

t 













i€z A M E 3^ I C A. Chap. V. 



and bcfides great plenty of Medicinal Herbs and Plants, it affordeth good (lore of 

 Amber nigh the Sea Coafts, Mulberry-trees, and confequently Silks . much Ho- 

 ney, Wax, and divers other Commodities, both for neceiSty and pleafure. The 

 People of the Countrey are generally tall, of a ftrong aftive Body, and a good 

 Wit, efpecially in comparifon of other Natives- not unskilful in divers curious 

 Manufactures, the mod excellent Feather-Pi&ures, afore-mention'd, being faid to 

 be found in this Province. They feem more generally inclined to the Humors and 

 Cuftoms of the Spaniards , than any other Americans ; and receiv'd the Preaching 

 of Cbriftian <I(eligion, when time was, with much willingnefs • fo that the Countrey 

 is now entirely Cbriftian, and divided into feveral Parifhes. 

 languages The Languages which are fpoken in Meckoacan are feveral, as the Otomian, Cbihci- 



5£T523J2 mi**, anc l c ^ e Mexicans, which is common through all 2s[ew Spain, and the Tarafcan, a 

 cans - neat and brief Language, which properly belongs to this Countrey. 



Tygen. The Lions and Wilde Dogs of this Countrey devour great numbers of Cattel 



yearly, yet the greated mifchiefs happen from the Tygers, which often fetch Peo. 

 pie out of their Houfcs, notwithftanding the Doors are lock'd, for they break in 

 thorow the Walls and Roofs, with much eagernefs and drength : Of the great- 

 nefs whereof, 'Jacob Boutin* tells us this dory, That the Governor Peter Carpentier fet 

 a Trap without the Walls of BataYta, of great Timber, Pleited with Iron, Baiting 

 it with a Goat • which taking effc&, the Tyger that was caught therein , impatient 

 of fuch clofe Imprifonment, rent the Timber, and getting out, left the Goat un- 

 touched. 



Hugo Linfcbot relates, That the Tygers in the Weft-Indies hurt no Spaniards, exer- 

 cifing their cruelty onely on Indians $ and that finding a Black and a White Man llcep- 

 ing together, they devour the Black and not the White : How far theft aflertions 

 deferve to be credited, may appear by an evident contradi&ion of the firft, for it 

 is well known, many Spaniards in the Weft-Indies have been eaten by the Tygcr$# 



General Fedreman marching in this Countrey at the Head of his Army, was af- 

 faultcd by a Tyger, which in defpight of them all killing a Spaniard, and three In* 

 diawjjcfcap'd from them s no Trees ferve for a refuge againft their fury, for they 

 climb up to the top thereof,and fetch down their Prey ; their Claws are fo exceeding 

 Venomous, that whoever is fcratch'd with the fame, is never to be cur'd; there is no 

 Beaft but they will venture upon, wherefore they lie in the Bullies, from whence 

 they rum out upon them j but this difadvantage they have , thai mod other Beads 

 are too nimble Footed for them, for they are a very heavy Creature,whatevcr hath 

 been deliver'dby the Ancients concerning theTygers fwiftnefs. 



As to the difference which they make in Humane Flefli,it is thus far true : That 

 they find more fweetnefs in Womens Breads than other parts, and chofe a Black 

 Man before a White : Concerning the fird, France gives a fufficient tedimony, 

 when two Tygers , in the time of King Lewis the Twelfth , breaking loofe , 

 left a great number of Women lying Breadlefs in the Road. The fecond is con* 

 firm'd by John Johnftons Relation of a drange accident that happen'd in Bengale, 

 yi%. A Moor dreaming that a Tyger fetch'd him out of the Ship , hid himfelf the 

 next Night between Decks, of which the Mader asking the rcafon , was in* 

 form'd concerning his Dream , which prov'd prophetick, for about Mid-night 

 a Tyger leapt into the Ship, and devouring the Moor, went away without touch* 

 ing any one of the Hollanders , of which there were thirty : But a Sea-man walking 

 on the fliore efcap'd more wonderfully, for a Tyger fetting upon him behind, and 

 a Crocrodile before, he leaping from betwixt them , difcover'd to the Tyger the 

 Crocodile, to whom the Tyger directly running, and ingaging with the Crocodile, 



fpar'd 



