The captain seeing that the barbarians intended to defend the pass, and that the noon-day heat was coming on, ordered the foot soldiers to lose no time in attacking the Indians with shields, cross-bows and dogs, in order to take the pass, so that the horses might be able to come up. In this they were successful, while some of the horsemen, laboriously seeking a way by one or other side of the mountain in spite of the Indians, found a place by which they were able to come up with the horses, to the position reached by the men on foot. Then the shouting was greater, for the Indians did not dare to await the coming of men who they saw were so valiant; and not caring to hear the neighing of the horses, turned their backs and began to run away, abandoning their arms—the cowards. The mounted men followed and overtook some of them, taking a quantity of gold in ornaments such as I have said they have. All the Spaniards who were behind having come up, we proceeded to encamp on the summit, which they called de los Cavallos. Here they found but little maize, as it was only in leaf.
The Chiefs and principal people of those villages, astounded at seeing the majesty of the Spaniards and their great power, and fearing to oppose them more, agreed to go to the captain peaceably. So they came to our camp with nets full of ornaments of the finest gold, asking the captain for pardon for having been so mad as not to have laid down their arms sooner. The captain received them very well and agreed to the peace. As the inhabitants of those villages were so rich they made presents of gold to the Spaniards. When they brought water for the horses, they offered very large and fine golden ornaments, so fine that they exceeded 21 carats. That night the captain sent the Comendador Hernán Rodríguez de Sosa, with a sufficient force to the village of one Maytama, who was the principal Chief of the province, to capture him or oblige him to render obedience to his Majesty. The Comendador started during the first night watch and marched until he arrived at Maytama's hill. He found the Indians ready for war, and, attacking them until daylight, he put them to flight, captured a brother of Maytama, and saw them, both men and women, take away many loads of gold. The Spaniards could only capture a few because the thickness of the maize in the fields was so great. For this reason the Indians escaped with most of the gold, which if it had been taken would have been a great booty, nevertheless the Spaniards and their servants took some.
The captain, with the whole camp, arrived the next day. As it was known throughout the province that the Spaniards occupied the buildings of Maytama the natives sent messengers proposing to be friends and offering great presents of gold. The gold was brought in this way: the Indians came with much shouting, bearing long poles from the shoulder of one to that of another, from which there hung by cords the plaques, crowns, bracelets, and plumes of gold. On arriving where the captain was, they set them down before him, and thus the presents I have mentioned came from all parts of the province. The Chief, who was a prisoner, sent an old woman to bring gold, and next day she brought about 2,000 pesos, at which we were astonished. The Chief said that he had more gold buried and that he wanted to go and fetch it. He asked the captain to tell off some Spaniards to go with him, intending to escape if it were possible. The captain ordered some soldiers to go with him. When they came to some precipitous rocks, hating to remain in the power of the Spaniards, he determined to kill himself. With a barbarous and heathen mind, he hurled himself down over the precipice and left his brains among the stones, so that when the Spaniards reached the place, the Chief's soul was already in hell. The Spaniards returned to the captain and explained to him the manner of the captive Chief's death. Principal natives came to the camp each day with presents of gold, and the captain came to the conclusion that he had arrived at a good place for founding a city. He determined to send the Comendador Hernán Rodríguez de Sosa to explore the region lower down the great river, and to remain there. He set out with forty Spaniards, horse and foot. The Comendador came to a large village which he called Pascua because he passed Easter there; continuing his advance he came to another village, where he met with some resistance. Leaving it, and taking a northerly course, he discovered the village of Cenufara and a place they called the Hill of Maize. Advancing further he arrived at a village called Pobres, whence he returned to the region of Arma, because he learnt, from statements he received, that there were no other settlements for a great distance.
At this time the inhabitants of the province of Arma conceived such hatred for the Spaniards that they determined to make war in common against us. This appeared from their not coming to our camp as usual, nor supplying us with provisions; while they killed our Indian servants and negroes who fell into their hands. The captain got notice of this league and conspiracy, and ordered his men to be on their guard against any sudden attack on the camp by Indians. But when they were all determined to rise against us, they failed to come to the point, owing to some disputes among themselves, and we saw them fall back well supplied with gold ornaments. When the Comendador returned, the captain resolved to quit the province, and departed, leaving it as hostile towards us as when we entered it. When we were about to depart, a number of Indians stationed themselves above our camp. The captain saw this and told the interpreters to call upon them in a friendly way to come down. They came, believing they were in no danger. The captain ordered all of those who came to be thrust inside the huts and issued orders to the Spaniards to give them wounds and cut off their hands. In this way more than thirty were mutilated, as many more being killed. In that state the survivors were sent to their villages. Then the captain quitted the province of Arma. He intended to leave his ensign Suer de Nava there, to found a city; but, thinking it would be better to explore the province of Quinbaya, that plan was given up. Leaving Arma, and following the way by which he had come, the captain arrived at the province of Paucura, whence he departed for Pozo. There he seized several principal men and went to Carrapa, where he burnt one of them for some very trifling reason; and here we must leave him, because it is necessary to relate the manner in which the captains Pedro de Añasco and Juan de Ampudia met their deaths.
