1 666 G* AP. 143 . Tbeatrum'Botamcmn. _ Tribe 17 . 
killed it. Many Portugalls acfcvcrall times have beewe eye witnefles to thefe battels : for they not onelykeepc 
this fmall creature in their houfes, to (port th®mfelves with thefecombates, but to kill their Mice, whom they 
moft eagerly hunt and kill. There are alio certaine wandring beggers called Jogms who doe often carry about 
with them thefe ferpents Re quins tame, making mcnbeleeve they have enchanted them, and lomc likewife that 
aye fierce, whom for a regard they will fuffet thelc Ferret-like beads to fight with. 
Lignum Co lubrinum y rim urn Ac oft £, Acofla his firft Snake wood. 
The firft fort of Snake wood that Ac oft a maketh mention of, groweth in MaUbar, fomewhat after the manner 
oflvy, (potted like unto the ftalke of Dragons, and fo like unto a ferpent, that he that fliould fee it at the firft, 
not having feene it before, would take it for a very ferpent, elpecially beholding it in the Moone light. The firft 
leaves it hath arc broad, and whole without any cut or devifion on the edge, but thole that come after are like 
allmofl unco Bryony leaves wich aribbe in the middle of thcm ; and five or fix others, running from thence to 
the edges, and laftly ,fome cut into divifions like a Vine lcafe,all chcfc forts of leaves being to be feenc at one time 
on the ftenlmes and branches, that they would feerae not to be the leaves of one and the fame plant» This wood 
is held to be the mod foveraigne remedy againft the renome of all forts of lerpents wherewith they abound.that 
by the onely fent thereof, carrying it continually about them, the ferpents will flye from them as they walke in 
the fields, and if they doe touch any of them therewith, it will make tbcmtobrc3kc in pceces and dye. 
Lignum Colubrir.um feeundum Acoftx. Aoofta his fecond Snake wood. 
Another fort groweth low and fmall,having onely three leaves fet together,which are loft, long, and narrow, 
(mooch,and of a darke greene colour,it hath not bcene knownc to bcare cither flower or fruite ; the roote is long 
and (lender, fmaller then ones little finger, running along under the lurface of the ground, and knotted in divers 
places, the outer rinde being very thin and of an afh-colour, having at the firft little or no tafte therein at all. but 
after a while it yceldeth a fine lent and tafte like Muske, thisbarkcchappcth in many places, fhe wing under it 
another thicker,and yellow,of the fent of Trifolium odoratum, Swecce Trefoilc, and calling (weete like Licoris, 
but not abiding long,thefubftance whereof is wooddy, and callediin Canarin,T)uda Soli: this roote being bea¬ 
ten into pouther and taken in Wine or Water,is (aid to be a certaine and prefent remedy againft the bi.ings and 
vcnbmc of any ferpent whatfoever .* it is much ufed likewife in tertian and day agues, t e weakenefle of the 
flomackc, the trembl ing and paflions of the heart,or (wounings, and againft all forts or poyfons: many have af- 
firmedih^t no ferpent Had power to doe him harmc that but held it in his hand, and that the fight thereof would 
make tht ferpents flye from it to dome other place: it is held alfo to be good for thofc that have [linking breathes, 
or have ftincking foule hollow teeth that give an evill favour, to hold it in their mouthes, or to put it into the hol¬ 
low neffe of the tooth 
A third (oft is found in the fame Provinces,and is a tree ofa very large fizc and greatnefle, whereof peradven- 
turcthat was a peece that Cluftui faith he had of Dotftor He ft or Nunes, the Portugal Phyfition here at London , 
the Wood being lrke a peece of Afh,firmc or clo(c,with certaine veines running therein, the nnde or outer barke 
being ofa whitifh alb-colour,and tailing fomewhat bitter. 
Gjtap. CXLIIL 
Cobine. ' .The Indians rattling G 6 d, 
le Portugalj pofteffe a certain Country 
in America^ called Morpian, which is ful 
of very good f ruics, and among the reft 
the Nana or Pinas. There is alfo grow¬ 
ing a tree whofc fruite they call Cobine, 
having leaves like to thole of the Bay tree,and fruit 
asbiggeasaMelon, formed like unto anEftridgc 
egge,which although it is not eaten by any of them 
yetis very beautifull hanging on the tree The Sa¬ 
vages ufetomake drinking cuppcs of them, butbe- 
fides that they commit Idolairy there with, which 
is wonder(ull,and to be lamented, for having emp- 
tyed and made hollow the(e fruites, they fill them 
with the (eedesof Milium or fome other thing, 
which being fhaken with ones hand, or with the 
winde, will makeanoyle: then doe they faftena 
pole into the ground, and fticke this fruite full of 
thofe (eedc on the toppe thereof, and fatten about 
it the mod beautifull feathers oi birdes they can get: 
Every houfe h th two or three of thefe fruits deck¬ 
ed up in this manner flicking on the poles, which 
they have in great reverence, thinking fomc god 
tobeinthem, bcciufewhen they are fhaken they 
makeanoyfeand their priefts aud prophets make 
them belcevc their God, whom they call Toupan , 
fpeaketh and telleth them what they fhoulddoc, 
and what (hall come to paffc, and it is not to be 
found that they worfhip any other thing, Cluftu 
faith that this fruite is called Maraka, and Tamara- 
k*-, but I thinke thefe names fmell fomewhat ofa 
Grcckc 
