The travels of Pedro de Cieza de Léon, A.D. 1532-50, contained in the first part of his Chronicle of Peru

THE

T R A V E L S

OF

PEDRO DE CIEZA DE LEON,

A.D. 1532-50,

CONTAINED IN THE

First Part of his Chronicle of Peru. MAP OF PERU, QUITO & NEW GRANADA (larger view 250k) (largest view 2mb) THE T R A V E L S OF PEDRO DE CIEZA DE LEON, A.D. 1532-50, CONTAINED IN THE First Part of his Chronicle of Peru. TRANSLATED AND EDITED, WITH NOTES AND AN INTRODUCTION, BY CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, F.S.A., F.R.G.S., AUTHOR OF “CUZCO AND LIMA,” “TRAVELS IN PERU AND INDIA,” AND A “QUICHUA GRAMMAR AND DICTIONARY.” LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY. M.DCCC.LXIV. LONDON: T. RICHARDS, 37, GREAT QUEEN STREET. COUNCIL OF THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY. SIR RODERICK IMPEY MURCHISON, K.C.B., G.C.St.S., F.R.S., D.C.L., Corr. Mem. Inst. F., Hon. Mem. Imp. Acad. Sc. St. Petersburg, etc., etc., President . Rear-Admiral C. R. DRINKWATER BETHUNE, C.B. Vice-President . The Rt. Hon. Sir DAVID DUNDAS, M.P. Vice-President . Rev. G. P. BADGER, F.R.G.S. J. BARROW, Esq. , F.R.S. Rt. Hon. LORD BROUGHTON. Rear-Admiral R. COLLINSON, C.B. Sir HENRY ELLIS, K.H., F.R.S. General C. FOX. R. W. GREY, Esq. JOHN WINTER JONES, Esq. , F.S.A. JOHN W. KAYE, Esq. His Excellency the COUNT DE LAVRADIO. R. H. MAJOR, Esq. , F.S.A. Sir CHARLES NICHOLSON, Bart. Captain SHERARD OSBORN, R.N., C. B. Sir ERSKINE PERRY. Major-General Sir HENRY C. RAWLINSON, K.C.B. WILLIAM STIRLING, Esq. , M.P. Viscount STRANGFORD. CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, Esq. , F.S.A., Honorary Secretary . TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Introduction i Dedication l Prologue 4 The Travels of Pedro de Cieza de Leon. Chap. I. —Which treats of the discovery of the Indies, of some other things which were done when they were first discovered, and of the present state of affairs 11 Chap. II. —Of the city of Panama, and of its founding, and why it is treated of first, before other matters 14 Chap. III. —Of the ports between Panama and the land of Peru, of the distances between them, and of their latitudes 19 Chap. IV. —Describes the navigation as far as the Callao of Lima, which is the port of the City of the Kings 22 Chap. V. —Of the ports and rivers on the coast, from the City of the Kings to the province of Chile, and their latitudes, with other matters connected with the navigation of these seas 27 Chap. VI. —How the city of San Sebastian was founded in the bay of Uraba; and of the native Indians in that neighbourhood 32 Chap. VII. —How the barb is made so poisonous, with which the Indians of Carthagena and Santa Martha have killed so many Spaniards 38 Chap. VIII. —In which other customs of the Indians subject to the city of Uraba are described 39 Chap. IX. —Of the road between the city of San Sebastian and the city of Antioquia, and of the wild beasts, forests, rivers, and other things in the way; and how and in what season it can be passed 40 Chap. X. —Of the grandeur of the mountains of Abibe, and of the admirable and useful timber which grows there 43 Chap. XI. —Of the cacique Nutibara, and of his territory: and of other caciques subject to the city of Antioquia 46 Chap. XII. —Of the customs of these Indians, of their arms, and of the ceremonies they perform; and who the founder of the city of Antioquia was 49 Chap. XIII. —Of the description of the province of Popayan, and the reason why the natives of it are so wild, and those of Peru so gentle 54 Chap. XIV. —Containing an account of the road between the city of Antioquia and the town of Anzerma, and of the region which lies on either side of it 56 Chap. XV. —Of the customs of the Indians of this land, and of the forests that must be traversed in order to reach the town of Anzerma 59 Chap. XVI. —Of the customs of the Caciques and Indians in the neighbourhood of the town of Anzerma, of the founding of that town, and who its founder was 62 Chap. XVII. —Concerning the provinces and towns between the city of Antioquia and the town of Arma; and of the customs of the natives 66 Chap. XVIII. —Of the province of Arma, of the customs of the natives, and of other notable things 69 Chap. XIX. —The sacrifices offered up by these Indians, and what great butchers they are in the matter of eating human flesh 71 Chap. XX. —Of the province of Paucura, and of the manners and customs of the natives 74 Chap. XXI. —Of the Indians of Pozo, and how valiant they are, and how dreaded by the neighbouring tribes 76 Chap. XXII. —Of the province of Picara, and of