CAPSICUM. 239 



baskets to put in all their meat for their dinner. Of the LlB - IV - 

 lesser they make vessells to eate and drinke in, and do 

 trimme them handsomely for many vses. I have spoken 

 this of small plants ; wee will now speake of greater ; but 

 first of their Axi, which is of the lesser. 



CHAP. xx. Of Axi or Indian Pepper. 



They have not found at the West Indies any kinde of 

 Spices proper or peculiar to them, as pepper, cloves, cina- 

 mon, nutmegges or ginger, although one of our company, 

 who had travelled much, and in diverse partes, tolde vs, 

 that in the deserts of the Hand of lamaica he had found 

 trees where pepper grewe. But they are not yet assured 

 thereof, neither is there anie trade of these spicec at the 

 Indies. The ginger was carried from the Indies to His- 

 paniola, and it hath multiplied so, as at this day they know 

 not what to do with the great aboundaunce they have. In 

 the fleete the yeare 1587, they brought 22053 quintalls of 

 ginger to Seville : but the naturall spice that God hath 

 given to the West Indies, is that we call in Castille, Indian 

 pepper, and in India, Axi, as a generall worde taken from 

 the first land of the Hands, which they conquered. In the 

 language of Cusco, it is called Vchu, and in that of Mexico, 

 Chili. This plant is well knowne, and therefore I will 

 speake a little, onely wee must vnderstand, that in olde time 

 it was much esteemed amongst the Indians, which they 

 carried into places where it grew not, as a rnarchandise of 

 consequence. It growes not vpon cold grounds, as on the 

 Sierra of Peru, but in hote valleys, where it is often watered. 

 There is of this Axi of diverse colours, some is greene, 

 some red, some yellow, and some of a burning color, 

 which they call Caribe, the which is extreamely sharpe 

 and biting ; there is an other sorte not so sharpe, but is so 



