Barbados

Sources from old books

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

BArbadoes is one of the best of the Antilles, and the most considerable of them, which the English possess. They have there above twenty thousand Inhabitants beside the Savages and Slaves, who are full as many again. It has two or three small Hills which are very fruitful, and fit for Culture, to the very top. This Island is divided into a Eleven Precincts or Parishes, in which are fourteen Churches and Chappels, and is throughout beset with Houses, and no great distance from one another, so full of Planters is it; but the principal Towns are St. Michaels, formerly called the Bridge-Town, or Indian-Bridge, scituate at the bottom of Charles le Bay, in the Southern part of this Isle. This Bay is in the form of a Crescent, very capacious, deep, and secure for Ships; being big enough to secure five hundred Vessels at once from all storms. The Town is long, containing several Streets, and adorned with abundance of well built Houses, being the place of Residence of the Governour, or His Deputy, where the Courts of Judicature are kept. It hath two strong Forts opposite to each other for its defence, and the security of the Ships, but the Town is ill seated, the Ground being lower than the Banks of the Sea; Little Bristol formerly Sprights Bay, scituate about four Leagues from St. Michael, a commodious Road for Ships, well frequented, and defended by two strong Forts, St. James, formerly called the Hall, seated not far from Bristol, here is a good Road for Ships also, and is a place of considerable Trade, Also Charles-Town, about two Leagues from St. Michael, where are kept weekly Markets, and Monthly Courts for the Precincts; there are also several good Bays belonging to this Island, as Fowle-Bay, Austins-Bay, Maxwel-Bay, &c. and here are divers Caves, some of which are very deep, and large enough to hold five hundred men, and those Caves are often the Sanctuaries of such Negro slaves as run away, and it is supposed that these Caves were the Habitations of the Natives. The Riches and Commodities of the Island, consist in Indico, Cotton, and Ginger in great abundance, Logwood, Fustick, Lignumvitae, and Sugars, whereof there is so great a quantity, that they freight above a hundred Ships with it every year; the Inhabitants truck it for other Commodities at the rate of thirty shillings the Quintal; this Isle is so very fertil that it bears Crops all the year long. The Trees, Fields and Woods, being alwayes in their Summer Livery. They have here in their Seas several sorts of Fish, as Cavalos, Cong-fish, Green Turtles, &c. which of all other are the most delicious, with several other sorts appropriate to this and the rest of the Caribby Isles; Here are also almost all sorts of English Herbs and Roots, and several sorts of Fowls, and great variety of small Birds; but no Beasts or Cattel, but what are tame and imported as Camels, Horses, Asnegroes, Oxen, Bulls, Cows, Sheep, Goats, and Hoggs in great plenty; here are also Snakes a yard and a half long, Scorpions as big as Rats and Lizzards, but neither of them hurtful to Man or Beast, Musketoes, Cock-Roches and Merry-Wings, which are very troublesom in the night in stinging, and here are Land Crabs in great abundance, which are found good to eat; and a small Flie called Cayo, whose Wings in the night, as it flies, affords a mighty lustre, and the Indians do commonly catch them, and tye them to their hands and feet, and make use of them instead of Comets which are forbidden them; here are also abundance of Fruits, as Dates, Oranges, Pomgranates, Citrons, Lemmons, Icacos, Cherries, Raisins, Indian Figgs, Pine-Apples, the rarest Fruit in the Indies, with several other sorts; and for Trees here are great varieties fit for several uses, as the Locusts, Mastick, Red-wood, the Prickle Yellow-wood, Ironwood-tree, Cedar, Cassia Fistula, Colloquintida, Tamorins, Cassary, Poyson-tree, Physick-Nut, Calabash, the shells of which Tree serveth them for Troughs, to carry liquid things in, and the Roneon, of whose Bark is made Ropes, and also Flax, Lignum-vitae, with several others: The other Antilles Islands which are Inhabited, have Colonies either of English, French, or Hollanders. There are some other Isles along the Coasts of Terra-firma; which are called Sotavento, because that in respect of the others which are on the North-East, and which go under the Name of Barlovento, they are below the Wind which blows commonly from the East to the West. Margareta, and Cubagua, had formerly the Fishing of Pearls, which prov'd very profitable to the Spaniads, having used all imaginable stratagems to Fish there for those Oysters, wherein they found the Pearls. Tobago, which has given its name to Tobacco, or else has received its own from that weed, has a Colony of Zelanders. Tobacco was formerly called the Nicotion Herb, by reason one Doctor Nicot was the first who introduced the use of it into Europe. Those who call'd it the Queens Herb, gave it that name, as having been first presented to a Queen of Spain.

