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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	leaf_n	small_a	stalk_n	3,896	5	12.4259	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36106	A new voyage round the world describing particularly the isthmus of America, several coasts and islands in the West Indies, the isles of Cape Verd, the passage by Terra del Fuego, the South Sea coasts of Chili, Peru and Mexico, the isle of Guam one of the Ladrones, Mindanao, and other Philippine and East-India islands near Cambodia, China, Formosa, Luconia, Celebes, &c., New Holland, Sumatra, Nicobar Isles, the Cape of Good Hope, and Santa Hellena : their soil, rivers, harbours, plants, fruits, animals, and inhabitants : their customs, religion, government, trade, &c. / by William Dampier ; illustrated with particular maps and draughts.	Dampier, William, 1652-1715.	1697 (1697)	Wing D161; Wing D165; ESTC R9942	710,236	1,112

Accounts is now nothing but a Name For I have lain ashore in the place where that City stood but it is all overgrown with Wood so as to leave no sign that any Town hath been there We staid at the Isle of Blanco not above 10 days and then went back to Salt-Tortuga again where Captain Yanky parted with us and from thence after about 4 days all which time our men were drunk and quarrelling we in Captain Wright's Ship went to the Coast of Caraccos on the Main Land This Coast is upon several accounts very remarkable 'T is a continu'd tract of high Ridges of Hills and small Valleys intermix'd for about ●…o leagues stretching East and West but in such manner that the Ridges of Hills and the Valleys alternately run pointing upon the shore from South to North the Valleys some of them about 4 or 5 others not above 1 or 2 furlongs wide and in length from the Sea scarce any of them above 3 or 4 mile at most there being a long Ridge of Mountains at that distance from the Sea-Coast and in a manner parallel to it that joins those shorter Ridges and closeth up the South end of the Valleys which at the North ends of them lye open to the Sea and make so many little Sandy Bays that are the only Landing-places on all the Coast. Both the main Ridge and these shorter Ribs are very high Land so that 3 or 4 leagues off at Sea the Valleys scarce appear to the Eye but all looks like one great Mountain From the Isles of Roda's about 15 and from the Isle of Aves about 20 leagues off we see this Coast very plain from on board our Ships yet when at Anchor on this Coast we cannot see those Isles tho again from the tops of these Hills they appear as if at no great distance like so many Hillocks in a Pond These Hills are barren except the lower sides of them that are cover'd with some of the same rich black Mould that fills the Valleys and is as good as I have seen In some of the Valleys there is a strong red Clay but in the general they are extremely fertil well watered and inhabited by Spaniards and their Negro's They have Maiz and Plantains for their support with Indian Fowls and some Hogs But the main product of these Valleys and indeed the only Commodity it vends are the Cacao-Nuts of which the Chocolate is made The Cacao-Tree grows no where in the North Seas but in the Bay of Campechy on Costa Rica between Portabel and Nicaragua chiefly up Carpenters River and on this Coast as high as the Isle of Trinidada In the South Seas it grows on the River of Guiaquil a little to the Southward of the Line and in the Valley of Collina on the South side of the Continent of Mexico both which places I shall hereafter describe Besides these I am confident there is no place in the world where the Cacao grows except those in Jamaica of which there are now but few remaining of many and large Walks or Plantations of them found there by the English at their first arrival and since planted by them and even these though there is a great deal of pains and care bestowed on them yet seldom come to any thing being generally blighted The Nuts of this Coast of Caracco's though less than those of Costa Rica which are large flat Nuts yet are better and fatter in my opinion being so very oily that we are forced to use Water in rubbing them up and the Spaniards that live here instead of parching them to get off the Shell before they pound or rub them to make Chocolate do in a manner burn them to dry up the Oil for else they say it would fill them too full of blood drinking Chocolate as they do 5 or 6 times a day My worthy Consort Mr. Ringrose commends most the Guiaquil Nut I presume because he had little knowledge of the rest for being intimately acquainted with him I know the course of his Travels and Experience But I am persuaded had he known the rest so well as I pretend to have done who have at several times been long used to and in a manner lived upon all the several sorts of them above mentioned he would prefer the Caraccos Nut before any other yet possibly the drying up of these Nuts so much by the Spaniards here as I said may lessen their Esteem with those Europeans that use