Maize (corn)

Hay todas las maneras de verduras que se fallan, especialmente cebollas, puerros, ajos, mastuerzo, berros, borrajas, acederas y cardos y tagarninas. Hay frutas de muchas maneras, en que hay cerezas y ciruelas que son semejables á las de España. Venden miel de abejas y cera y miel de cañas de maíz, que son tan melosas y dulces como las de azúcar, y miel de unas plantas que llaman en las otras islas maguey, que es muy mejor que arrope; y destas plantas facen azúcar y vino, que asimismo venden.

There is every kind of vegetable to be found, above all onions, leeks, garlic, cress, watercress, borage, sorrel, and two kinds of thistle. There are many kinds of fruit, among them cherries and plums like those of Spain. They sell bees' honey and wax, and honey from maize stalks, which are as sweet and full of syrup as sugarcane. They also sell honey from a plant that in the islands is called maguey, which is much better than grape syrup. From these plants they make sugar and wine, and they sell those too.

Venden maíz en grano y en pan, lo cual hace mucha ventaja, así en el grano como en el sabor, á todo lo de las otras islas y tierra firme. Venden pasteles de aves y empanadas de pescado. Venden mucho pescado fresco y salado, crudo y guisado. Venden huevos de gallinas y de ansares y de todas las otras aves que he dicho en gran cantidad; venden tortillas de huevos fechas.

They sell maize, as grain and as bread, far better in both grain and flavor than any in the islands or on the mainland. They sell pies of fowl and pastries of fish. They sell a great deal of fish, fresh and salted, raw and cooked. They sell eggs of hens and geese and all the other birds I have named, in great numbers, and they sell ready-made egg tortillas.

En la dicha isla Española tienen los indios y los cristianos, que después usan comer el pan de estos indios, dos maneras de ello. La una es maíz, que es grano, y la otra cazabi, que es raíz. El maíz se siembra y coge de esta manera: esto es un grano que nace en unas mazorcas de un geme, y mas y menos longueza, llenas de granos cuasi tan gruesos como garbanzos; y para los sembrar, lo que se hace primero es talar los cañaverales y monte donde lo quieren sembrar, porque la tierra donde nace yerba, y no árboles y cañas, no es tan fértil, y después que se ha hecho aquella tala ó roza, quémase; y después de quemada la tierra que así se taló, queda de aquella ceniza un temple á la tierra, mejor que si se estercolara; y toma el indio un palo en la mano, tan alto como él, y da un golpe de punta en tierra y sácale luego, y en aquel agujero que hizo echa con la otra mano siete ó ocho granos poco mas ó menos del dicho maíz, y da luego otro paso adelante y hace lo mismo, y de esta manera á compás prosigue hasta que llega al cabo de la tierra que siembra, y va poniendo la dicha simiente; y á los costados del tal indio van otros en ala haciendo lo mismo, y de esta manera tornan á dar al contrario la vuelta sembrando, y así continuándolo hasta que acaban.

On the island of Española, the Indians have two kinds of bread, and so do the Christians, who have since taken to eating it. One is maize, which is a grain, and the other is cazabi, which is a root. Maize is sown and harvested like this. It is a grain that grows on ears about a geme long, more or less, full of kernels almost as big as chickpeas. To sow it, they first cut down the canebrakes and woods where they want to plant it. Land where only grass grows, and not trees and canes, is not as fertile. Once the land has been cut and cleared, it is burned. After the burning, the ash gives the soil a richness better than manure. Then the Indian takes a stick in his hand as tall as he is, strikes its point into the ground, and pulls it out. Into that hole he throws seven or eight kernels of maize with his other hand. Then he takes another step forward and does the same, and he keeps on in this steady rhythm to the end of the field, planting the seed as he goes. Beside him others walk in a line, doing the same. Then they all turn and sow their way back the other way, and go on like this until they finish.

