Page 234
An.1685
Turtle. Vinello's.
which they made gave our Men to understand, that they could guide them to a Settlement : but there was no understanding by them, whether it was a Spanish or Indian Settlement, nor how far it was thi- ther. They brought these Indians aboard with them, and the next day, which was the 6th day of Octo- ber, Captain Townly with 140 Men (of whom I was one) went ashore again, taking one of these Indians with us for a Guide to conduct us to this Settlement. Our Men that stay'd aboard fill'd our Water, and cut Wood, and mended our Sails : and our Moskito Men struck 3 or 4 Turtle every day. They were a small sort of Turtle, and not very sweet, yet very well esteemed by us all, because we had eaten no flesh a great while. The 8th day we returned out of the Country, having been about 14 miles directly within land before we came to any Settlement. There we found a small Indian Vil- lage, and in it a great quantity of Vinello's drying in the Sun.
The Vinello is a little Cod full of small black seeds ; it is 4 or 5 inches long, about the bigness of the stem of a Tobacco leaf, and when dried much resembling it: so that our Privateers at first have often thrown them away when they took any, wondering why the Spaniards should lay up To- bacco stems. This Cod grows on a small Vine, which climbs about and supports it self by the neighbouring Trees: it first bears a yellow Flower, from whence the Cod afterwards proceeds. It is first green, but when ripe it turns yellow ; then the Indians (whose Manufacture it is, and who sell it cheap to the Spaniards) gather it, and lay it in the Sun, which makes it soft ; then it changes to a Chesnut-colour. Then they frequently press it be- tween their fingers, which makes it flat. If the In- dians do any thing to them beside, I know not ; but I have seen the Spaniards sleek them with Oyl.
These