the chiefs of it 80 Chap. XXIII. —Of the province of Carrapa, and of what there is to be said concerning it 82 Chap. XXIV. —Of the province of Quinbaya, and of the customs of the chiefs. Also concerning the foundation of the city of Cartago, and who was its founder 85 Chap. XXV. —In which the subject of the preceding chapter is continued; respecting what relates to the city of Cartago, and its foundation, and respecting the animal called chucha 90 Chap. XXVI. —Which touches upon the provinces in this great and beautiful valley, up to the city of Cali 93 Chap. XXVII. —Of the situation of the city of Cali, of the Indians in its vicinity, and concerning the founder 99 Chap. XXVIII. —Of the villages and chiefs of Indians who are within the jurisdiction of this city of Cali 100 Chap. XXIX. —In which the matter relating to the city of Cali is concluded; and concerning other Indians inhabiting the mountains near the port which they call Buenaventura 104 Chap. XXX. —In which the road is described from the city of Cali to that of Popayan, and concerning the villages of Indians that lie between them 107 Chap. XXXI. —Concerning the river of Santa Martha, and of the things which are met with on its banks 111 Chap. XXXII. —In which the account of the villages and chiefs subject to the city of Popayan is concluded; and what there is to be said until the boundary of Popayan is passed 114 Chap. XXXIII. —In which an account is given of what there is between Popayan and the city of Pasto; and what there is to be said concerning the natives of the neighbouring districts 118 Chap. XXXIV. —In which the account of what there is in this country is concluded, as far as the boundary of Pasto 122 Chap. XXXV. —Of the notable fountains and rivers in these provinces, and how they make salt of good quality by a very curious artifice 124 Chap. XXXVI. —Which contains the description and appearance of the kingdom of Peru from the city of Quito to the town of La Plata, a distance of more than seven hundred leagues 128 Chap. XXXVII. —Of the villages and provinces between the town of Pasto and the city of Quito 131 Chap. XXXVIII. —In which it is stated who were the Kings Yncas, and how they ruled over Peru 135 Chap. XXXIX. —Of other villages and buildings between Carangue and the city of Quito: and of the robbery which the people of Otabalo are said to have committed on those of Carangue 137 Chap. XL. —Of the situation of the city of San Francisco del Quito, of its foundation, and who it was who founded it 140 Chap. XLI. —Concerning the villages beyond Quito as far as the royal palaces of Tumebamba, and of some customs of the natives 145 Chap. XLII. —Of the other villages between Llacta-cunga and Riobamba; and of what passed between the Adelantado Don Pedro de Alvarado and the Marshal Don Diego de Almagro 153 Chap. XLIII. —Which treats of what there is to be said concerning the other Indian villages as far as the buildings of Tumebamba 160 Chap. XLIV. —Concerning the grandeur of the rich palaces of Tumebamba, and of the province of the Cañaris 164 Chap. XLV. —Concerning the road which leads from the province of Quito to the coast of the South Sea, and the bounds of the city of Puerto Viejo 170 Chap. XLVI. —In which an account is given of certain things relating to the province of Puerto Viejo; and also concerning the equinoctial line 172 Chap. XLVII. —Treating of the question whether the Indians of this province were conquered by the Yncas or not; and concerning the death which they inflicted on certain captains of Tupac Ynca Yupanqui 177 Chap. XLVIII. —How these Indians were conquered by Huayna Ceapac, and how they conversed with the devil, sacrificed to him, and buried women alive with the bodies of their chiefs 179 Chap. XLIX. — 181 Chap. L. —How in ancient tunes the Indians of Manta worshipped an emerald as their God; and of other things concerning these Indians 182 Chap. LI. —In which the account of the Indians of Puerto Viejo is finished; and concerning the founding of that city, and who was its founder 186 Chap. LII. —Of the wells which there are at the point of Santa Elena; of the story they tell respecting the arrival of giants in those parts; and of the tar which is found there 188 Chap. LIV. [1] —Concerning the foundation of the city of Guayaquil; and how certain of the natives put the captains of Huayna Ceapac to death 192 Chap. LIV. —Of the island of Puna, and of that of La Plata; and concerning the admirable root called sarsaparilla, which is so useful for all diseases 198 Chap. LVI. —How the city of Santiago de Guayaquil was founded and settled, of