their Chocolate ready rubb'd up so that we always chose to make it up our selves The Cacao-Tree hath a body about a foot and an half thick the largest sort and 7 or 8 foot high to the Branches which are large and spreading like an Oak with a pretty thick smooth dark-green leaf shap'd like that of a Plumb-Tree but larger The Nuts are inclosed in Cods as big as both a Mans fists put together At the broad end of which there is a small tough limber stalk by which they hang pendulous from the body of the Tree in all parts of it from top to bottom scattered at irregular distances and from the greater branches a little way up especially at the joints of them or parting 's where they hang thickest but never on the smaller boughs There may be ordinarily about 20 or 30 of these Cods upon a well-bearing Tree and they have 2 Crops of them in a year one in December but the best in June The Cod it self or Shell is almost half an inch thick neither spongy nor woody but of a substance between both brittle yet harder than the Rind of a Lemmon like which its surface is grained or knobbed but more course and unequal The Cods at first are of a dark Green but the side of them next the Sun of a Muddy Red. As they grow ripe the Green turns to a fine bright Yellow and the Muddy to a more lively beautiful Red very pleasant to the Eye They neither ripen nor are gather'd at once but for three weeks or a month when the Season is the Overseers of the Plantations go every day about to see which are turn'd yellow cutting at once it may be not above one from a Tree The Cods thus gathered they lay in several heaps to sweat and then bursting the Shell with their hands they pull out the Nuts which are the only substance they contain having no stalk or pith among them and excepting that these Nuts lye in regular rows like the grains of Maiz but sticking together and so closely stowed that after they have been once separated it would be hard to place them again in so narrow a compass There are generally near 100 Nuts in a Cod in proportion to the greatness of which for it varies the Nuts are bigger or less When taken out they dry them in the Sun upon Mats spread on the ground after which they need no more care having a thin hard skin of their own and much Oil which preserves them Salt water will

this River Their chiefest employment when they are not at Sea is fishing These men are oblig'd by the Spaniards to keep good watch for Ships that Anchor at Point Arena which as I said before is 7 leagues from the Town Puna The place where they keep this watch is at a Point of Land on the Island Puna that starts out into the Sea from whence they can see all Ships that anchor at Point Arena The Indians come thither in the morning and return at night on Horse-back From this watching point to Point Arena it is 4 leagues all drowned Mangrove-land and in the midway between these two Points is another small Point where these Indians are obrig d to keep another Watch when they fear an Enemy The Centinel goes thither in a Canoa in the morning and returns at night for there is no coming thither by Land through that Mangrove marshy ground The middle of the Island Puna is Savannah or pasture There are some ridges of good Woodland which is of a light yellow or sandy mould producing large tall Trees most unknown even to Travellers But there are plenty of Palmeto Trees which because I am acquainted with I shall describe The Palmeto Tree is about the bigness of an ordinary Ash It is about 30 foot high the body streight without any limb or branch or leaf except at the head only where it spreads forth into many small branches not half so big as a mans arm some no bigger than ones finger These branches are about 3 or 4 foot long clear from any knot At the end of the branch there groweth one broad leaf about the bigness of a large Fan. This when it first shoots forth grows in folds like a Fan when it is closed and still as it grows bigger so it opens till it becomes like a Fan spread abroad It is strengthned towards the stalk with many small ribs springing from thence and growing into the leaf which as they grow near the end of the leaf grow thinner and smaller The Leaves that make the brush part of the Flag-brooms which are brought into England grow just in this manner and are indeed a small kind of Palmeto for there are of them of several dimensions In Bermudas and elsewhere they make Hats Baskets Brooms Fans to blow the fire instead of Bellows with many other House-Implements of Palmeto-Leaves On the ridges where these Trees grow the Indians have here and there Plantations of Maiz Yams and Potatoes There are in the Town of Puna about 20 Houses and a small Church The Houses stand all on Posts 10 or 12 foot high with Ladders on the outside to go up into them I did never see the like buildings any where but among the Malayans in the East Indies They are thatched with Palmeto-leaves and their Chambers well boarded in which last they exceed the Malayans The best place for Ships to lye at an anchor is against the