WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 253 



gown ; the seeds are contained in pods like those of the vetch or 

 jicante, but are somewhat larger, like kidney beans ; they have a sour 

 bittersweet taste, and form an excellent, safe laxative. These grow 

 in the Philippines, and they imported them from there to the port 

 of Acapulco and to Chiapa de los Indios ; while it is an excellent 

 laxative, it is not to be found in other places, as it thrives only in 

 hot climates. 



728. In this province they have a variety of valuable and highly 

 prized timber — ebony, brazilwood, cedar, and the giant tree or ceiba, 

 which grows exceedingly tall and very thick. A little over a league 

 from this village stands a high volcano, with smoke and some fire 

 coming from it. They call it the Volcan del Viejo ; it is very tall 

 and overtops its neighbors ; it resembles a sugar loaf in form. Three 

 leagues from this village is that of Chichigalpa, which has the same 

 climate ; it receives religious instruction from Mercedarian friars, 

 and I league farther on, in the village of Posoltega, is their convent 

 with a Prefect and two friars, who are engaged in teaching the 

 Indians. In this village they have plantations of cacao and vanilla, 

 and they gather much annatto. In this district under the Corregidor 

 of Realejo there are many cattle ranches, laboratories in which they 

 make indigo, and sugar plantations. They have wild bamboos that 

 grow as thick as joists and have a jugful of water in every joint. 



729. On the seacoast along the salt-water inlets grow trees called 

 niangroves, which are tougher, harder, and heavier than iron. They put 

 out roots by suckers and they hang down ; they call them bejucos 

 (rattans) and they are used as rope and cord ; thus all the houses con- 

 structed with planking in this country have the planks fastened to- 

 gether with these bejucos. This seems contrary to nature, but it is not, 

 for either the Creator provided these trees with this characteristic, or 

 the reason is that they grow in hot, wet places and that also would 

 cause it, for in this country these bejucos are found on other trees and 

 hang down from the top of the tree to the ground ; in fact this results 

 in large tracts where a man can hide under them anywhere. 



730. There are many deer here, and another wild animal called 

 lapa (agouti?), like a rabbit but larger; its flesh is excellent and 

 well-flavored ; the skin is streaked like a tiger's, with white and gray 

 blotches. They have various kinds of squirrels and monkeys ; there 

 are some big red ones with beards like men, and others are tiny 

 marmosets. The copey tree has suckers growing straight up from 

 the roots it sends out, and so they make excellent spear shafts. 



731. This whole Province of El Viejo and that of Posoltega as 

 far as Sutiaba is full of streams of delicious water, and covered with 



