Francisco Pizarro’s first expedition to South America…

1525 CE

Francisco Pizarro’s first expedition to South America had left from Panama for the conquest of Peru with about eighty men and forty horses.

Juan de Salcedo is the standard bearer, Nicolas de Ribera is the treasurer, and Juan Carvallo is the inspector.

Diego de Almagro had been left behind because he is to recruit men, gather additional supplies, and join Pizarro later.

The Governor of Panama, Pedro Arias Dávila, had at first approved in principle of exploring South America.

Pizarro's first expedition, however, turns out to be a failure as his conquistadores, sailing down the Pacific coast, reach no farther than Colombia before succumbing to such hardships as bad weather, lack of food, and skirmishes with hostile natives, one of which causes Almagro to lose an eye by arrow-shot.

Moreover, the place names the Spanish bestow along their route, including Puerto Deseado (desired port), Puerto del Hambre (port of hunger), and Punta Quemado or Puebla Quemado (burned port), only confirm their straits.

For weeks before their landfall at Punta Quemada, south of present Cauca, Pizarro and his company had, both on sea and on land, steadily crawled southward along the coast of Colombia, enduring both the inhospitality of the terrain and the dangers of tropical tempests.

Famine and fatigue alike had ravaged the group, leaving several dead and many on the brink of incapacitation, and only Pizarro's personal charisma and the iron constitution of the Castilians had kept the crew from collapsing into mutiny and despair.

Upon reaching Punta Quemada, Pizarro, leading his men inland along unusually agreeable terrain, had discovered and occupied a large native village, the residents of which, to all appearances, had fled in terror at the sight of the Europeans.

Delighted at the luck of having established quarters in such a defensible position, and mindful that his battered vessel out on the shore would not carry him much farther, Pizarro had elected to send a contingent of men under Lieutenant Montenegro back to Panama for repairs and supplies while his own troops manned the village ramparts and awaited the arrival of Diego de Almagro, whose own expeditionary force, following the path of Pizarro's, was bound to arrive shortly.

The Quitians are warriors.

however, and, contrary to Spanish assessment, had abandoned their settlement only to see their women and children to safety.

Armed with bows, slings, and spears, they had closely monitored the invaders and gathered unseen in the jungle in preparation for an attack.

Montenegro's column, the more vulnerable of the two Castilian parties, had fallen into a Quitian ambush just as it emerged from the heavy jungle foliage onto Andean foothills where arrows and other projectiles could fly unobstructed.

A volley of arrows and stones had struck the Spaniards.

The Castilians began to fall back in panic and disarray as the natives bore down upon them.

Montenegro, rallying his men, had ordered a return volley at the onrushing Quitians.

The Spaniards shredded the native charge with a flurry of crossbow bolts, then countercharged, driving back the unarmored Quitians.

The Quitians orchestrated a similar assault on Pizarro's camp and stormed the village, unleashing a shower of missiles at the defenders.

William H. Prescot, in his History Of The Conquest Of Peru, recounts that Pizarro, too bold and fiery of temper to be held inside a set of walls by enemy fire, sallied out to meet the threat, rousing his men into a charge that drove the natives back.

However, the natives counterattacked, and the Spanish troops faltered.

Montenegro, fearing for his leader, had ordered an immediate march back to camp.

He now appeared at the edge of the ridge and drove into the rear of the Quitian formations, shattering their resolve.

Unable to resist this new threat, the natives fled into the jungle, leaving Pizarro wounded in no less than seven places.

The conquistadors realized that the village was far less defensible than they had previously assumed, and fearing subsequent hostile encounters and unable to continue south by sea, Pizarro chose to end his expedition at Punta Quemada and return to Panama.

Almagro, following in Pizarro's footsteps, later attacked and burned the village, losing an eye in the process.