Remarkable Pallace of King Comogrus.
This News so amaz’d Comogrus, another King, that he proffer’d Peace; whereupon Nunnez going thither, was nobly entertain’d in his Palace, being one hundred and fifty Paces long, and eighty broad, the Floors Pav’d with Stone, and the Roofs Vaulted, his Cellars were stor’d with Wine, made of the Root Jucca, Ages, and Mais; the Privy-Chamber was hung round with dead bodies, Mummy’d artificially with Lent Fires, and were the Corpses of Comogrus Ancestors, and others of the Royal Blood, and nearest Relations, of whom some dy’d at least four hundred years before; each of these fasten’d by Cordage made of Reeds, were Habited in Cotton, richly adorn’d with Pearls and Gold. Mean while, a Hurricane happening, terrible with Thunder and Lightning, and hideous Gusts, swell’d and so enrag’d the Sea, that breaking its bounds, over-running, drown’d the whole Champain; thus the hopes of a fruitful Harvest being utterly lost, they suffer’d under a great Famine.
Nunnez Exploits.
The Spaniards which Encamp’d near the River Daria, on Uraba, perceiving this, and knowing they had no manner of supply from Hispaniola, and having already Pillag’d the Neighboring Kings, that they had nothing left. Nunnez marching thirty Leagues up the River, Plunder’d the Village, of which Daibaiba was King, where he found an unvaluable quantity of Gold, but little or no Provision. Here were many Flitter Mice, or Bats, bigger than Turtle Doves, whose biting was mortal, unless immediately wash’d with Salt Water, according to the information of the Prisoners.
Now as Nunnez Uraba Pillag’d towards the South, so did Colmenares, setting up also for himself, make prize of all, to the East with sixty Men, Rowing against the Stream up the River Daria, above twelve Leagues, where he found in several Villages and Hamlets, and at King Turvi’s Palace, abundance, both of Provision and Gold; from thence he March’d to the mighty Province Abenamchei, which though making some resistance, at last they subdu’d.
A strange Pallace built on Trees.
Turning the low Land into a Sea.
A Plot on the Spaniards, strangely discover’d.
And the neighboring King Abibeiba narrowly escap’d the like fortune, whose Pallace was built on the tops of Trees, Plash’d, and Pleited together, Timber Beams lying athwart; necessity forcing them to choose such high Habitations, partly to avoid the Inundations of Rivers, swoln above their bounds by sudden and almost assiduous Showres from the Mountains; and partly, to be free from the excursions of sculking Robbers; also being better able to defend themselves in these Castles in the Air, and also secur’d by their heighth from their Shot, being above the reach of their Indian Arrows: The bodies of the Trees downwards, upon which the Houses are built, are generally twenty four Fathom thick, so that they cannot easily be cut down, nor fired; but Colmenares against these, as they suppos’d, impregnable Forts, having made a Gallery with several great Hurdles, set his Men to work under that safeguard, with Axes on the Tree whereon Abibeiba’s House stood, who seeing his imminent danger, wondring at this new manner of Storming, came down, promising to furnish him with Gold out of the neighboring Mountains, notwithstanding it would be with the danger of his Life; because the Cannibals generally kill those that adventur’d to dig in the Mines: To this promise, Colmenares hearken’d, and having set him at liberty, for the performance, he in stead thereof, on the contrary, stirr’d up, and joyn’d with all the Conquer’d Kings, to destroy him and his Men: Nor were they slack to have executed their design, five thousand of them being already drawn together at the Village Tirichi, the appointed place of Rendezvous, and so privately carry’d, that undoubtedly it had been effected, if not happily discover’d by this accident.
Nunnez, amongst his other Slavesses, had one exceeding beautiful, on which he was much Enamour’d, and she likewise seem’d to bear as great an affection towards him, which she manifested, by declaring the secret to Nunnez which her Brother had imparted to her, being an intended general Massacre the night following, that so she might the better make her escape the day before; yet so much she prefer’d the safety of her Lover, before the liberty of her Native Countrey, that she discover’d the Plot. Nunnez not sleeping on this advice, on a sudden set so fiercely upon the Conspirators, that he utterly broke their design; yet the Feuds and Contests for Superiority still continu’d amongst them, which look’d with so bad a Face to the ruine of all, that news thereof arriving in Spain, it was judg’d fit to send for Colmenares, and John Quicedo to the Court, there to render an account of all their Transactions, Both going Aboard a small Vessel, were by Storm driven on the Coast of Cuba, where they were inform’d from a Prisoner, that Valdivia and Zamudio, driven ashore by Shipwrack, and not able to defend themselves, were surpriz’d by the Natives, kill’d and eaten; that Fogeda driven up and down along the Coast, had lost most of his People by hunger, and other hardship, and himself with much ado getting to Hispaniola, dy’d as soon as Landed of the Wound which he receiv’d by a Poysonous Arrow, near the River Daria.