Note 345 — Chapter X · FOOD OF THE NAHUA NATIONS.
Reading edition
'Sobre juncia y espadaña se echa tierra en tal forma, que no la deshaga el agua, y allí se siembra, y cultiua, y crece, y madura, y se lleua de vna parte á otra.' The products are maize, chile, wild amaranth, tomatoes, beans, chian, pumpkins, etc. Acosta, Hist. de las Ynd., p. 472. 'La lor figura regolare è quadrilunga: la lunghessa, e la larghezza son varie; ma per lo più hanno, secondo che mi pare, otto pertiche in circa di lunghezza, non più di tre di larghezza, e meno d'un piede d'elevazione sulla superficie dell'acqua.' Clavigero, Storia Ant. del Messico, tom. ii., pp. 152-3. Produce not only plants useful for food, dress, and medicine, but flowers and plants that serve only for decoration and luxury. Id., tom. iv., p. 227. Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., tom. i., p. 620, translates Clavigero's description. 'Fairy islands of flowers, overshadowed occasionally by trees of considerable size.' 'That archipelago of wandering islands.' 200 or 300 feet long, 3 or 4 feet deep. Prescott's Mex., vol. ii., pp. 70, 107-8. The black mud of the chinampas is impregnated with muriate of soda, which is gradually washed out as the surface is watered. Humboldt, Essai Pol., tom. i., pp. 200-2. Mention by Gayangos in Cortés, Cartas, p. 79; Heredia y Sarmiento, Sermon, pp. 95-6. 'Camellones, que ellos llaman Chinampas.' Torquemada, Monarq. Ind., tom. ii., p. 483; Carli, Cartas, pt i., pp. 38-9.