Hiftorieoftbefndies. lib.^.. 275 



of opinions among learned men,whether it were more 



| expedient to pull vp thefe trees, or to let them growe, 



but in the end they remained . The Indians efteemc it 



much, and in the time of their Kings Inguat it was not 



lawfull for any of the common people tovfcthis Coca. 



without licence from the Governor. Their vfe is to ca- 



ryitintheirmouthes, chawing it. and fucking out the i 



iuyce 3 but they fwdlowjtnot^They fay it gives them ' 



great courage., and isVery pleafing vnto them . Many 



grave men holde this as a fupcrftition & a meere imagi 



nation : for my part,and to fpeake the truth, I perfvvade 



not my felfe that it is an imagination-but contrariwiic, 



I thinke it worl&and gives forceand courage to the In- 



| dians:fot we fee the effets,which cannot be attributed 



| to imagination^ to go fbme daics without meate,t>ut 



; onelya handfull of Coca , and other like effects. The 



j fawce wherewith they doe eate this Coca , is proper c- 



i nough, whereof I have tafted, and it is like the tafle of 



i leather. The Indians mingle it with the afhcs of bones 



| burnt and beat into powlder^or with lime, as others af- 



| firme , which feemeth to them plealmg and of a good 



i tafle; and they (ay it dooththem much good. They 



| willingly imploy their money therein,and vie it as mo- 



! ney : yet all thefe things were not inconvenient , were 



not the hazard of the trafficke thereof, wherein fo ma 



ny men are occupied . The SeigniorsJ^?^, vfed Coca 



as a ddicate androyall thing , which they offered nioft 



in their iacnhces, burning it in honor of their idolls. 



OfM. agueytfund, Cv chenille, Amr^nd Cotton. 

 CHAP. 23. 



Mdgttcy is a tree of wonders, whereof the Notaries 

 or Chapetons(as the Indians call them)arc wont 



T z to 



