Sketch of the Mosquito Shore, Including the Territory of Poyais : Descriptive of the Country : with Some Information as to Its Productions, the Best Mode of Culture, &c., Chiefly Indended for the Use of Settlers

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William Blackwood, 1822 - Miskito Indians - 355 pages

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Page 93 - The fig-tree; not that kind for fruit renown'd, But such as at this day, to Indians known, In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms Branching so broad and long, that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade High over-arch'd, and echoing walks between...
Page 203 - ... bestowed upon this little favourite. The emerald, the ruby, the topaz, sparkle in its plumage, which is never soiled by the dust of the ground, for its whole life being aerial, it rarely lights on the turf.
Page 17 - a spacious savanna, of very considerable extent, forming an entire level of unbroken verdure and finest pasturage, skirted on one side by the waters of the lagoon, and on the other bounded by gently-rising hills. The clumps of pine and other lofty trees, interspersed at pleasing distances over the whole, gave the view all the appearance of cultivated art, and afforded a most agreeable relief to the eye.
Page 250 - ... to the pains that are requisite in preparing it for market. This sort therefore is at present cultivated principally for supplying wick for the lamps that are used in sugar-boiling, and for domestic purposes; but the staple being exceedingly good, and its colour perfectly white, it would doubtless be a valuable acquisition to the muslin manufactory, could means be found of detaching it easily from the seed.
Page 236 - The curing-house is a large airy building, provided with a capacious melasses-cistern, the sides of which are sloped and lined with terras, or boards. Over this cistern, there is a frame of massy joist-work without boarding. On the joists of this frame, empty hogsheads, without headings, are ranged. In the bottoms of these hogsheads, eight or ten holes are bored, through each of which...
Page 238 - The use of dunder in the making of rum, answers the purpose of yeast in the fermentation of flour. It is the lees or feculencies of former distillations ; and some few planters preserve it for use, from one crop to another ; but this is a bad practice. Some fermented liquor, therefore, composed of sweets and water alone, ought to be distilled in the first instance, that fresh dunder may be obtained. It is a...
Page 55 - The climate of this part of the American continent is greatly superior to that of most other parts of the same vast portion of the globe, either in higher or lower degrees of latitude. It is equally superior to the climate of the West India islands generally, for persons whose health and constitutions have become impaired from the effects of the latter very frequently acquire a sudden restoration of both after an arrival in Honduras.
Page 233 - The liquor must by no means be suffered to boil : it is known to be sufficiently heated when the scum begins to rise into blisters, which break into white froth, and appear in general in about forty minutes.
Page 214 - If a turtle perceives he is discovered, he starts up to make his escape: the men in the boat pursuing him, endeavour to keep sight of him, which they often lose, and recover again by the turtle putting his nose out of the water to breathe; thus they pursue him ; one paddling or rowing, while the other stands ready with his striker. It is sometimes half an hour before he is tired; then he sinks at once to the bottom, which gives them an opportunity of striking him, which is by piercing him with an...
Page 107 - ... being fallen, the trees are suffered to remain on the ground till they become rotten, and perish. In the course of twelve months after the first season, abundance of young pimento plants will be found growing vigorously in all parts of the land, being, without doubt, produced from ripe berries scattered there by the birds, while the fallen trees, &c., afford them both shelter and shade.

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