Note 203 — Chapter XI

In 1537 Don Pedro de Heredia sent his lieutenant, Don Francisco Cesar, in search of the wealth of the cacique Dobaybe, which had been famous ever since the days of Vasco Nuñez. He set out from San Sebastian de Uraba with a hundred men and some horses, and crossed the mountains of Abibe, a barrier which had proved insurmountable to all previous explorers during twenty years. After passing over these mountains he descended into a valley ruled by the cacique Nutibara, with a force reduced to sixty-three men. The cacique attacked him with an array of three thousand Indians, but eventually retreated on the death of his brother. Nutibara caused the body to be placed on his own litter, and he was seen by the Spaniards to run by the side on foot for many miles, mourning his brother’s loss, in the midst of the retreating host. Cesar found forty thousand ducats worth of gold in the tombs, in this valley.

During Cesar’s absence, the licentiate Pedro Vadillo, sent by the Audience of San Domingo to examine into the government of Carthagena, had arrived there and thrown Heredia into prison. On his return the faithful lieutenant went first to the prison of his unfortunate master, and supplied him with funds to conduct his defence, and then paid his respects to Vadillo. The harsh conduct of Vadillo was disapproved in Spain, and it was resolved that a lawyer should be sent out to sit in judgment upon him. The licentiate, who was a bold and audacious man, determined to attempt some new discovery in anticipation of the arrival of his judge, in hopes of performing a service the importance of which might wipe off all former delinquencies. He, therefore, organized a force of four hundred Spaniards at San Sebastian de Uraba, and, taking the gallant Cesar as his lieutenant, set out early in 1538. Cieza de Leon, then nineteen years of age, accompanied this expedition.