of the Ifland of Barhadoes. 



themfelves one into another , and then they become as ftrong and 

 ufeful ;i Fence, as any can be made, Co clofe , as to keep in ConiesJ| 

 and keep out Rats j fotj neither Cattle nor Vermine love to come near 1 

 it. And as it is a beautiful and ufeful fence , for Gardens and Or- ; 

 chards, and to keep in Conies^ Turkies, Jlfi/fco-vi a Ducks, and Dung-| 

 hill fowlj that cannot fly over, (having one wing dipt) lo it ferves us 

 for fingular ufe, in fencing about all our Paftures, or what other ground ' 

 we would cnclofe : For, our fences being all made of fain trees^ with ! 

 the ends laid crofs one upon another , and many of thofe trees fuch j 

 wood, as were apt to rot and decay , by extream moifture, and vio-j 

 lent heat 5 and the Planters having found the moft of them were I 

 rotten and decayed, and to make new fences of that kind unpoffible , ' 

 by reafon the timbers and trees that grew very near that place ^ were j 

 imployed in making thofe fences, (for as they made them , the timber ] 

 ftood in their way, and no more ado but cut them down, and lay them j 

 in their places without further removing) and removes of fo great trees j 

 as they were, not to be done with few and v/eak hands : So that they 

 were come to a great ftrait, and knew not which way , nor how to 

 renew thefe fences 3 fome of the Paftures having no lefs than three , 

 thoufand two hundred fixty eight trees to encompals them. AtlaftJ 

 they thought upon this way, of making new fences , which is the \ 

 moft commodious that can be imagined. And fo they gathered all the 

 Phyfick-nuts they could, and fowed them, and made large Nurferies 

 of them> which as foon as they grew to any ftrength, they remov'd,and 

 planted themfo, as making a fleight hedge between the old fence and 

 the Pafture, that Cattle might not tread them down, being young and 

 tender , they planted them between ^ and in four years time they 

 grew fo ftrong, as they were of fufficient ability to defend themfelves, 

 and became a very fufficient fence to keep in or out the ftrongeft Bulls 

 in the Pafture. And then, allthe woodof the old fence being dry, 

 and fit for the Furnaces, was cut in ftiort pieces, cleft, and fent home 

 by the AfTinigoes and part was gathered together , and made into 

 Charcoals, for fcvv-cl at home, and for the Smiths Forge, for we have; 

 there no Sci-coals. Befides this, there is another ule of this Plant,and \ 

 that is Phyfical: Take five of the kernels, and eat them in a morning 

 fafting, and they are a Vomit and Purges but the body muft be ftrong 1 

 that takes lb many : three v/ill fcrve a body that is eafie to work on ; | 

 I my felf took five of them , and they gave me twelve vomits , and j 

 above twenty ftools, which was too great an evacuation in a hot { 

 Countrey, where the body is weak, and the fpirits exhaufted by conti- ' 

 nual fweating. - | 



But I law a ftronger man there take them before me , and they | 

 wrought moderately with him, but, finding a weaker conftitution toj 

 work on, they had the more powerful operation. | 



This Nut, as it grows on the tree, is like a white Pear-plumb, and i 

 of ay ellowifti colour, with a pulp on it , as much as a Plumb, but I 

 that being taken off, there remains a ftone, of a blackifti colour, and j 

 within that , a kernel, and in that kernel, in the parting it in two 

 halves, as our Hazle-nuts in England^ will part in the middle long- 

 wife, you fhall find a thin film, which looks of a faint Carnation, 



S 2 which 



