[48] Buenaventura, the port of Cali, was founded by Juan Ladrillo,
under orders from the Adelantado Pascual de Andagoya, who had received
the government of the coast thence to Panamá. The municipality of Cali
ordered that six or seven settlers should reside there to arrange for
the landing of merchandize and its transmission across the mountains
to Cali. The pilots with Vaca de Castro certainly showed great want
of intelligence in not being able to find it (see _Cieza de León_, p.
105, _Hakluyt Society's vol. 33_, _for 1864_)
CHAPTER XXVIII
_How the news arrived at Lima that Vaca de Castro had reached
the river of San Juan, how this was received by those of Chile,
and what else happened at that time in the city of the Kings._
When the President Vaca de Castro sailed from Panamá, several ships
went in company with him, as I have already related. At the Ancón
de Sardinas some were lost in a storm. The galleon bore up for
Buenaventura, but others, being smaller and better sailers, were
able to make southing and reach the port of Lima. There they passed
the news that the President was coming by sea, but had encountered
terrible weather, and they did not know whether he was lost or had
returned to Panamá, or had put into the port of Buenaventura. At this
news, the Marquis and those of his party were not a little pleased.
But those of Chile, when they heard it, complained of their bad
luck. For they were hopefully expecting him to arrive at an early
date and make amends for the injustice that had been done in killing
[the Adelantado] Don Diego [de Almagro], and in not giving them any
_repartimientos_, notwithstanding they had done good service and made
discoveries in that land. They went about very sad and downcast. They
were reduced to great straits, for between ten or twelve of them there
was but one cloak, which they went out in by turns. The citizens of
Lima were so indifferent that, though they saw them almost dying of
hunger, they did not help them with a single thing, nor would they,
even in their own homes, offer them any food.
When St. John's Day drew near, the citizens rode out on horseback to
make merry, but a very bad prognostic happened. It was this: Antonio
Picado[49] took up behind him on his horse a half-witted fellow, who
at the time was in Lima, named Juan de Lepe. He had scarcely mounted
when Lepe cried out, "This is the justice that is ordered to be done
this man." When the men of Chile heard it they rejoiced, saying that
they hoped the utterance of that ninny would prove to be a prophecy,
and that they would be avenged of their enemies by such words as those
coming true.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account