome Years, obtains a new Bark, and flourifhes again, pare their Achar^ which is a very delicious Sauce. 
“ The Indian Writers tell us, that thefe Trees grow Though Mulberries are a Fruit univerfally known, 
« in fuch prodigious Abundance in Ceylon, that if vaft yet the Mulberry-trees in China are managed in a Man- 
“ Woods of them were not burned, the whole World ner abfolutely different from all other Countries, fof 
“ could not confume the Cinnomon which grows there, they are kept low, and lopped annually, as the Vine- 
. A^\d Nieuhoff Ms, that though this Hand is fo very yards are in Europe, and the Reafon is, becaufe the 
“ fruitful in Cinnomon, yet neither Clove nor Nutmeg- young Sprouts contribute to the Produdion of the beft 
“ Trees will take there.” Silk ; and indeed the Difference betwixt the Silk pro- 
There is yet another Tree in China, which indeed duced by thofe Worms, which feed on the firft Leaves, 
grows more luxuriantly in Goa, and is by fome called and that of the Worms feeding on the latter Growth, 
the Indian Fig-tree, and it accordingly produces little when they are much harder, is very confidefable. 
Figs, full of fmall Seeds like other Figs, but not very Though Ginger grows in feveral Parts of India, yet 
much efteemed, by reafon of their difagreeable Tafte. is there no Country produces greater Plenty of it than 
This Tree or Trunk fhoots up very high, and the China-, nay farther, it yields that Spice in a greater De- 
Branches afterwards turn down towards the Earth, and gree of PerfecUon than any other Part of India. There 
take Root again ; after which, like the main Trunk, are two Sorts of it, a larger and a fmaller Species *, the 
they fhoot up, and then down again *, fo that a fingle Leaves and Root of the latter are lefs than the former. 
Tree becomes a great Wood, and the firft Stem is and therefore termed Male, whilft the other is called 
hardly to be difcovered. Female ^Ginger. The flender Stalk, to which it grows. 
The Fat or Fallow-tree is the moft furprizing Plant is like a fmall Reed when it firft flioots out of the 
of all that grows in China it yields a very fine Leaf Ground. And the Roots>are not all of one Sort, but 
and Flower ; it is of a moderate Height, and its Stem the heavieft are the beft : Whenever they are dug, one 
is but low, its Branches thick and covered with long or two of thefe Roots are left in the Earth, which mo- 
Leaves ftiaped like a Heart, and its Blofforns white, derately cultivated, watered, and dunged, fpread luxu- 
which are followed by the Fruit ; and this, when ripe, riantly, and next Year are dug out of the Earth with 
refembles a Cheftnut or Wallnut, with one Cleft, Round great Advantage. This Plant is alfo produced in ano- 
about the Stone, which is very like that of a Cherry, ther Manner, by cutting off the Ginger or Root from 
is the Greafe, or that which in Colour, Smell, and all the Trunk, and refetting it in the Earth, which by the 
its Charadlerifticks exaftly agrees with Greafe, except next Year fpreads and fends forth young Shoots. The 
only that it doth not fowl the Hands like it •, round the frefh or green Ginger is not fo hot as the dried. It is 
Stones (of which each hath three feparated by Films) medicinally ufed againft flatulent Diftempers, Fluxes, 
is the Pulp, which melted makes a Candle as and other Difeafes of that Clafs. 
white as the whiteft Capon, and is fupplied with a> Tea, the Infufion of which is the common Drink, as 
Weik of Wood run through it inftead of Cotton, well as the entertaining Liquor of China, grows there 
From the. Scone or Kernel, which is full of Moifture, is in great Abundance j but fince this Plant is univerfally 
drawn an Oil, which, by reafon of its ftrong unfavory known, I fhall fay no more concerning it, nor inter- 
Smel! and Tafte, is not eaten, but ferves for Lamps, meddle with the Difputes of its Virtue, farther than 
The red Leaves and white Blofforns of this Tree render to inform my Reader of a Matter of Fact, which is, 
it very agreeable to the Eye. that Rheumatifms and Gouts, the Stone and Gravel, are 
Cotton grows here in great Abundance, notwith- Diftempers which none of the Chinefe are ever affliifled 
ftanding which, as is hinted a little higher, they do not with. Whether this is owing to Tea, warm Water, or 
ufe it for Candle-Weiks, but make feveral Stuffs of it. the Nature of the Climate, or Temperament of the 
It grows on a very thick, lofty, and crooked Tree, People, I fhall leave to be difeuffed by others, and 
which is not over-loaded with Branches, and its Blof- proceed to the Defeription of fevtral wholfome Roots, 
fom is a yellowifli Flower, from whence proceeds the The Root China, though it grows plentifully in all 
Fruit not unlike a common Apple, that when ripe Parts of the Empire, yet is not of equal Virtue ; for 
:©pens and difeovers the Wool, which when prepared is the Province of Suchuen produces the beft, and the 
wild 
