In the valleys on the coast, and in other warm regions, the natives sow cotton, and make their clothes from it, so that they feel no want, because the cotton cloth is suitable for their climate.
But in the mountainous parts, such as the Collao and Charcas, no tree will grow, and if the cotton was sown it would yield nothing, so that the natives, unless they obtained it by trading, could have no clothing. To supply this need, the Giver of all good things, who is God our Lord, created such vast flocks of these animals which we call sheep, that, if the Spaniards had not diminished their number in the wars, there would be no possibility of counting them, such would have been their increase in all parts. But, as I have already said, the civil wars of the Spaniards have been like a great pestilence, both to the Indians and to their flocks.
The natives call these sheep llamas, and the males urcos. Some are white, others black, and others grey. Some of them are as large as small donkeys, with long legs, broad bellies, and a neck of the length and shape of that of a camel. Their heads are large, like those of Spanish sheep. The flesh of these animals is very good when it is fat, and the lambs are better and more savoury than those of Spain. The llamas are very tame, and carry two or three arrobas weight very well. Truly it is very pleasant to see the Indians of the Collao go forth with their beasts, and return with them to their homes in the evening, laden with fuel. They feed on the herbage of the plains, and when they complain they make a noise like the groaning of camels.
There is another kind called huanacus, of the same shape and appearance, but they are very large and wander over the plains in a wild state, running and jumping with such speed that the dog which could overtake them must be very swift. Besides these, there is another sort of llamas, called vicuñas. These are more swift than the huanacus, though smaller. They wander over the uninhabited wilds, and eat the herbage which God has created there. The wool of these vicuñas is excellent, and finer than the wool of merino sheep in Spain. I know not whether cloth can be made from it, but the cloths that were made for the lords of this land are worth seeing. The flesh of these huanacus and vicuñas tastes like that of wild sheep, but it is good. In the city of La Paz I ate a dinner off one of these fat huanacus, in the inn kept by the captain Alonzo de Mendoza, and it seemed to me to be the best I ever had in my life. There is yet another kind of tame llamas, which are called alpacas, but they are very ugly and woolly. They are of the shape of llamas, but smaller, and their lambs when young are very like those of Spain. Each of these llamas brings forth once in the year, and no more.[517]
CHAPTER CXII.
Of a tree called molle, and of other herbs and roots in this kingdom of Peru.
WHEN I wrote concerning the city of Guayaquil I treated of the sarsaparilla, an herb the value of which is well known to all who have visited those parts. In this place I propose to treat of the trees called molles, and of their uses. In the valleys and great forests of Peru there are many trees of different kinds, and with different uses, very few of which are like those of Spain. Some of them, such as the aguacates, guayavos, caymitos, and guavas bear fruits such as I have already mentioned in various parts of this work; others are covered with thorns, and others are very large, with great hollows in their trunks, where the bees make their honey with marvellous great order and concert. In most of the inhabited parts of this land, large and small trees are to be seen, which they call molles. These trees have very small leaves, with a smell like that of fennel. Their bark is possessed of such virtue that, if a man has great pain and swelling in his legs, it is removed, and the swelling is reduced, by merely soaking this bark, and washing the place several times. The small branches are very useful for cleaning the teeth. They also make a very good drink from the very small berries which this tree bears, as well as vinegar, by merely steeping the quantity required in vases of water, and putting them on the fire. After they have stood some time, the residue of the liquor is converted into wine, vinegar, or treacle, according to the manner of treating it. The Indians hold these trees in great estimation.[518]
There are also herbs of great virtue in these parts, and I will mention some which I saw myself. In the province of Quinbaya, where the city of Cali stands, they raise certain roots among the trees, which are so efficacious for purging, that it is merely necessary to take a little more than a braza in length, of the thickness of a finger, place it in a small jar of water, and drink the greater part of the water during the night, to cause the required effect, as well as rhubarb. There are also beans which have the same effect, but some praise them, while others say they do harm. In the buildings of Vilcas one of my slave girls was very ill with certain tumours, and I saw that the Indians carried yellow flowers, which they reduced to powder by applying a light to them. By anointing her once or twice with this powder she was cured.