a 
V2 
The Natural Hiflory of JAMAICA. 
LVI. Gofipium arboreum maximam [pinofum folio digstato, lana fericia grifed. 
Cat. Jam. p- 159. Lanifera arbor peregrina, Muf. Swam.p.14. Arbor lani- 
gera [pinofa Nott. in H. M. Part 3. p. 59. Fromagier de Rochef. Tab. p. 19. 
Ceiba viticis folijs caudice aculeato & glabro, Plum. pl. Am.p. 42. Cotton- 
Tree red and white of Dampier, c. 4, and 7. Silk Cotton fuch as in China 
they make their fine Paper of, Hubert, p. 40. 
The Cotton-Tree. 
When this Tree firft grows up, it has a very round Stem, green and 
almoft cover’d over with fhort Prickles, being very thick, where they 
{tick to the Stalk, fometimes fhap’d like a Cock’s-comb and blunt. The 
Leaves are then {mall, and of a very deep green Colour; after fome 
few Years, the Trunc, when it’s come to its due Growth, is large 
to a Wonder, even to that Degree, as to be fit to be hollow’d into 
the Figure of a Boat, or made intoa Canoe, able to carry many Tuns 
on the Water. The Wood is white and very foft, the Bark is grey, 
{mooth, without any Prickles or Sulci, and the Trunc rifes ufually to 
about fixty Foot high, being towards its Top, bellied, or larger than 
it is at Bottom. This as feveral other Trees, at its coming out of the 
Earth, has feveral Spurs, that is, on every hand very broad, plain Roots fup- 
porting the Tree (like Buttreffes to old Buildings) running themfelves 
onand intothe Surface of the Earth, the larger the Tree, the larger are 
thefe Burtreffes towards the Roots, fo that fometimes they are made into 
large Tables. The Branches towards the Top are fpread on every hand 
all round, making with its Leaves a very fine Shade. About the Be- 
ginning of Sanuary the Leaves wither and fall. off, and there come ac 
the Ends of the Twigs feveral Tufts or Bunches of Flowers, every one 
of which ftands on an Inch long, green, round Footftalk, it is made 
up of five three Quarters ofan Inch long purplifh, brown, fattin’d Petala, 
enclofing as many Stamina with purple and yellow Heads, on the outfide 
of them is a green five pointed Capfula, within whichis a round, green 
Knob, which as foon as the Flower is open’d, thruftsit and its Stami- 
na (being all join’d at the Bottom) off together, fo that being under 
the Tree in a hot Day, one would wonder to fee what Numbers 
fall every Minute. After theFlowers follows an oblong, round,pointed mem- 
branaceous Pod or Capfula, almoft as big as ones Fift, made up of 
feveral Pieces, containing a great deal of very foft or filken, grey Down, 
and in it, fome almoft round, brown Seeds, near as large as Peas, 
much of the Shape of Cotten-Seed : When the Fruit is ripe, the Wind car- 
ries the Down away, filling whole Fields with it. The Leaves come 
after the Fruit is ripe; they are figured like thofe of the Horfe-chefnut, 
there being feven or nine very long, green, fmooth Seétions, ftanding al- 
ways on the fame common long Footftalks, 
Sometimes this Tree when it is young is prickly, when old ie is 
{mooth. 
Fifteen Men are fcarce enough to fathom about this Tree, Herrera. 
who fays, that many of them grow in Nicaragua. 
ee in the low Lands as well as Hills in every Part of this 
Ifland. 
The Trees are fo large as to be made into very great Canoes, for which 
they are chiefly valuable. ace 
Fifteen or fixteen Men are fcarce able to fathom this Tree round, 
J. B. and it grows fohigh, that a Stone is not to be thrown up to the 
Indians Houfes on it, Peter Martyr. Theo- 
