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BooK VIII. Royal Commentaries.
of Mayz the Sfanifh Wornen made Biskets artd Fritters, and other Diíl1es
bt healthfull, ami people that were fick ; fo, tht F>hyficians·in chae Coun:
trey forbid Wheaten bread ~o all chofe that are fick, :md preftríbe themno ocher
diet, rhan vvhat is made of Mayz. Of chis Flour, wich water, they brew their
Dí-inlt; which rhe Indians know how to make fower afrer a cenain manner, rhac
ir betomes excellem Vinegar. Of che Canes before che Mayz is ri,pe, they make
rare f:foney ; and afté'r it is ripe, che Canes being dri'éd, are gotfd feeding for all
Cattél. · Some lndians, ,vhó love to be drunk, lay Cara (l:eeping in rhe water, un.
till· it Be growri, and thén they grind it, and bbil it in che fame water, and afcers
, ards drawit off, and keep it unrill it be ílale : Tnis is che füongeíl: drink chey
havé, -and which prefently makes chem drunk, they call it Vinnapu, and itl' othet
L-an'guáges Sefra. Tbe Incas forbad ir, betaufe it was fo violenc ánd ffrong, rhough
no'w, they fay, it is come in ufe agai·n among/1 foh1e top:1ng fellóws. All tl\ffe'
rifes,' ás we h'ave faid; tfiey have of tfüs Cara, befiqés many o~hers in Medicines
arid·PRyGck, ancf irl Plafters, as we have memioned in the orher parr. ·
T11e next fort of. Grane, which is ripe in che H}irveíl: of that Countrey, is chat
whic~ ihey call fl..!_in«a, or fmall Rice, becaufe 'irr fdrm and colour it-mt1ch refem-
1.:iles -ir. This- Plan't -~ the ífalk ot blal:lé, is very like our'Spinage, ~he leaf being
very render, arld 111ucfr Med by che Spaniards and JAdians in all their ooiled Difhes.
arid is, put füto alf cheir Broths and Potages. The 'Jndians ,alfo in füofe Coumries,
w~idi ao n'ot próduceI\-1ayz, make rheir Drinks of chis f2.!!intta ; and che Indian
Phyítdans tnake hfe of toe Flour of ir .i'n ali rheir Medicines for rhe fick. In che
yeár r 590 t:ney fent me fome of th'e Seeds of chis f2.!!inua into Spain, which I
foweel aé l\Hvers tin:i~sánd feafoAs, buf nevet carne up. ,Beíldes,rhis Grane, die;r
have three or four fotcs in Peru of Ferches, like Kidney-beans, w they put in°
to cheir boiled Meacs, called Purutu: chey are in Shells or Pods, our tupines
in Spain, though bigger and whiter, caijed Tarvi : They have alfo a fort of thefe:
Beans which are not to be eacen, ca1led Chuy, of clivers colours : they are ufed
for Councei-s in play by Men in years, and Boys in cheir common fporc ; che va-:
riecy of which, for brevity, we omir. · ,
CH A P. X.
Of fuife ·anJ Roots which grow u1der ground.
T Here are tnany otber things_which ~re produc~d under ~round~.and yet are
eíl:eeinedfor excellem nounfhment mthe harten Countnes, which y1eld no
plenty O( quantities of Cara : The chief Diíh of ali isPapa, which being boiled,
or baked, ferves them for Bread, and which they puc into all their Diíhes': To
conferve ir, cl:ey dry anti wirher it in che Sun, or Froíl:, and call it (as we have
faid ) Chunu : There isanother fott which chey call Oca, ofa very pleafanc taíl:e, it
is long, and chick as a Man's rrliddle finger ; it is very fweet, being eaten raw;
théy boil it with tbeir Meat ; and to keep ir, they dry it in the Snn ~ and ir is fd'
delic~te, c~at -;vitho°:t either Sugar ?r'Ho~ey it feems a Con[e!'v~, and rhen ir is
called Cavi. There 1s arlother fof't hke chis m che fbape, bue.not m che cáíl:e, be–
ing very bitter, and cannot be eaten unlefs ir be boiled, and then they cal! it An-.
mu. The Indian¡ fay that it is an Enemy to procreation : but chofe who would
hotJofü their appetite fo Coutcíli1p, holditig in their hands :i. wand, or JHck, ar the
t ime cbey eat it, can· ( as they fay) firid no .hurt or prejudice bt ir. I have often
he~rd t~em co falk and difrnutfe tb cliis purp?{e, arid feen them pra0ife ir ; _bue I
believe 1c was racher by way of jeíl:, or merriment, than out of behef of th1s old
Womans fiory.
Thofe
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