Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	air_n	earth_n	water_n	1,982	5	6.3897	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04899	Cochin-China containing many admirable rarities and singularities of that countrey / extracted out of an Italian relation, lately presented to the Pope, by Christophoro Borri, that liued certaine yeeres there ; and published by Robert Ashley.	Borri, Cristoforo, 1583-1632.; Ashley, Robert, 1565-1641.	1633 (1633)	STC 1504.5; ESTC S659	39,255	72

Moneths Iune Iuly and August it be there very hot as in a Countrey seated vnder the Torrid Zone and hauing the Sun in those moneths in the highest point of eleuation ouer their heads Yet in September October and Nouember being their Autumne the heat ceaseth and the Aire is very temperate by reason of the continuall raines which doe ordinarily fall at those times on the Mountaines of the Kemois from whence there come waters in such abundance that they ouerflow all the Countrey and ioyning themselues with the sea they seeme to be one selfe thing therewith Moreouer these Inundations of waters come commonly once in a fortnight continuing about three dayes together The benefit that commeth thereby is not only the refreshing of the Aire but also the fatning of the earth making it more fruitfull and abundant in all things and especially in Rice which is the best Manna and the commonest nourishment of all the Kingdome In the other three moneths of Winter which are December Ianuary and February the Northerly windes bring such cold raines that thereby they sufficiently distinguish Winter from their other seasons of the yeere Finally in the Moneths of March Aprill and May there are seene the effects of a pleasant spring-time all being greene and flourishing amongst them Hauing thus declared these Inundations I must also acquaint you with some particular curiosities and remarkable obseruations thereof before I conclude this Chapter The first shall be that they are generally desired of all men nor onely because the Aire is refreshed by them becōming more ●●de● and pleasant but much more in regard of the fruitfulnesse which they cause in the Earth Whereupon as soone as they see them the pleasure and contentment they haue is such and so great that they make it sufficiently appeare by their visiting feasting and presenting one the other crying oft for ioy and all repeating and reiterating Daden Lut Daden Lut which signifieth the Water is come the Water is already come Insomuch that there is none amongst them of what degree or qualitie soeuer but Feasteth and reioyceth Yea euen the King himselfe Yet in as much as these inundations come so suddenly and sometime so vnexpected that when in the Euening they thought not of them they find themselues in the Morning inuested on all sides and shut vp in their houses and that throughout all the Countrey it falls out now and then that they loose their Cattell that haue not had the leisure to retire and withdraw them for refuge into the hills and higher places In regard whereof there is a constitution in the Kingdome that those Beeues Goats Hoggs and other beasts which are drownd in these deluges shall no longer belong to the proprietarie and owner of them but shal be his that first seifeth on them which custome occasioneth good sport amongst them in regard that when the water commeth they betake themselues to their Boates in quest of such drowned cattell with which they afterwards make merry and feast their friends The young Children haue also their playes and pastimes according to their age by reason that these great plaines couered ouer with Rice abounding likewise with Rats and Mice they are forced by the water which hath filled their holes to saue themselues by swimming and to climbe vpon the tres for refuge by meanes whereof the trees are loden with Rats and Mice in lieu of leaues and fruits Therupon the boyes get themselues into boates by bands betaking themselues to the shaking of the trees dismounting those Rats and Mice drowning them in the water of which their childish disport there commeth a great good to the Land which by such meanes remaineth the more cleered and freed of this vermine which otherwise by little and little would much waste and spoile their fields The last commodity yet not the least which the Lut bringeth is that euery one thereby furnisheth and prouideth his house the better of all necessaries for in three dayes it maketh all the countrey nauigable euery where with such ease and facilitie that there is nothing but may easily bee conueyed from one Towne to another in regard whereof they keepe all their Faires and great Markets at these times when the concourse is alwayes greater then at any other time of the yeere In those dayes also they make their prouision of wood for their firing and for Building which they bring from the Mountaines in their Boates that passe easily through the streetes euen into their Houses which for the purpose are mounted on ranckes of pillars raised very high to giue the water a free entrance and issue euery one retiring meane time into the vppermost story of his House Vnto which the water which cannot bee sufficiently admired the Lut or Inundation neuer mounteth for they take their measure so well through long experience of the height of the waters that they haue no feare thereof being well assured that the waters will alwayes remaine below their Buildings CHAP. III. Of the Fertility of the Land ALbeit one may easily iudge of the fruitfulnes of Cochin-China by the profit which the Lut bringeth as hath beene said yet somewhat may bee said in particular The Land becommeth so fat and so fruitfull by this Lut or ouerflowing that thrice euery yeere they gather their Rice and that in such great quantity and aboundance that there is none will labour for his liuing euery one hauing plentiously whereon to liue The plenty and the variety of fruits is great all the yeere long of as many seuerall sorts as there are in India for Cochin-China lieth in the same Climate Yet in particular it hath fairer and greater Oranges then we haue in Europe and those very succulent the rinde of them being so soft so tender and so sauoury that it is as vsually eaten as the inside which is of as pleasing a relish and taste as the Limons of Italy There are also certaine fruits which the Portugals call Bananes and others terme them Indian Figgs but with no great reason in my opinion seeing neither the tree which in India is called the figtree nor yet that of Cochin-China hath any resemblance of our figtree either in the wood or in the fruit The tree is like that plant which wee call Turkie-wheat though much higher and the leaues so long and broad that two of them will serue to couer a man from the top to the toe and so compasse him round about which haply made some to be of opinion that this was the tree of the terrestriall Paradise with the leaues whereof Adam sought to couer his nakednesse This tree beareth a grape at the top of twenty thirty or fourty together in a cluster euery of which in his shape as also in his length and greatnesse resembleth the common Citrons of Italy When the fruit is not ripe the rinde is greene of colour and groweth yellow afterward as the Citrons doe One shall not neede a knife to open and to pill this fruit for the