Este maíz desde á pocos dias nace, porque en cuatro meses se coge, y alguno hay mas temprano, que viene desde á tres; pero así como va nasciendo tienen cuidado de lo desherbar, hasta que está tan alto, que va ya el maíz señoreando la yerba; y como está ya bien crescido y comienza á granar, es menester ponerle guarda, en lo cual los indios ocupan los muchachos, que á este respecto hacen estar encima de árboles y cadahalsos que ellos hacen de cañas y de maderas, cubiertos por el agua y el sol de suso, y desde allí dan grita y voces, ojeando los papagayos, que vienen muchos á comer los dichos maizales.

The maize comes up within a few days, since it is harvested in four months, and one kind ripens even sooner, in three. As it grows, they take care to weed it, until it is tall enough to win out over the weeds. When it is well grown and the ears begin to fill, it has to be guarded. The Indians give this job to the boys. They make them stay up in trees, or on platforms they build of cane and wood, roofed against the rain and the sun. From there the boys shout and yell to scare off the parrots, which come in flocks to eat the maize.

Respondeo ho gouernador aos q apertaram cõ elle q pouoasse: q em toda aqlla terra nã auia bastimentos pera sua gẽte se poder soster hũ mes: e era necessario acudir ao porto de Ochus dõde Maldonado auia desperar, q se outra terra mais rica nã se se achasse, que aqlla podia tornar cada vez q quisessem: e antre tanto fariã os indios suas sementeiras e estaria milhor prouida de mayz, preguntou aos indios se tinhã noticia d'algũ senor grade adiante dissera que doze jornadas dalli estaua hũa prouincia q Chiaha se chamaua sogeita ao senor de Coça: logo o gouernador d'tremino hir em demãda daquella terra; e por ser home rijo e seco de palaura, e ainda q folgaua de escutar e saber o parecer de todos, d'pois que dezia ho seu nam queria q ho contradissessem e sempre fazia ho q lhe a elle parecia: e assi todos se cõformauam cõ sua vontade: e ainda q pareceo erro deixar aquella terra porque se pudera ao rredor buscar outra dõde a gente se sustentara te que alli se fizeram as sementeiras e se colhera Mayz: e nam ouue que cousa alguã lhe disiesse sabida sua detreminaçam.

The governor answered those who pressed him to settle there. In all that land, he said, there was not food enough to keep his men for a month. They also had to go to the harbor of Ochus, where Maldonado was to wait for them. If no richer land were found, they could come back to this one whenever they liked. Meanwhile the Indians would plant their fields, and the land would be better supplied with maize. He asked the Indians whether they knew of any great lord farther on. They said that twelve days' journey away was a province called Chiaha, subject to the lord of Coça. At once the governor decided to go in search of that land. He was a hard man and sparing of words. He liked to listen and hear everyone's opinion, but once he had said his own, he would not be contradicted, and he always did as he thought best. So everyone fell in with his will. It seemed a mistake to leave that land. They could have looked for another nearby where the men could live until the fields there were planted and the maize harvested. But once his decision was known, no one said a word to him.

Pan Paxil, Pan Cayala u bi x-pe vi gana hal, zaki hal. Are ca qui bi chicop va qamol r’echa: Yac, Utïu, Qel, Hoh, e cahib chi chicop x-biyn u tzihel gana hal, zaki hal chique, chila que pe-vi pan Paxil, x-qut u beel Paxil. Are cut x-qui riqo riy echa are cut x-oc u tiohil vinak tzak, vinak bit, ha cut u quiqel, u quiqel vinak x-uxic, are x-oc cumal Alom, Qaholom ri hal.

From Paxil and Cayala, as the place is called, came the yellow ears and the white ears. These are the names of the animals who brought the food: Fox, Coyote, Parrot, and Raven. These four animals told the creators the news of the yellow ears and white ears that came from Paxil, and showed them the road there. There the creators found the food. This became the flesh of the people they made and modeled. Water became their blood, human blood. So the ears of maize entered into people, by the work of the Bearer and Begetter.

