Another strange Fountain.
A most wonderful Rock.
The Kingdom of the Kings of Cusco, which in some sence, and by some Writers upon occasion, is call’d The Kingdom of Peru, was extended by the last Inca or King, Huayna Capac, from North to South above a thousand Leagues together, comprehending not only a great part of the Province of Chile towards the South, but also the new Kingdom of Granada, and divers other Provinces to the North; but Peru, properly so call’d, containeth little more than half so much, viz. six hundred Leagues in length, and about fifty or threescore in breadth, except onely in some places, as in the Countrey of Chacopoyas, where ’tis thought it may be a hundred Leagues from the Andes to the South Sea: It lieth between the first and fifth Degrees of Southern Latitude, and is bounded on the East and North-East with that vast Ridge of Mountains which they call the Andes; on the West it is wash’d with Mare del Zur; on the North it hath the Countrey of Popayan; and on the South, Chile: It is commonly divided into three parts, which they call The Plains, The Hill-Countrey, and The Andes; the Plains are that part of the Countrey which lie along upon the Sea-Coast, being for the most part a meer Level without any Hills at all. The Sierra, as they call it, or Hill-Countrey, is that part of Peru which is partly mountainous and partly plain, fertile and well inhabited in both. The Andes are so high, rocky, and inaccessible, that they are scarce inhabited at all but by Salvages, save onely upon the skirts of them. The Plains from the Sea-shore to the Hill-Countrey, are for the most part about ten Leagues over or broad, upon which it scarce raineth all the year long. The Hill-Countrey is commonly twenty Leagues in breadth where narrowest; and from September to April hath Rain, the rest of the Year generally being fair Weather; but on the Andes, which take up all the rest of the Countrey of Peru, it raineth almost continually all the year long. In the Hill-Countrey their Summer begins in April, as is said, and ends in September; but in the Plains it begins in October, and ends in May; so that in the space of a day a Man may feel both Summer and Winter; be scorch’d with excessive Heat in the Morning, and yet well nipt with Cold before Night. The Andes generally are cover’d with thick Woods and wild Forrests. The Hill-Countrey is for a great space naked and open; the Plains in many places sandy and dry, and would be much more scorch’d with Heat than they are, but for the neighborhood of the Sea, which affords them many cooling Gales from the South and South-West Winds, whose property, although it be natural in other parts to be tempestuous, to bring Rain and foul Weather, yet here there is nothing but Serenity and fair Sun-shine days all the year long, although these Winds blow almost without ceasing upon the Countrey, and no other at any time, whereas the Sierra, or Hill-Countreys have Wind from every Coast, and such as bringeth all sorts of Weather with it, Rain, Hail, Frost, Snow, great claps of Thunder, &c. The Countrey affordeth not so much Cattel of the breed of Europe as some other Provinces of America; but in stead of Kine and Sheep, the Woods and Pastures are replenish’d with multitudes of the Vicugnes and Pacos, which are of no less Profit and Service. The Pacos here are said to be as big as some young Heifers of two years old, bearing a Fleece like Sheep, and their Flesh no less pleasant than the Mutton of Europe. But the great Wealth of this Countrey lies out of sight in the bowels of the Earth, viz. in those rich and (as they may seem) inexhaustible Mines both of Gold and Silver, which, as ’tis well known, the Countrey of Peru affordeth more than any other Province of America besides. The Sierra opens into large Valleys, amongst the chiefest whereof are Xauxa, Andaguailas, and Yucay, all of them well inhabited and fruitful. Below Cusco the Mountains Andes and those of Sierra run a greater distance than elsewhere one from the other, leaving the great Plain Callao in the middle. Moreover, several sandy Wilds, without Water, Herbs, Trees, or any living Creature, except Birds, extend from Tumbez to Taparaca. From the Valleys flow several Rivers into the Southern Ocean. On the Mountain Pira is a Fountain call’d Puchio, which springs in the Night, but is quite dry in the Day-time. Also near the chief City Quito in the Valley Chilo, is a Fountain whose Waters boyl faster or slower according as any one speaks softer or louder; and when not a word is spoken, it stirs not at all. If any thing exceed this for strangeness, it is a Rock in the Province Concuchos, which is all compos’d of black and white Stones, which are so neatly plac’d by Nature, as if Art had done a Master-piece, in the exact placing of them one between another: but the chiefest thing belonging to it worthy of admiration, is a wonderful power either to heal or hurt; for if the black Stones in this Rock be touch’d by any, they cause immediate Death; whenas the white ones cure all manner of Sicknesses, and being digg’d out, leave a Seed behind them, out of which grow new Stones to fill up the empty place.
