gues, and runneth directly towarde the South: it hath right ouer
against it fiue and twentie leagues distant the Isle of Cuba otherwise
called Isabella toward the East the Isles of Bahama and Lucaya, and toward
the West the Bay of Mexico. The Countrey is flat, and diuided with diuers
riuers, and therefore moyst, and is sandie towards the Sea shore. (M362)
There groweth in those partes great quantitie of Pinetrees, which haue no
kernels in the aples which they beare. Their woods are full of Oakes,
Walnuttrees, blacke Cherrietrees, Mulberry trees, Lentiskes, and Chestnut
trees, which are more wild then those in France. There is great store of
Cedars, Cypresses, Bayes, Palme trees, Hollies, and wilde Vines, which
climbe vp along the trees and beare good Grapes. (M363) There is there a
kinde of Medlers, the fruit whereof is better then that of France, and
bigger. There are also Plum-trees, which beare very faire fruite, but such
as is not very good. There are Raspasses, and a little berrie which we
call among vs Blues, which are very good to eate. There growe in that
Countrey a kinde of Rootes which they call in their language Hasez,
whereof in necessitie they make bread. There is also there the tree called
Esquine, which is very good against the Pockes and other contagious
diseases. (M364) The beastes best knowen in this Countrey are Stagges,
Hindes, Goates, Deere, Leopards, Ounces, Luserns, diuers sortes of wolues,
wilde Dogs, Hares, Cunnies, and a certaine kinde of beast that differeth
little from the Lyon of Africa. (M365) The foules are Turkeycocks,
Partridges, Parrots, Pigions, Ringdoues, Turtles, Blackbirdes, Crowes,
Tarcels, Faulcons, Laynerds, Herons, Cranes, Storkes, wilde Geese,
Malards, Cormorants, Hernshawes, white, red, blacke, and gray, and an
infinite sort of all wilde foule. There is such abundance of Crocodiles,
that ofentimes in swimming men are assayled by them: of Serpents there are
many sorts. There is found amongst the Sauages good quantitie of Gold and
Siluer, which is gotten out of the shippes that are lost vpon the coast,
as I haue vnderstood by the Sauages themselues. They vse traffique thereof
one with another. And that which maketh me the rather beleeue it, is, that
on the coast towarde the Cape, where commonly the shippes are cast away,
there is more store of Siluer then towards the North, neuerthelesse they
say, that in the Mountaines of Appalatcy there are Mines of Copper, which
I thinke to be G