Page 296
An.1686
The Lime Tree and Fruit. Bread fruit.
Spring-tide; and though the Nuts there are not very big, yet this is no loss; for the Kernel is thick and sweet, and the Milk, or Water in the inside, is more pleasant and sweet than of the Nuts that grow in rich ground, which are commonly large indeed, but not very sweet. These at Guam grow- ing in dry ground are of a middle size, and I think the sweetest that I did ever taste. Thus much for the Coco-nut.
The Lime is a sort of bastard or Crab-limon. The Tree, or Bush that bears it is prickly, 'like a Thorn, growing full of small boughs. In Jamaica, and other places, they make of the Lime-Bush Fences about Gardens, or any other Inclosure, by planting the seeds close together, which growing up thick, spread abroad, and make a very good Hedge. The Fruit is like a Lemon, but smaller; the rind thin, and the inclosed substance full of juice. The juice is very tart, yet of a pleasant taste if sweetned with Sugar: It is chiefly used for making Punch, both in the East and West Indies, as well ashore as at Sea, and much of it is for that pur- pose yearly brought home to England from our West India Plantations. It is also used for a particu- lar kind of Sauce, which is called Pepper-Sauce, and is made of Cod-pepper, commonly called Guinea- pepper, boiled in Water, and then pickled with Salt, and mixt with Lime-juice to preserve it. Limes grow plentifully in the East and West Indies within the Tropicks.
The Bread-fruit (as we call it) grows on a large Tree, as big and high as our largest Apple-trees. It hath a spreading head full of branches, and dark leaves. The Fruit grows on the boughs like Ap- ples: it is as big as a Penny Loaf when Wheat is at 5 Shillings the Bushel. It is of a round shape, and hath a thick tough rind. When the Fruit is ripe it is yellow and soft; and the taste is sweet and