Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/182

10 A Voyage to JAMAICA. nut Trees grow. The greatest part of the Island in one very high Hill, reckoned four Miles from bottom to top, which for the most part is clouded, the descent of which being very steep, makes the small rivers very rapid and their Cliffs or Banks very perpendicularly high. This Island is very fruitful, having formally furnished great quantities of Sugar which was here planted, and was at first excellent, and yet what they have here is extraordinary but very little; the Reason of which is, that there are so many Sugar Plantations in the West-Indies, 'tis not worth their while to make it, although once being once refin'd or clayed 'tis very White and one Pound of it will do as much as a Pound and a half of any other; so that although they make some which is dearer, yet they find so much more Profit in manuring their Vines, that they scarce make what is sufficient for their own Spending in their Families and Sweetmeats, but buy that of their own Plantations in Brasil for that purpose. The greated part of this Island is at present planted with Vines, the Soil being very proper, for it is rocky and steep; they keep their Vines very low with Pruning, in that agreeing with the Culture of the Vines in France, as also in that these Wines grow on the same Soil with those most esteemed there, as the Hermitage Wines, which grow on the rocky steep Hills on the sides of the Rhône. The Grapes are of three sorts, the White, Red and great Muscadine, or Malvasia; of which three the first are most plentiful, for out of the White is made the greatest quantity of Wine, which is made Red by the addition of some Tinto, or very Red wine made out of the Red Grapes, which gives deeper Tincture than that of Champagne, and helps it to preserve it self much better. It is sufficiently known that White-Wines, generally speaking, perish very soon, and that Red ones are much easier preserved, the deep Tincture be; so in France they suffer the Husks or Skin, and Juice of the Grapes to lie longer or shorter time in the Cuve together after bruising, according to the Stipticity or Tincture they desire, or which is all one, the time they would have their Wines to keep. The Virgin Wine, or that made of the Juice running of the Husks immediately without standing or pressure, is soon ready to drink, fine, and very soon perish'd, the Husk impregnating the Wine with something equivalent to Hops in Beer. The same likewile happens in Oil Olive; for it is to be observed, that that sort of Oil void of all manner of Tast and Smell, call'd Virgin Oil, which runs off the Olives without pressing, will without the addition of Salt, in two Months turn rancid, whereas that which has by strong pressing and standing been impregnated with some small parts from the Rind, or Stone of the Olive and Kernel, is able to keep for a very long time without any addition. The Malvasia or Wine made of the Muscadine Grape, does not keep, but Pricks very soon, and so is made in very small quantities. The great quantity of Wine here made, is that of the White mixt with a little Tinto, which has one very particular and odd Property, that the more 'tis expos'd to the Sun-beams and heat the better it is, and instead of putting it in a cool Cellar they expose it to the Sun. It seems to those unaccustomed to it to have a very unpleasant Tast, though something like Sherry, to which Wine it comes near in Strength and other Properties. It is Exported in vast quantities to all the West-India Plantations, and now of late to the East; no sort of Wine agreeing with those hot Places like this.

They have here some Corn of their own growth, about as much as may maintain them four Months of the year, but most comes to them from Dantzick, Ireland, New-England, etc. in Exchange for their Wines to be carried to the hot East and West-Indies, and some few Sweet-meats, as Marmelade of Quinces, Citron-Pills, etc. which they here make up with Brasil Sugar, or that of their own Island. The Sea round this Island is very deep, (as it is in most places where the Land is high) within a Mile of the Shore 'tis Fifty Fathom Water, and