COCA. 245 



is a drinke very much esteemed among the Indians, where- LlB - Iv 

 with they feast noble men as they passe through their 

 Country. The Spaniards, both men and women, that are 

 accustomed to the Countrey, are very greedy of this 

 Chocolate. They say they make diverse sortes of it, some 

 hote, some colde, and some temperate, and put therein 

 much of that Chili; yea they make paste thereof, the 

 which they say is good for the stoinacke, and against the 

 catarrh. Whatsoever it be, such as have not been nourished 

 there, are not very curious thereof. The tree whereon this 

 fruite growes is of reasonable bignesse, and well fashioned j 

 it is so tender, that to keepe it from the burning of the 

 Sunne, they plant neere vnto it a great tree, which serves 

 onely to shade it, and they call it the mother of Cacao. There 

 are plantations where they are grown like to the vines and 

 olive trees of Spaine. The province where there is greatest 

 trade in cacao is Guatimala. There growes none in Peru, 

 but this country yields Coca, respecting which there is 

 another still greater superstition. It seems almost fabulous. 

 But in trueth the trafficke of Coca in Potosi doth yearley 

 mount to above half a million of dollars, for tha they vse 

 foure scoure and tenne, or foure score and fifteen thousand 

 baskets every yeare. In the yeare one thousand five 

 hundred eighty three, they spent a hundred thousand. A 

 basket of Coca in Cusco is woorth two peeces and a halfe 

 and three ; and in Potosi it is readily worth foure peeces, 

 and five Tomines, and five peeces tried. 1 It is a kinde of 

 marchandise, by the which all their Markets and Faires are 

 made with great expedition. This Coca, whereof they make 

 such account, is a small greene leafe, which groweth vpon 

 small trees about a fadome high, and in hote and moyst 

 grounds ; every foure moneths it casts forth this leafe, 

 which they call Tresmitas ; it requires great care in 

 planting, beeing very tender, and much more to keepe it 

 when it is gathered. They laie it in order in long and 

 1 &quot; Pesos ensay ados.&quot; 