some Indian villages which are subject to it, and concerning other things until its boundary is passed 201 Chap. LVII. —Of the Indian villages between the buildings of Tumebamba and the city of Loxa, and concerning the founding of that city 204 Chap. LVIII. —Concerning the provinces between Tamboblanco and the city of San Miguel, the first city founded by the Christian Spaniards in Peru; and what there is to be said of the natives 209 Chap. LIX. —In which the narrative is continued down to the foundation of the city of San Miguel, and who was the founder. Also of the difference of the seasons in this kingdom of Peru, which is a notable thing; and how it does not rain along the whole length of these plains, which are on the coast of the South Sea 212 Chap. LX. —Concerning the road which the Yncas ordered to be made along these coast valleys, with buildings and depôts like those in the mountains; and why these Indians are called Yuncas 210 Chap. LXI. —How these Yuncas were very superstitious, and how they were divided into nations and lineages 219 Chap. LXII. —How the Indians of these valleys and of other parts of the country believe that souls leave the bodies, and do not die; and why they desired their wives to be buried with them 221 Chap. LXIII. —How they buried their dead, and how they mourned for them, at the performance of their obsequies 225 Chap. LXIV. — 230 Chap. LXV. —How they have a custom of naming children, in most of these provinces, and how they sought after sorceries and charms 230 Chap. LXVI. —Of the fertility of the land in these coast valleys, and of the many fruits and roots they contain. Also concerning their excellent system of irrigating the fields 233 Chap. LXVII. —Of the road from San Miguel to Truxillo, and of the valleys between those cities 238 Chap. LXVIII. —In which the same road is followed as has been treated of in the former chapter, until the city of Truxillo is reached 240 Chap. LXIX. —Of the founding of the city of Truxillo, and who was the founder 244 Chap. LXX. —Of the other valleys and villages along the coast road, as far as the City of the Kings 245 Chap. LXXI. —Of the situation of the City of Kings, of its founding, and who was the founder 248 Chap. LXXII. —Of the valley of Pachacamac, and of the very ancient temple in it, and how it was reverenced by the Yncas 251 Chap. LXXIII. —Of the valleys between Pachacamac and the fortress of Huarco, and of a notable thing which is done in the valley of Huarco 255 Chap. LXXIV. —Of the great province of Chincha, and how much it was valued in ancient times 260 Chap. LXXV. —Of the other valleys, as far as the province of Tarapaca 263 Chap. LXXVI. —Of the founding of the city of Arequipa, how it was founded, and who was its founder 267 Chap. LXXVII. —In which it is declared how that, beyond the province of Huancabamba, there is that of Caxamarca, and other large and very populous provinces 269 Chap. LXXVIII. —Of the foundation of the city of the frontier, who was its founder, and of some customs of the Indians in the province 277 Chap. LXXIX. —Which treats of the foundation of the city of Leon de Huanuco, and who was its founder 282 Chap. LXXX. —Of the situation of this city, of the fertility of its fields, and of the customs of its inhabitants; also concerning a beautiful edifice or palace of the Yncas at Huanuco 283 Chap. LXXXI. —Of what there is to be said concerning the country from Caxamarca to the valley of Xauxa; and of the district of Guamachuco, which borders on Caxamarca 287 Chap. LXXXII. —In which it is told how the Yncas ordered that the storehouses should be well provided, and how these were kept in readiness for the troops 290 Chap. LXXXIII. —Of the lake of Bombon, and how it is supposed to be the source of the great river of La Plata 294 Chap. LXXXIV. —Which treats of the valley of Xauxa, and of its inhabitants, and relates how great a place it was in times past 297 Chap. LXXXV. —In which the road is described from Xauxa to the city of Guamanga, and what there is worthy of note on the road 301 Chap. LXXXVI. —Which treats of the reason why the city of Guamanga was founded, its provinces having been at first partly under the jurisdiction of Cuzco, and partly under that of the City of the Kings 304 Chap. LXXXVII. —Of the founding of the city of Guamanga, and who was its founder 307 Chap. LXXXVIII. —In which some things are related concerning the natives of the districts near this city 310 Chap. LXXXIX. —Of the great buildings in the province of Vilcas, which are beyond the city of Guamanga 312 Chap. XC. —Of the province of