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854 CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT
Candia alba of the West Indies. A tree forty to fifty feet high, called w ild dnnamon and affording
the candia bark of commerce: doubtless the “ canela ” found by Columbus lett. i on Hayti, —
mentioned ;
in the West
“ 1493,
Columbus arriving at Lisbon in Europe.
X. THE REIGN OF COMMERCE.
Egypt now ceased to be the main or only route through which foreign animals and plants reached
Europe, and the broad ocean becoming the theatre of commerce, was deprived of her relative importance
; remaining in a measure neutral, slowly and but slightly participating in the new order of thin£.
From pope Alexander VI. a grant was obtained. Confirming to Spain the new land found by
Columbus, and “ all that should be discovered Westward, till it should come to the East, where any
Christian prince was then actually in possession ” (F. Columb. 43). — Limits, notwithstanding some
encroachments by the French and English, very nearly defining the Spanish colonies to the present
dciy.
' In this year, in Java, death of Raden Paku or Sunan Giri aged “ si.xty-three.’| (The date probably
taken from his tomb at Giri, which continued extant containing the pusaka kris when Raffles was
writing in 1816). r t ••
The same year (= “ 29* year of Tsutsi-Mikaddo,” art de verif.), in Japan, departure of Josij-
simmi, invested with the title of “ dai-seogun,” to command the army.
“ The same year” (Blair), the study ofthe Greek and Hebrew languages, brought into Germany
by Reuchlin. , ~ ,
“ The same year” (Alst. p. 308), in Croatia, the Christians defeated by the Turks under
Bajazet II. . . . .
As early perhaps as this year (see Spreng.), Joannes Platearius writing his Comment, m Nicolai
Praepos. — The work was published “ in 1562.”
Arabis tnrrita of the mountains of middle Europe. — The “ maior Platea.” of Clusius his‘t._ ii. pl.
126, is referred here by Sprengel: A. tnrrita is known to occur along hedges^ on the mountains of
Switzerland, France, and Hungary (Jacq. austr. pl. 11, and Pers.). In Britain, was first observed
“ in 1728” on the walls of a college at Cambridge (Huds.), afterwards at Oxford and in Kent, and m
a locality near Kinross; but seems unknown in Ireland (Mackay) and in Northwestern France, and
is regarded by A. Decandolle as derived from the botanic gardens at Cambridge and Oxford.
“ Nov. 2d, in the night” (F. Columb. 46 to 51), arrival of Columbus on his Second voyage at a
point in the West Indies farther South. In the morning, being Sunday, the new island in sight was
named by him “ Dominica.” Turning North, he soon reached a second island, named by him
„ “ Marigalante.” * And next “ another great island,” which he called “ Guadalupe” and found in-
' habited by the warlike Cnribbes; who were cannibals, and made their captives eunuchs.
in question : — E. Occidentalis was observed in the West Indies by Oviedo (Spreng.) ; by Swartz i.
619, in mountain valleys on Jamaica (Pers.).
Thrinaxparviflora of the West Indies. Ten to twenty feet high, and probably one of the “ six
or eight kinds of palm-trees ” in que.stion : — T. parviflora was observed in the West Indies by Oviedo
(Spreng.) ; by Browne 190, and Swartz i. 614, in barren and maritime situations on Jamaica and
Hayti (Pers.). Cocos fusiform is of the West Indies. Probably one of the “ six or eight kinds of palm-trees m
q u e s t i o n : —observed in the West Indies by Oviedo p. 38 (Spreng.) ; by Swartz i. 6t6, on Jamaica
and Hayti (Pers.). . 1 „
ofthe West Indies and Mexico. Called by the natives “ cabuya’ (Ovied.);
and the “ ligunaloe ” of Columbus lett. i, — termed simply “ aloe ” in the poem written on his return
by Guiliano Dati, may be compared : F. odorata was observed by Oviedo vii. 10 in the West Indies ;
by Jacquin amer. pl. 260, on Cuba; and is said to occur also in Mexico (Lam. enc. i. 52, and Pers.).
* Hippomane mancindla of the seashore of the West Indies and neighbouring portion of South
America. A very large tree, called by the English colonists manchined, by the French “ mancenil-
lier” (Nugent) : landing on Marigalante, some of the crew touching a wild fruit with their tongues,
such heaèand pain followed that according to Chanca “ they seemed to be mad:” “mancanillas
olorosas” are mentioned by Oviedo . . . f. 11 : H. mancinella was observed by Sloane ii. ph i59.
OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 855
From Guadalupe continuing North, Columbus reached a fourth island, named by him “ Monser-
atte ; ” and next a fifth, whose native name “ Ocamaniro ” he changed to “ Redonda; ” a sixth, named
by him “ Antigua; ” a seventh, named by him “ St. Martin;” and after visiting another island, turned
West, leaving in the North “ above fifty islands,” the largest of which he named “ St. Ursula,” and
the others “ the Virgins.” Continuing West, Columbus next came in sight of a very large island, by
the natives termed “ Borriquen” (Porto Rico).
