Cola, Coffeehouse, Skewers (1634)

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Wed Mar 27 09:35:29 UTC 2002


THOMAS HERBERT
TRAVELS IN PERSIA
1627-1629
abridged and edited by Sir William Foster
New York: Robert M. McBride & Company
1929

   OED cites "T. Herbert" 1,964 times.  Yet, it still misses great stuff.
   The NYPL rare book room has 1634, 1638, 1665, and 1677.  The later editions had the 1100s Welsh discovery of America by Prince Madoc, but otherwise, perhaps, it's the same book.  The "mandil" that the revised OED cites from 1665 is probably there in 1634 (the earliest citation date?).

Pg. 7:  ...which some call Hermes' fire; Sain Elmo, others; the French, Furole (i.e. _furolles_); but the Portguese, Corpo Sanctos...
(OED has 1656 for "furole"--ed.)

Pg. 8:  ...a small isle called Coney Isle, through corruption of speech, the proper name of that isle being Cain-yne in Welsh.

Pg. 45:  Here be coffee-houses. which also are much resorted to, especially in the evening.  The coffee, or coho, is a black drink...

Pg. 259:  Camel's flesh they sell in the bazars roasted upon scuets (i.e. skewers), or cut in mammocks and carbonadoed (grilled); three or four spits are sold for twopence.
(OED has 1679 for "skewer."  Unfortunately, "kebab" is not mentioned--ed.)

Pg. 259:  ...calling to mind the proverb: "He that will eat much must eat little"...

Pg. 274:  It is an old saying:  _Omnis vita gusta ducitur_: life is upheld by the tast of some sweetness...

Pg. 274:  The jack grows upon a tree which is very low, yet not easy to be ascended; for shape it resembles a (Pg. 275--ed.) pompion (i.e. pumpkin). (...)
   ...and in taste has some resemblance with that the Africans call _cola_.
(See OED for pumpkin, cola--ed.)

Pg. 291:  The sailor have an ironic proverb: The way is such as a man may choose whether he will break his heart going up or his neck coming down; but, being once up, scarce any place can yield a more large or more delightful prospect.



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