This, then, was the country which Pizarro with a mere handful of
followers had set out to discover and subdue. He had sailed at a most
unfavourable time of year, for it was the rainy season, and the coast
was swept by violent tempests. He steered first for the Puerto de Pinas,
a headland which marked the limit of Andagoya's voyage. Passing this,
Pizarro sailed up a little river and came to anchor, and then landed
with his whole force to explore the country; but after most toilful
wanderings in dismal swamps and steaming forests they were forced to
return exhausted and half-starved to their vessel, and proceed again on
their voyage to the southward. Now they met with a succession of
terrific storms, their frail ship leaked, and their stock of food and
water was nearly gone, two ears of Indian corn a day being all that
could be allowed to each man. In this strait they were glad to turn back
and anchor once more a few leagues from their first halting-place. But
they soon found that they had gained very little; neither bird nor beast
was to be seen in the forest, and they could not live upon the few
unwholesome berries which were all the woods afforded. Pizarro felt that
to give up at this juncture would be utter ruin. So to pacify his
complaining followers he sent an officer back in the ship to the Isle of
Pearls, which was only a few leagues from Panama, to lay in a fresh
stock of provisions, while he himself with half the company made a
further attempt to explore the country. For some time their efforts were
vain; more than twenty men died from unwholesome food and the wretched
climate, but at last they spied a distant opening in the woods, and
Pizarro with a small party succeeded in reaching the clearing beyond it,
where stood a small Indian village. The Spaniards rushed eagerly forward
and seized upon such poor stores of food as the huts contained, while
the astonished natives fled to the woods; but finding presently that no
violence was offered to them they came back, and conversed with Pizarro
as well as they could by signs. It was cheering to the adventurers to
hear that these Indians also knew of a rich country lying to the
southward, and to see that the large ornaments of clumsy workmanship
which they wore were of gold. When after six weeks the ship returned,
those on board were horrified at the wild and haggard faces of their
comrades, so wasted were they by hunger and disease; but they soon
revived, and, embarking once more, they joyfully left behind them the
dismal scene of so much suffering, which they had named the Port of
Famine. After a short run to the southward they again landed, and found
another Indian settlement. The inhabitants fled, and the Spaniards
secured a good store of maize and other food, and gold ornaments of
considerable value; but they retreated to their ship in horror when they
discovered human flesh roasting before a fire in one of the huts.
Once more they set sail, and encountered a furious storm, which so
shattered their vessel that they were glad to gain the shore at the
first possible landing-place. There they found a considerable town, the
inhabitants of which were a warlike race who speedily attacked them.
After some fighting the Spaniards were victorious, but they had lost
two of their number, and many were wounded. It was necessary that the
ship should be sent back to Panama for repairs, but Pizarro did not
consider that this place, which they had named Pueblo Quemado, would be
a safe resting-place for those who were left behind; so he embarked
again for Chicama, and when he was settled there his treasurer started
for Panama with the gold that had been collected, and instructions to
lay before Pedrarias, the governor, a full account of the expedition.
Meanwhile Almagro had succeeded in equipping a small caravel, and
started with about seventy men. He steered in the track of his comrade,
and by a previously concerted signal of notches upon the trees he was
able to recognise the places where Pizarro had landed. At Pueblo Quemado
the Indians received him ill, though they did not venture beyond their
palisades. This enraged Almagro, who stormed and took the place, driving
the natives into the woods. He paid dearly for his victory, however, as
a wound from a javelin deprived him of the sight of one eye. Pursuing
his voyage, he discovered several new places upon the coast, and
collected from them a considerable store of gold; but being anxious as
to the fate of Pizarro, of whom he had lost all trace for some time, he
turned back at the mouth of the San Juan River, and sailed straight to
the Isle of Pearls. Here he gained tidings of his friend and proceeded
at once to Chicama, where the two commanders at length met, and each
recounted his adventures.
