

Trees. 



Birds. 



Manner of ti- 

 lting Parrots. 





Chief Pro- 

 vinces of 

 Cnb*. 



» x AMERICA. Chap. XV. 



in others fixty five. But for fertility of Soil, contending with Hifpaniola it felf and 

 for temperature andhealthinefsof Air, much exceeding it . nor lefs rich formerly 

 in good Mines both of Gold and Silver, and plentifully ftor'dat prefent, notonely 

 with Sugar-Canes of the beft Growth, but likewife with abundance of Ginger 

 Roots, Cajsia-Fijlula, Maftick, Aloes, Cinamon, Long-Pepper of Jmerka^s they call 

 it, and divers other forts of Spices. The Pafturesno lefs abounding with Cattel of 

 all forts, efpecially of European Breed j the Rivers and Coafts of the Sea with good 

 Fifli . nofcarcity of Fowl, whether wild or tame ; good Brafsand Iron ftill found 

 with fome Gold in the Rivers, efpecially thofe which fall into the Bay Xa*ua on 

 the South fide of the Ifland ■ the chiefeft thereof are Jnmao, La Una, Ik Mares 

 and Cam . the biggeft of them falls Southward into the Sea ; all of them breed 

 ftorc of Crocodiles, which have oftentimes feiz'd both upon Men and Beafts and 

 carrying them into the Water, devoured them there. 



The Cedars breathe forth a moft excellent fweet fmell, and grow fo large that 

 out of the fingle Trunks of fome of them Boats are faid to have been made capa- 

 ble to hold forty, fometimes fixty Men. 



There are alfo many other very odoriferous Trees, yielding a certain Rozen or 

 Gum, no lefs precious than the Storax. 



But nothing grows here more plentifully than Vines, the Bodies or Stocks of 

 which are as thick as a Man's Middle, and bear excellent Grapes. 



Befidcs Partridges, Turtle-Doves, and other Fowl, the Sea.fhore breeds thou, 

 lands of Cranes, which when young, are white, but when old, become of fcveral 

 Colours ; they ftand commonly with their Legs in fait Water, which they drink 



The Parrots which breed here us'd to be taken by the Natives after a ftrange 

 manner : A Boy having a Bundle of Herbs about his Head, climbs up to the top 

 of aTree, holding* Parrot over hisHead, which by griping he forces to make a 

 no.ie, and thereby draws others to come flying about him , upon which, being ex- 

 pert in this Art, he throws a String with a Noofe made faft to a Stick about them 

 and pulls them to him. ' 



There are a fort of four-footed Serpents, by the Natives call'd Tguarm, of which 

 tncy us d to eat. 



efolilli?? °C T cT^ S °l T UttICSj WaS aCC0Untd a § rC " Daint / amo «g ft ^m, 

 efpecially thofe of the biggeft fize.of which fome have been known to weigh a hun- 

 dred and thirty Pound : The Feet of them are faid to cure the Leprofie and Scabs. 



Amongft the peculiar Trees of this Countrey, are the Zagua and the Qaninga. 



I he Cotton, which is of the natural Growth of this Place, is exceedingfine. 



Here is alfo the Bird Flamingo, and another fort of Bird call'd <Bambayas. 



In former times Cuba was Govern'd by feveral. Lords, each Commanding over 

 his own Province. 6 



Halt' ffuv Ub *? Pr0V / . in , CCSarc *<**> *«*»»<>> Cueyba, Qamguey^caca, Xagua, 

 Haona and \Wm, . fo me of tfeem are pl ain , others mountainous, and being more 

 oriels huitfol, were very populous, before the Spaniards came thither, but fince their 

 cruel Maflacres, Icarce any of the antient Natives are left : Nor are the SpanwJs 

 here at prefent very populous, confideringthe largenefsof the Ifland. 



In the Province of Camagucy is a Valley three Leagues in bignefs, where Nature 

 produces a great number of large Stones fo exattly round, that no Man with a 

 <-ompals can make a more exa<ft Circle. 



Though, the Gold, which isdigg'd out of the Mines, and found in Rivers, is 

 none of the pureft, yet the Copper which this Countrey affords is accounted ex. 



The 



