264 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



several English miles farther on is a little village, to 

 which the name New-Guinea has been given, most of 

 its inhabitants being free negroes and mulattoes. 



In the town itself, at this time, no quarters were to 

 be had, because all the houses were filled with refugies 

 escaped from North America, and besides there were 

 many Americans present who had been banished the 

 states of Georgia and South Carolina, as of the royal 

 party, and were expecting here the result of their 

 trials or a permission to return. Half a mile from the 

 town, on the Whiteground so-called, a lodging was 

 found with a carpenter, who himself was a refugie 

 and had rented a house which was quite barn-like; 

 however it was a pleasant situation, by the water. One 

 of the largest and finest of Indian fig-trees (Ficus ben- 

 ghalensis L. Trew, Plant, set. Tab. L.) stood close 

 before this dwelling. Not only its distinguished size 

 (for it shaded with its broad-flung branches a circle of 

 90100 yards) but also its place in the history of this 

 island makes this tree honorable and famous. Black- 

 beard, one of the most illustrious of the pirates who 

 during the last century and at the beginning of this 

 had their seat in Providence, was accustomed to dis- 

 tribute his booty under this tree and to pass judgment 

 upon his fellows ; after him it is still called Black- 

 beard's Tree. These fig-trees, of which there are a 

 good many on Providence and the other West Indian 

 islands, increase their compass by roots which hang 

 down from the branches of the tree like pleated 

 tresses, and when they touch the ground begin to form 

 a new trunk, conjoined thus with the old. In this 

 way where they are not disturbed they grow prodig- 

 iously, and the old trunk of such a tree, with its de- 



