Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	leaf_n	seed_n	small_a	3,194	5	6.1509	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46301	An account of two voyages to New-England wherein you have the setting out of a ship, with the charges, the prices of all necessaries for furnishing a planter and his family at his first coming, a description of the countrey, natives, and creatures, with their merchantil and physical use, the government of the countrey as it is now possessed by the English, &c., a large chronological table of the most remarkable passages, from the first dicovering of the continent of America, to the year 1673 / by John Josselyn, Gent.	Josselyn, John, fl. 1630-1675.	1674 (1674)	Wing J1091; ESTC R20234	110,699	292

Jonas de ricino illo laetitia magna Ricinum that is palma Christi called also cucurbita and therefore translated a Gourd Tobacco or Tabacca so called from Tabaco or Tabag● one of the Caribbe-Islands about 50 English miles from Trinidad The right name according to Monardus is picielte as others will petum nicotian from Nicot a Portingal to whom it was presented for a raritie in Anno Dom. 1559. by one that brought it from Florida Great contest there is about the time when it was first brought into England some will have Sir John Hawkins the first others Sir Francis Drake's Mariners others again say that one Mr. Lane imployed by Sir Walter Rawleigh brought it first into England all conclude that Sir Walter Rawleigh brought it first in use It is observed that no one kind of forraign Commodity yieldeth greater advantage to the publick than Tobacco it is generally made the complement of our entertainment and hath made more slaves than Mahomet There is three sorts of it Marchantable the first horse Tobacco having a br●ad long leaf piked at the end the second round pointed Tobacco third sweet scented Tobacco These are made up into Cane leaf or ball there is little of it planted in New-England neither have they learned the right way of curing of it It is sowen in April upon a bed of rich mould sifted they make a bed about three yards long or more according to the ground they intend to plant and a yard and a half over this they tread down hard then they sow their seed upon it as thick as may be and sift fine earth upon it then tread it down again as hard as possible they can when it hath gotten four or six leaves they remove in into the planting ground when it begins to bud towards flowring they crop off the top for the Flower drawes away the strength of the leaf For the rest I refer you to the Planter being not willing to discover their mysteries The Indians in New England use a small round leafed Tobacco called by them or the Fishermen Poke It is odious to the English The vertues of Tobacco are these it helps digestion the Gout the Tooth-ach prevents infection by scents it heats the cold and cools them that sweat feedeth the hungry spent spirits restoreth purgeth the stomach killeth nits and lice the juice of the green leaf healeth green wounds although poysoned the Syrup for many diseases the smoak for the Phthisick cough of the lungs distillations of Rheume and all diserses of a cold and moist cause good for all bodies cold and moist taken upon an emptie stomach taken upon a full stomach it precipitates digestion immoderately taken it dryeth the body enflameth the bloud hurteth the brain weakens the eyes and the sinews White Hellebore is used for the Scurvie by the English A friend of mine gave them first a purge then conserve of Bear-berries then sumed their leggs with vinegar sprinkled upon a piece of mill-stone made hot and applied to the sores white Hellebore leaves drink made of Orpine and sorrel were given likewise with it and Seascurvie-grass To kill lice boil the roots of Hellebore in milk and anoint the hair of the head therewith or other places Mandrake is a very rare plant the Indians know it not it is found in the woods about Pascataway they do in plain terms stink therefore Reubens-Flowers that he brought home were not Mandrakes Gen. 30.14 15 16. They are rendered in the Latine Amabiles flores the same word say our Divines is used in Canticles 7.4 Amabiles istos flores edentes odorem secundum ostia nostra omnes pretiosos fructus recentes simulac veteres dilecte mi repono tibi So that the right translation is Reuben brought home amiable and sweet smelling Flowers this in the Canticles say they expounding the other Calamus Aromaticus or the sweet smelling reed it Flowers in July see New-Englands rarities Sarsaparilla or roughbind-weed as some describe it the leaves and whole bind set with thorns of this there is store growing upon the banks of Pouds See the rarities of New-England The leaves of the Sarsaparilla there described pounded with Hogs grease and boiled to an unguent is excellent in the curing of wounds Live for ever it is a kind of Cud-weed flourisheth all summer long till cold weather comes in it growes now plentifully in our English Gardens it is good for cough of the lungs and to cleanse the breast taken as you do Tobacco and for pain in the head the decoction or the juice strained and drunk in Bear Wine