died fiue and twentie of our
best and chiefest men, and all the rest were so sicke, that wee thought
they should neuer recouer againe, only three or foure excepted. Then it
pleased God to cast his pitiful eye vpon vs, and sent us the knowledge of
remedie of our healthes and recouerie, in such maner as in the next
Chapter shall be shewed.

Chap. 15. How by the grace of God we had notice of a certaine tree,
whereby we all recouered our health: and the maner how to vse it.

Ovr Captaine considering our estate (and how that sicknesse was encreased
and hot amongst vs) one day went foorth of the Forte, and walking vpon the
yce, hee saw a troupe of those Countreymen comming from Stadacona, among
which was Domagaia, who not passing ten or twelue dayes afore, had bene
very sicke with that disease, and had his knees swolne as bigge as a
childe of two yeres old, all his sinews shrunke together, his teeth
spoyled, his gummes rotten, and stinking. Our Captaine seeing him whole
and sound, was thereat maruellous glad, hoping to vnderstand and know of
him how he had healed himselfe, to the end he might ease and help his men.
So soone as they were come neere him, he asked Domagaia how he had done to
heale himselfe: he answered, that he had taken the juice and sappe of the
leaues of a certain Tree, and therewith had healed himselfe: For it is a
singular remedy against that disease. Then our Captaine asked of him if
any were to be had thereabout, desiring him to shew him, for to heale a
seruant of his, who whilest he was in Canada with Donnacona, was striken
with that disease: That he did because he would not shew the number of his
sicke men. Domagaia straight sent two women to fetch some of it, which
brought ten or twelue branches of it, and therewithall shewed the way how
to vse it, and that is thus, to take the barke and leaues of the sayd
tree, and boile them togither, then to drinke of the sayd decoction euery
other day, and to put the dregs of it vpon his legs that is sicke:
moreouer, they told vs, that the vertue of that tree was, to heale any
other disease: the tree is in their language called Ameda or Hanneda, this
is thought to be the Sassafras tree. (M151) Our Captaine presently caused
some of that drink to be made for his men to drink of it, but there was
none durst tast of it, except one or two, who ventured the drinking of it,
only to tast and proue it; the other seeing that did the like, and
presently recovered their