Iuca Garcilasso, Extracted from the Peruvian Kings, tells us concerning Plants, That he saw a Raddish which a Man with both Arms could scarce embrace, and that under the shade of their Leaves, Horses might stand. But of all the Peruan Fruit the Cocoa is the crown, which grows on Trees of a Fathom long in hot and moist Grounds of the Valleys between Andes and Sierra; from whence it is carried to the Sea-Coast in long Baskets by Companies of three or four thousand at a time on the Backs of the Sheep Pacos. Before the Spaniards coming hither none might chew Cocoa without the Governor’s leave: A handful thereof chew’d and suck’d in the Mouth, enables a Man to travel two days without any other Sustenance, and mix’d with burnt Bones or Chalk, it is accounted an excellent Dish; there is such extraordinary plenty of them, that the Inhabitants spend yearly 90000 Baskets of the Leaves in Pottage. The Peruans also esteem Mamayes, a Fruit which grows round, not unlike a Peach, with two Stones, hard Rinds, and a well-rellish’d Pulp within, which dipt in Sugar is a great Dainty; they grow for the most part in the Islands. The Guaiyavas bears a wholsom and delicious Fruit like a large Plumb. The Palto, a Tree with many Boughs, bears a Fruit resembling a Pear, having a hard Rind, and within the Pulp a great Stone. The Fruit which grows on the Annona hath outwardly the same shape, but white within, and hath many black Kernels, which taste very deliciously. The Fruit Andas, so call’d from the desolate Peruan Mountains on which they grow, resemble the fore-mention’d Cocoa, but differ from the East-Indian, because they are full of hard shell’d Almonds, the like whereof grows on the Tree Cachapoyas, which are not inferior to any European Fruits that grow on Trees; in that part of Peru which hath its Name from that Fruit is the best sort, being exceedingly devour’d by Monkies, who plucking the Cachapoya Almonds from their Stalks, throw them on the Ground to break their prickly Shells, that so they may eat the Kernels without hurt. The Mille-Tree, being a sort of Grapes, furnishes with Wine. But the greatest benefit the Inhabitants receive is by their Sheep Pacos and Moromoros, which carry great Loads, and feed on what they find by the Way; their Flesh is good and wholsom, and being either Smoak’d or Salted, keeps good a considerable time; their Wool dress’d affords Cumbi, of which they make fine Table-clothes and Tapestry, which on both sides is alike. The chiefest Weavers liv’d formerly at Copachica near the great Lake Titicacu: They Dye their Wool with the Juice of boyl’d Herbs. It seems also strange to consider what Loads the foremention’d Sheep carried, for besides all sorts of Merchandise, they convey’d the Silver from Potosi to Arica, a Way of sixty three Leagues; but in former times they brought it as far again to Arequipa; and though they carried two thousand Bars at a time, amounting to above thirty thousand Ducats, yet they had no other Guard but a few Herdsmen, who driving them slept with them in the Nights under the bare Skie, yet lost none of their Riches, but when the bald Sheep call’d Moromoros, being wearied with their Loads, standing still, stretch’d out their Necks, and looking on their Drivers, on a sudden ran up into the Mountains, by which means the Silver was oft-times lost, if they were not suddenly shot. The woolly Sheep Pacos have also strange Tricks, for they often fall down under their Loads, and cannot be got up again, but must be let alone till they rise of themselves. So soon as one of the Sheep hath gotten the Mange (which the Peruvians call T’ecarache,) they bury them alive to prevent farther Infection.
The Customs and Habits of the antient Natives.
Giants antiently in St. Helena.
The antient Natives, though differing in Language and Customs, yet went all Apparell’d after the same fashion, the Men cover’d themselves with a Shirt, which came down below their Knees, and over that a Cotton Cloak, the Women wore woollen Coats down to their Ancles: Their Head-Ornaments were different according to an inviolable Compact between the Natives of several Provinces; for some were wrought, some plain, some divers colour’d Caps, with two, three, or no Feathers, according to the Custom of the Place: They were generally of a middle Stature; but those that were near the Equinoctial Line lesser. Their Histories make mention also of Gyants, who formerly inhabited the Promontory St. Helena, were each four times bigger than an ordinary Man, and fed not onely on the greatest Sea-Monsters, but devour’d each of them thirty Peruvians at a Meal. The Stone Images of these Gyants are at this day to be seen not far from Puerto Viejo. They likewise kept for a longtime Annual Feast-Days, on which they lamented the loss of the Gyants, which (as they say) was as followeth:
A Youth glittering in glory like the Sun descended from Heaven, and breath’d Fire, which rending the Rocks so terrifi’d the Giants, that they fled into a deep Cave, where they were all kill’d.
Helvius finds the Bones of the Giants.