413 / 1060
Koyal Com1nentaries.
tbu Papers
w
re Metfengers,
to
whom
the
Spanittrds
had declared their mind ,
and
polren
thofe
\vords which were
deliv€t~
to thewi,
and
that they were as
S~ies
t
tell
hatfoever
they faw in
the
way
where they travelled; and therefore
"\'\then
they
fell
to
their
treat,
they
laid
the
Paper behihd a bank, that
it
mighc
not
fee them.
As
they travelled on their Journey,
he
that carried the five Me-
ons
faid
to
h.itn
that had
the four,
if
we
go
with this odd number, our Mafier
will
fufpea
that we have
eaten
one, and therefore let
us
eat another, to make
than
~qnal;
this
witty
Counfol pleafed well, and
fo
by
agreement they fate
dowtt and ace the other: And being now cotne to their Malter, they prefented
him
wich
eight Melons onely, who reading the Letter, asked them what was
be<:ome
of the -Other two Mellons, for that the
Lettet
fpecified ten.
No
Sir,
faid
they.,
the Steward
gave m but eight.
J17hy
do
you-
lie,
fald
.Antonio
Solar,
far
the
Paper
h~k!
of
ten:
Wfierewith the poor Fellows became
fo
affrighted and confufed,
that
they knew not what to reply, but onely to confefs the ttuch, faying, that
With
~eat
reafon the
Spaniards
were called
Vtracocha
1
f
mce they were able
to
pe...
netrate mto fuch hidden Secrets. A Story
of
the like nature
Gomara
relates ro
have happened
in
the Itland of
CNb11,,
when
it
was at firfi po!fe!fed by the
Spam'ardr
7
and
indeed it
is
no wonder that the fame
ignorance
ihould be common in all parts
of
the new World; for the fimplicicy of the
Indians
was
fucb,
as that whatfoever
was
new, and not feen to them before, could never enter into their capacities,
and onely ferved to fill them
with
wonder and admiration;
for
whatfoever they
.obferved to be extraordinary
in
the
SpaniarJs,
fuch
35
running on Horfeback,
brea~g
Oxen to the Yoke, and ploughing the ground with them, making Mills,
CLnd
building Arches for Bridges, fhooting with Guns, and killing at an hundred
.and
two
hundred paces, and the like, were all fuch miracles co them, as could
not
be effeeted
by
other means, than
Come
Divine Power; and for that reafon
they
talled
the
Sp1t?Uards
Gods, as they did in the evidence which the Paper gave
agalhft
thetn•.
CH AP.
xxx.
OfFlax,
Afparag~,
Vifnaga5,
with which they cleanfe Teeth
5
and Annifeeds.
N
OR
~as
there Flax
in
Peru
at firft, but
Donnti
Catalina
de
Ret~s,
who was a
Native of St.
Lucar,
and Mocher-in-law
to
Francu
de
Villaf11n-te
a noble
and religious Lady, and one of the firfi Nuns of the Convent of
Sr:
Clare
in
~ouo,
expeeted
in
the Year
1560.
to receive fome Flax Seed from
Spain,
to
fow
m that Counrrey, together with Looms and lnfiruments to fpin and weave Li–
nen for their Houfes; but in the Year that
I
departed from
Peru
I cannot
fay
that thofe things were as yet brought; but fince I came from thence' I have heard
that confiderable quantities of Linen are made there, though I
c~nnot
avouch
how great Spin!l:ers the
Spanifh
Women have been, nor how good Huf\vives my
Counrrey Women are ; for I did never fee them
f
pin Linen, though I have feen
them
fo':''
and weave Cotton and fine Wool, which the
Indian
Women fpan with
~t cut1ofit~,
though they combed
it
with their Fingers, for want ofCards where–
with to card it,
~nd therefor~
they may be excufed, if they be not as yet become
fuch excellent Spm!lers of Lmen as our
8panifh
Houfwives are.
~ut
to return to
:o~r
former
.Difcour~e,
relating to the great efieem which the
Fruits
and Comrnod1ttes of
Spam
had gamed in
die
Indies
at
firfr,
when the
spa-
E
e e
njardJ
395