Cap. IX. 7 be Caribby-Iflands. 



tie yellowifh ; for that is a fign of their maturity, and then be- 

 ing carried into the houfe, thofe which were green ripen by 

 degrees, and fothey have every day new fruit. 



Theclufter is commonly as much as a man can well carry $ 

 nay fometimes it is laid on a Leaver, and carried upon their 

 ftioulders between two, as that bunch of Grapes which the 

 Spies of the Israelites brought out of the Land of Canaan. 

 Some have thought this fruit fo excellent and delicate,; that 

 they have imagined it to be the fame which God forbad our firft 

 Parents to eat of in Paradife : accordingly they have named it 

 Adams Fig-tree , or the Fruit-tree of Paradife : the leaf of thefe 

 Reeds being of thelargenefs we have before defcribed, may in- 

 deed be allow'd very fit to cover the nakednefs of our firft Pa- 

 rents } and as to the figure of the Crucifix which may befeen 

 within the fruit when it is cut, we leave it to find work for their 

 profound fpeculations who bufie their thoughts in fearching 

 out thefecretsof Nature. 



There are fome who affirm that the figure of a Crofs is alfo 

 marked in the feed of the Herb commonly called Rue. The 

 fmall Gentiana, or Cruciata , hath the leaves difpos'd in the 

 form of a Crofs upon its ftalk j and it is to be acknowledg'd 

 that Nature, as it werefporting her felf, hath been pleas'd to 

 make feveral fuch reprefentations in Plants and Flowers. 

 Hence it comes that fome have the refemblance of Hair, others 

 of Eyes, others of Ears, others of a Nofe, a Heart, a Tongue, 

 a Hand, and fome other parts of the Body : There are in like 

 manner divers famous Plants which feem to reprefent feveral 

 other things, as Eagles, Bees, Serpents, Cats-clawes, Cocks- 

 combs, Bears-ears, Harts-horns, Darts, and the like .• whence 

 many times thofe Plants derive their names^ from the faidre- 

 fembflance. But of thefe it is befides our defign to give any 

 account. 



CORAL-WOOD. 



THere is alfo in feveral of the Iflands a little ftirub which 

 bears a feed as red as any Coral : it grows in bunches at 

 the extremity of its branches, which derive an extraordinary 

 luftrefromit : But thefe little feeds have a fmall black fpot at 

 one end, which disfigures them , and abates much of their 

 efteem with fome 5 others on the contrary affirm that that 

 diverfity of colours makes them more delightful to the 

 Eye. This may be called the Coral-tree : The feeds are ufed 

 for Bracelets. 



JASMIN 



