Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

Of Reedes or Canes.

IN the firme land there are many sorts of Reedes, so that in many places they make their hou∣ses thereof, couering them with the tops of the same, and making their wals of them in like manner, as I haue said before: and among these kindes of Reedes, there is one so great, that the Canes thereof are as bigge as a mans legge in the knee, and three spans in length from ioynt to [ 50] ioynt, or more, in so much that euery of them is of capacitie to containe a little bucket of wa∣ter. In this kinde, there are found some greater, and some lesse, of the which some they vse to make quiuers for arrowes. There is found another kinde, which surely is marueilous,* 1.1 being lit∣tle bigger then a Iauelin, the Canes whereof are longer then two spannes: these Reedes grow one farre from another, as sometimes twenty or thirty paces, and sometimes also two or three leagues: they grow in manner in all Prouinces in the Indies, and grow neere to very high Trees, whereunto they leane, and creepe vp to the top of their branches, which they imbrace, and descend againe downe to the earth. Their Canes are full of most cleare water, without any manner of taste or sauour, either of the Canes, or of any other thing, and such as if it were ta∣ken out of the freshest Spring in the world, nor yet is it knowne that euer it hurt any that [ 60] drunke thereof. For it hath oftentimes so chanced, that as the Christian men haue trauailed in these regions in desolate waies, where for lacke of water they haue beene in great danger to dye with thirst, they haue escaped that perill by reason that they found the said Reedes, of the wa∣ter of whose Canes they haue drunke a great quantity, without any hurt thereof ensuing. There∣fore when they finde these in any place, they make water vessels of the Canes thereof, and carry

as many of them full of water as may suffice for one dayes iourney: and sometime they carrie so many, that they take for euery man two or three quarts of water, which may serue them for many daies, because it doth not corrupt, but remaineth still fresh and good.

