CHAPTER XT.

KXI KDITION OF DIEGO GUTIERREZ To 006TA MCA.

1540-1645,

TED GOVERNOR DESERTI :L<J

lh I \ir\i:\<:r.\ -Ti:
:: Tin; Kio S \x Jr.\ :

XATI\ MI.N JM.SKKT A -

;. TJ.MI:- !

Xn AK IQl A AM) XoMKU;

Tin, PAKTY i.i-T-II. :;UK
I) COCOUI INTO II! 1 Hi! I

\TH Nnr.i.i: ( r OF ] ,
i-K Coco;
MAl;i][ INTO THE I.MliKloK TllKIK v . ,

AR] OTIIK.. . iv-

L ED JJY ALONSO Dl 1 :

BETWEEN the l\i<> S;m Juan an-1 the ]m>vincv

<f

V( a tci ry w]
-

;;i I ;m<l
:

l;iy
ir<
-ly
oded sui-l-ifc had hitherto |>n\.
t

roiKjiiiist and
Sjiani.-li coloni, :i. C-
!

or
Nil* \a
Cartage, both of whic.-h n;
l>y
ion
1
9 known, yi-t ivmainol alii; terra i in- to
prans. J hiring his la . in th- r 1 .">

<

lumlms liad touched p .ini 1 its north

ern shore. At the Golfo ])ul--. on s<m:

ist, it \vill !><

remembered that (iil Gon
liis hand wen- o-lad lind shelter in tlir 1<>
i

rni and ilood.- Vague ivj.orts of a s iiu-nt

1
It is inc clir- iiifh-rs time of (

mainland \v.-is .

<lr<l in strea:
<\ Set-

ducU of t

., i. 4^1 .">,
this scrica,
( 187)
188 EXPEDITION TO COSTA RICA.

named Cartago, founded early in the sixteenth cen

tury by some band of roaming adventurers, are men
tioned in several of the early chroniclers; but when
and by whom it was established, is a question 3 on
which there is no conclusive evidence.
The exploration of the Rio San Juan, which had
opened up a passage from the North Sea into the very
heart of Nicaragua, awakened a more eager desire to
possess this unknown region; and to the pride of con
quest and discovery was added the all-pervading

J
,

v^ ^>*
^ ^Vv^^PI^Si^

PtX

COSTA RICA, 1545.

passion of the Spaniard, for it \vas believed

that the
armies of the great Montezuma had invaded the terri
tory from a distance of more than six hundred leagues,
3
am inclined to believe that the original founders of Cartago were set
1
tlers from the colony established by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba at Bru-
later by order
selas, on the gulf of Nicoya in 1524, and abandoned three years
of Salcedo (see Hist. Cent. Am., i. 512, this series); more particularly as its
first site was known to have been close to the harbor of Caldera, and therefore
not far from the landing-place of Cordoba. It was next removed to a spot
near the Rio Taras, and thence to its present location. It is even claimed by
some that Cartago was the first city established in what was formerly called
the kingdom of Guatemala. Juarros makes this statement, basing his asser
tion on a report made in 1744 by Jose de Mier y Ceballos to the engineer Luis
 and had 1 lit thence n
In L540 1) ;i ci;

l>;-other t<>
\-\
lip,-
(
rutiem !)<>
five y<

coin! ! the ill-fai ion t., \

ajl>>int<-d
ernor f lliis
provin :

I
forth nil ;m \\hirh \

to prove even more than tin- on

l>v lii -
kinsman.
<

rutierrez ]: 1 first to IN; afiola, \

rai-ed a eompany <>f ahout t\vo hundred men at

llu-iKv i or ,Iainai<-i, 1
!
M base i})}>li

onies <>! Tit-i-i-a Mi-nn-. Here a mutiny 1- out

anion^ liis men, tlir 1 ..f nil liis i n-v
si.
Arriving at Nombre de Dios he fell .
ml
\vliilr lyiu;^ at llu- jioint of death liis men
and crossing over Panama look sliij) oi- \\-r\\. t<>
I

ring from liis il!i he -und liimsclf \\ .

