A DISCOURSE

275

Let the farther curious, or those who may take these wondersfor a florid Epiphonema only of, this work, add to the most an-tient naturalists what they will find improved, on this, ample-'subject,in the late excellently learned and judicious Malpighius, Grew*Ray, Senertus, Faber, and others, who have defined thefe aftonifhing

by an attractive virtue sucks in, with the moisture that nourisheth it, and conveysthroughout from root to head) is discovered by a reddish minute sand appearing in theearth; the disease dilates not only in the body, but outwardly on the trunk of the tree»when the Bandarin perceives this, he is forced to make a great hole through the soundpart of the tree, to hinder the contagion from creeping further, as is practised in Gan-grenes, where the sound part is cutoff: the parts affected without, are unbarked, andwhere the sand appears they run in hot irons. These cures not timely applied, the pro-fitable tree perisheth. These disasters are accompanied with a secret of nature, worthreflection. Two or three years before this untimely death, these trees are said to beladen with Cocoes or Nuts , so beyond custom, that this unusual excefs is suspicious tothe natives, and awakens them to watch the diseases incident to the Palm-tree, so tohinder them by a timely prevention ; nature by this overplus, seems to supply the absenceand lofs of this tree; and the beneficial Palm, foreseeing the end of her munificence,strives to recompense her owner. There is yet in the Palm-tree a thing more excellent,delicious, and more grateful to the palate, than hath been mentioned; a morsel to becompared with whatsoever is esteemed most delicate, is that they call Palmito, the inner-most eye of the tree; which being cut out and stript of the boughs, may pafs for the centreof all the branches, which in the heart of the tree, before they shoot forth, are so joinedand united, as to appear the same thing. The fubstance of this Palmito is white likemilk, delicious in extremity, coagulated, tender, of a taste above milk, more delightfuland of a better confection; in fine a Bocone pleasing in the highest, and free from all fulsome-nefs. What I have said is without exaggeration; the Reader, I am sure, would if hetasted it, be of my opinion, who am able to give a sufficient account of this Palmito; forbesides my experience of it in India, where other provision was not wanted, at the Capeof Good Hope, (where the vefsel we came in from Portugal suffered shipwreck, at theiand called Terra de Natal, and where we spent eight months on shore, in the place wewere first cast upon, to build two barks to save our company) 1 had leisure enough to beconvinced of its exquisitenefs; there, scarcity of provision, obliged us to make use of whatwe found; it was our good fortune to light on great store of Palm-trees, not of those whichyield Cocoes or Nuts, but of that species which bear Dates: there, having known in India what the Palmito was, we in a short time furnished ourselves with as many as grew in aleague’s com pafs; the Palmito served us for food and dainty, neither was its gratefulnefsheightened by our hunger.

“ The fruitfulnefs and profit of the Palm-tree, last many years; there are signs for a nearguefs at her precise duration. This tree puts forth every year four branches, whicheisurely display themselves in the form of a crofs, and after three or four years decay; thesethe Palm-tree of herself casts off, or they are lopt off by the Bandarins, every one leavinga mark where it grew: By these is given a probable conjecture at the age of the tree.