The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-10-30
(coNcLuDnp.)

n. & l.
waited over an extent of low country, which con
tains million and half of inhabitants 1t pro
Pagates itself ny sending off shoots, and is won
dertuly productive. In less than eleven months
1t bears fruit, like cucumber, but very sweet
ano highly nutritious. Ia culture is so easy,
ths' slight application OF two days in the week
e. lining. ..l.ole f.n-
iy' An acre OF ground planted with bananas, will
suPport Internationally tiwes as many people as
one which grows wheat. The ripe fruit dried
An the sun 49,, under the name of pldtano bar.
sado, esteemed pleasant and very wholesome
food.
The cassavs, or msnihot, is furnished by two
Kinds OF the SHed, which, though scarcely dis
hngashable by their external characters have
very different qualities. The root of the jaca
axlce, or sweet manihot. is perfectly innocent -
but that OF the 1xca dniargd. or bitter mauihot.
conceals deadly poison This acrid root. how
ever, vs. reclaimed by scraping off the skin, and
squeezing the pulp in long bag and it is then
formed INTO thin round cakes. which are consid. :,
ed as very nourishing An Indian will. after Sc
we're toii' make hearty meal on small crumb
OF cassavs bread, and three ripe pisntans Bur
sven the poisonous juice of the msnihot is of
ten converted into use Heat being found 10 de
stroy its noxous Qualities, il is boiled to brown
soup, which, in Cayenne, is further concentrated
into the cabioa. rich sauce resembling the Chi
nese soy
On the warm grounds, the natives likewise
raise the csnpoipuizs butaf0s, or Spanish po.a
zoe, ana Ire dfoJcored dfatd yam, which was
nrst introduced by slave ship from the coast of
Africa, They cultivate, besides, various kinds
OF tne fon'an or ioveapple. and the pistachio or
II, rs rcckoned by them an indispensable condi.
ment.
Bnt the principal food of the cultivators. and
OF the domestic animals in the Spanish settle.
mehts, consists OF maize Indian corn, which
grows between the hotter and more temperate
regions of America. Aided By the Joint infiu
ence oil heat and moisture, it shoots up to the
height OF eight or ten feet, and Yields the most
astonishing produce. On the wide plain of Mex
ico, these crops, though extremely variable, are
Seher'ny abundant; but, in that high country,
they suffer often from drought, and questionable
from unreasonable frosts. Their failure has. al
times, Caused the most dreadful famine
, Mase, IN the Mexican language atolE, ia
dressed for food in different WAYS, either bv roas-
ang or boiling. Crushed and baked, it forms a
r.,N Dread, named drefa; or the meal is
polied INTO cruel, which, mixed with sugar. no.
ney, or even mashed potatoes, is called atoH
gut the natives have also the art of PROCURING
srom The INFUSION of the grain, at certain stas-es
OF VS. progress to maturation, several kinds of
peer or cider which they term chica. Before
the conquest OF America, they were accus,om.
ed, from the stalks of maize to express a svr,,n,
and make sugar In the valley OF Toluca, these
Stalks are now crushed betwixt rollers and the
Iermented juice converted into spirituous
AiquoF' winch is extensively vended under the
"AIIe OF paf4ne de u1ahiS or paIque de atoHi
But TINS IS not the only Intoxicating draught
which the Indians prepare Large tracts in fbe
interior CT the country appear covered with the
<1SaSe americana, or American aioe called in
ane naive Language, p'ttes. nnanguey, n,efi, &
winch rs cultivated merely for the sake of the
Sinous liquor which it furnishes plantation
OF n1dngaeJs turns cut astonishingIy profitable -
The plant is remarkably hardy, and delights in
. dry soil. In about eight years, the ,,tangu,y
comes 10 flower, and its fleshy leaves gather IN
90 a crown and this being then cut over, il
oieeds profusely tor two three months. A
vigorous plant will, even during four or five
months, afford every day four gallons Of san.
which, beng isrIhented three or four days.
forms pa!qRe. This beverage, which Tastes
aweetish and slightly acidulous, is in high est.
fnauoh among the cOlonisls though it proves
very nauseating to Europeans, owing to certain
putrid or animal smell which it generally retains
There is also distilled from il strong ardent
spirit, called ntericafor Ggaardienfe de atanpuev
Inc culture OF the naagIey is burthened with
very heavy tax, which, from the cities of Mex
leo, Toiuca, and Puebla alone, yielded, in 1898.
clear revenue OF about $50, OOOl:
Nor is the sgangaey or agave americana. the
only plant which luxury trains up in the Spanish
settlements. The sugar. cane, originally trans
ported from India and China 60 the Canary Ia .
kehds, and thence carried to St. Domingo and
Cuba, has been successfully introduced into
. -ot"~ va ms u'SiiOF pftNtuCtS OF tie continent
Though itprefers a heat of 75o or no, the cane
IS yet found to thrive where the mean tempera-
ture exceeds not $50 OF 68o. Sugar plantations
are spreading rapidly IN the plain Of Mexico. and
supply not only Tie home consumption, but sf
ford already very considerable surplus for ex
pOrtston This produce is not, as in the West
indies, wrunB from the compulsory lsbour Of
slaves.
Prodigious crops of wheat are raised in the
Mexican territory. The grain is large & plump.
and equsiin quality h the best of the Ahdalusi
an On the slope of the Andes, the SOIL consis.
ting Mostly # decayed bssst, IS remarks ABLY fer
tile, though large tracts likewise occur which
are covered with hard iutractsbe CLAW, called
7epefsfe The system OF irrigation is, in conse-
eueice ct the prevailing dryness Of tbs climate.
generally pracised, and with great success
Cultivation appears the must active in the neigh.
borhood q the mines, which always create AN
extraordinary demand for prosison
Oats are very seldom grown in the Mexican
territory, where Che Inhabitants, as do ,hose of
Spain and Bsrbary, commonly prefer barley for
feeding their hOrses The soianu9,l tabeyosn,,.
or potstoe, which, under the name of baoas, is
cultivated along the whole chain of the Andes,
seems to have followed the progress of the Peru.
van ARMS, from the mountains Of Chill TO the
high plain of Bogots, and to have baen thence in.
hoduced into New Spain, soon after the con.
. quest. IL IS planted IN the highest and coolest
grounds, and becomes the more productive in
thst climate as 1t does not reqlre much hufni.
diy. The potatoes Of Quito and Ssnta-fe. grow
90 large size, and are Of AN excellent ousI,tv =
Both the NeEicans and PerHvisns can presei, =