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All the Tortoises from the Caribes to the Bay of Mexico and Honduras, repair in Summer to the Cayman Islands, to lay their Eggs and to hatch there. They coot for fourteen daies together, then lay in one night some three hundred Eggs, with white and yolk, but no shells: then they coot again, and lay in the sand, and so thrice. Then the Male is reduced to a kind of gelly within, and blind, and is so carried home by the Female. Their fat is green, but not offensive to the stomach, though you eat it as broth, stew'd. Your Urine looks of a yellowish green, and oily, after eating it.
There is no manner of Earth, but Sand, at the Point; yet I have eaten admirable Melons, Musk and Water-Melons, that have grown there, A great many trees also grow there, especially Mangranes and Prikle-pears, In other parts it is ordinary to ride through woods, that are full of very large Timber, and yet have nothing of Earth, only firm Rock, to grow in.
In some ground that is full of Salt peter, your Tobacco, that grows wild, flasheth as it is smoked.
The fruit of Trees there of the same kind ripen not at one time: There is a Hedge of Plum-trees of two miles long, as on go to the Spanish Town; on it I have many times remarked some Trees in Flower, others with Ripe, others with Green fruit, and others to have done bearing, at the same time. The like I have observed in other Trees. Jasmins I have seen to blow before their leaves, and also after their leaves are fallen again.
The Sower-sop, a pleasant fruit there, hath a flower with three leaves; when these open, they give so great a crack, that I have more than once run from under the Tree, thinking it all to be tumbling down.
There is a Bird, called a Pellican, but a kind of Cormorant, that is of taste Fishy, but if it lie buried in the ground but two hours, it will lose that taste, as I have been told for certain.
I tried some Analysis of bodies by letting Ants eat them; and I found that they would eat Brown Sugar White, and at last reduce it to an Insipid powder. So they reduced a pound of Salet-oil to 2 drams of powder.
At our first coming there, we sweat continually in great drops for 3 quarters of a year, and then it ceaseth: During that space I could not perceive my self or others more dry, more costive, or to make less urine, than in England. Neither does all that sweat make us faintish. If one be dry, it is a thirst generally arising from the heat of the Lungs, and affecting the Mouth, which is best cooled by a little Brandy.
