Though the Plantine bear not the most delitious fruit that growes on this Iland; yet, for that she is of great use, and beauty too, and for many other rarities that she excells other Plants in, I shall endeavour to do her right in my description. And first, for the manner of planting; we put a root into the ground, six inches deep, and in a very short time, there will come forth three or four sprouts, whereof one has the precedence, and holds that advantage, (as the prime Hawke does in an Ayery). And as this sprout growes, it springs from the intrinsick part of the stem, and the out-leaves hang down and rot; but still new ones come within, and rise up as the Palmeto does, like a pike, which opened with the Sun, becomes a leafe; and about the time it comes to be eight or ten foot high, the pikes, (and consequently the leaves) will be of their full bignesse, and so (as others grow) continue that bignesse, till the last sprout come forth; which is the soul of the Plant, and will never be a leafe, but is the stem upon which the fruit must grow. About the time the leaves come to their full bignesse, they rot no more, but continue in their full beauty; a rich green, with stripes of yellow so intermixt, as hardly to be discerned where they are. These leaves are the most of them above six foot long, and two foot broad; smooth, shining, and stiffe as a Lawrell leafe; and from the middle of the leaf to the end, such a fall, as a feather has, in a well shap’t plume. But, as all these leaves came out in a pike, so that pike ever bends a little towards the East, though as soon as it becomes a a leafe, chuses any point of the Compasse to leane to; and so in a due proportion, hangs round about the stem. At the time it comes to be of the full height, the uppermost leaves will be fifteen or sixteen foot high, and then you shall perceive the stem upon which the fruit must grow, more then a foot higher than the rest, with a green bunch at top; which bunch has such a weight, as to make it stoop by degrees, till it be but seven foot from the ground; and then the green leaves which held the blossome in, open, and shew the blossome it selfe, which is of a pure purple, and as big as the heart of a Stagg, and of that shape, with the point downwards, and so continues, without opening the leaves, till it be ready to fall off; and when it falls, pulls with it above a foot of the stalk that held it, which is covered with yellow blossomes. This purple blossome, when it fell, I guesse to be a pound weight, besides the stalk it took along with it. After this is fallen, the fruit growes out from that end which remained; and as it growes, turnes up towards the stalk that bears it, much like a Grapple, that holds the long-Boat of a Ship; or, as a dozen large fish-hooks tied together, turning up severall waies; each turning up of that fruit being seven or eight inches long, and as bigg as a large Battoon you walk with. In six