Andahuaylas, and what is to be seen as far as the valley of Xaquixaguana 319 Chap. XCI. —Of the river of Apurimac, of the valley of Xaquixaguana, of the causeway which passes over it, and of what else there is to relate until the city of Cuzco is reached 319 Chap. XCII. —Of the manner in which the city of Cuzco is built, of the four royal roads which lead from it, of the grand edifices it contained, and who was its founder 322 Chap. XCIII. —In which the things of this city of Cuzco are described more in detail 330 Chap. XCIV. —Which treats of the valley of Yucay and of the strong fortress at Tambo, and of part of the province of Cunti-suyu 331 Chap. XCV. —Of the forests of the Andes, of their great thickness, of the huge snakes which are bred in them, and of the evil customs of the Indians who live in the interior of these forests 336 Note to Chap. XCV. —On the river Purús, a tributary of the Amazon. By Mr. Richard Spruce 339 Chap. XCVI. —How the Indians carry herbs or roots in their mouths, and concerning the herb called coca, which they raise in many parts of this kingdom 352 Chap. XCVII. —Of the road from Cuzco to the city of La Paz; and of the villages, until the Indians called Canches are passed 353 Chap. XCVIII. —Of the provinces of Canas, and of Ayavire 356 Chap. XCIX. —Of the great district which is inhabited by the Collas , of the appearance of the land where their villages are built, and how the Mitimaes were stationed to supply them with provisions 359 Chap. C. —Of what is said concerning the origin of these Collas, of their appearance, and how they buried their dead 362 Chap. CI. —How these Indians perform their annual ceremonies, and of the temples they had in ancient times 366 Chap. CII. —Of the ancient ruins at Pucara, of the former greatness of Hatun-colla, of the village called Azangaro, and of other things which are here related 368 Chap. CII. —Of the great lake which is within the province of the Collao, of its depth, and of the temple of Titicaca 370 Chap. CIV. —In which the narrative continues, and the villages are described as far as Tiahuanaco 372 Chap. CV. —Of the village of Tiahuanaco, and the great and ancient edifices which are to be seen there 374 Chap. CVI. —Of the founding of the city called of Our Lady of Peace, who was its founder, and of the road thence to the town of Plata 380 Chap. CVII. —Of the founding of the town of Plata, which is situated in the province of Charcas 382 Chap. CVIII. —Of the riches in Porco, and how there are large veins of silver near that town 385 Chap. CIX. —How they discovered the mines of Potosi, whence they have taken riches such as have never been seen or heard of in other times; and how, as the metal does not run, the Indians get it by the invention of the huayras 386 Chap. CX. —There was the richest market in the world at this hill of Potosi, at the time when these mines were prosperous 390 Chap. CXI. —Of the sheep, huanacus , and vicuñas , which they have in most parts of the mountains of Peru 392 Chap. CXII. —Of a tree called molle , and of other herbs and roots in this kingdom of Peru 395 Chap. CXIII. —How there are large salt lakes and baths in this kingdom; and how the land is suited for the growth of olives and other fruits of Spain, and for some animals and birds of that country 399 Chap. CXIV. —How the native Indians of this kingdom were great masters of the arts of working in silver and of building: and how they had excellent dyes for their fine cloths 403 Chap. CXV. —How there are great mines in most parts of this kingdom 406 Chap. CXVI. —How many nations of these Indians make war one upon the other, and how the lords and chiefs oppress the poorer people 407 Chap. CXVII. —In which certain things are declared concerning the Indians; and what fell out between a clergyman and one of them, in a village of this kingdom 411 Chap. CXVIII. —How, when a chief near the town of Anzerma wished to become a Christian, he saw the devils visibly, who wished to deter him from his good intention by their terrors 415 Chap. CXIX. —How mighty wonders have been clearly seen in the discovery of these Indies, how our Sovereign Lord God desires to watch over the Spaniards, and how He chastises those who are cruel to the Indians 418 Chap. CXX. —Of the dioceses in this kingdom of Peru, who are the bishops of them, and of the Royal Chancellery in the City of the Kings 424 Chap. CXXI. —Of the monasteries which have been founded in Peru, from the date of its discovery down to the present year 1550 426 Index 429 INTRODUCTION. T HE work of Pedro de Cieza de Leon is, in many respects, one of