CHAPTER XIX

    How Gonzalo Pizarro left the city of Quito for the land of Cinnamon, which was one of the most laborious explorations that have been made in the mainland or the South Sea.

THIS exploration and conquest by Gonzalo Pizarro, we are bound to say, was the most laborious expedition that has been undertaken in these Indies, in which the Spaniards endured great hardships, famine, and miseries, which well tried the virtues of their nation, like similar events that have occurred in these parts of the world. It is known[57] to all that many nations have excelled others and made them tributaries, and the few have conquered the many. Thus they say of Alexander the Great that, with thirty-three thousand Macedonians, he undertook to conquer the world. So with the Romans: many of their captains who were sent to make war in the provinces attacked their enemies with so few men that it is ridiculous to think of. And as I now have to describe in my history some examples which reflect praise on my nation, I appeal to what will be written, where the curious can see like myself. I mean that no other race can be found which can penetrate through such rugged lands, such dense forests, such great mountains and deserts, and over such broad rivers, as the Spaniards have done without help from others, solely by the valour of their persons and the forcefulness of their breed. In a period of seventy years they have overcome and opened up another world, greater than the one of which we had knowledge, without bringing with them waggons of provisions, nor great store of baggage, nor tents in which to rest, nor anything but a sword and a shield, and a small bag in which they carried their food. Thus it was that they went forth to explore that which was unknown and never before seen. And this is what I think of the Spaniards, and I esteem them because, until now, no other race or nation has, with such resolution, passed through such labours, or such long periods of starvation, or traversed such long distances as they have.[35] At least I have found none. And in this expedition of Gonzalo Pizarro assuredly very great hardships were experienced.

Having decided to send the Camp-master Don Antonio de Rivera on in front, Gonzalo Pizarro gave orders for him to make straight for the province of Quijos. He started at once, and after a few days Gonzalo Pizarro did the same, Cristóbal de Funes going in command of the rear[58]-guard. Don Antonio advanced to a place called Hatunquijo. Gonzalo Pizarro followed. At this time, just when the enterprise of Gonzalo Pizarro became known on the coast of Peru, there arrived one Francisco de Orellana, a native of the city of Truxillo, with thirty Spaniards, and he set out to follow Gonzalo Pizarro, who had already left Quito. Gonzalo crossed a range of mountains, where there were snowy alps, and here over a hundred Indian men and women were frozen to death. Though the Spaniards suffered much from the cold, none of them died. From thence they traversed a very rugged country full of rivers, and with forest lands well peopled. They advanced through these dense forests, opening a road with axes and wood knives; and so they marched until they came to the valley of Zumaque,[36] which they found well peopled and amply stocked with provisions. It is thirty leagues from Quito. Orellana, as we have said, followed Gonzalo Pizarro over those thirty leagues between Quito and Zumaque, and both he and his followers suffered much from hunger, owing to so many people having passed just before. After several days they reached Zumaque, where Pizarro was with all his party. Pizarro received them with hearty welcome, and appointed this Francisco de Orellana to be his Lieutenant-General. Before he had arrived at Zumaque, Gonzalo Pizarro had ordered his Camp-master Don Antonio to send Orellana some provisions, for he was in much need. Don Antonio told off the captain Sancho de Caravajal to convey the succour of provisions, and so enable Orellana to arrive. Sancho de Caravajal presently started back to meet him, and when Orellana's party saw him they rejoiced at the sight, and still more at the food he brought, of which they were in much need. They all then marched to Zumaque, where the things happened that we have related.

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After the arrival of Orellana, Gonzalo Pizarro entered into consultation with his principal officers, as to the next step that should be taken. Orellana and his party had arrived very tired. But the rest had been some while at Zumaque and it was time to continue the advance. It was decided that Gonzalo Pizarro should go forward and explore, and that Orellana should follow, after a few days, with the rest of the expedition. Gonzalo Pizarro was only to take seventy Spaniards, without any horses, because the country was so rough and difficult that horses could not be used. Leaving all the horses in the camp at Zumaque Gonzalo Pizarro set out with seventy odd Spaniards, among them being some cross-bow men and arquebusiers. They took a route in the direction of sunrise, having local Indians with them as guides. They started and marched for several days through dense and rugged forest country until they came to where the trees they call canelos grow, and which are like big olive-trees, and bear large flowers and pods.[37] This is the cinnamon of the most perfect kind, and of much substance. No other trees like these have been met with in all the regions of the Indies. The natives value them highly, and in all their settlements they trade with this cinnamon. There are some Indians in these forests, and they live in small, badly built huts, apart from each other. They are very brutish and without reason, usually have many wives, and move through these forests so easily that it is astounding to see their agility.

When Gonzalo Pizarro arrived where these canelos grow, he took certain Indians as guides and asked where there were valleys and plains with many of these trees yielding cinnamon. The Indians replied that they did not know of[60] any others than these, and that they had not seen them anywhere else. Gonzalo Pizarro also tried to learn from these Indians the character of the country in front, whether the forests came to an end, and whether he would soon emerge into open country, and well-peopled provinces. They answered again that they knew nothing, because they were so hemmed in by other tribes that, except with a few who lived in the recesses of the forest, they had no truck; adding that the Spaniards might chance, on going forward, to find some Indians of those parts who would travel with them and guide them to where they desired to go. Gonzalo Pizarro was angry that the Indians had given no reply in conformity with what he wanted. Turning to ask them other things, they answered all in the negative. So he ordered some canes to be fixed across poles, like rather thin hurdles, about three feet wide and seven in length, and the Indians to be put on them and tortured until they told the truth. The innocent natives were promptly stretched on these frames or barbecues, by the cruel Spaniards, and some of them were burnt. As they did not understand what the Spaniards said, nor could they see any just cause for being cruelly put to death, they made great outcries and exclaimed with loud and savage voices: "Why do you kill us with so little reason, neither we nor our fathers have ever injured you. Do you want us to tell you what we do not know?" and adding many other pitiful words, until the fire penetrated and consumed their bodies. This butcher of a Gonzalo Pizarro, not content with burning the Indians who had committed no fault, further ordered that other Indians should be thrown to the dogs, who tore them to pieces with their teeth and devoured them. I heard that among those who were thus burnt or devoured, there were some women, which made it worse. After Pizarro had killed these Indians, he desired to get to some part where horses could be used. For the Spaniards, who were[61] with him, were discouraged at not finding a land such as they wanted to see, and because the Indians did not give them any information. Leaving that place they advanced until they came to a river which formed a small beach of very level sand. Here Gonzalo Pizarro ordered the camp to be pitched for that night, to sleep. It rained so hard near the source of the river that a flood came suddenly down and, if it had not been for warnings from the sentries, some of the party would have been drowned by the rush of water. Gonzalo Pizarro and those who were with him heard the cries of the sentries and the noise of the waters, and they all rose up, and took to their arms, thinking it was Indians coming to make war against them. Seeing what had happened, they stationed themselves above some wash-outs that were there and, although they used all the speed possible, they lost some of their baggage. As they found themselves driven from the place where they had formed their camp, and saw that there was nothing but ranges of forest-clad and rugged mountains in all directions, they decided to return by the way they came and see if they could not find another track which would lead them in the direction they wanted.