How the captain Jorge Robledo assigned the Chiefs among the settlers who had to remain in the city of Santa Ana, and how he departed and discovered another part of the great river of Santa Marta.
THE events we have related having passed, the captain Jorge Robledo desired to cross the great river Santa Marta, and explore the regions on the other side. He first divided the native Chiefs among those who had to remain as settlers; and then, having assigned them, he left the captain Ruy Vanegas in his place, and departed from Anzerma early in the year 1540, taking with him as his ensign Suer de Nava, a native of Toro. We set out, a little over a hundred Spaniards, horse and foot. The Comendador Hernán Rodríguez de Sosa was camp-master. We arrived at the village of Irra, which is on the banks of the river of Santa Marta, where the current flows with great velocity. The natives made rafts on which the horses and baggage crossed. The Spaniards made contrivances for crossing consisting of two bamboos as thick as a leg, to the head of which a pole was fastened. One man went in front with a reed, hauling on the bamboos, and two others behind to guide them. Thus, with great risk and much hard work the Spaniards crossed this great river. I certainly believe that if the Romans had undertaken the conquest of these parts, even at the time of the most flourishing period of their empire, when they ruled the world, they would not have been powerful enough to do what a few Spaniards have achieved. As for the hardships and hunger they have faced, no other nation in the world could have endured it. For they are worthy to be counted as scions of the most excellent nation in the world and the one which is foremost in all things.
Having crossed to the other side of the river we went to sleep on the rising ground, whence the captain sent messengers to Carrapa, which is a large and rich province with abundant supplies of provisions, to persuade the inhabitants to receive him as their friend and to yield obedience to his Majesty. As the fame of the Spaniards' valour, their great power, and the endurance of their horses had reached all these districts, the natives agreed, in order to escape being wounded by swords or torn to pieces by dogs, to admit them to their territory and supply them with provisions; and this they sent to say. Next day we entered Carrapa. The Chiefs came to see the captain, and presented many golden ornaments, and vases, among them a salver which weighed over 2,000 pesos. We were there more than a month. The Indians said that after crossing the cordillera of the Andes there was a very populous plain country where there were great and very rich Chiefs, and that that country was called Arbi. They also said that near it were the provinces of Picara, Paucura, and Pozo, all great and powerful, and hostile to each other. At that time those of Carrapa were at enmity with Picara. After we had stayed for the time mentioned the captain asked for guides to advance further, also that some principal natives should come with the number of men he might want, to make war on those who refused to be friendly. The people of Carrapa were content, and gave 600 Indians to carry the baggage on their shoulders and 4,000 armed men to help in the war. Thus we left Carrapa and went to the province of Picara, which is larger and more populous. When tidings came of our approach, the natives of Picara armed themselves for war, but after they had made a tremendous noise, they grounded their arms and fled. Those of Carrapa pursued them, and killed many in the ravines. Others they made prisoners, and ate them all without sparing any. Such is the cruelty and savagery of these people!
Our camp was formed on a plain. The captain Robledo, the first discoverer of these regions, sent messengers to all the villages of that province to warn the natives that they must come in and render obedience to his Majesty, for that otherwise he would wage war with ruthless cruelty. Most of them, fearing their cruel enemies of Carrapa, determined to come and offer peace to the Spaniards. During the few days that we were encamped on that plain, the principal Chiefs, named Picara, Chanvericua, Chuscuruca, and Ancora, came to our camp. When the repartimiento was made, this last one was given to me in encomienda, with other principal men, I being a conquistador of these parts. These Chiefs brought many gold ornaments, rich and of much value, which they gave to the captain, who took possession for his Majesty, and for the royal crown of Castille. Having made some agreement convenient for them and for us, the captain ordered the men of Carrapa not to kill any more people, nor to do any more harm than they had done already. After having been in this province twenty-five days, we set out for Pozo, which is situated among some breaks in a mountain range, the Chiefs having their houses and compounds on the slopes higher up. At the approaches there are fortifications of stout bamboos, and above these are barbacoas or platforms for making their sacrifices upon, and for use as watch towers.
These Indians are the boldest and most valiant in all the Indies of Peru. None of them are ever in their plantations, sowing or gathering the produce, without having their arms ready at hand. They were feared by all their neighbours and they would not keep at peace with any one. Both men and women go naked. They have much gold. Their territory extends to the river of Santa Marta. They came originally from among the people of Arma. Their weapons are lances, darts, and slings; but of this I treat more fully in my Book of Foundations. They had news of our entrance into Picara, and of what we had done in Carrapa, but they trusted in the strength of their fortified places, and held the Spaniards of little account. Having made great sacrifices and prayers to their gods, and having spoken with the devil in accordance with their customs, more than 6,000 of them assembled, with their arms, on the summit of their mountains, to defend the pass. We set out from Picara, as I have said, with more than 5,000 Indians of that province, led by their principal Chiefs, all eager to attack the province of Pozo and kill its inhabitants.
[CHAPTER VIII]
How the captain Jorge Robledo arrived in the province of Pozo, where he was severely wounded, and of the most cruel punishment that was inflicted, also of the great quantity of human flesh that was there eaten.
TO go from the province of Picara to that of Pozo one follows a river, down stream. It is fringed on either side by woody groves and fruit-bearing trees, and 'tis certain that, if the Inca kings should extend their conquests so far, and the opposing parties should not eat each other up, they would find here the best and richest thing in all the Indies, the rivers and mountains being so prolific in gold, as those who have visited it will tell. We were going along, careless of the fact that we were at war, advancing without order, and rejoicing to see that there was such a good land to explore. The captain was in front, and with him were Alvaro de Mendoza, Antonio Pimentel, the ensign Suer de Nava, Giraldo Gil Estopiñan, Francisco de Cuéllar, trumpeter, and a cleric named Father Francisco de Frias, besides some other mounted esquires, and gentlemen on foot. Suddenly the war cries of the barbarians were heard. In great haste orders were given to call up the Comendador Hernán Rodríguez de Sosa who, as squadron commander or camp-master, came in the rear guard with the men on horseback. He hurried up to the front, and so did Pedro de Velasco and I, and others, all being without a thought that the Indians would be so eager to fight. The captain, with his ensign Suer de Nava, climbed up the mountain side with great intrepidity, as did the other Spaniards: while the barbarians made a tremendous noise, and called us umes, which means women, also making use of other more insulting expressions.
The Indians of Carrapa and Picara, although they numbered over 8,000, were so afraid of the Pozos that they hardly dared open their mouths. At this juncture we came to a very difficult mountain pass. The captain, with much boldness and with the heart of a hero, put spurs to his horse and, in spite of the foe, nearly reached the summit: the Spaniards following and invoking the apostle Santiago. They then began to wound the Indians, and these shot off many darts and arrows. The captain gave his shield to the trumpeter, because he saw that the man had none, and taking a cross-bow, he killed three or four Indians; then, dropping it, he took a lance and prepared to attack them, having first, before all this, called upon them, in presence of the notary Pedro Sarmiento, to submit. When the Indians saw the execution the captain had done amongst them, one of them pointed a dart which hit him on the right hand, and passed right through it. While stooping down to recover his lance the Indians shot off another dart, which hit him in the back, and entered more than a palmo. The Spaniards then pressed onwards, to put the Indians to flight, and gained the heights. The captain lay on the ground, much afflicted by his wounds, so that we all thought he was dead. Indeed, as for his living, it would have been better for him had he died there and then, for at least his body would not have lacked a tomb, nor would it have become food for Indians, as happened later, owing to the savagery of those who did kill him.[23] None of the Spaniards were either killed or wounded here except the captain.