the Skin is all full of strings as strong as Wyer; they use
them to make Ropes withal. As long as the Tree is growing the leaves
shed; but when the Tree is come to its full growth, they remain many
years upon the Tree before they fall; and when they fall, there are
no new ones come again: The top-bud, as it ripens and withers, other
buds come out lower and lower every Year till they come to the bottom
of the Boughs, and then it hath done bearing, and so may stand seven
or ten years, and then dyeth.

[The Wood; its Nature and Use.] The Wood of this Tree is not above
three inches thick, mighty strong and hard to cut in two, but very
apt to split from top to bottom; a very heavy wood, they make pestles
of it to beat their Rice with; the colour black, but looks not like
natural wood, but as if it were composed of divers pieces. The budds
of this Tree, as also of the Coker, and Betel Nut-Tree, are excellent
in tast, resembling Walnuts or Almonds.

[The Cinnamon Tree.] I proceed to the third Tree, which is the
Cinnamon, in their Language Corunda-gauhah. It grows wild in the
Woods as other Trees, and by them no more esteemed; It is most on
the West side of the great River Mavela-gonga. It is much as plenty
as Hazel in England in some places a great deal, in some little, and
in some none at all. The Trees are not very great, but sizable. The
Cinnamon is the [The Bark.] Bark or Rind, when it is on the Tree it
looks whitish. They scrape it and pull it off and dry it in the Sun:
they take it onely from off the smaller Trees, altho the Bark of the
greater is as sweet to the smell and as strong to the tast. The [The
Wood.] Wood has no smell, in colour white, and soft like Fir. Which
for any use they cut down, favouring them no more than other wild
Trees in the Wood. The [The Leaf.] Leaf much resembleth the Laurel
both in colour and thickness; the difference is, whereas the Laurel
hath but one strait rib throughout, whereon the green spreads it self
on each sides, the Cinnamon hath three by which the Leaf stretches
forth it self. When the young leaves come out they look purely red
like scarlet: Break or bruise them, and they will smell more like
Cloves than Cinnamon. It bears a [The Fruit.] Fruit, which is ripe
in September, much like an Acorn, but smaller, it neither tasts nor
smells much like the Bark, but being boyled in water, it will yield an
Oyl swimming on the top, which when cold is as hard as tallow and as
white; and smel