Htttorieoftbefndics. lib.^., 



athoufandkindcsofCrf//^^?/, fomcarc fo deformed 

 in their bigncs, that of the rindc cut in the middcft and 

 clcnfed , they make as it were baskets to put in all their 

 meat for their dinner. Ofthclcflerthey make vcflells 

 to cateanddrinkc in , and do trimmc them hanfomcly 

 for many vfes. I have fpoken this of fmall plants, wee 

 will now fpeakc of greatcr^butfirft of their ;fv/, which 

 isoftheleffer. 



! 



0/Axi or Indian Ptfper. CHAP. 20. 



THey have not found at the Weft Indies any kinde 

 of Spices, proper or peculiar to them, as pepper, 

 cloves, cinamon, nutmegges or ginger, although one 

 of our company, who had travelled much, and indi- 

 vcffcpartes, toldevs, thatinthedefartsofthellandof 

 famdqM he had found trees where pepper grevve . But 

 they arc not yet aflured thereof, neither is there anie 

 trade of theft fpices at the Indies ,. The ginger was car 

 ried from the Indies to Hift*nioU y and it hath multipli 

 ed fo, as at this day they know not what to do with the 

 great aboundaunce they have. In the fleetcthc yeare 

 1 5 87 .they brought 2205 3 .quin tails of ginger to Seville: 

 but the naturall fpice that God hath given to the weaft 

 Indies j& that we call in Cc/?/#,Indian pepper, and in In. 

 dia,Axi , as a generall worde taken from the firft land 

 of the Hands, which they conquered. In the language 

 ofCufeo, it is called rchu , and in that of Mexico , Chili. 

 This plant is well knownc, and therefore I will fpcakc 

 alittle, onelywecmuftvnderftand, that in oldctime 

 it was much efteemd amongft the Indians,which they 

 carried into places where it grew not , as a marchan- 



dife 



