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Show J'l .n. /"ol . f. 1'11,'7" 2,f __, • '/lfl lm t 'n It 1 ( ff II HI ·S'tORY OF MEXICO. The Chia is the fmall feed of a beautiful plant, whofe ftem BooK I. is .!l:rait and quadrangular; the branches extended in four diretl:ions, \..-y--..J and fymmetrically placed oppofite each other,. with blue flowerets. There are ~wo fpecies of it, the one black and fmall, from which there is an oil drawn admirable for · painting; the other white and larger, of .which they make a cooling beverage.. Both were ufcd by the Mexicans for thefe and other purpofes, which we iliall men-tion hereafter. Of Chilii or great Pepper (g), which was as much in ufe with the Mexicans as fait in E urope, there are at lea!1: eleven fpeci cs, diffi rent in their fi~e, figure and {harpnefs. The ~auhchilli, which is thct fruit of a ilirub, and Chil tecpin are the fm:1lldl:, but alfo the moft iharp. Of the Tomate there .are fix i}.)Ccics, dif1:inguifi1ed by their fize, colour, and tafte. The largeft, which is the Xictomatl or Xitomate, as the Spaniards of Mexico call it, is now very common in ~ urope, · in Spain, and France, under the name of :fomate; and in lt.dy, under the hame of Pomo-d'oro. The Miltomatl is fmall cr, green, and perfectly round. · How much both were ufed by the Mexican·s at their meals, .!hall be mentioned when we treat of their diet. · The Xocoxochitl, vulgarly known by the name of Pepe di Tabafco, from its abounding in th at provin ce, is larger than the pepper of Mal.tbar. I t grows on a large tree, whofc leave have the colour ancl lu!1:rc of thofc of the or:~nge; and the f1ovvers. are of a benutiful red, and fimilar in figure to thofe of the pomegranate, and of a mo11: penetrating and plc:d1n.::> .fcent, of whi ch the branches alfo p•trtake, The fruit is ro~nd and borne in clttfl:ers which. at fir!1: are green, al'tcrwards become al111ofi bla k. This pepper, u(ed formerly by the ancient Mexi :1ns, may fi1pply the want of that of :Malabar. C:>tton, from its utility, ,\r,is one of the mofl: valuable productions of thJt ou ntry, a it f..:rved in!1:ead of flax (although this plant was riot wanting to them) , and the inhabitants of Anahu ~tc were genemlly clothed in it (!.J). There is white and tawny-coloured cotton, vulg,u·ly (g) In other countries of Amcriln the Chilli is cnllcd Axi; in Sp~i n, Pimiento; in Fran : l', l' oine de Guin~e, ~ nd by other n:un rs. (h) Micbuacan, New ,v cxi o, and ~ivirn produced flax in grcar abumlance anti of the bert q_11 aliry ; but w are i r nor~tnt if tbeft: nations culti v~ued or m;Hic lift: ot it, The Court of VoL. I. E <:p:tin, |