50 A VOYAGE TO Book L 



and tortures, till relieved by repeated anointings and 

 the life of cooling draughts. The very beafts thenv 

 felves, by their natural inftindl, are fo far from eating 

 its fruit, that they never approach the tree. 



The palm-trees, rifing with their tufted heads above 

 the branches of the others, form a grand perfpe6live 

 on the mountains. Thefe, notwithftanding the differ- 

 ence is fcarce perceivable, are really of different kinds, 

 as is evident from the diverfity of their fruit. They 

 diftinguifh four principal fpecies, the firft produce coco ; 

 the fecond dates, of a very pleafant tafte-, the third 

 called palma-real, whofe fruit, though of the fame 

 figure, but fomething lefs than the date, is not at all 

 palatable, but has a very difagreeable tafte ; and the 

 fourth, which they call corozo, has a fruit larger than 

 dates, of an exquifite tafte \ and proper for making 

 cooling and wholfome draughts. The palmitos, or 

 branches of the palma-real, are agreeably tafted, and 

 fo large as frequently to weigh from two to three 

 arrobas The other fpecies alfo produce them, but 

 neither in fuch plenty, nor fo fucculent. Palm-wine 

 is alfo extraded from all the four but that from the 

 palma-real and corozo is much the beft. The man- 

 ner of making it, is either by cutting down the palm- 

 tree, or boring a hole in the trunk, in which is placed 

 a tap, with a veffel under it for receiving the liquor, 

 which, after five or fix days fermentation, becomes fit 

 for drinking. The colour of it is whitifti the tafte 

 racy : It bears a greater head than beer, and is of a 

 yery inebriating quality. The natives however, reck- 

 on it cooling, and it is the favourite liquor of the In- 

 dians and Negroes. The guaiacum and ebony-trees 

 are equally common ; and their hardnefs almoft equal 

 £0 that of iron. Thefe fpecies of woods are fometimes 

 carried into Spain, where they are greatly efteemed, 

 but here they are difregarded from their great plenty. 



* The arroba is 25 pounds. 



' . - Among 



