Ioyfull newes out of the newfound world wherein are declared the rare and singular vertues of diuers and sundrie herbs, trees, oyles, plants, [and] stones, with their applications, aswell to the vse of phisicke, as chirurgery: which being wel applied, bring such present remedy for all diseases, as may seeme altogether incredible: notwithstanding by practize found out, to be true. Also the portrature of the sayde herbes, very aptly described: Englished by Iohn Frampton merchant. Newly corrected as by conference with the olde copies may appeare. Wherevnto are added three other bookes treating of the Bezaar stone, the herbe escuerçonera, the properties of yron and steele, in medicine and the benefite of snowe.

Of long Peper.

[illustration]

* 1.1ALso they bring from Cartagena, and from the coast of the firme lande, from Nata neere to Veraga, a certain kinde of Peper, which they cal long Peper, which hath a sharper taste, then the Pe∣per which is brought from the Oriental Indias, and biteth more then it, and is of more sweete taste, and of better smell, then that of Asia, or the Peper of the East India: it is a gentle spyce, to dresse meates withall, and for this purpose al the people in that country doe vse it.

* 1.2A Gentleman gaue me a platter full of it, for he brought a great quantitie of it for the seruice of his Ritchin, because

they vse it in place of blacke Peper, and they take it to be of a better tast, and more healthfull. I haue tasted it, and it by∣teth more then the blacke Peper doeth, and it hath a more sweete taste then it hath. I haue caused it to be put into drest meates, in place of the Oriental Peper, & it giueth a more gentle taste vnto the meates that are drest therewith.

It is a fruite that casteth out a high plante, of the great∣nesse of a grosse Packethreed,* 1.3 and the lower parte neere to the roote, is as great as a litle sticke, that is very small: and vpon it are ioyned the little graines, very neere together, as though they were wrested one within the other, which cau∣seth the greatnesse whereof wee spake: and beeing ta∣ken away from the litle sticke, the stick remaineth bare and whole: and it is greene being fresh, but the Sunne ripeneth it, and doeth turne it blacke, and so they bring it into these partes. It groweth in the coast of the firme lande in Nata and in Cartagena, and in the newe kingdome: in all these partes they vse it, as I haue saide. It hath the Medicinall vertues, which the Orientall Peper hath that we vse. The complexion thereof is hotte in the third degree.

And going to visite a childe, the sonne of this Gentle∣man,* 1.4 which gaue mee this Peper, being diseased of the fire in the face, I commanded him to bee let blood, and that to his face they should apply some litle cloth with Rose water, and the hearbe Mora: hee saide to me that hee liked the let∣ting of blood well, because the boye was of Sanguine com∣plexion, but as for that which should be laid to his face, hee had wherewith to heale it in short tyme: and he commanded to bee brought foorth, a thing lyke vnto a cake, as great as a meane platter, the outside was blacke, and within yeal∣lowe, and beeing brought wel neere twoo thousand Leages, it was moyst, and hee dissolued a little of it with Rose Water, and layde it to the boyes face. I was desirous to know what it was, & he said, that when the worke was seene what it would do, he would tel me whereof it was compoun∣ded.

The next day I returned to the sicke, and his face was so amended, that I maruelled at it, and immediatly he was washed with Rose water, a little warme, and hee remayned as though he had not had any euil therein at all.

The cake was made of certaine Wormes, which the Indians take out of the grounde,* 1.5 and they make them fatte, giuing them to eate leaues of a certaine kinde of corne, that they haue there called Maiz, and after they are fatte, they put them into a frying panne of earth, and seeth them there∣in, and as they take of the skumme, they strayne it, and seeth it stil, vntil it be thicker then an oyntment, after the fashion and manner as he had it there.

They bring also from the Charcas certaine Rootes, that bee like to the Rootes of flower de Luce,* 1.6 sauing that they are smaller and they smell much lyke the leaues of Figge tree: they call these Rootes in the Indias, a re∣medy against the venemous hearbe, for beeing made into pouder, and taken with whyte wyne, it is a thing of great strength, and of the greatest vertue, that is there against venome, of what manner or qualitie soeuer it be, so that it be not corsiue as Sublimatum,* 1.7 or the lyke: and as for that kinde of poyson, with only drinking of much Milke they bee re∣medied.

This Roote beeing taken, causeth the venome to bee cast out, which is eaten or drunken, or any manner vene∣mous humour, comming of any euill degree, or cause what∣soeuer, which is as wel done by vomit, as by sweate. If th••re bee any small Wormes, or long Wormes in the body, it killeth, and expelleth them: and if you haue any suspicion, that there haue beene giuen you any venomous morsel, whe∣ther it bee venome or witchecraft, it expelleth it: in which there is so much trust in those partes, that they take it for a meruellous remedy, for the thinges afore∣sayde. The roote being tasted, it hath a sweete relishe, with

some sharpnes. It seemeth to be hot in the second degree.

From the coast of Nicaraga, and of Nata, they which come in these last ships, from the firme land, bring a certaine kind of purge with them, that surely by the tast is easie to be taken, and it worketh well, and without any payne, & princi∣pally it purgeth Choler. It is the fruite of a tree very great, after the maner of Thornish Chestnuts, which haue within them Chestnuts, sauing that they pricke not, but be playne▪ within those prickles there be some like to Chestnuts, made cleane without shale, well neere square, which deuide them∣s••lues asunder, by meanes of a little skin, euery one into two partes, and so they are couered with it, and when they be ta∣ken & occupied, that little skin is plucked away, & they are made cleane frō it, for that beyng taken with it, it procureth most dangerous accidentes, and vomites, & much faintnesse and infinite stooles: and without it the Chestnut is a purga∣tion very gentle, and they purge easily, and without paines: if they be tosted, then they will purge lesse: if they be greene they eate them: or being beaten in a Morter, they take them with wine, or with the broth of a henne: if ••hey bee drie, they make pouder of them, any manner of fashion. They doe their worke well, and with much assurance, keeping the order that ought to be kept, by them which be purged, and the humors beyng prepared, as is conuenient. They are hot in the first degree.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Long Peper.
• * 1.2

  Historie.
• * 1.3

  The descrip∣tion of it.
• * 1.4

  Historie.
• * 1.5

  Of what it was made.
• * 1.6

  Rootes a∣gainst venom & venomous things.
• * 1.7

  M••lke good a∣gainst poyson.