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.
This city of Popayan has many large villages within the boundaries of
its jurisdiction. Towards the east it has the populous province of
Guambia, and others called Guanza, Maluasa, Polindara, Palace, Tembio,
and Colaza, all thickly peopled. The Indians of these districts have
much gold of seven _quilates_, more or less. They also have some fine
gold, of which they make ornaments, but the quantity is small in
proportion to the baser kind. They are warlike, and as great butchers as
those of the provinces of Arma, Pozo, and Antiochia. But as these
nations have no knowledge of our true God Jesus Christ, it seems that
little account should be taken of their life and customs. Not that they
fail to understand all that pleases them and is good in their eyes,
living cunningly, and compassing the death of each other in their wars.
And they also had great wars with the Spaniards, without caring to keep
the peace which they had promised, until at last they were conquered.
Before they would yield, they preferred to die rather than be subjected,
such was their hardihood, and they believed that the want of provisions
would force the Spaniards to leave the country. In truth the Spaniards
suffered much misery from famine, before they could fully establish
their new settlement. The natives were the cause of the loss of
thousands of lives, eating each others’ bodies, and sending their souls
to hell. At first some care was taken for the conversion of these
Indians, but they were not supplied with complete knowledge of our holy
religion, owing to the want of priests. At present things are in better
order, both as to their treatment and conversion; for his Majesty, with
great zeal for Christianity, has ordered that they shall be preached to.
And the lords of the high council of the Indies take great care that
this order is complied with, and have sent out learned friars of holy
life and manners, so that, by the favour of God, great fruit will be
derived from their labours.
Towards the snowy mountains or Cordillera of the Andes, there are many
valleys thickly inhabited by Indians called Coconucos, in whose country
the great river takes its rise. Their customs are the same as those of
the Indians we have left behind, except that they do not commit the
abominable sin of eating human flesh. There are many volcanoes, or fiery
mouths, in the lofty parts of the mountains, and out of one comes hot
water, from which they make salt. Their art in making salt is a thing
well worthy of note, and I promise to give an account of it further on,
after I have finished what I have to say concerning the town of Pasto.
Near these Indians there is a village called Zotara, and further on
another called Guanaca.
To the eastward is the extensive province of the Pacs, who have worked
so much evil to the Spaniards. It contains seven or eight thousand
Indians fit for war, who are valiant and dexterous in fighting, with
fine bodies, and very clean. They have their captains whom they obey,
and live in valleys surrounded by very rugged mountains through which
many rivers and streams flow, and in which it is believed there are good
mines. In fighting, they use stout lances of black palm wood,
twenty-five _palmos_ long, besides huge stones, which they throw or roll
down when occasion serves. They have killed so many valiant Spaniards,
as well captains as soldiers, that it causes sorrow and fear to behold
what injury these Indians have done, being so few. But there were grave
faults on the part of those who were killed, in that they held these
people so cheap, and God permitted that the Spaniards should fall, and
the Indians be victorious. So things went on until the Adelantado Don
Sebastian de Belalcazar destroyed their crops, and forced them to make
peace.
Towards the east is the province of Guachico, and further on are many
other provinces. To the south is the village of Cochesquio, and the
small Lagoon, also the district they call Las Barrancas, where there is
a small village of the same name. Further on are other villages, the
river called Las Juntas, another called Los Capitanes, the great
province of Masteles, and the district of Patia, which includes a
beautiful valley watered by a river that is fed by streams flowing from
the other district. This river carries its waters into the South Sea.
All these plains and valleys were once thickly peopled, but the natives
who have survived the wars have retired into the heights and fastnesses
which overhang them.
Towards the west is the province of Bomba and other villages, whose
inhabitants trade with each other, besides other districts peopled by
many Indians, where a town has been founded, and they call them the
provinces of Chapanchita. All these villages are situated in fertile
land, and they have a great quantity of gold. In some parts idols have
been seen, but there is no report of any temple or house of worship
having been met with. They converse with the devil, and, by his advice,
they do many things in accordance with his wishes. They have no
knowledge of the immortality of the soul, but they think that their
chiefs will return to life, and some believe (as I have been informed)
that the souls of the dead enter into the bodies of the newly born. They
perform ceremonies at the burial of their dead, and place them in large
and deep tombs. With their chiefs they inter some women and all their
property, besides food and wines. In some parts they burn the bodies
until they are converted to ashes, and in others they merely preserve
the dried bodies.
In these provinces there are the same fruits and provisions as in those
we have left behind, except that there are no _pixibae_ palms, but they
gather great quantities of potatoes. The people go naked and barefoot
without more clothes than a small mantle and a few ornaments of gold.
The women go covered with small mantles of cotton, and wear necklaces of
small flies made of pure gold, which are very pretty and becoming. As to
their customs in the matter of marriage, I will not relate anything
about them because they are childish, and I also pass over other matters
as being of no importance. Some of the Indians are great magicians and
sorcerers. We here learnt, also, that there are many herbs, both
wholesome and harmful, in these parts. All the Indians eat human flesh.
The province round Popayan was one of the most populous in all Peru, and
if it had been subjected by the Yncas it would have been the best and
richest of all.