Quote:
The indefatigable Purchas gives us an account of the
revenues of the Empire of Mexico, before the arrival of the
Spaniards, as described in its annals; which were pictures
drawn on cotton cloth. Among other articles he exhibits the
figures of covered pots with two handles, which are said to
be pots of "bees' honey." Of these pots, 200 are depicted
in one tribute-toll, and 100 in several others."

This account is confirmed by an account of the History of
Mexico, written by the Abbe Clavigero, a native of Vera
Cruz. Please see prior post of '6' different type of bees,
with one aggreeing with the common bee of Eruope, not only
in size, shape and color, but also in disposition and
manners, and in the qualities of its honey and wax.

Another quote:
In the account given by Purchas, of the travels of
Ferdinando de Soto, in Florida, it is observed that when he
came to Chiaha, which by the description was one of the
upper branches of the Mobile (now in the State of Georgia)
he found among the provisions of the natives "a pot full of
honie of bees." This was A.D. 1540, when there were no
Europeans settled on the continent of America, but in
Mexico and Peru.

From these authorities it is evident that honeybees were
known in Mexico and the islands, before the arrival of the
Europeans; and that they had extended as far northward as
Florida, a country so denominated from the numberless
flowers, which grow there in wild luxuriance and afford a
plenty of food for this useful tribe of insects. the
inference is, that the bees were not imported by the
Spaniards; for however fond they might be of honey as an
article of food, or of wax to make tapers for common use,
or for the illumination of their churches, yet as bees were
known to be in the country there could be no need of
importing them. The report of honey and wax being found in
the islands, in Mexico, and in Florida, had reached Europe
and had been published there long before any emigrations
were made to the northward...

The first European settlement in Virginia was made about 70
years after the expedition of De Soto, in Florida, and the
first settlement in New England was 10 years posterior to
that of Virginia. The large intermediate country was
uncultivated for a long time afterward. The southern bees,
therefore, cound have no inducement to extend themselves
vary far to the northward for many years after the
settlements were begun, and within that time bees were
imported from Europe...

It appears then that the honeybee is a native of AMerica,
and that its productions were found by the first European
visitors as far northward as Florida and Georgia. It is
also true that bees were imported from Europe into New
England, and probably into Virginia; but whether if this
importation had not taken place, the bees of the southern
parts would not have extended themselves northely, or
whether those which we now have are not a mixture of native
and imported bees,cannot be determined...

This was written by Jeremy Belknap and given as part of a
speach 23 Oct 1792


Regards,

Dee


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