. 3 1 8 Mr. WAFERV "DefcriptioH 



may bend down to your hand. The Wood of the 

 Tree is very hard, black, and ponderous, and is of 

 great ufe. It fplits very eafi]y ; and the Indians 

 make of it many Conveniences for their Building 

 and other Occafions, fplitting the Trees into fmall 

 Planks or Rafters which they ufe about their 

 Houfes. The Men make Arrow-heads of this 

 "Wood ; the Women Needle-Shuttles to weave 

 their Cotton, &c : . 



iibby-xttt Upon the Main alfo grows the Bibby Tree, fo 

 called from a Liquor which diftills from it, and 

 which our Engli/h call Bibby. The Tree hath a 

 flreight flender Body no thicker than one's Thigh, 

 but grows to a great Heigth, 60 or 70 Foot. The 

 Body is naked of Leaves or Branches, but prickly. 

 The Branches put out at the Top, and among 

 them grow the Berries abundantly, like a Garland 

 round about the Root of each of the Branches. 

 The Tree hath all along the Infide of it a narrow 

 Pith ; the Wood is very hard, and black as Ink. 

 The Indians do not cut but burn down the Tree to 

 get at the Berries. Thefe are of a whitifh Colour, 



Nut Oil. anc ^ a b° ut c ^ e Size of a Nutmeg. They are very 

 oily ; and the Indians beat them in hollow Mortars 

 or Troughs, then boil and ftrain them ; and as the 

 Liquor cools they skim off a clear Oil from the 

 Top. This Oil is extraordinary bitter : The Indi- 

 dians ufe it for 0 anointing themfelves, and to mix 

 with the Colours wherewith they paint themfelves. 



TheEi^.When the Tree is young they tap it, and put a 

 Leaf into the Bore ; from whence the Bibby trickles 

 down in great Quantity. It is a wheyifh Liquor, of 

 a pleafant tart Tafle ; and they drink it after it 

 hath been kept a Day or two. 



Cm. There are Coco-tvzts in the Iflands, but none on 



the Ifthmus that I remember , and Cacao-trees on 

 either. 



On 



