_Of the Kingdome of Pathen or Salmasse, which is a goodly lande._
AND for to go forth by the sea, there is an yle that is called Pater,
and some call it Salmasse, for it is a great kingedome with many faire
cities. In this lande groweth trees that beare meale, of which men
make faire bread & white & of good savour, and it seemeth lyke as it
were of wheate. And there be other trees that beare venym,[1] againe
the which is no medicine but one, that is to take of the leaves of the
same tree and stampe them, and tempre them with water and drinke it,
or else he shall dye sodainly, for Treacle may not helpe. And if you
will know how this tree beare meale, I shall tell you, men hew with a
hatchet aboute the rote of the tree by the earth, and they perce him
in many sundry places, and then cometh out a lycoure the which they
take in a vessell, and sette in the sonne and dry it, and when it is
dry, they cary it unto the mille to grynde, and so it is faire meale
and white. Also hony wyne, and venym are drawen out of other trees in
the same maner, and they put it in vessels to keepe. In that yle is a
dead sea, which is a water that hath no grounde and if anythinge fall
therein it shall never be founde, besyde that sea groweth great canes
and under theyr rootes men finde precious stones of great vertue,
for he that beareth one of those stones uppon him, there may no yron
greve[2] him nor drawe blood on hym, and therefore they y^t have those
stones fyght full hardely, for there may no quarell[3] nor such thing
greve them, therefore they that knowe the maner make their quarell
without yron & so they sleay them.
[Illustration]
[Footnote 1: Poison, _i.e._, are poisonous.]
[Footnote 2: Wound or hurt.]
[Footnote 3: Arrow.]