The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Aftre that yle, in goynge be see, men fynden another yle, gode and gret,
that men clepen Pathen, that is a gret kyngdom, fulle of faire cytees and
fulle of townes. In that lond growen trees, that beren mele, wherof men
maken gode bred and white, and of gode savour; and it semethe as it were of
whete, but it is not allynges of suche savour. And there ben other trees,
that beren hony, gode and swete: and other trees, that beren venym; azenst
the whiche there is no medicyne but on; and that is to taken here propre
leves, and stampe hem and tempere hem with watre, and then drynke it: and
elle he schalle dye; for triacle will not avaylle, ne non other medicyne.
Of this venym, the Jewes had let seche of on of here frendes, for to
empoysone alle Cristiantee, as I have herd hem seye in here confessioun,
before here dyenge. But thanked be alle myghty God, thei fayleden of hire
purpos: but alle weys thei maken gret mortalitee of people. And other trees
there ben also, that beren wyn of noble sentement. And zif zou like to here
how the mele comethe out of the trees, I shalle seye zou. Men hewen the
trees with an hatchet, alle aboute the fote of the tree, tille that the
bark be parted in many parties; and than comethe out ther of a thikke
lykour, the whiche thei resceyven in vesselles, and dryen it at the hete of
the sonne; and than thei han it to a mylle to grynde; and it becomethe
faire mele and white. And the hony and the wyn and the venym ben drawen out
of other trees, in the same manere, and put in veselles for to kepe. In
that yle is a ded see, that is a lake, that hathe no ground. And zif ony
thing falle in to that lake, it schalle nevere comen up azen. In that lake
growen redes, that ben cannes, that thei clepen thaby, that ben 30 fadme
long. And of theise canes men maken faire houses. And ther ben other canes,
that ben not so longe, that growen neer the lond, and han so longe rotes,
that duren wel a 4 quartres of a furlong or more; and at the knottes of tho
rotes, men fynden precious stones, that han gret vertues: and he that
berethe ony of hem upon him, yren ne steel ne may not hurt him, ne drawe no
blood upon him: and therfore thei that han tho stones upon hem, fighten
fulle hardyly, bothe on see and lond: for men may not harmen hem on no
partye. And therfore thei that knowen the manere, and schulle fighten with
hem, thei schoten to hem arwes and quarrelles with outen yren or steel; and
so thei hurten hem and sleen hem. And also of tho cannes, thei maken houses
and schippes and other thinges; as wee han here, makynge houses and
schippes of oke or of ony other trees. And deme no man, that I seye it, but
for a truffulle: for I have seen of the cannes with myn owne eyzen fulle
many tymes lyggynge upon the ryvere of that lake: of the whiche, 20 of oure
felowes ne myghten not liften up ne beren on to the erthe.
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