the most remarkable literary productions of the age of Spanish conquest in America. Written by a man who had passed his life in the camp from early boyhood, it is conceived on a plan which would have done credit to the most thoughtful scholar, and is executed with care, judgment, and fidelity. But before examining the work itself, I will give some account of its author—of whom, however, little is known, beyond what can be gathered from his own incidental statements in the course of his narrative. Cieza de Leon is believed to have been born in the year 1519 in the city of Seville, where he passed the first fourteen years of his life. It has been conjectured that his father was a native of Leon, [2] in the north of Spain, but absolutely nothing is known of his parentage. In 1532, at the extraordinarily early age of fourteen, young Pedro embarked at Seville, and set out to seek his fortunes in the New World. At that time scarcely a year elapsed without seeing an expedition fitted out, to undertake some new discovery or conquest. Seville and Cadiz were crowded with adventurers, all eagerly seeking for a passage to that marvellous land beyond the setting sun. It was, indeed, a time of wild excitement. Every ship that returned from the Indies might, and not a few did, bring tidings of the discovery of new and powerful empires before undreamt of. People of all ages and of every grade in society flocked to the sea ports, and took ship for the Indies; excited beyond control by the accounts of those inexhaustible riches and fabulous glories, which penetrated to every village in Spain. Among the leaders of these expeditions there were some honourable knights, with courteous manners and cultivated minds, such as Diego de Alvarado, Garcilasso de la Vega, and Lorenzo de Aldana. [3] But the majority were either coarse and avaricious adventurers, or disappointed courtiers, like that young scamp Alonzo Enriquez de Guzman, whom I introduced to the notice of the Hakluyt Society in 1862. Cieza de Leon, at the time of his embarkation, was a mere boy, too young to be classed under any of these heads. His character was destined to be formed in a rough and savage school, and it is most remarkable that so fine a fellow as our author really was, should have been produced amidst the horrors of the Spanish American conquest. Humane, generous, full of noble sympathies, observant, and methodical; he was bred amidst scenes of cruelty, pillage, and wanton destruction, which were calculated to produce a far different character. Considering the circumstances in which he was placed from early boyhood, his book is certainly a most extraordinary, as well as an inestimable result of his labours and military services. It does not appear in what fleet our boy soldier set out from Spain; but judging from the date, and from the company in which we find him immediately on landing in America, I consider it more than probable that he sailed from his native land in one of the ships which formed the expeditionary fleet of Don Pedro de Heredia. Heredia, who had already served with distinction on the coast of Tierra Firme, had obtained a grant of the government of all the country, between the river Magdalena and the gulf of Darien, from Charles V. He was a native of Madrid, where, having had his nostrils slit in a street brawl, he had killed three of the men who had treated him with this indignity. Forced to leave his native country, he took refuge in San Domingo, and a relation had interest enough to get him appointed as lieutenant to Garcia de Lerma, in an expedition to Santa Martha; whence he returned to Spain. He was a man of considerable ability, judgment, and determination, was respected by his own followers, and had already had some experience in Indian warfare. His lieutenant was Francisco de Cesar, one of the most dashing officers of the time. [4] Heredia’s expedition, which consisted of one galleon and two caravels, carrying in all about a hundred men, sailed from Cadiz in the end of 1532. They first touched at San Domingo, where Heredia took on board more recruits, forty-seven horses, and some leathern cuirasses, which had been prepared as a protection against the poisoned arrows of the Indians. On the 14th of January 1533 the expedition entered the bay of Carthagena, [5] on the main land of South America, where the disembarkation of the Spaniards was bravely contested by the natives. In no part of Spanish America did the Indians more resolutely defend their homes, than along the coast of the Tierra Firme, as it was called; and young Cieza de Leon saw some very