Book IX, Chapter II

Of the pines[1] found on this island of Hispaniola, similar to the pines of Spain, which do not bear cones but rather seed pods.

Translated by Ella Nguyen ’23

There are many natural pines on this island of Hispaniola, large and small, all useless as to fruit, since they do not bear pinecones but rather seed pods, very small ones at that. This is very good wood, although here they do not use it much because it is only found far away, and also because it is not as sweet or very much like that of the pinewood of Castilla, and it has much more resin in the wood and knots and a lot of wildness and a great resin smell and is more grating than the wood of Spanish pines. The needles are the same, but they have many more; however, the tree bark is just like that of Castilian pines. And the local pines are perfect in everything; but not as tall, nor as thick, nor as straight as those of the land of Cuenca or Valsahin, and of other parts of Spain, where the pine is prized. There are also pines on the Mainland, in the governance of Nicaragua, in the land and sierra of the towns of Nicaragua and El Salvador, and also in New Spain and other provinces. The Indians of the island of Hispaniola call this tree or pine cuaba and use a lot of this wood in the sugar mills, where it can be found nearby, as torch or light from evening till dawn, to allow for the grinding of the sugar and other work that needs to be done before daylight.

[1] Pinus occidentalis or Hispaniolan pine.