From Cabo Del Enganno To Cabo De Liampa In China, The
Distance Is 1000 Or 1200 Leagues.
In New Spain there are many trees, flowers, and fruits of various kinds,
that are useful to man.
The principal tree is named _Metl_, which does not
grow either very tall or very thick. The natives plant and dress this tree
as we do our vines; and they allege that it has forty different kinds of
leaves, resembling woven cloth, which serve for many useful purposes. When
tender, these leaves are made into conserves. From it they make a kind of
paper, and a substance like flax; and it is also manufactured into mantles,
mats, shoes, girdles, and cordage. This tree produces such strong and
sharp prickles, that they are used instead of needles for sewing. The
roots are used as fuel; and their ashes make excellent ley for the
manufacture of soap. The natives open up the earth from the roots of this
tree, and, by scraping or wounding them, they extract a juice which is a
rich syrup. By boiling this juice, it is converted into honey; and, when
purified, it becomes sugar; and may likewise be made into wine and vinegar.
The fruit of this tree is called _Coco_. The rind roasted, crushed, and
applied to sores or wounds, has a most healing quality. The juice of the
roots and tops, mixed with incense, is a sovereign antidote against the
bite of a viper and other poisons. From all these useful properties, this
is the most profitable tree that is known in these parts[88].
There are certain birds in New Spain called Vicmalim, having a long small
bill, which live on dew and the juice of roses and other flowers; their
feathers are very small, and of beautiful colours, and are much esteemed
to work up into ornaments with gold. These birds die, or sleep rather,
every year in the month of October, sitting on a small bough in some warm
and close place; and they revive again in the month of April, when the
flowers appear. There are snakes likewise in this country, which sound as
if they had bells attached to them, when they creep along. There are other
snakes also, which are said to engender by the mouth, as vipers are
reported to do with us. There are likewise certain hogs, which have a
navel on the ridge of the back; which the hunters cut out the moment they
are killed, as otherwise the carcase would corrupt and stink, so as to be
uneatable. Besides which, there are certain fishes which are named
_Snorters_, because they make a snorting noise like hogs[89].
In the year 1538, a civil war broke out in Peru, between Pizarro and
Almagro; in the course of which, Almagro was taken prisoner and beheaded.
After which, in the year 1539, Pizarro sent Peter to Baldivia into Chili;
where he was at first well received, but the people afterwards rose
against him, and sought to put him to death by treason. Notwithstanding
the long and severe war he had to wage against the natives of Chili,
Baldivia explored the country to a great extent, discovering the whole
coast as far as lat. 40 deg. S. and even further. While Baldivia was occupied
in these discoveries, he received intelligence of a king called
_Lucengolma_, who commonly brought 200,000 men into the field, when
engaged in war against another neighbouring king. Lucengolma was likewise
said to have a temple in an island, in which there were 2000 priests. It
was farther reported, that beyond the dominions of this king, there lay a
country inhabited by a nation of Amazons, whose queen was named
_Guanomilla_, which signifies _the golden heaven_. But, hitherto, these
things rest merely on report, and have not been ascertained for truth, by
actual discovery. About this time Gomez de Alvarado reduced the province
of _Guanaco_ to obedience; and Francis de Chavez subdued the _Conchincos_,
who often vexed the town of Truxillo and its adjoining country, by various
inroads. Peter de Vergara reduced the _Bracamores_, a people to the north
of Quito; John Perez de Veragara subdued the _Ciaciapoians_; Alfonsos de
Mercadiglio subdued the people of _Mulubamba_; Ferdinando and Gonsalvo
Pizarro reduced _Collao_, a country rich in gold; the lower part of which
was subdued by Peter de Candia; Peranzures went also on an expedition into
the same country. In this manner the Spaniards dispersed themselves over
the whole country, and conquered an extent of more than 700 leagues; yet
not without much labour, and considerable loss of men[90].
The countries of Brazil and Peru stand east and west from each other,
their coasts being almost 800 leagues distant at the nearest points, which
are the Cape of St Augustine and the harbour of Truxillo, nearly in the
same parallel of latitude. The greatest extent of Peru, measuring from the
river of Peru in the north, to the Straits of Magellan in the south, is
950 leagues. Through the whole of this country certain mountains, called
the Andes, extend from north to south, which divide Brazil on the east,
from Peru, or the empire of the Incas on the west. In the same manner, the
mountains of Taurus and Imaus divide Asia into two parts; which mountains
begin on the Mediterranean, in 36 or 37 degrees of north latitude, over
against the islands of Rhodes and Cyprus, and extend eastwards to the sea
of China. Thus, likewise, the mountains of Atlas in Africa divide the
_tawny_ moors from the _black_ moors, or negroes who have frizzled hair.
These mountains begin at Mount _Moies_, near the desert of Barca, and
extend under the tropic of Cancer to the Atlantic; The mountains of the
Andes are high and rugged, and barren in some places, without trees or
even grass; and it almost always either rains or snows on their highest
ranges, accompanied with sudden and violent tempests of wind. There is so
great a scarcity of wood in these parts, that the inhabitants use turf or
peats for fuel, as is done in Flanders.
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