Quehecut x-e quicot vi rumal ri u riqitahic utzilah huyub, nohinak chi guz, tzatz chi gana hal, zaki hal, tzatz naipuch chi pek, chi caco; mavi ahilan tulul, cavex, ginom, tapal, ahache, cab; nohinak quilah echa chupan ri tinamit pan Paxil, pan Cayala, u bi. Qo-vi echa u vachinel ronohel, chuti echa, nima echa; chuti ticon, nima ticon, x-qut u beel cuma chicop. Ta x-queex cut ri gana hal, zaki hal, beleheb cu uqaal x-u ban Xmucane, echa x-oquic, r’ucha, r’openal x-vinakir, u gabchial u ganaal vinak x-uxic. Ta x-qui ban ri Alom, Qaholom, Tepeuh, Gucumatz que uchaxic.

The creators rejoiced at finding such a good mountain, full of sweet things. It was thick with yellow and white maize, thick also with pataxte and cacao. There were more sapotes, anonas, jocotes, nances, and ahache than anyone could count, and honey too. The town of Paxil and Cayala, as it is called, was full of delicious food. There was food of every kind, small foods and great foods, small plants and great plants, and the animals had shown the way. Then the yellow and white maize was ground, and Xmucane made nine drinks from it. This food went in and became strength and fat. It became the muscle and vigor of humans. This is what the Bearer and Begetter, Tepeuh and Gucumatz, as they are called, did.

Qatecut x-qui coh pa tzih u tzukic, u bitic ka nabe chuch, cahau: xa gana hal, zaki hal u tiohil, xa echa r’akan, u gab vinak; ri e ka nabe cahau, e cahib chi vinak tzak, xa echa oquinak qui tiohil.

Then they began to speak of making and modeling our first mother and father. Only yellow and white maize made up their flesh. Only this food made up the legs and arms of humans. Our first fathers, the four men who were made, had nothing but this food in their flesh.

Y sobre todo eran los labradores y los que ponen a coger maiz y las demas semillas, lo qual guardan en muy lindos sitios y trojes para vender a sus tiempos. Sus mulas y bueyes son la gente. Suelen de costumbre sembrar para cada casado con su muger medida de cccc pies, lo qual llaman hun-uinic, medida con vara de xx pies, xx en ancho, y xx en largo.

Above all, they were farmers, who grew maize and the other seed crops. They store the grain in very good places and granaries, to sell when the time is right. Their mules and oxen are the people themselves. It is their custom to plant, for each married man and his wife, a plot of four hundred feet, which they call hun-uinic. It is measured with a rod of twenty feet, twenty rods wide and twenty long.

Aprés que nous eusmes eu la victoire, ils s'amuserent à prendre force bled d'Inde, & les farines des ennemis, & de leurs armes, qu'ils auoient laissées pour mieux courir. Aprés auoir fait bonne chere, dansé & chanté, trois heures aprés nous en retournasmes auec les prisonniers. Ce lieu où se fit ceste charge est par les 43. degrez & quelques minutes de latitude, & fut nommé le lac de Champlain.

After we had won, our people spent their time gathering up plenty of the enemy’s Indian corn and meal, and their armor, which they had dropped to run faster. After a good feast, with dancing and singing, we set off for home three hours later with the prisoners. The place where this battle was fought lies at forty-three degrees and some minutes of latitude. It was named the lake of Champlain.

After these things he returned to his place caled Sowams, some 40. mile from this place, but Squanto contiũed with them, and was their interpreter, and was a spetiall instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corne, wher to take fish, and to procure other comodities, and was also their pilott to bring them to unknowne places for their profitt, and never left them till he dyed.

After these things he returned to his place, called Sowams, some forty miles from here. But Squanto stayed with them and was their interpreter, and he was a special instrument sent by God for their good, beyond their expectation. He showed them how to plant their corn, where to catch fish, and how to get other useful goods. He was also their guide, to bring them to unknown places for their profit, and he never left them till he died.

