of the Ifland of Barbadoes. 



of that J till I bring in the Plants ^ where you Qiall find not only the | 

 colour, (hape, and quality of this Plants but the worth and value of it, 

 together the whole procefs of the great work of Sugar making , 

 which is the thing I mainly aim at; But, in my way to that, I will give 

 you a Height defcriptiori or view, of the Ifland in general : and firft, of 

 the Scituation. 



It were a crime, not to believe, biit that you are Well vers'd in the 

 knowledge of all parts of the known habitable world 5 and I fhali 

 ifeem impertinent, if I go about to inform you of the (cituation of this 

 Ifland. But, becaufe there have been fome difputes between Seamen, 

 whether it lye in bare 15 Degrees, or in 15 Degrees and 30 Minutes, 

 I fhall eafily be led by the moft voices, of the moflr able Seamen , to 

 'give for granted, that Carlijk Bay, which is the Harbour where moft of 

 'theraputin,is 13 Degrees and 30 Mmutejfrom the Line, to the Nor- 

 thern Latitude, 



This Bay is, without exception, thebeft in the lflartd, and is fome- 

 what more than a league over , and from- the points cff Land to the 

 bottom of the Bay, is t\vlc,^ as much. 



Upon the moft in war^d ^ait of the Bay , ftands the Town , which 

 is about the bignefs o^HoujjJfo^ and is called the Bridge 5 for that a long 

 BHdge was made at firft OVer a little nook of the Sea, which was rather 

 a Bog than Sea. 



A Town itlfcituate v for if they hdd confidered health, as they did 

 conveniency, they would never haV6 (et it there 5 or, if they had any 

 intention at firft, to haVe built a Town there, they could not have 

 been fo improvident, as not to fbrefee the main inconveniences that 

 muft enfue, by making choice of fb unhealthy a place to live in. But, 

 one houfe being fet up, another was erected ^ and fb a third, and a 

 fourth, till at laft it came tbtilke the name of a Town , Divers Store- 

 houfes betrig there built, ^o ftow their goods in, for their conveni- 

 ence, being near the Harbour. But the main overfight was, to build 

 their Town upon fo unwholfome a place. For, the ground being fbme- 

 what lower within the Land, than the Sea-banks are, the fpring Tides 

 flow over , and there remains, making a great part of that flat, a kind 

 of Bog or Mo raffs ^ which vients out ft) loathfbme a favour , as cannot 

 but breed ill blood, and is (no doubt) the occafion of much ficknefs 

 to thofe that live there. 



At the time of our arrival, and a month or two after, the fickile^ 

 raign d fo extreamly,as the living could hardly bury the dead 5 and for 

 that this place was near to them, they threw the dead carcales into the 

 bog, which infefted fo the water, as divers that drunk of it were abfo- 

 lutely poyfoned, and dyed in few hours after 5 but others, taking warn- 

 ing by their harms, forbear to tafte any more of it* 



The ground on either fide the Bay, ( but chiefly th^t to the Eaft- 

 ward) is much firmer,and lies higher sand, I believe, they will in time^ 

 remove the Town upon that ground, for their habitations, though they 

 fufFer the Store-houfes to remain where they are, for their convenience. 

 But the other fcituation,nlay be made With fonie charge as convenient 

 as that, and abundantly mote healthful. 



Three Bay es there are more of note in this Ifland j one, to the Eafi:- 

 ward of this, which they call Auftins Bay^ not in commemoration of 

 any Saint, but of a wild mad drunken fellow, whofe lewd and extra= 



H vagant | 



The Scima 

 tion. 



