Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/208

 for raiing of Tents, Watering, and hawling the Seam; the whole protected by a Fort, or rather Battery, of a dozen Guns on the Larboard-Side. At the Head of the Bay tands the Town, about a Mile from the anchoring Place, and conits of two or three regular Streets, of wooden built Houes, where the Governor and chief Men of the Iland reide. Here the Water grows hallow for a coniderable Ditance, and the Natives, at every Ebb, (having before encompaed every convenient Angle with a Rie of Stones, omething like Weirs in England) reort for catching of Fih, which, with them, is a daily Diverion, as well as Subitance, 500 attending with Sticks and wicker Baskets; and if they cannot dip them with one Hand, they knock them down with the other. The Tides rie regularly 6 Foot in the Harbour, and yet not half that Heighth without the Capes that make the Bay.

Here are contantly two Miionaries, who are ent for ix Years to inculcate the Chritian Principles, and more epecially attend the Converion of the Negroes; the preent are Venetians, ingenious Men, who eem to depie the looe Morals and Behaviour of the Seculars, and complain of them as of the Slaves, ut Color Mores unt nigri. They have a neat Conventual-Houe and a Garden appropriated, which, by their own Indutry and Labour, not only thrives with the everal Natives of the Soil, but many Exoticks and Curioities. A Fruit in particular, larger than a Chenut, yellow, containing two Stones, with a Pulp, or clammy Subtance about them, which, when uck’d, exceeds in Sweetnes, Sugar or Honey, and has this Property beyond them, of giving a weet Tate to every Liquid you wallow for the whole Evening after. The only Plague infeting the Garden, is a Vermin called Land-Crabs, in vat Numbers, of a bright red Colour, (in other Repects like the Sea ones) which burrough