Hi/lorie of the Indiet. lib*4> 



of their breathjfbmetimes a quarter,yea halfe an hourc 

 together,being vnder the water at their fifhing. And to 

 the end thefe poore (laves may the better continue and 

 holde their breaths, they feede them with drie meates, 

 and that in fmall quantitic , (b as covetoufncfle makes 

 them abftaine ana faft thus againft their willes . They 

 imploy their pcarles to diverfe workes> and they pierce 

 them to make chaincs, whereof there is great (tore 

 in every place. In theyeere of our Lorde onethoiu 

 (and five hundred eighty one I did fee the note of what 

 came from the Indies for the King, there were eighteen 

 maces of pearle 5 befides three caskets , and for parti 

 culars, there were twelve hundred threefcore and foure 

 marks , and befides them, fea ven caskets not pierced/ 

 which heeretofore we would have efteemed and helde 

 for a lie. 



Ofths Indian Bre4d y md0fMajs t C HAP. 1 6 . 



IN our difcourfe of Plants, wee will beginne with 

 thofc which are proper and peculiar to the Indies^ 

 and after with the reft that are common to the Indies 

 and Europe ; and forafmuch as plants were chiefly cre 

 ated for the nourifhmentofman, and that thechiefe 

 ( whereof he takes his nouri(hment,)is bread 5 it (hall be 

 good to (hew what bread the Indians vfe, and where 

 on they live for want thereof. They have (as we hare 

 heereja proper name, whereby they note and figni- 

 fie bread, which at Peru, they call Tanta, and in other 

 places by another name. But the qualitieand fubftance 

 of the bread the Indians vfe , differs much from ours: 

 for we findc not they had any kinde of wheat or barly, 



nor 



