WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA I7I 



482. The Viceroy of New Spain appoints not only to the posts of 

 Alcalde Mayor and Corregidor, but also i8 judges for the allotment 

 of Indians (jueces repartidores) : One in Mexico City, another in 

 Tacubaya, in Tacuba, Tepoztlan, Chalco ; in the mining towns of 

 Pachuca, Taxco, Sultepec, Sacualpa, Temascaltepec, Guanajuato, and 

 Suchil ; in the district of the Diocese of Oaxaca for the mines of 

 Chichicapa and Tlalpujahua ; in the district of the Diocese of Puebla, 

 San Pablo ; His Majesty appoints the one for Atlixco. These are 

 all ofifices with important perquisites. Furthermore he appoints inspec- 

 tors (juezes) of highways, of sugar mills for Las Amilpas and those 

 in Vera Cruz ; and he appoints other inspectors for the woolen mills 

 and cochineal works. 



483. The city of Mexico is luxuriously provided with fruit, both 

 of Spanish and native varieties : they all yield abundantly. There 

 are excellent olive groves from which they gather quantities of eating 

 olives. Grapes are brought in from Oueretaro, and there are a few 

 vines in the city, as well as peaches large and small, pippins, quinces, 

 pomegranates, oranges, limes, grapefruit, citrons, and lemons ; the 

 gardens produce in abundance all varieties of Spanish garden stuff 

 and vegetables ; the lake provides delicious fish of different sorts, 

 and the streams, bobos, which is an excellent fish, and others. 



484. There are many kinds of native fruit, such as bananas and 

 plantains, red sapotes, sapodillas, white sapotes, aguacates (alligator 

 pears), all of which are described in their proper place, both the 

 nature of the fruit, and the tree which produces [and bears] it. The 

 black sapote resembles a large orange ; it has a thin green skin ; the 

 flesh is like black salve ; it is an excellent and delicious fruit, with 

 seeds in it like carob beans ; the tree is sturdy and tall, cup-shaped 

 like a walnut tree, and [handsome and] attractive in appearance. 

 There is another which they call capuli ; tree, leaf, and fruit are quite 

 like the Spanish mazard cherry. There is a kind of wild walnut, 

 with very small nuts like fill)erts, but somewhat larger and very 

 hard-shelled ; they taste like ours, but somewhat sweeter. They have 

 custard-apples and so many other kinds of fruit that it is impossible 

 to enumerate them. 



485. They have many kinds of root crops, such as sweet potatoes, 

 which in that kingdom they call camotes ; they are large and of many 

 colors — white, purple, yellow, blue, and others. They have the same 

 flavor as those which are grown in Malaga. They have arracachas, 

 jicamas, and others which I do not mention because they will be 

 described in another chapter. 



486. In Mexico City they have pulque inspectors ; pulque is the 

 wine the Indians drank, made from the maguey, and they get drunk 



