OCR Text |
Show Sac,., XXXI. Plants moll cultivated by the M~xican~. SF.C'T. XXXII. Animals hrcd by the McxiC<~ ns. H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. king Montezuma, and the laws of king Nezahualcojot~ concerning the cutting of them. It would be of advantage to that kmgdom, that thofe laws were il:ill in force, or at leafl: that there was not fa much liberty granted in cutting without an obligation to plant a certain number of trees; as many people preferring their private intereil: and convenience to the public welfare, defiroy the wood in order to enlarge their po1feffions (q). Among the plants moil: cultivated by the Mexicans next to maize, the principal were thofe of cotton, the cacao, the met/, or aloe, the chia, and great pepper, on account of the various ufes which they made of them. The aloe, or maguci alone, yielded almoil: every thing nece1fary to the life of the poor. Befides making ex cell en t hedges for their fields, its trunk ferved in place of beams for the roofs of thci1· houfes, and its leaves infiead of tiles. From thofe leav,es they obtained p:1per, thread, needles, clothing, !hoes, and ftockings, and cordage; and from its copious juice they made wine, honey, fugar, and vinegar. Of the trunk, and thickeft part of the leaves, when well baked, they made a very tolerable difh of food. Lafily, it was a powerful medicine in feveral diforders, and particularly in thofe of the urine. It is alfo at prefent one of the plants the moil: valued and moll: profitable to the Spaniards, as we !hall fee hereafter. With refpcet to the breeding of animals, which is an employment a!fociated with agriculture, although among the ·Mexicans there were ho fhepherds, they having been entirely de.fl:itute of fheep, they bred up innumerable fpccies of animals unknown in Europe. Private perfans brought up tecbichis, quadrupeds, as we have already mentioned,. fimilar to little dogs; turkeys, quails, geefe, ducks, and other kinds of fowl. In the houfes of lords were bred .fifh, deer, rabbits, and a variery of birds; and in the royal palaces, almoft all the fpecies of qu:ldrnpeds, and winged animals of thofe countries, and a prodigious number of water animals and reptiles. vV c may f.'1y, that in this kind of magnificence .Montezuma II. furpa!fed all the kings of the world, a'nd that there never has been a nation equal in Odll to the l'vlcxicans in the (q) Many places Oill feel the pernicious cff~tl.s nf the liberty to cut the woods. The city ~cretan~ was forme~ ly provided with timber for building from the wood which was upon the nc•ghbounng ~no.untnJ~l Cimrzt~rio. At prcfcnt it is obliged to be bt·ought from a great di!lnncc, as the mount:un u entirely _11npt of its wooJ. care H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. care of fo many different fpecies of animals, which had fo much knowledge of their difpofi.tions, of the food which was mof~ proper for each,. and of all the means neceff.1ry for their prcfervation and increafc.::. Among the animals reared by the Mexicans, no one is more worthy of mention than the nochirztli, or Mexican cochineal, defcribed by us in our fir.fl: book. This infeet, fo greatly valued in E urope on account of its dyes, and efpecially thofe of fcJrlct and crimfon, being not only extremely delicate, but alfo perfecuted by feveral enemies, demands a great deal more care from the breeders than is nece«.u·y for the filk. worm. Rain, cold, and firong winds deil:roy it. Birds, ~ir:e, and · worms, perfecutc it furioufly and devour it; hence it is nece1fary to keep the rows of opuntia, or nopal,. where thofc infects are bred always clean; to attend conftantly to drive away the birds which are dcftruetive to them, to make ne£1:s of hay for them in the leaves of the opuntia, . py the juice of which they are nouri01ed, and when the fea{ on of rain approaches, to r..1ife them from the plants together with the .leaves, and guard them in houfes. Before the females are delivered they cafi their fkin, to obtain which fpoil the breeders make ufe of the tail of the rabbit, brufhing mo11: gently with it that they may not detach the infeels from the leaves, or do them any hurt. On every leaf they make three nefis, and in every nell: they lay about fifteen cochineals. Every year they make three gatherings, referving however each time a certain number for the future generation; but the lafl: gathering is leaft valued, the cochineals being fmaller then~ and mixed with the fhavings of the opuntia. They kill the cochineal mofi commonly with hot water. On the manner of drying it afterwards the quality of the colour which is obtained from it chiefly depends. The befi is that which is dried in the fun. Some dry it in the comal!i, or pan, in which they bake their bread of maize, and others in the temazcalli, a fort Qf o.ven, of which we !hall fpeak elfewhere. The lVfexicans would not have becm able to a1femble fo many forts 381 BOOK VII. -...r-v-- 5 E CT. XXXII. of animals, if they had not had great dexterity in the excrcife of the chace. They made u.fe of the bow and arrow, darts, nets, ii1ares, and Cerbottane ..;.; . The cerb.ottane which the kings and principal lords made Chnce of tho Mcxic~n s~ * Cn·bottr111r, nrc long tubes, or pipes, through which they fhoot, by blowing with the mouth little balls nt birds, &c. ufe ...... - |