_Here I do proceed in the fertilitie of this kingdome, and of
such things as it doth yeeld._
[Sidenote: All kind of beasts.]
[Sidenote: Excellent furres, muske.]
[Sidenote: Great store of beefes.]
[Sidenote: Deere, hogs, and goates.]
[Sidenote: Great store of wildfoule.]
[Sidenote: Foule solde by waight.]
Besides the fertilitie of this countrie beforesaide, all the fields be
verie faire to behold, and yeelde maruelous odoriferous smelles, by
reason of the great quantitie of sweete flowers of diuers sorts. It is
also garnished with the greene trees that be planted by the riuers sides
and brookes, whereof there is great quantitie. And there is planted
there orchards and gardens, with banketing houses of great pleasure, the
which they doo vse verie much for their recreation and auoiding the
troubles of minde. The Loytias, or gentlemen, doo vse to plant great
forrests and thicke woods, whereas doo breed many wilde boores, bucks,
hares, and conyes, and diuers other beasts: of whose skins they make
very excellent furres, but in especiall of _martas ceuellias_,[23] of
which there is a great number. There is great aboundance of muske, the
which they do make of a little beast that doth feede of nothing else but
of a roote which is of a maruellous smell, that is called camarus, as
big as a man's finger. They do take them and beat them with blowes till
they be brused all to peeces; then they do put them in a place whereas
they may soonest putrifie; but first they do bind very fast such parts
whereas the blood may run out of their brused bones, all to peces,
remaining within them. Then after, when they thinke they be putrified,
then they do cut out smal peeces, with skinne and all, and tie them vp
like bals or cods, which the Portugals (who doth by them) do call
_papos_: and this is the finest that is brought out of all Indies (if
there be no deceit vsed in it), for many times they will put amongst it
small peeces of lead, and other things of weight. There is also great
store of kyne, that are so little worth that you may buy a very good one
for eight rials of plate; and beefes, that are bought for halfe the
mony: one whole venison is bought for two rials; great store of hogs,
whose flesh is as holsome and good as our mutton in Spaine. There is
great aboundance of goates, and of other beasts that are to be eaten,
which is the occasion that they are of little value. The flying foules
that doo breed about the lakes and riuers are of so great quantitie that
there is spent daily, in small villages in that countrie, many
thousands, and the greatest sort of them are teales. The fashion how
they do breed and bring them vp shal be declared in a chapter
particularly; for that which is said shal not seeme impossible. They be
sold by waight, and likewise capons and hens, and for so smal value that
two pounds of their flesh being plucked, is worth ordinarily two Foys,
which is a kinde of mony like vnto the quartes[24] of Spaine; hogs
flesh, two pounds for a Foy and a halfe, which is six marauadiz.
Likewise all other victuals after the same rate, as it doth plainly
appeare by the relation made by the friers.
[Sidenote: Reubarbe and other medicinall hearbs.]
[Sidenote: Foure hundred of nutmegs for six-pence. Cloues, sixe pound
for 3 pence; the like of pepper.]
[Sidenote: Mines of gold and siluer and other mettals. Iron and Steele 4
shilling a quintal. Siluer is worth more than gold. Great store of
pearles.]
There are also many herbs for medicines, as very fine reubarbe, and of
great quantitie, and wood called Palo de China; great store of nutmegs,
with the which they may lade fleetes, and of so lowe a price that you
may buy foure hundreth for a ryall of plate; and cloues, sixe pound for
halfe a ryall of plate; and the like in pepper. Synamon, one rowe, which
is 25 pound, for four ryals of plate, and better cheape. I do leave to
speake of many other hearbs medicinable and profitable for the vse of
man: for that if I should write the particular vertue of euerie of them,
it would require a great volume. Of fish, both swimming and shell fish
of all sorts, that they haue with them is to be wondred at: not onely
vpon the sea coasts, but also in the remote places of that kingdome, by
reason of the great riuers, which be nauigable vnto such places. Besides
all this it is verie rich of mines of golde and siluer, and other
mettals, the which (gold and siluer excepted) they do sell it so good
cheape that a quintal of copper, yron, or steele is to be bought for
eight rials of plate. Gold is better cheape there then it is in Europe,
but siluer is more woorth. There is founde great store of pearles in all
this kingdome: but the most part of them are not rounde, by the which
you may gather and vnderstande the goodnesse and fertilitie of the same.
And that the first that did discouer and inhabite that kingdome were not
deceiued, for that they founde all things necessarie vnto the preseruing
of the life of man, and that in aboundance: for the which, with iust
reason, the inhabitants may thinke themselues to possesse the best and
fertilest kingdome in all the whole world.