[Illustration: Almagro wounded in the eye]
After much consultation over what was next to be done, Pizarro decided
to remain where he was while Almagro returned to Panama for fresh
supplies, and so ended the first expedition. But when Almagro reached
Panama he found the Governor anything but inclined to favour him and his
schemes, and but for the influence of De Luque there would have been an
end to their chance of discovering Peru. Fortunately, however, he was
able to settle the difficulties with Pedrarias, who for about 2,500_l._
gave up all claim to any of the treasures they might discover, and
ceased to oppose their plans. A memorable contract was then entered into
by Father De Luque, Pizarro, and Almagro, by which the two last solemnly
bound themselves to pursue the undertaking until it was accomplished,
all the lands, gold, jewels, or treasures of any kind that they might
secure to be divided between the three, in consideration of the funds
which De Luque was to provide for the enterprise. Should they fail
altogether, he was to be repaid with every morsel of property they might
possess. This being arranged, two vessels were bought, larger and
stronger than the ones with which they had started before, and a greater
supply of stores put on board, and then a proclamation was made of 'an
expedition to Peru.' But the citizens of Panama showed no great
readiness to join it, which was, perhaps, not surprising, seeing that of
those who had volunteered before only three-fourths had returned, and
those half-starved. However, in the end about one hundred and sixty men
were mustered, with a few horses and a small supply of ammunition, of
which there was probably very little to spare in the colony. The two
captains, each in his own vessel, sailed once more, and this time having
with them an experienced pilot named Ruiz, they stood boldly out to sea,
steering direct for the San Juan River. This was reached without
misadventure, and from the villages on its banks Pizarro secured a
considerable store of gold and one or two natives. Much encouraged by
this success, the two chiefs felt confident that if this rich spoil, so
soon acquired, could be exhibited in Panama it would draw many
adventurers to their standard, as a larger number of men was absolutely
necessary to cope with the thickening population of the country. Almagro
therefore took the treasure and went back for reinforcements. Pizarro
landed to seek for a place of encampment, while Ruiz, with the second
ship, sailed southward.
Coasting along with fair winds he reached what is now called the Bay of
St. Matthew, having seen by the way many densely-populated villages in a
well-cultivated land. Here the people showed no signs of fear or
hostility, but stood gazing upon the ship of the white men as it floated
on the smooth waters of the bay, fancying it to be some mysterious being
descended from the skies. Without waiting to undeceive them, Ruiz once
more headed for the open sea, and was soon amazed to see what appeared
to be a caravel of considerable size, advancing slowly, with one large
sail hoisted. The old navigator was convinced that his was the first
European vessel that had ever penetrated into these latitudes, and no
Indian nation yet discovered was acquainted with the use of sails. But
as he drew near he saw it was one of the huge rafts, called 'balsas,'
made of logs and floored with reeds, with a clumsy rudder and movable
keel of planks. Coming alongside, Ruiz found several Indians, themselves
wearing rich ornaments, who were carrying articles of wrought gold and
silver for traffic along the coast. But what attracted his attention
even more was the woollen cloth of which their robes were made. It was
of fine texture, dyed in brilliant colours, and embroidered with figures
of birds and flowers. They also had a pair of balances for weighing the
gold and silver--a thing unknown even in Mexico. From these Indians he
learned that two of their number came from Tumbez, a Peruvian port
further to the south; that their fields were full of large flocks of the
animals from which the wool was obtained; and that in the palaces of
their king gold and silver were as common as wood. Ruiz only half
believed their report, but he took several of them on board to repeat
the tale to his commander, and also to learn Castilian, that they might
serve as interpreters. Without touching at any other port, Ruiz then
sailed southward as far as Punta de Pasado, being the first European
who, sailing in this direction, had crossed the equinoctial line, after
which he returned to the place where he had left Pizarro.
