The sugar-cane: a poem in four books with notes / [James Grainger].

  • James Grainger
Date:
1766
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The sugar-cane: a poem in four books with notes / [James Grainger]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Harn, eldeft birth of time! in other climes, * In the old world, with tempefts ufher’d in 3 ! While rifled nature thine appearance wails, And favage winter wields his iron mace? ~ © “15 But not the rockieft verge of thefe green ifles, Taough mountains heap’d on mountains brave the iky, 4 Dares winter, by his refidence, profane. At times the ruffian, wraptin murky ftate, Inroads will, fly, attempt ; but foon the fun, 20 Benign proteétor of the Cane-land ifles, Repels the invader, and his rude mace breaks. Ver, rz. Though mountains heap’d on mountains] ‘This par= that chain of mountains, which ran through its center, from one his fhoulders St. Chriftopher ; or, as others ‘write, of a grant,, of that appellation, carrying our Saviour, in the. form, of a child, in the fame manner, through a deep fea; gave name to this Ifland. Ver. 25. Of broad-leaf’d china,] The leaves of this, medicinal tree are fo large, that the negroes commonly ufe them to cover the water, which they bring in pails fromthe mountain, where it eects grows. ‘The roots of this tree were introdueed into En- pean: pradtice, foon after the venereal difeafe ; but, unlefs they are frefh, it muft be canfefled they poffefS fewer vixtues than. either farfaparilla or lignum vite. It alio. grows in China, and many parts of the Eaft-Indies, where: it is greatly recommended in the gout, palfy, fciatica, obftructions, and obfiinate head-achs: but it can forely not effeét the removal of thefe terrible diforders; fince, in China, the people eat the freffr root, boiled with thei= meat, as we.do.turnips; and the better fort, there, ufe a water diftilled, frenr it. The Spaniards call it Pala de China, The botanical name. -fs Smilax, St Lae Charm’d
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