Book XII, Chapter XXXIV

Of the animal called ayre.

Translated by Kristine (Kasey) Drake ’23

Ayre is the name of an animal that is as large as a rabbit; it is yellowish-brown, with a sharp snout, and it is very hard to eat; but they still bring to the pot or roaster as many as they can take from the island of Cuba, where many are found. And they have a property, and it is that no matter how long they are cooked or roasted they are no more tender to eat.

Image: Map of Cuba and surrounding islands from the 16th century drawn by Corneille Wytfliet, retrieved from the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.