COTTON. 249 



that it serveth for the dying of cloth, and is a marchandise. LlB - IV - 

 It groweth in great aboundance in New Spaine, from whence 

 there came in the fleete I mentioned 5263 arrobas, or ther- 

 abouts, which amounted to so many peeces. Cotton likewise 

 growes vpon small shrubs and great trees like to little apples, 

 which doe open and yeelde forth this webbe ; which being 

 gathered, they spinne to make stuffes. It is one of the things 

 at the Indies of greatest profite, and most in vse, for it serves 

 them both insteed of flaxe and wooll to make their garments- 

 It groweth in a hote soyle, and there is a great store in the 

 vallies and sea coast of Peru, in New Spaine, the Philippines 

 and China. But the greatest store of any place that I 

 know is in the province of Tucuman, in that of Santa Cruz 

 de la Sierra, and at Paraguay, whereas Cotton is their 

 chiefe revenue. They carry cotton into Spaine from the 

 Hand of Santo Domingo ; and the yeare that I spake of 

 there came 64,000 arrobas. At the Indies whereas this 

 cotton growes, they make cloth, which both the men and 

 women vse commonly, making table napkins thereof, yea 

 and sailes for their shippes. There is some coarse, and 

 other that is fine and delicate ; they dye it into diverse 

 colours, as wee doe by our woollen cloth in Europe. 



CHAP. xxiv. Of Mameys, Guayavos, and Pali as. 



These Plants we have spoken of are the most profitable 

 of the Indies, and the most necessary for the life of man : 

 yet there are many other that are good to eate, among the 

 which the Mameys are esteemed, being in fashion like to 

 great peaches, and bigger; they have one or two stones 

 within them, and their meate is somewhat hard. There are 

 some sweete, and others somewhat sower, and have the 

 riude hard. They make conserves of the meate of this 



