How the captain Jorge Robledo arrived in the province of Pozo, where he was severely¹ wounded, and of the most cruel punishment that was inflicted², also of the great quantity of human flesh that was there eaten.

TO go from the province of Picara to that of Pozo one follows a river, down stream. It is fringed on either side by woody groves³ and fruit-bearing trees, and 'tis certain that, if the Inca kings should extend their conquests[22] so far, and the opposing parties should not eat each other up, they would find here the best and richest thing in all the Indies, the rivers and mountains being so prolific⁴ in gold, as those who have visited it will tell. We were going along, careless of the fact that we were at war, advancing without order, and rejoicing to see that there was such a good land to explore. The captain was in front, and with him were Alvaro de Mendoza, Antonio Pimentel, the ensign Suer de Nava, Giraldo Gil Estopi?an, Francisco de Cuéllar, trumpeter, and a cleric named Father Francisco de Frias, besides some other mounted esquires, and gentlemen on foot. Suddenly the war cries of the barbarians⁵ were heard. In great haste orders were given to call up the Comendador Hernán Rodríguez de Sosa who, as squadron commander or camp-master, came in the rear guard with the men on horseback. He hurried up to the front, and so did Pedro de Velasco and I, and others, all being without a thought that the Indians would be so eager to fight. The captain, with his ensign Suer de Nava, climbed up the mountain side with great intrepidity⁶, as did the other Spaniards: while the barbarians made a tremendous noise, and called us umes, which means women, also making use of other more insulting expressions.

The Indians of Carrapa and Picara, although they numbered over 8,000, were so afraid of the Pozos that they hardly dared open their mouths. At this juncture⁷ we came to a very difficult mountain pass. The captain, with much boldness and with the heart of a hero, put spurs to his horse and, in spite of the

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