72 A VOYAGE TO Book I. 



bounty ftill farther, in adding a vafl number of deli- 

 cious fruits which evidently difplay the txuberanre of 

 the foil. Nothing íírikes a fpeciator with greater ad- 

 miration, than to tee fuch a variety of pompous trees, 

 in a manner emulating each othrr, through the whole 

 year, in producing the moil beautiful and delicious 

 fruits. Some referable thofe of Spain ; others are 

 peculiar to the country. Among the former, fome 

 are indeed cultivated, the latter flouriih fpontane- 

 oufly. 



Those of the fame kind with the Spaniih fruits are 

 melons, water-melons, called by the natives Blanriac, 

 grapes, oranges, medlars, and dates. The grapes are 

 not equal to thofe of Spain ; but the medlars as far 

 exceed them: with regard to the reñ, there is np 

 great difference. 



Among the fruits peculiar to the country, the pre- 

 ference, d>ubtlcfs, belongs to the pine-apple ; and ac- 

 cordingly its beauty, fniell, and tafte, have acquired it 

 the appellation of queen of fruits. The others are the 

 papayas, guanábanas, guayabas, fapotes, maméis, 

 plátanos, cocos, and many others, which it would be 

 tedious to enumerate, efperially as thefe are the prin- 

 cipal ; and therefore it will be fufiicient to confine 

 our defcriptions to them. 



The ananas or pine apple, fo called from its refem- 

 bling the fruit or the cones of the European pine-tree, 

 is produced by a plant nearly refembling the aloe, ex- 

 cept tliat the leaves of the pine-apple are longer, but 

 not fo thick, and moil of them ftand near the ground 

 in a horizontal pofition ; but as they approach nearer 

 the fruit, they diminiih in length, and become lefs ex- 

 panded. This plant feldqm grows to above three feet 

 in height, and terminates in a flower refenibli.io- a lily, 

 but o( fo elegant a crimfon, as even to dazzle the eye. 

 The pine-apple makes its firtl appeara'nce in iie centre 

 of the fl(j\\c'r, about the fizeof a nut ; and as this in- 

 Grcafes, the luilre of the flower fades, and the leaves, 



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