scent, but this cheat also is easily discover'd, for upon
burning a piece of it, the mixture of Rosin will evidently
appear by
by the
very colour, smell and quality of the smoke.
The Chinese have another way of trying whether it be
genuine, they scrape some of it very fine upon hot boiling
Tea-water, if genuine, it will dissolve and diffuse equally,
which the adulterated sort doth not. The Natives use it
no otherwise but as an ingredient of other well scented
species, in order, as they say, to fix their volatile smell.
In the main they value it but little, and 'tis owing entirely
to the Dutch and Chinese, who would buy it up at any
rate, that they have now learnt to prize it. And yet every
body is at liberty to take it up, where he finds it, and to
sell it as his own property. During my stay in Japan,
there was a piece to be sold of 140 Catti's weight, and of
a greyish colour. It was too large for any single person
to purchase, for which reason they sold it by retail, from
sixty to seventy Thails a Catti. I bought my self for
about thirty Thails of that which was blackest. (A more
particular Account of the Ambergreese is inserted in the
Appendix)

1690.

Substances.

All sorts of Submarine Plants, Shrubs, Corals, Stones, Submarine Mushrooms, Sea-fans, Corallines, Fuci, Algæ, and the like, as also Shells of all kinds, are found plentifully in the Japanese Seas, no ways inferior in beauty to those found about Amboina and the Spice Islands. But the Natives value them so little, that they won't be at the trouble of looking for them, and if by chance they happen to fish them up amongst other things, their way is to carry them to the next Temple, or Chapel of Jebus, who is the Neptune of the Country, thinking that it is not an unpleasing offering to this God, whom they look upon, and worship, as the Protector of Sea-faring People.

Japan.

It remains to say something of the Minerals and Minerals not Mineral substances, which have not as yet been found in found in Japan, and are imported from beyond Sea. Antimony and Antimony. Salarmoniac are absolutely wanted, nor are their qualities Salarmoniac. and uses in the least known to the natives. Quicksilver Quick-silver.

1690.

Borax.

Sublimate.

Cinnabar.

Fruitfulness of Japan.

and Borax are imported by the Chinese. I met however with two sorts of Borax, growing naturally in Japan, but they are so throughly mix'd with heterogeneous substances, that the Inhabitants don't think it worth their while to pick them up. Sublimate Mercury is very much ask'd for by some private People, who will give an extravagant price for it. They use it as the chief Ingredient of a Mercurial water, which is in great vogue among them for the cure of ulcers, cancers, and other cutaneous diseases. Native Cinnabar is by them given inwardly, in several distempers. The artificial Cinnabar they make use of for a colour. Both are imported from China. The buying and selling of this Commodity is in the hands of private Merchants, who monopolize it by virtue of Letters Patents from the Emperor. The native Cinnabar in general, is of a beautiful red colour, but some of it is so exquisitely fine, that it is sold for more than its weight in Silver.

Chap. IX.

Of the Fertility of the Country, as to Plants. T is not in the least surprizing, considering either the peculiar happiness of the Japanese Climate, or the industry of its laborious Inhabitants, that the Country affords so large a stock, and such an infinite variety of plants and fruits, both wild and cultivated, as it may deservedly boast of. Most of these their Forefathers, indigent and frugal as they were, used for their food and sustenance. In succeeding ages, as wealth and riches encreas'd, the taste also became more refined, and their tables more sumptuous and magnificent. In this present Chapter, I will take notice only of such Plants as are of a more extensive use, and as to the rest refer the more curious Reader to my Amoenitates Exoticæ, wherein I have given a Catalogue, and begun a more accurate and botanical Description of them.

1690.

Trees.

Among the Trees the Mulberry-tree deservedly claims Mulberrythe first Place. For although its fruits, both black and white, be altogether insipid, and not fit for eating, yet this defect is sufficiently made good by the extensive usefulness of its leaves, which are the common Food of Silk-worms. It grows in most parts of Japan, but in great plenty in the Northern Provinces, where many Cities and Villages subsist almost wholly upon the Silk Manufactures, tho' the Silk wove there be not of the finest. The best and most curious Stuffs are made by the banish'd Grandees in the Island Fatsinsio, weaving being their chief amusement, but they make them of fine foreign Silk. The Kadsi, or Paper-tree, is of the Mulberry Kind. Tho' it grows wild Paper-tree. in the Country, yet they transplant and cultivate it in several places, by reason of its great usefulness. It is observed to grow with surprizing quickness, and to spread its branches very far. It affords a great quantity of bark, out of which they make Paper, as also ropes, matches, stuffs, cloth, and several other Things. This Tree also, and the way of making Paper out of its Bark, which is very laborious and tedious, I have more fully describ'd in my Amœnitates Exoticæ. (The Account which the Author here mentions hath been inserted in the Appendix.)

