The Isle Of St Catharine Is
About Eight Leagues And A Half Long, But No Where Exceeds Two Leagues
Broad; And At One Place The Channel Between It And The Continent Is Only
A Quarter Of A Mile Broad.
The island is covered all over with
impassable woods, except where cleared for the plantations.
Even the
smallest island about it is covered in like manner with a great variety
of trees, between which the ground is entirely covered with thorns and
brambles, which hinder all access; and the main land of Brazil may be
justly termed a vast continued wilderness. Sassafras, so much valued in
Europe, is so common here that we laid in a good quantity for fuel. It
has great abundance of oranges, both China and Seville, lemons, citrons,
limes, bananas, cabbage-palms, melons of all sorts, and potatoes. It has
also very large and good sugar-canes, of which they make little use for
want of utensils, so that the little sugar, molasses and rum they have
is very dear. They have very little game, though the woods are full of
parrots, which are good eating. These birds always fly in pairs, though
often several hundreds in a flock. Maccaos, cockatoes, plovers, and a
variety of other birds of curious colours and various shapes, are to be
seen in abundance; particularly one somewhat larger than a thrush,
having a spur on the joint of each wing. Flamingoes are often seen here
in great numbers, of a fine scarlet colour, and appear very beautiful
while flying.
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