The present state of His Majesties isles and territories in America ... with new maps of every place : together with astronomical tables, which will serve as a constant diary or calendar, for the use of the English inhabitants in those islands, from the year 1686 to 1700 : also a table by which ... you may know what hour it is in any of those parts, and how to make sun-dials fitting for all those places.

A DESCRIPTION Of the ISLAND of BARBADA, or BARBƲDA.

BArbada is situated in 17 degrees and a half of Northern Latitude;* 1.1 of no great extent, not exceeding fifteen Miles in length, and of no great account to the English, who are the Possessors of it; yet it is found to be of a fertile Soyl, well stored with Cattel and Sheep, and might produce several good Commo∣dities were it well manag'd, to the advantage of the Inhabitants. But it is subject to one great in∣conveniency, as well as some others of those Islands, viz. the Caribeans of Dominica, and other places,

make frequent Incursions, and commit great Spoils in it; the enmity and aversion which those Cani∣bals have received against the English Nation in ge∣neral, be so great & irreconcilable, that there seldom passeth a Year wherein they do not make an Erupti∣on into some one or other of these Islands; and if not presently discovered, and vigorously opposed at their first Landing, do much mischief, destroying all before them with Fire and Sword, except the Women and Children, which, together with the Spoil and Plunder, they carry off to their own Territories.

The Caribeans, who Inhabit divers of those Islands, are generally thought to have been former∣ly driven by their Enemies from the Continent of America, and forced to take shelter here, having amongst themselves various and very different Opinions, Customs and Ceremonies; such as live near, and converse with the Christians, have re∣linquish'd many of their ancient barbarous Usages, and have very much civiliz'd their Conversations; which gave occasion to two ancient Caribeans to entertain some of the European Christians with this or the like Discourse.

Our People are now quite degenerated from what they formerly were, and in a manner become just like yours; and so dif∣ferent are we now grown from what we were before, that we find it a matter of some difficul∣ty, for us to know ourselves. To which dege∣neracy of ours, attribute those furious Hurricanes which happen now more frequently, than they were wont to do in the Days of Old.

The Inhabitants are handsom, well-propor∣tioned, of a smiling Countenance, their Eyes and Hair are black, their Foreheads and Noses flat, being crushed down by their Mothers, at the

time of their Birth, and all the time of their Sucking, because they imagine that flatness to be a kind of beauty and perfection: Their Feet are large and thick, and so exceeding hard, that al∣though they go bare-foot, neither shall you see any of them blind, lame, crook-back'd, bald, or having any other natural infirmity. Such Scars and Deformities as they get in the Wars, they glory in, as evident demonstrations of their Va∣lour. Their Hair is strait and long, the Women attributing the highest excellency to that which exceeds in blackness; both Men and Women tye up their Hair behind, which they bind so hard, that it stands up upon their Heads like a horn, but hangs loose upon the top; it falls down again on each side of their Heads. The Men, so soon as their Beards begin to grow, pluck them up by the roots, accounting it a great deformity to the Europeans to wear any: both Men and Women go naked, and if any should so much as endea∣vour to touch their Privy-Parts, all the rest will deride them: and those who converse amongst the Christians, though they are much civilized, and have forsaken many of their odd and barbarous Customs, yet no perswasion can prevail with them to relinquish this.

They generally say, they came naked into the World, and it will be a madness for them to hide the bodies nature has bestowed upon them; not∣withstanding which they change the natural co∣lours of their skins, by dying them with a red Composition, which they make for that purpose, and wherewith they always anoint themselves after washing; and many times, to make themselves ap∣pear the more gallant, as they imagine, they draw black Circles about their Eyes with the Juyce of Ju∣niper-Apples;

and when they would appear more gal∣lant than ordinary, put on a Crown of Feathers of different colours, and hang Fish-bones, or Buck, made of Gold, Siver, or Tin, in their Ears, and some of them make holes through their Lips, or in the space between their Nostrils, wherein they hang Rings, Fish-bones, or some such Toys, to in∣crease their gallantry; and some of the better sort wear Necklaces of Amber, Coral, Cristal, or some such kind of glittering stuff.

There grows in this Island great store of excellent Fruits,* 1.2 viz. Oranges, Pomegranates, Ci∣trons, Raisins, Indian-Figgs, and Coco-Nuts, that famous Fruit whereof some Historians tell such Miracles; the Nut grows upon the very trunk or top of the Tree, which is never found without Fruit, for it bears new every Month: when the Nut is broke, which is very large, (many of them weighing above ten pound) the Fruit appears as white as Snow, extreamly nourishing, and in taste much like an Almond, in the middle whereof there lies a clear Liquor, so exceeding pleasant and de∣licious in taste, that many prefer it before the best Florence-Wine. One of them affords Meat enough to fill a good large Dish withal. Besides which, there are divers excellent Trees and Woods,* 1.3 as Brazil, Ebony, and the like; Cassia, Cinna∣mon, Cotton, Pepper, Tobacco, In∣dico, Ginger, Potatoes, Pine-Apples, and Sugar-Canes, grow likewise there in great plenty; and a certain living or sensible Plant, esteemed one of the admirablest rarities in the World, which, as soon as touch'd with the hand, falls down, and the Leaves run together, as if they were suddenly wi∣thered;

but, so soon as the hand is removed, and the party gone, it presently rises up and flourish∣eth again; from whence it is called, by some, The Chaste Plant, in regard it will not endure to be touched, without expressing its resentments of its injury.

There are not many venomous Creatures* 1.4 to be found in this Island, nor in any of the Carib∣bees, but yet there are many Snakes and Serpents of many colours and forms, some whereof are nine or ten foot long, and near as big as a Man's thigh; one whereof being kil∣led, a whole Hen, feathers and all, were found in her belly, besides a dozen Eggs, upon which the Hen was sitting when the Serpent seized her, which shews them to be very large; notwith∣standing they are not poysonous, but pleasure the inhabitants by freeing their Houses from Rats and other such like Vermine, which they kill and de∣vour. There is another sort of Serpent, above an Ell long, and not above an Inch about, which feed upon Frogs and Birds, and are in co∣lour of so lovely green, that they are very delightful to the eye. But there are two sorts of Snakes that are very hurtful and dangerous; the first is gray on the back, and feels soft like Velvet; the other is either yellow or red, very dreadful to look on, their heads being flat and broad, and their jaws exceeding wide, and armed with eight or ten teeth as sharp as Needles, from whence they produce their poyson, which lies in little purses near the roots of their teeth; they do not chew their Food, (but swallow it down whole) for if they should, the inhabitants say, they would poyson themselves: they are so exceeding veno∣mous,

that if a man chance to be hurt by them, if help be not immediately had, the wound in two hours proves incurable: nor have they any other vertue, that deserves commendation, but this, they never hurt any man, which doth not first mo∣lest them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Situation.
• * 1.2

  Their Fruits.
• * 1.3

  Their Commo∣dities.
• * 1.4

  Venomous Crea∣tures.