Selected quad for the lemma: country_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A45661
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The defence of the Scots settlement at Darien answer'd paragraph by paragraph / by Philo-Britan.
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Harris, Walter, 17th/18th cent.; Fletcher, Andrew, 1655-1716.; Foyer, Archibald.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing H881; ESTC R9419
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58,491
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93
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further in it is deep enough and hath a good Harbour in Caret Bay which is some Leagues up the River hath two Islands of pretty high Land cloath'd with variety of Trees lying before it and two or three Streams of fresh Water falling into it From this Bay to the Promontory near Golden Island the Shore is indifferently fruitful and the Soil on the Northern Coast is generally good but swampy here and there to the Sea To the Westward of the Promontory at the entrance of the River is a fine sandy Bay with three Islands one of them Golden Island lying before it which make it an extraordinary good Harbour Golden Island is rocky and steep all round except at the Landing Place on the South side so that it is naturally fortifi'd The Land of the Isthmus over against it to the S. E. is an excellent fruitful Soil West of this Island lies the largest of the three being swampy and covered with Maingroves To the North of these lies the Island of Pines cover'd with tall Trees fit for any use From the Point against these Islands for three Leagues Westward the Shore is guarded by Rocks so that a Boat cannot Land but at the N. W. end of the Rocks there 's very good Harbour and good Riding as hâ—s been said in all Winds by some or other of those Islâ—nds which with the adjacent Shore make a lovelâ— Lâ—â—dskip off at Sea The Channel betwixt them and the Isthmus is two three and four Miles broâ—d â—nd Navigable from end to end and the Ground opposite to them within Land an excelleâ—t Soil and a continued Forest of stately Timber-Trees On the South-side there 's the River Sambo that falls into the Sea by point Garachina This is a â—â—rge River Then there 's the Gulph of St. Michael made by the Outlet of several considerable Rivers as those of Santa Maria and Congo and the gold-Gold-River so call'd because of the great plenty of Gold Dust it affords to the Spaniards The River Congo may be entred at High-water and affords a good Harbour The Gulph has several Islands in it and affords good Riding in many places The Country on this side as on the other is one continued Forest and forms a Bay call'd the Bay of Panama abounding with fine Islands and affording good Riding for Ships The Soil of the Inland Country is for the most part a black fruitful Mold The Weather is much the same as in other places of the Torrid Zone in this Latitude but inclining to the wet extreme for two thirds of the year the Rains beginning in April The most remarkable of their Trees are the Cotton Tree which bears a Cod as big as a Nutmeg full of short Wool or Down and affords Timber for Canoes and Periagoes they abound with stately Cedars and Macaw Trees which bear a Fruit as big as a small Pear of a tart but not unpleasant Taste Bibby Tree the Wood hard and black as Ink and being tapp'd affords a Liquor call'd Bibby of a pleasant tart taste which the Indians drink They have abundance of Plantains set in Walks which make very delightful Groves and yield an excellent Fruit and being green and sappy are cut down with one stroak of an Ax. They have also plenty of Bonanoes another sort of Plantain which eats best raw as the Plantain does boil'd They have great store of that excellent Fruit call'd Pine-Apples which tastes like a Mixture of all delicious Fruits and ripens at all times of the year They have also Prickle-Pâ—ar which is a very good Fruit and Sugar-Canes of which they make no other use but to suck out the Juice The Maho-Tree of which they make Ropes Cables for Ships and Nets for fishing The Calabash whose Shells serve for Cups and other occasions is curiously painted the sweet sort of 'em is eatable and the bitter sort Medicinal They have also Gourds of the like nature There 's a Plant they call Silk Grass which resembles our Flags this they beat into strings like fine Flax much stronger than our Flax or Hemp of these they make Ropes Cordage of all sorts Nets for small Fish and the Spaniards and others use it for Shoemakers Thread Stockings and a sort of Lace They have a Tree call'd Lightwood as large as an Elm but so light that a Man may carry a great quantity of it on his back It is in substance like Cork and made use of by the Indians for Rafters to go to Sea or pass Rivers They have a Tree call'd Whitewood of a finer Grain and whiter than any European Wood and fit for inlaying They have Tamarind Locust-Tree Bastard Cinnamon Bamboes and Maingrove-Trees in plenty They have Shrubs that bear store of Pepper of two sorts call'd Bell Pepper and Bird-Pepper Mr. Wafer to whom we owe this Description takes notice of a Redwood whereof there grow great quantities on the Northern Coast the Indians make use of it for Dying and mix a kind of Earth they have with it It makes a bright glossy lively Red which no washing can fetch out again This we suppose to be the Nicaragua Wood. Their Roots are Potatoes Kams and Cassava of the last of which they make Bread They have likewise Tobacco but don't understand the Planting and Manuring of it it is not so strong as that of Virginia Their Beasts are the Peccary and Waree a kind of wild Hogs which are very good Meat They have considerable store of Deer and Rabbits and great droves of Monkies which are extraordinary fat and good to Eat They have an Insect call'd a Soldier somewhat resembling a Crab which seeds upon what falls from the Tree is a delicious Meat and yeilds an Oil that is an excellent Salve They have no European Cattle Their Birds are the Chicaly-Chicaly which makes a noise somewhat like a Cuccoo is a large Bird has Feathers of divers Colours very beautiful and lively whereof the Natives sometimes make Aprons This Bird keeps mostly on the Trees feeds on Fruit and is pretty good Meâ—t The Quam feeds in the same manner his Wings are dun his Tail dark short and upright He is much preferable to the other for Meat There 's a Russâ—t colour'd Bird resembling a Partridge runs most on the ground and is excellent Meat The Corosou is a large Fowl as big as a Turky and of a black colour The Cock has a fine Crown of yellow Feathers on his Head and Gills like a Turky They live on Trees and eat Fruit. They sing very delightfully and are so well imitated by the Indians that they discover their haunts by it They are very good Meat but their Bones make the Dogs run mad and are therefore hid from them by the Indians They have abundance of Parrots for size and shape much like those of Jamaica they are very good Meat Their Parakites are most of them green and go in large Flights by themselves They have Macaw Birds which are as big again as Parrots