* 1.2There are also certaine Plants, which the Christians call Platani. They are as high as trees, and become as bigge in the trunke as the knee of a man, or more. From the foote to the top, they beare certaine long and large leaues, being more then three spans in largenesse, and about ten or twelue in length: the which when they are broken of the winde, the stalke remaineth whole in the middest. In the middest of this Plant, in the highest part thereof, there groweth a cluster with fortie or fiftie Plantans about it, euery of them being a span and a halfe in length, and as bigge as a mans arme in the small, or more, or lesse, according to the goodnesse of the soile [ 10] where they grow: they haue a rinde not very thicke, and easie to be broken, being within alto∣gether full of a substance like vnto the marie of the bone of an Oxe, as it appeareth when the rinde or barke is taken from the same. This cluster ought to be taken from the Plant, when any one of the Plantans begin to appeare yellow, at which time they take it, and hang it in their houses, where all the cluster waxeth ripe, with all his Plantans. This cluster is a very good fruite, and when it is opened, and the rinde taken off, there are found within it many good drie Figges,* 1.3 which being rosted, or stewed in an Ouen, in a close pot, or some such other thing, are of pleasant taste, much like to the conserue of Hony: they putrifie not on the Sea so soone as some other fruites doe, but continue fifteene daies and more, if they be gathered somewhat greene: they seeme more delicate on the Sea then on the Land, not for that they any thing en∣crease in goodnes on the Sea, but because that wheras on the Sea other things are lacking, where∣of [ 20] is plentie on the Land, those meates seeme of best taste, which satisfie present necessitie. This trunke or sprig which bringeth forth the said cluster, is a whole yeare in growing and bringing forth fruite, in which time it hath put forth round about in ten or twelue sprigges, as bigge as the first or principal, and multiplieth no lesse then the principall in bringing forth of clusters, with fruits likewise at their time, and also in bringing forth other and many sprigges, as is said be∣fore. From the which sprigges or trunkes, as soone as the cluster of the fruite is taken away, the Plant beginneth to drie and wither, which then they take out of the ground, because it doth none other then occupie it in vaine, and without profit. They are so many, and doe so marueilously encrease and multiplie, that it is a thing in manner incredible. They are excee∣ding [ 30] moist, in so much that when they are plucked vp from the place where they grow, there issueth forth a great quantity of water, as well out of the Plant, as out of the place where it grew, in such sort, that all the moisture of the earth farre about, might seeme to be gathe∣red together about the trunke or blocke of the said Plant, with the fruites whereof, the Antes are so farre in loue, that they are seene in great multitudes in the branches of the Plants: so that for the multitude thereof, it sometime so chanceth, that men are enforced to take away the Plants from their possession: these fruites are found at all times of the yeere. There is also another kinde of wilde Plants that groweth in the fieldes, which I haue not seene but in the Iland of Hispaniola, although they be found in other Ilands of the Indies: these they call Tunas. They grow of a Thistle full of thornes, and bring forth a fruite much [ 40] like vnto great Figges,* 1.4 which haue a crowne like Medlers, and are within of a high colour, with graines and the rinde like vnto a Figge: they are of good taste, and grow abundant∣ly in the fields in many places: They worke a strange effect in such as eate them, for if a man eate two, or three, or more, they cause his vrine to be of the very colour of bloud, whith thing chanced once to my selfe. For on a time as I made water, and saw the colour of my Vrine, I entred into a great suspition of my life, being so astonished for feare, that I thought the same had chansed to me vpon some other cause, in so much that surely my imagination might haue done me hurt, but that they which were with me did comfort me immediately, declaring the cause thereof, as they knew by experience, being auncient in∣habitours in those regions. There groweth also another Plant, which the people of the Countrie call Bihaos:* 1.5 this putteth forth certaine straight branches, and very broade leaues, [ 50] which the Indians vse for diuers purposes: for in some places they couer their houses with the leaues thereof, couched and laid after the manner of thatch, whereunto it serueth very well: Sometimes also when it raineth, they cast these ouer their heads, to defend them from the water. They make also certaine chests, which they call Hauas, weaued after a strange sort, and intermixt with the leaues of this Bihaos. These Chests are wrought in such sort,* 1.6 that although it raine vpon them, or they chance to fall into the water, yet are not such things wet as are within them: they are made of the branches of the said Bihaos, with the leaues weaued together therewith. In these they keepe salt, and other subtile things. They vse them also for another purpose, which is this: that finding them in the fields at such time as they haue scarsenesse of victuals, they digge vp the rootes of these Plants while they are yet [ 60] yong, or eate the Plant it selfe, in that part where it is most tender, which is from a foote vnder the ground, where it is as tender and white as a Reede or Bulrush. And for as much as we are now come to the end of this narration, it commeth to my remembrance to make mention

of another thing, which is not farre from my purpose: and this is, how the Indians doe staine or dye cloath of bombage cotton, or any other thing which they intend to dye, of diuers colours,* 1.7 as Blacke, Tawny, Greene, Blew, Yellow, and Red, which they doe with the Barkes, or Rindes, and Leaues of certaine Trees, which they know by experience to be good for this practise: and by this art they make colours in such perfection and excellency,* 1.8 that no better can be de∣uised. But this seemeth a strange thing, that they doe all this in one selfe same Vessell: so that when they haue caused the said Rindes and Leaues to boile together, they make in the same Vessell without any change (as I haue said) as many colours as them listeth. Which thing I suppose to come to passe, by the disposition of the colour which they haue first giuen to the thing that they intend to dye or colour, whether it be Thred, Web, or Cloth, or any thing that [ 10] they intend to colour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Reed-springs or fountaines of water.
• * 1.2

  Platani, or Plantans.
• * 1.3

  Figges.
• * 1.4

  Tunas.
• * 1.5

  Bihaos.
• * 1.6

  Hauas.
• * 1.7

  Dying of Cotton.
• * 1.8

  A strange thing.