]\<- : I

but five men and alm it means. He gathered

courage. ]io\ and lit; mall i-,

for the Rio San Juan, and so made his way tot]
of Granada. Falling in with one .R-, a siic-e>>lul

ITO. I\cfcn-ing to r continues : It appears

lirt ]
hat the lir.st
1

:;H _ . I

t!ic nil. ill rn I

i further vhcn he .-

I .jiKitri
nlloil ;
import.
b lt lii

1
}>y
the fact that I :
(as his r.:

not a
!

::i.-ly.
in \.~>~~<. /
>.">.
.Molina, ii

.Il lnl

:<\ CM] Tiller ; I in reir. inl t> Coluilil

V.I i. iiii.

It
is 6: , the \>

.-I th;i"

In .
vii. lii i. i\

ect,
inasinu ;onc of
190 EXPEDITION TO COSTA RICA.

adventurer from Peru, he succeeded in borrowing from

him three thousand castellanos with which he hoped
to retrieve his fortunes.
now endeavored to enlist men in Nicara
Gutierrez
gua, but disputes between himself and Rodrigo de
Contreras, the governor of that province, caused a
further delay of tw^o years. Contreras declared that
his province extended to the border of Veragua and
that there was no intervening territory for Gutierrez
to colonize. Gutierrez on the other hand affirmed
that the boundaries of Veragua and Castilla del Oro
had been placed far south of those originally appointed,
and that in consequence there existed a large domain
of which he was appointed governor by a charter
4
granted to him from the crown. Though the limits
of Costa Rica as set forth in this document were
somewhat indefinite, Contreras at length admitted
that his opponent was duly authorized to take posses
sion of the newly created province. He then endeav
ored to dissuade him from his purpose, representing
the country as rugged and his scheme as foolhardy
and dangerous. "But if you persist in the occupa
tion of that territory, take my advice," he said,
"and
keep one hundred well armed men upon the
sea-shore, always ready to forage, sometimes in one
direction and sometimes in another, for the people

4
The first boundaries appointed for the province are those mentioned in
the charter granted to Gutierrez, dated Madrid, November 29, 1540, wherein
they are described as extending from sea to sea, and from the frontier of
Veragua, running to the westward to the great river (Rio Grande), provided
that the coast adjoining said river on the side of Honduras should remain
under the government of Honduras, with power to Gutierrez to conquer and
settle any island in said river which should not be previously located by
Spaniards; and the right to the navigation, fisheries, and other advantages of
said river; and provided that he (Gutierrez) should not approach to within 15
leagues of the Lake of Nicaragua, because this territory of 15 leagues being
reserved, as well as said lake, were to remain in the possession of the govern
ment of Nicaragua; but the navigation and fisheries both in that part of the
river granted to Gutierrez and in the 15 leagues reserved, and in the lake,
should be possessed in common, conjointly with the inhabitants of Nica
ragua. Molina, Costa 7?. and Nic. 7. The author claims to possess a certified
,

copy of unpublished documents stored in the archives of Spain, in which he

states the conditions of the charter granted to Gutierrez. See also Oviedo,
iii. 170, and
Levy s Nic., C7-73.
 Ml

;m<l in tlii v onl

>

i<

n.
law. hut it M -ueh al< 1-ad
sue . .Hid the ewnt proved that i
!
nd a

politie. Iii a lof-

:

u that ill c <1 wiili 1

bure conduct Gutierrez replied: "Tl mm-

nl tin-
province v, upon l.y
I ni<-

that I Illicit people and not pillage !

if

D to I trust
a<h in (i

that to nif it
may he more propitioua"
Ii was 6

doctrine, but doctrin* would Dot win. (

a force of H\ V men, h< with t

ir the mouth of the KM Sun 1

O the liver
iidii!"- f -r ahoiit three 1- ;

C3

the ]
came in sight <>f
e deserted
tli-
ieani])in ^, (
were \ h<

;<M to the value 11 hundred

and i I in return some i

;nk-t<, and an earnesi exhortation t<>

j-

the true faith. The native rli n-ftain-

\vitli th< it- visit, and on returniii _ nt
ii.-h, and the dried il f \vild I

A gleam of BUCO hus at ;

\\r>i
{

Inni/ation, hut he \ Doi

.vliieh nied id: !le
in tin- attempts of the Sjiau: d-li>h

in the Xc-w World. 1 1

I
purji hut irascihl. 1 sin
r of eonti-ol. A
Tin; d: a: aihiv d- tiofl tl; i

]Ji fn.m hun--er and t

!