of Areca so that of one fruit they make foure or fiue morsells They vse also to put Lime to their Areca such as they make in that countrey of Oyster-shells and not of Lime-stones as they doe in Europe And as with vs there are commonly some appointed to dresse the Meat to prouide Cates and to performe other offices So in Cochin-China there is in euery house some or other appointed to no other office but onely to infold these morsels of Areca in the Betle and the officers that are so imployed who most commonly are women be called the Betleres These morsels thus prepared are put into boxes and they vsually goe chewing on them all day long not onely within doores but euen when they goe vp and downe the streetes or speake with any in all places and at all times But after they haue long chewed it and kept it in their mouthes without swallowing of it they spit it out contenting themselues with the odour and quality which doth maruellously comfort the stomach This fruit thus prepared is in such request among them that when any goeth to the house of another to visit him hee carrieth with him a boxe thereof presenting it vnto him which he presently putteth in his mouth and before he take his leaue he that is so visited commandeth the Betlere of the house to bring him a boxe thereof which hee offereth to him that came to him that came to see him in requitall of his courtesie In such sort that they must alwayes haue it prepared in a readinesse and so great is the profit thereof that the greatest reuenue of the Countrey consisteth in possessing fields well planted with Areca as in Europe with Vines and Oliues Tobacco is also vsed there though not so frequently as their Betle There are also Cabbages of all sorts in great abundance as well as Sugar-Canes Our fruits of Europe are not yet come to Cochin-China howbeit I am of opinion that the Vine and Figg-tree would prosper well there Our herbes as Lettice Succory Coleworts and such other are growing in Cochin-China and all ouer India yet they beare leaues onely without any seed so that when they would haue any new they are faine to haue the seed out of Europe Flesh is also there in great plenty by reason of the abundance of foure footed beasts which they nourish there in their houses as Kine Goats Swine Buffles and such other Of wild beasts as Harts they haue many greater then those of Europe Wild Bores and diuers others They haue great store of Fowles tame Hens and wild with which their fields are couered Turtle-Doues Pigeons Duckes Geese and Cranes which are very sauoury meat besides many others which we haue not here in Europe There is also great store of Fish and that of so exquisite relish and taste that hauing crossed so many Seas and trauelled through so many Countreys as I haue done methinkes I haue not found the Fish of any other place comparable to that of Cochin-China And by reason that the whole length of the countrey lieth on the Sea as I haue said there is such a multitude of Fisher-boates and Fish-takers and Fish-carriers throughout the Kingdome that it is a pritty spectacle to behold so many rankes of men carrying Fish from the Sea side euen vp to the Mountaines in which exercise they imploy twenty of the foure and twenty houres of the day And although it bee true that they like better of Fish then of Flesh yet the chiefe cause why they are so much giuen to Fishing is the desire they haue to prouide themselues a Sauce which they call Balaciam that is made of a salted Fish mollified and dissolued in water whereof they make a biting liquor not vnlike vnto Mustard with which they furnish their Houses in so great a quantity that they fill Tunnes and Hogsheads therewith as in many places of Europe men doe with wines yet they vse it not for meat by it selfe but for sauce onely to quicken their appetite in eating of their Rice which they suppose would otherwise bee vnsauoury They abound also with Shel-fish with Oysters and other fruits of the Sea especially with one kind which they call Cameron But beyond all that hath beene said Gods Prouidence hath priuiledged them with a rare and exquisite kind of food which in my opinion cannot bee better likened or compared then to that Manna with which the chosen people of God were fed in the Desart This kind of food is so peculiar to Cochin-China that it is not any where else That which I will say thereof shall not be by hearesay or by report of any other but by mine owne experience who haue seene and eaten of it often There is a little Bird in this Countrey like vnto a Swallow which fasteneth his nest to the rocks on which the waues of the Sea doe beate and are broken This little creature taketh with her bill some of the froth of the Sea and with a certaine humour which shee draweth out of her stomacke mingling the one with the other maketh I know not what clay-like bituminous matter wherewith shee after buildeth her nest which when it is growne to be dry and hard becommeth transparent and of a mingled colour betwixt yellow and greene These nests are gathered by those of the Countrey and being softened and dissolued in water serue to season all their Meates either Flesh or Fish Hearbes or any thing else giuing such a diuersity of relish and so proper to euery of them that one would thinke they were prepared with Pepper Cinamom Cloues and all manner of Spices in such sort that this little nest is sufficient to season all sorts of Viands without Salt Oyle or Lard or any other thing Which made me say that indeede it resembled the Manna which had in it selfe the taste of all the most fauourie kinds of foode but that this is only the worke of a little Bird whereas the other was prepared by the Angels of God And of this there is such store that I haue seene ten little boats loaden with these nests gathered along the Rocks within the space of halfe a League But because it is such an exquisite thing none but the King doth traffique therewith they are all reserued for him and the greatest vtterance he maketh of them is for the King of China who hath them in great esteeme They eate not any Milke nor ought made thereof holding it for a great offence to draw milke from Kine or any other creatures and their reason for such their scrupulosity is that they say the milke was ordained by Nature for the nourishment of the young ones As if hee to whom the little ones appertaine could not dispose of the nutriment due vnto them They eate certaine things which wee lothe and abhorre as venimous namely the Camelions which are greater there then those which being dried are brought out of strange Countreyes oftentimes into Italy I haue seene some brought