20 MEMOIR ON 



Vinnapuj and by some of the neighbouring tribes, Sorb 

 From its intoxicating effects, its use was prohibited by 

 the Incas, who made it a penal offence with all who 

 drank to excess. 



Francisco Saverio Clavigero, in describing the grain 

 of Mexico, says, " The chief, the most useful, and most 

 " common, was the maize, called by the Indians Tluolli, 

 " of which there are several varieties, differing in size, 

 " colour, weight, and taste. There is the large and the 

 " small sort, the white, the yellow, the blue, and the 

 " black." 



Captain John Smith, in his account of the Indians 

 of Virginia, says, " The greatest labour they take, is 

 " in planting their corne, for the country naturally is 

 " overgrowne with wood. To prepare the ground, they 

 " bruise the barke of the trees neare the root, then doe 

 u they scortch the roots with fire that they grow no 

 " more. The next yeare with a crooked peece of wood 

 " they beat vp the weeds by the rootes, and in that 

 " mould they plant their corne. Their manner is this. 

 " They make a hole in the earth with a sticke, and into 

 " it they put foure graines of wheate (maize), and two 

 "of beanes. These holes they make foure foote one 

 " from another. Their women and children do con- 

 u tinually keepe it with weeding, and when it is growne 

 " middle high, they hill it about like a hop-yard. In 

 " Aprill they begin to plant, but their chiefe planta- 

 " tion is in May, and so they continue till the midst 

 " of lune. What they plant in Aprill, they reape in 

 " August: for May in September; for lune in Octo- 

 " ber. Every stalke of their corne commonly beareth 

 " two eares, some three, seldome any foure,, many but 

 " one, and some none. Every eare ordinarily hath 

 " betwixt 200 and 500 graines. The stalke being 

 u greene hath a sweet iuice in it, somewhat like sugar- 

 11 cane, which is the cause that when they gather their 

 " corne greene, they sucke the stalkes ; for as we gather 

 " greene pease, so doe they their corne, being greene, 

 " which excelleth their old. * * * * ' ! Their corne 

 " they rost in the eare greene, and bruising it in morter 



