On the subject of New World beeswax:

>Tribute lists for 1549 show that out of 173 towns and villages
>paying tribute to the Spanish, 163 paid in wax and 157 in honey. The
>Maya valued beeswax very much less than honey. On the other hand the
>Spanish needed much wax for candles. The 1549 tributes included
>about 3 tonnes of honey and *277 tonnes* of wax.
>
>Wax from stingless bees was of lower quality that honey bee wax for
>making candles. Nevertheless during the mid 1600s it was one of the
>most important exports from Yucatan, ranking with salt, cotton
>cloth, indigo and hides. The wax - known as "cera de Campeche" - was
>the best beeswax produced in the New World until honey bees were
>introduced.

from "The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting", by Eva Crane, 1999

--
Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>