The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

Royal Commentaries. BooK Vllt - Thofe Roots which the Spaniards call Patatas, and the ~ndians of Peru Apichu, are of four or five feveral colours, fome are red, mhers wh1te, others yellow, º" thers brown, and are of_different talles, the worfl: fort are of thofe which are brought into Spain. They h~ve alfo a fort of Goards, call~d Roman Goards, _and in Peru, Capallu, tbey grow ltke Melons ; they eat them bo1led, or baked, but ne- ver raw. The fort of Goards of which they make Bottels, or Veífels, for all man- ner of ufes are very good, and in great plemy, which .they call Mati ; but the Goards which are eatable, were not known untill the time of the Spaniards. There . is another fort ofRoot which they dig out of the Earth, which the l ndians call Yn- chic and the Spaniards Maní; ali the Names which the Spaniards give to their Fruits and Pulfe of Peru, are ali taken from the Language ufed in the lfland of Barlovmto. The Ynchic bcJth in the kernel and tafl:e is very like Almonds ~ If it be eaten crude, it offends the head ; if baked or parched, it is pleafant and wholfome, and with Honey makes admirable Almond-cake; they alfo prefs Oil out of itfor divers dif- eafes. Befides thefe, there is another fort of'Root ·which grows under ground, called by the Jndians Chuchuchu, for which, as yet, the Spaniards have coined no proper Name, becaufe they have no fort of that Fruit in the Hlands of Barlo- vento, whích are very hot Countries; bue this grows in Callao, which is a cold Climate; being eaten raw, it is delicious to che palate, and a great ílrengthener of the íl:omach, the Roots. of it are much longer, and deeper in che ground than the Anni-feeds: It caíls no Jeaf above ground, bue onely a green Fiber, which fhews the place where the Chuchuchu is found; and when that greennefs w.ithers, it is a figo that the Fruí~ is .ripe; and the feafon to gather ~t : This Fr?it, and the Tnchic, are efl:eem~d dehcac1es, fit for the palate of the uch and cunous, rather than for the diet of che common people, w ho make it their bufinefs to gather and prefent them to the Rich, and perfons of Power and ~ality. CH A P. XI. O/ Fruits anrl Fruit-Trees of ~he la>gefl fort. T Here is another for.t of Fruir, excellent and ~o~d, whic0 th~ Sp~ni~rds having no name for, call 1t a Cucumber, becaufe lt is fomethrng ltke 1t mits fhape, though not in the taíl:e, nor yec in rhe quality of it, being of good digefüon, and fuch as chey prefcribe to perfons fick of Dlemures, or high Fevers, and of another narure to the Cucumbersof Spain. What name the Jndians give them, I muíl: con- fefs rhat I have quite forgot; for which 1 blame ·my felf, and cannot imagine the word chey give ir, unlefs it be Cacham ; but I hope that the diíl:ance I am now from rny own Countrey, and my long abfence from thence will excufe my igno- rance amongíl: my Countreymen, for whofe fake 1 have undertaken this work wichout other hopes or ex_P.eétation ofreward, thanonely to pleafe and ferve diem:· Thefe Cucumbers are of three feveral forts and ftzes; the lea/l-, which are füch as are in che form of.a Heart, and grow in little bufhes, are the beft There is ano- füer. fort.~f Fruit called ChiLi, which was brought to Couo in the year i »7· lt is very dehc1ous to rhe palace, and wholforne; it growS' on branches which run al- rnoft leve! with che ground, it bears a·kind of colour, or grane like the Arburem and is of the fame bignefs, onely it is not round, but rather lo~g, in fafhion of ~ Hearc. , · ' Tbere are many Qther fons of Fruits, which grow on high Trees . fome of which are produced in hot Countries, fuch as are on the Sea-coaíl: abo~t che An- tu, others in more temperare Climates, fuch as are the warm Vallies of Peru • · bue J:>eca~fe thefe Fruits are common in m~ny places, ic will not be neceífary t~ paruculanze the feveral forts of them, bue onely to report in what manner they grow. And