PASSAGE OF RIVERS. IRRIGATION. 159 



this floate of pompions after them, as horses doe a Coach ; LlB - 

 others goe behinde thrusting it forward. Having passed, 

 they take ther barke of pornpions vppon their backe, and 

 return e swimming; this they doe in the river of Santa in 

 Peru. We passed that of Alvarado in New Spaine vpon a 

 table, which the Indians carried vpon their shoulders, and 

 when they lost their footing they swamme. These devises, 

 with a thousand others wherewith they vse to passe their 

 rivers, breede a terrour in the beholders, helping them 

 selves with such weake and vnsure means, and yet they are 

 very confident. They do vse no other bridges but of haire 

 or of straw. There are now vppon some rivers bridges of 

 stone, built by the diligence of some governours, but many 

 fewer then were needfull in such a country, where so many 

 men are drowned by default thereof, and the which yeeldes 

 so much silver, as not onely Spaine, but also other strange 

 countries make sumptuous buildings therewith. The 

 Indians do drawe from these floudes, that runne from the 

 mountaines to the vallies and plaines, many and great brooks 

 to water their land, which they vsually doe with such 

 industry, as there are no better in Murcia, nor at Milan it 

 selfe, the which is also the greatest and onely wealth of the 

 Plaines of Peru, and of many other partes of the Indies. 



CHAP. xix. Of the qualitie of the land at the Indies in 

 generall. 



We may know the qualitie of the land at the Indies, for 

 the greatest parte (seeing it is the last of the three Elements, 

 whereof wee have propounded to treate in this Booke), 

 by the discourse we have made in the former Booke of the 

 burning Zone, seeing that the greatest part of the Indies 

 dooth lie vnder it. But to make it knowne the more par 

 ticularly, I have observed three kindes of landes, as I have 



