Coloquintida is as beautifull a fruit, as any you can see, of the bignesse of an Ostrages egge; a fruit of so ill a taste, as a spoonfull of the liquor mars a whole pot of pottage; the rinde smooth, with various greens, interlac’d with murries, yellowes, and faint carnations.
Cassia-fistula.
Next to this shall be the Cassia fistula, which is a tree that will grow the most, in the least time, of any that ever I knew: I set one of the seeds, (which is but a small seed) and in a yeers time, it grew to be eight foot high, and as large and big in the stem, as an ordinary Rattoon you walk withall: The leaf of this tree is like that of an Ash, but much longer, and of a darker colour; the fruit, when ’tis ripe, just of the colour of a black pudding, and shap’d as like, but longer. I have seen of them above 16 inches long; the pulp of it is purgative, and a great cooler of the reins.
The poysoned Cane.
Now because we will have all, or as many of the poysonous and Physicall trees and plants together as we can, that they may not trouble another leafe, we will put in a plant amongst the trees, and that is so like a sugar Cane as hardly to be discern’d, the one from the other: and this Plant hath this quality, that whosoever chews it, and sucks in any of the juyce, will have his tongue, mouth, and throat, so swell’d as to take away the faculty of speech for two dayes, and no remedy that I know but patience.
Tamarine.
Tamarine trees were but newly planted in the Iland, at the time I came away, and the Palme tree (so much admir’d for her two rare vertues of Oyle and Wine) was newly begun to be planted, the plant being brought us from the East Indies, but the Wine she brings may rather be called a pleasant drink, then to assume the name of Wine: ’tis thus gather’d, they cut the bark in such a part of the tree, where a bottle may fitly be plac’t, and the liquor being received into this bottle, it wil keep very good for a day and no longer, but is a very delicious kind of liquor.
Fruit trees.
Figge tree.
The poysonous trees and plants being past over: ’tis now fit to mention such as will make amends, and put our mouths in taste, but not too suddenly to fall upon the best, I will begin with the most contemptible fruits which are in the Iland, the Fig tree and Cherry tree, which have savory names, but in their natures neither usefull, nor well tasted. The Fig tree being very large, but beares a small fruit, and those of so meane a condition, as I never saw any one eate of them, and the leaves not at all of the shape of our Fig leaves, nor the fifth part so large, the body of the tree I have seen as large as; an ordinary Elme here in England.