excellent food for hogs. The trunk has projecting rings half a foot
asunder, the bark being thin and brittle, the wood hard and black, and
the pith white. As the tree dies when deprived of its head, which is the
cabbage, it is usually cut down before gathering the fruit.

As the coast and country of Lima has continual dry weather, so this
northern part of Peru is seldom without rain, which is perhaps one
reason why this part of the coast is so little known. Besides, in going
from Panama to Lima, they seldom pass along the coast, but sail to the
west as far as the Cobaya Islands, to meet the west winds, and thence
stand over for Cape St Francisco. In returning to Panama, they keep
along the coast, but being deeply laden, their ships are not fit to
enter the rivers, the banks of which, and the seacoast, are covered with
trees and bushes, and are therefore convenient for the natives to lie in
ambush. The Indians have some plantations of maize and plantains, and
also breed fowls and hogs. On the 27th December, 1684, we entered the
river of St Jago [_Patia_] with four canoes by the lesser branch, and
met with no inhabitants till six leagues from its mouth, where we
observed two small huts thatched with palmito leaves. We saw at the same
time several Indians, with their families and household goods, paddling
up the river much faster than we could row, as they kept near the banks.
On the opposite, or west side, we saw many other huts, about a league
off but did not venture to cross the river, as the current was very
rapid. In the two huts on the east side we only found a few plantains,
some fowls, and one hog, which seemed to be of the European kind, such
as the Spaniards brought formerly to America, and chiefly to Jamaica,
Hispaniola, and Cuba, where, being previously marked, they feed in the
woods all day, and are recalled to their pens at night by the sound of
conch shells.