46o ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



the times of the Yncas, and ftill very common. The method of making it is this ; 

 they fteep the maize in water till it begins to fprout, when they fpread it in the fun, 

 where it is thoroughly dried ; after which they roaft and grind it, and of the flour they 

 make a decodion of what ftrength they pleafe. It is then put into jars or calks, with 

 a proportional quantity of water. On the fecond or third day it begins to ferment, and 

 when that is completed, which is in two or three days more, they efteem it fit for 

 drinking. It is reckoned very cooling ; and that it is inebriating, is fufficiently evident 

 from the Indians : thofe people have indeed fo little government of themfelves, that 

 they never give over till they have emptied the cafk. Its tafte is not unlike cyder ; 

 but feems in fome meafure to require the difpatch of the Indians, turning four in feven 

 or eight days after the fermentation is completed. Befides its fuppofed quality of being 

 cooling, it is, among other medical properties, confeffedly diuretic ; and to the ufe of 

 this liquor the Indians are fuppofed to be indebted for their being ftrangers to the ftran- 

 gury or gravel. It is alfo not furprifing that thofe people who drink it, without any 

 other food than cancha, mote, and muchea, are, with the help of this liquor, healthy, 

 ftrong, and robuft. 



Maize boiled till the grains begin to fplit, when it is called Mote, ferves for food 

 to the Indians, the poor people, and fervants in families, who being habituated to it, 

 prefer it to bread. 



Maize, before it is ripe called Chogllos, is fold in the ear, and among the poorer 

 fort of inhabitants efleemed a great dainty. 



Befides the grains of the fame fpecies with thofe in Spain, this country has one pecu- 

 liar to itfelf, and very well deferving to be ranked among the moft palatable foods ; 

 but flill more valuable for its being one of the prefervatives againft all kinds of abfceifes 

 and impofthumes. This ufeful fpecies of grain, here called Quinoa, refembles a lentil 

 in fhape, but much lefs, and very white. When boiled it opens, and out of it comes 

 a fpiral fibre, which appears like a fmall worm, but whiter than the hufk of the grain. 

 It is an annual plant, being fowed and reaped every year. The ftem is about three or 

 four feet in height, and has a large pointed leaf, fomething like that of the malloro ; 

 the flower is of a deep red, and five or fix inches in length, and in it are contained the 

 grains or feed. The] quinoa is eaten boiled like rice, and has a very jpleafant tafl:e ; 

 and the water in which it has been boiled, is often ufed as an apozem. The quinoa is 

 ufed in external applications, in order to which it is ground and boiled to a proper con- 

 fifl:ence ; and applied to the part affedted, from which it foon extrads all corrupt hu- 

 mours occafioned by a contufion. 



Befides domefl:ic animals, here are great numbers of rabbits caught on the deferts. 

 The partridges are not very plenty, and rather refemble a quail than thofe of Europe. 

 Turtle-doves abound here, greatly owing to the indolence of the inhabitants in not 

 endeavouring to take them. 



But one of the principal foods ufed by the inhabitants is cheefe, of which it is com- 

 puted that the quantity annually confumed amounts to between feventy and eighty 

 thoufand dollars of that country money. It is ufed in various manners, and is the chief 

 ingredient in many difties. The neighbourhood of Quito alfo affords excellent butter, 

 and of which there is a great confumption, but falls far fhort of that of cheefe. 



The fondnefs of thefe people for fweetmeats exceeds every thing I have ever mentioned 

 of other countries ; and this neceffarily occafions a great confumption of fugar and 

 honey. One method of indulging this appetite is, to fqueeze the juice out of the fugar 

 canes, let it fettle, and curdle it, out of which they make fmall cakes, which they call 

 rafpaduras. This is fo highly valued by the lower clafs, that with a flice of it, and 



I o another 



