CHAPTER XV

    How the captain Jorge Robledo explored the province of Quinbaya, and how he founded the city of Cartago.

ROBLEDO was sufficiently¹ informed, in the province of Carrapa, that Quinbaya was large and full of very rich Chiefs and lords. As he was desirous of forming another new settlement where he could divide the districts among the Spaniards who were serving with him, he asked the Indians of Carrapa to supply him with what was necessary. When he was ready he set out and marched until he reached the borders of the province of Quinbaya. As all that region is full of large and very thick cane² brakes, and the Spaniards did not see any large villages like those they had passed, they became very despondent³ and said that it would have been better to have settled in the countries they had passed, since they were more profitable. The captain replied to those who said this that he would be delighted to do as they wished, and that presently they would return. So the men began to prepare for going back. The captain then intended to send and make a settlement in the region of Arma, entrusting⁴ the service to his ensign Suer de Nava, while he himself would return to the city of Santa Ana, the name of which Andagoya had ordered to be changed to San Juan. But there were not wanting those who murmured at these changes of plan. They said that the best course[47] to pursue would be to pass through the cane brakes, and see what lay beyond them. So after discussing both schemes the captain ordered the ensign Suer de Nava to go forward with forty Spaniards, and force a way through those cane brakes and dense⁵ wilds.

When it became known in all that country that the Spaniards were there the Chiefs were so luxurious⁶ and vicious that not only did they make no resistance, but they decided⁷ to go to the Chief of the Spaniards with presents of gold, thinking that he would then pass on. One of them, named Tacurumbi came to where the captain was, bringing a piece of gold which weighed more than 700 pesos; with other very rich vases of gold and finely wrought⁸ pieces. The Spaniards rejoiced greatly at the arrival of this Chief because he told of the riches there were among them. Those who had gone with Suer de Nava came back asking for rewards for their news of the land they had discovered, which was to the effect that they came to many dwellings⁹ of Chiefs, in which were plenty of supplies, and they saw large villages and groves¹⁰ of trees, and all the countryside as far as the great valley of Cali. The captain went to join Suer de Nava, and from all parts of the province came Chiefs with quantities of gold, which, with what more he had had, he appropriated for himself without any other law empowering him to do so than the forcefulness and strength which captains then possessed¹¹, and are marks of great tyranny. After having taken stock of the villages in the land, he determined¹² to found a city there and to give it all he had discovered, for its jurisdiction¹³. He personally selected a site in the position which seemed most convenient, and thus in the year 1540 he founded the city of Cartago in the name of the Emperor Don Carlos, and the royal crown of Castille, and of the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro, Governor of all the provinces of Peru. He gave that name to the city because all we who were engaged[48] in that expedition called ourselves Cartagineses, having come from the prefecture of Cartagena. Pero López Pati?o and Martín de Arriaga were appointed alcaldes.

As soon as he had completed the founding of Cartago, the captain left his ensign Suer de Nava as his lieutenant¹⁴ there, and decided to go to Anzerma and Cali to see the Adelantado Andagoya, for by letters, and from a Spaniard named Alonso de Ortega, he heard about all that was happening. He had been much grieved at the news of the deaths of Juan de Ampudia and of Pedro de A?asco, and of Pedro de Guzmán de Herrera, with whom he had been on terms of great friendship.

1 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

2 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

3 despondent   

adj.失望的，沮丧的，泄气的

参考例句：

• He was up for a time and then，without warning,despondent again.他一度兴高采烈，但忽然又情绪低落下来。
• I feel despondent when my work is rejected.作品被拒后我感到很沮丧。

4 entrusting   

v.委托，托付( entrust的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• St. Clare had just been entrusting Tom with some money, and various commissions. 圣？克莱亚刚交给汤姆一笔钱，派他去办几件事情。 来自辞典例句
• The volume of business does not warrant entrusting you with exclusive agency at present. 已完成的营业额还不足以使我方目前委托你方独家代理。 来自外贸英语口语25天快训

5 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

6 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

9 dwellings   

n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
• The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 groves   

树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
• The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。

11 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

14 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。