On reaching Hayti, Columbus found his fort burned and not one of the Spaniards living: the
result, according to native testimony, mainly of dissensions among themselves and a night-attack by
a neighbouring unfriendly chief. A new site was in consequence selected, farther East; and the
town of Isabella was built there, the first settlement in America that proved permanent. A tribute
was imposed by Columbus on the natives of Hayti; — and before the close of his administration,
some of them were held as slaves (F. Columb. 74 to 81).
“ 1494, Jan. 30th” (date of lett. in Hackl. soc.), Columbus writing from the city of Isabella to the
home Government.
“ May 4th, Sunday” (F. Columb. 54 to 60), Westward from Hayti another large island,
Jamaica, discovered by Columbus. Returning to the coast of Cuba, be continued West among a
labyrinth of low islets, and at length learned from a native, that Cuba is an island and not part of a
continent. After reaching the island “ Evangelista ” (Pinos), Columbus turned back, re-visited
Jamaica, and discovered the South coast of Hayti, which he followed throughout.
“ Sept. 15th, in the night” (F. Columb.), eclipse of the moon. Observed by Columbus near the
Eastern extreme of Hayti at the islet Adamanai; and “ which he said varied five hours twenty-three
minutes from Cadiz.” Proceeding through the Mona Passage, Columbus reached the town of Isabella
“ Sept. 29th:” —and eighteen months afterwards, sailed for Spain, arriving at Cadiz “ June
Iith 1496” (Major 2d edit. lett. p. 159).
“ In this year” (Dallet p. cxxvii), end of the reign of Sieng-tsong, king of Corea.
“ In this year (=900 A, H.” of Ferisht., Elph.), by Mahmud of Guzerat, a sea and land force
sent against Bombay, occupied by a revolted officer of the Bahmani king of the Deccan. The fleet
was destroyed in a storm, but through the co-operation of the Bahmani king, Bombay was recovered.
Before the following year (= “ 1421 an. jav ,” Raffles xi.), “ the whole island of Java had submitted
to the authority of” sultan Tranggana, and the Mohammedan religion now firmly established
throughout.
“ 1495 A. D.” (Crawfurd vii. 11), the Mohammedan religion adopted by Zainalabdin, properly
regarded as the first Muslim king of Ternate. Javanese in numbers now visiting the island, partly to
extend the Mohammedan religion, and partly to procure cloves.
and Jacquin amer. pl, 238, in the West Indies, abounding in white caustic venomous juice, a drop,
like fire, instantaneously raising a blister on the back of the hand (Lindl,).
Bursera gummifera of the West Indies and neighbouring portion of South America. An Amyroid
tree called in Carib “ chibou” (Desc.), affording a turpentine-like secretion that hardens as it
dries: the “ arboles de trementina miiy singular i muy fina” seen by Chanca on Hayti,—may be
compared: B, gummifera rvas observed by Swartz 130, Jacquin am. pl. 75, and Descourtilz, in the
West Inclies arid neighbouring portion of South America. B . acuminata of Porto Rico and Hayti,
yielding according to Royle a yellow concrete essential oil, is regarded by Lindley as “ not very
different.”
1 erminaHa latifolia of the West Indies. The “ mirabolanos cetrinos ” observed on Hayti by Chanca
on the Second voyage of Columbus — (lett. in Hackl. soc.), maybe compared: T. latifolia is known
to grow in woods on the mountains of Jamaica, and its root is employed by the inhabitants in diarrhcea
(Swartz fl, ii. 747, and Lindl.).
Nectandra puchury-major o( the Upper Orinoco. A Lauroid tree called there “ puchury” or
“ puchery ” or “ puchyry” (Lindl.) ; and the trees seen by Chanca whose bark tastes and smells like
“ nueces moscadas ” — may be compared : N. puchury-major was observed by Martius at Tabatinga
in the forest on the Rio Negro. Pichurim beans, exported to Sw'eden in the middle of the last century,
were found a valuable tonic and astringent medicine, and during the continental war “ were
used as a bad substitute for nutmegs,” but are no longer known in commerce (Lindl.).
Nectandra puchuiy-minor of Eastern Equatorial America. Its seeds said to possess similar
qualities, — and according to Humboldt are exported, and are the sassafras nuts of the London shops
(Nees, and Lindl.).
Amomum sylvestre oi the West Indies. The “ raiz de gengibre” seen by Chanca worn by a
native around tlie neck, —may be compared: A. sylvestre was observed by Sloane i. pl. 105, and
Swartz 11, in the forest on Jamaica (Pers.).
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