6^0 Ch AF.pl, 
9 beatrum 'Botanicvm, 
R I 8 » 
»i7 
Cnma infers Hairlu vclEttr.hu dibit. 
Hu^c great treelike Canes or Kccticl. 
Chap. X C I. 
Carna ingests Mambssvcl'BambstdiEla, Huge great treelike Canes or Reeds. 
! Here hath beene broughr us from the Esd Indies Canes or Reeds of a wondrous bignefle and height, 
(as may be gueifed by the broken peeccs) growing in Malabar chiefly about the Scacoalls, whereof 
the inhabitants make polls to build ilieir cottages withall, as alio doe cut them at a ccrtaine length 
i like umoaCowlellaftb tobeare burth:ns,and bend them while they are frclb that they may bee a 
littlecrookedandhollowiih. to hangea Palankin, that is a couch or litter wherein perfons 
may bee carried in their journying from place to place or otherwife for (latcorea.e, by two or 
fourc Indians ; one peecc having fix joynts was 
eight foote long, each fpace betweene the joynts 
being a foote and (ourc inches: it was five inches over 
at the bigger end, and almofl as much at the letter: 
the circumference or compaffe about at the lower end; 
being fixteer.e inches and almoft a. much ac the upper: 
the thickneffe ol the wooddy compaffe of the Cane ( 
was about three inches by meafure : and was all over- 
layd wilh Laakss r Gssm Lacca, or hard Wax to k; cpit 
from the weather, and from cracking in the Sunne,. 
being found in the great Admirall Carrack or fhippe < 
of the Tortugalls ,that brought home the Viceroy of 
thelndies, and was taken by ourEnglilh lysn.asa 
Prize; butgreater and longer Rccdes were brought^ 
from thole parts by the Hollanders, yet not whole but/ 
broken, the lead whereof was 2<5-foot long, with- 
19. joynts therein,being 17. inches about at the lower \ 
end and 14. at the upper. a greater was a foote and a 
halfe longer and three inches more in compaffe thru 
the former, the diftance betweene the joynts being 
neire the length of the circumference, or not much 
differing any where; the thickneffe likewile being 
three inches or thereabouts as in the former: by thcle 
peecC9 may bee guefl'ed of what huge height thefc 
Canes were .-at the plants of their Pepper doe they 
oftentimes fallen downe ihele Reed*s,rhat the Pepper 
in the growing miy lcane thereunto, and be fuflaincd 
by them,which without fome Proppe or (lay would 
lye downe on the ground ar.d become unprofitable. 
In fome places of the Indies fay both Garcias and 
adcofia thefe Reed like trees grow fo great, that fome- 
times of them are made (mall boaces, Sufficient to 
hold two naked Indians, which they cleave in the 
middle and cut off beyond the two joynts, fo that an . 
Indian fitting at each end, joyned knee to knee, and 
a fmall Oare in each of their hands of halfe a yard long, 
they will fo nimbly force the Boate, yea even againlt 
a flreame that it is wonderfull to behold, which as/ 
Acofia faith he fa win the River Cmngattor where ma- ... . . , . „ 
ny Crocodils breede which are mod fierce and tetrible, and will affaile floippes and other fmaller veil g 
fomepreyoucofthcm : but as it is faid will never make affault againil any of theboats made of this tree or t , 
roragainllthemin it. Of the roote of this tree being burned is made Tabaxir, that is, the Spo mmo 1 ~ 
rnt Authors,as Aviccn thought, and :o Gcrardm Cremmenfu and Bellnncnjis doe alwayes mandate the 
baxir but Garcias (lieweth thatit is a very falfe interpretation, there being but one Spodtum of t e " 
which is our Lafn tutia tiftd by them onely in outward medecines, for Tabaxtr being a Perfian wot >B t 
nothing elfe but a milky j'uicc or liquor growne thicke.and hereby the Arabians do dill call thac concrete or . e- 
ned liquor that groweth betweene the joynts of this Reede or Tree , but the Natives of Sacar Mam. 
bn, that is Sugar of Afambu, but is nor found in a:l places as CjaraM faith, rut m Ei[nagar, ^ a 9 
and fome part °of CMalabur chiefly, and is fecnetobecof fundry colours, as w ' u f e Starch which is the 
beft. yetis it found fometimesof an afh colour or blackifli, which yet is not to be miflir'Cd for loir is to be a en 
out of the Canes,and hath beene in former times eftcemcd of the value of filve. ,and yet holdeth a Rreat price t n 
with the Indians,&c.there had neede therefore of great caution of cling Sjiodium (as it is takenj in the rasans 
medreines,which are for the mod part all inward which is farre differing from Tab.txtris you here fee, an all 
is taken for the fitted Aittifptdiim, and thofe other of Oxe bones burned and the like to be utterly cad away. n. 
tree hath leaves faith Garcias like an Olive but longeruhe properties whereof are cffccduall cythcr in outward or 
inward heates, hot cholletick Agues and fluxes that come of choller to coole, temper and binde them. And.now 
that I have (hewed you all the Phyficali herbes let me defeend to the trt es and prepofe them that have de „ 
andpleafant fruits, that you may caketherein fome pleafure to mix with the profitable or admirable that Ihall 
follow: >nd the firfl that I will propound as qarciu faith is thechiefed snd choyfed fruite m all the Indies^ 
