152 THE FATAL AMBEEGEIS. [1693. 



Orange-Trees, Ananas, Ba7iane-Trees, Vine-Plants, Tobacco, 

 Potatoes,'- Eice, Millet, and other Trees, Fruits and Grains 

 in great abundance. But all this was only a Pretence in 

 our good Captain ; for either out of Malice or Avarice, he 

 depriv'd us of every Jot of those good things which had been 

 so charitably sent us. This, it may be, caus'd his Enterprize 

 to Miscarry ; for after he had sail'd several times to and fro 

 in sight of our Island, and rounded the Bulg'd Ship as many, 

 he was roughly repuls'd by the revenging Waves, and cou'd 

 not recover the least part of v/hat he pretended to.^ This is 

 what we learnt from the Siew' Gniguer and Glas. Now let 

 us return to our unfortunate Adventures. 



John clc la Haye our Gold-smith, having several ponderous 

 Tools which incommoded him, he resolved to sell part of 

 tliem to one of the same Trade, whom he met with at the 

 North-West Port. Among these Tools was that fatal Lump 

 of Amber-greece^ formerly mention'd, which had been found 

 at Rodrigo, and weigh'd about six Pounds. La Haye having 

 ask'd the Gold-smith what it was, he answer'd coldly, it was 

 a sort of Gum* made use of in the Isle of Maurice, instead of 

 Pitch, and that great quantities of it were to be met with about 

 certain Trees, but that it was worth little or nothing. La 

 Haye giving credit to this Account, and having no occasion 

 for Pitch himself, he let the Gold-smith have it into the 



1 In orig, : " Patates," i.e.^ a species of yam, 



2 In orig. : " II passa & repassa a la vue de notre isle ; & partie 

 par malice, dout il etoit bien pourvu ; partie par chagrin du mauvais 

 Bucces de son entreprise, car ils furent rudement & dangereusement 

 balotez, par les flotsveugeurs, autour du Navire ecbolie [bilged?] sans en 

 pouvoir jamais rien arracher, il nous priva vilainement de choses qui 

 auroicnt fait de notre Rodrigue uue veritable Eden : si ce fut pour notre 

 mal, ou pour notre bien, Dieu le fait." 



3 Cf. supra, p. 87. 



4 Of the Terebinth acefe growing in Mauritius, the Colophane Mauri- 

 tiana, one of the large st trees in the island, bears purple blossoms and 

 yields a resinous gum, which serves, instead of pitch, for caulking 

 vessels. (Pridham, op. cif., p. 362.) 



