72 



A True and ExaB Hiflory 



jifjchovie- 

 Pear, 



Trees of 

 mixt kinds, 

 Alacovc. 



Date tree. 



Mangrave. 



Calibajh. 



ripe, as big as the largeft Pomewater, but juft of the colour of a War- 

 den. When 'tis ripe, we gather it, and keep it one day, and then it is 

 fit to be eaten. We cut a hole at the leffer end, (that it may ftand the 

 firmer in the difh) fo big, as that a fpoon may go in with eafe, and 

 with the (poon eat it. Never was excellent Cullard more like it felf 

 than this to it 3 only this addition, which makes it tranfcend all Cu- 

 ftards that art can make, though of natural ingredients 5 and that is 

 a fruity tafte, which makes it ftrange and admirable. Many (eeds there 

 are in it, but (bfmooth, as youmay put themoutof your mouth with 

 feme pleafure. 



'Twas never m^ luck to fee any of thofe trees, that bear the Ancho- 

 vie-Pears, nor to tafte of the fruit, "and therefore can give you no ac- 

 count of that tree 3 only to let you know, that there is fiicha tree in 

 thelfland. 



The Macow is one of the ftrangeft trees,the Ifland affords 5 the body 

 and branches being ftuckall over with pricklcs,of thefineft forms that 

 I have (een. 



They are black as jet, or Ebony polifh'd 5 the fizes, from one to fe- 

 vcn inches long, Qiarp at the point, with proportionable increafings, 

 from that part where it grows to the tree or bough , and wav'd, as I 

 have feenJbmefwords, from the point to the hilts, the fineft natural 

 pick-tooths that can grow. I brought a large bundle with me, but had 

 them pickt out of my Box by the way. This tree is about the large- 

 nefsof an ordinary Willow, the leaves of that colour and fhape , but 

 extreamly ftifF and hard. 



It bears at top a large tuff of fruit, which we call Apples, but they 

 are not a fruit to be eaten 5 their colour as their leaves, willow-green, 

 and juft filch for fhape as the Cyprus tree bears. Sure, Nature form'd 

 this tree to fome great purpofe , (he is fo arm'd j for neither man nor 

 bcaft can touch her, without being wounded. She is well fhap'd, her 

 body ftrait, her branches well proportioned, her top round. 



Next to this in colour are Date-trees, but the leaves fome what fon- 

 ger- The fhape of this tree I cannot give you, having never feen any 

 old enough to bear the name of a tree, but iprigs rifing from the root, 

 at leaft ten foot high. 



TheMangraveisatree offuch note, as fheraufl not be forgotten 5 

 for , though fhe benotofthetalland luftyfortof trees, yet, flie is of 

 great extent, for, there drops from her limbs a kind of Gum , which 

 hangs together one drop after another, till it touch the ground , and 

 then takes root, and makes an addition to the tree. So that if all thefe 

 may be faid to be one and the fame tree, we may fay , that a Man- 

 grave tree may very well hide a troop of Horfc. The bark of this tree 

 being well ordered, will make very ftrong ropes, and the Indians 

 make it as fine as flax, andfpin it into fine thred, whereof they make 

 Hamocks, and divers other things they wear ; and I have heard , the 

 linnen they wear is made of this bark, as alfo their chairs and 

 flooles. 



The Calibafti tree bears leaves of the fulleft and richefl green, of 

 any that I know, and the grcateft plenty of leaves 3 her fruit not for 

 food, it is for the moft part as big as that of the Coco, round as a ball , 



green 