[Illustration: Many of the Spaniards were killed by the snakes and
alligators]
He did not reach it too soon. The little band had met with nothing but
disaster. Instead of being able to reach the open country of which they
had heard, they had been lost in dense forests of gigantic tropical
vegetation. Hill rose behind hill, barring their progress, alternating
with ravines of frightful depth. Monkeys chattered above their heads,
hideous snakes and alligators infested the swamps. Many of the Spaniards
were miserably killed by them, while others were waylaid by lurking
natives, who on one occasion cut off fourteen men whose canoe had
unhappily stranded on the bank of a stream. Their provisions gave out,
and they could barely sustain life on the few cocoa-nuts or wild
potatoes they found. On the shore life was even less tolerable, for the
swarms of mosquitoes compelled the wretched wanderers to bury themselves
up to their very faces in the sand. Worn-out with suffering, their one
wish was to return to Panama. This was far from being the desire of
Pizarro, and luckily for him at this crisis Ruiz returned, and very soon
after Almagro sailed into port with a fresh supply of provisions and a
band of eighty military adventurers, who had but lately come to Panama,
and were burning to make their fortunes in the New World. The
enthusiasm of these new recruits, and the relief of their own immediate
miseries, speedily revived the spirits of Pizarro's men, and they
eagerly called upon their commander to go forward; but the season of
favouring winds was past, and it was only after many days of battling
with fearful storms and contrary currents that they reached the Bay of
St. Matthew, and anchored opposite the port of Tacamez. This was a large
town, swarming with people who wore many ornaments of gold and jewels,
for they belonged to the recently annexed province of Quito, and had not
yet been forced to reserve all such things for the Inca, as the
Peruvians did. Moreover, this part of the country was specially rich in
gold, and through it flowed the River of Emeralds, so called from the
quarries on its banks, from which quantities of those gems were dug. The
Spaniards longed to possess themselves of all these treasures, but the
natives were too numerous, and showed no fear of the white men. On the
contrary, they were quite ready to attack them; and Pizarro, who had
landed with some of his followers in the hope of a conference with the
chiefs, found himself surrounded by at least ten thousand men, and would
have fared but ill had not one of the cavaliers chanced to fall from his
horse. This sudden division into two parts of what they had looked upon
as one creature so astonished the Indians that they fell back, and left
a way open for the Spaniards to regain their vessels. Here a council of
war was held, and once again Almagro proposed to go back for more men
while Pizarro waited in some safe spot. But the latter commander had
grown rather weary of the part always assigned to him, and replied that
it was all very well for Almagro, who passed his time sailing pleasantly
to and fro, or living in plenty at Panama, but that for those who
remained behind to starve in a poisonous climate it was quite another
matter. Almagro retorted angrily that he was quite willing to be the one
to stay if Pizarro declined, and the quarrel would soon have become
serious had not Ruiz interposed. Almagro's plan was adopted, and the
little island of Gallo, which they had lately passed, was chosen as
Pizarro's headquarters.
This decision caused great discontent among the men, who complained that
they were being dragged to this obscure spot to die of hunger, and many
of them wrote to their friends bewailing their deplorable condition, but
Almagro did his best to seize all these letters, and only one escaped
him. This was concealed in a ball of cotton sent as a present to the
wife of the Governor; it was signed by several of the soldiers, and
begged that a ship might be sent to rescue them from this dismal place
before they all perished, and it warned others from joining the
expedition. This letter fell into the Governor's hands, and caused great
dismay in Panama. Almagro's men looked sufficiently haggard and dejected
to make it generally believed that the few ill-fated survivors were
being detained against their will by Pizarro, to end their days on his
desolate island. The Governor was so enraged at the number of lives
which this unsuccessful expedition had cost the colony, that he utterly
refused the applications of Almagro and De Luque for further help, and
sent off two ships, under a cavalier named Tafur, to bring back every
Spaniard from Gallo.
[Illustration: Amazement of the Indians at seeing a cavalier fall from
his horse]
Meanwhile Pizarro and his men were suffering great misery from the
inclement weather, for the rainy season had set in, and for lack of
proper food, such crabs and shell-fish as they could pick up along the
shore being all that they had. Therefore the arrival of Tafur with two
well-provisioned ships was greeted with rapture, and the only thought of
the soldiers was to embark as soon as possible, and leave for ever that
dismal island. But the ships had brought letters from Almagro and De
Luque to Pizarro, imploring him to hold fast to his original purpose,
and solemnly promising to send him the means for going forward in a
short time.