THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF BENGAL 289
may be. They are neatly shaped, and are naturally of
a mottled colour, white, yellow, and black. There is
a great trade in them to all parts of India, for they are
found nowhere else. By rubbing hard two sticks of this
cane together, fire is produced as from a match; and
they are used for this purpose. There is yet another
sort of cane, which never grows thicker than the little
finger, of the same form and growth as the other; it
is as pliant as an osier, and is called Rotan (rattan).
Ships* cables are made of it, and many kinds of neatly
plaited baskets, and other wicker things. In short, it
is used as cord, and can be split into any number of
strips. It is a fathom and a half in length. It is traf-
ficked in everywhere, and is in great demand for its
use in manufacture; it is white, and not mottled.
This country abounds with elephants, which are ex-
ported hence to all parts of India. There are rhinoc-
eroses also, and some say unicorns, too, which are said
to be found in this land only. They say other animals
will not drink at a well until a female unicorn has
steeped her horn in the water, so they all wait on the
bank till she comes and does so.
In short, I find no country in all the East Indies
more abundantly supplied with all things needful for
food, with the riches of nature and art; and were not
the navigation so dangerous, it would be the fairest,
most pleasant, fertile, and profitable in the whole world.
They usually keep an ambassador at Gtoa; but when I
was preparing to leave Goa to come home, there ar-
rived an ambassador extraordinary at the court of the
