Z28 



a M E%1 C A. 



Chap. IV. 



B.afc. 



Medicinal 

 Flanti. 



Placet of 

 pott. 



There is alio a hard Wood call'd I,o». ^either fiom its hardnefs or colour, or 



both, which never rots. 



The abundance of Flowers which grow here afford nutriment to innumerable 

 fwarms of Bees, which are about the bignefs of fmall Flies. Their Honey which 

 is fomewhat tart, they hide in the Roots of Trees, or in the Earth. Another fort, 

 which is made by the Wafps, bereaves thofe that tafte of their Senfes. 



The noted'ft Beaft in this Countrey is the Danta r which refembles a Mule, hath 

 no Horns, but Afh>colour'd long Hair, fhort Neck, hanging Ears, thin Legs, with 

 three Claws before and two behind, long Head, narrow Forehead, little Eyes, a 

 Nofc hanging over its Mouth, little Tail, fharp Teeth, and a Skin which is fix 

 Fingers thick, and fcarce penetrable by any Weapon. This Beaft is taken in Traps, 

 Holes, or elfc with Dogs, which he often kills when hunted towards the Water, 

 They fay that this Beaft taught Men firft to Let-blood . for if it be too full, of 

 Blood, it pricks it felf againft a fharp Cane, and ftops up the Orifice again very 

 carefully. The Flefh thereof is good Meat, as alfo that of the fl^/.Lyonsr, which 

 in the day-time deep on a high Tree, where they are (hot by the Indians. 



The Tygers are much more dangerous to be taken . yet the Indians Hunting 

 them, eat them in ftead of Beef • 'and alfo through all ty* Spain. 



The Bears, which make the Ways very dangerous to travel, have black frizled 

 Hair, broad Tails, Feet like Mens Hands : but fince the Indians have made ufe of 

 Guns', which they learn'd from the Spaniards, they have much lcflen'd the number 

 both of Bears and Tygers. 



There are likewife many Leopards, Apes,and wild Goats (whofc Skins fervc the 



Natives for Drums) Hogs, and JrmadtUos. 



Amongft their Fowls, are Eagles and Parrots. 



The Countrey is fo well ftor'd with Water, that in thr&e Leagues fpace are 

 above thirty Rivulets, and as many Fountains. 



On the Mountains grow great quantities oiSarfapai'illa, Mechoacan, and the Chin*. 

 •IJoor, which being yellowifh hath feveral Saffron- colour'd Knobs on the top. The 

 SarfafariUa grows with many Stalks, creeping along over the Ground ; the Body 

 thereof is tough and full of Prickles, the Leaves broad and fharp at the ends, and 

 are of a bluifh colour on one fide, and green on the other, and bear Clufters of 

 Flowers, which clofe like Buds, and are firft green, next vermilion-red, and laftly 

 blackifh : within are two hard Stones, which inclofc a white Kernel, by the Indi- 

 ans call'd Juapecanga. 



The Bay Golfo Duke, which pours its muddy Water into the Sea, feeds the great 



Fifli Monati y and a great number of Crocodiles. 



Several Rivers abounding with Fifh fail alfo into the fame, having their Banks 

 fet all along with Trees, in whofe Boughs, joyn'd together on the top, thofe fort 

 of Birds make their Nefts which prey on Fifh. 



The Women in this place are much ftiorter Liv'd than the Men, fo that there are 

 often thirty Widowers to one Widow. Women with Child arc Delivcr'd by 

 themfelves in the Highway 5 and from thence they go to the next River to wafii 



themfelves and the Child. 



As for any Towns or Places of much Traffick or Note, inhabited by the Spani- 

 ards, we find not any nam'd, fave onely St. Auguftines ; near unto which there is 

 faid to be a Cave and Fountain within Ground, which converts the Water that fal- 

 lethintoit out of feveral lefTer Springs, into a kind of Alabafter or Stone, per- 

 'fe&ly white, and fafhions it likewife into Pillars, Statues, and other artificial Forms 



of very curious Workmanfliip, as Laet reporteth. 



Sect. 



