Description of the Island of Savl\ 175 
from eaft to weft ; but what is its breadth, I do not know, as 
I faw only the north fide. The harbour in which we lay is 
called Seba, from the diftrift in which it lies : it is on the 
north welt fide of the ifland, and well Iheltered from the fouth 
weft trade wind, but it lies open to the north weft. We were 
told, that there were two other bays where flaps might an- 
chor ; that the beft, called Timo, was on the fouth weft fide 
of the fouth eaft point : of the third we learnt neither the 
name nor fituation. The fea-coaft, in general, is low ; but 
in the middle of the ifland there are hills of a confiderable 
height. We were upon the coaft at the latter end of the dry 
feafon, when there had been no rain for feven months ; and 
we were told that when the dry feafon continues folong, there 
is no mnning ftream of frefli water upon the whole ifland, 
but only final! fprings, which are at a confiderable diftance 
from the fea-fide : yet nothing can be imagined fo beautiful 
as the profpeift of the country from the flap. The level ground 
next to the fea-ftde was covered with cocoa-nut trees, and a 
kind of palm called Arecas ; and beyond them the hills, 
which rofe in a gentle and regular afcent, were richly clothed, 
quite to the fummit, with plantations of the fan-palm, form- 
ing- an almc-ft impenetrable grove. How much even this 
profpeft mail be improved, when every foot of ground between 
the trees is covered with verdure, by maize, and millet and 
indico, can fcarcely be conceived but by a powerful imagina- 
tion, not unacquainted with the ftateiinefs and beauty of the 
trees that adorn this part of the earth. The dry feafon com- 
mences in March or Aprii, and ends in OClcberor November. 
The principal trees of shis ifland, are the fan-palm, the 
cocoa-nut, tamarind, limes, oranges, and mangoes ; the 
other vegetable productions are maize, Guinea corn, rice, 
millet, callevances, and water-melons. We faw alio one 
fugar-cane, and a few kinds of European garden-fluff ; par- 
ticularly cellery, marjoram, fennel, and garlic. For the iup- 
ply of luxury, it has betele, areca, tobacco, cotton, indico, 
and a final! quantity of cinnamon, which feems to be planted 
.here only for curiofity ; and indeed we doubted whether it was 
the genuine plant, knowing that the Dutch are very careful 
not to truft the fpices out of their proper iflands. There are 
however feveral kinds of fruit, be ikies thofe which have been 
already mentioned ; particularly the-fvveet fop, which is well 
known to the Weft Indians, and a fmail aval fruit, called the 
B limbi, both of which grow upon trees. The E limbi is about 
three or four inches long, and in the middle about as thick as 
a man’s finger, tapering towards each end : it is covered with 
a very thin (kin of a light green colour, and in the infide are a 
few feeds difpofed in the form of a ftar : its flavour is a light, 
clean, pleafant acid, but it cannot be eaten ravy 5 it is faid to 
ba 
