_Of the fertilitie of this kingdome, and of such fruits and
other things as it doth yeld._
The inhabitants in this countrie are perswaded, of a truth, that those
which did first finde and inhabite in this lande, were the nevewes of
Noe (who, after they had traueiled from Armenia, wheras the arke stayed,
wherin God did preserue their grandfather from the waters of the flood),
went seeking a land to their contentment; and not finding a countrie of
so great fertilitie and temperature like vnto this, wherein was all
things necessarie for the life of man, without comparison: they were
compelled, with the aboundance thereof, to inhabite therein,
vnderstanding that if they should search throughout all the world, they
should not finde the like; and I thinke they were not deceiued,
according as now it is to be seene, and what may be considered in the
proces of this chapter, of such fruits as the earth doth yeeld. And
although there is declared here of such as shall suffice in this worke,
yet is there left behind a great number more; of whose properties, as
well of herbes and beasts, which of their particulars may be made a
great volume, and I doo beleeue that in time there will be one set
forth.
The great trauell and continual laboure of the inhabitants of this
countrie, is a great helpe vnto the goodnes and fertilitie therof, and
is so much that they do neither spare nor leaue mountains nor vallies,
neither riuers, but they do sow and plant all such things as they
perceiue that the place wil yeeld, according unto the goodnesse thereof:
as orchards with fruite, great fields of wheat, barlie, rice, flaxe and
hempe, with many other things: all which traueile vnto them is verie
easie, remembering with what great libertie they do inioy their goods,
and the great and infinit number of people that there is, as well for
handie craftes as for to till and cultiuate the grounde. In all this
mightie countrie they do not suffer vacabunds nor idle people, but all
such (ouer and aboue that they are greeuouslie punished), they are
holden for infamous: neither doo they consent nor permit any of them
that are naturally borne there to go out of their countries into other
strange countries; neither haue they any wars at this present, which was
the thing that in times past did consume much of their people. The king
dooth content himselfe onely with his owne kingdome (as one that is
helde the wisest in all the world). Beside all this, they are naturally
inclined to eate and drinke wel, and to make much of themselves in
apparel, and to haue their houses well furnished with household stuffe;
and to the augmenting hereof, they do put themselues in great labor and
trauaile, and are great dealers and trafickers: al which, with the
fertilitie of the countrie aboue said, is the occasion that iustlie it
might haue the name to be the most fertilest in all the whole world.
[Sidenote: Excellent plummes.]
This country doth yeeld all kind of herbs, as doth Spaine, and of many
kindes mo: also all manner of fruites, like as in Spaine, with diuers
other sorts, the names whereof are not yet knowne, for that they do
differ very much from ours; but yet the one and the other are of a
marueilous excellent tast, as they doo say. They haue three sorts of
orenges, the one verie sweete, which doth exceede sugar in their
sweetnesse: the other sort not so sweet as the first: the third sort are
somewhat sower, but verie delightfull in the tast. Also they haue a
kinde of plummes, that they doo call _lechias_,[20] that are of an
exceeding gallant tast, and neuer hurteth any body, although they
shoulde eate a great number of them. It yeldeth great aboundance of
great melons, and of an excellent sauour and tast, and verie bigge. Also
a kinde of russet appels that be very great, of a good tast. I doo not
heere declare of other fruites, nor of their names, because I will not
seeme tedious vnto the reader, nor spende the time herein, but will
treat of other things of more importance.
[Sidenote: Excellent white sugar good cheape.]
[Sidenote: Honie and wax.]
[Sidenote: Excellent good silke.]
In all parts of this kingdome there is great store of sugar, which is
the occasion that it is so good cheape: for you shall have a quintal of
verie excellent white and good sugar, when it is most deerest, for the
value of sixe ryals of plate. There is great abundance of honie, for
that their delight is in hiues, by reason whereof not only honie, but
waxe is very good cheape; and there is so great quantity therof, that
you may lade ships, yea fleetes thereof. They do make great store of
silke, and excellent good, and give it verie perfite colours, which
dooth exceed very much the silke of Granada, and is one of the greatest
trades that is in all that kingdome.
[Sidenote: Great store of flaxe and hempe.]
[Sidenote: Cotton, wool, wheat, and barlie, rie, oates.]
[Sidenote: Great abundance of rice.]
The veluets, damaskes, sattens, and other sortes of webs, which is there
made, is of so small a price, that it is a wonder to speake it, in
especiall unto them that doo know how their prises be in Spaine and in
Italie. They do sell none of their silkes there by the yard, neither any
other kinde of websterie, though it be lynnen; but by the waight,
wherein there is least deceit. They haue great store of flaxe, wherwith
the common people doo apparell themselues: also hempe for the cawlking
of their ships, and to make ropes and hasers. And on their drie and
tough landes, although they be stonie, they gather great stoore of
cotton wooll. They doo sowe wheate, barlie, rye, and oates, and manie
other kindes of graine; and the one and the other doo yeelde great
increase. In the marrish groundes (of which there be many), by reason of
moyst and great aboundance of riuers that be in this countrie, they doo
sowe rice, which is a common victuall or maintiniment vnto all people of
the kingdome, and vnto them that dwell neere them; and they doo gather
so greate aboundance that when it is most dearest you shall haue a
haneg[21] for a ryall of plate: of the which, and of all other graines
aforesaid, the countrie was woont to yeeld them, and foure times in the
yeere there increase.
[Sidenote: Chestnuts.]
On their high grounds, that are not good to be sowne, there is great
store of pine trees, which yeelde fruite very sauorie: chestnuts
greater, and of better tast, then commonly you shall finde in Spaine:
and yet betwixt these trees they do sow maiz, which is the ordinarie
foode of the Indians of Mexico and Peru, and great store of panizo,[22]
so that they doe not leaue one foote of grounde vnsowen. And of trueth,
almost in all the whole countrie, you shall not finde any ground that is
barren or without profite, what by the naturall vertue of the country,
and also by the manuring and helping of it.