concerning his wound, and the affairs of the country,
by means of the before-mentioned interpreter, who was
exceedingly fearful, as he knew the intentions of
the cacique to destroy the Christians, which he thought
might easily be done by the great numbers of people
in that province, as he had as yet no experience of
the strength of our people or the power of their weapons.
Pretending to look where the cacique had been wounded;
the lieutenant took hold of his arm, and kept so firm
a grasp, though Quibio was a strong man, that he held
him fast till the other five Christians came up to
his assistance, one of whom fired off his musket,
upon which all the rest ran out from their ambush and
surrounded the house, in which there were thirty people
old and young; most of whom were taken, and none wounded,
for on seeing their king a prisoner they made no resistance.
Among the prisoners there were some wives and children
of the cacique, and some inferior chiefs, who said
they had a great treasure concealed in the adjoining
wood, and offered to give the whole of it for the
ransom of their cacique and themselves. But the
lieutenant would not listen to their proposals, and
ordered Quibio, with his wives and children, and the
principal people who had been made prisoners, to be
immediately carried on board, before the country took
the alarm, and remained with most of his men to go
after the kindred and subjects of the captured cacique,
many of whom had fled. John Sanchez of Cadiz,
one of our pilots, and a man of good reputation, was
appointed to take charge of the prisoners, and more
especially of Quibio, who was bound hand and foot,
and on being charged to take particular care that
he might not escape, he said he would give them leave
to pull his beard off if he got away. Sanchez
and his prisoners embarked with an escort in the boats
to go down the river of Veragua to the ships; and
when within half a league of its mouth, Quibio complained
that his hands were bound too tight, on which Sanchez
compassionately loosened him from the seat of the boat
to which he was tied, and held the rope in his hand.
A little after this, observing that he was not very
narrowly watched, Quibio sprung into the water, and
Sanchez let go the rope that he might not be dragged
in after him. Night was coming on, and the people
in the boat were in such confusion that they could
not see or hear where he got on shore, for they heard
no more of him than if a stone had fallen into the
water and disappeared. That the rest of the prisoners
might not likewise escape, they held on their way to
the ships much ashamed of their carelessness.
Next day, perceiving that the country was very mountainous
and woody, and that there were no regular towns, the
houses being scattered about at irregular distances,
and consequently that it would be very difficult to
pursue the Indians from place to place, the lieutenant
returned to the ships. He presented to the admiral
the plunder of Quibios house, worth about 300 ducats
in gold plates, little eagles, small quills which they
string and wear about their arms and legs, and gold
twists which they wear about their heads in the nature
of a coronet. After deducting the fifth part
for their Catholic majesties, he divided all the rest
among the people who had been employed in the expedition,
giving one of those crowns or coronets to the lieutenant
in token of victory.