Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/86

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In time of Sugar-making, two Quarts of clear Molosses is thought better than the Sugar.

Beyond Guanaboa in the Mountains, were several Cacao-Walks, or Plantations in the time of the Spaniards, but now they are ruined, only some few Cacao-Trees stand here and there in the Woods, as there is of Oranges, &c. the Wood about them is likewise here grown since the Spaniards left the Island, as high as any of the Island, being seventy Foot high of Timber.

I went to Liguanee, and crossed from Passage-Fort, the Arm of the Sea which comes in by Port-Royal.

The greatest part of the Shore of this Island, and particularly of this Bay, are full of a Tree call'd Mangrove, of which I shall speak hereafter. In the mean time, I think fit only to take notice that Oisters grow or stick to these Trees, not upon them like Fruit, as is vulgarly conceived, but only to so much of the Root of the Mangrove-Tree, as is under Water: the Tree-Oisters stick and fasten themselves, and afterwards several of them stick together, the lower down they are the bigger; so that at low Water the best is taken. They cause the Flux and Fevers when eat in excess, and taste somewhat like ours. When through any Accident these Oisters die, they corrupt, stink, and infect the Air and Wind, and are noisom to the places about them, on this account the Land-Winds are thought to bring Port-Royal no good Air.

Sloops may, if they know the Passage or Canal, go to Passage-Fort from Port-Royal, otherwise they cannot for the Shoals. Men of War Birds, so call'd, appear in this Bay, they fly like Kites, look black, are very large-wing'd in proportion to the Body, they fight with Sea-Gulls, (which are to be found here, and are like ours,) for their Prey.

Pelicans fish in this Bay, likewise in blowing Weather, when they cannot fish abroad, and in the calm Mornings they dive after their Prey. Spanish Mackarel are taken in this Bay in plenty. They are like ours, only made like a Boneto. I here observed a small Shoal of small Fishes to leap out of the Water, being pursued by greater Fishes.

The whole Shoals between Port-Royal and Passage-Fort are cover'd with Coral of several sorts, and Alga angustifolia Vitrariorum or Sea-Grass. There are also Star-Fishes of several sorts, large and five-pointed, as well as small, and several sorts of the Echinus Marinus. Allegators are often drawn on Shoar in the Senne-Nets by the Fisher-men, whole Nets are generally broken by them. These Allegators are so call'd from the word Alagarta, in Spanish, signifying a Lizard, of which this is an amphibious sort. When I was in Jamaica, there was one