108 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



of Asia Minor, which is the Turk's dominions, but out of 

 America and the Islands adjoining, as out of Florida and Vir- 

 ginia, or Norembega, where they used to sow, or to set it, and 

 to make bread of it, where it groweth much higher than in 

 other countries." He also takes care to say, that it was not 

 known to the ancient Greek and Latin authors. M. Parmentier 

 is of opinion that it had American origin. 



M. E. Discourtilz also says, maize was introduced into Europe 

 by the Spaniards, who brought it from Peru.* It is important 

 to mention, also, the authority of Thomas Nuttall.f who thinks 

 it was indigenous to tropical America. The same conviction 

 is expressed by the learned Mrs. Somerville. J 



It remains to speak of the important conclusions of Baron 

 Humboldt. " It is no longer doubted," says this learned nat- 

 uralist, in his Essay on New Spain, " it is no longer doubted 

 among botanists, that maize, or Turkey corn, is a true Ameri- 

 can grain, and that the old continent received it from the new." 

 Again, he says : — " On the discovery of America by the Euro- 

 peans, the zea maize [tlaolli in the Aztec language, makiz in 

 the Haitian,) was cultivated from the most southern part of 

 Chili to Pennsylvania." Massachusetts, he might have said, for 

 such was the case. " According to a tradition of the Aztec 

 people, the Toultecs in the seventh century of our era, 

 were the first who introduced into Mexico the cultivation of 

 maize, cotton, and pimento. It might happen, however, that 

 these different branches of agriculture existed before the 

 Toultecs, and that this nation, the great civilization of which 

 has been celebrated by the historians, merely extended them 

 successfully. Hernandez informs us, that the Otamites even, 

 who were only a wandering and barbarous people, planted 

 maize." Thus, we see it was cultivated in America, long be- 

 fore the discovery, and formed a most important article of food 

 for centuries. 



Having candidly stated the various authorities on this ques- 

 tion, we are now prepared to proceed in our investigation. 



* Flore Pittoresque et Mftdicale des Antelles Paris : 1829. 

 t NiiUaH's Works, vol. 1, p. 203. 

 \ Physical Geography, p. 274. 



