CHAPTER XXV.

What pa.s.sed between the Captain and the late Chief Pilot, and certain persons who spoke for and against; and how freedom was given to two slaves.

Presently the former Chief Pilot prayed the Captain, with exaggerated supplication, to pardon him. The Captain enquired of him for what he asked pardon: for if he referred to things that affected him, he might be certain that, without having to ask for pardon, he would be pardoned; but if the pardon was asked for things connected with the royal service, he must tell him what was well known, that his treatment was reasonable and just. The Chief Pilot replied to this by swearing, with great demonstrations of innocence, that he had neither offended the King nor the Captain in anything, nor had desired to give offence. According to him, I am the person who ought to ask for pardon.

Then a certain monk took the Captain aside, and said that the Chief Pilot was very obliged and grateful, and that from this time forward he would work marvels in all things; and that he was already doing so, as the monk could witness. The Captain answered that he left that to G.o.d, who knew the most secret intentions and could not be deceived; and that for himself, he looked to have treated the Chief Pilot in quite a different manner, having entrusted to him business which included good things and likewise his honour; and that although it was very early, his recent acts having shown that neither his word nor his offers were to be trusted, the fact of his having done so much good to anyone made it unprofitable that he should remain under punishment.

Other persons had given evidence to the Captain against the Chief Pilot, and to all he answered that before G.o.d he could justify his acts in giving information, pardoning, or giving hope. When such means were of no avail, he held the rod in his hands, giving such blows as the culprit deserved; and that he had kept the Chief Pilot a prisoner, considering that to be a punishment which would be sufficient.

Freedom given to two slaves.

The Captain asked an officer named Alonso Alvarez de Castro, and Juan Bernardo de Fuentiduena, Pilot of the Almiranta, that they would give--as they did give with very good will, by reason of pious motives and of the honour of the festival of that day--freedom to a slave which each of them possessed, for which purpose they drew up letters. This being done, we went to dine under the shade of great tufted trees near a clear running stream, the corps de garde being alert and the sentries posted.

CHAPTER XXVI.

The election of a munic.i.p.ality and of magistrates, names of the persons elected, and what else happened until the crews embarked.

Having had his siesta, the Captain a.s.sembled the Master of the Camp, Admiral, Royal Ensign, Sergeant-Major, and Captains, and said to them that, possession having been taken of that land, and the city having received the name of the New Jerusalem, with their concurrence, he would elect a munic.i.p.ality and such officers as is usual in a city that was the capital of a province. As they expressed their concurrence, it was agreed among all that the elections should be made in the manner following:--

Magistrates Don Diego Barrantes y Maldonado.

Luis de Belmonte Bermudez.

The Licentiate Alonzo Sanchez de Aranda.

The Captain Manuel n.o.ble.

Francisco de Medina.

Francisco de Mendoza y Sarmiento.

Francisco de Zandategui.

Antonio Francisco Camina.

Juan Ortiz.

Alonso Perez de Medina.

Juan Gallardo de Los Reyes.

Pedro Carrasco.

Gil Gonzalez.

Secretary to the Munic.i.p.ality Santiago de Iriarte.

Justices of the Peace Don Alonzo de Sotomayor.

Captain Rodrigo Mejia de la Chica.

Chief Constable Captain Gaspar de Gaza.

Royal Officers: Accountant Don Juan de Iturbe.

Treasurer Don Juan de la Pena.

Factor Juan Bernardo de Fuentiduena.

Registrar of Mines Don Antonio de Chaves.

Store-keeper General Don Diego de Prado y Tovar. [105]

Overseer Don Juan de Espinosa y Zayas. [105]

As soon as the elections were completed, all the officials took the oath, placing the right hand on a breviary, which the Father Commissary held; swearing that they would be loyal to His Majesty, in whose name the different offices had been given to them; and with this the proceedings terminated.

Afterwards, the munic.i.p.al officers formed in order, and accompanied by the rest of the people, went to the church. Within was the Father Commissary, who, pointing to the upraised cross, said, "Here, gentlemen, you have the Holy Cross, the semblance of that which, by the mercy of G.o.d, secured all our remedy and all our good;" but such were the tears he shed that he could not proceed.

