The Agoutys’s are of a dark brown colour, and have little Tails, two Teeth in their upper, and as many in their lower Jaw; they make a noise as if they spoke, crying Couye; if hunted by Dogs, they run into hollow Trees, out of which they are routed by Smoak.
Musk-Rats.
The great Musk-Rats are as big as a Rabbet, and like them live in Holes made in the Ground, but resemble an European Rat, onely their Skins are black, except one part of their Bellies which are white; they smell so strong of Musk, that it overcomes those that carry them.
Serpents.
Amongst the Brambles breed also Serpents of a green colour, two yards long, and an Inch thick, feeding on Locusts and Birds, which they take in their Nests, but do no hurt to Mankind.
The Sassafras Tree.
But Tobago boasts chiefly of the Sassafras-Tree, which resembles the Pine-Tree, hath a firm and streight Body, and on the top Boughs spread like a Crown, the Bark of a dark colour and smooth, and smelling very sweet; the Leaves thin, notch’d, and of a deep Green, have also a delicate smell; the thinnest Roots appear above the Ground, and are exceeding good to cure green Wounds, stoppings and shortness of Breath occasion’d by Colds.
The Tobacco, by the Caribbeeans call’d Y-ouli, Planted among the Fruit-Trees, grows very plentifully here; it shoots up from a stringy Root, bitter of taste, with a thick Stalk, which shoots out Boughs with great Leaves, woolly underneath, and bears a kind of Violet Flower, which when dry’d, are succeeded by little Cods full of black Seed; and to prevent the over-growing of it, they cut off the top of the main Stalk.
The Bird Colibry.