America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld / Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Besides Several Other Considerable Additions, a Brief Survey of What Hath Been Discover'd of the Unknown South-land and the Arctick Region.

by John Ogilby

Birds.

The Birds Guacamayes, which are red and blue, are like a Peruan Goose.

Beasts.

Moreover, the Countrey yields brave Horses, Goats, Sheep, Rabbets, and Foxes; also wild Dogs, Leopards, Lyons, and Tygers.

The wild Hogs which breed here have their Navels on their Backs, and have no Tails, they smell exceeding strong, and feed together in great Companies.

The Taquatrin, a certain Beast proper to those Parts, hath a Bag under its Belly, in which it generally carries seven or more young ones, and hath also a bald Tail; it creeps into Houses in the Night to steal Hens.

Here is also a certain Beast (whose Name we find not) about the bigness of a Rabbet, and like a Rat, and carries its young ones on its back whensoe’re it comes abroad.

The Serpents, which are very numerous here, trouble the Inhabitants exceedingly, especially near the Village Ecatepeque, where there are such an abundance on two little Hills, that none dares approach them; some of them are very poysonous, for if touch’d with a Stick, the Poyson runs up the same: and whoever are anointed with the Blood of a dead Serpent, die a lingring Death. John de Laet relates, that the Indians took one which carried thirty young ones, which being a Finger long, crep up and down immediately; and the old one, being above twenty Foot long, serv’d the Natives for Venison.

Amongst other Beasts is also the Teuthlacokauhqui, or Fortress of the Serpents; it hath a Head like an Adder, thick Belly, glittering Scales, a black Back, sprinkled with white Crosses; at its Tail there grows yearly a Bone, with which it makes a noise when it stirs; its poysonous Teeth destroy those which are bit therewith in twenty four Hours, unless the part which is wounded be held in the Earth so long till the pain be over. Notwithstanding the noise, terrible aspect, and gestures of this Animal, the Indian Hunters make nothing to take the same by the Tail, and wrap it up in Linnen, and carrying it home make it tame. It is able to live a whole Year without either Meat or Drink; its Head when cut off grows to the bigness of a Man’s Thigh in ten days time.