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[22] 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 Estopi?an, 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,[23] 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.

The friendly Indians killed some of the enemy, whom they ate that same night. We occupied the native buildings which were on the hill. They were large, and there were a great number of wooden images in them, of the size of men, but in place of heads they had skulls with faces of wax. They served us for firewood. The captain was so ill that we really thought he would die, and all showed deep sorrow, for, in those times, Robledo was so much liked for his goodness to us, that we looked upon him as a father. At night the ensign, Melchor Suer de Nava, the Father Francisco de Frias, a native of Castro Nu?o, Alonzo de Mendoza, Antonio Pimentel, Pedro de Velasco, Estopi?an and others of the officers who were there, slept close to him without leaving the house where he was. Such[24] hatred was felt for the Indians of Pozo who had done this deed, that the Comendador Hernán Rodríguez de Sosa, with seventy Spaniards and about 4,000 friendly Indians, set out in search of the enemy (who were said to have taken up a strong position on a rock placed on the summit of some crags) intending to kill as many of them as possible. The Indians of Carrapa and Picara were delighted on finding their dreaded enemies in such straits, and that the valiant Spaniards were so bent on killing them. They all brought stout cords to secure the prisoners. The Comendador went out with the Spaniards to do what I have said: and it pleased God that the captain should recover from his wounds, which gave no small pleasure to us all.