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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	call_v	know_v	name_n	1,697	5	5.0038	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48869	A short relation of the river Nile of its sourse and current, of its overflowing the Campagnia of Ægypt, till it runs into the Mediterranean, and of other curiosities / written by an eye-witnesse, who lived many years in the chief kingdoms of the Abyssine empire.; Itinerário. English. Selections	Lobo, Jerónimo, 1596?-1678.; Wyche, Peter, Sir, 1628-1699?	1669 (1669)	Wing L2733; ESTC R12438	30,643	112

by imitating the different cryes of other Beasts are so understood and known of what place and Province they are Those of an higher Province in the heart of this great Empire where many ages these Princes kept their Court when according to this ancient and usual Custom they present their Petitions cry Jan Coy i.e. my King Jan signifying King and Coy my which supposed for the cleerer proof of what I endeavour to evince you are to be reminded That the Abyssines affirme their Emperours were Priests in testimony of that relate some Miracles wrought by them That the Abyssines are naturally Wanderers particularly undertake pilgrimages to the Holy Land which being not far remote doth more easily engage them in the journey This they practise at present though formerly they did it more frequently It is also notorious that the French most of any Nation of Europe used the Levantine trade their concourse was so great that those Infidels scarce knew any other Europeans and called all white men as they still do Franks by a small corruption from the word Francois The French necessarily met many Abyssines particularly in Palestine with whom their discourse was probable about their Nation and Country The Abyssines speaking of their King undoubtedly gave him the most ancient most usual and most respectfull title of Jan neither is it less probable that for the greater reverence of the Royal person they told them their King was a Priest thence was he concluded Jan by title and by office a Priest All know that among us Sacerdote and Presbytero are the same which the Latines call Presbyter and the French Prester this word joyned to Jan begets Prester Jan which with small addition is corrupted into Prester John intending the same The French returning home were likely to relate what they believed and heard in forraigne parts so spred the report that the King of the Abyssines was King and Priest Prester Jan there not being then any knowledge of the true Prester John of the Indies This report set abroad past current that this famous Prince was without doubt the Emperour of the Abyssines thence at present vulgarly called Prester John of the Indies I may without arrogance think the Conjectures and Probabilities on which this Discourse is grounded above contempt both from my own observations and Experience and from the approbation of able Judgments particularly of great Travellers and those conversant in Ethiopia who found them agree with their information if any are dissatisfied with this Tract let them not condemn the good will that offers it and take my word to acquiesce in any better proposed A short Tract of the Red Sea and of the Cause of this name by which 't is commonly known THe Red Sea bounds the Territories of the Abyssine Empire which Eastward drinks those Waters having therefore discoursed what names the Abyssine Emperour Prester John we may conveniently inquire after the true cause that calls that boundary of this Empire the Red Sea The Name of Red Sea commonly given to the Arabian Gulf is very ancient the mistake lyes onely in the Reason I shall relate what I think most sutable to my own survey and experience The Ancients named the most Easterly poynt of all Africa Aromatum Prom. the Cape of spices because all those Ships which brought them from the Coast of India and traded with the Ports of that Sea first made that Headland called at present by all Mariners Guarda fuy the Inland is the Kingdom of Adel the Inhabitants all Moors and stout Souldiers The defect of Rain is here the same as in Egypt supplyed by the many and great Rivers running from the mountains of Ethiopia which on that side bound this Kingdom This Promontory is answered by another in Arabia the happy directly opposite called Cape Fartach from a City and people of the same name inhabiting the main Land Warlike Moors and so reputed the distance between these two Capes is fifty leagues The largnesse of the Ocean begins to be restrained from these two Promontories to the entrance of the Red Sea in length an hundred and fifty leagues the two shoars all the way comming closer till they meet at four leagues distance in the narrowest part of the streight where this Sea looseth the name of the Arabian Gulf and within is called the Red Sea which extends three hundred and eighty leagues to Sues near the bottom of that streight in the largest place betwixt Masuba and the Island of Camaran the bredth is forty leagues near Sues onely three which is yet narrower at the bottom Authors divide this Sea into three parts the Midle is clear and navigable not without some small Islands