WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 645 



their heathendom. To the W. of this valley is the Yuracarees tribe, 

 and next them, farther inland, that of the Zimbues, otherwise called 

 the Mojos, which is also a widespread tribe. 



1689. Five leagues beyond this Saguaypata Valley to the E. is the 

 Rio Bermejo, in uninhabited country. It is given this name (Red 

 River) because it runs over gold ore, and the earth over which it 

 runs is red, and so the river water gets this color. Seven leagues 

 beyond this is the tribe of the Urucuries Indians. Here, in the days 

 when Don Martin Enriquez governed Peru as Viceroy, in the year 

 1585, the Indians of this tribe sprang out from ambush and attacked 

 (dieron una guasavara) Capt. Don Pedro de Salazar who was 

 traveling past with Dona Maria de Mendoza and Dofia Elvira de 

 Chaves, daughter of Gov. Nuflo de Chaves ; and of the 32 Spaniards 

 in his party, they killed 17, including this Dona Maria de Mendoza, 

 grandmother of Dofia Elvira, who was herself wounded in the leg 

 by an arrow ; God freed the others miraculously from that horde of 

 savages, thanks to their bravery and especially that of Capt. Pedro 

 Alvarez Holguin, who was wounded on that occasion. Five leagues 

 from this spot and tribe are the gallows (Horcas) called de Chaves, 

 after those which this gentleman had set up for the severe chastise- 

 ment he wrought on those savages, for their treacherous act and others 

 they had perpetrated or attempted ; he gave orders for many of the 

 rebels to be hanged there, to serve as a warning and example to the 

 rest, and teach them to live with circumspection. This country has 

 wonderful land and skies with a good climate and pleasant breezes ; 

 it is so fertile and prolific that it seems a bit of Paradise ; it is full 

 of all kinds of livestock and of game like deer, tapirs, peccaries, 

 rabbits, and many other animals, and of feathered game such as 

 turkeys, paujies, pheasants, ostriches, which cover those plains, quan- 

 tities of partridges as large as domestic fowl and the same shape 

 and color as those in Spain, and other smaller ones ; quail, pigeons, 

 turtledoves, and other delicious birds. In this country there are vast 

 plains which they call pampas, which pass out of sight in the far 

 distance and form horizons round like those at sea ; they call the 

 clumps (montes) in them islands (islas), and use them as guideposts, 

 so as not to get lost in such extensive plains. The pampas are 

 covered with an infinity of hogs and other animals such as just 

 described. 



1690. From these Horcas just referred to, it is 5 leagues to the 

 city of San Lorenzo. This is where they moved the city of Santa 

 Cruz la Vieja, which was abandoned because it was unhealthy; 

 it likewise received the settlement of San Francisco de Alfaro. This 