The Urusi or Varnish-Tree, is another of the noblest Varnish-tree. and most useful Trees of this Country. It affords a milky Juice, which the Japanese make use of to varnish, and as we call it, to japan all their Houshold-goods, dishes, and plates of Wood, and this from the Emperor down to the meanest Peasant. For even at Court, and at the Imperial Table, services of lacker'd ware are preferr'd to those of gold and Silver. Another kind of Varnish-tree, with narrow leaves, is call'd Faasi: It grows wild on hills and mountains. It affords a small quantity of Milk, and that too of a very bad sort, and therefore the Natives think it hardly worth their while to gather it. The true Urusi is of a kind peculiar to this Country. It grows in the Provinces Figo and Tsikoku. But that which grows in Jamatto is reckon'd the fittest for use, and to yield a better

J. I

177

M

1690.

Bay-trees.

sort of Varnish, than it doth any where else out of this Province. The Indian Varnish-tree, which I take to be the true Anacardinus, is a Tree quite different from the Urusi of the Japanese. At Siam it is call'd Rack-tree. It grows and bears fruits in most Eastern Countries, but is observ'd to afford none of its milky juice to the West of the River Ganges, whether because of the barrenness of the Soil, or thro' the carelessness and ignorance of the Natives, who do not know how to manage its culture. The greatest quantity of the Milk of this Indian Varnishtree is brought from the Kingdoms of Siam and Cambodia, and sold very cheap all over the East-Indies. It is imported even into Japan, where the Natives use it to lacker things of little value, and also as an ingredient of their scarcer and better sort of Varnish. (The Japanese Varnish-tree is describ'd and figur'd in the Amœnitates, pag. 792.)

it

Lauri, or Bay-trees of several kinds grow in Japan. That which bears red berries is a Cannelifera spuria, or rather, by reason of its viscosity, a Cassia lignea. It Spurious Cin- resembles exactly the Cinnamon-tree, both in its shape, and namon-Tree. in the figure and substance of its leaves. But the bark falls far short of that agreeable sweetness, which is peculiar only to the bark of the true Cinnamon, and it hath more of the aromatick sharpness of a Costus. This Imperfection I take to be owing entirely to the quality of the Soil, wherein grows. For I observ'd also, that the bark of the Malabarian, Sumatran, and Javan Cinnamon-trees, (which latter is wholly neglected) hath not near that eminent degree of sharpness and agreeableness to the taste, which the true Ceylonese Cinnamon is so much and so deservedly esteem'd for; that besides it is apt either to lose its aromatick quality in a short time, or that its sharp pungent Particles are so wrapt up in a viscous substance, as to make it altogether unworthy of bearing the very Name of Cinnamon, a substance, which is suppos'd to yield a fine, pleasant, fragrant Oyl, which no Cassia lignea ever will. (v. Amonit. Exot. p. 772.)

tree.

1690.

The Kus, or Camphire-tree, is also of the Laurel-kind. CamphireIt bears black and purple Berries. The Camphire is prepar'd by the Country-people in the Province Satzuma, and the Islands Gotho, by a simple decoction of the roots and wood cut into small pieces. It is extremely cheap, and 80 to 100 Catti's of the Japanese boil'd Camphire may be had for one single Catti of the true Bornean Camphire, which is said to be a Natural substance gather'd on the stumps of old Camphire-trees in the Island of Borneo, upon incisions made between the Bark and Wood. (The Japanese Camphire-tree is describ'd and figur'd p. 770. & seq. of the Amoenitates.)

Tsianoki, that is the Tea-shrub, is one of the most Tea. useful Plants growing in Japan, and yet it is allow'd no other room but round the borders of Rice and Corn-fields, and in other barren Places, unfit for the culture of other things. The common drink of the Japanese is brew'd of the larger leaves of this Shrub; but the young and tender leaves dried, powder'd and mix'd in a Cup of hot water into a sort of Soup, are drank in houses of people of quality before and after their meals: And it is the custom of the Country to present friends that come to visit them, with one or more dishes of Tea, both when they come and go. (A compleat Description of this Shrub, of its culture, growth, &c. hath been inserted in the Appendix.)

Sansio, is a middle-siz'd Tree with prickles. They Sansio. make use of its bark and husks instead of pepper or ginger, and they eat the leaves by reason of their pleasant aromatick taste, as they do also the Riches, which grow in the Country. (v. Amoen. Ex. p. 892, where this Tree is describ'd and figur'd.)

There are three different sorts of Fig-trees growing in Fig-trees. Japan. One is call'd Kaki, if otherwise it may be call'd a Fig-tree, it differing from it in several particulars. It grows very plentifully in all parts of the Empire. It is a very ugly deform'd sort of a Tree to look at, much like a short old Apple-tree. It hath long oval leaves, without