[CHAPTER XII]
How the captain Osorio was killed, with some other Christians, going to the new kingdom, and how the captain Pedro de Añasco was also killed by the Indians.
LET the reader's attention be now turned to the exploration of the province of Bogotá by the Spaniards coming from Santa Marta, which we mentioned in the first book of The War of Las Salinas, and to what happened between them and the captain Belalcazar. I also related how the captain Añasco founded the town of Timaná, where, after coming from Cali when Lorenzo de Aldana was General of those cities on behalf of the Marquis Pizarro, he was confirmed in his charge, and returned as lieutenant to the said town of Timaná. The captain Juan de Ampudia was lieutenant in Popayán, Miguel Muñoz in Cali, and Lorenzo de Aldana had gone to Quito, as we have already stated. While this region was under these lieutenants, glowing accounts reached them of the wonderful richness of the new kingdom,[24] the quantity of gold and emeralds there, and the high value of commodities; so that there was a desire to take thither all the merchandize and flocks that could be collected. A merchant who was at Popayán, named Pero López del Infierno,[25] Captain Osorio (a relation of Juan de Ampudia) and others, agreed to leave Popayán for the new kingdom with merchandize, horses, mares, slaves, and much worked silver. With these goods, which amounted to a great money value, they left Popayán and set out on the road for Bogotá, without distrusting the Indians, because, as it was peace time, they had no fear of hostilities with them. They went on until they arrived in the country of the Yalcones, which borders on that of Páez. At this time the captain Pedro de Añasco had left Timaná to go to Popayán, to trade for horses and other things he required. He came to the country of the Yalcones, which is where I have said Osorio had arrived. The natives of that region are numerous and determined. They fight with lances 30 palmos long, and have other formidable weapons. They resolved to rebel against the Spaniards, and not merely to refuse obedience, but to kill the captain and the others who had come from Popayán, As they had notice of the numerous horses, mares, and other things the Spaniards brought, they desired to put their thought into execution to satiate their cursed bellies with human flesh, and to rob what we have said. They took up arms with this intent, and planned that one party should attack the captain Pedro de Añasco, while another fell upon the Christians who had come from Popayán, for they feared that if they did not adopt this division of force, their plan might not succeed. The Indians were upon all the hills, but they repaired with feigned friendliness to the ravine of Apirimá (which is the locality where Osorio was) to put the Spaniards off their guard.
At this time the captain Pedro de Añasco had arrived at a valley called Ayunga. When the Indians formed the intention already stated, it came to the knowledge of a friendly Chief who was with Añasco. This Chief told Añasco of the league formed by the Yalcones, those of Páez, and other neighbouring tribes, and that, as he had only two horses, he had better go back. The captain made light of what the Chief had told him, showing that he thought little of it, and he continued on until he came to a building, late in the day, where two Indians appeared. One brought a young lion, dead and putrid, for the captain to eat, the other brought some cobs of young maize. The captain, seeing the presents, knew what they signified, and the Indians, dissembling, said that presently, the next day, they would bring those who would eat the captain and his Christians. The friendly Chief then spoke to Pedro de Añasco urging him to return into the forest, which was not far from there, and he would be safe from the Indians. But he would not go back because he did not believe that the audacity of the barbarians could reach to such a point. He ordered all his men to be ready with their arms, and that some of them should keep watch on the roads leading to the buildings where they were encamped, which was done. The Indians had gathered in a great mass and, before dawn, they attacked the Spanish sentries with a violent clamour. Although the sentries behaved as Spaniards always do, they were overpowered, killed, cut in pieces, and carried away to be eaten. The captain, Pedro de Añasco, hearing the noise, commended himself to God, and mounted his horse. With his companions he then awaited the Indians' onslaught, his men animating each other. Añasco was a well-grown man of fine presence, one of the principal knights of Seville; but for his sins, or by God's permission, he came at last to a most cruel and unworthy death, for such a warrior.