Tout estoit presque ietté quand nous arriuasmes, car cela se fit quasi en vn tour de main; chacun s'estoit pressé, croyant qu'il n'y eust pas assez de place pour toutes ces ames; nous en vismes neantmoins encore assez pour iuger du reste. Ils estoient cinq ou six dans la fosse auec des perches à arrãger ces os. La fosse fut pleine à deux pieds prés: ils renuerserent par dessus les robbes qui la débordoient tout autour, & couurirent tout le reste de nattes, & d'écorces. Pour la fosse ils la comblerent de sable, de perches, & de pieux de bois qu'ils y ietterent sans ordre. Quelques femmes y apporterẽt quelques plats de bled, & le mesme iour & les suiuants plusieurs Cabanes du Village en fournirent des manes [manets?] toutes pleines qui furent iettées sur la fosse.

Almost everything had been thrown in by the time we arrived, for it was done in no time at all. Everyone had hurried, thinking there would not be room enough for all the souls. Still, we saw enough to judge the rest. Five or six men were in the pit with poles, arranging the bones. The pit was filled to within two feet of the top. They folded the robes that hung over the edge back over the bones and covered the rest with mats and bark. Then they heaped up the pit with sand, poles, and wooden stakes, thrown in any which way. Some women brought dishes of corn, and that day and the days after, several households of the village brought whole baskets of it, which were thrown onto the pit.

Estas Islas de menor porte, y á vezes las mayores, ó mucha parte dellas, vana todos los años el Rio, fertilizándolas de suerte con sus lamas, que no pueden jamás alegar título de estériles, aunque por muchos años continuados, se les pida el ordinario fruto, que es el maiz; y la yuca, ó mandioca, común sustento de todos, y de que tienen mucha abundancia; y aunque al parecer estaua expuesta á grande disminución y pérdida, con tan poderosas auenidas, la naturaleza, madre común de todos, dio á estos Bárbaros medio fácil para su conseruacion.

Every year the river floods these smaller islands, and sometimes the larger ones or much of them. It leaves so much rich mud on them that they can never be called barren, even after many years of bearing their usual crops. These are maize and yuca, or manioc, which everyone lives on and which they have in great abundance. The manioc would seem to be in danger of great loss from such powerful floods. But nature, the mother of all, gave these barbarians an easy way to save it.

Ewáchim neash, Corne. Scannémeneash, Seed Corne. Wompiscannémeneash, White seed-corne. Obs: There be diverse sorts of this Corne, and of the colours: yet all of it either boild in milke, or buttered, if the use of it were knowne and received in England (it is the opinion of some skillfull in physic) it might save many thousand lives in England, occasioned by the binding nature of the English wheat, the Indian Corne keeping the body in a constant moderate loosenesse.

Ewáchim neash: corn. Scannémeneash: seed corn. Wompiscannémeneash: white seed corn. Observation: There are various sorts of this corn, and of various colors. Yet if the use of it, either boiled in milk or buttered, were known and accepted in England, it might save many thousands of lives in England (in the opinion of some skilled in medicine). Those lives are lost through the binding nature of English wheat, while Indian corn keeps the body in a constant, moderate looseness.

Aukeeteaûmen, To plant Corne. Quttáunemun, To plant Corne. Anakáusu, A Labourer. Anakáusichick, Labourers. Aukeeteaûmitch, Planting time. Aukeeteáhettit, When they set Corne. Nummautaukeeteaûmen, I have done planting. Anaskhómmin, To how or break up. Obs: The Women set or plant, weede, and hill, and gather and barne all the corne and Fruites of the Field: yet sometimes the man himselfe, (either out of love to his Wife, or care for his Children, or being an old man) will help the Woman which (by the custome of the Countrey) they are not bound to.

Aukeeteaûmen: to plant corn. Quttáunemun: to plant corn. Anakáusu: a laborer. Anakáusichick: laborers. Aukeeteaûmitch: planting time. Aukeeteáhettit: when they plant corn. Nummautaukeeteaûmen: I have finished planting. Anaskhómmin: to hoe or break up. Observation: The women plant, weed, and hill, and gather and store all the corn and fruits of the field. Yet sometimes the man himself will help the woman, either out of love for his wife, or care for his children, or because he is an old man. By the custom of the country, men are not bound to do so.

