26 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



on by the love of adventure and the lust for treasure, the 

 Conquistador es overran vast portions of the continent, estab- 

 lishing depots here and there from which they could start 

 anew in search of El Dorado, which they were destined 

 never to find. In this manner Popayan was founded in 

 the year 1536 by Sebastian de Belalcazar, the son of a peas- 

 ant from the border of Estremadura and Andalusia, in the 

 south of Spain. 



After founding Popayan, Belalcazar extended his raids 

 down the river and formed the settlement which to-day is 

 Cali, the largest and most important city in the Cauca. 

 Being a fair example of the usual type of Conquistador, he 

 showed no mercy toward the Indians, but nearly exter- 

 minated them; the country which had been a fruitful prov- 

 ince was turned into a famine-stricken waste. In the 

 meantime Pizarro had sent an officer, Lorenzo de Aldana, 

 to arrest his erstwhile lieutenant; but Belalcazar, satisfied 

 with his conquests, set sail for Spain in 1539 for the pur- 

 pose of securing a charter before he could be apprehended. 



The city lies high up on the level plain, more than six 

 thousand feet above the sea, surrounded by rugged peaks, 

 some snow-capped, others unbridled as yet by the hand of 

 time, presaging catastrophe and disaster; and still others 

 covered with impenetrable growths of virgin forest, un- 

 trodden by human foot, and known only to the wild crea- 

 tures that lurk within the dark recesses. Above all hang 

 the fleecy clouds that encircle the lofty pinnacles, dip low 

 to meet the earth, and then vanish again into space. About 

 the city prevails an air of calm repose; an air of sanctity 

 and mysticism that radiates into every nook and corner, 

 permeating every fibre. The city is famous as a centre of 

 learning. Its colleges and university, conducted by the 

 Order of Maristas, attract the youths from all parts of the 

 country. There are numerous old churches, all very an- 

 cient, the gilded interiors rankling with the damp of untold 

 years. Bells of antique workmanship, and covered with 

 verdigris, dangle in open niches in the walls or in the low, 



