4000003871

III.

Royal Commr:ntaries.

H A P.

XXIII.

Of the Emeralds, Torquoifes, and Pearls of that Coun–

trey.

HE pretious Stones found in

Peru,

in the time of che

lnc,:u,

were Torquoi–

fes, Emeralds·~and Cryíl:al of the fineíl: forc, though chey were noc ac–

quainted with che manner how

work

it :

the Emeralds grow in the Mouncains

of che Provine~ of

.MAnta,

which is. wichin the Jurifdiétion of

Puerto Viejo;

but

yet the

Spaniards

have not been able, wich all their endeavours,

find out the

quarry of them, which is che reafon chac· chey are

[caree and rare ; fuch of

.them as are found, are che beíl: of that kind in all

Peru :

1:-lowfoever from that,

and other parts of che

wejl-Indies,

chey have brought foch great quancities of

thern into

Spain,

as have made therri cheap, and difeíl:eemed : howfoever che E–

rneralds from ocher pares are not to be compared wich chofe of

Puerto Viejo

;

che

which grow in cheir Qg_arries, a'nd cake cheir tinéture from che nature of che Soil.

·from whence chey are produced, ripening there wich time, like.fruir in cheir' pro–

per feafons : The Emerald, when it firíl: begins, is ofa paliíh whice, partaking of

grey colour mixed wich a green; chen as it'grows ripe, or towards ics2erfeétion,

cakes

ac one end a tinéture of green, perhaps

chac end firíl: whicfi points co–

wards che Eaíl:, after which that pleafant colour difperfes it felf over all cheStohe;

chatas che Stone is when ic comes from ics Quarry,

it remains for evet áfter:

faw in

Co:.:,co,

amongíl: many Emeralds, two e[pecially of íingulat; note, being

of a perfeét round íhape, as bigas ordio'ary Nucs, and bored through-the middle;

one of tbe[e Scones was corpplete, aod in al! pares perfeét ; che o.cher in che mid~

dle, and ac one of che corners, was perfeé:t, and e~tremely beaucifull ; che other

twó pares, or corners, were ooc

pleaGng, beiog noc come

their

foil

beauty aod

perfeétioo, howfoever were oot much íhorc of che beíl:; bue che ocher which

i•as

oppofüe to ir, was foul, aod litcle worch, having received bµc a taint green, and

.fuch asappeared worfe, by the beaucifull lufüe of the .och~rs, fo that it feemed

piece of green-glafs joyned to che Emerald. Wherefore che Maíler of that

Stone cuc offthat pare from che other, for which he was much blamed by curic;ms

and inquifitive Meo ; who were of opioion, that for proof and evideoce, chat che

Emerald grows by degrees

perfeétion in che Qgarry; he O!!ght to have permit–

ted chem to remain rngecher ; and that the curiofity of che thing would have been

more valuable than the Stooe it fe!(

then being a Boy, they gave me that pare

which was cut off to play with, which

I ílill

keep, not being·ofaoy value.

The Torquoife is a Stone of a blew colour, fome of them of a more deep

azare, and fioer thao che orhers, but not fo much eíleerned by the

Jndians

as the

Emerald.

Pearls were oot much .ufed or worn in

Peru,

though chey had a koowledge of

them: che reafoo was, becaufe che

lnc,u,

who were always more tender of che

wel–

fare aod fafecy of cheir people, chao of their improvements in that which we call

Riches, forbad them to expofe themfelves

to ·

that daoger which is required in

fiíhiog for Pearls, which cherefore were not in u[e amongíl: 'them. Since thac

time

chey are become

common, chat

Acojla

repares chus of them, which words ·

we íhall rehearfe

verbatim.

Since we have undertaken (faith he)

treat 9f che

" principal Riches, which are brought frorn the

lndies,

we muO: not orr\it Pearls,

" which che Ancients called

Margarites

;

che value of which were at

firíl:

fo great,

" that they were eíleemed Jewels

fit

and worchy ooely for Princes and Royal

Per~

" foos: bue now they are become fo common, that even

N eger

Worneo wear

" Strings of them. Then afterwards in anorher part ofchisChapcer, he proceeds,

'' aod fays, Thac Pearls are fouod in divers pares of che

lndies;

but tbe place,

" wbere they abouod moíl:, is in tbe South-Sea, ábout

Panama,

where chofe H1ands

are, which are called che Pearl-Iílands: bue the

beíl:

and greaceft quancity is

found