(863)
Answers
1. The greatest length of time, that Pearl-divers in these parts can hold under water, is about a quarter of an hour; and by no other means but Custome: For Pearl-diving lasteth not above Six weeks, and the Divers stay a great while longer under water at the end of the Season, then at the beginning. Here at Batavia is an expert Diver, who draws wages for nothing else but for diving for Anchors, Guns, &c. lost in the Road. I have seen him several times go down, holding my breath as long as I could, but he stay'd ten times as long under water, as l could hold my breath. But he will not go down, unless you give him a whole Pint of Strong-water.
2. The Oyle drawn out of the Roots of Cinamon-trees, and resembiing Camphir, is thence extracted, the Roots being dried, bruis'd, and steep'd in water, and then drawn over by an Alembec.
3, The Ligmum Aloes is the part of a Living Tree, but commonly found, when 'tis wither'd: The Tree it self is of a white soft wood, giving a milky juice, which is so venemous withal, that if in cutting the Tree, any of the milk light in your eye, you grow blind; if on any other part of the Body, it becomes scabby, and noysomly sore. The Lignum Aloes, or Calambac, is found within the White-wood, but not every where. When the Tree decays, the White-wood soon withers, and grows worm-eaten, and the Milk so dries up, that you may easily rub it asunder with your hand. The best is found in the midst of the Tree nourish'd by the Heart-root, which goes streight down into the ground.
4. The Wood, stinking like humane Excrement, grows thus naturally in the lsles of Soler and Timor, and thereabouts.
5. There are indeed such Serpents in these parts, which have an Head on each end of their Body, called Capracapelle. They are esteem'd Sacred by these people, and fortunate to those in whose house and lands they are found; but pernicious to whornsoever doth them harm. I would have sent one, but could get no man that would kill them.
These Answers were accompanied with divers Curiosities, sent over by the same Generous Person for the Repository of the R. Society; among which were the Pictures of the true Musk-Dear, and of divers Aromatical, and other East-Indian Vegetables, and particularly of the Nutmeg called Thee-ving; because that being put amongst a whole room full of good Nutmegs, though it be but one it will corrupt them all: Besides a very fragrant Oyle drawn out of the bark of a Tree (called Lawang:) and some of the Blood of a Fish, call'd Bedille, esteem'd very excellent against Fluxes of Blood. Together with which should have come a sort of Beans growing on the Coast of Coremandel, having this quality, that the inside of an Earthen Vessel being rubb'd therewith, the most muddy water powred into it, will precipitate all its muddiness; but this was lost by the way. 'Mean time care is taken to procure some others of that kind, to make the Experiment here.
