Fruits.
Besides the aforesaid plenty of Flesh, they have many excellent Fruits all the year long, as Banana’s, Pine-Apples, Custud-Apples, Plantens, Papans, Musk-melons, Water-melons, and many other peculiar Plants, as 1. the Auzuba, a fair large Tree, the Fruit whereof is call’d Pinnas, resembling a Malecotoon: Of this Tree there are three sorts, Jaima, Boniama, and Jaiqua; 2. Quauconex; 3. Axi; of which there are also several sorts, as Carive, Huarahuac, Axiblanco, Acafran-Axi, and Axi-Coral; 4. Yuca, the Root of which serves in stead of Corn; 5. Certain Trees call’d Guaibes, besides plenty of Mint and Potato’s.
The Provinces of this Island.
The Island of Hispaniola was formerly divided into several Provinces, amongst which the Mountainous Countrey Hyguey lies towards the Isle of Porto Rico. On the Mountains, which are flat on the top, are great variety of sharp-pointed Stones. The Soil is a sort of colour’d Earth, which produces all sorts of Fruit, especially the Root Casabi, and Melons.
Hyguey also conterminates with Ycayagua; Northward lies Samana; Southward, Yaquimo, where there is store of Brasile Wood: And between the City Domingo and Yaquimo, is the Countrey Baoruco, which with its Mountains extends sixty Leagues in length, and above twenty in breadth, without any Water, Pasture, or Food for Cattel or Mankind.
Next follows the Countrey Xaragua, lying at the great Inlet which divides Hispaniola; for one side extends to the Promontory of St. Nicholas, and the other to the Point Tiburon. This Countrey produces abundance of Cotton.
Lastly, the Provinces Guahaba, Haniguagya and Cahay, are very eminent; as also Cibao, which is full of Gold-Mines; and Lavega Real, with Magnana, which lie between the two great Rivers Neyba and Yagui; the stony Countrey Ciguayos, and the low Coast Darica, where Christopher Columbus built the City Navidad, which he afterwards deserted.
Ginger was formerly brought hither from the East-Indies, but now grows here in such great abundance, that above two and twenty thousand Kintalls are yearly Transported from thence to Spain.
With as good success grow here also the Sugar-Canes and Maiz.
Peter Martyr, a Councellor to the Emperor Charles the Fifth, relates, That Hispaniola produc’d in his time, besides Silver, Copper, and Iron, five hundred thousand Ducats in Gold: Nevertheless the rich Mines lay undisturb’d, because they wanted People to work in them, insomuch that had they not planted their Royal Seat in Domingo, the Island had long since been deserted, notwithstanding the exceeding fruitfulness of the Soil, because the Spaniards exercis’d their Cruelty in such a nature, that of sixty thousand Inhabitants from the Year 1508. to Anno 1514. scarce fourteen thousand of them were left alive; all which is affirm’d by the Bishop De las Casas. Nay, the fore-mention’d Peter Martyr relates, That the Men wearied with working in the Mines, kill’d themselves, despairing of ever being releas’d from their Slavery; and Women with Child destroy’d the Infants in their Wombs, that they might not bear Slaves for the Spaniards. He adds hereunto, That of a hundred and twenty thousand Persons, few were left in a short time.