342 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



Chapter XXII 



Of the Mines in the New Settlement of Guamaco. 



1029. The Province of Guamaco wslS explored and settled by Capt. 

 Juan Perez Garabito and Francisco Ortiz Chiquillo, in the year 1612. 

 Although word of the great wealth of this country had already 

 occasioned several expeditions, none was successful ; the country is 

 rough and broken, supplies could not be brought in from any quarter, 

 and those sent in could not be preserved because of the humidity 

 and roughness of the region, which is rendered uninhabitable by its 

 crags and lofty mountains ; there was even hardly enough food for 

 the horses and mules ; in addition, rain falls without interruption the 

 whole year ; so the first explorers withdrew without accomplishing 

 anything, unable to stand the inconveniences and hardships. 



1030. In the year 1610 it was entered approximately from the W. 

 near the State of Popayan at the mouth of the Rio Caribona, where 

 it empties into the Rio Grande de La Magdalena, by Capt. Andres 

 Diaz Calvo, a resident of Santa Fe de Bogota, with a large number 

 of Negroes and Indians at his own expense, exploring the country ; 

 but although he came upon very rich gold mines at many points, he 

 could not proceed farther and so returned, bringing word of the 

 great wealth there ; but for the reasons given, nothing resulted at 

 that time. 



1031. But later, man's desire for wealth being able to overcome 

 difificulties, as this news of the great wealth of gold in this country 

 spread around, another second Hercules in strength and courage, 

 Capt, Juan Perez Garabito, felt impelled to undertake this expedi- 

 tion ; he was joined by Francisco Ortiz Chiquillo. He took along 

 many Negroes and other people at his own expense, with a priest for 

 what occasions might offer. Dr. Tomas de Andrada. After several 

 days' journey under great difficulties they made a halt on their arrival 

 at a certain spot which seemed to them an agreeable site with a 

 suitable mild climate. They put up their tents and started prospecting 

 the country, finding many rich and profitable mines ; so they settled 

 at this point and named it the city of San Francisco del Antigua 

 del Guamaco ; the first name, because it was the Saint's day when 

 they arrived there ; and Antigua, because of the very holy image of 

 Nuestra Senora del Antigua in Seville, to which this pioneer was 

 devoted. 



1032. When the settlement was established, they tendered allegiance 

 to the Circuit Court of Bogota, in whose jurisdiction it falls, and 

 on the ecclesiastical side, to the Bishop of Cartagena, asking to have 



