404 FYNES MORYSON-THE VENOT-BRUCE. First they beat the said milke so long till the thickest part thereof descend right downe to the bottome like the lees of white wine: and that which is thin and pure remaineth above, being like unto whay or white must. The said lees or dregs being very white, are given to servants, and will cause them to sleepe exceedingly. That which is thinne and cleare their masters drinke; and in very deed it is marvellous sweete and holesome liquor. "Out of their cowes milke they first churne butter, boyling the which butter into a perfect decoction, they put it into rams skinnes, which they reserve for the same purpose. Neither doe they salte their butter, and yet by reason of the long seething, it putrifieth not, and they keepe it in store for winter. The churn milke which remaineth of the butter, they let alone till it be as sowre as possibly it may be; then they boile it, and in boiling, it is turned all into curdes, which curdes they drie in the sun, making them as hard as the dross of iron; and this kind of food also they store up in satchells against winter. In the winter season when milke faileth them, they put the foresaid curds (which they call Gry-ut) into a bladder, and pouring hot water thereinto, they beat it lustily till they have resolved it into the said water, which is thereby made exceedingly sowre, and that they drinke instead of milke. "Those that are Christians among them, as, namely, the Russians, Grecians and Alamans, wil in no case drinke thereof; yea, they accompt themselves no Christians after they have once drunke of it, and their priests reconcile them unto the church, as if they had renounced the Christian faith."-Journal of Frier WILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS, 1253, in Hakluyt. [German Sauce of Cherries.] "THE Germans make good use of those fruits they have, not so much for pleasure when they are green, as for furnishing the table in winter. For their pears and apples, they pare them, and drie them under the oven of the stove, and then dresse them very savorly with cinnamon and butter. In like sort they long preserve their cheries dry, without sugar, and the greater part of their cheries they boyle in a brass cauldron, full of holes in the bottome, out of which the juice falles into another vessell, which being kept, growes like marmalade, and makes a delicate sauce for all roasted meates, and will last very long, as they use it. The foresaid sauce of cheries, they thus prepare and keep. They gather a dark or blackish kind of cherry, and casting away the stalkes, put them into a great cauldron full of holes in the bottome, and presse them with their hands, so as the stones and skins remaine in this cauldron, but the juce by the oresaid holes doth fall into another vessel. Then againe they set this juce upon the fire, continually stirring it, least it should cleave to the bottome, and after two howers space, they raingle with it the best kind of peares they have, first cut into very small pieces, and so long they boile it and continually stirre it, till it was hard, and, notwithstanding the stirring, beginne to cleave to the vessell. This juce thus made like a marmalade, may long be preserved from moulding in this sort. They which desire to have it sweete mixe sugar with it, and others other things according to the taste they desire it should have. Then they put it into earthen pitchers, and if it beginne at any time to waxe mouldy, they put these pots into the oven, after the bread is baked and taken out: also these pitchers must be close stopped, that no aire may enter, and must be set where no sunne or continually heate comes. Lastly, when they will make ready this sauce, they cut out a peece of the saide juce, and mingle with it a little wine to dissolve it (with vinegar, or sugar, or spices, according to their severall appetites), and so boile it againe some halfe hower."-Fynes Moryson's Itinerary, &c. [Grapes preserved in Vinegar.] "THE Persians preserve another thing in vinegar, which I never saw done any where else; and that is grapes, which they gather half ripe, and the time of gathering them they take to be when the sparrows begin to peck them; they put these grapes into bottles with good store of vinegar, which so macerates them, that they lose their hardness, yet not so as to become too soft, or lose their greenness, only they look a little yellowish. These grapes, preserved in vinegar, have a certain sweet acidity, which is not unpleasant, especially in the great heats; and therefore they send great quantities of them into the Indies."