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.

BooK ·VIII. Royal Commentaries. . They have anotber fort of F{uit whicb the Spaniard1 call Pinna, becauíe of che liken.efs ir hath with the Pine-nuts in Spain;· but thefe refernble one the othér in íhape and forrn onely, ooing in the fubíl:ance of a different namre; for thefe lti- dian Nuts being opened with a Knife, yieJP a white and a moíl: pleafant Kernel · to the raíl:, having a little kind of an acidity witb it, whi~h f¡ very favoury, and are as big again as the Pine-nuts are in Spain. Likewife in the Anti.- they have a fort of Fruit which the Spaniards tal! Manjar blanco, ( which is a mear made of the Breaíls of Capons beaten up with Rafe-water and Sugar) and rhey give ir this .Name, becaufe that when it is divided in the middle it looks like two fpoopfulls 'of this M.anj11r blanco, or white Meat; within are certain fmall bfa.ck Scones, which are not to be eacen. · This Fruic is about the bignefs of a final! Mellan, the Rine ofit is as thick and hard as a dried Goard; within it is conrained a mpíl: excellenc juicy pulp, extremely delicious and pleafant to che raíl:, having a gratefull íharp- nefs witfi ir. There are many otner forts of Fruits in the Anti&, which grow wild,· and of themfelves, fuch as che Spaniards call Almonds, being Nuts which refemble them in rheir form and likenefs, bur are of a different pacure and raíl:; for the Spaniards who carne firíl: into PerH, feeing and obferving the fniits of thát Couritrey, and wanting names to give them, called them by fuch names as were given to thofe Fruits, which moíl: refembled them in Spain; and fo they gave the name ofAlmonds to thefe Nuts, becaufe they were fomething Iike tltem. And now Ieaving rhefe Fruits and feeds of no great importance, which are produced in the Antú,, let us diCcourfe of thofe which are of ~oft efieem in other pares. . CH A P. XV. o/ the pretioru Lea[ called Cuca, ando/ Tobatco. 1 (. B. U T above ali we muíl: not ~mit to difcourfe at large ~f rhe Herb whicH the I11dians cal! Cuca, and the Spa11iards Coca, being that which is and hath been a confiderable part of rhe Riches of Peru, and fuch as hath yielded grear be~ nefit to the Merchants. And indeed the lndia11s did juíl:ly eíl:eem it f9r the rare Virmes and QQ.alities of it, which the Spa11iards have not onely approved, but have alfo difcovered feveral other fpecifick and medicinal Q!alities belonging to it. Bíai Yalera, wno was avery curious Perfon, and one who had refided many Years in Peru, and carne from thence thirty years afcer my departure, hath wrote very large~ ly of ~he many Virtues of this Herb, and fuch as ne h¡¡th found out by his own experiepce. His Words are thefe: " The Cuca is a. fmall tender Tree, or Bind" " about the height and bignefs of a Vine; it produces not many Branches, bue · ' ' is full of delicate Leaves, of abouc th~ breadth and length of a Man's Thumb; " it is of an excellent íinel!, and vety frag'rant; the $pttniards and lndians do both " give them the name of Cuca; the which is ·ro much eíl:eemed by the Jndians; .« rhat they prefer ir before Gold, or Silver, or pretious Stones. They plant and " manure them with great art and diligence, and gather them with great care, " pulling tbem leat by leaf, and then lay them to dry in the Sun, and fo the' In- " dians eat rhem dry, « The virtue and benefic of this Cuca is plainly obfervable in labouring Men, " who having eaten it are mQch refrdhed, and ofcen labour a whole day in the " íl:rengtb of it, without other nourifhment. The Cuca moreover ¡:ireferves th~ " Body from many infirmicies; and our Phyíicians make ufe of it, being dried and ce beaten to powder, to ea(e and aífuage the Inflammatiori, or fwelling of any ' / ' ' Wound; it is good to íl:rengthen bones which have been hroken, and expel~ ' ' colds from the Body, and to ·prevent them; it is good alfo to cleanfe greac ' ' Wounds of Worms, and 'hear! them; nor is the Virtue of it lefs being taken '~ inwardly, than itis byoutward-applications. Beíides all . \~hich Virtues it yield~ ~e a great