By The Excessive Rains, Which Continued Forty Or Fifty Days, A
River In The Neighbourhood Of The Spanish Quarters Became So Swollen That
It Was Quite Impassable, In Consequence Of Which The Troops Suffered Much
From Famine, As They Were Unable To Get Across The River In Search Of
Provisions.
On the cessation of the tempest, Gonzalo had to cross a
prodigious ridge of mountains, on the top of
Which they suffered such
extreme cold that many of their attendant Indians were frozen to death.
And as no provisions or shelter could be had in that elevated region, he
made haste to arrive in the province of Zumaco[5] which is situated at the
foot of a volcano. As provisions were found here in abundance, the army
halted in this place for refreshments. In the mean time Gonzalo went with
a small party of troops to endeavour to find out a passage through the
forest. He at length reached the banks of a river named Coca, whence he
sent for the remainder of his people to join him from Zumaco. During two
months that the army remained in this country, it never ceased raining day
or night, so that they never had a sufficient interval in which to dry
their clothes.
In this province of Zumaco the trees are found which afford cinnamon.
These trees are very large and have leaves resembling the laurel. Their
fruit grows in clusters, consisting of a nut resembling the acorn of the
cork tree, but larger, and containing a number of small seeds.
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