-THEVENOT. [Imitation of Chinese Tea.] "A PERSON at Verdun has discovered a method of imitating Chinese tea, by heating the leaves of the horn-beam in a new earthen vessel, placed in the midst of boiling water, till they have acquired a brown hue, lighter or deeper at pleasure. They are then scented by being placed in a box together with the root of the Florence Iris in powder, during several days, after which they may be used as tea. The imitation is said to be so perfect as to deceive those who are not informed of the preparation.” —Panorama, vol. 9, p. 768. [The Herb Moc-moco, used for preserving Butter fresh.] "It will naturally occur, that, in a carriage, such as that of a hundred miles in such a climate, butter must melt and be in a state of fusion, consequently very near putrefaction; this is prevented by the root of an herb called Mocmoco, yellow in colour, and in shape nearly resembling a carret; this they bruise and mix with their butter, and a very small quantity preserves it fresh for a considerable time, and HENDERSON-RIBAS-GAGE-ACOSTA-VOLNEY-MACKENZIE. 405 water, wherein is put the chocolatte, maketh as choco, choco, choco, when it is stirred in a cup by an instrument called a molinet, or molinillo, until it bubble and rise into a froth."-GAGE. [Cacao Nuts used as Money.] this is a great saving and convenience, for supposing salt was employed, it is very doubtful if it would answer the intention; besides, salt is money in this country, being circulated in the form of wedges or bricks; it serves the purpose of silver coin, and is the change of gold; so that this herb is of the utmost use in preventing the increase in price of this necessary article, which is the principle food of all ranks of people in this country. Brides paint their feet likewise from the ancle downwards, as also their nails and palms of their hands, with this drug. I brought with me into Europe a large quantity of the [Heavy Dews in the Forests of the Ohio and Waseed, resembling that of coriander, and dispersed it plentifully through all the royal gardens; whether it has succeeded or not I cannot say." -BRUCE. [Swallows of Honduras.] "THE Spaniards immediately used the cacao nuts for money, and gave them in alms as they would do small coin."-Acosta, vol. 4, p. 22. bash.] THE first nights of my sleeping in the desert forests of the Ohio and Wabash, I thought when I awoke it was raining heavily; yet on looking at the sky it was clear and serene, and I presently perceived that the large drops, falling with such a noise from leaf to leaf, were nothing but the morning dew."-VOLNEY, p. 44. Autumnal Leaf.] "THE frosts which come on in October wither the leaves of the forest, and from this moment their verdure assumes tints of violet, dull red, pale yellow, and mordoré brown, that, in the decline of autumn, impart to American landscapes a charm and splendour unknown to those of Europe."-VOLNEY, p. 261. "MYRIADS of swallows are the occasional inhabitants of Honduras. The time of their residence is generally confined to the period of the rains, after which they totally disappear. [Effects of the October Frosts in America on the There is something remarkably curious and deserving of notice in the ascent of these birds. As soon as the dawn appears, they in a body quit their place of rest, which is usually chosen amidst the rushes of some watery savanna; and invariably rise to a certain height in a compact spiral form, and which at a distance often occasions them to be taken for an immense body of smoke. This attained, they are then seen separately to disperse in search of food, the occupation of their day. To those who have had an opportunity of observing the phenomenon of a water-spout, the similarity of evolution in the ascent of these birds will be thought surprizingly striking. The descent, which regularly takes place at sunset, is conducted much in the same way, but with inconceivable rapidity. And the noise which accompanies this can only be compared to the falling of an immense torrent, or the rushing of a violent gush of wind. Indeed, to an observer it seems wonderful that thousands of these birds are not destroyed in being thus propelled to the earth with such irresistible force."-HENDERSON'S Account of Honduras [Supposed Suction in the Rosc-Lake.] In part of the Rose Lake the bottom is mud and slime, with about three or four feet of water over it, and here I frequently struck a canoe pole of twelve feet long, without meeting any other obstruction than if the whole were water. It has, however, a peculiar suction or attractive power, so that it is difficult to paddle a canoe over it. There is a small space along the south shore where the water is deep, and this effect is not felt. In proportion to the distance from this part, the suction becomes more powerful. I have, indeed, been told that loaded canoes have been in danger of being swallowed up, and have only owed their preservation to other canoes which were lighter. I have myself found it very difficult to get away from this attractive power, with six men and great exertion, though they did not appear to be in any danger of sinking.' -SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, Voyages from Montreal, &c. [The Spirit Stones of the Indians.] "THE mountains appeared to be sprinkled with white stones, which glistened in the sun, and were called by the Indians manetoe aseniah, spirit stones. I suspected that they were talc, though they possessed a more brilliant whiteness: on our return, however, these appearances were dissolved, as they were nothing more than patches of snow."