8o6 JAMAICA. 



The French pickle or preferve them in fait ; but, in this ftate, they 

 are not near lb reliftiing as when they are frcfh. 



The ground where they are planted fliould be well dug, freed from 

 weeds, and fo thrown up, as to prevent water from lodging about 

 the roots. 



It is bed to leave only one (hoot and head to each root j by which 

 means the artichokes will be much the finer and larger. They arc 

 jprofitable articles for the town markets. 



i66. Samphires. 



There are varieties here of the famphire. The firfl is the Crith- 

 vium vulgare, or common famphire, which grows in all the falt- 

 grounds by the fea fide, is fimilar to the Britifli herb, and makes an 

 equally good pickle. The fecond is \.ht portulaca ozoidcs maritma 

 procumbens, or aizoon, with a purple flower, thick, fucculent, faline 

 leaf, refenibiing purflane, and is proper alfo for pickling. This is called 

 by fome the larger turnfole, or heliotrope. The third is the fu- 

 pine, afli-coloured turnfole, or heliatr opium, of fome authors, with a 

 white flower. But the mofl: valuable is the fo^foJa frutefcens, or 

 l.ali fruticofum coniferum of Sloane, with a white flower, which is 

 common in all the falinas on the South-fide of the ifland. It abounds 

 with alkalious falts, and might be prepared for the Britifli manu- 

 fci(Stories of foap and glafs : Browne thinks that the azoides, will 

 xmfwer the fame purpofe ; this is very frequent about Pafl'age Fort. 

 Th€ manner of making the kali for glafs is ns follows : 

 Having dug a a trench near the fea, laths are laid acrofs it, upon 

 which are placed the herbs in heaps ; and a fire being made below, 

 the liquor which runs out of them drops to the bottom, which, at 

 length thickening, becomes the fal alkali ; partly of a black, and 

 partly of an afli colour, (harp, corrofive, and of a fiiltifli tafte. This 

 when thoroughly hardened, is like a ftone in confiftence, and is fit 

 in this flate for exportation. 



167. West India tea. — Caprarii7,ereBa raivofa, &c. 



This plant is very common every where in the favannahs, and 

 about tlie towns. What Barham fays of it may not be thought 

 unentertaining. A Frenchman (lays he), captain of a fliip, aflirmed 



to 



