A true & exact history of the island of BarbadosLigon, Richard
History
A true & exact history of the island of Barbados
Ligon, Richard
Barbados -- Description and travel; Plants -- Barbados; Sugar -- Manufacture and refining -- Barbados
We also enquired of our Intelligencer, the Hermite, what Trades or
Manufactures were practised there; but were answered, that they were
few, and inconsiderable; Sugar, Sweet-meats, and Coco-nuts, being
the greatest trade they had. Yet by the _Padres_ leave, we carried
away with us 50 head of Cattle, and 8 Horses, which _Barnardo_ made
us pay double for; the usual price being 25 s. a piece, for which he
made us pay 50 s. and for Horses, 10 l. a piece, which others have
had for 4 or 5 l. But he was content, we should rate our commodities
accordingly, and so we were no great losers by the exchange.
Having dispatch’d our businesse, we got leave to go ashoar, upon the
little Iland, at the entrance of the Prye, there to cut and pull
grasse, for our Horses and Cattle, which we made up into hay; a
work quickly done, where so much Sun-shine was our helper. It being
perfectly dried, we stowed it in the ship, which was our last work,
and so wayed Anchor, and hoysed Saile, steering our course for the
_Barbadoes_, leaving _Bernardo_ (according to his own desire) behinde
us; having but 2 Degrees to the southward to varie, in the running of
620 Leagues Westward. St. _Jago_ lying in 15. and the _Barbadoes_ in
13 Degrees and 30 Minutes, to the Northward of the Line.
There are seven more Ilands, which are called the Ilands of _Cape
Verd_: _viz._ S. _Michaels_, St. _Vincents_, St. _Anthonies_, St.
_Lucia_, _Bravo_, _Fogo_, and _Soll_: Some of which are much larger,
but none so considerable, as this of St. _Jago_.
As we lay at Anchor in the entrance of the Prye, we perceived at
Sun-set, between the Sun and us, the Iland called _Fogo_; which was
at such a distance, as none of us could discern it all the day, till
that houre; and then the Iland interposing between the Sun and us, we
saw it perfectly, shap’d like the neather half of a Sugar loafe, the
upper half being cut off eeven; and in the midst of the top of that,
a smoak and fire rising out, from which we guest it took its name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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