T h e life of this nut is, in many parts o f In d ia , greatly
abufed; they are made the inftruments o f philtres* charms,,
and incantations by the fair fax, and often the medium o f a
fatal poifon. The firft is intended toxonciliate the.affedlion of
their lovers, apradtice in, all ages and. in all countries. They
are- even faid to poflefs the powers o f changing affedtions, to-
diffolve that between, man and wife, and transfer them to other
objedts.. They are, next ufed as means o f revenge,, for the
fpretee injuria, forma. They are faid to be capable of, preparing
the n.uts in fuch a manner, as to bring on the offending parties
the complete!! imbecility; or* i f they prefer another mode o f
revenge, death itfelf, lingering, and diftant; even to any time
thcfe demoniac fair chufe. The lover falls into an atrophy,
and waftes away in the xlaffical manner, defcribed.by the Greeks
and Romans, when, the waxen image was made the fatal incantation.
Rumpbius records the Indian tales, and feems to. believe
them. He certainly was a man. o f abilities, and nothing
credulous..
B e t e l . T h e Betel, its concomitant, is a fpeqies o f pepper, Piper
Ret el,-a. climbing plant, native o f all India, and cultivated by
props or poles, like the reft of the kind. Neither this, nor the
Areca, hath efcaped our old friend Gerard: at pages. 1520, 1521,
he hath given good figures o f both kinds.
White I M A Y mention other fpecies of the vegetable kingdom that
Sandees. , are articles of commerce, from this coaft.. Such is th e Sant alum
album,.Rumpb. Amboin. ii. 42,, tab. n ,.w h ich grows to a great
fize. This wood has a. ftrong aromatic fmell, and is burnt in
all the. houfes of the Orientaliffs for the fake o f its falubrious
and
and fragrant fcent. A pafte is alfo made of the powder of the-
wood, with which the Indians, Chinefe,Perfians, Turks, and Arabs,
anoint their bodies, ufing their perfumes as the Romans did
o f old. Gerard, p. 1585, fays, that the Indians ufe a decodiion
of the wood in fevers, and various difeafes.
R e d S a n d e r s , Sant alum rubrum, the Pterocarpus fantai- Red Sanders,
linus, Linn.fuppl. pi. 3.18, Fl. Zeyl. N' 417. Draco- arbor, Com-
mel. bort. i . p.. 213, tab. 109, Raii biß. pi. iii. arbar. 113, grows
here. It has a place in our difpenfaries, and its wood is made
ufe of in various works, and all the different forts of houfe-
hold furniture, benches, tables, &c. * and toy's, on account of
the agreeable fcent. Blocks o f the wood o f this tree are o f a
ftoney hardnefs and.weight t, The gum and fap are of intenfe
rednefs $.. -
T h e AmomumCardamomum, or Minus, o f Rumph. Amboin. v. Cardamom™.
15a, tab. 65, grows here naturally, particularly in places covered
with, the aihes of. plants burnt on. the fpot., Confult Gerard,
p. 1542, for the form of the fruit. The feeds are ufed in the
Indian made-dilhes; and, mixed with Areca and Betel, chewed
to help digeftion,.and ftrengthen the ftomach. We retain it in
our. difpenfary.
As to the Amomum Zinziber, our common ginger, Rumpb. Ginger..
Amboin, v. 156, tab. 66, Woodville, i. 31, the. beft in all India is
cultivated in this country, and univerfally ufed to corredt the in-
fipidity of the general food, rice; and is alfo mixed in the
diihes o f perfons o f rank. This-was one.of the.imports of-the Spicv.Expoiws.
Romans, as was the Cardamomum, Piper, Myrobalanus, Calamus
* - Rumph.. Amboin. ii.; Rrui iii it, ii, 1805, J^Same.
aromaticuSy,