The Nature 

 ottheSoiJ. 



Defcription 

 of the Ta- 

 mani*. 



4-2o dl M E %I C A Chap. VII. 



fudden, overflowing all the neighboring Countrey, onely the River San Franc'tfco 

 runs ftrongeft and rifes higheft in the Summer Seafon, whenas in the Winter ic 

 flows low, and pouresbut little Water into the Ocean. The original of this Ri- 

 ver is as yet unknown, yet is by moft belicv'd to come out of a great Lake lying 

 near, the TeruVtan Mountains : The Hollanders, who fail'd forty Leagues up the 

 fame, found it every where broad and deep, and fcatter'd full of Ifles and Rocks. 

 The Portuguefe failing ten Leagues farther, difebver'd the great Rocks Cocoeras, from 

 which the faid River falls down with great violence, and extends it felf North- 

 Weft. In the other Brafilian Streams, though Wide at the Mouthes, which generally 

 are not above two or three hours walking from their Fountains or Springs, no 

 Barque is able to Row up, they being exceeding fliallow, although much Rain 

 falls into them ; the reafon whereof is becaufe the barren Mountains lying be* 

 twecn Sra/j/eand Pen*, difcharge abundance of Water through the Rivers of Arna* 

 zones, Maranon, Francifco, La Plata, and the Juaeiro, with fuch force into the Ocean, 

 that they keep their fwcetnefs for thirty Leagues. Near the Sea fide are feve* 

 ral Lakes and Pits which are drinkable, and others up in the Countrey that are 

 brackifli. 



The Countrey differs exceedingly, for where it extends in Plains the Soil is fat 

 and clayie, and produces all forts of Fruit, but efpecially Sugar-Canes. During 

 the rainy Seafons the Trees flourifh moft 5 after which the heat of the Sun, and fer- 

 tility of the Soil fpeedily ripen the Fruit : wherefore they Dung not their Land, 

 but on the contrary endeavor to make it lean with Sand, ^that the Plants might not 

 have too many Leaves, and wither before the Fruit can be ripened. They Sowe in 

 the beginning of the rainy Moneths, and efpecially take care that the Seed lie not 

 too deep in the Ground, becaufe then the Sun-beams being not able to come at it 

 furfer it to perifli in the cold Ground. 



The high Cocoa and Falmito-Trces, arc tranfplantcd all the year round, the Roots 

 being onely cover'd with a little Earth, becaufe they can endure no cold. 



Several Trees here bear a cooling Emit, as if kind Nature took care to provide 

 againft exceflive heat. 



All manner of Plants and Herbs brought hither from Angola,fortugal,the lather- 

 lands, and the Eaft*Indies, grow here very plentifully. But the Countrey generally 

 would be much better, if fome way could be found out to deftroy the innumera- 

 ble company of Pifmires, which though three times bigger than the European, re- 

 femble them very much, and cover the Paths in Woods and Fields for three or four 

 Miles together $ and railing Hillocks,make them hollow,and fill them with Corn : 

 in the Full of the Moon they gather an incredible quantity of Grain, which they 

 bite at each end, becaufe it fliould not fprout : againft the rainy Moneths they ftop 

 up their Holes, that the Water may not damnifie their Store. But thefe Animals 

 have a mortal Enemy of the Tamanda, of which there are two forts, the bigger 

 call'd Guaca; the leffcr Miri ; the Guaca, notwithstanding it is no bigger than an or- 

 dinary Dog, yet it deftroys Tygers, and other wild Beafts, with fuch a raging fury, 

 that it never lets go what once it hath got hold of, but holds it faft fo long tijl fome. 

 times it dies of Hunger. The Guaca differing from the Miri onely in bignefs, 

 hath a broad Tail full of grey and black Briftles, which fticks up when he is vex d, 

 but when he goes to fleep, covers himfelf with the fame. The Miri winds his long 

 fmooth Tail about the Boughs, by which hanging he fearches the Holes in the 

 Trees with his Tongue, which being thin and round, hath a Gutter in the middle, 

 in which when it feels any Pifmires, it fuddenly fwallows them down : If he per- 

 ceives them to have their Nefts under Ground, then he fcratches up the Earth,and 



puts 



