34 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT. 



fields to be plant ed with sugar canes, which should so sweeten the 

 chocolate^ thnf it should fa4ice -exc&ed the milk and honey of the^ 

 Land of Promise." 



High living was the order of the day in the city of Mexico, 

 where, he says, " We found that two or three hours after a good 

 meal of three or four dishes of mutton, veal, or beef, kid, turkeys, 

 or other fowles, our stomackes w^ould bee ready to faint, and so wee 

 were fain to support them with a cup of Chocolatte, &;c., which 

 was allowed in great abundance." 



He speaks of Chiapa, southward from Mexico, as being "the 

 most remarkable place in the way. -^ ^ ^ Here are also 

 two c loisters of nun s which are talked of far andjiear, not for their 

 religious prac tices, but for their skill in making drinkes which are 

 used in those parts , the ,one_^alled Chocolatte, anoth er Atolle . 

 Chocolatte is (also) made up in boxes and sent not only to 

 Mexico, but much of it yearly transported into Spain." 



Gage made himself at home with these dignitaries of the 

 Church, who, though they feasted right sumptuously at times, had 

 their second meal in the day of bread and water : " The 

 gentlemen of Chiapa are a by-word all about that country, of great 

 birth, pharisticke pride, joyned with simplicity, ignorance, and 

 penury. One hundred fighting soldiers would easily lay low these 

 Chiapa Dons, and gain the whole city, which lyeth so open to the 

 fields that the mules and asses come in and graze. -^ * =* 

 The women of that city, it seems, pretend much weakness and 

 squeamishness of stomack, which they say is so great, that they 

 are not able to continue in church while the mass is briefly 

 hurried over, much lesse while a solemn, high mass is sung and a 



