Book VII. lland of BARBADOS, 
The Mare Popaw Tree; Papaya. 
jplenis Tree is generally of an undivided Trunk, and diftinguifhed in- 
to the Male and Female; as well as the Fruit into the long Mango 
Popo, and the round Sort. 
It’s Roots are many and ftrong, penetrating not deep into the Earth, 
but extending feveral Yards in a circular Compafs. The Bark, which 
is of a whitifh Colour, is marked-with the / eftigia of the fallen off 
large Footftalks of the Leaves, The Body of the Tree grows taper- 
ing to. the Top; it is often at the Root of about a Foot Diameter, 
and generally from fifteen to twenty Feet high. The moft fubftan- 
tial Part of the Tree is a thick reticulated Web compofed of feve- 
ral complicated Divifions, fomething like the Tunica reticularis in the 
Skins of Animals; it is in this that the Strength of it confifts. The In- 
fide of all the young, efpecially towards the Top, as well as moft 
old Trees, are hollow: by this we hierographically reprefent a Perfon 
of no Sincerity, and from hence in thefe Parts comes that Proverb to that 
Purpofe, 4s hollow as a Popo. 
__ Within three Feet to the Top, the Leaves begin to furround the Tree 
in acircular and regular Manner, and confequently very beautiful. Thefe 
Leaves, efpecially the lowermoft, which are the largeft, being often above 
_ aFoot and an half long, are neatly divided into eight or nine large Se- 
_ Gions, each again fubdivided into leffer ones, and ending in a Point ; the 
_ middle Ribs are ftrong and prominent; the whole Leaf appears very 
* beautiful, being on the upper Side of a deep Green, and beneath co- 
vered with a very vifible, yet very fhort hoary Down. The largeft Leaves, 
_ which are lowermoft, ftand upon green hollow F. ootftalks, often two Feet 
long; however thefe, as well as the Leaves, gradually grow lefs to- 
ward the Extremity of the Tree. The Stalks, when bruifed, yield a dif- 
agreable Hemlock-like Smell. | 
The Male Tree bears feveral fmall pentapetalous white Flowers upon 
pendulous Stalks of near a Foot and an half long, but was never here known 
to produce Fruit. This Tree is delineated in Plate XIV. 
The Female bears fomewhat fimilar, but larger Flowers, of a yellowith 
_ Colour, growing on very thort Footftalks, arifing from, and furrounding 
the Tree among the lower Leaves chiefly; thefe in ftill Evenings and Morn- 
ings afford a very fragrant and grateful Smell. The Female Flowers and 
tender Buds of thefe are preferved into Sweetmeats, and the long Mango 
_ Popo into Pickles, the latter being very little inferior to an Ea/? India Man- 
g. Both thefe Fruits, efpecially the round Sort, are likewife, when near 
 Upe, boiled and eaten with any kind of Flefh-meat, and efteemed whol- 
fome, if they are cleanfed of the milky corrofive Juice they contain, and 
-&aten but feldom. This Juice is of fo penetrating a Nature, that if this un- 
ee ripe 
181 
