The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
I thinke it very necessary before I ende my voyage, to reason somewhat, and
to shewe what fruits the Indies do yeeld and bring forth. First, In the
Indies and other East parts of India there is Peper and ginger, which
groweth in all parts of India. And in some parts of the Indies, the
greatest quantitie of peper groweth amongst wilde bushes, without any maner
of labour: sauing, that when it is ripe they goe and gather it. The tree
that the peper groweth on is like to our Iuie, which runneth vp to the tops
of trees wheresoeuer it groweth: and if it should not take holde of some
tree, it would lie flat and rot on the ground. This peper tree hath his
floure and berry like in all parts to our Iuie berry, and those berries be
graines of peper: so that when they gather them they be greene, and then
they lay them in the Sunne, and they become blacke.
The Ginger groweth in this wise: the land is tilled and sowen, and the
herbe is like to Panizzo, and the roote is the ginger. These two spices
grow in diuers places.
The Cloues come all from the Moluccas, which Moluccas are two Islands, not
very great, and the tree that they grow on is like to our Lawrell tree.
The Nutmegs and Maces, which grow both together, are brought from the
Island of Banda, whose tree is like to our walnut tree, but not so big.
All the good white Sandol is brought from the Island of Timor. Canfora
being compound commeth all from China, and all that which groweth in canes
commeth from Borneo, and I thinke that this Canfora commeth not into these
parts: for that in India they consume great store, and that is very deare.
The good Lignum Aloes commeth from Cauchinchina.
The Beniamin commeth from the kingdome of Assi and Sion.
Long pepper groweth in Bengala, Pegu, and Iaua.
Muske [Marginal note: This Muske the Iewes doe counterfeit and take out
halfe the good muske and beat the flesh of an asse and put in the roome of
it.] commeth from Tartaria, which they make in this order, as by good
information I haue bene told. There is a certaine beast in Tartaria, which
is wilde and as big as a wolfe, which beast they take aliue, and beat him
to death with small staues that his blood may be spread through his whole
body, then they cut it in pieces and take out all the bones, and beat the
flesh with the blood in a morter very smal, and dry it, and make purses to
put it in of the skin, and these be the cods of muske.
Truely I know not whereof the Amber is made, and there are diuers opinions
of it, but this is most certaine, it is cast out of the Sea, and throwne on
land, and found vpon the sea bankes.
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