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Show B,OOK VIT. '--V'--' 8 ~CT. XVll[. Manner of Cllltivating he can h. II I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. cicn herbs upon them. Every day of the year, at fun-rife, innumerablt: ve.ffels lo.1ded with various kinds of flowers <llld her s, wh~ch arc culti~ vate,d in thofe garden arc feen arriving by the ca•1al, at the great mar .. kct-placc of that cn.pita-1. All plants thrive there fu rprifingly; the mud of the lake is an extremely fertile foil , and requires no water from the clouds. In the hrgcfl: gardens there is commou y a little t ree, and evc11 a little hut to 01eltcr the cnltiv;ltor, and defend him from rain, or the fun . \Vhen the owner of a garden, or the Cbinamj)a, as he is ufually called, wifhcs 'to change hi fituation, to remove from a difi1g rceable neighbour, or to come nearer to his own f.'1.m_ily, he gets into his little vcilCI, and by his own ll:rcngth alone, if the garden is [mall, or with the ailifbnce of others, if it is large, he tow it after him, and conduCts it wherever he plc<\fes with the little tree and hut upon it. That part of the lake where thole floating garden are, is a place of infinite recreation where the fenfes receive the highell: poilible gratification. As foon as the Mexicans had {hakcn of the Tepanecan yoke, and had gained by their conq.uell:s lands fit for cultivation, they applied themfelves with gr at diligence to agri ·ulture. Having neither ploughs, nor oxen, nor any other an imals proper to be employed in the culture of the earth, they fi.1 pplied the want of them by labour, and other more fimple inll:rumcnts·. To hoc and dig the ground they made ufe of the Coati (or Goa), which is an illftrumcnt made of copper, with a wooden handle, but di ff~.:re nt from a fpade or mattock. They made ufe of an axe to cut trees , which was alfo made of copper, and was of the t1mc form with thofe of modern times, except that we put the handle in the eye of the axe, whereas they put the axe into an eye of the handle. They had fevcral other inftrnmcnts of agricultu're; but the negligence of ancient writers on this fub.jetl: has not left· it in our power to attempt their defcription. For the refrdhment of their :fields they made ufe of the water of ri vers and fmall torrents which came from the mountains, raifi ng dams to colleB: them, and forming canals to conduCt them. Lands which were high, or on the declivity of mountain , were not fown every yenr, but allowed to lie fallow until they were over-run with bu(hes, which they burned, to repair by theil: afhes , the f~l t which rains bad wa(hed away. They fun·ounded their fields with ll:one inclofurcs, or hedges ~nade of the 1mtl, or aloe, which make an excellent ft:nce j and in the month • Pl . .I'll'. |