Chapter PRICKLY-HEAT to PROME of P by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

dirt and reptiles; but it spreads rapidly both from birds eating the fruit, and from the facility with which the joints take root.

1685.—“The Prickly-Pear, Bush, or Shrub, of about 4 or 5 foot high … the Fruit at first is green, like the Leaf. … It is very pleasant in taste, cooling and refreshing; but if a Man eats 15 or 20 of them they will colour his water, making it look like Blood.”—Dampier, i. 223 (in W. Indies).

1764.—

“On this lay cuttings of the prickly pear;
They soon a formidable fence will shoot.”

Grainger, Bk. i.

[1829.—“The castle of Bunai … is covered with the cactus, or prickly pear, so abundant on the east side of the Aravali.”—Tod, Annals, Calcutta reprint, i. 826.]

1861.—“The use of the prickly pear” (for hedges) “I strongly deprecate; although impenetrable and inexpensive, it conveys an idea of sterility, and is rapidly becoming a nuisance in this country.”—Cleghorn, Forests and Gardens, 285.

PROME, n.p. An important place in Pegu above the Delta. The name is Talaing, properly Brun. The Burmese call it Pyé or (in the Aracanese form in which the r is pronounced) Pré and Pré-myo (‘city’).

1545.—“When he (the K. of Bramaa) was arrived at the young King’s pallace, he caused himself to be crowned King of Prom, and during the Ceremony … made that poor Prince, whom he had deprived of his Kingdom, to continue kneeling before him, with his hands held up. … This done he went into a Balcone, which looked on a great Market-place, whither he commanded all the dead children that lay up and down the streets, to be brought, and then causing them to be hacked very small, he gave them, mingled with Bran, Rice, and Herbs, to his Elephants to eat.”—Pinto, E.T. 211-212 (orig. clv.).

c. 1609.—“… this quarrel was hardly ended when a great rumour of arms was heard from a quarter where the Portuguese were still fighting. The cause of this was the arrival of 12,000 men, whom the King of Pren sent in pursuit of the King of Arracan, knowing that he had fled that way. Our people hastening up had a stiff and well fought combat with them; for although they were fatigued with the fight which had been hardly ended, those of Pren were so disheartened at seeing the Portuguese, whose steel they had already felt, that they were fain to retire.”—Bocarro, 142. This author has Prom (p. 132) and Porão (p. 149). [Also see under AVA.]

1755.—“Prone … has the ruins of an old brick wall round it, and immediately without that, another with Teak Timber.”—Capt. G. Baker, in Dalrymple, i. 173.

1795.—“In the evening, my boat being ahead, I reached the city of Peeaye-mew, or Prome, … renowned in Birman history.”—Symes, pp. 238-9.