lo8 



A M E<Kl C A. 



Chap. II, 



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make it equal, if not excell, in all conveniences of Life, as it doth in richnefs of 

 Soil, that flourifliing Empire. The heakhir^efs of the Air is fuch, that it is not 

 onely benign and favorable to the home-bred Indians, and Conftitutions accuftom'd 

 to it, but the Englijli-mtn who firft Planted on Jfiley.Rivev, though for fome other 

 Conveniences they Planted on the fide, or almoft middle of aMorafs, and were eri- 

 compafs'd with a fait Marfh, where the Air, pent up With Woods that furrounded 

 them, had not that freedom it hath in open and cultivated Countrcys, yet loft not 

 in a whole years time, of a confiderable number, any onePerfon, of any Difeafeto 

 be imputed to the Countrey, thofefew thatdy'din that time finking under lin- 

 gring Diftempers which they brought with them, and had almoft worn them out 

 before they came thither. The !Bermudians (who being accuftom'd to the pttrc Air 

 of their own Ifland, cannot without hazard of their Lives put themfelves into any- 

 other Place) aflur'dofthe healthinefs of this Place, which is the next Land to 

 them, and under the fame Latitude, venture hither. And generally all the Englifh 

 Planting in the WeJl*Indies, are fo taken with the Conveniences of this Countrey, 

 which, as fome of the mod confiderable of the Engltjb in thofc Parts fay of it, pr<S 

 mifes all that the Heart of Man can wifli, that they fend the overplus of their Peo- 

 ple hither ; to which the Inhabitants of Barbados, a skilful and wary fort of Plan- 

 ters, well knowing in all the parts of the Weft-Indies, have been found to remove the 

 Hands they could fpare. As the Summer is not intolerably nor offenfively hot, fo 

 the Winter is not troublefom nor pinching, but enough to correct the Humors of 

 Mens Bodies, the better to ftrengthen them, and prefcrve their Healths, and fo far 

 to check the growth of Plants, that by this flop they may put out more regularly,' 

 and the Corn and other Fruits the better ripen together, and be ready feafonably at 

 the Harveft, the want whereof in fome Countreys hinders the beneficial Growth 

 of feveral valuable Commodities,the continual Spring all the year long making that 

 their Crops are never ready, their Trees being laden with green and ripe Fruit at 

 the fame time, which is to be fecn in the Vines growing between the Tropicks, 

 where, though they bear excellent Grapes, yet they cannot make any Wine, whilcft 

 the mixture of ripe and fowre Grapes upon the fame Branch,renders them unfit foe 

 the Prefs, which from Grapes fo blended, though of a good kind, would fqueeze 

 out a very crude and ufelefs Liquor. This alfo is the rcafon why many Parts 

 where our Wheat will grow very well, do yet lofc the benefit of it, whileft the fe* 

 veral Ears ripening unequally, never make the Crop fit for the Sickle. But this 

 Countrey hath Winter enough to remove that Inconvenience, and to put fuch a ftop 

 to the Rife of the Sap, and the Budding of Plants, as to make the feveral kinds of 

 Fruits Bud and Bloflbm in their diftinct Seafons, and keep even pace till they arc 

 fit to be gather'd. 

 Nature,con- To this happy Climate the native Inhabitants arc very well fuited, a ftrong, 

 m%9 £ lufty, and well fliap'd People, who to their well knit and aftive Bodies, want not 

 ftout and vigorous Minds ; they arc a People of a good Undcrftanding, well Hu- 

 moc'd, and generally fo juft and Honeft, that they may feem to have no ncTtice of, 

 as their Language hath no word for, Diflionefty and Cheating 5 and the worft 

 Name they have for ill Men is, that they are not good. They are a ftout and va- 

 liant People, which appears in the conftant Wars they arc engaged in, not out of 

 covetoufnefs, and a defire of ufurping others Pofleflions, or to enrich themfelves by 

 the Spoils of their Neighbors, but upon a pitch of Honor, and for the glory of Vi- 

 ctory, which is their greateft joy, there being no parts of their Lives wherein they 

 enjoy Co much fatisfaction, and give themfelves (b wholly to Jollity, as in their 

 Triumphs after Victory. Valor therefore is the Vertuc they mod efteem and 



reward, 



Manners 

 the Inhabi- 

 tants. 



I 





■H 



