A true & exact history of the island of Barbados

by Richard Ligon

Why can it not preserve as well our Lungs?

And that it might work the same effect on himselfe, he alwayes dranke in his Claret wine, great store of the best refin’d Sugar, and also prescribed it severall wayes to his Patients, for Colds, Coughs, and Catarrs; which are diseases, that reign much in cold Climats, especially in Ilands, where the Ayre is moyster then in Continents; and so much for our Health.

Now for our fortunes, they are not only preserv’d, but made by the powerfull operation of this plant.

Colonell James Drax, whose beginning upon that Iland, was founded upon a stock not exceeding 300 l. sterling, has raised his fortune to such a height, as I have heard him say, that he would not look towards England, with a purpose to remaine there, the rest of his life, till he were able to purchase an estate, of tenne thousand pound land yearly; which he hop’d in few years to accomplish, with what he was then owner of; and all by this plant of Sugar. Colonell Thomas Modiford, has often told me, that he had taken a Resolution to himselfe not to set his face for England, till he made his voyage, and imployment there, worth him a hundred thousand pounds sterling; and all by this Sugar plant. And these, were men of as piercing sights, and profound judgments, as any I have known in that way of management. Now if such Estates as these, may be raised, by the well ordering this plant, by Industrious and painfull men, why may not such estates, by carefull keeping, and orderly and moderate expending, be preserv’d, in their posterities, to the tenth Generation; and all by the sweet Negotiation of Sugar?

One Vegetable we have on the Iland, which will neither become the name of a Tree, nor a Plant; and that is a Withe; which is in some respect, the harmefullest weed that can grow; for it pulls downe all that it can reach to, Canes, and all other small plants, it makes nothing of; if it be suffer’d to look up in a Garden, it will wind about all Herbs and Plants that have stalks, pull them down and destroy them; or if it find the way into any Orchard, it will clime up by the bodies of the trees, into the branches, and there inwrap them so, as to draw them (as it were) into a purse, (for out of the maine stalk, hundreds of smal sprigs will grow;) and if any other tree be so neer as to touch it, it will find the way to it, and pull the tops of them together, and utterly disfigure the trees, and hinder the growth of the fruit; and if you cut the maine stalk below, neer the root in hope to kill it, the moysture above in the branches, will thrust down a vine into the ground, and get a new root: Nay this is not all the mischiefe, for it will reach the highest timber, and involve and enwrap so the branches, as to hinder their growths, and many times fasten one tree to another, that one shall hinder the growth of another. A couple of Colonel Draxes Axemen, were felling a tree, and about the time it began to bend, that they perceiv’d which way it would fall, got cleare on the other side, and thought themselves safe: But this being fastned to another, by strong withes, pull’d a great branch of that tree after it, which fell upon the fellers, and bruised them so, as they hardly scap’d with their lives. Cleere a passage of tenne foot broad, that goes between a wood and a land of Canes overnight, and come next morning, and you shall find the way crost all over with Withs, and got neere the Canes; So that if you had left your visit till the next day, they had gotten into the Canes, and then it would be too late to help: for when they are mixt with them, you cannot destroy the one without the other, for wheresoever they touch ground they get new roots, and so creep into every place, and as they go pull down all. These harmefull Withs, have, with all these vices, some virtues. They serve for all uses, where roaps or cords are required, as for binding our Wood and Canes into faggots, or what else roapes are needfull for; and without them we were in ill condition, for we have not any wood fit to make hoops for hogsheads, barrels, tubbs, or what not; and we can have them, of what length and bignesse we please, and they are for that use very good.

Severall kinds of these Withs there are, some that beare fruit, somewhat bigger then the Cod of a Beane, which being divided long-wise with a sharp knife, you shall perceive the most various and beautifullest Colours that can be, and so well matcht, as to make up a very great beauty.

Fell a dosen acres of wood, going on in a straight line, and when the ground is cleered, the side of that wood you left standing, will be likewise in the same strait line, and in a few years these Withs will mount, to the tops of the trees, which are for the most part, eighty or 100. foot high, and from that top to the ground, on the outside of the wood, all will be cover’d with leaves, and those are broad, green, and shining, so that if you be absent from the place two or three years, and look to find a wood, you find a faire green Curtaine, 300 paces long, and 80 foot high, which is as pretty a deceptio visus, as you can find any where and this is one of the pleasantest Vistos in the Iland, the same things are done in the mouths or entrances of Caves, where you shall find a Cave large enough to hold 500 men, and the mouth of it, cover’d with a green curtaine, 40 foot high, and 200 foot long; and so close a Curtaine it is (the vines being wrapt and interwove one into another) as without putting it aside, you can hardly have light to read by.

These Caves are very frequent in the Iland, and of severall dimensions, some small, others extreamly large and Capacious: The runaway Negres, often shelter themselves in these Coverts, for a long time and in the night range abroad the Countrey, and steale Pigs, Plantins, Potatoes, and Pullin, and bring it there; and feast all day, upon what they stole the night before; and the nights being darke, and their bodies black, they scape undiscern’d.

There is nothing in that Countrey, so usefull as Liam Hounds, to find out these theeves. I have gone into divers of those Caves, to trye what kind of ayre is to be found there; and have felt it so close, and moyst with all, as my breath was neer stopt; and I doe beleive, if I should remaine there but one night, I should never come out againe.

I have often wondred, why such vast Caves and Rocks should not afford some springs of water; the ayre which touches them, being so very moyst; for we see in England, where Rocks are, Springs of water issue out; and sometimes (when wet weather is) the moysture hangs upon the Rocks in drops, and so runns down and finds a way to vent it selfe, into small bibling Springs; But here it does not so, though the Ayre be much moyster than in England; But certainly the reason is the extraordinary drinesse, and spunginesse of the stone; which sucks up all moysture that touches it; and yet it is never satisfied.