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EooK

VIII.

Royal Commentaries.

CH A P.

XIII.

[

Of the Tree

Maguey,

and the Virtues of

it.

Mongfr the Fruits of chis Countrey, we may account that which the

Spani

ards

call

LWaguey,

and

the·Jndian~Chuchau,

·which ferves for. many ufes to

them, as we have elfewhere mentioned.

Bias Yalera

refkons up many Virtues of

chis

Chuchau,

on which we íhall touch in brief.

" He fays, that it is not pl~afant

" to light, the Timber being of a pale-co!oured Wood, with a bark upon it;

" that they are commonly abouc twenty foot long, ánd not bigger in compafs than_

" a Man's arme or leg; the Pith within is light and fpungy, and fuch as Pain~

" ters imd Carvers ufe in cheir Sculpcures. The leaves are thick, and half a Yard

" long, and grow all towards the bottom of che Tree, like Garden-Carducy;

" and for that reafon the

Spnniards

give it the name of

<::ardamum,

and may pro.:

" perly be

called, becaufe it beats prickles on its leaf; the juice of them is

" very biccer, and ferves to cake fpots out of Cloaths, it cures Cancers, aífuages

'' .and cools Inflarnmations, and cleanfes foars of ali Worms. The farne fap, or

" juice, being boiled with the R.oots of that Tree in Rain-water, rakes away all

" wearine[s from them, who wafh themfelves with it, and is a mofr Medicinal

'' and wholfome Barh. Of chefe leaves, when they are taken in cheir feafon,

and dried at the foot of the Tree, they make Cords as firong as chofe made

" with Hemp ; hereof likewife they make Soals for cheir Shoes, Ropes, Halters

" and Head-ltalls for their Horfes, .and other forts of frrong Work : Thofe that

'' they cuc, b~fore they expofe them to be dried in che Sun, they moifien and

" fieep them

firíl:

in water, that fo che vi[cous humour, which makes them brittle; .

may be wafhed away. From this leaf alfo they fpin a finer fort of thread

" than che former, with which they rnake·the Binders for their Heads, which

" Jerves them for Lineo , where they" have neither W-ool nor Cotton, arrd forne~

" thing re[embles che courfe cloth which is brought out of

Flanders:

And from

'' this they [pin 1ikewife a finer thread than all chis, wherewith they make their

" Nets to cake fmall Birds; for thefe being laid in certain open places between

~' two Hills, and faíl:ned

Trees on both íides, rhey drive and ftighceo che

" Bird~ inco che Necs ; which being dyed green, are n0t eafür difcerned by ·

" them. Thefe Necs are made very long, of fix, eight, rwelve, fifteen and

" twenty Yards long. The leaves of chis

M aguey

Tree are hollow, and capable

" to receive great quancities of Rain-water, which is wholfome_for divers, dif..

'' ea[es. The

lndians

fave ir, and brewing ic with Mayz, or

J!!!inua,

or with–

" che Seed of the

Mulli

Tree make a very íl:rong Hquour ; likewi[e they make

" boch

negar and Honey of ir. The leaves of che

Chuchau

they grind,

and

'' make little cakes of Soap of it, with which che

Iridian

Women waíhing their

" heads when rhey ach, it takes away all cheir pain; ic cleanfes Spots and Free–

" kles from che skin ; ic makes che Hair

grow, and Dyes them very black,

Thus far are rhe Words of

Blr.u

Viilmr,

onely I h:ive·added fometbing .of che large.–

nefs of their Nets which he had omitted. Now we fhall tell you fomething more

of the Virtue of this

M aguey,

how

makes the Hai.r grow, and mrns it black:

being done in an unufüal and flrange manner.

The

Indian

Won:1en of

Pm,

do all wear long and ddhevelled Hair; which

when ir is very much and thick, they tye ir up in breads abouc che chicknefs of a

Man's chumb ; onely che

Collas

living in a cold Countrey, cover their heads. The

.lndian

Women do natural·ly \ove long and black Hair, which rhey wear withouc

any coveringor drels; -and when rhey would dye it of Chefnut-colour, or when

ir cangles, or

lis, in combing, chey boíl ir in a pan of water ~ith ~ertain Herbs ;–

one of which forc of Herbs, as

Blr.u Va/era

faith, was

Chuchau

and

think ir was

fo,

to my beíl: remembrance ; for when I was a Boy, I often faw them ufe ir,

though I did noc much obferve or enquire concerning ir. What I remember is,

rhar I

faw

the Women put cheirHair into a Pan of hoc water, which boiled with

fire