mountaineers, prevented success in Impilcingo,[1] and he passed on to Zacatula, Increasing his force to about twice its original strength, he thereupon marched on Colima. After a hotly contested battle at Alima, he compelled the king and his allies to retire to the mountains,[2] with heavy loss. The rest of the country hastened to submit,[3] and to assure possession he founded a town named Coliman after the country, for which Cortes appointed a municipality. Olid thereupon returned with a rich booty, including some pearls, Ávalos being left in charge of the colony, numbering about one hundred and fifty Spaniards, and a force of allies.[4] As in Michoacan, the settlers speedily grew discontented at the rapid dwindling of the much lauded wealth of the country, and many deserted. This encouraged the still hostile royalists in the mountains, and when the remaining colonists demanded their tribute from the repartimientos they found most of the natives united in a general revolt.[5] An appeal for aid was made to Cortes, and this time he despatched Sandoval, who so effectually suppressed the revolt that none was ever again attempted.[6]
This conquest opened the gate to the fertile regions northward, since known as Nueva Galicia, extending from the east in a succession of green plains and smiling
- ↑ 'Le mataron dos soldados, y le hirieron quinze, e todauia les venció,' says Bernal Diaz. Hist. Verdad., 167, contrary to Cortés, Cartas, 287.
- ↑ Bernal Diaz believes that Álvarez perished during the campaign, perhaps in the battle, and Beaumont assumes heavy losses for the Spaniards. Crón. Mich., iii. 158. Cortés acknowledges only wounded. Minotlacoya, lord of Zapotlan, appears to have fallen while aiding the Spaniards.
- ↑ Including Aliman, Colimonte, Ceguatan, says Cortés. Herrera gives varied spelling, and adds Impilcingo.
- ↑ Herrera, dec. iii. lib. iii. cap. xvii.
- ↑ 'Y los pocos soldados que estaban . . . tomaron refugiarse en las provincias de Ávalos,' adds Mota Padilla. Hist. N. Gal., 69.
- ↑ Bernal Diaz places this expedition in the autumn of 1522, and boasts that Sandoval took with him a mere handful of veterans. Hist. Verdad., 167; Alegre, Hist. Comp. Jesus, i. 93. Salazar, Hist. Cong., 95, swells the number a little. Herrera's final episode under Olid and Villafuerte is entirely out of place, and has helped to increase the general confusion among later writers. Villafuerte does not appear to have approached Colima. His knowledge of ships and ship-budding caused him to be sent in command of the first colony to Zacatula, some time before the disbanded colony from Michoacan made the first entry into Colima.