middle of the Town There is 5 fathom water within a Cables length of the shore and good soft deep Oaze where ships may careen or hale ashore it flows 15 or 16 foot water up and down From Puna to Guiaquil is reckoned 7 leagues It is one league before you come to the River of Guiaquil s mouth where it is above two mile wide from thence upwards the River lies pretty streight without any considerable turnings Both sides of the River are low swampy Land overgrown with Red Mangroves so that there is no landing Four mile before you come to the Town of Guiaquil there is a low Island standing in the River This Island divides the River into two parts making two very fair Channels for Ships to pass up and down The S. W. Channel is the widest the other is as deep but narrower and narrower yet by reason of many Trees and Bushes which spread over the River both from the Main and from the Island and there are also several great stumps of Trees standing upright in the Water on either side The Island is above a mile long From the upper part of the Island to the Town of Guiaquil is almost a league and near as much from one side of the River to the other In that spacious place Ships of the greatest burthen may ride afloat but the best place for Ships is nearest to that part of the Land where the Town stands and this place is seldom without Ships Guiaquil stands facing the Island close by the River partly on the side and partly at the foot of a gentle Hill declining towards the River by which the lower part of it is often overflown There are two Forts one standing in the low ground the other on the hill This Town makes a very fine prospect it being beautified with several Churches and other good Buildings Here lives a Governor who as I have been informed hath his Patent from the King of Spain Guiaquil may be reckoned one of the chiefest Sea-Ports in the South Seas The Commodities which are exported from hence are Cacao Hides Tallow Sarsaparilla and other Drugs and Woollen Cloath commonly called Cloath of Quito The Cacao grows on both sides of the River above the Town It is a small Nut like the Campeachy Nut I think the smallest of the two they produce as much Cacao here as serves all the Kingdom of Peru and much of it is sent to Acapulco and from thence to the Phillipine Islands Sarsaparilla grows in the Water by the sides of the River as I have been informed The Quito-cloath comes from a rich Town in the Country within land called Quito There is a great deal made both Serges and Broad-cloath This Cloath is not very fine but is worn by the common sort of people throughout the whole Kingdom of Peru. This and all other commodities which come from Quito are shipt off at Guiaquil for other parts and all imported goods for the City of Quito pass by Guiaquil by which it may appear that Guiaquil is a place of no mean trade Quito as I have been informed is a very populous City seated in the heart of the Country It is inhabited partly by Spaniards but the major part of its Inhabitants are Indians under the Spanish Government It is environ'd with Mountains of a vast heighth from whose bowels many great Rivers have their rise These Mountains abound in Gold which by violent rains is wash'd with the Sand into the adjacent Brooks where the Indians resort in Troops washing away the Sand and putting up the Gold-dust in their Calabashes or Gourd Shells But for the manner of gatnering the Gold I refer you to Mr. Waffer's Book Only I shall remark here that Quito is the place in all the Kingdom of Peru that abounds most with this rich Metal as I have been often informed The Country is subject to great Rains and very thick Fogs especially the Valleys For that reason it is very unwholsome and sickly The chiefest Distempers are Fevers violent Head-ach Pains in the Bowels and

high two more springs up in the inside of them and in a short time after two more within them and so on By that time the Tree is a month old you may perceive a small body almost as big as ones Arm and then there are 8 or 10 leaves some of them 4 or 5 foot high The first leaves that it shoots forth are not above a foot long and half a foot broad and the stem that bears them no bigger than ones finger but as the Tree grows higher the leaves are larger As the young leaves spring up in the inside so the old leaves spread off and their tops droop downward being of a greater length and breadth by how much they are nearer the root and at last decay and rot off but still there are young leaves spring up out of the top which makes the Tree look always green and flourishing When the Tree is full grown the leaves are 7 or 8 foot long and a foot and half broad towards the end they are smaller and end with a round point The stem of the leaf is as big as a mans Arm almost round and about a foot in length between the leaf and the body of the Tree That part of the stem which comes from the Tree if it be the outside leaf seems to inclose half the body as it were with a thick hide and right against it on the other side of the Tree is another