WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES— VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 317 



monarch or king who was ruling when Commander Gonzalo Ximenez 

 de Quesada came through the Sierras de Opon in the year 1536 on his 

 expedition for the conquest of those kingdoms and provinces. It 

 took him 2 years to subdue and pacify the territories of the great 

 monarch Bogota, who enjoyed great authority and majesty, and had 

 400 wives ; those of the great monarch Tunja, his neighbor, with 

 whom he had controversies and wars ; they were all of the Moxca 

 tribe ; and the provinces of the savage and warlike Panches, a brutish, 

 fierce, and cannibal tribe, and therefore feared by all the surrounding 

 peoples. He conquered and pacified these provinces, and saw the 

 great native settlements they contained, and how rich they were in 

 gold, silver, emeralds, and other valuables, and the favorable climate 

 and nature of the soil. 



943. In the year 1538 he founded and established the city in a 

 plain under the slopes of a sierra ; two ravines run down from it, each 

 with a small stream in it rising on the mountain ; one is named the 

 Rio de San Francisco, the other the Rio de San Agustin ; they enclose 

 the city between them, one passing on each side of it ; they have 

 built two fine bridges to cross them. 



944. The city will contain 2,000 Spanish residents, not counting 

 the many natives who live there, the rest of the service class, and 

 many slaves. It occupies the area of a very large city, and is very 

 well laid out, with excellent buildings, and the streets or blocks of 

 houses very straight. It lies in 4° N. and enjoys a marvelous spring- 

 like climate the whole year, rather cool than hot, but always uniform, 

 and the days and the nights equal. The city is abundantly provided 

 with cheap and delicious supplies ; in its district they raise quantities of 

 wheat, corn, chickpeas, horse beans, and other Spanish and native 

 cereals, with excellent vegetables and garden truck. They have 

 potatoes that are better than truffles, many sorts of sweet potatoes, 

 sugar mills and all kinds of Spanish fruit, with which they make 

 excellent and delicious preserves ; large ranches of cattle, sheep, 

 hogs, mules, and horses ; so that there are abundant supplies of 

 everything. 



945. They raise quantities of cotton, out of which they make and 

 manufacture much cloth for the Indians; they work up also very 

 fine henequen fiber. In the rivers they catch much excellent fish, 

 especially the captain fish of the Rio de Bosa. There are many gold, 

 silver, and emerald deposits, and all the rivers carry gold ; but through 

 underpopulation, the wealth of this kingdom makes little show. And 

 if His Majesty would send orders for the miners to be aided with 



