To go from the province of Picara to that of Pozo one follows a
river, down stream. It is fringed on either side by woody groves and
fruit-bearing trees, and 'tis certain that, if the Inca kings should
extend their conquests so far, and the opposing parties should not
eat each other up, they would find here the best and richest thing
in all the Indies, the rivers and mountains being so prolific in
gold, as those who have visited it will tell. We were going along,
careless of the fact that we were at war, advancing without order,
and rejoicing to see that there was such a good land to explore. The
captain was in front, and with him were Alvaro de Mendoza, Antonio
Pimentel, the ensign Suer de Nava, Giraldo Gil Estopiñan, Francisco
de Cuéllar, trumpeter, and a cleric named Father Francisco de Frias,
besides some other mounted esquires, and gentlemen on foot. Suddenly
the war cries of the barbarians were heard. In great haste orders were
given to call up the _Comendador_ Hernán Rodríguez de Sosa who, as
squadron commander or Camp-master, came in the rear guard with the men
on horseback. He hurried up to the front, and so did Pedro de Velasco
and I, and others, all being without a thought that the Indians would
be so eager to fight. The captain, with his ensign Suer de Nava,
climbed up the mountain side with great intrepidity, as did the other
Spaniards: while the barbarians made a tremendous noise, and called
us _umes_, which means women, also making use of other more insulting
expressions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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