Page 204
An.1685
Wild Mammee. Star-apple. Cheapo River.
cipal Fruit of the West Indies. It is very pleasant and wholsome. I have not seen any of these on Jamai- ca; but in many places in the West Indies among the Spaniards. There is another sort of Mammee- tree, which is called the wild Mammee: This bears a Fruit which is of no value, but the Tree is straight, tall, and very tough, and therefore prin- cipally used for making Masts.
The Star Apple Tree grows much like the Quince Tree, but much bigger. It is full of leaves, and the leaf is broad, of an oval shape, and of a very dark green colour. The Fruit is as big as a large Apple, which is commonly so covered with leaves, that a man can hardly see it. They say this is a good Fruit; I did never taste any, but have seen both of the Trees and Fruit in many places on the Main, on the North side of the Continent, and in Jamaica. When the Spaniards possess that Island they planted this and other sorts of Fruit, as the Sapadillo, Avogato Pear, and the like; and of these Fruits there is still in Jamaica in those Planta- tions that were first settled by the Spaniards, as at the Angels, at 7 mile Walk, and 16 mile Walk. There I have seen these Trees which were planted by the Spaniards, but I did never see any improvement made by the English, who seem in that little cu- rious. The Road for Ships is on the North side, where there is good anchoring half a mile from the shore. There is a Well close by the Sea on the North side, and formerly there were 3 or 4 Houses close by it, but now they are destroyed. This Island stands right against the mouth of the River Cheapo.
The River Cheapo springs out of the Mountains near the North side of the Country, and it being penn'd up on the South side by other Mountains, bends its course to the Westward between both, till finding a passage on the S. W. it makes a kind of a half circle: and being swell'd to a considera- ble