602 / 1070
Royal
Commentaries.
BooK
ÍI.
as he could guefs, be obferved chat they ílooped frorn che Wing
to
fome low
Valley: Now whereas Parrots are great lovers of Mayz, which is rheir chief
food, he concluded, tbat in or about che place where he
fo~
them fall, there muft
be forne Plamation, or Dwelling for people ; and upon chis prefümption, eying
:well the place, he recurned to bis Com_panions, and told then:, that they íhould
be of good comfort, for that he had d1fcovered fure and certam tokens and evi–
dences; that they íhould now very fpeedily arrive at fome inhabiced Colintrey.
the
Spaniards
and ali their company being comforted .and encouraged_with chis
' good news, took heart, and next morning fell to work, opening a way through
the Bo(cage with Axe and Hacchet, and in che fpace of_ rliirty Days, penetraced
and broke chrough eight Leagues in length, aud_chen encred inc9 a fmall Planta•
tion of che
Indians
,'
confühng of about a hundred fomilies, wich whom
Mayz,
and orher forcs of Grane and Pulfe, were in great pleory ; and che Soil was
ver¡
good,¡md abie
to
produce food and maintenance for greater numbers;than did,there
inhabic : Upon light of which, and encrance cherei_nto, che
Spaniards
retumed
thanks co God, wl-io had broughc them forth, and delivered them ouc of chofe
extremes of mifery. The
Indians,
when they faw a people with Beards, and rnoft
of
chem cloathed in Skins, ( for their Garmems were rotted upon cheir baclcs, ha–
ving been for the moíl: pare wet,) and chofe who were beíl: habited amongft
chem "ere iníl:ead of their Rags covered wirh che Bark and Leaves of Trees, diey
were íl:rangely furprized, and much more did they admire to fee che Horfes, for
fome of them were
füll
conferved from being earen. At the appearance of-chis
new light, they called
to
each 'other to fly inco che Mouncains; bue fome
figns
being made
to
them, not
to
fear, chey were induced to íl:ay, and cal! their
Ca–
cique, who was then in che Fields ; che Cacique coming, received chem with
much kindnefs and courrefie, íllewing fome crouble and pity to
[ee
chem almoft
naked, full of fcratches and wounds received from che Woods and Buíhes, and
fo
weak and pale, that rhey feemed half dead : He encerrained thern like Brothers,
and gave them Manto's of Coreen, fuch as were made for his own cloathing ; and
in a fhort·tirne he cook fuch an affeétion ro che
Spaniard1,
and parricularly to the
Captain, chat he defired him never more to leave his Countrey ; but if he would
not be perfuaded co remain there, yer rhen rhat he would cake him into his com–
pany, and carry him ro che place of his aboad and refidence. Ar chis place they
rema.ined chirty Days, and had occalion for rheir bercer refrefhrnenr, to have con–
tinu
time longer ; bue rhat out of picy to tho[e poor
Indians,
rhacrhey rnight
no
, r up cheir Provifions, which they fo freely beíl:owed on them, rhey qliitted
cheir Countrey, che name of which rhey did not enquire, it being tb<ür bufinefs
rarher
to
país rhrough, rhan tq inform themfelves of Names and Places. The
Cacique would needs bring them on pare ofcheir way, and appoinred
thirry
of his
Indians
to
be rheir Guides, and carry fuch Provifions for them as were very need–
full in that defarc Councrey rhrough which rhey were to país : rhe which
Jndü11ts
were likewi[e very ferviceable in tranfporting cheir people over c~rtain Rivers; for
they were skilfull in che manner how to make Floars, and knew how to condud
and íleer rhem over, berter than the
Spaniards.
Ac length coming to che
firft
Valley wichin che jurifdifüon of
PHerto Viejo,
the Cacique and his
Imüan1
toók
their leave of chem wirh many cears, being very forrowfi,ill to
lo[e
their coqJpany~
and efpecially they were devoted coche Caprain, who had won their pearcs by bis
affable and obliging deportment. Ac laíl: the
Sp11niards
enrred
Puerto Viqo,
witn
flQ
greater number rhan of one hundred and
f
ixcy Perfons ;, for of ch~ 1:wo hundred
and
fifcy,
who at firíl: undercook rhat Conqueíl:, above eighty of them were ftar–
ved wich hunger, and perifhed with other hardfhips wichin the Mounrains.
At
Puerto Viejo
_rhey received che firíl: incelliienc~-ofche Inforreétion of
rhe_Indians,
bue
knew norhrng as yec of che fuccefs ; wherefore chey haíl:ned wich ali diligence to
the City of
los Reyes;
and being on their way, rhey mee che Command of the Mar–
qui~, fümmoning them to come in unto _his fuccour; upon which they quickqed
their Marcb, and carne
to
Rimac
forne few days after che Arrival of Capraip
Alonfa
de
Alvar11do
at rhat place ;
w
hich coming fo feafonably co che fuccour and ·relief
of
the Marquis, they were received by hirn with much joy and comfort,
·
CH A
P.
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