-Ibid. 406 EVLIA EFFENDI-LANGSDORFF-JOHN GALT-MOLESWORTH. bat, that the reptile had the advantage of the [Description of the Zulaul, or Ice Worm.] animal; but afterwards; the mouse, by tearing "THIS is a worm which is found in the mid-out a part of the scorpion's back, and eating it, dle of ice and snow, as old as the creation. It recovered new vigour, and ultimately became the is difficult to be found. It has forty feet, and victor. Expecting to have had the gratification forty black spots on its back, with two red eyes of seeing one of these contests, I omitted to enlike rubies, all ice, without tongue, its interior quire more particularly into the circumstances. filled with an icy fluid. Its size like cucumbers If the fact be really as I understood and have dewhich are sold at Laungabestaun for the seed, scribed it, the sagacity of the mouse entitles it sometimes larger, sometimes smaller. The ice to the consideration of philosophers, as well as of worm which I brought to Sultan Ibraham was cats."-JOHN GALT, Voyages and Travels, &c., smaller than a cucumber. It shines like a dia- p. 144. mond, but melts quickly away, because it is all ice. It is prolific, and gives strength in the pleasure of love. It sharpens also the sight, and restores man to a healthy state of vigour, as if he was a new-born child. It is seldom found, and may only be the lot of kings. On Caucasus, they are found, it is said, in the size of dogs, with four feet, living and walking in the ice and snow. Faith be upon the teller, I have not seen it."EVLIA EFFendi. [Bats of Brazil attack the Poultry.] THE poultry in Brazil are frequently attacked by these bats, and appear in the morning with their wings hanging down, and their combs of a pale and ghastly colour. [Capivari.] LABAT hazards an unlucky guess at this name. Certains autres animaux aquatiques que tiennent un peu de l'ours et du cochon, et que l'on trouve aussi dans le Brésil, à qui un voiageur moderne a donné le nom de Capivard, peut-être parce qu'il en a vû, ou oui dire qu'il y en a au Cap Verd. —Afr. Occ., t. 4, p. 168. [Hottentot Lion-takers.] "ONE of the Dutch writers says that the Hassaquans, a Hottentot tribe, were expert in taking lions, which they tamed and trained to war, letting them loose in the heat of battle.”—Modern Universal History, vol. 6, folio edit., p. 395. [Suggestion why the Danes have few Coughs, Catarrhs, and Consumptions, &c.] [Herring Roe of Norfolk Sound.] "AT Norfolk Sound, on the north-west coast of America, the herrings come up into the Sound in April to spawn. At that time the natives lay a number of little rods of pine-wood, smoothed over with stones tied to them, under the water; among these the fish cast their roes, which, on account of its naturally slimy nature, sticks fast to them. When the rods are taken out of the water, smeared over with the roe, they have very much the appearance of coral: the roe is scraped off, and is considered as a great dainty, having acquired a pleasing flavour from the pine-led with them."-An Account of Denmark, as wood."-LANGSDORFF, vol. 2, p. 108. it was in the Year 1692, p. 91. [Baskets of New California.] "AMONG their household utensils, I observed baskets made of the bark of trees, very ingeniously woven together, and so firm and water-tight, that they would hold any kind of liquid, without its oozing out in the smallest degree. They even besides make use of them as roasters, putting into them corn or pulse, and drawing them quick backwards and forwards over a slow charcoal fire, so that every grain, like our coffee, gets thoroughly browned, without the basket being the least injured."-New California, LANGSDORFF, Vol. 2, p. 165. [The Mouse and the Scorpion.] "THE officers of the garrison told us that they had often matched the scorpions against mice, and uniformly observed, in the onset of the com LORD MOLESWORTH says, "Few or none of the Danes are troubled with coughs, catarrhs, consumptions, or such like diseases of the lungs : I am persuaded" (he adds), "their warm stoves, with the plenty and pureness of their firing (which is beech-wood), contributes as much to their freedom from these kinds of maladies, as the grossness and unwholesomeness of our coals in London doth to our being so universally troub [Scalping, &c.] [Επεὰν τὸν πρῶτον ἄνδρα καταβάλῃ ἀνηρ Σκύ Ons, тoù aiμaroç Eμnível, K. T. 2.] "EVERY Scythian drinks the blood of the first prisoner he takes, and presents the king with the heads of the enemies he has killed in fight. For if he brings a head, he is entitled to a share of the booty, otherwise not. They flay these heads, by cutting a circle round the neck, close under the ears, and stripping off the skin, as they would do that of an ox; then they soften the skin with their hands, and these skins, thus prepared, serve instead of napkins, hanging on the bridles of their horses when they ride. He