__|asthofe of that IMand ; befides they are very fall of feeds , and their 
of the Ifland of Barbadoes. 
69 
the colour ofablack pudding, and fhap’das like, but longer. Ihave 
feen of themabove 16 inches long; the pulp of it is purgative, and a 
great cooler of the reins. 
Now becaufe we will have all ,- or as many of the poyfonous and 
Phyfical trees and plants together as we can, that they may not trouble 
j another leaf, we will putin a plant amongft the trees, and that is fo 
like a fagar Cane as hardly to be difcern’d , the one from the other - 
_fand this Plant hath this quality, that whofoever chews it, and fucks 
inany ofthe juyce,will have his tongue, mouth, and throat,fo fwell’d 
as to take away the faculty of {peech for two dayes,and no remedy that 
I know but patience. 
Tamarine-trees were but newly planted inthe Ifland, at the time I 
came away, andthe Palmtree (fo much admir’d for her two rare 
vertues of Oyle and Wine) was newly begun to be planted, the plant 
being brought ns from the Ea/?-Indies, but the Wine the brings 
may rather be called 4 pleafant drink , than to aflame the name of 
Wine: ‘tis thus gather’d, “they cut the bark in fuch a part of the tree, 
| wherea bottle may fitly be plac’d, and the liquor being received into 
jthisbortle, it will keep very good for a day andno longer, but is a 
very delicious kindof liquor. 7 aie 
| The poyfonous treesand-plants being paft over : ’tis now fit to 
mention fuch as will makeamends, and put our mouths in tafte, but 
not too fuddenly to fall upon the beft, I will begin with the moft con- 
temptible fruits which are in’the Ifland, the Fig tree and Cherry-tree, 
which have favory names, but in their natures neither ufeful, nor well 
tafted.. The Fig tree being very Jarge, but bears a fmall fruit, and 
thofe of fo mean a condition, as 1 never {aw any one cat of them, 
and the leaves not at all of the fhape ofour Fig leaves,nor the fifth hae 
fo large, the body ofthe tree I have feen as large as an ordinary Elme 
[here in Exgland. “i : 
The Cherry tree is not altogether fo large , the fruit as ufele& 
and infipid : but the colour fomething refembling a Cherry , and the 
fhape not much unlike; which caufed the planters to call it by that 
name. ; 
The next tothefe thali be fruits,rather for fauce than meat, to whet 
our appetites to thofe that follow after; and thefe are the Citrons, 
Oranges, Lemons, Lime.’ - 
- The Citronisa fmall tree, though the bear a great fruit ; and fo ill 
matcht they are, as the fruit pulls it down tothe ground, and moft of 
the fruit touches, and bearsupon the grourd’; the ftalk of a dark co- 
lour, the leaf fhap’d like that ofthe Lemon, but ofa very dark green: 
thefe fruits we had in great abundance, when firft we came there, but 
were all caft away, by rcafon we had none but Mufcavado fagary and 
that is not fit to‘preferve with; befides there were very few then that 
_|had the skill to do them. 2 | : 
_| »-The Orange trees do not profper here; “nor are the fruits fo kindly 
as thofe of Berzeudos:latge they are and full of juice,but not fo delicious 
rinds neither fo deep, and pure an Orange Tawny, nor {0 thick, and 
} 
5 
intheir prime, and then decay. 
en — " aie 
jtherefore not 0 fit to preferve : — above feven i 
The poy/o- 
ned Cane. 
Tamarine. 
Fruit trees. 
Fig-tree. 
Cherrysree. 
Orange. 
ee 
