Writing like this is like a drug to me: It is a ve|rie temperate countrie being so nigh the equinoctiall line: the reason is, for that euery wéeke ordinarily it rayneth thrée or foure times, (which is the greatest cause of health in all that countrie) and thereby is made woonderfull fruitfull, and with great abundance of prouision, but particularly of fruites, for there is great store, and some sortes neuer séene in Europe, a|mongst the which there is one, yt is called in the Malaca tongue Durion, and is so good that I haue heard it affirmed by manie that haue gone about the worlde, that it doth excéede in sauour all others that euer they had séene, or tasted: it is in forme like vnto a mellon, whose ryne is somewhat harde, and hath vpon it little white prickes which séemeth like haire, and within the fruite be partitions, which be of the colour like vnto maniar blanco, and of so good sauour and tast as it, Some do say that haue séene it, that it séemeth to be yt wherwith Adam did trans|gresse, being carried away by the singular sauour. The leaues which this trée yéeldeth, are so bigge that a man may couer him|selfe with one of them, which mee thinketh is but coniecture or defining: but there is Cannafistola for to lade fléetes very bigge and good, and of a singular effect, one of the notablest things in this kingdome, & is a maruellous trée of an admirable vertue, the which putteth foorth so many rootes of so contrarie vertue, that those which grow towards the orient be good against poy|son, agues, and many infirmities that do war against humaine life, & those rootes that growe owards the west, be ranke poy|son, & in effect, all cleane contrarie vnto the first. So that it see|meth here to be founde two contraries in one subiect, a thing which in philosophie they were woont to count impossible. This citie is of great contractation, for that there come the|ther all the kingdomes that we haue spoken of, and from many other more that are nigh thereabouts: but in particular a great number of great ships from the Indians, Canton, Chincheo, and fro~ many other places, likewise the Iapones carry thether their siluer to sell, & those of the kingdome of Syan carry many things very curious, but especially cloues, and pepper of the I|land Malucas, and those of Burneo bring much sanders & nut|megs, and those of Iaba & Pegu, bring the wood of aguila, and those from Cochinchina & Cham bring great store of wrought silke, drogges, and spicerie, and those of Samatra or Trapoua|na much golde and wrought things & fine cloth of Vengalas & Coromandel. All these and other thinges, make this citie fa|mous and plentifull, as also very much enlarged of the Portin|gals that go thether ordinarily euery yeare, and traficke there.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 10:26:53 +0000
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