TIO The Natural Hiftory of the Book IV. 
Having felled one of thefe ftately Trees, to examine its Make, Tex. 
ture, &c. I obferved, that the feveral Exfoliations of its green Part were 
equal in Number to the Branches. 
The Firft, Second, Third, and fometimes the Fourth of thefe Laming 
are green on the Outfide, and perfeétly white within: All the remaining 
inner Coats, or Foldings, are of a bright Lemon-colour without, and 
white within. 
When thefe very tough husky Exfoliations are taken off, what is called 
the Cabbage, lies in many thin, fnow-white, brittle Flakes; in Tafte 
fomething like the Kernel of an Almond, but fweeter: It is fo full of 
Oil, that a curious Obferver may fee feveral very fmall Cells aboundin 
with it. Thefe Flakes are called, from fome Refemblance, when boiled, the 
Cabbage, which then eats fomewhat fweet and agreeable: Yet I have 
~ always thought it the Height of Extravagancy and Luxury to fell fo ftatel 
a Tree, which would be an Ornament to the moft magnificent Palace in 
Europe, to gratify the Tafte of any Epicure, efpecially as there is but a 
very {mall Part of it eatable. 
What is called the Cabbage-flower, grows from that Part of the Tree 
where the Afh-coloured Trunk joins the green Part already defcribed. 
Its firft Appearance is a green husky Spatha, growing to above Twenty 
Inches long, and about Four broad ; the Infide being full of fmall white 
ftringy Filaments, full of alternate protuberant Knobs, the fmalleft of - 
thefe refembling a Fringe of coarfe white Thread knotted: Thefe are 
very numerous, and take their Rife from larger Footftalks; and thee 
Footftalks likewife are all united to different Parts of the large Parent- 
ftalk of all. 
As this husky Sparha is opened, while thus young, the farinaceous 
yellow Seed, in Embryo, refembling fine Saw-duft, is very plentifully di- 
fperfed among thefe ftringy Filaments, which anfwer the Ufe of Apices in 
other more regular Flowers : Thefe Filaments, being cleared of this Duft, 
are pickled, and efteemed among the beft Pickles, either here or in 
Europe. ; 
But if this Sparha is not cut down and opened, whilft thus young ; if 
it be fuffered to continue on the Tree till it grows ripe and burfts; then 
the inclofed Part, which, whilft young and tender, is fit for pickling, 
will, by that time, have acquired an additional Hardnefs, become foon 
after ligneous, grow bufhy, confifting of very many {mall Leaves, and in 
time produce a great Number of {mall oval thin-fhelled Nuts, about the 
Bignefs of unhusked Coffee-berries: Thefe, being planted, produce 
young Cabbage-trees. 
The greateft Number of thefe Trees uncultivated, are in Mrs. Aleyne’s 
Wood, in that Part of the Ifland called Scotland 3 at Mr. Aolder’s, and 
at Codrington’ s-College ; and by far the longeft planted Walk is at Mr. 
Ball's Eftate, commonly called Farmer’ s Plantation in St. Thomas’s Parith: 
But the moft regular in Growth, Proportion, and Beauty, either in this 
: Ifland, 