or Aqua vitae killeth worms The Fishermen when they want Tobacco take this herb being cut and dryed Lysimachus or Loose-strife there are several kinds but the most noted is the yellow Lysimachus of Virginia the root is longish and white as thick as ones thumb the stalkes of an overworn colour and a little hairie the middle vein of the leaf whitish the Flower yellow and like Primroses and therefore called Tree-primrose growes upon seedie vessels c. The first year it growes not up to a stalke but sends up many large leaves handsomely lying one upon another Rose fashion Flowers in June the seed is ripe in August this as I have said is taken by the English for Scabious St. John's wort it preserveth Cheese made up in it at Sea Spurge or Wolfes milch there are several sorts Avens or herb-bennet you have an account of it in New-Englands rarities but one thing more I shall add that you may plainly perceive a more masculine quality in the plants growing in New-England A neighbour of mine in Hay-time having over-heat himself and melted his grease with striving to outmowe another man fell dangerously sick not being able to turn himself in his bed his stomach gon and his heart fainting ever and anon to whom I administred the decoction of Avens-Roots and leaves in water and wine sweetning it with Syrup of Clove-Gilliflowers in one weeks time it recovered him so that he was able to perform his daily work being a poor planter or husbandman as we call them Red-Lilly growes all over the Countrey amongst the bushes Mr. Johnson upon Gerard takes the Tulip to be the Lilly of the field mentioned by our Saviour Matth. 6.28 29. Ac de vestitu quid soliciti estis discite quomodo lilia agrorum augescant non fatigantur neque nent sed dico vobis ne Solomonem quidem cum universa gloria sic amictum fuisse ut unum ex istis Solomon in all his Royalty was not like one of them His reasons are first from the shape like a lilly The second because those places where 〈◊〉 Savio●r was conversant they grow wild in the fields Third the infinite variety of the colours The fourth and last reason the wondrous beautie and mixture of these Flowers Water-lillys the black roots dryed and pulverized are wondrous effectual in the stopping of all manner of fluxes of the belly drunk with

58 and in 166 ● 3. January 26 27 28. which was the year before I came thither there were Earthquakes 6 or 7 times in the space of three dayes Earthquakes are frequent in the Countrie some suppose that the white mountains were first raised by Earthquakes they are hollow as may be guessed by the resounding of the rain upon the level on the top The Indians told us of a River whose course was not only stopt by an Earthquake in 1668. as near as I can remember but the whole River swallowed up And I have heard it reported from credible persons that whilst I was there in the Countrie there happened a terr●ble Earthquake amongst the French rending a huge Rock asunder even to the center wherein was a vast hollow of an immeasurable depth out of which came many infernal Spirits I shall conclude this discourse of Earthquakes with that which came from the Pen of our Royal Martyr King Charles the First A storm at Sea wants not its terrour but an Earthquake shaking the very foundation of all the World hath nothing more of horrour And now I come to the plants of the Countrie The plants in New England for the variety number beauty and vertues may stand in Competition with the plants of any Countrey in Europe Johnson hath added to Gerard's Herbal 300. and Parkinson mentioneth many more had they been in New England they might have found 1000 at least never heard of nor seen by any Englishman before 'T is true the Countrie hath no Bonerets or Tartarlambs no glittering coloured Tuleps but here you have the American Mary Gold the Earth-nut bearing a princely Flower the beautiful leaved Pirola the honied Colibry c. They are generally of somewhat a more masculine vertue than any of the same spicies in England but not in so terrible a degree as to be mischievous or ineffectual to our English bodies It is affirm by some that no forraign Drugg or Simple can be so proper to Englishmen as their own for the quantity of Opium which Turks do safely take will kill four Englishmen and that which will salve their wounds within a day will not recure an Englishman in three To which I answer that it is custom that brings the Turks to the familiar use of Opium You may have heard of a Taylor in Kent who being afflicted with want of sleep ventured upon Opium taking at first a grain and increasing of it till it came to an ounce which quantitie he took as familiarly as a Turk without any harm more than that he could not sleep without it The English in New-England take white Hellebore which operates as fairly with them as with the Indians who steeping of it in water sometime give it to young lads gathered together a purpose to drink if it come up they force them to drink again their vomit which they save in a Birchen-dish till it stayes with them he that gets the victory of it is made Captain of the other lads for that year There is a plant likewise called for want of a name