who has the greater number of these thinks best of himself, and is accounted the most valiant man. Many Scythians clothe themselves with the skins of men, sewed together, as others with the skins of beasts; and frequently stripping the right hands of the ene JONES-CLARKE--T. MACGILL-LERY. mies they have killed, extend those skins with their nails, and use them for coverings to their quivers. For the skin of a man is thick, and of a brighter white than that of any other animal. Many take off the skins of men entire, and carry them about on horseback, stretched out upon a board. These usages are received among the Scythians yet they are not accustomed to use all heads alike, for those of their greatest enemies are treated in the following manner. They cut off the whole face, from the eye-brows downwards, and having cleansed the rest, if they are poor, they content themselves to cover the skull with leather; but the rich, besides this covering of leather, gild the inside with gold, and these serve instead of cups for their drink."-HERODOTUS, Melpomene, c. 64, 65. [Facilities of Breeding Fish in Breconshire.] "In the county of Brecon," says THEOPHILUS JONES, "may be found at least one thousand acres of land, which either are or may be covered with water at a trifling expense, and which are unfit for the general purposes of agriculture : the number of brooks intersecting it in all directions, and the quantity of water they convey, is amply sufficient for forming a reservoir or pond in almost every farm within this district, that, if stocked with fish, would furnish a ready supply for the tables of private families, or for sale in the public markets, and yet none of our farmers, and few of our gentry, seem to be fully sensible of these advantages. It is surely unnecessary to point them out, or to observe at how cheap a rate they may be obtained and secured: they lack neither labour nor manure, and the husbandman derives from them a never failing annual crop, without the trouble of sowing or the expense of seed. Surely, then, I may be permitted to recommend to my countrymen that they would avail themselves of those capabilities (not everywhere attainable), of adding to their stores, and multiplying their resources, when this end can with so much facility be promoted, and with so little difficulty be preserved."-JONES, Hist. of Breconshire, vol. 1, p. 18. [Evergreen Oak of Devonshire.] MENTION is made in a Magazine, of the year 1773, that a species of oak had been discovered in Devonshire, which was evergreen, as straight in its growth as a fir, and growing so quick, that in twenty or thirty years it exceeded in height and growth the common oak of a century. 407 turn with such rapidity to their wonted bed, that two; these had cast anchor in good soundings [The Russian Drink Quash.] 325. "THE Common drink of the Russians at Taganrock is made by pouring hot water upon ryə bread, and leaving it to ferment. This liquor, which they call Quash, is at first disagreeable, but afterwards very grateful."-T. MACGILL, Travels in Turkey, Italy, and Russia, &c., vol. 1, p. 230. [Russian Urns heated by Charcoal.] "THE Russians heat their tea-urns by live charcoal in a long tube, which receives its air from small holes at the bottom, and thus keeps the water boiling."-Ibid., vol. 1, p 231. [Infants about Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, subject to Rheumatism.] "In this part of Pennsylvania (about Pittsburgh), if I am rightly informed, there are instances of small children being afflicted with rheumatism, and even infants inheriting it from their parents like the podagria."-Travels in the Int. of North America. [Salt Provisions quicker lose their Saltness by soaking in Salt Water than in Fresh.] SALT provisions, of whatever kind, are said to lose more of their saltness by being soaked in sea water than in fresh. "This," says an ex "I have often wondered at, cellent old traveller, and leave to be explained by philosophers."LERY, c. 4. Query, LERI, JOHN DE, Account of Voyage to Brazil, 1577? [Horse Bread.] "COLONEL KOWATCH, who in the American service commanded the infantry of Pulaski's legion, had been an old partisan officer in the north of Europe, and had commanded a large corps of irregular horse, either Cossacks, Croats, He fled to America after the or Pandours. troubles of Poland. 'He told me,' says MR. PETERS, 'that they often baked the chopped or ground grain for their horses, having previously formed it into portable cakes. It was fermented, or raised, in an expeditious and simple way, by a kind of leaven. With this they sometimes He said, 'baked provender used oil cakes.' [Phænomenon on the Sea of Azof.] "A REMARKABLE phænomenon occurs in the went twice as far as raw meal or grain.' The Sea of Azof during violent east winds: the sea retires in so singular a manner, that the people saccharine quality was, no doubt, produced by of Taganrog are able to effect a passage upon this process, and its alimentary properties indry land to the opposite coast, a distance of twen- creased. General Pulaski had a favourite chargty versts; but when the wind changes, and this er, to whom he often gave bread, which the anit sometimes does very suddenly, the waters re-imal scemed to enjoy far beyond any other food. 408 PETERS-BRUCE-REES-DU PRATZ-GRIEVE--TOBIN. In Holland, it is a common practice to give to direct its bill to the point from whence the horses rye-bread, or baked provender. The late wind is like to blow."