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CHAPTER XIX
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    How Gonzalo Pizarro left the city of Quito for the land of Cinnamon, which was one of the most laborious1 explorations that have been made in the mainland or the South Sea.

THIS exploration and conquest by Gonzalo Pizarro, we are bound to say, was the most laborious expedition that has been undertaken in these Indies, in which the Spaniards endured great hardships, famine, and miseries2, which well tried the virtues3 of their nation, like similar events that have occurred in these parts of the world. It is known[57] to all that many nations have excelled others and made them tributaries4, and the few have conquered the many. Thus they say of Alexander the Great that, with thirty-three thousand Macedonians, he undertook to conquer the world. So with the Romans: many of their captains who were sent to make war in the provinces attacked their enemies with so few men that it is ridiculous to think of. And as I now have to describe in my history some examples which reflect praise on my nation, I appeal to what will be written, where the curious can see like myself. I mean that no other race can be found which can penetrate5 through such rugged6 lands, such dense7 forests, such great mountains and deserts, and over such broad rivers, as the Spaniards have done without help from others, solely8 by the valour of their persons and the forcefulness of their breed. In a period of seventy years they have overcome and opened up another world, greater than the one of which we had knowledge, without bringing with them waggons9 of provisions, nor great store of baggage, nor tents in which to rest, nor anything but a sword and a shield, and a small bag in which they carried their food. Thus it was that they went forth10 to explore that which was unknown and never before seen. And this is what I think of the Spaniards, and I esteem11 them because, until now, no other race or nation has, with such resolution, passed through such labours, or such long periods of starvation, or traversed such long distances as they have.[35] At least I have found none. And in this expedition of Gonzalo Pizarro assuredly very great hardships were experienced.

Having decided12 to send the Camp-master Don Antonio de Rivera on in front, Gonzalo Pizarro gave orders for him to make straight for the province of Quijos. He started at once, and after a few days Gonzalo Pizarro did the same, Cristóbal de Funes going in command of the rear[58]-guard. Don Antonio advanced to a place called Hatunquijo. Gonzalo Pizarro followed. At this time, just when the enterprise of Gonzalo Pizarro became known on the coast of Peru, there arrived one Francisco de Orellana, a native of the city of Truxillo, with thirty Spaniards, and he set out to follow Gonzalo Pizarro, who had already left Quito. Gonzalo crossed a range of mountains, where there were snowy alps, and here over a hundred Indian men and women were frozen to death. Though the Spaniards suffered much from the cold, none of them died. From thence they traversed a very rugged country full of rivers, and with forest lands well peopled. They advanced through these dense forests, opening a road with axes and wood knives; and so they marched until they came to the valley of Zumaque,[36] which they found well peopled and amply stocked with provisions. It is thirty leagues from Quito. Orellana, as we have said, followed Gonzalo Pizarro over those thirty leagues between Quito and Zumaque, and both he and his followers13 suffered much from hunger, owing to so many people having passed just before. After several days they reached Zumaque, where Pizarro was with all his party. Pizarro received them with hearty14 welcome, and appointed this Francisco de Orellana to be his Lieutenant-General. Before he had arrived at Zumaque, Gonzalo Pizarro had ordered his Camp-master Don Antonio to send Orellana some provisions, for he was in much need. Don Antonio told off the captain Sancho de Caravajal to convey the succour of provisions, and so enable Orellana to arrive. Sancho de Caravajal presently started back to meet him, and when Orellana's party saw him they rejoiced at the sight, and still more at the food he brought, of which they were in much need. They all then marched to Zumaque, where the things happened that we have related.

[59]

After the arrival of Orellana, Gonzalo Pizarro entered into consultation15 with his principal officers, as to the next step that should be taken. Orellana and his party had arrived very tired. But the rest had been some while at Zumaque and it was time to continue the advance. It was decided that Gonzalo Pizarro should go forward and explore, and that Orellana should follow, after a few days, with the rest of the expedition. Gonzalo Pizarro was only to take seventy Spaniards, without any horses, because the country was so rough and difficult that horses could not be used. Leaving all the horses in the camp at Zumaque Gonzalo Pizarro set out with seventy odd Spaniards, among them being some cross-bow men and arquebusiers. They took a route in the direction of sunrise, having local Indians with them as guides. They started and marched for several days through dense and rugged forest country until they came to where the trees they call canelos grow, and which are like big olive-trees, and bear large flowers and pods.[37] This is the cinnamon of the most perfect kind, and of much substance. No other trees like these have been met with in all the regions of the Indies. The natives value them highly, and in all their settlements they trade with this cinnamon. There are some Indians in these forests, and they live in small, badly built huts, apart from each other. They are very brutish and without reason, usually have many wives, and move through these forests so easily that it is astounding16 to see their agility17.

