rn.

CHAP. IV.

Of their Fruits, and Trees

[Great variety of Fruits, and delicious.] Of Fruits here are great
plenty and variety, and far more might be if they did esteem or
nourish them. Pleasant Fruits to eat ripe they care not at all to do,
They look only after those that may fill the Belly, and satisfie their
hunger when their Corn is spent, or to make it go the further. These
onely they plant, the other Fruits of Pleasure plant themselves, the
seeds of the ripe Fruits shedding and falling on the ground naturally
spring up again. They have all Fruits that grow in India. Most sorts
of these delicious Fruits they gather before they be ripe, and boyl
them to make Carrees, to use the Portuguez word, that is somewhat to
eat with and relish their Rice. [The best Fruits, where-ever they
grow, reserved for the King.] But wheresoever there is any Fruit
better than ordinary, the Ponudecarso, or Officers of the Countrey,
will tie a string about the Tree in the Kings Name with three knots
on the end thereof, and then, no man, not the Owner himself, dares
presume under pain of some great punishment, if not death, to touch
them. And when they are ripe, they are wrapped in white cloth, and
carried to him who is Governour of that Countrey wherein they grow:
and if they be without any defect or blemish, then being wrapped up
again in white cloth, he presents them to the King. But the owner in
whose Ground they grow is paid nothing at all for them: it is well
if he be not compelled to carry them himself into the bargain unto
the King, be it never so far. These are Reasons why the People regard
not to plant more than just to keep them alive.

[Betel-Nuts.] But to specifie some of the chief of the Fruits in
request among them, I begin with their Betel-Nuts, the Trees that bear
them grow only on the South and West sides of this Island. They do not
grow wild, they are only in their Towns, and there like unto Woods,
without any inclosures to distinguish one mans Trees from anothers;
but by marks of great Trees, Hummacks or Rocks each man knows his
own. They plant them not, but the Nuts being ripe fall down in the
grass and so grow up to [The Trees.] Trees. They are very streight
and tall, few bigger than the calf of a mans Leg. [The Fruit.] The
Nuts grow in bunches at the top, and being ripe look red and very
lovely like a pleasing Fruit. When they gather them, they lay them in
heaps until the shell be somewhat rotted, a