256 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



The fruits mofl ufed by them were the mamei, the 



tlilzapotl, the cochitzapotl, the chietzapotl, the ananas, the 

 chirionoja, the ahuacatl^ the anona, the pitahaja, the ca- 

 polin, or Mexican cherry, and different fpecies of Tune, 

 or Indian figs, which fruits well fupplied the want of 

 pears, apples, and peaches. 



Amongft all their plenty of foods the Mexicans were 

 deftitute of milk, and fat, as they had neither cows, 

 flieep, goats, nor hogs. With refpect to eggs, we do 

 not know that they eat any, except thofe of turkeys and 

 iguanas, the flefh of which they likewife did and ftill eat. 



The ufual feafoning to their food,befides fait, was great 

 pepper and tomate, which have become equally common 

 among the Spaniards of that country. 



They drank alfo feveral forts of wine, or beverages 

 fimilar to them, of the maguei, the palm, of the flems of 

 maize, and of the grain alfo, of which laft, called chicha, 

 almoft all the hiftorians of America make mention, as it 

 is the kind mod generally ufed in that new world. The 

 mofl common with the Mexicans, and alfo the befl was 

 that of the maguei, called oEM by them, and by the 

 Spaniards pulque ( m). The method of making it is this. 

 When the maguei, or Mexican aloe, arrives at a certain 

 height and maturity, they cut the ftem, or rather the 

 leaves while tender, of which the ftem is formed, fituated 

 in the centre of the plant, after which there remains a 

 certain cavity. They (have the internal furface of the 

 large leaves which furround the cavity, and collect the 

 fweet juice which diftils from them in fuch abundance, 



that 



(m) Pulque is not a Spanifh nor Mexican word, but is taken from the Aran- 

 sen language which is fpoken in Chili, in which the Pulcu is the general name, 

 for the beverages thefe Indians ufe to intoxicate themfelves; it is difficult t» 

 fay how the term has paffed to Mexico. 



