92 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



Chapter XXVII 



Of the Pioneers in These Provinces. 



261. These provinces were discovered and subdued by that great 

 Capt. Juan Rodriguez Suarez, whose virtues and vahant deeds have 

 never been fully celebrated or magnified. After he had subdued and 

 explored other large provinces and established some settlements in 

 them, among which he founded Merida in 1547, and after he had 

 pacified all the country, for the Indians feared and loved him, he set 

 out exploring and subduing numerous other provinces to the E., in 

 what is called Venezuela; and having passed through New Valencia 

 exploring and subjugating, in the year 1557 ^'^^ reached the provinces 

 of the Caracas, Teques, Quiriquires, and other large and populous 

 provinces inhabited by various tribes of powerful and warlike savages ; 

 and having pacified the greater part of them by his valor and that 

 of the few Spaniards he had with him, and seeing that the land was 

 fertile, with splendid valleys rich in gold and other metals and suitable 

 for settlement, he chose the spot which was called Caraballeda after 

 the cacique of that valley, which lies on the seacoast 2 leagues from 

 the port of La Guaira; and there he founded a city which he named 

 Our Lady of Caraballeda, from which to set out exploring and sub- 

 duing all those tribes ; and this distinguished captain continued doing 

 this till the year 1560, when the whole country was pacified; then he 

 got word that the adventurer Lope de Aguirre had landed at the 

 Borburata the end of that year and was robbing and devastating the 

 country inland. This news spurred that valiant captain to spring to 

 its defense, as befitted the loyal servant of his king ; and as a great 

 number of savages came out against him on the coast of Terepaima, 

 he attacked them with his little force of Spaniards, till they all died in 

 the fray ; and this great captain, having done wonders with his valor 

 and having killed countless Indians, being overcome with heat and 

 thirst, but not vanquished, leaned against a tall rock (the Indians not 

 daring to approach him) and there yielded up his soul to God. And 

 so great was his valor and the reputation he enjoyed among them, that 

 it was 3 days after his death before the savages ventured to approach 

 him ; they poked him with long poles, and having thus assured them- 

 selves that he was dead, they gave vent to deep sorrow, lamenting his 

 death and saying that such a captain ought not to have died ; finally 

 they buried him with great lamentations, and thus the new city was 

 abandoned and the country was again hostile. 



262. At this time the adventurer Lope de Aguirre was killed by 

 Capt. Diego Garcia de Paredes, and his rebellious army conquered ; 



