An enquiry into the natural history, cehmical properties, and medical virtues, of the rock oil, or green mineral naphtha, of Barbados : particularising the successful experiments ... observations on digestion ... / by C.H. Wilkinson.

  • Wilkinson, C. H. (Charles Henry)
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An enquiry into the natural history, cehmical properties, and medical virtues, of the rock oil, or green mineral naphtha, of Barbados : particularising the successful experiments ... observations on digestion ... / by C.H. Wilkinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    PRE FACE. From the Historical Account of Barbadoes, it appears, that it was discovered by the Portu- guese in their voyage from Brazil. They ob- served in this, as in many other small islands in the vicinity, a great number of the beards* of the fig tree, and gave them the general name of “ Las Barbadas.” The island, the subject of our enquiry, retains this appellation, whilst the other islands are designated by different names. Although the Charaibes had deserted this island, the Portuguese considered it of too little value, to take any possession of it. In 1605, an Eng- lish ship, bound from London to Surinam, fitted out by Sir Olive Leigh, first fixed up a cross on the spot where James Townt was built, and marked upon the cross, “ James, King of England and of this Island yet it does not appear, from the account of Edwards, that any settlement was at that time made. Some years afterwards, a merchant ship of Sir William Courteen’s, driven by stress of weather into this island, made so favourable a report of it to the then Lord High Treasurer, the Earl of Marlborough, that his * The wide spreading branches of the Indian fig tree send forth innumerable fibres which resemble in appearance the luxuriant beards then so generally worn. t Now called Hole Town. B