Their Houses and Furniture in them are worthy of observation: their Cielings being cover’d with Shells strung on small Thred, which make a pleasing noise, when mov’d by the least breath of Wind. The Walls are hung with fine Stuffs, woven full of Imagery, as Cranes, Lyons, Tygers, and some Figures of Men; the Floors are cover’d with parti-colour’d Mats, made of Sea-Reeds, and several tough Roots; and their Carpets beset with Pearl add also a great beauty to their Rooms.
In the Valleys the Spaniards found several precious Jems, as Saphires, Jasper, Emeralds, and great pieces of Amber, and in some Huts, Baskets, and Chests full of dry’d Locusts, and Crabs.
Here also grows the Root Yuca, as also on several other West-Indian Coasts, of which they make their best Bread, and is call’d in Hispaniola and Angola, Yuca; by the Brasilians, Mandiba and Mandihoka; by the Mexicans, Quauhcamotli: it grows with a thick or midling Body, according to the fruitfulness or barrenness of the Soil; the Leaves are like those of a Tulip, and have small Flowers and Seed, but no ways useful; the Root, not unlike Horse-Raddish, hath a milky Juice, which swells it exceedingly; the Sprigs, which in the eighth and tenth Moneth shoot out of the Root, serve for new Plants; and if at any time it happen, that either by a moist Season, or by Worms, or Pismires, the Plant is spoil’d, then it occasions such an inconvenience amongst the Inhabitants, that half of them in that year die of Famine.
What use the Americans make of the Root Mandihoka.
The Leaves of the Mandihoka serve them for Sallads. Out of the Root, which they lay soaking five days in Water, they make Meal, which the Portuguese call Farina fresca, but the Americans, Vipeba. Moreover, Mandihoka serves them to make Bread, which they bake over the Fire; and mix’d with Water, Pepper, and the Flour Nhambi, makes an excellent Pudding, by them call’d Mingaude Carima, no less pleasing to the taste than wholsom Food: and with Orange-Flour, Water, and Sugar, it makes that excellent Julep Tipioca. The Powder of Mandihoka put into a Wound, cures very speedily. It is very pleasant to see the Americans eat this Bread; for they toss it by handfuls at a pretty distance from their Mouthes without letting fall the least Crum. Lastly, it requires great art and trouble to make the Mandihoka fit for Bread: first they must peel off the Shell, then put into a Mill turn’d by two Indians it falls, being Ground, into a square Trough. The Juice proceeding from it is mortal, if eaten when raw, but wholsom if boil’d: the Meal they put in a Press, and when all the moisture is drawn from it, they strow it in an Oven to dry. But the wild Mandihoka, by those that live on the Sea-shore call’d Cuacu Mandiiba, and up in the Countrey, Cuquacucuremia, differs both in shape and goodness from the first.
Arias’s Exploits in New Andalusia.
But to return to our matter: Arias coming to an Anchor in the River Daria, was cheerfully receiv’d by Nunnez; his first Business which he undertook was the building of three Forts, to secure the Passages to the South Sea; to which purpose Joannes Aiora received the Command over four hundred Workmen. Moreover, Arias took great dislike in the Place call’d Maria Antiqua, which the Spaniards were forc’d by necessity first to Plant in: it lay in a deep Valley between high Mountains, so that it not onely wanted the benefit of the rising and setting of the Sun, but when in or near the Meridian, it shin’d down upon them, and scorch’d all their Plants, and the tepifi’d Morassy Grounds about the same infected the Air, and the Water which they took up to wash their Houses, immediately bred Frogs, the River Daria overflow’d the Grounds with his muddy Water three Leagues distance from the Sea; the Passage thither also was very troublesom, because of the uneven Ways; and besides, the Tygers and Lyons devour’d many People and Cattel.
A strange Accident.
The first Night that Arias lay in Maria Antiqua, the House wherein his Chirurgion Lodg’d was fir’d with Lightning, who running out with his Wife, being both scorched by the Flames, saw a very great Crocodile, which snatching up his Dog ran away with him towards the River.