in the evening, which are now drawn up from the earth by the rising sun.  Another kind of tree produces a fruit called xaquas, which being laid by four or five days, though gathered unripe, become full of a liquor like honey, and richer than the finest pears.  There are great quantities of wild vines, which climb very high on the trees; these bear grapes, from which wine has been made, which is somewhat sharp.  Such is their universal abundance all over the island, that the Spaniards used to say there was a vineyard in Cuba 230 leagues in length.  Some of the trunks of these vines are as thick as a mans body.  The whole island is very pleasant, more temperate and healthy than Hispaniola, and has safer harbours for ships, made by nature, than any that have been constructed by art in other countries.  On the southern coast is that of St Jago, which is in form of a cross, and Xaquas, which is hardly to be matched in all the world.  Its entry is not above a cross-bow shot in breadth, and the interior part is 10 leagues in circumference, having three little islands to which ships may be fastened by means of stakes, where they are safe from every wind that blows, being everywhere shut in by high mountains as in a house.  In this harbour the Indians had pens in which they shut up the fish.  On the north side there are likewise good harbours, the best of which was formerly called Carenas, but now Havanna, which is so large and safe that few can be compared to it.  Twenty leagues east is the harbour of Matanaos, which is not quite safe.  About the middle of the island there is another good port, called del Principe; and almost at the end is the port of Baraca, where good ebony is cut.  All along this coast there are good anchorages, though none so large and commodious as those already mentioned.

Cuba produces great numbers of birds, as pigeons, turtle-doves, partridges like those of Spain but smaller, and cranes.  There are none of these two latter on the other islands, but there are cranes on the continent.  There is another bird, not found on the continent, as large as cranes, which are white when young, but grow red at their full growth, which are called flamences or flamingos.  These would have been much valued in New Spain, for the curious feather-works which are made by the natives.  These flamingos are found in vast flocks of 500 to 1000 together.  They seldom fly, but stand much in the water.  When the Indians kept any of these birds about their houses, they had to put salt into the water they gave them to drink.  There are infinite numbers of parrots, which are very good eating when young, about the month of May.  They have few land animals, except a kind of rabbits like those of Hispaniola; but to make amends for this want, they have vast quantities of fish both in the sea and the rivers:  among these the chiefest is tortoises or turtles, in vast abundance, excellent of their kind, and very wholesome,