}
i
life, ahandolied the
they
5
It is st

alti

.
192 EXPEDITION TO COSTA RICA.

away to the sea- shore, where they fell in with two

vessels from Nombre de Dios and so made their way
back to Nicaragua.
Left with only six followers, 8 his nephew Alonso de
Pisa, one sailor, and four servants, Gutierrez had no
alternative but to follow his recreant band. Digging
a hole in the earth, he buried there several jars of
salt, honey, and other stores not needed for his voy
age, and embarking in a small river-boat descended
to the sea. Soon he descried approaching the mouth
of the river a brigantine, which proved to be in com
mand of one Captain Bariento, with men, arms, am
munition, and provisions from Nicaragua. Thereupon
he turned back, conducted the vessel to his settle
ment, and handing to his nephew all the gold that
had been collected, amounting to eight hundred cas-
tellanos, bade him return with the ship to Nombre
de Dios and there purchase arms and procure re
cruits. Girolomo Benzoni, the Italian chronicler of
the New World, was at Nombre de Dios when Cap
tain Pisa arrived early in 1545, and being, as he
says, young and strong, filled with high aspirations,
and desirous of enriching himself, he determined to
9
return with the vessel to Nueva Cartago. Other
adventurers, lured by the promise of wealth, deter
mined to join the expedition, and soon twenty-seven
men were pledged for the new colony.
On the return voyage the brigantine encountered
a gale near the entrance of the river and was driven
to the islands of Zorobaro, a short distance from the
coast. There they remained for seventy-two days,
8
E
despues que alii estuvo un auo 6 mas, porque faltaron los bastimen-
tos, se leamptin6 la gente 6 se le tornaron a Nicaragua 6 este gobernador
;

se quedo con seys hombres solos . Pero aunque este gobernador estaba solo 6
. .

con tan pocos chripstianos ... no dexaban los indios naturales de les dar de
comer 6 oro, sin hacer mal ni daiio d ninguno de los nuestros. Oviedo, iii. 180.
9 ;
E
cosi fece vintisette soldati, e trouandomi io in questa Citt& volsi csser
vno di gli, ancora ch io fussi ripreso da vno Spagnuolo antiano, ilquale era
que
andato nella prouincia di Cartagena, e santa Marta, e altri luoghi, per ispatio
di quindici amii, dicentlomi, che in modo alcuno, mi lasciassi vincere di andare
a tale impresa, e die non volesse dar credito alcuno alle parole del Capitano.
Benzom, Mondo Nvovo, 84-5.
 f;i

i
mins, i <>f tl:

:
killed ley 1 Such was tin- 1.1.-. of
during hat. all tliis time i did
hours of sun-hiii
:ir

hoi c mi the mainland dii

pr-
l)ii nvh midst nd
untain, dnrin-- which time d Ol h< dls
and berries, he r.-turned empty-handed FinalK
heir way to tin- ncampmcnt of (Iuti<

who, lieini; determined at all lia/.ard to

people
his

ritory, immediately sent the ship

lia-

d 1 )in- I
.
.1- nmre recruil :i
ri l
- to t

amount of ! n liumlrrtl llaiu J lie nnm!

ly increased to eighty m
r
riius he r-- ;

uforco(l ! <>t hi>

|>i
nv-
With foui- canoed ho ascended the
in< 1

and after uiakii distance of ahnnt ten 1

landed at an Indian vill uli n-li I the

of San Francisco in honor of the saint on wh<

natal day the spot was reached. leiv the -irty I

j

waa met c n eaciiiues, who ln-mi^ht

l>y ]

fruit but no gold.