When Gonzalo Pizarro arrived where these canelos grow, he took certain Indians as guides and asked where there were valleys and plains with many of these trees yielding cinnamon. The Indians replied that they did not know of[60] any others than these, and that they had not seen them anywhere else. Gonzalo Pizarro also tried to learn from these Indians the character of the country in front, whether the forests came to an end, and whether he would soon emerge into open country, and well-peopled provinces. They answered again that they knew nothing, because they were so hemmed18 in by other tribes that, except with a few who lived in the recesses19 of the forest, they had no truck; adding that the Spaniards might chance, on going forward, to find some Indians of those parts who would travel with them and guide them to where they desired to go. Gonzalo Pizarro was angry that the Indians had given no reply in conformity20 with what he wanted. Turning to ask them other things, they answered all in the negative. So he ordered some canes21 to be fixed22 across poles, like rather thin hurdles23, about three feet wide and seven in length, and the Indians to be put on them and tortured until they told the truth. The innocent natives were promptly24 stretched on these frames or barbecues, by the cruel Spaniards, and some of them were burnt. As they did not understand what the Spaniards said, nor could they see any just cause for being cruelly put to death, they made great outcries and exclaimed with loud and savage25 voices: "Why do you kill us with so little reason, neither we nor our fathers have ever injured you. Do you want us to tell you what we do not know?" and adding many other pitiful words, until the fire penetrated26 and consumed their bodies. This butcher of a Gonzalo Pizarro, not content with burning the Indians who had committed no fault, further ordered that other Indians should be thrown to the dogs, who tore them to pieces with their teeth and devoured27 them. I heard that among those who were thus burnt or devoured, there were some women, which made it worse. After Pizarro had killed these Indians, he desired to get to some part where horses could be used. For the Spaniards, who were[61] with him, were discouraged at not finding a land such as they wanted to see, and because the Indians did not give them any information. Leaving that place they advanced until they came to a river which formed a small beach of very level sand. Here Gonzalo Pizarro ordered the camp to be pitched for that night, to sleep. It rained so hard near the source of the river that a flood came suddenly down and, if it had not been for warnings from the sentries28, some of the party would have been drowned by the rush of water. Gonzalo Pizarro and those who were with him heard the cries of the sentries and the noise of the waters, and they all rose up, and took to their arms, thinking it was Indians coming to make war against them. Seeing what had happened, they stationed themselves above some wash-outs that were there and, although they used all the speed possible, they lost some of their baggage. As they found themselves driven from the place where they had formed their camp, and saw that there was nothing but ranges of forest-clad and rugged mountains in all directions, they decided to return by the way they came and see if they could not find another track which would lead them in the direction they wanted.

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1 laborious VxoyD     
adj.吃力的,努力的,不流畅
参考例句:
  • They had the laborious task of cutting down the huge tree.他们接受了伐大树的艰苦工作。
  • Ants and bees are laborious insects.蚂蚁与蜜蜂是勤劳的昆虫。
2 miseries c95fd996533633d2e276d3dd66941888     
n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 );痛苦的事;穷困;常发牢骚的人
参考例句:
  • They forgot all their fears and all their miseries in an instant. 他们马上忘记了一切恐惧和痛苦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • I'm suffering the miseries of unemployment. 我正为失业而痛苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 virtues cd5228c842b227ac02d36dd986c5cd53     
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
参考例句:
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。
4 tributaries b4e105caf2ca2e0705dc8dc3ed061602     
n. 支流
参考例句:
  • In such areas small tributaries or gullies will not show. 在这些地区,小的支流和冲沟显示不出来。
  • These tributaries are subsequent streams which erode strike valley. 这些支流系即为蚀出走向谷的次生河。
5 penetrate juSyv     
v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解
参考例句:
  • Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
  • The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。
6 rugged yXVxX     
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的
参考例句:
  • Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
  • The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。
7 dense aONzX     
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。
8 solely FwGwe     
adv.仅仅,唯一地
参考例句:
  • Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
  • The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。
9 waggons 7f311524bb40ea4850e619136422fbc0     
四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 ); 铁路货车; 小手推车
参考例句:
  • Most transport is done by electrified waggons. 大部分货物都用电瓶车运送。
10 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
11 esteem imhyZ     
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。
12 decided lvqzZd     
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。
13 followers 5c342ee9ce1bf07932a1f66af2be7652     
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件
参考例句:
  • the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
  • The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。
14 hearty Od1zn     
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
参考例句:
  • After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
15 consultation VZAyq     
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议
参考例句:
  • The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
  • The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。
16 astounding QyKzns     
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)
参考例句:
  • There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
  • The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊,所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 agility LfTyH     
n.敏捷,活泼
参考例句:
  • The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
  • His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。
18 hemmed 16d335eff409da16d63987f05fc78f5a     
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 ); 包围
参考例句:
  • He hemmed and hawed but wouldn't say anything definite. 他总是哼儿哈儿的,就是不说句痛快话。
  • The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides. 士兵们被四面包围了。
19 recesses 617c7fa11fa356bfdf4893777e4e8e62     
n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭
参考例句:
  • I could see the inmost recesses. 我能看见最深处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I had continually pushed my doubts to the darker recesses of my mind. 我一直把怀疑深深地隐藏在心中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 conformity Hpuz9     
n.一致,遵从,顺从
参考例句:
  • Was his action in conformity with the law?他的行动是否合法?
  • The plan was made in conformity with his views.计划仍按他的意见制定。
21 canes a2da92fd77f2794d6465515bd108dd08     
n.(某些植物,如竹或甘蔗的)茎( cane的名词复数 );(用于制作家具等的)竹竿;竹杖
参考例句:
  • Sugar canes eat sweet. 甘蔗吃起来很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I saw several sugar canes, but wild, and for cultivation, imperfect. 我还看到一些甘蔗,因为是野生的,未经人工栽培,所以不太好吃。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
22 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
23 hurdles ef026c612e29da4e5ffe480a8f65b720     
n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 );跳栏;(供人或马跳跃的)栏架;跨栏赛
参考例句:
  • In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时,必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句
24 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
25 savage ECxzR     
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人
参考例句:
  • The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
  • He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。
26 penetrated 61c8e5905df30b8828694a7dc4c3a3e0     
adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
  • They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。
27 devoured af343afccf250213c6b0cadbf3a346a9     
吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句:
  • She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志,还是报纸,只要能弄得到,她都看得津津有味。
  • The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。
28 sentries abf2b0a58d9af441f9cfde2e380ae112     
哨兵,步兵( sentry的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We posted sentries at the gates of the camp. 我们在军营的大门口布置哨兵。
  • We were guarded by sentries against surprise attack. 我们由哨兵守卫,以免遭受突袭。


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