spots of their faces:  and this nation is at continual warre with certaine naked people in another region. [Sidenote:  Iaffa.] Then I traueled further vnto another island called Iaua, the compasse whereof by sea is 3000. miles.  The king of this Iland hath 7. other crowned kings vnder his iurisdiction.  The said Island is throughly inhabited, and is thought to be one of the principall Ilands of the whole world.  In the same Iland there groweth great plenty of cloues, cubibez, and nutmegs, and in a word all kinds of spices are there to be had, and great abundance of all victuals except wine.  The king of the said land of Iaua hath a most braue and sumptuous pallace, the most loftily built, that euer I saw any, and it hath most high greeses and stayers to ascend vp to the roomes therein contained, one stayre being of siluer, and another of gold, throughout the whole building.  Also the lower roomes were paued all ouer with one square plate of siluer, and another of gold.  All the wals vpon the inner side were seeled ouer with plates of beaten gold, whereupon were engrauen the pictures of knights, hauing about their temples, ech of them a wreath of golde, adorned with precious stones.  The roofe of the palace was of pure gold.  With this king of Iaua the great Can of Catay hath had many conflictes in war:  whom notwithstanding the said king hath alwayes ouercome and vanquished.

Of certaine trees yeelding meale, hony, and poyson.

Nere vnto the said Iland is another countrey called Panten, or Tathalamasin.  And the king of the same country hath many Ilands vnder his dominion:  In this land there are trees yeelding meale, hony, and wine, and the most deadly poison in all the whole world:  for against it there is but one only remedy:  and that is this:  if any man hath taken of the poyson, and would be deliuered from the danger thereof, let him temper the dung of a man in water, and so drinke a good quantitie thereof, and it expels the poyson immediatly, making it to auoid at the fundament.  Meale is produced out of the said trees after this maner.  They be mighty huge trees, and when they are cut with an axe by the ground, there issueth out of the stocke a certain licour like vnto gumme, which they take and put into bags made of leaues, laying them for 15 daies together abroad in the sun, and at the end of those 15 dayes, when the said licour is throughly parched, it becommeth meale.  Then they steepe it first in sea water, washing it afterward with fresh water, and so it is made very good and sauorie paste, whereof they make either meat or bread, as they thinke good.  Of which bread I my selfe did eate, and it is fayrer without and somewhat browne within. [Sidenote:  A sea running still Southward.] By this countrey is the sea called Mare mortuum, which runneth continually Southward, into the which whoseuer falleth is neuer seene after.  In this countrey also are found canes of an incredible length, namely 60 paces high or more, and they are as bigge as trees.