The Conquest of Boriken Part 9 |
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Of the first captains who took part in the conquest and pacification of the island of Boriquen, now called San Juan. Getting back to Miguel de Toro and the forty Christians who went with him to bury Don Cristobal and the four Spaniards killed with him, the governor Juan Ponce saw to it that his men were in order and on guard to defend themselves with the few Christians that remained, until he was succored and troops came from this island of Hispaniola, and to this end he appointed three captains. The first was Miguel de Toro whom I have mentioned above: he was a strong man and good for a lot, and had been armed knight by the Catholic King (although of inferior blood), because he had very well proved himself a valiant man on Tierra-Firme, and had honored his person through his own effort, in company of Captain Alonso de Hojeda. The second captain whom Juan Ponce named was Diego de Salazar, who was mentioned in our preceding chapter. The third captain was Luis de Almansa.18 And thirty men were entrusted to each one of these three captains, most of them halt and infirm; but they drew force and strength from their weakness because they had no other help save God and their own hands; recalling that grave sentiment of Seneca in which he says that it is madness to fear what can not be avoided," Stultum est timere quod vitare non potest. The Indians, then, had killed half of the Christians as I have already said, or a majority of them, and their most illustrious people; and with those that were left, which at most could be one hundred souls, Juan Ponce kept himself always among them and in the forefront of them; because he was a courageous man and learned and careful in the ways of war; and he brought as their Captain-General and his Chief Magistrate a gentleman named Juan Gil. This latter retained the same charge, after he ceased to govern, until the island was pacified, and he served very well, because even after the war of the island of San Juan was over, the Caribs waged it against the coast from the neighboring islands of which there are many, and he occasioned them considerable danger; so that they could not stand up to him and were greatly afraid of him. In this skirmishing with the Caribs he took with him as captain Juan de Leon, a man versed in affairs of land and sea, and in war, with fine knowledge and wonderful spirit; and the other captain that Lieutenant Juan Gil took was a pathfinder; and other good men left after the war on San Juan, who, since they were dextrous and bold wherever found, performed very well what was needed for the conquest of Caribs on land and sea. 18 This is the only mention of a Luis de Almansa in our text. A number of historians suggest that the name as given here is a misprint for Lids de Añasco, who is mentioned twice in connection with the other two captains named in this |
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