rough service on his first landing in the new world. Eventually Heredia succeeded in founding the city of Carthagena, of which he was the first governor, and in establishing a firm footing in the surrounding country: and for some three or four years the future author continued to serve under him. In 1535 Cieza de Leon accompanied Heredia’s brother Alonzo to the gulf of Darien or Uraba, where a settlement was formed called San Sebastian de Buena Vista. Meanwhile, a judge, named Pedro Vadillo, was sent to Carthagena to examine into the proceedings of Heredia, with full powers from the Audiencia of San Domingo; and he threw the governor into prison. His violent proceedings were disapproved in Spain, and another lawyer was sent out to sit in judgment on the judge. The licentiate Vadillo, who seems to have been better fitted for a soldier than for a judge, resolved to perform some service, or make some discovery in the interval, the importance of which, in a military point of view, should secure oblivion for his misconduct as a lawyer. He, therefore, organised a force of four hundred Spaniards at San Sebastian de Uraba, and, setting out early in 1538, crossed the mountains of Abibe, and advanced up the valley of the Cauca. Cieza de Leon, then in his nineteenth year, accompanied Vadillo in this bold adventure as a private soldier. It was now upwards of five years since he first landed in the new world, the whole of which time had been spent by him in severe and dangerous service in the province of Carthagena. At an age when most boys are at school, this lad had been sharing in all the hardships and perils of seasoned veterans; and even then he was gifted with powers of observation far beyond his years, as is proved by his very interesting account of the Indians of Uraba. [6] Amongst other things he tells us that the women of Uraba are the prettiest and most loveable of any that he had seen in the Indies. The expedition of Vadillo was one of those desperate undertakings which, common as they were in the history of those times, still fill us with astonishment. Young Cieza de Leon took his share in the dangers and privations which were encountered, and which none but men endowed with extraordinary bravery and fortitude could have overcome. After marching over a low forest covered plain, the explorers had to cross the mountains of Abibe, “where the roads were assuredly most difficult and wearisome, while the roots were such that they entangled the feet of both men and horses. At the highest part of the mountains there was a very laborious ascent, and a still more dangerous descent on the other side.” At this point many of the horses fell over the precipices and were dashed to pieces, and even some of the men were killed, while others were so much injured that they were left behind in the forests, awaiting their deaths in great misery. On one occasion our young soldier was posted as a sentry on the banks of a stream whence some kind of centipede dropped from a branch, and bit him in the neck. He adds that he passed the most painful and wearisome night he ever experienced in his life. At length Vadillo’s gallant little band completed their march over the terrible mountains of Abibe, and entered the pleasant valleys ruled by the cacique Nutibara. Thence the bold licentiate marched up the valley of the Cauca. In this march the Spaniards suffered terribly from want of proper food, the difficulties of the road, and the constant attacks of the Indians. They clamoured for a retreat to the coast, but this did not suit the views of Vadillo, who knew that imprisonment probably awaited him at Carthagena; and, when the discontent of his men became formidable, he drew his sword and rushed alone into the woods, crying out that, let who would go back, he should press on till he met with better fortune. The troops were ashamed to desert him, and eventually they reached Cali, in the upper part of the Cauca valley. Here at length he was abandoned by all his followers, and went on almost alone to Popayan, whence he returned to Spain. [7] The followers of Vadillo joined those of Lorenzo de Aldana, [8] who was then governing Popayan for Pizarro, and many of them returned down the valley of the Cauca again with an officer named Jorge de Robledo, who was commissioned to conquer and settle the country discovered by Vadillo. Among this number was our author, who witnessed the subjugation of the cannibal tribes of the Cauca, the foundation of several so-called cities, and the perpetration of much cruelty. He received a repartimiento of Indians in the province