and Rocks which appearing above water are of little danger the other two parts near the two shoars of Arabia and Ethiopia are of very bad passage full of Shoals Rocks and white Corral which in the night especially endanger Passengers The Mouth is double made by an Island called Nahum or Babelmandel two leagues in length less than a quarter in breadth all an high wild barren Rock parched with the Wind and Sun without any Grasse possest by an abundance of Sea-foul The entrance on the side of Arabia being clear and deep is the ordinary passage for Ships of burthen the other part of the mouth toward Ethiopia though three leagues over is so full of Shoals as none venters through but in little vessels called by the Natives Geluas Near the Island is a narrow Channel of a good depth which I twise passed but too dangerous for great Ships joyning on the Island Within this straight begins the Red sea the Easterly Shoar called Arabia Petrea Twelve leagues higher than the mouth is the City Mocha rich and of great trade Forty further is the Island of Camaran then follow Rido Loia Zebita and Goro this latter within sight and within half a dayes journey of Mount Sinai Hither lyes Gida the Port of famous Mecha or Medina where is the tomb of Mahomet At the bottom of this straight is Sues anciently a City of Heroes at present a poor fishing Village wanting the trade of Spices from India which arrive there as to the Mart of the East and Levant and the general Fair of the Indies This City from Grand Cairo twenty five leagues sixteen from the nearest part of the Nile and forty one from the Mediterranean Crossing from hence to the other shoar of Ethiopia the first City is Alcocere formerly rich and populous now a poor Village Little further is Corondelo where the Children of Izrael at their comming out of Egypt past over to the other shore of Arabia the Sea opening for three leagues the distance betwixt both the Shoars into a fair large way as seems to be intimated in the book of * Chap. 19. vers 7. Wisdom or dividing it self into twelve parts as may be gathered from the * Psalm 135. vers 13. Psalmist Not far distant is a place called Risa whence

are exported and imported Commodities from and for Egypt This place is situated in the hollow of high mountains which run along in a Bridge discoverable from most parts of the Red Sea * The same affirmed by Grotius in his Book de Origine Nili of this Shoar of the Red Sea and of other Mountains in Asia and Africa Cap. 12. when from these mountains toward the Sea it is winter on the other side of them is summer so vice versa Hence to Suaguem is desart but the Road for Grand Cairo The Island of Suaguem where the Turks detain'd me sometimes Prisoner is round and little full of Inhabitants the residence and Court of a Bashaw having in it the Custom-house where all Merchants Ships unlade Half the profit by agreement accrews to a King of the Inland called Balen An hundred leagues further is the Island Massuba in circuit twelve hundred fathoms shaped like a mans foot Between this and the main Land Ships have a convenient Road. Here resides the Bashaw's Lieutenant call'd Caqua judge of the Custom-house Two leagues further is a Fortresse called Arquico where I was sometime Prisoner ill fortified with stone and Clay worse provided with Amunition onely defends the water which every day goes in Boats called Gelluas for Massuba destitute of any other liquor Below this Island is that of Daleca where Pearle is fish't in length sixteen leagues straight and populous Few leagues lower is the Port of Bailur in the Kingdom of Dancali where I landed going into Ethiopia Twelve leagues further we return again to the straight of Babelmandel This general knowledg presupposed we come to speak of the Original of the name for which divers reasons are given By my Observations in six weeks I was at one time upon that Sea and twenty dayes at another when my Inquiries were very severe and scrupulous I found not any opinion warrantably grounded So general a Name is vainly contended for and not to be allowed by certain red spots which appear and to some seem to proceed from certain parts of a Whale those spots not alwayes appearing and the Whales being very few in those shallows in the Ocean out of the straight there are many Neither did I in all my voyage upon that Sea observe any such discolouring A second Reason for this Name is fetch'd from some Hills of red earth whose dust carried by the fury of the Winds and falling into the waters changeth it to this colour This opinion seems fabulous for by curious search no such Hills are discoverable neither could the Dust be so considerable to make the spots so great as would give the General name to the whole Sea Others contend that the red Coral which grows in the bottom of this Sea by reflection on the water begets the same apparent colour and gives the name This Opinion is equally false The Coral at the bottom of the Sea being not red enough to create any such apparent colour or name the red is faint nearer white than any other colour enlivened by an Artificial composition Upon the shore of this Sea I have gatheted some not in branches but in little pieces called shop-ware