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Barbadoes, one of the Caribby Islands in the West-Indies, and the most considerable Colony the English enjoy in these Parts. It lies in thirteen Degrees, twenty Minutes Northern Latitude; so that the Days and Nights are here almost of an equal Length all the Year round the Sun rising and setting at six. It is of an Oval Form, not above eight Leagues in Length, and five in Breadth, where broadest; but so well Peopled, that within that small Compass, it is said to contain above 50000 Inhabitants, besides the Negro Slaves, who are treble the Number, improved to this Degree since the year 1627, in the Reign of King Charles the First; for it was then planted by the English to purpose. It's true, it was discovered in the Reign of King James the First, by Sir William Curteen, who was driven upon its Coast by a Storm in his way Home from Brasil, and Landing with some of his Men, met with no Inhabitants, nor with any Place fit to be inhabited, the whole being then over-grown with Woods. However, he found by the Nature of the Soil, that it would be worth while to attempt a Plantation in it, to which he induced his Friends at his Return. These first Planters, for want of Trade, were driven to great Extremities, untill about the Year 1627, their Number being increased, and the Island yielding at that time good store of Tabacco, Indigo, Cotton, &c. Ships began to Trade there by way of Exchange. After which, it began to flourish considerably, especially when their Canes were grown, and they had learnt the Art of making Sugar. This Isle is exceeding hot, especially for eight Months of the Year, so that there would be no living in it, were it not for the cool Breezes that rise with the Sun, and blow fresher as the Sun mounts higher. These Breezes blow always from the North-East, but in the time of the Turnado, and then for an hour or two, it chops into the South, but after returns to its former Point again; notwithstanding this Heat, the Air is so very moist, that any thing of Iron, without constant Usage, is soon eaten up with Rust. The Country lies low and level, and is not well watered with Rivers or fresh Springs, but there are several Pools besides, with which the Inhabitants are supplied with Rain-water, which they reserve in Wells and Cisterns. In short, the Inconveniences are much over-balanc'd with the Pleasantness and Fruitfulness of the Soil, which yields Crops all the year long; yet the Inhabitants observe two principal Seasons for Planting, viz. May, and September; but Sugar-Canes are planted all the year round. The Sugars indeed are not as white as those of Brasil, yet as they are of finer Grain, they prove much better when refined. In short, this Island doth yield such plenty of Sugar, Indigo, Cotton, Ginger, Logwood, Fustick and Lignum-Vitae, that 200 Ships are yearly loaded with these Commodities for Europe. For the Use of the Inhabitants, here are Oxen, Sheep, great stores of Hogs, Fowls, Fruit, and Roots; they have good Dates, Pomegranates, sweet and sower Oranges, Citrons, Limons, Pine-apples, &c. Here also grows Cedar, Mastick, Red-wood, and that called Iron-wood-Tree. Cassia, Coloquintis, Tamarindi, and Cassary, of which last they make their Bread. The Poyson-Tree, and the Physick-Nut, the Calibash, Mangrass-Tree, Palmeto, Roucou and Lignum vitae. Their Drink called Mobby, is made of Potatoes soak'd in Water; another Sort named Prino, is made of Cassary-Root and Water; they make also a strong Drink with the Skimming of Sugar; but the best of all is the Wine of Pines, which is only made of the Juice of the Fruit. The Caribeans of Dominica make frequent Incursions, and commit great Spoils in this Island, and carry off Women and Children with their Plunder. The Blacks are well proportioned, have their Foreheads and Noses flat, being crushed down by the Mothers, who imagine it a great Beauty; they are hardy, and go altogether naked, dying their Skins with a sort of red Composition, hang Fish Bones and other Toys in their Ears, and at their Lips and Noses. In this Island is a Plant called the Sensitive, esteemed one of the greatest Rarities in the World, which, as soon as touched with the Hand, falls down, and the Leaves run together as if they were withered on a sudden; but as soon as the Hand is removed, it presently springs up, and spreads again. Here are Snakes and Serpents of many Colours and Forms, some nine or ten Foot long, and near as thick as a Man's Thigh; yet these are not poisonous, they come into the Houses, which they free from Rats, and such other Vermine; the Grey, Yellow and Red Snakes are dangerous, these have broad flat Heads, exceeding wide Jaws, armed with eight or ten Teeth, as sharp as Needles; their Poyson lies in Purses near the Root of the Teeth; they are so exceeding venomous, that if a Man chance to be hurt by them, if Help be not immediately had, the Wounds prove incurable in a few hours. The Chief Town of the whole Island is St. Michael's, situate at the bottom of Carlisle Bay, in the Southern Part of the Island, where Ships have a very secure Harbor. Here was an Earthquake felt in 1690, but did no Damage.