Book V. Hland of BARBADOS. 123 
this Inftance, and the Rain very heavy, the former, by violently tofling 
and beating the tender Buds and Leaves againft one another, bruifed 
them; by which means, the milky poifonous Juice iffued out in great 
Plenty, and wafhed off from the Leaves, with the Drops of Rain, upon 
the Perfon fheltering under the Shade. 
From thefe Remarks upon the Miftakes of others, I proceed to give 
the beft Defcription I am able of this Tree, both with regard to its out- 
ward Appearanee, and its real Qualities. 
The firft thing that is to be obferved, is, that it is of a very quick 
Growth, and feldom or never found growing to any Perfection, but in loofe 
fandy Soil, near the Sea, or other Water. 
Its Roots are {trong and numerous. ; 
The Trunk of a full-grown Tree is, generally fpeaking, from Two Feet 
and an half to Three Feet Diameter, branching, moft commonly, from 
Three to Fifteen Feet high from the Ground. 
The Heart, which is very {mall, in proportion to the Bulk of the Tree, 
is very hard and folid, of a pale Yellow, with a greenifh Caft, interfperfed 
with {mall blackifh Veins, the Grain fmooth, and the Wood durable ; 
the Bark of a fleek whitifh Grey, the Branches many in Number, and full 
of thick, fmooth, fhining Leaves. 
There are here and there, among the Branches, long pendulous Kat- 
kins, which are produced at remote Diftances from the Embryo’s. 
It bears a Fruit much of the fame Make as the round fort of Crab- 
apples, which we have in England; and both, when ripe, have the fame 
fragrant Smell. 
The Pulp of thefe Manchaneel-apples exceeds not, in Breadth, one 
Seventh of an Inch, the Infide being an hard ftony Kernel, deeply and 
irregularly fulcated ; in which are included the Crab-like Seeds. 
The Juice of the Apple is of the fame Colour and Quality, as that of 
the Leaves. 
But however ftrong the Poifon really is at fome Seafons, and at certain 
Growths of thefe Apples ; yet I have known a Woman, big with Child, 
who longed for them, to have eaten of them, without any apparent. bad 
Effect: However, I cannot fay, that the Fragrancy of their Smell, or 
their tempting Looks, have induced others to try and follow her Example 
by fo dangerous an Experiment. 
If fome of this crude milky Juice falls upon even an Horfe, the Hair, 
from the Part affected, foon falls off, and the Skin rifes up in Blifters, 
which will require a long time to heal. 
One Inftance of its Malignancy happened about Two Years ago. in 
Speights-Town: A certain Slave, conceiving herfelf injurioufly treated, 
poured into her Mafter’s Chocolate about a Spoonful of this Juice: Im- 
mediately after he had fwallowed it, he felt a violent Burning in his T oe 
iE an 
