908 / 1070
Royal
Commentariu.
BooK
VI.
guard the four Veífels which they brought wich chem, and the ocher fou·r rhey
had taken in Port:
Salguero,
as we have faid, was [ene wich thircy men
to
che
River of
chagre
to
cake poífeffio.n of che Silver ~hich was·robbed there :
Hern¡indo
de Contrer.u
himfelf marched w1th
forcy
Souldms more by way of
Capira
to [eife
rhe Preftdenc and fack
Nombre de.DioJ;
both which exploits he chought very eaGe
to
be done by a f1:1rprife; and
fohn de_Bermejo
with an hundred ~nd fifty men íl:aid
at
Panama
co
keep and defend that City. And beftdes thefe p1eces of fooli{h ma–
nagement and mifcarriages, they were
ÍQ
inconfiderate as to entruíl: che merchan–
dife which chey had robbed in che hands of che Proprietors thern[elves, and to
other perfons ofrepucation and note on fecurity onely of Bonds under their hand–
wr-iting to yield them up to
Hernando de Contrer,u,
when he fhould return ·from
Nombre
de
DioJ
;
and fo far were they tranfported with vain confidence, that they
looked upan chernfelves as Maíl:ers of ali the new world. And accordingly chey
gave out their Warrants to cake up all Horfes an~ M~les that could be found, and
to mount their Souldiers thereon, and
to
go to che rehef and afliílence of
Hernando
de Contrer.u
if occafion fhould be. And with this Equipage
Bermejo
depaned che
City, leaving
fr
to ir felf, and with as much aífurance of faichfulnefs as if it had
been his own Hou[e: whereas on the contrary, had they embarked all the Gold
and Silver they had robbed upon their Ships, togecher with the Jewels, Merchan–
dife and other Booty, and had gone away themfelves therewith, they had totally
defüoyed and ruined the Preftdenc and ali bis Adherents. Bue they neither de–
ferving fo rnuch good, nor che Prefident fo much evil, che wheel of fortune tur–
ned, as we fhall [ee by che [equel.
For fo foon as ic was day, tho[e who had efcaped out by nighc, whilíl they
were plundring che City, one of which was
.A-t-i.u d, 4~evedo,
(
of whom che Hi-·
fiory rnakes mention) difpatched away a Servant ofhis to
Nombre de Dios,
to give
intelligence
to
che Prelident
Gafta
of all that the Rebels had done at
Panama:
and
chough as yet che advice was imperfeét, yec it ferved to alarm che Prefident
in
fuch manner as thac neither he nor bis People were cocally unprovided. On che
ocher ftde, che Inhabitancs of che Cicy, whom
fohn
de
Bermejo
!efe with
fo
rnuch
confidence, and repofed that Truíl: in as to cornmic a greac part of his [poil to their
care and cuíl:ody ; no fooner was bis back turned than chey aífembled cogether,
rang out the Bells of the Town, and fell
to
forcifying che Cíty on che fide towards
the
Sea, and co fecure che paífage on che way of
Capira,
in caíe the enemy íhould
attack chern on either fide : Ac the found of che Bells all che neighbouring Inha–
bitants carne in with cheir Arrns, being attended with their
Negroes,
thac in a íhort
time becween White men and Tawny they made up a force of above five
hundred rnen, all refolute to die in defence of the Cicy. Two of the Souldiers
belonging
to
rohn de Bermejo,
who for want of Hor[es were !efe behind, hearíng
rhe noife and confufion amongíl: che people, fled away co give advice to their
Comrnander how che City was in rebellion, and again returned .to che obedience
of bis Majeíl:y: Of which
fohn de Bermejo
fenc irnrne.diate advice
to
Hernancw de
Contrmu,
giving him
to
underíl:and· that he_.ivas going to
Panama,
to cut chofe
Traicours
in,
pieces wbo hacl falíly violaced t~ir Oath and Faicb ro chem: aod
[o
he returned rhither
witb
coufidence of becorning Maíl:er of it wich as rnuch eaíe as
forrnerly ; bue things h~ppened out quite concrary to his expeétation, for che Ci–
tizens, tQ•.prevenr che burning of tbeir City, (which was all builc 1of Tirnber)
came forch to éncouncer him
in
che way, and met
f
oh11 de Be-,-mejo
fortified on che
ftde of an Hill, where they attacked mim wirh great ,courage; for being angry
and afhamed ofche late di[gracefull ufage,. they foughc with che more bravery: ac
the firíl: aífault it was not known which parcy had gained che advantage, bue at
the focond, che Cicizens fighcing like de[perace rnen, and full of revenge, over–
whelmed their enemies with their numbers ofWhice and Black rnen; amongíl:
which
Bermejo
and
SalgHero
were boch killed wich about eighcy more ; as
many more were taken, and carried away to the City; where being put ali to–
gether in an open yard, che chief Bailiffof che Town (who[e narne we fhall not
mention) carne in amongíl them wirh two
Negro
Servants, and with Daggers
ílabbed them
to
death, whilíl: wich load out-cries chey defired time for Confef..
fion.
Palentino
faich that, dying wirhout Confeffion, they were buried on che
Sea-fhore. The news of chis misfonune was foon broughc to the hearing of
Her–
nando de Contrera.,
who upon che advi_ce fo~merly given by
Bermejo,
was upan hís
march back
to
Panama;
and
confidermg h1mfelf now as a loíl: man and ruined,
he.