Clownes wound wort by the English though it be not the same that will heal a green wound in 24 hours if a wise man have the ordering of it Thus much for the general I shall now begin to discover unto you the plants more particularly and I shall first begin with Trees and of them first with such as are called in Scripture Trees of God that is great Trees that grow of themselves without planting Psal 104.16 17. Satiantur arbores Jehovae cedri libani quas plantavit ubi aviculae nidificent abietes domicilia ciconiae The Herons take great delight to sit basking upon the tops of these Trees And I shall not be over large in any having written of them in my Treatise of the rarities of New England to which I refer you The Oake I have given you an account of and the kinds I shall add the ordering of Red Oake for Wainscot When they have cut it down and clear'd it from the branches they pitch the body of the Tree in a muddy place in a River with the head downward for some time afterwards they draw it out and when it is seasoned sufficiently they saw it into boards for Wainscot and it will branch out into curious works There is an admirable rare Creature in shape like a Buck with Horns of a gummy substance which I have often found in the fall of the leaf upon the ground amongst the withered leaves a living Creature I cannot call it having only the sign of a mouth and eyes seldom or never shall you meet with any of them whole but the head and horns or the hinder parts broken off from the rest the Indians call them Tree Bucks and have a superstitious saying for I believe they never see any of them living that if they can see a Tree Buck walking upon the branches of an Oake when they go out in a morning to hunt they shall have good luck that day What they are good for I know not but certainly there is some more than ordinary vertue in them It is true that nothing in nature is superfluous and we have the Scripture to back it that God created nothing in vain The like Creatures they have at the Barbadoes which they call Negroes heads found in the Sands about two inches long with forehead eyes nose mouth chin and part of the neck they are alwayes found loose in the Sands without any root it is as black as Jet but whence it comes they know not I have read likewise that in the Canaries or Fortunate-Islands there is found a certain Creature which Boys bring home from the mountains as oft as they would and named them Tudesquels or little Germans for they were dry'd dead Carcases almost three footed which any boy did easily carry in one of the palms of his hand and they were of an humane shape but the whole dead Carcase was clearly like unto Parchment and their bones were flexible as it were griftles against the Sun also their bowels and intestines were seen Surely saith my Authour the destroyed race of the Pigmies was there There is also many times sound upon the leaves of the Oake a Creature like a Frog being as thin as a leaf and transparent as yellow as Gold with little fiery red eyes the English call them Tree-frogs or Tree-toads but of Tree-toads I shall have occasion to speak in another place they are said to be venemous but may be safely used being admirable to stop womens over-flowing courses hung about their necks in a Taffe●ie bag Captain Smith writes that in New-England there growes a certain berry called Kermes worth 10 shillings a pound and had been formerly sold for 30 or 40 shillings a pound which may yearly be gathered in good quantity I have sought for this berry he speaks of as a man should seek for a needle in a bottle of Hay but could never light upon it unless

like a pursenet put upon a round hoop'd stick with a handle in fresh ponds where they come to spawn The Bass and Blew-fish they take in harbours and at the mouth of barr'd Rivers being in their Canows striking them with a fisgig a kind of dart or staff to the lower end whereof they fasten a sharp jagged bone since they make them of Iron with a string fastened to it as soon as the fish is struck they pull away the staff leaving the bony head in the fishes body and fasten the other end of the string to the Canow Thus they will hale after them to shore half a dozen or half a score great fishes this way they take Sturgeon and in dark evenings when they are upon the fishing ground near a Bar of Sand where the Sturgeon feeds upon small fishes like Eals that are called Lances sucking them out of the Sands where they lye hid with their hollow Trunks for other mouth they have none the Indian lights a piece of dry Birch-Bark which breaks out into a flame holds it over the side of his Canow the Sturgeon seeing this glaring light mounts to the Surface of the water where he is slain and taken with a fisgig Salmons and Lampres are catch'd at the falls of Rivers All the Rivers of note in the Countrey have two or three desperate falls distant one from another for some miles for it being rising ground from the Sea and mountainous within land the Rivers having their Originals from great lakes and hastning to the Sea in their passage meeting with Rocks that are not so easily worn away as the loose earthie mould beneath the Rock