Anáskhig-anash, How, Howes. Anaskhómwock, They how. Anaskhommonteâmin, They break for me. Anaskhomwáutowwin, A breaking up How. The Indian women to this day (notwithstanding our Howes, doe use their naturall Howes of shells and Wood. Monaskúnnemun, To weede. Monaskunnummaûtowwin, A weeding or broad How. Petascúnnemun, To hill the Corne. Kepenúmmin, & Wuttúnnemun, To gather Corne. Núnnowwa, Harvest time. Anoûant, At harvest. Wuttùunemitch, Ewáchim, When harvest is in. Pausinnummin, To dry the corne. Which they doe carefully upon heaps and Mats many dayes, before they barne it up, covering it up with Mats at night, and open it when the Sun is hot.

Anáskhig-anash: hoe, hoes. Anaskhómwock: they hoe. Anaskhommonteâmin: they break [ground] for me. Anaskhomwáutowwin: a breaking-up hoe. The Indian women to this day, despite our hoes, use their natural hoes of shells and wood. Monaskúnnemun: to weed. Monaskunnummaûtowwin: a weeding or broad hoe. Petascúnnemun: to hill the corn. Kepenúmmin, Wuttúnnemun: to gather corn. Núnnowwa: harvest time. Anoûant: at harvest. Wuttùunemitch Ewáchim: when harvest is in. Pausinnummin: to dry the corn. They do this carefully, on heaps and mats, for many days before they store it, covering it with mats at night and opening it when the sun is hot.

Sókenug, A heap of corne. Obs: The women of the Family will commonly raise two or three heaps of twelve, fifteene, or twentie bushells a heap, which they drie in round broad heaps; and if she have helpe of her children or friends much more.

Sókenug: a heap of corn. Observation: The women of the family will commonly raise two or three heaps of twelve, fifteen, or twenty bushels a heap, which they dry in round, broad heaps. And if a woman has help from her children or friends, much more.

After smoaking, the eatables were produced, consisting chiefly of wild meat; such as venison, bear, and buffalo; tho' I cannot much commend their cookery, every thing being greatly overdone: there were likewise potatoes, pumpkins, homminy, boiled corn, beans, and pease, served up in small flat baskets, made of split canes, which were distributed amongst the croud; and water, which, except the spirituous liquor brought by the Europeans, is their only drink, was handed about in small goards. What contributed greatly to render this feast disgusting, was eating without knives and forks, and being obliged to grope from dish to dish in the dark.

After smoking, the food was brought out. It was mostly wild meat, such as venison, bear, and buffalo. I cannot say much for their cooking, though, as everything was greatly overdone. There were also potatoes, pumpkins, hominy, boiled corn, beans, and peas, served in small flat baskets made of split canes, which were passed around the crowd. Water, which is their only drink apart from the liquor the Europeans bring, was handed about in small gourds. What did most to make this feast disgusting was eating without knives and forks, and having to grope from dish to dish in the dark.

Now, however, that it proved that in a tropical climate they were forming their own soil, developing their own palms, and eventually even their bread-fruit and bananas, planting their own oats and maize, and developing rice, wheat, and all other cereals, harvesting these six, eight, or ten times — for aught I could see — in one of our years, — why then, there was no danger of famine for them. If, as I thought, they carried up with them heavy drifts of ice and snow in the two chambers which were not covered in when they started, why, they had waters in their firmament quite sufficient for all purposes of thirst and of ablution. And what I had seen of their exercise showed that they were in strength sufficient for the proper development of their little world.

Now, however, that it proved that in a tropical climate they were forming their own soil, developing their own palms, and eventually even their breadfruit and bananas, planting their own oats and maize, and developing rice, wheat, and all other cereals, harvesting these six, eight, or ten times — for aught I could see — in one of our years, why then, there was no danger of famine for them. If, as I thought, they carried up with them heavy drifts of ice and snow in the two chambers which were not covered in when they started, why, they had waters in their firmament quite sufficient for all purposes of thirst and of ablution. And what I had seen of their exercise showed that they were in strength sufficient for the proper development of their little world.