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.