CHAPTER II.

THE GOVERNMENT UNDER PEDRARIAS, WITH THE

VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS UNDERTAKEN BY HIS
CAPTAINS,

VAS

ASCO NUÑEZ'S messenger, Arbolanche, Book VI. reached the court of Spain too late for his Ch. 2. master's interests. It is probable that previously even to the arrival of Quicedo and Colmenares, who had brought such wonderful news about the discoveries in the Terra-firma, the Spanish government had resolved to appoint a new governor.* And the news brought by the deputies from Darien served to heighten the importance of the appointment, and greatly to augment the numbers of the expedition. As all Spain was in a state of excitement at the idea of fishing up gold with nets, the appointment of Governor of Darien was much sought after; but, Pedrarias ultimately, was conferred upon the man whom appointed the Bishop of Burgos favoured, namely Pedrarias of Darien. de Avila.

* Quicedo and Colmenares reached Spain in May, 1513: the date of Pedrarias's appointment is July 27, 1513, so that it is very probable, especially as

Enciso and his complaints reached
the court of Spain before these
deputies, that the appointment
of a governor was quite settled
before they arrived.

Governor

Book VI. He was an elderly man of rank and high conCh. 2. nections, of much repute in war, having served

The arma

ment of Pedrarias.

with honour in Africa; but in wisdom he does not seem to have been much superior to Bobadilla. From his feats in the tournament, he had acquired the name of "Justador," the jouster.

There is one thing to be said for the appointment of men of that age and station, which, if it occurred to King Ferdinand, would have been very likely to have had great weight with him. It is, that they are nearly sure to be faithful to their sovereign. It is too late to form great independent schemes of their own; but then they lack the lissomness of mind, as well as body, which is necessary in dealing with such entirely new circumstances as those which the Spanish captains in the New World had to encounter. I conjecture Pedrarias to have been a suspicious, fiery, arbitrary old man. "Furor Domini" was a name given him by the monks in after days; just as Attila enjoyed and merited the awful title of the "Scourge of God."

Comogre's son had said that a thousand men would be necessary to make their way to the sea, and to obtain the riches which were there to be

obtained. For greater safety twelve hundred was the number assigned to Pedrarias for his armament, and fifteen hundred was the number which went, for it happened that there was a great disbanding of troops at that time, and the men thus set free were anxious to enter the serIvice of Pedrarias. The victory of Ravenna, gained by the French over the Spaniards and

their allies, had alarmed King Ferdinand for his Book VI. Neapolitan possessions: he had hastily raised Ch. 2. levies which he intended to place under the command of the Great Captain, Gonsalvo de Córdova; but, not finding it necessary to send succour to Naples, or being jealous of the Great Captain (which jealousy a perilous emergency had suppressed for a time) this expedition was abandoned.

When Pedrarias arrived at Seville, he found no fewer than two thousand young men eager to be enrolled in his forces, and "not a small number of avaricious old men," many of whom offered to go at their own expense. It was necessary, however, not to overload the ships, and therefore, many of these candidates were rejected. Amongst those chosen were several nobles. A Bishop also was appointed to the new colony, whose name was Juan de Quevedo. Four principal officers accompanied the Governor, namely, a treasurer, a factor, a contador, and a veedor.

Gonsalvo Hernandez de Oviedo, the celebrated historian, went out as Veedor in this expedition, Gaspar de Espinosa as Alcalde Mayor, and as Alguazil Mayor the Bachiller Enciso, whose appointment boded no good to Vasco Nuñez.

The instructions given to Pedrarias on this occasion still exist; and the introduction to them

Pedrarias.

is so curious, and bears so closely on the present Instrucsubject, that it will be desirable to give an ac- tions to count of it. After reciting in few words the discovery of the Terra-firma, the document goes on to declare the motives for the expedition.

Book VI.

tions to

"And, in order that Our Lord may be served Ch. 2. in the said lands, and His Holy Name made Instruc- known, and the inhabitants of the aforesaid Pedrarias. country converted to our sacred Catholic Faith, that they may be instructed in it and put in the way of salvation, and that there may not be lost such a number of souls as hitherto have perished, and in order that this design may have the effect which we desire, We have sent to beg our very Holy Father that he would provide prelates who may be ecclesiastical persons, learned and of good example, to go and teach and preach to these nations and, for the security of these persons, it has been necessary to provide a certain number of people who should go and settle in the said lands, in order that, by the doctrine of these ecclesiastics, and by the means of conversion of the other Christians" (that is, by the communication between the Christians and the Indians) "the natives may more quietly, when converted to our Holy Faith, remain in it, until they shall be more capable of receiving Christian doctrine than it appears they now are."

Conversion

of the Indians.

The

Considering what we know of the proceedings of this and other armaments, the foregoing extract may seem to be a mere pretence; but I do not think that it was so, and it entirely embodies the views of the men of that period. Indians were to be converted to Christianity and formed in Christian polity, but these great ends could not be accomplished, at least as these Spanish statesmen and jurists thought, by doc

Pedrarias.

trine alone, but needed also, they maintained, the Book VI. daily intercourse of the Indians with a civilized Ch. 2. people. The Indians were therefore, to have the Instrucbenefit of the example and conversation of the tions to Christians. The particular means, by which this conversion was to be effected, are given in another document of a later date, called the "Instruction by the King, to Pedrarias de Avila," in whichthe utmost tenderness towards the Indians is insisted upon. They are to be attached by good works to Christianity. They are to see that the Spaniards tell truth, that so they may have confidence in them. They are by no means to be made war against, unless they are the aggressors; and, as it will be the interest of the men under Pedrarias's command, that he should make war, to enable them to get slaves, "it appears to me," says the King, "that the soundest opinion, in reference to making war, will be that of the bishop and the Clerigo, as being freer from passion and motives of self-interest."*

endas.

The important question of encomiendast is Encomithen touched upon. Three modes of dealing with this subject are suggested. First, the Indians

* "Y paresce á mí que el mas sano parescer para esto será el del R. P. Fr. Juan de Quevedo, obispo del Darien, é de los clérigos que estan mas sin pasion é con ménos esperanza de haber dellos intereses." Instruccion dada por EL REY á PEDRARIAS DÁVILLA. NAV., Col., tom. 3, P. 348.

and encomienda are often used indiscriminately by Spanish authors; but, speaking accurately, repartimiento means the first apportionment of Indians-encomienda the apportionment of any Spaniard's share which might become "vacant" by his death or banishment.-See ANTONIO DE LEON, Confirmaciones The words repartimiento Reales, cap. 1.