[Footnote 171:  This is an error, as camphor is a species of essential oil, grossly sublimed at first from a tree of the laurel family, and afterwards purified by farther processes.—­E.]

[Footnote 172:  The whole of this story is a gross fabrication imposed by ignorance on credulity.  The cods of musk are natural bags or emunctories, found near the genitals on the males of an animal named Moschus Moschiferus, or Thibet Musk.  It is found through the whole of Central Asia, except its most northern parts, but the best musk comes from Thibet.—­E.

“The Jewes doe counterfeit and take out the halfe of the goode muske, beating it up with an equal quantity of the flesh of an asse, and put this mixture in the bag or purse, which they sell for true muske.”—­Hackluyt.]

I know not whereof amber is made[173], and there are divers opinions respecting it; but this much is certain, that it is cast out from the sea, and is found on the shores and banks left dry by the recess of the tides.  Rubies, sapphires, and spinells are got in Pegu.  Diamonds come from different places, and I know but three kinds of them.  The kind which is called Chiappe comes from Bezeneger, Bijanagur?  Those that are naturally pointed come from the land of Delly and the island of Java, but those of Java are heavier than the others.  I could never learn whence the precious stones called Balassi are procured.  Pearls are fished for in different places, as has been already mentioned.  The substance called Spodium, which is found concreted in certain canes, is procured in Cambaza, Cambaya?  Of this concrete I found many pieces in Pegu, when building myself a house there, as in that country they construct their houses of canes woven together like mats or basket-work, as formerly related.

[Footnote 173:  Ambergris is probably meant in the text under the name of Amber, as the former came formerly from India, while the latter is principally found in the maritime parts of Prussia.—­E.]

The Portuguese trade all the way from Chaul along the coast of India, and to Melinda in Ethiopia, in the land of Cafraria, on which coast are many good ports belonging to the Moors.  To these the Portuguese carry a very low-priced cotton cloth, and many paternosters, or beads made of paultry glass, which are manufactured at Chaul; and from thence they carry back to India many elephants teeth, slaves, called Kafrs or Caffers, with some amber and gold.  On this coast the king of Portugal has a castle at Mozambique, which is of as great importance as any of his fortresses, in the Indies.  The captain or governor of this castle has certain privileged voyages assigned to him, where only his agents may trade.  In their dealings with the Kafrs along this coast, to which they go in small vessels, their purchases and sales are singularly conducted without any conversation or words on either side.  While sailing along