Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/80

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lxvi
The Introduction.

the morning, cross'd the Mountain, on which I saw those wonderful Ferns described hereafter, and observ'd the Trees cover'd with the Phaseoli, called Cocoons, of which Snuff-Boxes are made. Going over the Moneque Savanna I gather'd the sensible Plant, and came to St. Anns.

I observed the Ruins of the Town called Sevilla, among which a Church built by Peter Martyr of Angleria, of a sort of Freestone (to be had near this City) and Bricks. A Pavement was found two Miles from this Church, the City was so large, it had a fortified Castle, the Walls of Pebbles and Brick, four Foot thick; it was and is a good Port. There was formerly here one great Sugarwork at a pretty distance, the Mill whereof went by Water, which was brought some Miles thither. The Axletree of this is to be seen intire at this day. This Town is now Captain Hemmings's Plantation. The Church was not finished, it was twenty Paces broad, and thirty Paces long: there were two rows of Pillars within, over the place where the Altar was to be, were some Carvings under the ends of the Arches. It was built of a sort of Stone, between Freestone and Marble taken out of a Quarry about a Mile up in the Hills; the Houses and Foundations stand for several Miles along and the ground towards the Country is rising. Captain Hemmings told me, he sometimes found Pavements under his Canes, three Foot covered with Earth, and several times Wells, and sometimes Burial-Stones finely Cut. There are the beginnings of a great House call'd a Monastery, but I suppose the House was design'd for the Governour. There were two Coats of Arms lay by, not set up; a Ducal one, and that of a Count, I suppose belonging to Columbus his Family, the Proprietors of the Island. There had been raised a Tower, part Brick, and part Hewn Stone, as also several Battlements on it, and other lower Buildings not finished. At the Church lie several arched Stones to compleat it, which had never been put up, but lay among the Canes. The rows of Pillars within were for the most part plain. In the time of the Spaniards it was thought the Europeans had been cut off by the Indians, and so the Church left unfinished. When the English took the Island, the ruins of this City were so overgrown with Wood, that they were all turn'd black, nay; I saw a Mammee, or Bastard Mammee-Tree grow within the Walls of the Tower, so high as that it must have been a very large Gun could kill a Bird on the top of it, and the most part of the Timber fell'd off this place, when it was planted, was sixty Foot or more long. A great many Wells are on this ground. In the Bay, under this, is a very fine Harbour, made by a Reef run-ning