<f The governor received them
kindly, informing them throi r thai

rs had in their rel which v. JM>

nf the utmo thai they had oome a

nd sonic of them for no other purj ihan
rev< a! it. In return for thi C hri.Miaiis m
have o-old.
r
rhc chiefs then invited to a
re be \

ami hut d httl.

consisting of f,\\l :

jM.i-k
relish for Mich fond, and merely hand- d it
to their ndants to le .
After the
n exho .n in \vhi

ms hai-an^ued h
hrothers, id I am c> hither to f;

m the chains of i<l>la

ly wliich tin
inlln.
l>onn<l. I am com
uh l

(In-i-t. the
HIST, i
:., VOL. II.
194 EXPEDITION TO COSTA RICA.

save you. With me I have brought holy men to

teach you this faith, which to accept, and implicitly
to obey our sovereign emperor Charles V., king of
Spain and monarch of the world, and us his represent
atives, comprises your whole duty." To these words
the chieftains bowed their heads, but without making C^

answer, neither assenting to nor rejecting the munifi

cent and disinterested offer of the Christians, who for
a little yellow earthly metal gave in return the ineffable
joys of heaven.
Nevertheless, the savages were slow to bring in
their gold, and the governor, forgetting the lofty sen
timents with which he had regaled Contreras prior to
his departure from Nicaragua, looked about him for
some means by which to enforce his injunctions.
Being informed that two of the caciques, named Ca-
machire and Cocori, 10 who had before presented him
with treasure to the value of seven hundred ducats,
were now encamped on the opposite side of the river,
he summoned them into his presence, at the same
time pledging his word for their safety. Reluctantly
the chieftains came, and no sooner had they placed
themselves in the power of the Spaniards than Guti
errez ordered a strong iron collar to be fastened round
their necks, and chaining them to a beam in his dwell
ing, taxed them with stealing the buried jars of salt
and honey, and demanded restitution, or, as an equiva
lent, a large amount of gold. They answered that
they knew nothing
tj O of the matter, and had no need to
pilfer articles of which they possessed an abundant
store. Camachire procured gold to the value of two
thousand ducats, which was greedily appropriated by
the governor, but served only to whet his appetite.
In place of thanks, baptism, and restoration to liberty,
the cacique was dragged before a burning fire a large ;

basket was placed beside him, and he was told that

10
Cama and Coco: E cada dia traian oro
Oviedo names the two caciques
al gobernador, el qual, como hombre de ninguna espiriencia, prendio a uno
de aquellos caciques, que estaban. de paz, que se decia el Cama (cl qual era
muy rico), porque no le daba tanto oro como este gobernador le pedia. iii. 180.
 Z ROBS AXh TO!

iliin lour (I, ,ld <

nou^-li
iill times be should be bun.
it six :h.
n T!
native pnmi>ed
i;iblin<_r
m\\>
.

Ills sl;i to collect the I

I

Jndian to be believing him

t ;m<[

comply in i^od faith with d, Guti

milted him to be led every day tot
J his daily h;dif. ui iiin-- on o
J It -t

in tli- liatli, tin- soldier having he captive t in dial

;lected |o SeCUTC liiin pl and tl
o["

ni- ht he made hi- 68Ca]

Cocori, who i-ciiuiim-d ]ii-iM(.T, had ;t i

the brunt of the g

tr ATtei- liein-^ .

quently importuned lor ^:ld, \vhich lir ahvays

himself unable to ohtain,
clarc<l

\\-hci-e blood-hounds were chained; bid to ob

spot
\\ell their lin^e teeth and !_deaiiihi<_ ;id t!
cued that unless ^old were soon ,iiiiii-- beshoi 1 >rihe (

he torn and devoured by tl,

dithe indignation of cliiel tain unc th<-
;

ir. "You lie. bad Christians." he

en have you made the same threat and y t I li\

would rather die than liye in bondage ainon-_r
I

such vipers which I e |y

wonder how
r
:r." noble iiatr.
I1ie
i

pad; animal. Thus did Die^o Gut

hi imise to o pil-
iil
pn people th, an<l i

la-v it.

