624 A. FE, Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 
There is no evidence that the Bermuda Company ever sent out 
the seeds of any merely ornamental plants or flowers, or of any 
shade or forest trees. Their efforts were wholly utilitarian, and 
especially for commercial purposes. 
b.— Useful Plants brought from the Bahamas, 1616-26. 
In 1616 a small vessel, the “Edwin,” was sent to the Bahamas to 
obtain useful plants, fruit trees, and seeds. Doubtless slaves were 
also to be obtained, if possible. Her return, in the time of Governor 
Tucker, is thus recorded, in 1624, by Captain John Smith : 
‘Within a weeke after returned the Edwin from the West Indies, 
gis, pynes [pine-apples], sugar canes, plantaines, 
S 
papaues [papaws], and divers other plants, which were presently 
replanted, and since increased into greater numbers, also an Indian 
> 
furnished with fig 
and a Negar, and so much ligna vite as defrayed all the charges.’ 
. . “The Governor thus busied amongst his plants, making hedges 
of Fig trees, and Pomgranets, and several divisions of Palizadoes 
for the defence of their guarding and keeping their cattel, for in 
such husbandry qualities he well deserved great commendations.” 
Governor Butler’s account of this arrival, written in 1619, is in 
nearly the same words, indicating that Smith used his MSS. account, 
but added a little to it from other sources. Butler did not mention the 
Pawpaw, nor the Pomegranate, though he later spoke of the fences 
of Fig-trees made by the governor in 1616. He also said of these 
plants (1619), they “are since encreased into great numbers, espe- 
cially the plantains and figges, very infinitly.” He remarked that 
the Indian and Negro were the first that the islands ever had. 
Among the “ divers other plants” not named were, without much 
doubt, the sweet potato, cassava, and indigo, for these are mentioned 
by Butler as common, in 1619. 
The “American bread-root,” mentioned as introduced at this time, 
may have been the taro or eddoe ( Colocasia esculenta), which is still 
sparingly cultivated; or the yam (Dioscorea), which was probably 
introduced at the same time and is still cultivated to a limited 
extent. 
The date of the introduction of the Arrow-root is unknown. It 
may have been introduced in 1616, or at some other very early date. 
Lefroy states that it was introduced about the close of the 18th cen- 
tury. It was not cultivated on a large scale till about 1830. The 
dates of introduction of many other common cultivated plants are 
not known. 
