OS} 



Squerrils,' 



The Bird 

 Anrtu, 



Chap. V. AMERICA. 



fpar'd the Sea-mans life : Notwithftanding the cruelty and mifchieFof thefe Ty« 

 gers, the Indians are led by their fottifh Superftition to worfhip them } becaufe, as 

 they fay, the Devil often appears to them in that fhape. 



Befides the Tygers, the Inhabitants ofMechaocan are exceedingly rriolefted with 

 Squerrils, which not only carry much Fruit into their Holes, but alfo tinder-mine 

 the Houfes,fo that they often fink or fall on one fide, the mifchief being the worfe, 

 becaufe they increafc daily. Moft of them bear four young at a time, which on the 

 third day run about for Prey , and can fcarce be taken, becaufe of their exceeding 

 fwiftnefs, leaping a great diftance from one Tree to another . their Tails ferve 

 them on divers occafions; for leaping they ufe it like a Wing, and at their crofling 

 over a River, for a Sail$ in tempeftuous Weather, they flop their holes therewith, 

 to keep out the Wind. 



There are fixfevcral forts of thefe Squerrils ; the firft call'd Tlilic, cover them- fcwaikindi 

 fclvcs with their Tails- the fecond Quapatchli, is as big again, and can never be 

 made tame 5 the third Tecballotl, with a bald Tail and great Eyes ; the fourth Tal- 

 mototly, hath a thick Head, and a Tail full of black and white ftreaks ; the fifth Qui* 

 mitchpatlan , hath a little Head and long Legs , and leaping from one Tree to an* 

 other, feems to flie ; the laft fort call'd I^tafiecbalotl, is whitifli. 



The Foxes do alfo great mifchief here, their Urine fmells fo horribly, that forty **•* 

 days after , none are able to abide near the place where they have urin'd , and on 

 whatfoever Stuff or Cloth a drop thereof chanceth to light, the (link can never be 

 wafli'd away. 



Here breeds alfo a fort of Birds, call'd Juras , which are not unlike Moore- 

 Hens ; they flie exceeding high in the Air, feed on nought but ftinking Carrion, 

 which they fcent at a great diftance ; they have a hairy Head and Neck, and ugly 

 Face : Some of the Fowls of this Countrey ftay here all the year long , others go 

 away, and return at certain times. 



The Natives, fince the Spaniards coming thither, have gotten their Habits and S?nSw 

 Language, learn'd all forts of Trades . their Tables, Chefts, and Cupboards made 

 of Sr^/j/e-Wood, are no way inferior to the bed that are made in Europe. Painting 

 is alfo in great eftecm amongft them : They make handfom Clothes, Shooes, and 

 ftrange Copper Locks. They have a peculiar Art in Tilling their Ground : They 

 teach the Spanijh Dogs feveral tricks , but not feeding them well, they caufe them 

 to run from them, and turn wilde , whence they are call'd Cimarrones, becaufe they 

 do much hurt to the Cattel. 



The Inhabitants, when a Feaver or Ague is upon them at the higheft, leap into 

 cold Water : againft other SicknefTes they ufe Heibs,whofe foveraign Power Expe- 

 rience hath long fince taught them. 



Since the Spaniards made Mechoacan a Biflioprick, they have built ninety four 

 Schools, fifty Churches , feveral Hofpitals and Cloyfters, inhabited by Francif can 

 and Augujiin Monks. 



There are faid to be in this Biflioprick a hundred and fifty Towns or Burroughs 

 (befides many fcatter'd Villages) moft of which have Frce-Schools created in 

 them, for the Training up of Youth in the Chriftian Religion, good Literature and 

 Arts 5 and few of them without an Hofpital for the Sick : of which Towns the 

 principal are as followeth : 



i. Zinzputm, the Seat of the ancient Kings of Mechoacan. 2. fafcuar, a City r&a>aj 

 forty feven Leagues diftant from Mexico, once a Bifliop's See. 3. Vailadolid^ the Me- 

 tropolis or chief City of theProvince, fince the Epifcopal Chair was removed from 

 Vafcuar thither. It lieth upon a great Lake, equal amoft for bignefs to that of 



D d 2 Mexico, 







Towns. 



