Of the Kingdome of Pathen or Salmasse, which is a goodly lande.

AND for to go forth by the sea, there is an yle that is called Pater, and some call it Salmasse, for it is a great kingedome with many faire cities. In this lande groweth trees that beare meale, of which men make faire bread & white & of good savour, and it seemeth lyke as it were of wheate. And there be other trees that beare venym,¹ againe the which is no medicine but one, that is to take of the leaves of the same tree and stampe them, and tempre them with water and drinke it, or else he shall dye sodainly, for Treacle may not helpe. And if you will know how this tree beare meale, I shall tell you, men hew with a hatchet aboute the rote of the tree by the earth, and they perce him in many sundry places, and then cometh out a lycoure the which they take in a vessell, and sette in the sonne and dry it, and when it is dry, they cary it unto the mille to grynde, and so it is faire meale and white. Also hony wyne, and venym are drawen out of other trees in the same maner, and they put it in vessels to keepe. In that yle is a dead sea, which is a water that hath no grounde and if anythinge fall therein it shall never be founde, besyde that sea groweth great canes and under theyr rootes men finde precious stones of great vertue, for he that beareth one of those stones uppon him, there may no yron greve² him nor drawe blood on hym, and therefore they y^t have those stones fyght full hardely, for there may no quarell³ nor such thing greve them, therefore they that knowe the maner make their quarell without yron & so they sleay them.

1: Poison, i.e., are poisonous.

2: Wound or hurt.

3: Arrow.