156 HOT AND COLD SPRINGS. 



LIB. in. runne i n Guayaquil, which is in Peru, almost vnder the 

 ~~ Equinoctiall line, are held to be healthfull for the French 

 disease, and other such like, so as they come from many 

 places farre off to be cured. And they say the cause thereof 

 is for that in that Countrie there is great aboundance of 

 rootes, which they call sarsaparilla, 1 the vertue and opera 

 tion whereof is so knowne that it communicates her pro- 

 pertie to the waters wherein it is put to cure this disease. 

 Vilcafiota is a mountaine, the which (according to common 

 opinion) is in the highest part of Peru, the toppe whereof 

 is all covered with snow, and in some places is blacke like 

 coale. There issueth forth of it two springs in contrarie 

 places, which presently growe to be very great brookes, 

 and so by little and little become great flouds, the one goes 

 to Collao, into the great Lake Titicaca, the other goes to 

 the lands, and is that which they call Yucay, 2 which, ioyning 

 with another, runnes into the North Sea with a violent 

 and furious course. This spring, when it comes out of the 

 rocke Vilcafiota, as I have said, is of the colour of lie, having 

 an ashie colour, and castes a fume as a thing burnt, the 

 which runs farre in this sort, vntill the multitude of waters 

 that runnc into it quench this smoake and fire which it 

 drawes from the spring. Tn New Spaine I have scene a 

 spring as it were hike, somewhat blew ; in Peru another of 

 colour red like bloud, wherevpon they call it the red river. 



CHAP. xvm. Of Elvers. 



Amongst all Rivers, not onely at the Indies, but generally 

 through the world, the River Maranon or of Amazons is 

 the chiefe, whereof we have spoken in the former booke. 

 The Spaniards have often sailed it, pretending to discover 



1 See my translation of Cicza de Leon, p. 200. 



2 The Vilcamayu, which flows into the Ucayali. 



