Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/379

 east side, as appeereth by the riuers of the Amazones of S. Francis, of Plata, and many others which runne through the countrey of Brasil, being larger then those of Peru, or those of Castilia del oro. There grow on these mountaines many turneps, rapes, and other such like rootes and herbes. One there is like vnto Aipo of Rue which beareth a yellow flower, and healeth all kinde of rotten sores, and if you apply it vnto whole and cleane flesh it will eate it vnto the bone: so that it is good for the vnsound and naught for the whole.

They say there be in these mountaines tigers, lions, bears, woolues, wilde cats, foxes, Dantes, Ounces, hogs and deere: birdes as well rauenous as others, and the most part of them are blacke, as vnder the North both beastes and birdes be white. Also there be great and terrible snakes which destroied a whole armie of the Ingas passing that way, yet they say that an olde woman did inchant them in such sort that they became so gentle, that a man might sit vpon one of them. The countrey of Peru adioining vnto the mountaines of Andes westward toward the sea, and containing 15. or 20. leagues in bredth is all of very hot sand, yet fresh bringing foorth many good trees and fruites because it is well watered: where there growe abundance of flags, rushes, herbes, and trees so slender and loose, that laying your hands vpon them the leaues will fall off. And among these herbes and fresh flowers the men and women liue and abide without any houses or bedding, euen as the cattell doe in the fields: and some of them haue tailes. They be grosse, and weare long haire. They haue no beards, yet haue they diuers languages.

Those which liue on the tops of these mountaines of Andes betweene the cold and the heate for the most part be blinde of one eie, and some altogether blinde, and scarce you shall finde two men of them together, but one of them is halfe blinde.

Also there groweth in these fields, notwithstanding the great heate of the sand good Maiz, and Potatos, and an herbe which they name Coca, which they carrie continually in their mouthes (as in the East India they vse another herbe named Betele) which also (they say) satisfieth both hunger and thirst. Also there are other kindes of graines and rootes whereon they feede. Moreouer there is plentie of wheate, barly, millet, vines, and fruitful trees, which are brought out of Spaine and planted there. For all these things prooue well in this countrey, because it is so commodiously watered.