CHAPTER XIV

    How the Adelantado Don Pascual de Andagoya entered the cities, and was received by them as Governor.

HERE I would have concluded my account of the events which occurred in this province, in order to turn the narrative to what happened to the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro; but it will tend to the clearness of both the one subject and the other if I write touching the arrival of Andagoya. Let the reader remember that we mentioned that officer's arrival at Panamá, and that his Majesty appointed him to the government of the Rio de San Juan, which is in the land of Tierra Firme on the confines of Peru; and that, notwithstanding his Majesty's order that he was not to encroach upon any tract settled or explored by any of the captains of the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro, he did that same, although it was in disobedience to the royal command. At that time the port of Buenaventura was scarcely discovered. So he took experienced pilots with him who, by their art, might seek a port by which to enter that land. With the people he had[45] assembled, he left Panamá and sailed on until he arrived at the Isle of Palms. After some things that happened, his ships entered a bay into which many rivers which rose in the mountains emptied themselves. From the position of the harbour, the opinion was that the city of Cali would be found inland. So he began to travel by one of the roughest and most difficult roads that is to be found in any part of the world. After having suffered great hardships, and lost all the horses, he reached the city of Cali and was well received by the inhabitants. Andagoya presented the commission he brought with him, declaring that he came to do much good and to maintain justice for all. After reading it, but without asking to see his instructions, nor considering that there was no river called after San Juan in that land, they received Andagoya as Governor and Captain-General: in which they acted very foolishly.

As soon as the Adelantado had been received at Cali, he heard of the captain Jorge Robledo's mission to explore, and also that he had founded a city in Anzerma. So he sent Miguel Mu?oz to take possession of that city in his name, and ordered its designation to be changed from Santa Ana to San Juan. He also sent to take possession of Popayán, and was acknowledged without any opposition in that city. He wrote to Robledo by Miguel Mu?oz, making him great offers. When Mu?oz arrived at Anzerma, and presented the Adelantado's commissions, he was acknowledged there as he had been in Cali. He heard from the Indians that Robledo, and we who were with him, were not far off, having passed the river; and on receipt of this news many wrote letters giving an account of what was happening. Miguel Mu?oz returned to give an account to Andagoya of what he had done on his behalf. The latter, feeling that the way in which he had occupied the cities did not leave him secure, and fearing that Belalcázar, who had peopled and founded them, would return to them as[46] Governor, made great haste to collect evidence and witnesses against the latter, believing that in this way he would discomfit Belalcázar, and that his Majesty and the members of his Council would confer no favours on him. Leaving the Adelantado busy with these intrigues, we will return to Robledo, and tell how he explored the province of Quinbaya and founded the city of Cartago there.