being ground and there exposed The Sun gave it out of the water a very vivid colour this confirm'd me that the name proceeded from the Coral I shall now declare my opinion if any voyce be permitted me upon this Subject What I shall affirme I saw with my Eyes and discours'd the matter with my Companions capable of giving their Judgment Being Prisoner to the Turks and sayling in those Seas one of my companions and of the Company of Jesus hapened to be Patriarch of Ethiopia excellently skill'd in Divine and Prophane Learning We concluded the water of that Sea not different from that of the Ocean in some places we observed a long tract of water bluish caused by the great depth In others found divers white spots proceeding from the white sand and the shallownesse Other places were discoloured green by the mudd which covered the bottom In other parts of the water where it was as clear as in any other Sea were some reddish spots We found these spots which were many to be caused by a weed resembling that we cal Cargaco rooted in the bottom some that was loose and swum almost on the surface of the water we took up and casting Anchor thereabouts made an Indian dive to the bottom for more Upon strict examination it prov'd to be that the Ethiopians call Sufo which in great quantity grows in India and divers parts of Asia The same name of Sufo is given to the seed to a meat made of it like Almond-milk well tasted and often eaten by me and to the Flower which resembles Saffron and may be mistaken for it Of this is made a Red-colour call'd Sufo used for dying cloath in Ethiopia and India some of which Cloath furnish'd my poor Church in Ethiopia with a sure of Hangings The weed seed meat flower and colour agree in the same name of Sufo which considered put us in mind that the Scripture in St. Jerome's Translation calls the Red Sea in stead of Mare Rubrum Bahar Suf making Suf and Red the same in Hebrew This Sea therefore being so near rather between Ethiopia and Palestine and in both places Suf signifying Red our observation named the Sea not from any such colour appearing in the water but from the growth of that weed which in the Hebrew and Ethìopian language signifies Rubrum And by Experiment the flower boyled and mixt with juyce of limes makes so beautifull a Red that it 's nearer an incarnate than Red and if durable would be deservedly of great esteem Considering the weaknesse of the other reasons from our Discourse had on that Sea we concluded the name derived from no other cause than from the growth of the weed Sufo insufficient of it self to produce that colour but whose flower makes it and the Natives give the name of the weed to the Colour A Discourse of Palme-trees Of their Variety their Fruit and the usefullnesse of it Of their proper Soyle OF all the Trees created by God Almighty for the ornament of the Earth and service of Man the Palme-tree is the most usefull and profitable to humane society Though for this end the Author of Nature created all Plants all which with all their virtue are at man's devotion yet none serves so munificently and for so many uses as the Palm-tree For from her deepest roots which take first possession of the Earth and vegetation to the highest leaf of her adorned head with the variety propriety excellency of her fruit in fine with all her virtue is man substantially served and paid his due tribute What I shall say in this Tract will disengage this truth The Palme-tree is advanced by one peculiar Excellency by which without any second she hath the advantage of all other Trees well satisfied in paying man once a year their Tribute rest from

the Soyl and nature of the Climate being proportionably advantageous the name of Happy proves it Of all these places and sorts of Fruit I am an Eye-witness Two peculiar virtues of these Coco's are not to be passed over in silence The first That when the Cluster begins to appear being yet covered with the flower gathered pounded boyled in three pints of Cows milk t is an infallible cure for the Yellow-jaundies beside the opinion had of this remedy I speak by experience having with it in few days cured one troubled with this disease The second is That in the opinion of the Women where fancy most domineers the water of Lanhas makes a wash for the face which eminently betters the Complexion either by creating it where Nature bestow'd it not or advancing it where Nature is deficient or preserving it where it was naturally allowed From what hath been said is evidently concluded That if the Author of Nature created all Trees for the service of man the Palmtree of all those doth most industruously serve and advantage him by so many wayes and so considerable productions and because that which bears Dates is of the true Race of Palmtrees somthing is to be said of that and her Fruit. Those Trees which bear Dates yield them not in India there only affording the Sura before mentioned of which Wine is made Northward those Trees grow in the greatest quantity some have Dates which appear in fair clusters but come not to maturity the reason must be in the Climate which favours them not In Africa they attain the highest perfection Dates being the natural Fruit of that part