4000003871

· ¡

BooK

IV.

Royal C

o~mentaries.

The prifoners paid clown cheir ready money, as was agreed; and caking whatwas

in che Kirig's Treafury wich his own.Eíl:ate; for he was a very rich-rnan, he arnaf..

fed great quantities of Gold and Silver ; ali which he carried with him ., and

embarked for

P11nama;

and that his paífage might not be interrupced, he brought

all his prifonérs in cbeir chains.toche Sea-fide, and freed chern as he was going off.

.In his voy.age he ·mee wich a Ship ladel'l wich goods, and fpoils, which

Bachicao·

liad robbed at

Panama,

the which he cook, and divided to hirrifelf and among(l:

his Souldiers, and hearing chat

GoíÍfaloPifarro

had a Fleet of Ships ar that place,

he feared to go thither, and

failed

Niclilragua. Pedro de Hinojofa

having incel–

ligence of bis going, fent cwo Ships in chafe ofhim, under the command of Cap–

rain

'fohn A/o¡,¡fo Palomino

with a hundred and cwency Mufquetiers: ar bis arrival

chere he found chac

Verdugo

was landed ; how oever he cook his Ship, but duríl:

noc advencure afhoar ; becaufe the Inhabi

Granada

and

Leon

denyed him

admittance ; whereupon

Palomino

recurned

,mama

with che Ships which he had

taken on che coaíl: of

Nicaragua ,

of which

eferved füch as were ferviceable,

and burnt ché reíl:, and being arrived at

Panama ,

he gave to

Hinojofa

an accounc .

of all chat had paífed. Thus was

Melchior Verdugo

put out of all poffibility of do–

ing any farther feacs againíl:

Pifarro

in the Sea of

Zur,

for he had loffhis Sbip ,

and could _noc buy anocher, for

Bachicao,

and bis men, had caken rhem all. Where–

fore confidering with hirnfelfwhat to doe, he imagined, rhat in cafe he went by

way of che Norrh Sea ro

Nombre de Dios,

he mighc be able to compaís fome ex–

ploit in rhat City ; for he conceived chat

Pedro

Hinojofa

had few people in that

Cicy, and chofe ali fecure, and in no apprehenfion ,of furprize by an enerny: wich

this fancy he built four Frigat€s, and fhipped a hundred íl:ouc Souldiers upon them

in che Lake of

Nicaragua,

and paífed through thac chanel which runnes into che

Norch Sea.

che River which is called

Chagre,

it was his fortune to cake a

Boat wich certain

Negroes

who fpake good

Spanifh,

and by them he was informed

of all matters that had paffed in

Nombre-de Dios,

both as to che Souldiers and Of..

ficers which were qua'.cered there. .And taking ,t~ofe

Negroes

for c~eir G~ides,

they carne abouc m1d01ght to the City , where bemg landed, they 1rnrnediacely

fet upon fhe Houfe where

Don Pedro de Cabre

and

Hernan Mexia,

wich forne Soul–

dierswere lodged, who being allarum'd with the noife of the people, put them–

felvesinto a poíl:ure

defend themfelves.

:VVhereapon

Verdugo's

men fer füe ro

che Houfe,

chat the Defendants perceiving che flarne abouc their Ears , were–

forced to goe forch·and c:ombac with their Enemies by che light thereof: but chey

being Robbers, and more defirous of plunder and booty than ofbloud, took their

heels and fled ,·and by help of a dark night fecured tbemfelves within the

high

Mouncains which are near to the City : of all which partículars Advices being

carri

to -Pedro de Hinojofa"then

refiding at

Pamrma ,

he íhewed high refentmencs·,

a.nd

complained thereof to Doétour

Ribera ,

who was Governour of

N ombre de

ios,

at that time refiding at

Panama ,

befare whorp he accufed

Verdugo

for ha-

.ving entred inro bis Government and

urifdiétion withouc Title or Commiffion

from bis Superiour; bue had by auchority onely from hirnfelf prefumed to impri-

fon feveral Jufüces of che P~ace, and forced chern and others co pay for their

ranfomes ; chac he had committed many Piracies in che South and North Sea.s

and at length in a hoíl:ile manner had emred into

Nombre de Dios :

all which beiqg

highly aggravaced béfore Doétour

Ribera, Pedro de Hinojofa

offered him affiíl:ence

boch. in perfon and with his forces ; rhewhich Doétour

Ribera

accepting, admini–

íl:red an Oach óf fidelicy

Pedro Hinojofa

and his Captains to obey hirn as

their

Captain General during che time ofchisaétion, and not

doe any thing comrary

to his Cornmand; which being agreed, rhey forthwith marched frorn

Panama

Nombre de Dios.

Afelchior Verdugo

having nocice hereof, drew out his men into

che field , with fuch ochers of the City as had joined with him.

Hinojofa

imme–

diacely attacked them , and ac che

firfl:

charge feveral fell both on one Gde and

che other, But when the Inhabitants of

Nombre de Dios

faw their own Governour

at the head of the contrary party, they ali retifed to the Mouncain near che City,

Verdugo's

men would have given a íl:op' to tbe flight of che Inhabitants; but their

dif0rder being fuch thaccheycould not withíl:and tbe íhock oftheir Enemies, chey

berook themfelves

their Frigates, with which they furprized a Ship in Port ;

and arming her wich their Cannon, chey made tl)any íhot to the Town, bue

wit'h liccle or no damage, by reafon chat che Veffel road at a diíl:ance for want of

Water near the Íhoar.

Verdugo

finding himfelf chus difappoinced, and in no con-

Aa a a a

•

dition