$z 



Nature of the 

 P.oplc. 



Lakes of 

 Km- S fain. 



The feveral 

 Provinces. 



A M E %I C A. Chap. V. 



• 



fragrant Leaves, round Stalks, hairy Roots, and three long Cods which fhoot up- 

 wards. This Pepper tempers the over-cooling property of the Chocolate. Laftly, 

 it cdnfifts alio of Xucbinacatlis, Tlilxocbitle, and the Rozenifh Gum,Ho//i. The Xoc'tna- 

 catli is a Tree with fmall Leaves, and great Flowers hanging on long Stalks that 

 bend downwards, within of a purple, and without of a dark-green colour, of a 

 fweet fmell,and refembling an Ear ; and this Flower alfo gives a pleafant tafteand 

 wholfom operation to the Chocolate. The Tltlxocbitle runs up to the tops of Trees 

 like Ivy j the Flowers,, of a darkifli brown colour, cleanfe the Nerves, ftrengthen 

 the Brain, and takeaway the rawnefs of the Stomach. The Holl't drops out of the 

 Holquabuytle, afmoothbarky Tree full of Moifture, which at firft appearance is 

 white, then yellowifli, and laftly black, which kneaded into round Balls and 

 Roafted, is a remedy againft a Loofnefs and forenefs of the Bowels. 



The Natives of the Countrey are very ingenious in divers mechanical Arts, 

 efpecially in making of Feather-Pictures, a piece of Curiofity wherein they are held 

 to be incomparably ,or rather inimitably excellent; andfo induftrious at it, thatal* 

 though the Americans generally are not a People over-much addicted to any kind of 

 Labor or Study, yet at this they will fit a whole day together, without either 

 Meat or Drink, onely put of a natural affection they have to the Work, and adefirc 

 to be excellent in it ; The Countrey indeed affords them great variety of Birds 

 and other Fowl, of moft rare and exquifite Colours, which is a great advantage to 

 their Skill, and helps much to the accomplishment of their Work. They Pain* 

 likewiie very ciirioufly upon their Cottons ; and are held to be generally the beft 

 Goldfmiths in the World, of moft perfect skill in the purging and refining of all 

 forts of Metals^ but efpecially of Gold and Silver: And yet in other things fo 

 ftrangely ftupid and ignorant,that when the Spaniards firft appeared amongft them, 

 not a few of them (as 'tis reported) took the Horfe and Man both for one Crea- 

 ture^ and when the Horfe Neighed, they would enquire very ferioufly what he 

 laid. 



There arehkewife many fair Lakes in this Province, but the principal arethofe 

 of Chapala and Mexico : the former of which is in the more Northern parts of the 

 Kingdom, towards the Borders of Nev> Galltcia, and is chiefly famous for the abun- 

 dance of good Salt that is yearly made and Tranfported thence. The other of 

 Mexico is one of the targeft and goodlieft in the World, of circular form (as 

 iome fay) little lefs than nine hundred Miles in compafs, environed with the main 

 Land, the (peninfula, or Cape of Florida^ jucatan, and the Ifland Quba, having two 

 onely Parages in and out, and both of them well fortifi'd : the one betwixt the 

 Point of Jucatan and the Mc-Cuba, where the Tyde violently enters > and the other 

 betwixt the laid Ifland and the Cape of Florida, where it goeth as violently out : up. i 

 on which Gulf the King of Spain hath always fome good Ships in readinefs for all 

 occafions . and by them, 'tis fuppos'd, he doth more aflurehis Eftates in thofc parts 

 of America, than by all the Garriions befides. 



The whole Kingdom of Mexico, or Nefi> Spain, is fubdivided into thefe Inferior 

 Provinces : 



i. The Arch-bifhoprick of Mexico. 2. The Bifhoprick , Mechoacon. 3. Los 

 Anglos, or Tlafcalc. 4. Guaxaca/j. The Lordfhip fanuco : And 6. the Province 

 Tabafco. 



Mexico, the chief Province of ISIjmSpain, fo denominated from Mexico the'ehief 

 City, not only of the Province, but of all America ♦ lying between Tlafcale and Me- 

 choacan, extends in length from North to South, a hundred and feventeen Leagues-, 

 and in breadth along the Southern Ocean, feventeen, but up in the Countrey, fifty' 



four 



