A true & exact history of the island of Barbados

by Richard Ligon

Something would be said concerning the seasons of the year; but it is little, & therfore wil be the least troublesome. Four months in the year, the weather is colder then the other eight, & those are November, December, January, & February; yet they are hotter than with us in May. There is no generall Fall of the leafe, every Tree having a particular fall to himself; as if two Locusts stands at the distance of a stones cast, they have not their falls at one time; one Locust will let fall the leaves in January, another in March, a third in July, a fourth in September; and so all months one kinde of Trees, having their severall times of falling: But if any month falls more leaves then other, ’tis February; for so in my nicest observation I found it. The leaves we finde fallen under the trees, being the most of them large and stiffe, when they were growing, and having many veines, which go from the middle stalk, to the uppermost extent of the leafe, when the thin part of the leafe is rotten and consum’d, those veines appear like Anatomies, with the strangest works and beautifullest formes that I have seen, fit to be kept as a rarity, in the Cabinets of the greatest Princes. As also the Negres heads, which we finde in the sands, and they are about two inches long, with a forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and part of the neck; I cannot perceive any root by which they grow, but find them alwaies loose in the sand; nor is it a fruit that falls from any tree, for then we should finde it growing; black it is as jet, but from whence it comes, no man knowes.

Mines.

Mines there are none in this Iland, not so much as of Coal, for which reason, we preserve our Woods as much as we can.

We finde flowing out of a Rock, in one part of the Iland, an unctuous substance, somewhat like Tarre, which is thought to have many vertues yet unknown; But is already discovered, to be excellent good to stop a flux, by drinking it; but, by annointing, for all aches and bruises; and so subtle it is, as being put into the palm of the hand, and rub’d there, it will work through the back.

Another gummy substance there is, black, and hard as pitch, and is used as pitch; ’tis called Mountjack.

Having given you in my Bills of Fare, a particular of such Viands, as this Iland afforded, for supportation of life, and somewhat for delight too, as far as concernes the Table; yet, what are you the better for all this, when you must be scorch’t up from morning till night, with the torrid heat of the sunne; So as in that twelve hours, you hardly can finde two, in which you can enjoy your selfe with contentment. Or how can you expect to find heat, or warmth in your stomack, to digest that meat, when the sunne hath exhausted your heat and spirits so, to your outer parts, as you are chill’d and numb’d within? For which reason, you are compell’d to take such remedies, as are almost as ill as the disease; liquors so strong, as to take away the breath as it goes down, and red pepper for spice, which wants little of the heat of a fire-coale; and all these will hardly draw in the heat, which the sun draws out; and part of this deficiency is occasioned by the improvidence, or inconsideration of the Inhabitants, who build their dwellings, rather like stoves, then houses; for the most of them, are made of timber, low rooft keeping our the wind, letting in the sun, when they have means to have it otherwise; for I will undertake to contrive a house so, as no one shall have just cause to complaine of any excessive heat; and that which gives this great remedy, shall bring with it the greatest beauty that can be look’t on. The Palmetoes, which being plac’t (as I will give you directions in my plot) in convenient order, shall interpose so between the sun and house, as to keep it continually in the shade; and to have that shade at such a distance, as very little heat shall be felt, in any time of the day: For shades that are made by the highest trees, are undoubtedly the coolest, and freshest, by reason it keeps the heat farthest off. Besides this, there are many advantages to be made, in the contrivance of the house; for I see the Planters there, never consider which way they build their houses, so they get them up; which is the cause that many of them, are so insufferably hot, as neither themselves, nor any other, can remaine in them without sweltring.