It was soon noUed abroad that the ho

1
brought to the shores <

of he M-ospel v, to be dreaded
i t!

the evil spirits which they had COB

the iiei_rlil)orii tciques, fearinj
k th
iards, laid waste their own land-. d> I tl.

11
I:i i
196 EXPEDITION TO COSTA RICA.

crops, burned their dwellings and withdrew to the

mountains, until starvation should compel the intruders
to abandon the territory. The governor soon found
himself in evil plight; moreover he possessed a tem
perament singularly adapted to inspire distrust, dis
content, and melancholy among his followers. Again
they threatened to desert him arid return to Nombre
de Dios or Nicaragua, leaving him in sole possession
of the boundless forests, sole ruler over naked and
hostile natives. He had but one alternative to push
on boldly into the heart of the province in the hope
of finding gold or at least a store of provisions. After
some persuasion the men agreed to accompany him.
The sick and disabled were sent back to the sea-shore,
where Alonso de Pisa was stationed with twenty-four
men, bearing orders that he should march through the
forest along a track which would be designated by
placing crosses along the route. Dividing a scanty
stock of grain among his soldiers, now mustering but
forty capable of bearing arms, Gutierrez plunged
blindly into the wilderness.
On setting out upon this hazardous raid, Benzoni,
who affirms that he realized fully the situation, re
marked to a comrade, "We are going to the shambles."
Whereupon the other, a man of more sanguine tem
perament, made answer: "Thou art one of those who,
we intend, shalt have a principality in spite of thy
self/
12
For six davs no human habitation was seen.
tx

Through dense woods they journeyed, climbing the

mountain sides by clinging to the roots of trees, and
making the descent by sliding down their steep de
clivities. Leaves were their chief food, and some half-

picked bones, which the wild beasts had abandoned,

furnished them a rich repast.
The temper of the governor was no more happy
12
Et cosi partissimo, e & pena die fussimo saliti dalle case, io indiuinai
qnello c haueua da essere cli noi altri, clicendo a vno Spagnuolo, noi andiamo
alia beccheria; e rispondendomi lui queste parole disse. Tu sei vno di quegli,
clie gli vogliamo far guadagnare vn Prencipato al suo dispetto. Benzoni,
Mondo Nvovo, 89.
 GS.

than his sir Yrrivin

divided. (
rutiero a of an I

train which r.

some native \ i! <>!

which
He replied that In- did not know; wheiviip, ,n t

ernor taking it lor

granted that tl)>

1 his head to !
f
l,y
TJi me
question was then put to (
vd tlie Spaniard-
\ of lnrd<

same reply was made. Ajjfuin niel t

the order to kill. As tl r appr. d

him the In-,-:
[ue instantly laid down his hurd
\\vd liead, and calmly it-d

ly ih iiohlc th
- !

\v. [

and his own infamous condtiei itierrez coiinl

nian<ie<l th and r>rdci-,
tlic chieftain s 111 -- v
nrthcr misery. OH the ^j.ot wh( re tl
I

occurred thi .Idit-rs w- d fix>m exh

I, whilu lli
nipaiiy advanced.
r

Boon afterward E -
!
by the Indians. i i

re now killed and their <

!i\id

n, the- governor iviV,

more \vhole-ome viands \

IT his own usr.

11

l>ut the c; <

of Diego Gut; .h

: so a(T ri tluif n and

In- \\i-rr lil .

lirin.L, th- ^"

.

tutti n< iu pun

_;;,, [,,

con ;
Idle su 1 ; si :r

i
jv
.1 iiiin n. .th::
11
!

