The Fruit Grows At The Bottom Of The Leaves, On
A Great Stalk, In A Pod About Eight Inches Long And The Size Of A Black
Pudding, Being Of A Fine Yellow Colour, Often Speckled With Red.
The
inside of this is white, but the plantain itself is yellow like butter,
and as soft as a pear.
There sometimes grow fifty or sixty of these pods
on one stalk, and five or six stalks on one tree. They are an excellent
fruit, and most parts of the East and West Indies abound with them. The
banana tree is much the same with the plantain, but the fruit is only
about six inches long, fifty or sixty of them growing on one stalk, and
is extraordinarily mellow, sweet, and good.
We left the bay of Atacames on the 31st July, accompanied by our prize
the Dragon, and passing the Bay of Panama, came to the Bay of Nicoya on
the 16th August, in lat 9 deg. 30'N. in which we anchored near certain
islands near the centre of the bay, called Middle Islands, where we
careened. While here, Mr Clippington, the chief mate, having quarrelled
with Captain Dampier, drew over twenty-one men to his party, and making
himself master of the bark, in which was all our ammunition and the best
part of our provisions, hoisted anchor, and went without the islands,
whence he sent us word that he would put ashore at an Indian house all
our powder, shot, and other ammunition, reserving only what was
necessary for his own use, which he did accordingly, and we sent our
canoes to fetch it on board.
These islands in the Bay of Nicoya are extremely pleasant and fruitful,
abounding in all things necessary for life, such as birds of various
kinds, several sorts of fish, and amphibious animals, particularly
turtles and guanas. Among the birds is a very beautiful one called the
Maccaw, having feathers of all the colours of the rainbow. It is in
shape like a large parrot, with a white bill, and black legs and feet.
The carrion crow is as big as a small turkey, which it perfectly
resembles in shape and colour; but its flesh smells and tastes so strong
of muck that it is not eatable. The pelican is almost as big as a
swan, being mostly white with brown tips to the wings, having a long
bill with a large cross joining the lower part of the bill, and hanging
down the throat like a bag or satchel of great size, into which it
receives oysters, cockles, conchs, and other shell-fish, which it is
unable to break, and retains them there till they open, when it throws
them out and picks out the meat. They are good food, but taste a little
fishy. Their feet are broad, and webbed like ducks, being water fowl,
yet they commonly roost on rocks or trees, and always sit with their
heads to the wind, varying their posture as that changes.
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