Tr I B & 17, 
The Theater of 'Plants, 
Chap.6g, 1615 
andcarryed to and fro into lererail Countries, for thereof is the Natives cliiefe Merihandifo to provide them of 
allncctfl'aries for life, being indead of money, which is generally tifed by the to be chawed,as well in 
their long journeyes to prelervc them from litingerand thirflabroad, as for pleafurd at home, which cheyufe 
after this manner t they burr.e Oyfter fliclk, and with the powther of them they mixe thepouther of the leaves 
of this Qec* firft chewed in their mouthes, and fo made upas it were into a padc or dough (but take leffeof the 
powher of the Gyffer fliells then of the leaves) whereof they make fmall pellets trccbijfes or trojfu, laying them 
to dry, and Id ule them one by one, holding them in their mouthes, rolling them ts and fro, and fucking'them 
untill they be quite fpent, and then take another, which mhkdth them able to travaile many dayes with (Irength, 
without either meatc or drinke,through uninhabited places, where none is to be had: If they flay at home, they 
life'the C ca alone,chewing them fometimes a whole day Without ceafing,untill the (ubllance he fucked forth, 
and then ule another : if they would have them to be flronger, able to intoxicate their braincs like unto drun- 
kenneffe, or to be as it were lenfleffe, they put the leaves of Tobacco to it and take great pleafure in thofe cour- 
fes‘. 
Bctre five Belle. 
The Indian Bindcwccd called Betle or Bctre. 
C ii : a p . LX. 
Betre, r Ectlf i Betele i fi , ve Bethle. The Indian Bindweed called Betle or %itre. 
f He Eaft Indians doe ufe the leaves of this Betle , much afeer the fame manner that theyofthe 
Well doe the laft recited Coca, and therefore Ithoughtgood to joyne them together. Ic 
growethvery like unto a Bind weede, wrapping and winding ic felfc ab®ut the trees, up to 
the toppes almoft,or other things that ic is planted againft to uphold it, or lye on the ground 
' and rot, and therefore they for the moll part, plant it againft the tree Faufel or Areca , or fuch 
, other like tall and great trees, in the fame manner as they doe Pepper, whereunto it is fo like 
thatafarre off.thoie that arc not wcllexercifed in the knowledge of them, mayfoonemi- 
llake one for another (and therefore Grrar^callcd it Baftard Pepper, when as it is neither 
infruite, tafte, or ufe like unto Pepper) having onely leaves fomewhatlike to Pepper, but more like unco 
Bindeweed, yet thicker, of a yellow ifh greene colour, 
with three great thicke ribbes therein ( which the In¬ 
dians with the nailes oF their hands, kept long and poin¬ 
ted for this purpofe and not round like outs, doe nippe or 
pare away before they dry them, whole tafte is lome- 
what aromaticall but bitter ; the fruite is (lender, and a- 
bouttwo inch® long, writhed or confiding of five cods 
writhed one about another like unto a cOrd ov rope, of 
a yellow ifh colour, tailing pretty fpicy or aromaricall, 
the plant is much tended and often watered to caufeit ' 
grow the better, and becaufe it delighteth not in any very ' 
hot or cold Country, and fcldome groweth in tke up¬ 
land Countries, but continually neere the Sea fide, or 
not farrediftant fromit.Phyfically this is ufedtoflreng- 
then the head and ftomackc, after the clenfing of them 
from rheume and ftegme, to comfort the heart, and to 
breakcordifeuffe windeintheftomacke or bowels: ic 
faftneth loofe teeth, and maketh them yellow, caufing 
alfo a fweet breath,yet their breath ftincketh fowled that 
ufing daily to take ir, doe forbearc for a while from 
it: but generally throughout all the Eaft Indies, the 
leaves arc ufed both of the Princes and people, the grea¬ 
ter per fons make certaine compofitions for themfelves, 
with the leaves hereof,Camfire of Burnet), Lignum A« 
ioes,Mnske,and Ambergriefc, others put Cardamomes, 
and Cloves to them, but the ordinary manner of prepa¬ 
ring them is, that after the ribs be taken awav with their 
myles.they chew thofe leaves in their mouthes, and fpic 
out the firft juyee that commeth from them,u hich is like 
blood, and pur unco them a little of the calx of burnt 
Oyfterlhells, and the fruite of Areca or Faufell beaten 
fmall which give them a pleafant tafte, and is generally 
eaten by them all,and none of the meaner fort or others 
that have nor pi efently before earen thereof, will in civi¬ 
lity fpeake with any great perfon 5 but they will hold their 
mouthes that their breath doe not offend them. It is 
called Betre in Malay a? and PaWyin Decan and Curtate 
but in Mai a jo Siri.Garcias faith that he as well as others 
tookethefe leaves to be the Folium Indum, or Malabo- 
thttm of the Greeke Authours;buc was deceived therein. 
