22 | The Natural Hiftory of the Book I. 
Mr. Fofter, being then planted with Canes, came tumbling pe, and 
richly fupplied the Place of the Soil fo lately wafhed off, and there re- 
mained. : 
The Violence with which the Land moves at fuch times, may be guef- 
fed at likewife from the following Inftance : A Cabbage-tree, of about 
Thirty Feet high, moved Roots, Soil, and all, feveral Feet from the Place 
where it grew; it moved in an upright Pofture, and remained fo upon 
the Settlement of the Soil, and continues to this Day to grow and flourith. 
This Tree is to be feen at Banana Hole, an Eftate in Sz. Fo/eph’s Parifh, 
belonging to Mrs. Warren, at the Black Rock. 
However fertile thefe hot Climates are, if refrefhed with feafonable 
Dews and Rains, and with the warm enlivening Rays of the Sun; yet it 
will {carce appear credible, at leaft to the Northern Inhabitants of the 
World (where the Vegetable Creation languifhes for near half the Year ; 
and, when the Sun fheds its benign Influence, is comparatively weak and 
faint), that in an Ifland, containing not above 106470 Acres of Land, 
there fhould ever have been near 70,000 b/ack, and 30,000 white Inha- 
bitants ; though at this Time, indeed, as I have obferved before, th 
Number is not quite fo confiderable. 
The reat What I fhall add will ftill appear more incredible (though upon good 
i Axe) ° ° 7 
the Land, Grounds I affirm it); That if all the Valleys, and other Places fhaded 
from the Wind, were to be planted with Plantain, Banana, and Caffado 
Trees, and the open level Land with Yams, Potatoes, Eddoes, Corn and 
Pulfe (efpecially Pigeon-peas), and a fufficient Number of Cattle was 
kept to provide Manure, this fmall Ifland alone, without any foreign 
Affiftance, would, in feafonable Years, produce a Sufficiency of fuch 
Food to maintain more than the (26) Number of its prefent Inhabit- 
ants. ; i 
abe pune From hence we may learn not to wonder at, nor disbelieve what is faid 
of the Chil. in Scripture of the Fertility of the Holy Land, and the numerous Armies 
ore ee brought into the Field by the Children of I/rac, Though their fettled 
ble. Kingdom from Dan to Kade/b, upon the Northern Boundaries of Arabia 
Petra, wasnot above One hundred and Twenty Miles long, and in Breadth, 
from 
(26) Romulus allowed every Roman but Two Acres of Land (which were much lef than th i bs 
fure) in even a Winter Country. How much more fruitful an ee in this Ifland is, hanes 
will appear by the following Calculation : An Acre of Land defigned for Yams hath generally three thoufand 
one hundred Holes dug in it. This planted in the Beginning of July, with Five hundred Weight of {mall 
Yams, _ will come to their Maturity, and be fit to be dug up the latter End of December or th 
Beginning of ‘Zanvary, and will yield Two Pounds and Three Quarters Weight of Yams from every Hol : 
‘This is a Computation fo very fmall, that the Inhabitants often dig Four, Five, or Six Pounds, more a whic 
Ihave mentioned: However, by this very low Calculation, anAcre.thus planted (befides the fmall Yam ie 
Seedlings, equalling the Weight of what was planted) will produce a Sufficiency for Five Men a hole 
‘Year, allowing each Man Four Pounds of this kind of Food a Day ; fo that Twenty-feven thoufand A aK 
*of the prefent beft Cane Land, planted in Yams, would produce yearly a Sufficiency of this kind sae 
above Allowance, for One hundred and Thirty thoufand Men, which is above the Number of its mitre 
Inhabitants. After the above-mentioned Quantity is fubtracted from the Whole, there will remai S pene 
nine thoufand Four hundred Acres, which (except what the Buildings, Orchards, and other Conk eventy- 
take up) may be planted, fome in Corn and Pulfe, and the reft left for Pafturage, which ‘Guanticy willie 
more than fufficient to raife Cattle for Manure, and other Ufes : Befides, there might be Taifed Be tHe 
moft barren Part a great Number of Sheep and Goats ; and the whole Land, th: i 
would be open for other Provifions, fuch as Potatoes and Pulfe, for above Six Months Ay ie auel aed 
