WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 369 



1112. The other river follows a straight course to the E., running 

 near the city of Sevilla del Oro, and is named Opano. From this 

 city its current turns S., and it traverses the Province of the Jibaros. 

 The country is the richest in gold in all the Indies. The natives are 

 cannibals and very warlike, and devastated the city of Logrono de 

 Los Caballeros, massacring the Spaniards and burning the churches. 

 This was all caused by maladministration, negligence, and injuries 

 inflicted by higher officials on certain residents of this city. 



1113. This province lies between the Rio de Cuenca and the Rio 

 de Sevilla ; it is 25 leagues long and as many across. On the eastern 

 slopes of the Cordillera General in the territory of this province, a 

 low spur strikes eastward, finally petering out at the point of union 

 of the Rio de Orellana and this Rio de Pano, which flows into the 

 Puncu, which in our language means door, and that of Santiago. 

 This river winds around the Cordillera on its southern front, and 

 the Rio de Corifio, on its northern ; this Cordillera will be 50 leagues 

 in extent from this river to the Rio de Santiago, on whose banks 

 lie the Province of the Maynas and other tribes; and 150 leagues 

 downstream from this Puncu, other rivers flow into it [coming down 

 from Cuzco,] and more than 120 leagues before that, the Rio de Los 

 Chachapoyas empties into it, which farther inland is called the Rio 

 de Los Motilones. Near this point is where all those rich and popu- 

 lous tribes are located where there is a settlement 3 leagues long and 

 many Indian silversmiths and other artisans, all of them civilized, 

 intelligent, and reasonable. These rivers all unite to form the great 

 Rio Maranon, about which I shall write what is known, in its proper 

 place [when I discuss Chachapoyas and Moyobamba; now I shall 

 return to the account of the jurisdiction of Quito and in particular, 

 of the Corregimiento of Chimbo, which is 7 leagues from Riobamba.] 



1114. From Riobamba it is 7 leagues W. to the village of Chimbo, 

 capital of that province. There are over 100 Spanish residents living 

 here, with a parish church and a Franciscan convent. It is on the 

 King's Highway to the Desembarcadero (landing place) del Rio, the 

 route to Guayaquil. There is a Corregidor in this village, appointed 

 by the Viceroy. The majority of the Spaniards living here are 

 muleteers engaged in transporting the wine that comes up from 

 Guayaquil, and other Spanish merchandise, to Quito and all the rest 

 of the country ; they have very large troops of mules. The first 2 

 days' journey from the Desembarcadero are over the worst road 

 anywhere in the world; it is very steep and it rains all the time, 

 the mules keep getting stuck in the mud and on the ridges which hit 



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