He Alleged That He Had
Discovered A Very Rich Country Inhabited By A Nation Of Warlike Females,
On Which Account
The country and river came to be called _of the Amazons_.
Having procured a commission of governor of this new
Country from his
majesty, he levied a force of five hundred men for its conquest, with
which he embarked from Seville: But having a most unprosperous voyage, in
which his people suffered much from scarcity of provisions, most of his
followers deserted from him at the Canaries, leaving him almost alone. He
died during the subsequent part of the voyage, and all his remaining
companions dispersed themselves among the islands.
Gonzalo Pizarro was reduced to prodigious straits in consequence of the
desertion of Orellana, both by the want of provisions and the difficulty
of passing the rivers in his course; besides which Orellana had carried
away with him a great quantity of gold, silver, and emeralds, which he
converted to his own use in making his solicitations at the court of Spain,
and in fitting out his expedition for the conquest and settlement of
Amazonia. On his arrival at the place where Orellana had been ordered to
leave the canoes, for the purpose of facilitating the passage of certain
rivers which fall into the great Maranon, Gonzalo and his people were
exceedingly embarrassed, and had to make other canoes with much difficulty
to enable them to cross over, that they might continue their journey. When
they came afterwards to where the two large rivers joined[8], and where
Orellana ought to have waited for them, they found a Spaniard who had been
left at this place by Orellana, because he had opposed the continuation of
the voyage, and preferred to wait in that place for his general[9]. By his
account, Orellana had renounced his dependence on Gonzalo Pizarro, meaning
to proceed to discover the river in his own name and authority, and had
prevailed on the people who accompanied him to elect him of new for their
captain.
By the loss of their vessel Gonzalo and his men were deprived of every
means of procuring provisions from the Indians, as all the mirrors, bells,
and other baubles for trading with the natives of the country had been put
on board the bark. In this hopeless and discouraging situation, above four
hundred leagues distant from Quito, they came to the immediate resolution
of returning to that city; although, from the length and difficulty of the
way, through forests and marshes, they had very little hope of ever
getting back, and could hardly expect to escape dying of famine in the
mountains and deserts over which they had to pass. In fact above forty
actually died of famine during the march. After recommending themselves to
the mercy of God, they began their march in great dejection; and as the
way in which they came from Peru was full of difficulties and destitute of
provisions, they took another road in their return, altogether at hazard,
which they did not find in any degree better than the former[10]. Before
reaching Peru, they were under the necessity of killing all their
remaining horses to keep themselves from starving, and even to eat all
their dogs. In the course of this journey likewise, they were reduced to
the necessity of feeding on certain strings, or twining plants, a good
deal like the tendrils of vines, which they found in the woods, and which
had the taste of garlic. During this march a wild cat or a turkey sold for
four dollars, and one of the sea-birds named Alcatraz, formerly mentioned
as being very bad eating, brought a dollar or more, although reckoned very
unwholesome.
Some short time before Gonzalo got to Peru intelligence of his return had
reached Quito, on which the inhabitants collected a considerable number of
swine and Peruvian sheep which they sent off to meet him. They sent off at
the same time a good many horses, and a supply of clothes for Gonzalo and
his officers. This seasonable supply met them above fifty leagues from
Quito, and one may easily judge that it was received with much joy,
especially the provisions. The whole party, from the general to the
private soldier, was almost entirely naked; as, from the almost continual
rains to which they had been exposed, and the other hardships of their
journey, their clothes were all rotten and torn to rags, and they were
reduced to the necessity of covering themselves with the skins of beasts.
Their swords were all without scabbards, and almost destroyed with rust.
Their legs and arms were torn and scratched by the brushwood, thorns, and
brakes, through which they had travelled; and the whole party were so pale,
lean, and worn out with fatigue and famine, that their most intimate
acquaintances were hardly able to recognize them. Among all their
privations, what they felt the most unsufferable, was the want of salt, of
which they had not been able to procure the smallest supply for above two
hundred leagues.
On arriving in the kingdom of Quito, where every thing they stood in need
of was brought them, they knelt down and kissed the ground as a mark of
gratitude and satisfaction, and returned thanks to God for their
preservation from so many dangers. Such was their eagerness for food after
so long famine, that it became necessary to regulate their supply, and
only to allow them to eat by little and little at a time, till their
stomachs became accustomed to digest their food. As there had only been
sent from Quito a sufficiency of horses and clothes for Gonzalo and his
officers, they refused to avail themselves of either, not choosing to
enjoy any advantages which they could not share with their soldiers, by
which they rendered themselves extremely popular and gained their
affection greatly. They arrived at Quito in the morning, and went
immediately to church to hear mass, and to give thanks to God for their
delivery from so many and severe evils; after which every one retired to
his quarters, to refresh and clothe themselves according to their means.
This country of Los Canelos, whence the cinnamon is procured, is
immediately under the equinoctial line, similar in that respect to the
Molucca islands, whence cinnamon is brought into Spain and other parts of
Europe[11].
[1] We shall have a future opportunity of giving a better account of the
discovery and conquest of Chili than this extremely meagre notice by
Zarate from Molina, Ovalle and other early authors.
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