UD an. I cat ol
inc l,

with i:

: he had t.

a tr-
108 EXPEDITION TO COSTA RICA.

closed. The party was now upon the southern slope

of the cordillera, on the banks of a large stream which
flows into the South Sea 15 and the time was July 1545.
A small band of disaffected men miserably clad, and
destitute of food, had thus wandered far into the in
terior of a wilderness. Whither were they bound, and
what the insane hope that urged them forward? Gu
tierrez who had been twice abandoned by his soldiers,
was now resolved that these men whom he had brought o
with so much labor and expense from Nicaragua and
Nombre de Dios should not escape him. Alarmed by
their loud murmuring at the place ca]led San Fran
cisco, he had hastily departed, cutting off, as many
other Spanish leaders had done before him, all hope
of ever returning except as a successful man. Could
he have pilfered from the natives and thereby obtained
food and gold, thus keeping his men in heart until the
arrival of Alonso de Pisa, all would have been well.
But until reaching the southern declivity of the moun
tains the country was everywhere deserted. So rugged
had been their path, and so toilsome their march, that
they were now exhausted, and the natives whom be
fore they had so much longed to meet and make their
prey were now congregating to prey upon them.
Aday or two later the Spaniards were approach
ing the vero-e of a forest. An Indian hidden behind
the trees to watch their movements was observed
running speed to give the alarm. Next
off at full

morning at daybreak they were attacked by a horde

of natives who "advanced," as Benzoni relates, "with
horrid howls and screams and noises with the buc-
cinus shells and drums all painted red and black,
adorned with feathers, and golden trinkets round
their necks." "In one half of a quarter of an hour,"
continues the chronicler, "during
* o which we killed and
wounded a great many Indians, we made them turn
their shoulders." 16 They soon returned, however, and
The Rio Grande.
15
10
Et hauendo combatttito dall vna parte, e dalP altra per ispatio di mezo
quarto d liora, e hauendo noi altri ammazzato, e ferito molti Indian!, e alia fine
 Th 5
pania ..11

jiii -kly l)ut

six v, -lain. (
!ly uonndr 1, a

hands, and
liis li.-ad, i rrt \

his hody and hon. llir the r<

which he- had prop .-.<[ t, siihju.

I :
:nnl)l-d upon Hi i-

hnt lor which circumstance no hi- of 1

X<-\v World \vuuld i

produced ly h
11
l-
r," "1 he stonrx iVnin tin- sa\ !!
upon with Mirh force tliat it look
it j if it h
liannnrivd 1)\- a smith." After hair-1
"ii which tin- hi>f >riaii l
"in!ly
lin
d conn l.y
ti wiili his ii\v i

an-ival of d- Pi and Aln>o .

ni-ut and day the Mirvivors niad.- tlidr \\ ay !

1 .

San Juan, ami th nharked

"

fatf [tare le spaHe. /. >ntanns states

atire la:;lr .

:
tlorh, nn-t vrrs.
be swaei
i harsi SS.
;
the g
:;ial s*u person ic amlalia tullido dc gota 6
qua
ron l >s in-l; .1 those
H<
;
that t were 8urpris
c slain, s<

escape,
:!)! that ! h:nl so 1 1. iii. Lsl.
!

elapsi
<

ecn
;
t his i coDoeri
le.
;>t tha:
i lijni><
-fHiu-is
that u> tli<-
]>
tlic c
:

>lc,
aii l took jilua.sun: in

to nit- ami never \\oiil-l \

1 of t . ainl I can 1

i OS tO t

M^O in
L He i * to
i >r aca
> o niii
dosagobi s cnscficn a roba:
seqi; .-sto vi;
200 EXPEDITION TO COSTA RICA.

pecho estaba callado, en poco tiempo manifiestan las obras el contrario de las
palabras. iii. 178.
Other authorities quoted in this chapter are Herrera, dec. vii. lib. iv. cap.
xvii.; Denzoni, Hondo Nvovo, lib.ii. 83-92; Bejarano, Inform?; Haya, Inform?;

StaCruz, Visita Apost., MS., 14; Rdchardt, Cent. Am., Ill, 112; Salv., Diar.
Ofic. 30 Mar. 1876, C18.
The time of Diego Gutierrez fight with the Indians and death, as given
by Oviedo, is contradicted in an official manuscript extant that places it in
December 1544. It is the investigation made in Leon, Nicaragua, on the
25th of June, 1545, and the writer assures us he has an authenticated copy of
it. Peralta s autograph note in Peralta, llio San Juan, 9.