ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 353 



Belides thefe roots, the foil produces plenty of camiotes, refembling, in tafte, Malaga 

 potatoes ; but fomething different in Ihape, the camiotes being generally roundifh and 

 uneven. They are both pickled and ufed as roots with the meat j but, confidering. the 

 goodnefs and plenty of this root, they do not improve it as they might. 



Plantations of fugar-canes abound to fuch a degree, as extremely to lower the price 

 of honey : and a great part of the juice of thefe canes is converted into fpirit for the 

 difpofmg of it. They grow fo quick as to be cut twice in a year. The variety of their 

 verdure is a beautiful ornament to the country. 



Here are alfo great numbers of cotton-trees, fome planted and cultivated, and thefe 

 are the beft ; others fpontaneoully produced by the great fertility of the country. The 

 cotton of both is fpun, and made into feveral forts of fluffs, which are worn by the 

 Negroes of the Haciendas, and the country Indians. 



Cacao trees alfo grow in great plenty on the banks of the river Magdalena, and in 

 other fituations which that tree delights in ; but thofe in the jurifdidion of Carthagena 

 excel thofe of the Caracas, Maracaybo, Guayaquil, and other parts, both in fize and 

 the goodnefs of the fruit. The Carthagena cacao or chocolate is little known in Spain, 

 being only fent as prefents ; for, as it is more efteemed than that of other countries, 

 the greater part of it is confumed in this jurifdiction, or fent to other parts of America. 

 It is alfo imported from the Caracas, and fent up the country, that of the Magdalena 

 not being fufficient to anfwer the great demand there is for it in thefe parts. Nor is it 

 amifs to mix the former with the latter, as correcting the extreme oilinefs of the choco- 

 late, when made only with the cacao of the Magdalena. The latter, by way of dif- 

 tinQ;ion from the former, is fold at Carthagena by millares, whereas the former is dif- 

 pofed of by the bufhel, each weighing one hundred and ten pounds ; but that of Mara- 

 caybo weighs only ninety-fix pounds. This is the mofl valuable treafure which Nature 

 could have bellowed on this country ; though it has carried its bounty flill farther, in 

 adding a vaft number of delicious fruits which evidently difplay the exuberance of the 

 foil. Nothing ftrikes a fpedator with greater admiration, than to fee fuch a variety of 

 pompous trees, in a manner emulating each other, through the whole year, in pro- 

 ducing the moll beautiful and delicious fruits. Some refemble thofe of Spain ; others are 

 peculiar to the country. Among the former, fome are indeed cultivated, the latter 

 flourifh fpontaneoully. 



Thofe of the fame kind with the Spanifh fruits are melons, water-melons, called by 

 the natives Blanciac, 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 reft, there 

 is no great difference. 



Among the fruits peculiar to the country, the preference, doubtlefs, belongs to the 

 pine-apple ; and accordingly its beauty, fmell, and tafte, have acquired it the appella- 

 tion of queen of fruits. The others are the papayas, guanabanas, guayabas, fapotes, 

 mameis, platanos, cocos, and many others, which it would be tedious to enumerate, 

 efpecially as thefe are the principal ; and, therefore, it will be fufEcient to confine our 

 defcriptions to them. 



The ananas or pine-apple, fo called from its refembling the fruit or the cones of the 

 European pine-tree, is produced by a plant nearly refembling the aloe, except that the 

 leaves of the pine-apple are longer, but not fo thick, and moft of them ftand near the 

 ground in a horizontal pofition ; but as they approach nearer the fruit, they diminifh in 

 length, and become lefs expanded. This plant feldom grows to above three feet in 

 height, and terminates in a flower refembling a lily, but of fo elegant a crimfon, as 

 even to dazzle the eye. The pine-apple makes its firft appearance in the centre of the 



VOL. xjv. z z flower, 



