34<> 



A fort of 



(enfittvc 



Plant. 



Cing.r. 



Cotton. 



Dcfcription 

 of the Alli- 





Mufcbttli and 

 Mmpnngt, 



fkftDifco. 

 very of the 

 Iflund. 



A M E%^I C A. Chap. XVI. 



The Drink made of Manas is no way inferior to Kfahafia Wine. 



Here you may obferve a remarkable Secret of Mature in a certain evergreen 

 Plant, which grows either on the Bodies of old Trees, on the Rocks, or in the 

 Woods • the Stalk whereof furrounded with Leaves, full of dark red Spots, bears a 

 fweet-fmelling Violet-colour'd Flower, the Leaves whereof as foon as touch'd, 

 clofe up together and die, and according as they are held in the Hand a fliorter or 

 longer time, this ftrangc alteration continues. 



Since the Spaniards planted Ginger on Jamaica, it hath grown there in great abun- 

 dance • the Male Plant (for it is divided into Male and Female) hath generally 

 bigger Leaves than the Female • the Stalks, which are without Knots, have more 

 Leaves upwards than downwards, and fpreads along the Earth, ftill take Root 

 anew • when the Leaves wither, then the Ginger is commonly ripe, but it hath 

 not that poinancy whileft green as when dry'd. 



The Cotton of this Ifland (of which the Clothes and Hammocks that are made, 

 arc vended in mod parts of the Weftern World) grows on a Tree of equal heighth 

 with a Peach- Tree,with a ftraight Stem or Body, out of which fhoot Boughs of an 

 equal length, and at equal diftance ; between the Leaves, which are narrow and 

 long, grow red Flowers, and from them, oval Cods, which when ripe, irtclofe the 

 Cotton, and a Seed like Pepper. 



Of hurtful Creatures here, befides the Mancbomte, and a fort of Snakes call'd 

 Guana's, wherein 'tis thought there is little or nothing of a poyibnous quality ; 

 the mod obfcrvable is the Alligator, with which many Rivers and Ponds abound ; 

 it is a very voracious Creature, but is feldom known to prey u pon a Man 5 it moves 

 fwiftly and ftrongly forward, but turns flow • the biggeft of them are about twenty 

 Foot long, their Backs fcaly and impenetrable, fo that they are hardly killed but in 

 the Belly or Eye 5 they have four Feet or Fins, with which they go or fwim indif. 

 ferently ; are obferv'd to make no kind of noife • their ufual courfe for getting 

 their Prey, is to lie on their Backs as dead, then with a fudden onfet to furprize 

 what-ever Fowl or Beaft comes fearleily near them ; the beft caution other Crea- 

 tures have of them is from the ftrong fmell that flows from their Bodies : to re- 

 quite the harm done by them, they have fomething of vertue, for the Fat or Oyl of 

 their Bodies hath been experiene'd to be an admirable Ointment for all kinds of 

 Pains and Aches 5 they Lay Eggs no bigger than a Turkics by the Water fide, ftill 

 covering them with Sand, which heated by the Sun«beams, hatcheth the young 

 ones, who naturally creep into the Water. 



In fome parts of the Countrey there are alfoa fort of flinging Flies, call'd Muf* 

 chilli and Merrywings, but the Englijh Quarters are little infefted by them. 



Hugh Linfchot writes, That the anticnt Natives of this Place were a fubtile and 

 fliarp-witted People, skilful in Handicrafts, and expert in warlike Affairs, above 

 all the Americans befides. 



The Ifland was difcover'd by the Spaniards under the Conduct of Columbus, who 

 firft built there the Town of MeOtUa ; which difliking,hercmov'dagainto Orijlatta ; 

 and finding that an incommodious and unhealthy Situation, he remov'd again to 

 another Plantation, where he built a very fair Town, firft call'd Sevilla, afterwards 

 St.Jagode la Vega, confiding of about feventeen hundred Houfes, twoChurches,two 

 Chappels, and an Abbey, being the chief, if not theonely Scat of the Spaniards be- 

 fore the arrival of the Englijh, for their Eftanchas, or fmall Plantations, were com- 

 mitted wholly to the cuftody of their Slaves. 



Diego, the Son of Chrijlopher Colonus, (or, as he is vulgarly call'd, Columbus) was 

 the firft that was conftituted Governor of this Ifland, and fent Juan de Squibello 



"Comman* 