such answering to it The next two leaves in the inside of these grow opposite to each other in the same manner but so that if the 2 outward grow North and South these grow East and West and those still within them keep the same order Thus the body of this Tree seems to be made up of many thick skins growing one over another and when it is full grown there springs out of the top a strong stem harder in substance than any other part of the body This stem shoots forth at the heart of the Tree is as big as a mans Arm and as long and the Fruit grows in clusters round it first blossoming and then shooting forth the Fruit. It is so excellent that the Spaniards give it the preheminence of all other Fruit as most conducing to Life It grows in a Cod about 6 or 7 inches long and as big as a mans Arm. The Shell Rind or Cod is soft and of a yellow colour when ripe It resembles in shape a Hogs-gut pudding The inclosed Fruit is no harder than Butter in Winter and is much of the colour of the purest yellow Butter It is of a delicate taste and melts in ones mouth like Marmalet It is all pure pulp without any Seed Kernel or Stone This Fruit is so much esteemed by all Europeans that settle in America that when they make a new Plantation they commonly begin with a good Plaintain-walk as they call it or a Field of Plantains and as their family increaseth so they augment the Plaintain-walk keeping one man purposely to prune the Trees and gather the Fruit as he sees convenient For the Trees continue bearing some or other most part of the year and this is many times the whole food on which a whole Family subsists They thrive only in rich fat ground for poor sandy will not bear them The Spaniards in their Towns in America as at Havana Cartagena Portabel c. have their Markets full of Plantains it being the common food for poor people Their common price is half a Rial or 3 s. a dozen When this Fruit is only used for Bread it is roasted or boiled when it 's just full grown but not yet ripe or turn'd yellow Poor people or Negroes that have neither Fish nor Flesh to eat with it make Sauce with Cod-pepper Salt and Lime-juice which makes it eat very savory much better than a crust of Bread alone Sometimes for a change they eat a roasted Plantain and a ripe raw Plantain together which is instead of Bread and Butter They eat very pleasant so and I have made many a good meal in this manner Sometimes our English take 6 or 7 ripe Plantains and mashing them together make them into a lump and boyl them instead of a Bag-pudding which they call a Buff-Jacket and this is a very good way for a change This Fruit makes also very good Tarts and the green Plantains sliced thin and dryed in the Sun and grated will make a sort of flour which is very good to make Puddings A ripe Plantain sliced and dryed in the Sun may be preserved a great while and then eats like Figs very sweet and pleasant The Darien Indians preserve them a long time by drying them gently over the fire mashing them first and moulding them into lumps The Moskito Indians will take a ripe Plantain and roast it then take a pint and half of Water in a Calabash and squeeze the Plantain in pieces with their hands mixing it with the Water call Mishlaw and it 's pleasant and sweet and nourishing somewhat like Lambs-wool as 't is then they drink it all off together this they call'd made with Apples and Ale and of this Fruit alone many thousands of Indian Families in the West Indies have their whole subsistence When they make drink with them they take 10 or 12 ripe Plantains and mash them well in a Trough then they put two gallons of Water among them and this in two hours time will ferment and froth like Wort In 4 hours it is fit to drink and then they bottle it and drink it as they have occasion But this will not keep above 24 or 30 hours Those therefore that use this drink brew it in this manner every morning When I went first to Jamaica I could relish no other drink they had there It drinks brisk and cool and is very pleasant This drink is windy and so is the fruit eaten raw but boyl'd or roasted it is not so If this drink is kept above 30 hours it grows sharp but if then it be put out into the Sun it will become very good Vinegar This fruit grows all over the West Indies in the proper Climates at Guinea and in the East Indies As the Fruit of this Tree is of great use for food so is the Body no less serviceable to make cloaths but this I never knew till I came to this Island The ordinary People of Mindanao do wear no other cloath The Tree never bearing but once and so being fell'd when the Fruit is ripe they cut it down close by the ground if they intend to make Cloath with it One blow with a Macheat or Long Knife will strike it asunder then they cut off the top leaving the Trunk 8 or 10 foot long stripping off the outer Rind which is thickest towards the lower end having stript 2 or 3 of these Rinds the Trunk becomes in a manner all of one bigness and of a whitish colour Then they split the Trunk in the middle which being done they