130 



Leaf distilled, makes excellent good water, much, esteemed by the 

 Spaniards at Carthagena. 



2. Pyne, the best that ever was eat, in season almost all the year 

 long, sold at sixpence per piece. 



3. Nispero, esteemed the best fruit in the Indies by the Spaniards, 

 in season in July and August. 



4. Mamesappote, tas'es like marmalet, in season part of June, July, 

 and August. 



5. Avocatas, a wholesome pleasant fruit ; in season in August, sold 

 for e'ghtpence per piece. 



6. Cocao, in great plenty, of which they make Chocolatto, sold ordi- 

 narily for three shillings per bushell. 



7. Catrao, a very sweet luscious fruit, green of colour, and much like 

 a mulberry in shape and bignesse. 



8. Limes, Limons, Oranges, Guavers, Bonana's, Plantan's. Papaas, 

 Melons of all sorts, and very good Cucumbers, Gourds, &c, and the 

 largest Potatoes ever eye beheld. 



9. Tobacco, which at Carthagena b'ars the best rate there. 



10. Indico." 



Venables, in a letter to " a person of Honour", quoted in the same 

 work, says "That which we most want for the present, is bread and 

 Baridry, there being not much Casava in the country, and of that the 

 enemies steal a share * V 



Richard Blome in his " Description of the Island of Jamaica" 

 (London, 1672), says : — 



The Fruits. 



There are great plenty of choice and excellent Fruits in this Island, 

 as Oranges, Pome-granates, CocarOsuts, Limes, Guavars, M amines, 

 Alumee-Supotas [sic], Suppotillias, Avocatas, Cashues, Prickle-Aples, 

 Plickle Pears, Grapes, Sower-Sops, Custard- Aples, Dildowes, and 

 many others whose names are not known, or too tedious to name, be- 

 sides Plantains, Pines, &c. 



Their Herbes and Roots. 

 Here likewise grows very well, all manner of Summer-Garden- 

 Herbs and Roots common to us in England, as Radish, Lettis, Purse- 

 ley, Cucumbers, Melons, Parsley, Pot-herbs, also Beanes, Pease, Cab- 

 bages, Colly-Flowers, &c. 



Joseph Acosta, in his " Naturall and Morall Historie of the East 

 and West Indies." (London, 1604), says: — 



" In some parts of the Indies they use a kind of bread they call 

 Cacavi, which is made of a certain root they call Yuca." 



Again : — 



" They have not found at the West Indies any kinde of spices, pro- 

 per or peculiar to them, as pepper, cloves, cinamon, nutmegges, or 

 ginger, although one of our company, who had travelled much, and in 

 'diverse partes, told us, that in the desarts of the Hand of Jamaique he 

 had found trees where peppsr grewe. But they are not yet assured 

 thereof, neither is there anie trade of these spices at the Indies. The 

 ginger was carried from the Indies to Hispaniola, and it hath multi- 

 plied so, as at this day they now not what to do with the great abun- 



