126
VOYAGES
cacique named Zemaco.
A N D D I S C O V E R I E S OF
He sent off the women and children to
a place of safety, and, posting himself with five hundred of his warriors on a height, prepared to give the intruders a warm re ception.
The Bachelor was a discoverer at all points, pious,
daring, and rapacious.
On beholding this martial array he recom
mended himself and his followers to God, making a vow in their name to " Our Lady of Antigua," whose image is adored with great devotion in Seville, that the first church and town which they built should be dedicated to her, and that they would make a pilgrimage to Seville to offer the spoils of the heathen at her shrine.
Having thus endeavored to propitiate the favor of
Heaven, and to retain the holy Virgin in his cause, he next pro ceeded to secure the fidelity of his followers.
Doubting that they
might have some lurking dread of poisoned arrows, he exacted from them all an oath that they would not turn their backs upon the foe, whatever might happen.
Never did warrior enter into battle
with more preliminary forms and covenants than the Bachelor Enciso.
All these points being arranged, he assumed the soldier,
and attacked the enemy with such valor, that, though they made at first a show of fierce resistance, they were soon put to flight, and many of them slain.
The Bachelor entered the village in
triumph, took possession of it by unquestionable right of conquest, and plundered all the hamlets and houses of the surrounding country ; collecting great quantities of food and cotton, with brace lets, anklets, plates and other ornaments of gold, to the value of ten thousand castellanos.*
His heart was wonderfully elated by
his victory and his booty ; his followers, also, after so many hard ships and disasters, gave themselves up to joy at this turn of good * Equivalent to a present sum of 5 3 5 5 9 dollars.