The Hi/lory of 



Book I. 



trees, or Apple-trees ofParadife : Thefe two kinds of fhrubs 

 have this common to both. 



1 That they grow of equal height , to wit about twelve or 

 fifteen foot above ground. 



2 That their ftalks, which are of a green colour, (hining, 

 fpongious, arid very full of water, (hoot out of a great Onion, 

 like a Pear, encompafs'd with many little white roots, which 

 faften it to the ground. 



3 That they have (hooting forth at the foot of the ftems cer- 

 tain ScyonSj which bear fruit at the years end. 



4 That when one ftemiscut off for the getting of the fruit, 

 the moft forward next that iucceeds in its place, and fo the 

 fhrub is perpetuated, and multiplies fo exceedingly, that in 

 time it fpreads over all the good ground neer it. 



5 That the fubftance of both is very (oft, and reducible into 

 water, which though extreamly clear, yet hath the quality of 

 dying Linen and white Stuffs into a dark brownifti colour. 



6 That their Fruits lye at the top of the ftem,like great clu- 

 fters or pofies. 



And laftly, that their leaves, which are about four foot or 

 more in length, and a foot and a half in bredth, may ferve for 

 Napkins and Towels, and being dried make a foft kind of 

 Couch or Bed to lye upon. 



Thefe twoflirubs have this further refemblance, that which 

 way foever their fruit be cut when it is come to maturity, the 

 meat of them which is white as (how reprefents in the middle 

 the form of a Crucifix, elpecially when it is cut in thin flices. 

 Hence the Spaniards arefo fuperftitious as to think it a kind of 

 mortal fin to ufe a knife about it, and are fcandaliz'd to lee any 

 thing employ 'd about it but the teeth. 



But there is this to be faid particularly of the Banana-tree. 



1 That its fruit is in length about twelve or thirteen inches, 

 a little bending towards the extremity, much about the bignefe 

 of a mans arm : whereas that of the Fig-tree is but half as big, 

 a»d about fix inches in length. 



2 The Banana-tree hath not in its pofie or clufter above 2 5 

 or 30 Bananas at the moft, which do not lye over-clofe one to 

 another 5 but the Fig-tree hath many times 120 Figs, which 

 tyefoclofe together that they can hardly be gotten aiiinder. 



3 The meat of the Bananas is firm and folid, and may be 

 drefs'd either by roaftingit Under the embers, or boiling it in a 

 Pot with meat, or preferv'd, and dry'd in an Oven, or in the 

 Sun, and afterwards eafily kept : But the Fig being of a foft 

 fubftance hath not the fame conveniences. 



To get in thefe fruits, the trees, which it feems bear but once, 

 are cut at the very foot, and the great clufter isfupported by a 

 fork, that it may not be bruhed in the falling : But theyare 

 feldora cut tillfome of the fruits of each clufter be turn'd a lit- 

 tle 



