The Next Day, In The Afternoon,
Several Other Canoes Came Aboard, And Brought Many Roots And Fruits,
Which We Purchased.
The island has no name in our drafts, but the natives call it Pub
Sabuda; it is about three
Leagues long, and two miles wide, more or
less; it is of a good height, so as to be seen eleven or twelve
leagues; it is very rocky, yet above the rocks there is good yellow
and black mould, not deep, yet producing plenty of good tall trees,
and bearing any fruits or roots which the inhabitants plant. I do
not know all its produce, but what we saw were plantains, cocoa-
nuts, pine-apples, oranges, papaes, potatoes, and other large roots.
Here are also another sort of wild jacas, about the bigness of a
man's two fists, full of stones or kernels, which eat pleasant
enough when roasted. The libby tree grows here in the swampy
valleys, of which they make sago cakes. I did not see them make
any, but was told by the inhabitants that it was made of the pith of
the tree, in the same manner I have described in my "Voyage Round
the World." They showed me the tree whereof it was made, and I
bought about forty of the cakes. I bought also three or four
nutmegs in their shell, which did not seem to have been long
gathered; but whether they be the growth of this island or not, the
natives would not tell whence they had them, and seem to prize them
very much.
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