It is doubtlesse a worthy contemplation to consider the contrary effects of the sunne:  or rather the contrary passions of such things as receiue the influence of his beames, either to their hurt or benefit.  Their drinke is either water, or the iuise that droppeth from the cut branches of the barren Date trees, called Palmitos.  For either they hang great gourdes at the said branches euery euening, and let them so hang all night, or else they set them on the ground vnder the trees, that the droppes may fall therein.  They say that this kinde of drinke is in taste much like vnto whey, but somewhat sweeter, and more pleasant.  They cut the branches euery euening, because they are seared vp in the day by the heate of the Sunne.  They haue also great beanes as bigge as chestnuts, and very hard, with a shell in the stead of a huske.

Many things more might be saide of the maners of the people, and of the wonders and monstrous things that are engendered in Africke.  But it shall suffice to haue saide this much of such things as our men partly sawe, and partly brought with them.

And whereas before speaking of the fruit of graines, I described the same to haue holes by the side (as in deede it hath, as it is brought hither) yet was I afterward enfourmed, that those holes were made to put stringes or twigges through the fruite, thereby to hang them vp to dry at the Sunne.  They grew not past a foote and a halfe, or two foote from the ground, and are as red as blood when they are gathered.  The graines themselues are called of the Phisicions Grana Paradisi.

[Sidenote:  Shels that cleaue to ships.] At their comming home the keeles of their shippes were marueilously ouergrowne with certaine shelles of two inches length and more, as thicke as they could stand, and of such bignesse that a man might put his thumbe in the mouthes of them.  They certainely affirme that in these there groweth a certaine slimie substance, which at the length slipping out of the shell and falling in the sea, becommeth those foules which we call Barnacles.  The like shelles haue bene seene in ships returning from Iseland, but these shels were not past halfe an inch in length.  Of the other that came from Guinea, I sawe the Primerose lying in the docke, and in maner couered with the said shels, which in my iudgement should greatly hinder her sayling.  Their ships were also in many places eaten with the wormes called Bromas or Bissas, whereof mention is made in the Decades.  These creepe betweene the plankes, which they eate through in many places.

[Sidenote:  A secret.] Among other things that chanced to them in this voyage, this is worthy to be noted, that whereas they sailed thither in seuen weekes, they could returne in no lesse space then twentie weekes.  The cause whereof they say to be this:  That about the coast of Cabo Verde the winde is euer at the East, by reason whereof they were enforced to saile farre out of their course into the maine Ocean,