JOB HORTOP A.D. 



1568. 

 came forceably upon us, but did not hurt us, they carried 

 us prisoners to Panuco, where we remained one night. 

 In the river of Panuco there is a fish like a calfe, the 

 Spanyards call it a Mallatin, hee hath a stone in his head, 

 which the Indians use for the disease of the Collicke, in 

 the night he commeth on land, and eateth grasse. I 

 have eaten of it, and it eateth not much unlike to bacon. 

 From thence we were sent to Mexico, which is 90 leagues 

 from Panuco. In our way thither, 20 leagues from the 

 sea side, I did see white Crabs running up & downe 

 the sands, I have eaten of them, and they be very good [III. 492.] 

 meat. There groweth a fruit which the Spanyards call 

 Avocottes, it is proportioned like an Ggge, and as blacke 

 as a cole, having a stone in it, and it is an excellent good 

 fruit. There also groweth a strange tree which they 

 call Magueis, it serveth them to many uses, below by A manifold me 

 the root they make a hole, wherat they do take out of ^f^^i^^^^- 

 it twise every day a certaine kind of licour, which they 

 seeth in a great kettle, till the third part be consumed, 

 & that it wax thick, it is as sweet as any hony, and 

 they do eat it. Within 20. daies after that they have 

 taken al the licour from it, it withereth, & they cut it 

 down, & use it as we use our hempe here in England, 

 which done, they convert it to many uses : of some part 

 they make mantles, ropes, and threed : of the ends they 

 make needles to sow their saddles, pannels, & other 

 furniture for their horses : of the rest they make tyles 

 to cover their houses, and they put it to many other 

 purposes. 



And thus we came to Mexico, which is seven or eight 

 miles about, seated in a great ^q,i\ invironed with 4 hils, 

 it hath but two wayes of entrance, and it is full of creeks, 

 in the which in their Canowes they passe from place to 

 place, & to the Islands there within. In the Indies 

 ordinarily three times a yeere bee wonderfull earthquakes, 

 which put the people in great feare and danger : during 

 the time of two yeeres that I was in Mexico, I saw them 

 sixe times : when they come they throw downe trees, 



457 



