How the city of Santiago de Guayaquil was founded and settled, of some Indian villages which are subject to it, and concerning other things until its boundary is passed.

THAT it may be known how the city of Santiago de Guayaquil was founded, it will be necessary to say something concerning it, although, in the third part of my work, I shall treat more fully on the subject, in the place where the discovery of Quito and conquest of these provinces by the captain Don Sebastian Belalcazar is narrated. This officer, having full powers from the Adelantado Don Francisco Pizarro, and hearing of the province of Guayaquil, determined to found a city within its limits. He, therefore, started from San Miguel with a party of Spaniards, and, entering the province, induced the natives to come to terms, giving them to understand that their natural lord and king was his Majesty. As the Indians already knew that San Miguel, Puerto Viejo, and Quito itself, were peopled by Christians, many of them came forward to make peace; so the captain Sebastian de Belalcazar chose a place which seemed to him proper for the site of a city, but he remained there only a few days, because it was necessary for him to return to Quito. He left one Diego Dasa as captain and alcalde, and it was not long before the Indians began to understand the exacting spirit and avarice of the Spaniards, their greed for gold and silver, and their desire after pretty women. As the Spaniards were also divided amongst themselves, the Indians conspired to kill them, and as they determined so they acted, the Spaniards being very incautious. All were killed except five or six soldiers and their chief, Diego Dasa. These, amidst great dangers and difficulties, escaped to Quito, but the captain Belalcazar had already set out to discover the provinces further to the north, leaving as his lieutenant a captain of good lineage, named Juan Diaz. When the news was heard in Quito, several Christians returned with the same Diego Dasa and the captain Tapia, and had several fights with the Indians, who had encouraged and animated each other to defend their persons and property. The Spaniards made proposals of peace, but without avail, for the natives were full of hatred and animosity. They showed these feelings by killing several Christians and horses, and the rest retreated to Quito. These events having occurred, the governor Don Francisco Pizarro sent the captain Saera to form this settlement. He entered the province afresh, with the intention of dividing the villages amongst the Spaniards who accompanied him on this conquest, but the governor recalled him in great haste to relieve the City of the Kings, which was besieged by the Indians. The new city was therefore again abandoned, owing to this order of the governor. Some time afterwards the captain Francisco de Orellana[314] entered the province, by order of the Adelantado Don Francisco Pizarro, with a larger force of Spaniards and horses. He founded the city of Santiago de Guayaquil in a better position, in the name of his Majesty, Don Francisco Pizarro being governor and captain-general of Peru, in the year 1537. Many of the Guancavilcas Indians serve the Spanish citizens of this city of Santiago de Guayaquil; and, besides the city, the towns of Yaquel, Colonche, Chanduy, Chongon, Daule, Chonana, and many others are within the limits and jurisdiction of the province. All these places have fertile lands well supplied with provisions and abundance of fruit, and in the hollows of the trees there is much excellent honey. Near the city there are wide open plains, forests, and thickets of tall trees. Rivers of good water flow down from the mountains.

The Indians, both men and women, dress in shirts, with cloths between their legs. On their heads they wear crowns of very small gold beads, called chaquira, and some of silver. The women wear one mantle from the waist downwards, and another over their shoulders, and their hair is worn very long. In some of these villages the caciques or chiefs fasten bits of gold on their teeth. It is said by some of them that when they sowed their fields, they sacrificed human blood and the hearts of men to him whom they reverenced as god; and that in every village there were old Indians who conversed with the devil. When the chiefs were sick, to appease the wrath of their gods, and pray for health, they made other sacrifices of a superstitious nature, killing men (as I was told), and believing that human blood was a grateful offering. In doing these things they sounded drums and bells before certain idols shaped like lions or tigers, which they worshipped. When any of the chiefs died, they made a round tomb with a vaulted roof, and the door towards the rising sun. The body was buried with live women, his arms, and other things, in the same way as was done by the Indians already described. The arms with which these Indians fight are wands, and clubs called macanas.[315] Most of these Indians have died out and come to an end. Those that remain are, by the will of God, becoming Christians, and little by little forgetting their evil customs as they embrace our holy faith. It now appears to me that I have said enough concerning the cities of Puerto Viejo and Guayaquil, so I will return to the royal road of the Yncas, which I left after reaching the buildings of Tumebamba.