of Arma, for his services. Robledo returned to Spain, and came back with the title of marshal, and the grant of the government of a country with ill-defined limits, in 1546. The fierce and unscrupulous Sebastian de Belalcazar was then governor of Popayan. He claimed the territory which Robledo had occupied, and when that officer refused to retire, he surprised him at a place called Picara on the 1st of October, 1546, took him prisoner, and hung him, in spite of the entreaties of the unfortunate knight to be beheaded like a gentleman. [9] The cannibal Indians are said to have eaten the body. Cieza de Leon, who had served under Robledo for several years, makes the following remark on his death, in recapitulating the fate which overtook all the conquerors who were cruel to the natives: “The marshal Don Jorge Robledo consented to allow great harm to be done to the Indians in the province of Pozo, and caused many to be killed with cross-bows and dogs. And God permitted that he should be sentenced to death in the same place, and have for his tomb the bellies of Indians.” [10] Our young author joined the service of Belalcazar, on the death of Robledo. Cieza de Leon began to write a journal of some kind, which formed the material for his future work, in the year 1541 at Cartago, in the Cauca valley, when serving under Robledo. He tells us that “as he noted the many great and strange things that are to be seen in this new world of the Indies, there came upon him a strong desire to write an account of some of them, as well those which he had seen with his own eyes, as those he had heard of from persons of good repute.” [11] He was then twenty-two years of age, and from that time he seems to have persevered, in spite of many difficulties, in keeping a careful record of all he saw and heard. “Oftentimes,” he says, “when the other soldiers were reposing, I was tiring myself by writing. Neither fatigue, nor the ruggedness of the country, nor the mountains and rivers, nor intolerable hunger and suffering, have ever been sufficient to obstruct my two duties, namely writing and following my flag and my captain without fault.” [12] In 1547 the President Gasca landed in Peru, and marched against Gonzalo Pizarro, who was in open rebellion at Cuzco. All loyal officers were called upon to join the royal standard, and troops at Popayan were hurried south with this object. Cieza de Leon, now a stout young man at arms, was among them. [13] By this time he was a veteran of sixteen years service, with his intellect matured and sharpened in a rough and trying school, and every faculty on the alert. His habit of careful observation with a fixed object, and the practical life he was leading, render his remarks, on all he saw during this march, of the greatest value. Mr. Prescott says of him that “his testimony, always good, becomes for these events of more than usual value.” [14] The reinforcements from Popayan marched by Pasto and Quito to Tumebamba, then down to the sea-shore, and along the coast to Lima, then across the Andes again, by Xauxa and Guamanga, until they joined the army of the president Gasca in the valley of Andahuaylas. Thus Cieza de Leon had the opportunity of seeing a very extensive and varied tract of country. Nothing escaped his observation. The ruins of palaces and store-houses, the great Ynca roads, the nature of the country, the products, the natural phenomena, the method of irrigation, the traditions,—all were carefully noted down by this indefatigable and intelligent young observer. He was present at the final rout of Gonzalo Pizarro, and at the subsequent trial and execution of that chief, and of his fierce old lieutenant Carbajal. [15] He afterwards went to Cuzco, and to the valleys to the eastward, and, in the year 1549, he undertook a journey to the silver-yielding province of Charcas, with the sole object “of learning all that was worthy of notice,” [16] under the special auspices of the President Gasca himself, who supplied him with letters of introduction. In travelling over the Collao, and along the shores of lake Titicaca, he tells us that “he stopped to write all that deserved mention concerning the Indians;” [17] and at Tiahuanaco “he wandered over all the ruins, writing down what he saw.” [18] He then visited the silver mines of Porco and Potosi, and returned to Lima, by way of Arequipa and the coast. At Lima our author finished writing his notes on the 8th of September, 1550, and sailed for Spain, after having passed seventeen years of his life in the Indies.

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