First then, we will consider what the errours are in their contrivances, that we may be the better able to shew the best way to mend them; A single house that is built long-wise, and upon a North and South line, has these disadvantages: the sun shines upon the East side-walls from six a clock till eight, so as the beams rest flat upon that side, for two hours. And the beames resting upon a flat or oblique line (as that is,) gives a greater heate, then upon a diagonall, which glaunces the beams aside. As a tennis ball, strook against the side walls of the Court, glauncing, hits with lesse force, then when it feels the full resistance of the end wall, where ’tis met with a flat oblique line: So the Sun beames, the more directly they are oppos’d by any flat body, the more violently they burne. This side-wall being warm’d; the sun gets higher, and shines hotter; and then the rafters become the oblique line, which is thinner, and lesse able to resist the beames; and the covering being shingles, receives the heat quicker, and retaines it longer, than tiles would do, so that for the whole forenoon, that side of the roofe, receives as much heat, as the sun can give, and so passes over to the other side, giving it so much the more in the afternoon, as is increast by warming the house and Aire all the morning before, and so the Oven being heat on both sides, What can you expect, but that those within, should be sufficiently bakt: and so much the more, for that the wind is kept out, that should come to cool it, by shutting up all passages, that may let it in, which they alwayes doe, for feare the raine come with it; and letting in the sun at the West end, where and when it shines hottest. Therefore this kind of building is most pernitious to those that love their health, which is the comfort of their lives: but you will say, that a double house will lessen much of this heat, by reason that the West side is not visited by the sun in the morning, nor, the East in the afternoon; I doe confesse that to be some little remedy, but not much, for the double roofes being open to the sun, in oblique lines, a great part of the forenoon; and being reflected from one side to another, when it comes to the Meridian (and before and after, at least two hours,) with the scorching heat it gives to the gutter, which is between them, and is in the middle of the house from end to end, will so warme the East side of the house, as all the shade it has in the afternoon will not cool it, nor make it habitable; and then you may guesse in what a temper the West side is.

Whereas, if you build your house upon an East and West line, you have these advantages, that in the morning, the sun never shines in or neere an oblique line, (which is upon the East end of your house,) above two hours, and that is from six to eight a clock, and as much in the afternoon, and not all that time neither; and upon the roofe it can never shine in an oblique line, but glancing on both sides, cast off the heat very much; I do confesse that I love a double house, much better then a single, but if it have a double cover, that is, two gable ends, and a gutter between, though it be built up an East and West line: yet the sun (which must lye upon it all the heat of the day) will so multiply the heat, by reflecting the beames from inside to inside, and so violently upon the gutter, from both, which you know must be in the middle of the house, from end to end, as you shall feele that heat above, too sensibly in the ground stories below, though your sieling be a foot thick, and your stories sixteen foot high. Therefore if I build a double house, I must order it so, as to have the division between either room of a strong wall, or of Dorique Pillers Archt from one to another; and, in each intercolumniation, a square stud of stone, for the better strengthening and supporting of the Arches above; for I would have the roomes Archt over with stone, and the innermost poynts of the Arches, to rest upon the Pillars, and the whole house to be cover’d with Couples and Rafters, and upon that shingles, the Ridge Pole of the house: running along over the Pillars so that the covering is to serve both Arches, that covers your rooms: by which meanes there is but one Gable end, which will glaunce off the scorching beames of the sun of either side, as, with the help of the Arches underneath, there will be little heat felt in the roomes below. But then a maine care must be had, to the side walls, that the girders be strong, and very well Dove-tayld, one into another, upon the Dorique pillars, or partition walls; and well crampt with Iron, or else the rafters being of that length, will thrust out the side walls by reason the Arches will hinder the Couplets, from comming so low as to keep the rafters steady, from opening at the bottom. For prevention of this great mischiefe, it will be very needfull, to have strong Butteresses without, and those being plac’t just against the Couples, will be of main concern to the side-walls. If you make the breadth of your house fifty foot, allowing two foot to the partition, and two foot to either of the side-walls above, (but more below) which is six foot in all, you will have remaining forty four foot, which being equally divided, will afford twenty two foot for the breadth of either room; you may for the length allow what you please. But this I speak by permission, and not by direction. But, I will send you a Plot with this, and an Index annexed to it, of such a house as I would build for pleasure and convenience, if I were to live there, and had mony enough to bestow; and I believe, with such conveniences and advantages, for shade and coolnesse, as few people in those Western parts, have studied, or ever thought on.

And now I have as neer as I can, delivered the sum of all I know of the Iland of Barbadoes, both for Pleasures and Profits, Commodities and Incommodities, Sicknesses and Healthfulnesse. So that it may be expected what I can say, to perswade or disswade any, that have a desire to go and live there. But before I give a full answer to that, I must enquire and be enformed, of what disposition the party is that hath this designe; If it be such a one as loves the pleasures of Europe, (or particularly of England) and the great varieties of those, let him never come there; for they are things he shall be sure to misse. But, if he can finde in himselfe a willingnesse, to change the pleasures which he enjoyed in a Temperate, for such as he shall finde in a Torrid Zone, he may light upon some that will give him an exchange, with some advantage.

And for the pleasures of England, let us consider what they are, that we may be the better able to judge, how far they are consistent with the Climate of Barbadoes, and what gainers or losers they will be by the exchange, that make the adventure; and by the knowledge and well weighing of that, invite or deter those, that are the great lovers and admirers of those delights, to come there, or stay away.