Cap, X; 



2 jfe Caribby^lflands. 



57 



JV? J " by the Princes to certain Embafladours, in the Year 

 M. DC. XVI. they were ferv'd up among the moll: exquifite 

 difhes. 



But the rotatoe is infinitely beyond it : It thrives beft in a 

 light ground, fomewhat moift, and well ordered: It (hoots 

 forth abundance of foft leaves, of a very dark gueen, in fi- 

 gure like thofe of Spwage : They fpring from certain fibres 

 which creep along the ground, and in a fliort time over-run 

 the place where it is fown. And if the ground be well or- 

 der'd, thefe fibres within a certain time frame divers roots by 

 the means of certain whitifh filaments which moot forth below 

 the knots, and eafily faften into the earth. It bears a flower 

 near the fame colour with the root, and like a bell, within 

 which lies the feed : But commonly to propagate this fruit 

 they take only of thefe firings or fibres, which lye fcattered all 

 over the ground, as we faid, and thruft them into ground pre- 

 paid for them, and at the end of two or three months they 

 will have produc'd their root, which hath this further ver- 

 tue, that being cut into fmall pieces, and thruft into the 

 ground, it produceth its root and leaf as effectually as if the 

 ieed lay in each of its leaft parts. 



Thefe roots are of feveral colours, and in the fame piece 

 of ground there will be fome white ones, which are the 

 moil: ordinary, fome of a violet colour, fome red as beet- 

 roots, fome yellow, and fome marbled : They are all of an 

 excellent tafte : For, provided they be not full of water, 

 and grew in a ground moderately moift and dry, that is, par- 

 ticipating of both, they tafte like Cheft-nuts, and are a bet- 

 ter nourifhment then the Cajfava, which dries up the body 5 

 for they are not fo dry. Some, as particularly the Englilh, 

 ufe thefe roots inftead of bread and Caff'ava^ and to that 

 purpofe bake them under the Embers, or upon the coals : 

 For being fo prepar'd they are of a better tafte, and are 

 clear'd of that windy quality which is commonly obferv'd to 

 be in moft roots. But for the moft part they are boyfd, or 

 Itew'd in a great iron pot, into which there is a little water 

 put to keep the bottom from burning } then the pot-lid is fet 

 on as clofe as may be, that they may ftew by that fmother"d 

 heat. This is the ordinary treatment of the Servants and 

 Slaves of the Country, who eat them out of the pot with a 

 fauce made of Tyman and juice of Oranges, 



If this root were not fo common it would be more efteemch 

 The Spaniards think it a delicacy, and drefs it with butter, 

 *ugar, nutmeg, and cinamon : Others make a pottage of it, 

 and putting into it fome fat, pepper and ginger, account it an 

 excellent difh : But moft of the Inhabitants of the Iflands 

 trouble not themfelves fo much about the drefling of it. 

 There are fome will gather.the tender extremities of the afore- 



I 



faid 



