A DISCOURSE OF CHINA
plentie of trees. Hard Timber and Reeds. Oakes are rare, but supplied with a hard and everlasting wood with them used for coffins, in which their curiositie will sometimes spend a thousand Duckets. There is also store of a kinde of reed, which the Portugalls call Bambu, of almost Iron hardnesse, the roundnesse scarcely compassed with both hands, and serves for smaller posts; the lesser of them for Launces and other uses. For fire they use Wood, Coles, Reeds, Straw, and a bituminousSea-cole. substance called Mui (a kinde of Mine-cole or Sea-cole) which is most and best in the North, digged out of the earth.
Of medicinable herbs they have divers, specially Rhubarb. China, Muske.Rhubarbe, sold for tenne halfe pence the pound: China Wood, or holy Wood growing in desarts naturally, and thence taken for no other price but the labour: Muske; Salt, Sugar. Home-waxe. Salt both made of Sea-waters, and of others easily in the Continent; Sugar more common there then Hony, though both plentifull: Waxe both of Bees, and another whiter and burning better made by certaine wormes, which therefore are nourished in trees; another also made of a certaine fruit: Paper. Their paper is not so during as ours, nor can endure the presse on both sides.
I omit their parti-coloured Marbles, their gems, colours for paintings, odoriferous Woods, &c. I cannot passe by some rarities; as their shrub whence they make Their drinke Cha, Chia, or Cia.their drinke Cia. They gather the leaves in the Spring, and dry them in the shadow, and keepe it for daily decoction, using it at meates, and as often as any guest comes to their house, yea twice or thrice, if hee make any tarrying. They sup it hot, bitterish to the palate, but wholesome: not of ancient use, for they have no ancient Character in their bookes for it. The Japanders pay deare for it, ten or twelve Duckets a pound for the best, and use it otherwise, putting the poulder of the leafe to hot water, as much as two or three spoonefulls: the Chinois put the leaves themselves into the hot water, which they drinke, leaving the leaves behinde. They have also a bituminous substance like milke, strained out of the barke of a tree,