Page:Narrative of the Proceedings of Pedrarias Davila (Haklyut, 34).djvu/75

Rh ; and on inquiring for the chief, they said that he was at the Christian camp. On hearing this, the captain returned with great speed, and when he arrived, he found his people all wounded and maltreated. As his own party was fresh, he defeated the Indians, and, not wishing to wait for a battle on the following day, he embarked on a river that flowed near the village, in certain canoes, and went out to sea; proceeding to Nata with the chief of that place, who had come with him. Having heard the news of the defeat of the Christians, the Indians prepared for war; and the Christians, entering Nata without precaution, because they had left the place at peace, were met by the Indians, who came out to fight them with great fury. They fought almost all day, without either one side or the other being defeated. Not wishing to wait another day, the Christians went down to the place where they had left the canoes, during the night, and went in them to the province of Comogre, which is adjoining to Acla.

In the same year, six months after this captain departed, Pedrarias left Darien with all the troops he had with him, and went over to the other coast of Carthagena, below Cenu, to obtain tidings of a captain named Becerra, who had set out from Darien with one hundred and seventy men, and had not been heard of since. Marching inland we came to a very high hill, where there was a small village. The Indians defended themselves with their arrows, and wounded the Spaniards, but at last the heights were gained, and it was gathered from the few people who were captured, that Becerra and all his men had been killed by Indians, while crossing a river. After receiving this news the governor returned to the coast, embarked, and went to the