An Account of Four Sorts of Strange Beans, Frequently Cast on Shoar on the Orkney Isles, with Some Conjectures about the Way of Their Being Brought Thither from Jamaica, where Three Sorts of Them Grow. By Hans Sloane, Coll. Med. Lond. & S. R. S.

I. An Account of Four sorts of strange Beans, frequently cast on Shoar on the Orkney Isles, with some Conjectures about the way of their being brought thither from Jamaica, where Three sorts of them grow. By Hans Sloane, Coll. Med. Lond. & S. R. S. I had several times heard of strange Beans was thrown up by the Sea on the Islands, on the North-west parts of Scotland, especially those of them who are most exposed to the Waves of the great Ocean; they are thrown up pretty frequently in great Numbers, and are no otherwise regarded than as they serve to make Snuff-Boxes. They are not mentioned by any Author I know of, excepting Sir Robert Sibbald in his Prod. Hist. nat. Scot. p. 55. part 2. where they are called Phaseoli Molucani, and Mr. James Wallace of Kirkwall, in his late Description of the Isles of Orkney, p. 14. where there are Four sorts Figured, by the Name of Molucca Beans. I had a very great desire to see what these Beans were, and sent several times into Scotland, to get of them sent me hither, but never could obtain it, till lately Dr. Geo. Garden of Aberdeen, did me the favour to send me four sorts of them very fresh and little injured by the Sea; Three of these Beans grow in Jamaica where I gathered them, and have mentioned them in my Catalogue of the Plants of that Island. The First is what is called there commonly Cocoons, by me p. 68. *Phaseolus maximus perennis*, folio decomposito lobo, maximo contorto. It is well Figured by the name Perim Kakuvali, in the *Hortus Malabaricus*, part 8. p. 59. and ill Figured in the last place among those Molucco Beans, in that Description of the Orkney Isles before taken Notice of; it is also mentioned by Sir Robert Sibbald in p. penult. of his Pr. Nat. Hist. Scotiae, by the Name, *Nux Indica ex qua Pyxides pro pulvere sternutatorio parant*, and grows in both the hot East and West Indies, as may be seen by perusing the Authors Treating of it, and Cited in my Catalogue. This I am told is cast up on the Coast of Kerry in Ireland. The Second sort of Bean sent from Scotland, and figured in the Second place among the Molucco Beans, in the Description of the Orkney Isles, is what in Jamaica we call commonly Horse-Eye-Bean, from its Resemblance to the Eye of that Beast, by means of a Hilus or Welt almost surrounding it. This Bean is Described by many Authors, as may be seen in the same Catalogue, p. 68, &c. 69. And likewise is common to the hot parts of the East and West Indies, as may be gathered from the Authors mentioning it, and there cited. The Third kind of Bean sent from the same place, was that kind which in Jamaica is called Ash-coloured-Nickar, from its being perfectly round and very like a Nickar, such as Boys use to play withal. This is likewise common to the hot parts of the East and West Indies, as may be seen by the several Authors mentioned in the same Catalogue, p. 144 &c. 145. The Fourth sort of Bean, which is Figured in the Description of the Orkney Isles in the 3d. place, I never saw grow, but have seen several of them in Collections of rare Fruits, it is well Described and ill Figured by Clusius, Exot. lib.2.cap.16.p.41. with the Title to it, *Fructus exot. 9. a Fac. Gareto acceptus*, and is the *Fructus exot. orbicularis, sulcis nervisq; distinctus 4us. seu fructus alter splendens quatuor sulcis distinctus*. C. B. Pin. p. 405. Where this grows Authors are silent. How these several Beans should come to the Scotch Isles, and one of them to Ireland, seems very hard to determine. It is very easy to conceive, that growing in Jamaica in the Woods, they may either fall from the Trees into the Rivers, or be any other way conveyed by them into the Sea: It is likewise easy to believe, that being got to Sea, and floating in it in the neighbourhood bourhood of that Island, they may be carried from thence by the Wind and Current, which meeting with a stop on the main Continent of Am. is forced through the Gulph of Florida, or Canal of Bahama, going there constantly E. and into the N. American Sea; for the Lenticula marina serratis foliis, Lob. or Sargasso grows on the Rocks about Jamaica, and is carried by the Winds and Current (which for the most part go impetuously the same way) towards the Coast of Florida, and thence into the Northern Am. Ocean, whereas I mention p.4.of my Catal. it lies very thick on the Surface of the Sea: But how they should come the rest of their Voyage I cannot tell, unless it be thought reasonable, that as Ships when they go South expect a trade Easterly Wind, so when they come North, they expect and generally find a Westerly Wind, for at least two parts of three of the whole Year, so that the Beans being brought North by the Current from the Gulf of Florida, are put into these Westerly Winds way, and may be supposed by this means at last to arrive in Scotland. By the same means that these Beans come to Scotland, it is reasonable to believe, that the Winds and Currents brought from America those several things towards the Azores & Porto Santo, which are recorded by Fernan Colon, in the Life of his Father Christopher, cap. 9. & Antonio de Herrera first Decad, & 2 Chap. of the Hist. of the W. Indies, to be some of the Reasons moved the said Christopher Columbus to attempt the Discovery of the W. Indies. The things mentioned by them, are 1. a piece of Wood ingeniously wrought, but not with Iron, Insegnofamente lavorato, ma non con ferro, taken up by Martin Vicenzo a Portuguese Pilot, 450 Leagues at Sea, off Cape St. Vincent, after a West Wind of many Days. 2dly, Another piece of Wood like the other, taken up by Pietro Correa, on the Island of Porto Santo, after the like Winds. 3dly, very large Canes, much beyond any growing in those Parts, being able to contain in one of their Joints Nove careste di Vino, or Tres azumbres de agua. 4thly, Some of the Inhabitants of the Azores, observed and told him, that W. Winds brought Pines to these Islands, especially Fayal and Graciosa, which are not found growing in those Parts; and that on another of those Islands, viz. Flores, was cast on Shore two Mens Bodies with larger Faces, and different Aspects from Christians; and that at Capo della Verga were once seen two Canoas or Barks with Cabins, which were believed to be forced to Sea, when accidentally they had been going from some one Island to another.