126 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



full Hearbes for to heale many diseases, in so muche that at 

 the tyme the Indians had the government of it, the inhabiters 

 there rounde aboute that Province, came thether to heale 

 their diseases and infirmities. . . . The Indians of that countrie 

 be of a taller growthe and of better faces then the Borderers are 

 and of more healthe. 



" The principall place of that province the Indians doe call 

 in their language Chincicila and the Spaniards doe call it as thei 

 call that realme Mechoacan, and it is a great towne of Indians, 

 situated nere to a lake which is of swete water and of verie 

 muche Fishe, the same Lake is like the fashion of making an 

 horse shewe, and in the middest thereof standeth the Towne, 

 the whiche at this daye hath greate trade of buying and 

 sellyng." 



We are told in detail how the Warden of the Friars of 

 St. Francis was cured by a native Indian doctor with this 

 herb — " mechoacan " : — 



*' As soone as that Province was gotten of the Indians there 

 went thither certaine Friers, of Saincte Frances order, and as in a 

 countrie so distant from their naturall soyle, some of them 

 f eU sicke, amongest whom the Warden, who was the Chief Frier 

 of the house fell sicke, with whom Caconcin Casique, an Indian 

 lord, a man of great power in that countrie, had very greate 

 friendship, who was Lorde of all that countrie. The father 

 Warden had a long sicknes and put to muche danger of life, 

 the Casique as he sawe his disease procede forward, he saied 

 that he would bryng hym an Indian of his, which was a Phisi- 

 tion, with whom he did cure hym self, and it might bee that 

 he would give hym remeady of his disease. The whiche beeyng 

 heard of the Frier, and seyng the little helpe that he had there, 

 and the want of a Phisition, and other thynges of benefite, he 

 thanked hym and saied unto hym, that he should bryng hym 

 unto hym : who beyng come, and seyng his disease, he said to 

 the Casique, that if he tooke a pouder that he would giue hym 

 of a roote, that it would heale hym. The whiche beeyng knowen 



