Ch. IV. SOUTH AMERICA. 357 



and moist temperature, the country is very fruitful ; 

 but one of the chief cccupations of the cc»untry peo- 

 ple here, is the culture of tobacco, which, being of an 

 excellent kind, is exported in rolls all over Peru. 

 Sugar-canes also thrive well here ; and consequently 

 cotton. But the dread of the wild Indians, who have 

 often ravaged their country, discourajf-es them from 

 planting any more than what just suffices for present 

 use; they being here in the same unhappy situation 

 asin Quixos, the villages having in their neighbour- 

 hood bands of those savage Indians ; and when they 

 imagine them to be furthest off, are often suddenly 

 assaulted by them, so that they must be ready at 

 every instant to take arms. 



Among the infinite variety of trees which crowd 

 the woods of this country, one of the most remarkable 

 is the storax, the gum of which is of a most exquisite 

 fragrancy ; but is rare, the trees growing in places 

 at some distance from the villages ; and it is dange- 

 rous going to them, by reason of the savage Indians, 

 who lie in wait like wild beasts. The like may be 

 said with regard to the mines of Polvos Azules, or 

 Ultra-marine, from which, by reason of that danger, 

 very little is brought ; but a finer coJour cannot be 

 imagined. 



The territory belonging to Macas also produces 

 cinnamon trees, which, as the reverend Don Juan 

 Joseph de Lozay Acuna, priest of Zuna, a person of 

 eminent learning, and perfectly versed in natural 

 history, told me, is of a superior quality to that of 

 Ceylon, here known by the name of Sjjanish cinna- 

 mon ; and this was confir.i ed to me by many other 

 persons of judgment. This cinnamon visibly differs 

 from that of Quixos, which, as the same person in- 

 formed me, proceeds from the full exposure of the 

 Maca trees to the sun, its rays not being intercepted 

 by the foliage of any other trees near them ; and these 



A a 3 also 



