CHAPTER XVI

    How the captain Jorge de Robledo left the city of Cartago and went to Cali, where he was well received, and returned as Captain and Lieutenant-General of the cities he had founded.

HAVING decided to return to Anzerma and to go and see Andagoya, the captain left Cartago, after having arranged several things with Suer de Nava. He travelled until he arrived at Anzerma, where he learnt what had been taking place, and that some of the settlers had worked against him. Concealing his anger for the time, he went on to Cali (where the Adelantado was) accompanied by a dozen or so Spaniards. When he came near the city he sent a soldier on with the news. As soon as the Adelantado heard it, he rejoiced and ordered that Robledo should have a great reception. That captain, having as little guile as the others, not only offered to accept the Adelantado as Governor of all the cities he had founded, but sent him 4,000 pesos of gold, part of the ornaments he had received during his conquests, and divided a larger quantity among other persons. Andagoya, to make his[49] friendship more secure, married him to a relation of his wife. After he had been at Cali some days, Robledo departed for the city of Santa Ana, or San Juan as it was now called, accompanied by us and those who had come with him. Having settled certain affairs there, and leaving Ruy Vanegas as his lieutenant, he went back to Cartago to make the repartimiento. He found that there had been some dissensions between the alcaldes and the lieutenant he had left there. They were of a trifling character, but taking them as if they concerned himself, he arrested the alcaldes. Having arrived at the city he acknowledged Andagoya as Governor, and turned his attention to the pacification of the natives.

He then sent Alvaro de Mendoza, with some Spaniards on foot, to see what lay on the other side of the snowy cordillera of the Andes. Arrived at the summit, they saw roads which crossed the opposite river-valley, but considering that a further advance could not be made without horses, they returned. Captain Robledo then turned his attention to settling the repartimiento among the Spaniards who were there. We will now revert to the proceedings of the Marquis, and leave this part of the history until the coming of the Governor Belalcázar.