wild hogs, they followed us very readily, and hunted for us ; hut
though they were a large bold breed, the hogs fought with fo much
fury, that they frequently deftroyed them, whence we by degrees
loft the greateft part of them.
This place was not only extremely grateful to us from the plenty
and excellency of its frelh provifions, but was as much perhaps to be
admired on account of its fruits and vegetable productions, which
were moft fortunately adapted to the cure of the fea fcurvy, the dif-
eafe which had fo terribly reduced us. For in the woods there were
inconceivable quantities o f coco-nuts, with the cabbages growing
on the fame tree: There were befides guavoes, limes, l'weet and
four oranges, and a kind of fruit, peculiar to thefe Blands, called
by the Indians Rhymay, but by us the Bread Fruit, for it was con-
ftantly eaten by us during our ftay upon the Ifland inftead of bread,
and fo univerfally preferred to it, that no (hip’s bread was expended
in that whole interval. It grew upon a tree which is fome-
what lofty, and which, towards the top, divides into large and
fpreading branches. The leaves o f this tree are o f a remarkable
deep green, are notched about the edges, an^ are generally from
a foot to eighteen inches in length. The fruit itfelf is found indifferently
on all parts o f the branches j it is in lliape rather eliptical
than round ; it is covered with a rough rind, and is ufually feven
or eight inches long; each of them grows fingly, and not in clufters.
This fruit is fitted to be ufed when it is full grown, but ftill green;
in which ftate, after it is properly prepared by being roafted in the
embers, its tafte has fome diftant refemblance to that o f an artichoke’s
bottom, and its texture is not very different, for it is foft
and fpungy. As it ripens it becomes fofter, and of a yellow colour,
when it contrails a lufcious tafte, and an agreeable fmell, not
unlike a ripe peach j but then it is efteemed unwholefome, and is
faid to produce fluxes. I (hall only add, that it is defcribed both
by Dumpier, and in Ray’s Hijiory o f Plants: And that in the annexed
view of the watering-place, there is drawn one of the trees
bearing this fruit, being that mark’d with the letter (c ) . Befides
the fruits already enumerated, there were many other vegetables
extremely