Who understanding it, presently
protested, that "unless our Captain did beat him from his company, he
would follow him, by God's grace!"
Thus all, thoroughly satisfied with the sight of the seas, descended;
and after our repast, continued our ordinary march through woods, yet
two days more as before: without any great variety. But then (13th
February) we came to march in a champion country, where the grass
groweth, not only in great lengths as the knot grass groweth in many
places, but to such height, that the inhabitants are fain to burn it
thrice in the year, that it may be able to feed the cattle, of which
they have thousands.
For it is a kind of grass with a stalk, as big as a great wheaten reed,
which hath a blade issuing from the top of it, on which though the
cattle feed, yet it groweth every day higher, until the top be too high
for an ox to reach. Then the inhabitants are wont to put fire to it, for
the space of five or six miles together; which notwithstanding after it
is thus burnt, within three days, springeth up fresh like green corn.
Such is the great fruitfulness of the soil: by reason of the evenness of
the day and night, and the rich dews which fall every morning.
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