C a p. XI The Caribby-Iflands. 



CHAP. XL 



Of fome other rare YrodnBions of the Caribbies, and 

 feveral forts of Pulfe y and Flowers growing in thofe 

 Iflands. 



HAving fpoken of the Plants, Herbs, and Roots, confi- 

 derable for their Leaves, Fruits, or Vertues, we now 

 come to treat of fome other rare Productions of thele 

 Iflands, for the moft part not known in Europe. 



RAQJJETTES. 



THat which the French call Raquettes, from the figure of 

 its leaves, which are like a Racket, is a great thorny bufh 

 creeping along the earth, and not able to raife it fdf to any 

 height, in regard the ftem, which is only a leaf grown big in 

 procefsof time, grows not much more then half a foot above 

 ground 5 and though it be big enough, yet is it not to be feen 

 till the leaves, which are green, heavy, ill-fhap'd, and about 

 an inch thick, and faften'd one to another, encompafling it, be 

 firft taken up : they are armed with prickles extreamly (harp 

 and fmall 3 and upon fome of thefe long and prickly leaves 

 there grows a fruit about the bignefsof a Date-plumb, which 

 hath alfo on the out-fide feveral very fmall prickles, which 

 prick their fingers who would gather them : being ripe it is red 

 within and without, of a Vermilion colour : the Hunts-men 

 of thefe Iflands think it very delicate and refrelhing^ but it 

 hath this property, that it colours a mans Urine as red as blood 

 as foon as he hath eaten it 5 infomuch that fuch as are ignorant 

 of this fecrtt imagine they have broken a vein : Nay fome 

 perceiving that alteration in themfelves have taken their Beds 

 out of an imagination that they were very lick. Some report, 

 that in Teru there is a kind of Plumb which works the fame ef- 

 fect : nay there are who affirm, that they have obferv'd as much 

 after the eating of a Gelly of red Goofe-berries. 



Thofe who have defcribed Tunal, which is fo much efteem'd 

 for the precious Scarlet-dye lying in its leaves, make it like the 

 Plant we now defcribe, fave that they affign it no fruit. Some 

 others have ranked it among thofe Thiltles which bear Figs, 

 becaufe the fruit is of that figure, and when it is open, inftead 

 of a (tone, it hath only fmall feeds like thofe of the Fig. 



There is alfo another kind of this Plant, whereof the fruit is 

 white, and of afweeter, and more favory tafte then the red 

 we fpoke of before : nay there is yet another, which, no doubt, 



is 