The Captain embarked, taking with him the same cross, the standard and banners; and, on arriving on board, he ordered that block on the yard-arm to be taken down, where it had been placed to punish crimes. For the Captain could not believe that persons with such an honourable destiny would do things the punishment of which would be the rope. The Captain ordered the Master of the Camp to take an armed party, and penetrate further into the interior than he had done before. They saw more and better farms and villages than before, and at one village they found the natives much occupied with their dances. When they saw us they began a flight to the mountains, leaving strewn about as they fled, bows, arrows, and darts. Our people found two roast pigs, and all their other food, which they ate at their ease. They carried off twelve live pigs, eight hens and chickens, and they saw a tree which astonished them, for its trunk could not have been encircled by fifteen or twenty men; so they returned to the ships.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Relates how they sowed some land; the entry into a valley; capture of three boys, and what happened with the natives.

The Captain, on the last day of Easter, taking with him such an escort as seemed necessary, went to an adjacent farm of the natives and sowed a quant.i.ty of maize, cotton, onions, melons, pumpkins, beans, pulse, and other seeds of our country; and returned to the ships laden with many roots and fish caught on the beach.

Next day the Captain sent the Master of the Camp, with thirty soldiers, to reconnoitre a certain height, where they found a large and pleasant valley, with villages. When the inhabitants saw us coming, many a.s.sembled together in arms. We caught there three boys, the oldest being about seven years of age, and twenty pigs. With these we began a retreat, and the natives, with vigour and bravery, attacked our vanguard, centre, and rearguard, shooting many arrows. The chiefs came out to the encounter, and by their charges forced us to lose the ground we were gaining. Arrived at a certain pa.s.s, our people found the rocks occupied by many natives, who were animated by the desire to do as much harm as possible. Here was the hardest fight, their arrows and stones hurled down from the heights, causing great danger to our men. When the Captain heard the noise of the muskets and the shouting, he ordered three guns to be fired off, to frighten the natives and encourage our people; and the better to effect this at the port, those in the ships and on the beach were sent to support the retreating party in great haste. The forces having united, they came to the ships, saving the spoils, and all well.

There was a certain person, who said in a loud voice: "Thirty pigs would be better eating than three boys." The Captain heard this, and said, with much feeling, that he would rather have one of those children than the whole world besides. He made a speech on the subject, concluding with the following words: "I give the blame to my sins, and to those alone. And how much better would it be for the person who spoke such nonsense if he had given praises to G.o.d, who, in a way so strange and unthought-of, saved these three souls--a thing which we must believe to have been predestined?" For this speech there was some ill-feeling on the part of the man who had spoken, and more from his friends.

The natives, on the following day, having other ambuscades, came to attack our watering party, who armed themselves in great haste. The natives shot off their arrows, and our people fired their muskets. The natives then fled, shouting as they went, leaving marks of the harm done them by the b.a.l.l.s.

It seems that the natives, in their rage that they could not revenge themselves on us, came to destroy the church. The Captain hurriedly sent off an armed party in the two boats to prevent them. When the natives saw this, they slowly retreated. Their object appeared to have been to draw our men away, to lead them to where many other natives were concealed; for we afterwards saw them go away, crossing the river of Salvador.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

How the launch went to examine the mouth of the great river, and what else happened with reference to excursions inland.

The Master of the Camp was sent to examine the mouth of the river, which is in the middle of the bay, with the launch, a boat, and a party of men. He tried the depth of the river mouth, and found that there was no bottom, with the length of an oar and his own arm. He went further up in the boat, and the view of the river gave much pleasure to those who were with him, as well for its size and the clearness of the water, as for its gentle current and the beauty of the trees on its banks.

The launch pa.s.sed further up, and our people landed on the bank and went inland. They found a small village of four streets, and an open s.p.a.ce at the most elevated part. All round there were many farms, surrounded by palings. Two spies were posted, who warned the natives, and they all fled. Our people found in their houses several kinds of fish, roasted and wrapped in plantain leaves, and a quant.i.ty of raw mussel-sh.e.l.ls in baskets, as well as fruits and flowers hung on poles. Near there was a burial-place. They also found a flute, and certain small things worked out of pieces of marble and jasper. As they heard drums and sh.e.l.ls, and a great murmuring noise, understanding that it came from a large number of people, they retreated, followed by the natives, who did not dare to attack them. Finally, they got to the launch in peace, and returned to the ships.

On many other occasions our people went to fish and to seek for things very necessary for the requirements of the ships, returning well content with the excellence of the land. Encounters with the natives were not wanting, and I believe they killed some natives, although they denied it to me.