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. of thisPttntoja, he asked him how he carne ro give himfelf rhe rrouble ofcarrying that burrhen; to which rhe perfon rhat was on foor replied, that he was poor, and had not money to hire an Indian to carry it; In this difcourfe wirh him Pantoja obferved rhat bis mourh ' was (ull of che Cuca; and ir being at tbat time rhar che Spaniards abhorred al! things which the Indians did eát or drink, becaufe rhey had been abufed to Idolatry, and particu1arly rhey haced che CJ1ca, as a bafe and fünk- ing Weed, which gave caufe t_o Pantoja tQ ask him farther, why he, being a Spa- niard, did ufe chofe things which tbe S'paniards hated; for his neceffities could ne- ver be fo great as to compell him to Mears or Cuíl:oms unlawfull. To which rhe Souldier replied, that though he abhorred itas muchas the Spaniardf, yet neceffi- ty forced him to imitare che l nd.ians rherein; for .rhat wirhouc it he could never be' able to rravell and carry bis Burtheh, for that holding it in his mourh 1 he found fuch refre!h::nent and ílrength, that he was !'.!ble to ca1T)' his Load, and perform his Journey with chearfulnefs. Pantoja wondring' at this Report, relared ir to many others, who afterwards m¡¡king che fame experiment thereof, found that rhe lndians rnade ufe of it ra ther f or their refreíhmeot and necéffity, rhan for any p\ea- fure in the taíl:e, which in.ir felf is not very pleafant or agreeab!e. Hereafrer we íhall diícourfe in what mann er they carry it to Potoji, and how they trade and make Merchandife of ·ir. As to that Planc 'which the Spaniaras call Tobdcr;o, and che Indians Sayri, we have already diícour[ed in an orher ,place. Dr. Monard~i writes many wonderfull things 1 of it. As to SarfaPari!la, we neec;l not [peak muoh, fince the Vir~ues and excellent Operations ofit are already known both-in the new and the old World, efpecially ' in the cure of the Venereal Difeafe, and other acute Diíl:empers: There are man y other Herbs in Peru of thote medicinal Qg_alities; that as B!tu Va/era faith, if they were well known, and fearched imo by fome experienced Botaniíl:) there would be no peed ot'bringing any Herbs or Drugs thitl\er frorn other parts of theWorld. But our $panifh Phyfici~ns do fo little addiét themfelves to the knowledge of Herbs growing in thofe Countries; that even the Virtues 'OÍ chofe · formerly knowo by the Indians are forgotten; which ·, ar~ fo manyr, tbat the íl:udy of theni is difficult and abíl:rufe: the 111aians know no ti their Virtues·and Qg__alities, but· diíl:inguiíh theni onely by bitter and fweet; .fometimes eating them raw, as we do Lettuce and Radifhes, and fometimes they make pottage óf them, and íl:ew them with other things; and which the poorer fort make the beíl: pare of their Diet, having no frore or abunda'nce 9f Fiíh, or Fle!h, to make .their Food. ·The birrer Herbs, fuch as are the Leaves which they gather from the Bu!hes, called Sunchu, and the like, they boil in two or three feveral Waters, and afterwatds dry rhem in the Sun, and keep thein for the Winter provifions; for which alfcf they g~rher ali the llttle Snags and Cocklés they ca_n find on the :Banks of Rivers, 'or ·on the Sea- Coaft. · . . _ ,. \, i¡· ' ' " ( f;. jJ.';. r¡;. 1 ~ ".J ·~ t ••i I ~I: i '" . 1' , .. : l :! f . ;, I' . 1 ';' _L '. CH AP.. 1 ' '"