TheHiftory of Book Jj 



the fwelling which remains in their Legs who have been in ma- 

 lignant Fevers. 



Belides the Acajou , before fpoken of, there are in thefe 

 Iflands feveral forts of trees whereof the wood is red, folid, 

 weighty, and not fiibjed to worms and putrefaction. They 

 are excellent for both Carpenter and Joyner. 



IKON-WOOD. 



BUt above all there is a particular account made of the Iron- 

 mood, fo called, becaufe in folidity, weight, and hard- 

 nefs, it exceeds all thofe we have yet defcribed. This tree, 

 which may be ranked among the higheft and beft proportioned 

 of any in thefe Iflands, is well furnifti'd with branches, and 

 thofe with little leaves with fharp points, and divided neerthe 

 ftalk. It flourifhes twice a year, to wit, inMarch and Septem- 

 ber. The flowers of it, which are of a Violet colour, are fiic- 

 ceeded by a fmall fruit about thebignefs of a Cherry 5 which 

 as it ripens grows black, and is much fought after by the Birds* 

 The bark of the trunk is of a brownifli colour : The wood is 

 of a very bright red being newly fell'd, but lying abroad in the 

 air it lofes much of its livelincfs and luftre. The heart of the 

 Tree is of a very dark red, like that of Brajil, and of fiich hard- 

 nefs that the wedges muft be very (harp and well try'd before, 

 to bring it to the ground. But the wood of it being fair to the 

 eye, folid, eafie to be polifti'd, and more incorruptible then ei- 

 ther Cedar or Cyprefi, it abundantly requites by all thefe excel- 

 lent qualities the pains is taken about it before there can be 

 any ufe made thereof. 



There is alfo another Tree known by the fame name, but it 

 is not comparable to the former : It bears only fmall leaves, 

 and when it flouriflieth, it is loaden with abundance of Pofies, 

 as it were, rifing up above the branches like fo many Plumes of 

 Feathers, which give it an extraordinary ornament. It is of a 

 great height, and the inner-bark is yellowifh or white, accord- 

 ing to the places where it grows. All the wood of this Tree, 

 the heart only excepted, which. is very fmall, very hard, and 

 inclining to black, is fubjecl: to worms 5 whence it comes that 

 it is not commonly ufed, but for want of other. 



There are in the Caribbies many Trees fit for Dying : The 

 moft efteemed and beft known are the Brafil-wood, the Yellow- 

 wood, the Green-Ebony, andthe Reucou. 



BRASIL-WOOD. 



THe Braftl-wood is fo called, becaufe the firft brought into 

 Europe came from the Province of Brafil, where it grows 

 more abundantly then in any other part of America. Of this 



kind 



