h which they clothe themselves, and from
which they manufacture quantities of cloths, which were, and are yet,
much esteemed in Nueva Espana. For this reason, the Spaniards regarded
them as a people from whom large profits might be gained, and they
were not mistaken, for, from the gains on cotton fabrics alone (which
there they call _lompotes_), one encomendero left an estate of more
than one hundred and fifty thousand pesos in a few years. The soil
is not only good and favorable with a sunny climate, but fertile
and rich. Besides possessing many gold mines and placers--of which
they make but small account, because of the China silks which bring
them more profit--they raise fowls in great abundance. Besides the
domestic fowls, which are most numerous and very cheap, the fields
are full of wild ones. There is an infinite number of domestic swine,
not to mention numberless mountain-bred hogs, which are very fat,
and as good for lard as the domestic breed. There are also many goats
which breed rapidly, bearing two kids at a time and twice yearly;
there are entire islands abounding with them. As to the buffaloes,
there called carabaos, there are beside the tame and domestic breed,
many mountain buffaloes, which are used [as food] the same as those in
Europe--although somewhat less ugly in appearance, and with singularly
large horns, three times the size of those of our breed. They have
remarkable skill in striking with these horns; lowering the beard to
the breast, with the point of the horn they lift up the most minute
object. In spite of these formidable qualities both Indians and
Spaniards hunt and slay them. Their flesh, whether fresh or dried,
is as good as the most excellent beef. Deer are so abundant that the
Japanese import cargoes of their hides from these islands. The sea
abounds in all kinds of delicate fish; trees, fruits, vegetables,
and garden-stuff are abundant--especially bananas, of which there
are as many different kinds as in Europe there are varieties of
apples and other fruits. There are six or eight species of orange,
the most famous of which is an orange as big as a large-sized melon
or gourd. Some of these are white inside, like limes; others are as
red as our oranges are yellow; and all kinds are as well-flavored as
bunches of delicate grapes. In general, the fruits of those regions,
although different from ours in species and form, have much the same
flavor as the European fruits. The palms, of whic