makes a fall of the water in some Rivers as high as a house you would think it strange to see yea admire if you saw the bold Barbarians in their light Canows rush down the swift and headlong stream with desperate speed but with excellent dexterity guiding his Canow that seldom or never it shoots under water or overturns if it do they can swim naturally striking their pawes under their throat like a dog and not spreading their Arms as we do they turn their Canow again and go into it in the water Their Merchandize are their beads which are their money of these there are two sorts blew Beads and white Beads the first is their Gold the last their Silver these they work out of certain shells so cunningly that neither Jew nor Devil can counterfeit they dril them and string them and make many curious works with them to adorn the persons of their Sagamours and principal men and young women as Belts Girdles Tablets Borders for their womens hair Bracelets Necklaces and links to hang in their ears Prince Phillip a little before I came for England coming to Boston had a Coat on and Buskins set thick with these Beads in pleasant wild works and a broad Belt of the same his Accountrements were valued at Twenty pounds The English Merchant giveth them ten shillings a fathom for their white and as much more or near upon for their blew Beads Delicate sweet dishes too they make of Birch-Bark sowed with threads drawn from Spruse or white Cedar-Roots and garnished on the out-side with flourish works and on the brims with glistering quills taken from the Porcupine and dyed some black others red the white are natural these they make of all sizes from a dram cup to a dish containing a pottle likewise Buckets to carry water or the like large Boxes too of the same materials dishes spoons and trayes wrought very smooth and neatly out of the knots of wood baskets bags and matts woven with Sparke bark of the Line-Tree and Rushes of several kinds dyed as before some black blew red yellow bags of Porcupine quills woven and dyed also Coats woven of Turkie-feathers for their Children Tobacco pipes of stone with Imagerie upon them Kettles of Birchen-bark which they used before they traded with the French for Copper Kettles by all which you may apparently see that necessity was at first the mother of all inventions The women are the workers of most of these and are now here and there one excellent needle woman and will milk a Cow neatly their richest trade are Furs of divers sorts Black Fox Beaver Otter Bear Sables Mattrices Fox Wild-Cat Rattoons Martins Musquash Moose-skins Ships they have none but do prettily imitate ours in their Birchen-pinnaces their Canows are made of Birch they shape them with flat Ribbs of white Cedar and cover them with large sheets of Birch-bark sowing them through with strong threds of Spruse-Roots or white Cedar and pitch them with a mixture of Turpentine and the hard rosen that is dryed with the Air on the outside of the Bark of Firr-Trees These will carry half a dozen or three or four men and a considerable fraight in these they swim to Sea twenty nay forty miles keeping from the shore a league or two sometimes to shorten their voyage when they are to double a Cape they will put to shore and two of them taking up the Canow carry it cross the Cape or neck of land to the other side and to Sea again they will indure an incredible great Sea mounting upon the working billowes like a piece of Corke but they require skilful hands to guide them in rough weather none but the Indians scarce dare to undertake it such like Vessels the Ancient Brittains used as Lucan relates Primum cana salix madefacto vimine parvam Texitur in puppim caesoque induta juvenco Vectoris patiens tumidum super emicat amnem Sic Venetus stagnante Pado fusoque Britanus Navigat oceano When Sicoris to his own banks restor'd Had left the field of twigs and willow boord They made small Boats cover'd with Bullocks bide In which they reacht the Rivers further side So sail the Veneti if Padus flow The Brittains sail on their calm ocean so So the Aegyptians sail with woven Boats Of paper rushes in their Nilus Floats Their Government is monarchical the Patrueius or they that descend from the eldest proceeding from his loyns is the Roytelet of the Tribe and if he have Daughters his Son dying without a Son the Government descends to his Daughters Son after the same manner their lands descend Cheetadaback was the chief Sachem or Roytelet of the Massachusets when the English first set down there Massasoit the great Sachem of the Plimouth Indians his dwelling was at a place called Sowans about four miles distant from New-Plimouth Sasasacus was the chief Sachem of the Pequets and Mientoniack of the Narragansets The chief Roytelet amongst the Mohawks now living is a Dutchmans Bastard and the Roytelet now of the Pocanakets that is the Plimouth-Indians is Prince Philip alias Metacon the Grandson of Massasoit Amongst the Eastern Indians Summersant formerly was a famous Sachem The now living Sachems of note are Sabaccaman Terrumkin and Robinhood Their Wars are with Neighbouring Tribes but the Mowhawks are enemies to all the