Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/380

 Also they sow much cotton wooll, which of nature is white, red, blacke, greene, yellow, orange tawnie, and of diuers other colours.

Likewise they affirme, that from Tumbez southward it doth neither raine, thunder, nor lighten, for the space of fiue hundred leagues of land: but at some times there falleth some little shower. Also it is reported, that from Tumbez to Chili there breede no peacocks, hennes, cocks, nor eagles, falcons, haukes, kites, nor any other kinde of rauening fowles, and yet there are of them in all other regions and countreies: but there are many duckes, geese, herons, pigeons, partriges, quailes, and many other kindes of birdes. There are also a certaine kinde of fowle like vnto a ducke which hath no wings to flie withall, but it hath fine thinne feathers which couer all the body. Likewise there are bitters that make war with the seale or sea wolfe; for finding them out of the water they will labour to picke out their eies, that they may not see to get to the water againe, and then they doe kill them. They say it is a pleasant sight to behold the fight betweene the said bitters and seales. With the beards of these seales men make cleane their teeth, because they be wholesome for the toothach.

There are certaine beasts which those of the countrey call Xacos, and the Spanyards sheepe, because they beare wooll like vnto a sheepe, but are made much like vnto a deere, hauing a saddle backe like vnto a camel. They will carrie the burthen of 100. weight The Spanyards ride vpon them, and when they be wearie they will turne their heads backward, and void out of their mouthes a woonderful stinking water.

From the riuer of Plata and Lima southward there breede no crocodiles nor lizards, no snakes, nor any kind of venemous vermine, but great store of good fishes breede in those riuers. On the coast of Saint Michael in the South sea there are many rocks of salt couered with eggs. On the point of Saint Helena are certaine Well springs which cast foorth a liquor, that serueth in stead of pitch and tarre. They say that in Chili there is a fountaine, the water whereof will conuert wood into stone. In the hauen of Truxillo there is a lake of fresh water, and the bottome thereof is of good hard salt. In the Andes beyond Xauxa there is a riuer of fresh water, in the bottome whereof there lieth white salt. Also they affirme by the report of those of the