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 ·Commenta-ries. BooK IX. CH A P. XXVIl I. Of other Fruits of Spain, and Sugar Canes. 11 T ;is móíl: cerrain, ·that anciemly ,in Peru there were neither Figs nor Pomegra· .l nares. nor Oranges, nor f weet or fowel''1i.emons, nor Apples, nor Pears, nor Qlinces, nor Neétarines, nor Peaches, nor Apricocks, nor Plumbs of any fort; like rhofe in Spai11; onely they have one fort of ,Plumb different from ours, which the Sp~niards call Me!M, and the 'Jndians Vj{tm, nor had they Melons, or Cucum- bers; ·nor Goards, wbich we drefs and íl:ew io our Difhes. Of all thefe Fruits which I have named, and many others which I.cannot call to mind, there was not anyfowfound in Peru, when the Spaniards at firíl: entred tbe Countrey, and yet now the abundance of tbem is [o great, that tbey are not eíl:eemed ; and like the Cartel, .the number is fo increafed , that the Spaniards thernfelves have adrnired the plemy. · ' Wbeó Pomegranates were firíl: produced in the City of los Rryes, they carried o,ne of them, of a prodigious greatnefs, in proceílion, laying it upon the Pageanc of the .11ílofl: holy 'Sacrament, when that was carried io criumph on che Fefüval day .qf Gorpm Chrijli. I dare not defcribe che bignefs of ir, leíl: I íhould be thought to tell a Traveller's Srory, and offend the · incredulity of ignorant People, who conceive che perfefüon of ali worldly chings to be comained within the cornpafs o[ th'eir own Village. Howfoever it would [eem an ímprudent caution, and too muela nicety for a Man ta forbear to relate che great Wonders of Nature, for fear of offending the ignorant fort of Mánkind ; and therefore I íhall cake. the boldnefS to report wírh confidence, that the P.omegranate, of which I [peak, was as big as the Veífel in which they ordinarily carried Oil from Sevi!le ínto the lndies; and many bunches of Grapes háve weighed eight or ten pound Weight, and Cirrons half a hundred, and Qiinces as big as a Man's Head. And thus rnuch for che Fruir..... 1 Now as to otlier Trees and,Planes, we íhall deliver that wlu~h is as firange and .wonderfull as the former. , I fhould gladly.know the Names and Conditio[ls of thofe Perfons who were fo cur~ous and índuíl:rious as to import them imo che(e parrs, thar fo 1 migbt fpe. cífie¡ and· tecord them·1 in this Hifl:o¡y, as worcby of due Praife and Honour. In the Year.1580. a Spatihird called Gtif/>ar de Alcoyer, who was a rich Mercham in tbe City ·of' los Reyes, and had there a very fair Plantation, was the firíl: thac br<;)ughr Cherries,' and Mazards, ímo rhat Coumrey,-which, as they tell me, are a]J ~ead, t by reafon of the over great care they had of them, a!id the many expe· ri11Jents rhey tried to make them gro\\'. Nor were rhere anciemly Sugar-Canes in Pei>ur though now by the induíl:ry of rhe Spániards; and rhe fertility of the{oil, they are increafed to a loathfome plemy; that whereas formerly they were highly they eíl:eemed, are now become of i;io value or eíl:imation. The firíl: Sugar Works of Peru were made in Huanacu by the contrivance·of a <_;emleman, w ith whon1 1 was well acquaimed; a Servant of his who was a fob- tile and ingenious Perfon, obíerving the great quamities of Sugar which were ím- ported from Mcxico , by reafon of which the Sugar of that Co1mtrey would not fell to ª.ºY Account, advifed hisMaíl:er to fend one Ship's lading of his Sugar ínco N ew Spain, rhat they [eeing thereby rhe plenry of that Commodity in Peru, mighc forbear to fend any more thirher; the projett íucceeded according to expeétation, and now Sugar-works are ereéted in many places of rhac Coumrey. 1 have been told, that fome Spaniards , who have .been curious in Husbandry, have engrafted the Fruits of Spain, upon rhe wild Stocks of Peru, to rhe great ad- mira~¡pn of trae l ndians, who have been aíl:onifhed to [ee one of their own Trees to bear two, tbi;ee, and four forts of Fruir in one year, whích being_ a curiofüy be- yond the frantling of their Underítanding, they have comented rhernfelves with • the a'drniratíon of ir, without farther fearch into the ca~fe. I am of opinion thac Olive s