The Natural Hiftory of JAMAICA. 
161 
It always (on its Ufe) Occafions great Pain and itching in the Part be- 
fore it works its Effect, is very penetrating, and much efteem’d for its 
Vertues, by the Indian and Negro Doctors. 
XX. Malo punica affinis pomifera, flore pentapetalo albo, fructu nullis diffepi- 
mentis inter[tincto, ex toto efculento, rubro, majori, Cat. fam. p.198. Guavon 
from Barbados of Tradefcant. p.119- Appel. Guayavas. Steerbeck, Citric. p. 
30. & 200. Gouianes de Bouton. p. 63. Cienko, Boym. Lit. K, Thevexot. p. 
22. Gwava Fruit with the Infide red of Dampier, cap. 8- 
The red Guava-Tree. 
This Tree rifes to twenty Foot high, has a Trunc as thick as one’s 
Thigh, cover’d with an extraordinary fmooth Bark, of the fame Colour 
with that of an Afh-Tree ; its Branches towards the Top fpread them- 
folves on every Hand, having feveral Leaves fet one againft an other on 
fhort Footftalks, they are two Inches and a half long, and one broad in the 
Middle, where broadeft, having one middle Rib, from whence feveral 
tranfverfe ones go out on each Side, fmooth, and a litttle curl’d. Bx eoram 
Ala comes a quarter of an Inch long Footftalk, fupporting a large 
white pentapetalous Flower, having very numerous Stamina of the 
fame. Colour, to which follows.a Fruit notiunlike a Pomegranate, or {mall 
Lemon, fmelling fomething like Bugs, ungrateful to the firft Tafters, 
being crown’d or umbilicated. at the Top ‘like an Apple, fmooth, of 
a light yellow Colour, having-within ‘an edible Skin, about an eighth 
of an Inch. thick,-a fweet Pulp likewife edible, and gratefully plea- 
fant, in which lie»great Numbers of Seeds like Grains of Paradife on- 
ly harder (whence. Herwandex’s Name) without any Membranes fepa- 
rating them one from another, as in the Pomegranate, each of which 
js irregularly fhaped, fmalland hard, of the fame Colour with the Pulp, 
which is fometimes red and fometimes white, of which the firft are 
accounted the beft. ) 2018 ! | 
The Fruit has an. Aromatic ‘Smell. 
Thefe Trees are planted every’ where for theit Ufefulnefs, and grow 
naturally in the lowland Woods, or Plains in Barbados, the Carsbe lands, 
and ‘famaica. The moft ordinary Way of planting themis after they have 
been eaten by Men, Birds or Beafts, the Seeds paffing the Digettions, 
are by. the: Slaves, gc. planted here andvthere in the Fields, wherever 
they part with their Excrements, in this. agreeing with the Fruit 
Famgomas, Gare, ab orta, who fays that they are beft planted with. the 
Excrement of the Birds eating. at. , la nodw 2 oe 
The Fruit is counted extremely pleafant, delicious and wholefome, 
and may very defervedly take the firft Place'among the Weft-India Fruits, 
if eaten when thoroughly ripe, They have only this Inconvenience, 
that’ being very .adftringent, they ftop. up the’ Belly if eaten in: great 
Quantity; and the Seeds fometimes fticking ‘on the Outfide of the: hard 
Excrement in coming thro’ the Inteftines, efpecially the Rectum, by rheir 
irrepular fharp Angles, will,occafion great Pain there, and very often 
bring a Flux of Blood. 21.) tee tloiudw 4 | 
To an unacquainted Palate this Fruit feems very unfavoury. 
~The Fruit any Way boil’d, ftew’d, or otherwife prepar’d, taftes yer 
more pleafantly.. ron dud Tt ady 
Swine and all other CGatile covet it very. much. 
so aT he 
