The Soil is generally as fertile as in most places of Europe, and each Island furnish’d with fair Rivers, Brooks, Lakes, Springs, Wells, and other Sources of fresh Water, besides in many places Mineral Waters, which are us’d with good success in the cure of several Diseases; also out of some Mountains store of Brimstone is digg’d, and it is conjectur’d that there are not wanting Mines of Gold and Silver, if they were well look’d after; and there hath been often found Crystal upon the Sands by Rivers sides.
Vines growing naturally in the Caribbees.
The Vine, though wild, and naturally growing in the Woods, yet yields a very large fair Grape; and those which are cultivated in their Gardens or Vineyards, bear excellent Grapes twice a year, but very little Wine is made of them, in regard they find it will keep but very few days.
Wheat not apt to grow there.
Wheat in the Caribbees grows up no farther than the Blade, and the reason is judg’d to be, because through the rankness of the Soil, and for want of Winter, this Grain springs up fast, and hath not substance enough left in the Root to supply it up to maturity; but no doubt but Barley, Rye, and those other Grains, to the ripening of which more Heat is requir’d, would thrive there very well.
Besides Lemmon-Trees, Orange-Trees, Citrons, and Pomegranates, and other Fruit-Trees growing in Europe, there are very many sorts of Trees, Herbs, Pulse, and other Plants, of a different kind from those amongst us, and peculiar for the most part to these Islands.
Fruit-Trees.
Of Fruit-Trees, the most observable are the Goyavier, somewhat resembling the Laurel, onely having a softer Leaf, and of a brighter Green; its Fruit about the bigness of a Pearmain, but full of little Kernels like a Pomegranate.
The Papayer, which is of two kinds, one generally growing in all the Islands, the other proper to Santa Crux; the first hath a Leaf not much unlike that of the Fig-Tree, and the other bears a Fruit about the bigness of a Melon, which by the Portuguese is call’d Mamao, from its resemblance of a Womans Breast: the Tree is hollow and spungy within, and grows up sometimes to the heighth of twenty Foot.
The Monick, call’d by the Islanders Corsot, from the Name of an Island from whence the Seeds were first brought by the Dutch, and bearing a Fruit like a small Cucumber not perfectly ripe.