CHAP. XXIV
Of all the Fruits of the Ground
No Corn such as Wheat and Barley does grow in the Isle Formosa; and the reason of it is this, because the Sun being very hot, ) the Soil is sandy and dry, and so the Grain is dry'd up, not having sufficient moisture, before it is fully ripen'd: But instead of Corn they make use of Roots to make Bread withal. There are two Roots of which they make Bread, whereof one is call'd Chitok, and the other Magnok: Both these Roots are sown like Rape-Seed, and when they are grown ripe they are as big as a Man's Thigh. These Roots grow twice, and sometimes thrice in a Year, when it is a good season; and as soon as they are fully ripe, they are cut off and laid in the Sun to be dried, and when they are dried they are cut in pieces and ground into a kind of Flower: And then this Flower being mix'd with Milk, Water, Sugar and Spices, is bak'd; and so it makes a very good sort of Bread, which is as white as Snow, and is call'd by the Natives Khatzadao. They have Bread also made of Wheat, which is brought thither from Foreign Parts; but that is too dear for the common sort of People. They have a kind of Bread also made of Rice boil'd with Saffron. which Bread is like an English Pudding, and is call'd by the Natives Kdekh; but this Bread will not keep like the former.
They have Vines also, and make Wine of the Grapes in some few places; but this Wine is not so sweet as the Spanish Wine in Europe; from whence they have that and other Wines, and also Ale, brought thither by the Dutch; but they are very dear, and are not so much lov'd by the Natives as they are by the Europeans. They have many other kinds of Drink, as Armag-nok, Pantet, Charpok, Chilak, Caffe and Tea. Ar-magnok, i.e. the fellow of Magnok, because these two are an agreeable mixture for health, which Liquor is made after this manner. They boil a great quantity of Rice in spring- Water till it grows very thick, and then they make Balls of it as big as a Man's Fist, which they dry in the Sun, and then boil them in fresh spring-Water; and when it is boil'd enough, they put it into great earthen Vessels, and let it ferment, and after that, it is as strong or rather stronger than English Beer; and the longer it is kept the stronger it grows. Puntet is a Liquor that runs from some Trees, which they tap at a certain season of the Year: And the Liquor that comes from them they receive into Vessels, and mix it with Sugar, and then having kept it for some time it has the same taste as soft Ale made of Oat-Malt. Charpok is the name of the Fruit of a Tree, and of the Liquor that comes out of it: The Tree is like a Wall-nut Tree, but in this differs from all other Trees, that whereas their Fruit hangs downward, the Fruit of this stands upright. The Fruit in shape and bigness resembles a Gourd. and when it is ripe, it is cut off and pierc'd through, that the Liquor may run out of it, which is very strong; for if it be not press'd, the Liquor is more intoxicating than distilled Waters, or Brandy-Wine. Chilak is a kind of a Powder made like Coffee, and is boil'd after the same manner, either with Milk or Water; but in this it differs from Coffee, that it may be drunk cold, whereas Coffee is always drunk hot. Tea and Coffee are of the same sort. and the Liquors are made after the same manner there as every-where else. Besides these Liquors they have many other sorts: Such are the Bullan, which is made of Apples and Pears, or of Oranges and Lemmons, and another Liquor, which is made like the Orgeat of the same Materials: And lastly, they who can get no other Liquor drink Milk and Water.
Besides all sorts of Fruits which are to be found here in England, as Apples, Pears, Cherries, Nuts, Plums, &c. they have many other things, such as Oranges, Lernmons, Sugar in great quantities, and Spices, as Pepper, Cinamon, Cloves, Nutmegs, Tea, Coco's, Coffee, and the like, which are either wholly wanting here, or at least grow very rarely in England. Their Trees bear twice in a Year, and the Fig-tree three or four times: And these Fruits ye have here of the same kind with theirs, are not half so good or so great, or so well-tasted; so that the Ground there seems to have a peculiar virtue for ripening and improving the Fruit, which here it has not. As for instance, ye have here the same sort of Trees, which are there call'd Puntet; but pierce these Trees here when you will, and ye will find they will not run the 20th part of the Liquor which they yield there, neither is it so well-tasted. And this is confirmed by the experience of many.