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-houfes, and became wild, living among the rocks, where they find good prog, feedingon young partridges; and will come fometimes and make great deffruction amongthe poultry, fo that they are become as great a plague as the rats ; but it is hoped,that by the great encouragement the governor gives, they may both be deftroyedin time.
Here is plenty of milk, very good butter, kidney-beans, and yams, whereon the poorerfort of people chiefly live. The yam is a large root that grows in the vallies, inmoifi ground, bearing a broad leaf; it is very hearty food, and well tailed whenthoroughly boiled ; but it is not to be eaten raw, for it fetches the fkin off your mouth.They have abundance of cabbages, falleting, &c. but few carrots and turnips, throughtheir own negledt. They have no trees of any fize, only Ihrub-wood that bears a fortof gum called benjamin, but in no great quantity : however, it is good fweet firing $but very troublefome to the failors that cut it, being obliged to afcend one of thehighelt hills, where there is a very pleafant wood of it ; but the trouble of getting itdown is Hill greater. The greateff conveniency of this ifland for Ihips is the plenty andgoodnefs of the water.
The chief and only town Hands in Chappel-Valley, confiding of about feventy oreighty houfes, which are inhabited by the planters, who come down when Ihips arehere ; otherwife they generally keep at their plantations up the country, which ismore profitable and pleafant to them. And upon a certain alarm given from a highhill when any Ihips appear, they repair down immediately to their refpetlive polls, toa£t, if occafion be, for the defence of their country. Here is the only place where-Ihips can ride. It is open to the fea north-wedward, but the wind blowing always oneWay, viz. fouth-eall nearelt, and this being the lee-fide of the ifland, you ride therevery fafely. The fort or caltle is pretty well fortified. The governor generally re-fides there, but fometimes at a pleafant houfe which he has' in the country. Theyhave one church in the town, which makes but a very indifferent figure without, butwithin is fomewhat tolerable. They ufe great formality in going to church; for aboutnine o’clock in the morning, the council, the minifter, and their wives, together withfuch commanders of Ihips as have a mind to it, do wait on the governor in the callle.After which the bell being ordered to ring, a company of foldiers, with a ferjeant, ingood liveries, are drawn up in the callle, where they make a lane (relling their arms)as _ a paffage to the gate, where there is another ferjeant and a company, which marchwith beat of drum before the governor to the church. After follow the gentlemena nd ladies in their refpective order. As foon as the foldiers get into the church-yard,they fall off to the right and left, making a lane to the church-door.. The governorhas a handfome large feat, with books, where he generally defires the commanders offldps to fit, the ladies being feated by themfelves.
During our llay here, fome of thofe reftlels villains, who doubtlefs had a hand inthe aforementioned wicked defign at Batavia, were by one of the inhabitants overheard,when drunk on Ihore, curfing and damning the Ihip and voyage, laying their headstogether, as far as he could underltand, for a defign of farther mifchief; whereforethis perfon thought fit to acquaint the governor therewith, who, upon Uriel enquiry,tound that a knot of twenty-two of the under officers and failors had figned a paper inmder to Hand by one another. They cloked their villainy with a pretext of petition-'s the governor for more victuals, w'hich they pretended to be in want of; whereuponthe governor and council, having taken the trouble of going on board, and examiningthe matter Itrictly, they found no caufe for fuch a complaint, the allowance beingle ven pounds of good beef for five men a day, with as much rice as they pleafed to eat.
x 2 This.