of the World those of Arabia where they grow in great quantities are excellent pleasant to the sight in beautiful Clusters which beginning to ripen appear in various colours consisting of a faint Vermilian and paled whiteness called the Date-colour and more acceptable to the tast Arabia produceth divers sorts particularly the Happy Petrea is not without them A baser sort there is which serves for common sustenance given to Horses for Provender Others there are of a more exquisite tast and value amongst them those called Muxanas which are the least but naturally recompenced by an excellent flavour few of them exported out of Arabia the Xarifes reserving them for themselves as excellent and give the reason that their exquisitness makes them properly theirs challenging the best things in the World as the posterity of Mahomet and for the Religion they profess which they would falsly put off for Orthodox This Fruit ripens not upon the Tree if there be not near it or in sight the Fruit called the Male a secret in Nature found by experience the cause yet undiscovered Writing this I remember a discourse I had with an Old man but a credulous Christian As we were eating some of these Dates I was observing That the stone beaten and drank in water was good for Women in strong labour to ease their pangs and facilitate their Delivery and that it had on one side the perfect shape of the letter O. the good Old man in great devotion and simplicity answered me with a story which with him passed for infallible That the letter O remained upon the stone of a Date for a remembrance that our Blessed Lady the Virgin with her Divine Babe in her arms resting her self at the foot of a Palm-tree which inclined her Branches and offered a Cluster of Dates to her Creatour our Lady pluck'd some of the Dates and eating them satisfied with the tast and flavour cryed out in amazement Oh how sweet they are this Exclamation engraved the letter O first word of her speech upon the Date-stone which being very hard better preserved it I have related this story of more piety and plain devotion than truth and certainty for the Readers diversion and entertainment Yet not to believe this Old-wives Fable would be with them scandalous There are some Palmtrees which bear a Fruit called Macomas of a singular virtue besides their scent more grateful than that of a Camojesa and their perfect Date colour This Fruit eaten upon an overcharged stomach after too much repletion in a very little time digests all and begets a fresh Appetite God be praised these Trees are so far removed from Europe that our Epicures are without the advantage of their Fruit which would advance the luxury of those men St. Paul speaks of Quorum Venter Deus est whose God is their Belly from their frequent sacrifices made to it I have had experience of this natural virtue of this Fruit The Stone eaten is good against Hypocondraical Vapours Another Fruit called Trefolim which hath the name of the Tree which bears it grows in Clusters of fifteen or more each as big as two fists joyned the first colour green when ripe ends in a Purple colour opened hath three partitions repleat with a certain substance like ill coagulated milk fresh and cooling of an insipid tast yet commonly eaten for a Regallo the Kernell of a faint white the Fruit of a Palmtree called Areica not much differing from the Trefolim is of eminent esteem with the Native Indians The Island of Ceilon produceth the most and best These Coco's are exported and prove good Merchandize not bigger ordinarily than an Hasle-nut the Kernell firm and hard the usual dainty of the Indians who accustomed to chaw the leaf of an herb bigger thicker and of a clearer green than an Ivy-leaf are forced to champ Areica from warming and recovering the stomach esteemed very cordial and delicious the juyce contracteth the mouth like Alum or a Cypress-Apple if chawed which sometimes supplyes the virtue of Areica this fruit like Dates grows in Clusters two hundred or more counted in a bunch exquisite Beads are made of them white streak'd with black The Indians so dote on this fruit as to have it common in their mouths thence transmit the juyce to their stomach which it fortifies and strengthens fastens the teeth and helps digestion therefore the last thing done at meals is to chaw a piece of this which they as highly prize as the Europeans their choycest fruit but from the experience of both I am for my Country-men The Coco or Nut of Maldiva is another fruit of the Palmtree we have already spoken of its shape virtue price and value the fruit commonly called Coco is found on the Sea or cast upon the shoar the make of the Tree which produceth them nature hath hid at the bottom of the deep and charged her self with its Culture I shall conclude this Discourse of Palmtrees with this observation That nothing has life without Enemies of that life which by divers wayes and stratagems attempt and assault it The vegetation of the Palme-tree wants not these by the Indians called sicknesses and diseases which prejudice this so adventageous Tree and her fruit by which Man is so plentifully provided as he is said to live and dye the same is said of the Palmetree which like