177U- ROUND THE WORLD. 2.59 



only small springs, which are at a considerable dis- 

 tance from the sea-side : yet nothing can be imagined 

 so beautiful as the prospect of the country from the 

 ship. The level ground next to the sea-side was 

 covered with cocoa-nut trees, and a kind of palm 

 called Arecas ; and beyond them the hills, which 

 rose in a gentle and regular ascent, were richly 

 clothed, quite to the summit, with plantations of the 

 fan-palm, forming an almost impenetrable grove. 

 How much even this prospect must be improved, 

 when every foot of ground between the trees is 

 covered with verdure, by maize, and millet, and 

 indigo, can scarcely be conceived but by a powerful 

 imagination, not unacquainted with the stateliness 

 and beauty of the trees that adorn this part of the 

 earth. The dry season commences in March or 

 April, and ends in October or November. 



The principal trees of this island are the fan-palm, 

 the cocoa-nut, tamarind, limes, oranges, and man- 

 goes ; and other vegetable productions are maize, 

 Guinea corn, rice, millet, callevances, and water- 

 melons. We saw also one sugar-cane, and a few 

 kinds of European garden-stuff; particularly cellery, 

 marjoram, fennel, and garlic. For the supply of 

 luxury, it has betel, areca, tobacco, cotton, indigo, 

 and a small quantity of cinnamon, which seems to be 

 planted here only for curiosity ; and indeed we doubted 

 whether it was the genuine plant, knowing that the 

 Dutch are very careful not to trust the spices out of 

 their proper islands. There are however several kinds 

 of fruit, besides those which have been already men- 

 tioned ; particularly the sweet sop, which is well 

 known to the West Indians, and a small oval fruit, 

 called the Blimbi, both of which grow upon trees. 

 The blimbi is about three or four inches long, and 

 in the middle about as thick as a man's finger, taper- 

 ing towards each end : it is covered with a very thin 

 skin of a light green colour, and in the inside are a 

 few seeds disposed in the form of a star : its flavour is 



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