This caravel was, in fact, a caravel in name only, and because of its form, but not in its capacity.  The provisions Valdivia brought sufficed only for the needs of the moment, and within a few days after his arrival the miseries of famine once more began, chiefly because a waterspout burst from the mountain top, accompanied by terrible lightnings and thunders, and washed down such an amount of rubbish that the harvests, planted in the month of September before the campaign against the cacique Comogre began, were either swept away or completely buried.  They consisted of the grain for bread-making, which is called in Hispaniola maize, and in Uraba hobba.  This maize is harvested twice yearly, for the cold of winter is unknown in this country, because of its proximity to the equator.  Bread made of hobba or maize is preferable to wheaten bread for those who live in this region, because it is more easily digested.  This is in conformity with physical laws, since, as cold diminishes, less inward heat is generated.

Their hopes of a harvest being thus defeated, and knowing that the neighbouring caciques had already been stripped of their provisions and gold, the Spaniards were forced to penetrate into the interior in search of food.  At the same time they sent to inform the officials in Hispaniola of their distress, and also of Comogre’s revelations to them about the southern ocean.  It was desirable that the King of Spain should send a thousand soldiers with whom they might cross the mountains separating the two seas.  Valdivia was sent back with these letters, and he was charged to deliver to the King’s fiscal agent in Hispaniola the royal fifth due to the treasury, represented by three hundred pounds of gold, at eight ounces to the pound.  This pound is called a marc in Spanish, and is composed of fifty gold pieces, called castellanos.  The weight of each castellano, a Castilian coin, is called a peso, and the entire sum, therefore, amounted to fifteen thousand castellanos.  The castellano is a coin somewhat inferior to one thirtieth of a pound, but its value exceeds that of a golden ducat.  This coin is peculiar to Castile, and is not minted in any other province.  It may be concluded, therefore, from the sum assigned for the royal fifth, that the Spaniards had taken from the caciques fifteen hundred pounds of gold, at eight ounces to the pound.  They had found this metal worked into divers shapes:  necklaces collars, bracelets, small plaques to be worn on the breast, and ear or nose rings.

On the third day of the ides of January, Anno Domini 1511, Valdivia set sail on the little caravel with which he had just returned.  In addition to the instructions sent by Vasco Nunez and the gold destined for the royal fisc, which we have mentioned, his friends had confided to him their treasure for their relatives in Spain.  I shall relate in proper time what happened to Valdivia, but for the present let us return to the colony at Uraba.