Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/212

 (which is poionous) done here with Engines, and then the Negroe Women, upon a rough Stone, rub it into a granulated Flower, reerved in their Houes, either to boil, as we do our Wheat, and is a hearty Food for the Slaves; or make it into a Bread, fine, white, and well tated, for themelves. One thing worth taking Notice about Manyoco in this Iland, is, that the Woods abound with a wild poionous and more mortiferous Sort, which ometimes Men, unskilled in the Preparation of it, feed on to their Detruction: This the Miionaries aured me they often experimented in their Hogs, and believed we did in the Mortality of our Sailors.

Indian Corn, is likewie as well as the Farine de Manyoco and Rice, the common Victualling of our Slave Ships, and is afforded here at 1000 Heads for two Dollars. This Corn grows eight or nine Foot high, on a hard Reed or Stick, hooting forth at every ix Inches Heighth, ome long Leaves; it has always an Ear, or rather Head, at top, of, perhaps, 400 Fold Increae; and often two, three, or more, Midway.

Here are ome Tamarind Trees; another called Cola, whoe Fruit, or Nut (about twice the Bignes of a Chetnut, and bitter) is chewed by the Portugueze, to give a weet Gut to their Water which they drink; but above all, I was hewn the Bark of one (whoe Name I do not know) gravely affirm’d to have a peculiar Property of enlarging the Virile Member; I am not fond of uch Conceits, nor believe it in the Power of any Vegetables, but mut acknowledge, I have een Sights of this kind among the Negroes very extraordinary; yet, that there may be no Wihes among the Ladies for the Importation of this Bark, I mut acquaint them, that they are found to grow les merry, as they encreae in Bulk. I had like to have forgot their Cinnamon Trees; there is only one Walk of them, and is the Entrance