Page 320
An. 1686
Jaca-tree and fruit. The Animals here.
used to eat them, will dislike them at first, because they smell like roasted Onions. This Fruit must be eaten in its prime, (for there is no eating of it before it is ripe) and even then 'twill not keep a- bove a day or two before it putrifies, and turns black, or of a dark colour, and then it is not good. Within the Fruit there is a stone as big as a small Bean, which hath a thin shell over it. Those that are minded to eat the Stones or Nuts, roast them, and then a thin shell comes off, which incloses the Nut; and it eats like a Chasenut.
The Jack or Jaca is much like the Durian, both in bigness and shape. The Trees that bear them also are much alike, and so is their manner of the Fruits growing. But the inside is different; for the Fruit of the Durian is white, that of the Jack is yellow, and fuller of Stones. The Durian is most esteemed; yet the Jack is very pleasant Fruit, and the Stones or Kernels are good roasted.
There are many other forts of Grain, Roots and Fruits in this Island, which to give a particular description of, would fill up a large Volume.
In this Island are also many forts of Beasts, both wild and tame; as Horses, Bulls, and Cows, Buf- faloes, Goats, Wild-hogs, Deer, Monkies, Guano's, Lizards, Snakes, &c. I never faw or heard of any Beasts of Prey here, as in many other places. The Hogs are ugly Creatures; they have all great Knobs growing over their Eyes, and there are mul- titudes of them in the Woods. They are com- monly very poor, yet sweet. Dear are here very plentiful in some places, where they are not di- sturbed.
Of the venenous kind of Creatures here areScor- pions, whose sting is in their Tail, and Centapees, call'd by the English 40 Legs,both which are also com- mon in the West Indies, in Jamaica, and elsewhere. These Centapees are 4 or 5 inches long, as big as a