-Ibid. Sheriff Penrose, who had a fine team of working horses, was in the habit of buying condemned ship bread, as the most nutritious and cheapest horse-feed. He said, others knew and profited by its advantages.”—Memoirs of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society, vol. 1. [Dry rotten Wood-Advantages of to Swine when parked up to feed.] "SOUR food is the most grateful and alimentary for swine; one gallon of sour wash goes farther than two of sweet. Dry rotten wood should be constantly in the pen, that the hogs, when confined for fattening, may eat it at pleasure. Nature points out this absorbent (or whatever it may be) as a remedy or preventive: they will leave their food to devour rotten wood when they require it. I have not lost a fatting hog for more than thirty years, when I used it, but have suffered by neglecting it. Some of my neighbours met with frequent losses of fattening hogs till I informed them of my practice, of which I was told by a woman from East Jersey, before our revolutionary war: she said it was then known and practised there.”—Richard PeTERS, Memoirs of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, vol. 1. Panorama, vol. 7, p. 108. [Sliced Sugar Cane.] "THE sugar-cane, cut in pieces about three inches long, slit, and steeped in water, gives a most agreeable taste and flavour to it; while, by imbibing the water, the canes become more juicy, and lose a part of their heavy clammy sweetness, which would occasion thirst."-BRUCE. [White Sand sprinkled on Stacks a Preventive against Mice.] To preserve corn stacks from mice, sprinkle from four to six bushels of dry white sand upon the roof of the stack before the thatch is put on. -Query? [The King Fisher.] DU PRATZ (Vol. 2, p. 83) says, "It is well known the King-Fisher goes always against the wind; but perhaps few people know that it preserves the same property when it is dead. I myself hung a dead one by a silk thread, directly over a sea-compass, and I can declare it as a fact, that the bill was always turned toward the wind." [Remedy against Snow-blindness.] "IN Kamtschatka where the snow and sunshine grievously injure the eyes, Steller devised a remedy which generally gave relief in six hours. It was the white of an egg, with some camphire and sugar, which he rubbed upon a pewter plate till it foamed, then tied it in a handkerchief and bound it upon the forehead. This he found to succeed in every inflammation of the eyes."-I. GRIEVE'S Hist. of Kamtschatka. [Remedy for Dogs supposed to be mad.] "To about six grains of calomel add thirty of powdered jalap and ten of scammony; make them into a pill with honey, or any other convenient vehicle, and give it to the dog immediately. In all probability an abundant evacuation will succeed, from which alone the cure sometimes results. This medicine, however, should not be solely relied on, but should be followed up by pills of about the size of a very large marrow-fat pea, given half-hourly. These pills are to be made of pure camphor, dissolved sufficiently to be worked into a mass, by means of a few drops of spirit of wine, which should be added drop by drop, as it is very easy to render the camphor too liquid. A short time will decide the case : if the medicine take proper effect, the jaws will be freed from that slimy, ropy excretion occasioned by the disease; and in its stead a free discharge of saliva will appear, rather inclined to froth like soap-suds. I can only assure the reader, that I have more than once saved the life of dogs by these means, although they were so far gone [Anchovies taken by Flame, not so good as those as to snap at me while administering the medicine."-Oriental Sports, vol. 2, p. 197. not so taken.] "ANCHOVIES, like many other fish, are attracted by flame; but it is asserted as a fact proved by experience, that anchovies taken by fire, are neither so good, so firm, nor so proper for keeping, as those which are taken without fire."-REES's Cyclopædia. [The Tail of the Flying Fish.] THE lower half of the tail in the flying fish is full twice the length of the upper. "I have by the hour," says CAPTAIN TOBIN, "watched the dolphins and bonitos in pursuit of them ; when without wholly immersing themselves, which [The Anemoscope of Væroe.] "THE anemoscope of Væroe is famous. It is made of the bird Lunde, whose feathers are picked, the skin stript off, viscera taken out, and the skin in this state drawn anew over the bones: this being hung up in the chimney, is said always w. country, as I very well recollect in my childhood. SHAKS- |