AVOYAGETO Book VL 



has and Popayan (after whom both the country and 

 chief town were called), two brothers equally refped- 

 ed for their power and military talents. This defeat 

 opened him a paffage to future conquefts and the 

 neighbouring nations, terrified at the fuccefs of thofe 

 illuftrious warriors, fubmitted to the king of Spain. 

 Beialcazar, after thefe exploits, in the prolecution of 

 his conquefts, had feveral other encounters with In- 

 dians, fired with the difdain of fubmitting to a foreign 

 yoke. His conquelis were, however, at laft fo ra- 

 pid, that, at the clofe of the fame year, he pitched his 

 camp in the centre of that country, where the mild- 

 nefs of the climate, the fertility of the foil, and falu- 

 brity of the air, confpired to induce him to render it 

 the feat of the Spanifh government. Accordingly, inr 

 1537, he laid the foundation of the firll city, which 

 llill retains the name of Popayan ; and whilft the 

 place was building, he, to keep his people in exer- 

 . cife, and prevent the Indians he had conquered from 

 forming themfelves into a new army, or carrying on 

 any clandeftine correfpondence with thofe whom his 

 arms had not reached, fent out detachments different 

 ways, with orders to march into the neighbouring 

 countries, that they might prevent the rifing of fome, 

 and reduce others to obedience. 



Belalcazar had fcarce finiflied his new town, 

 when the officers of thefe corps, on their return, made 

 fuch a report of the riches and fertility of the country^ 

 that he determined to view it in perfon, increafe the 

 number of towns, and by that means fecure the pof- 

 feffion of it. Accordingly he continued his march to 

 Cali, where he built a town, which ftill retains the 

 lame name, though in a different country; for af- 

 ter it was finifhed in the country of the Gorrones In- 

 dians, captain Miguel Munoz foon after removed 

 it, on account of the unhealthinefs of the air. Be- 

 lalcazar founded alfo another town, called Santa Fe 

 de Antioquia; and, charmed with the fertility and 



richnefs 



