[225] When Vadillo’s expedition came to an end, our young author transferred his services to Don Jorge Robledo.
Robledo was one of the followers of Sebastian de Belalcazar, the discoverer of Quito and Popayan, and was detached by him for the conquest of the Cauca valley. After Robledo had founded the city of Antioquia in 1541, he determined to go to Spain by way of Carthagena, and solicit the formation of a separate government for himself, to be carved out of the grant formerly made to Belalcazar. On arriving at San Sebastian de Uraba, he was arrested by Don Pedro de Heredia, who had returned from Spain with renewed titles and privileges, accused of an attempt to upset his government, and sent to Spain for trial. In 1546 Robledo returned from Spain with the title of marshal, and, landing at San Sebastian, marched once more up the valley of the Cauca. Belalcazar demanded that he should retire from the territory which he had invaded, and, by forced marches, surprised him on the 1st of October 1546, and took him prisoner. The unfortunate Robledo was reviled by his captor as a deserter, traitor, and usurper, and finally hung, although he entreated to be beheaded as became a knight.
[226] Muchos tienen con la una mano la vasija con que estan bebiendo, y con la otra el miembro con que orinan.
[227] The tendency to the partial adoption of the rule of female succession amongst these Indians is worthy of note. When a chief had no son, the son of his sister succeeded, to the exclusion of brothers’ sons. It appears that this was the general practice amongst the Indians of the valley of the Cauca. The Indians of Anzerma (see p. 64), of Arma (see p. 73), and of Carrapa, all adopted it; and Velasco says that the same custom prevailed in the family of the Scyris or ancient kings of Quito. (Hist. de Quito, i, p. 8.) It is well known that with the Nairs of Malabar the rule of female succession is absolute, and that the son of a sister succeeds to the exclusion of the possessor’s son. The heirs apparent in these South American tribes seem to have had sufficient influence to ensure their own succession, although the sister’s son came next, even to the exclusion, as Velasco tells us, of daughters. Friar Jordanus gives us the reason for this rule amongst the people of Malabar:—“Whatever man may be the father of their sister they are certain that the offspring is from the womb of their sister, and is consequently thus truly of their blood.” Colonel Yule, in a note to his edition of Friar Jordanus (Hakluyt Society’s volume for 1863, p. 32), has given a list of all the people amongst whom this custom of female succession has prevailed. They are the Nairs of Malabar, the people of Canara, the aborigines of Hispaniola, the tribes of New Granada, the royal family of Quito, the negro tribes of the Niger, certain sections of the Malays of Sumatra, the royal family of Tipura, the Kasias of the Sylhet mountains, the people of a district in Ceylon adjoining Bintenne, in Madagascar, the Fiji Islanders, and the Hurons and Natchez Indians of North America.
[228] About half a gallon.
[229] The estolica, used by South American Indians, consists of flattened pieces of wood about a yard long, in the upper end of which a bone is fixed. A long dart is fastened on the bone, and hurled with tremendous force and sure aim.
[230] Truly! so long ago that it is the merest waste of time to make conjectures or surmises as to whence they came. The testimony given by Cieza de Leon that, even in his time, there was evidence of the country having once been far more densely peopled, is very interesting.
[231] Half a gallon.
[232] One arroba = 25 lbs.
[233] Chrysophyllum Caimito, Linn., or star apple.