La Canela
Encyclopedia
La Canela, the Valley of Cinnamon, is a legendary location in South America. As with El Dorado
, its legend grew out of expectations aroused by the voyage of Columbus. He had demonstrated to the satisfaction of his backers that gold and spices would be found as a result of his Atlantic crossing; since he himself found little of these commodities, the search on the American mainland continued.
In 1541, Gonzalo Pizarro
led an expedition east of Quito
with Francisco de Orellana
in search of The country of cinnamon ("País de la Canela"). The reason why they took this route was not explained in early narratives (at that time the existence of La Canela was still taken as fact, so no explanation seemed necessary). The reason became clear only on the publication of Pedro Cieza de León
's history, which remained in manuscript until 1871. According to Cieza de León, Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda had recently returned from an exploration of the high Andes. He had found some trees with an aroma of cinnamon, and had understood his informants to say that there were more and better such trees under cultivation not far off to the east. It was these "cinnamon plantations" that Gonzalo hoped to find.
In Quito, Gonzalo was able to recruit 220 Spaniards and 4,000 Native Americans. The second-in-command, Orellana, was sent to Guayaquil
to recruit more troops and horses. Gonzalo Pizarro and his followers left Quito on February 1541, a month before Orellana, who was able to bring 23 men and several horses. In March both met in the valley of Zumaco and started their march towards the crossing of the Andes
. After following the courses of the Coca
and Napo
rivers, the expedition began to run out of provisions. By this time about 140 of the 220 Spaniards and 3,000 out of 4,000 natives had died. They built a boat, and in February 1542 decided that Orellana, along with 50 men, should continue sailing down the Napo in search of food for the whole party.
After vainly awaiting their return Gonzalo eventually admitted that the expedition was a failure. He decided to find a more northerly route back to Quito. He arrived there, two years after his departure, with only 80 surviving companions. Orellana, who never found any large supplies of food and had been unable to return upstream to rejoin the main party, continued down the Rio Napo
to the Amazon
and became the first European to follow the great river all the way to its delta
.
(Garcilaso grew up in the household of Gonzalo Pizarro
and therefore heard his story at first hand) and the narrative of Orellana's chaplain Gaspar de Carvajal
, who took part in the navigation of the Amazon. The narrative in William H. Prescott
's History of the Conquest of Peru is elaborated on the basis of Garcilaso.
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
, its legend grew out of expectations aroused by the voyage of Columbus. He had demonstrated to the satisfaction of his backers that gold and spices would be found as a result of his Atlantic crossing; since he himself found little of these commodities, the search on the American mainland continued.
In 1541, Gonzalo Pizarro
Gonzalo Pizarro
Gonzalo Pizarro y Alonso was a Spanish conquistador and younger paternal half-brother of Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of the Inca Empire...
led an expedition east of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
with Francisco de Orellana
Francisco de Orellana
Francisco de Orellana was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He completed the first known navigation of the length of the Amazon River, which was originally named for him...
in search of The country of cinnamon ("País de la Canela"). The reason why they took this route was not explained in early narratives (at that time the existence of La Canela was still taken as fact, so no explanation seemed necessary). The reason became clear only on the publication of Pedro Cieza de León
Pedro Cieza de León
Pedro Cieza de León was a Spanish conquistador and chronicler of Peru. He is known primarily for his history and description of Peru, Crónicas del Perú...
's history, which remained in manuscript until 1871. According to Cieza de León, Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda had recently returned from an exploration of the high Andes. He had found some trees with an aroma of cinnamon, and had understood his informants to say that there were more and better such trees under cultivation not far off to the east. It was these "cinnamon plantations" that Gonzalo hoped to find.
In Quito, Gonzalo was able to recruit 220 Spaniards and 4,000 Native Americans. The second-in-command, Orellana, was sent to Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
to recruit more troops and horses. Gonzalo Pizarro and his followers left Quito on February 1541, a month before Orellana, who was able to bring 23 men and several horses. In March both met in the valley of Zumaco and started their march towards the crossing of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. After following the courses of the Coca
Coca River
The Coca River is a river in eastern Ecuador. It is a tributary of the Napo River. The two rivers join in Puerto Francisco de Orellana....
and Napo
Napo River
The Napo is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi.The total length of 1075 km. Catchment area of 100,518 square kilometers...
rivers, the expedition began to run out of provisions. By this time about 140 of the 220 Spaniards and 3,000 out of 4,000 natives had died. They built a boat, and in February 1542 decided that Orellana, along with 50 men, should continue sailing down the Napo in search of food for the whole party.
After vainly awaiting their return Gonzalo eventually admitted that the expedition was a failure. He decided to find a more northerly route back to Quito. He arrived there, two years after his departure, with only 80 surviving companions. Orellana, who never found any large supplies of food and had been unable to return upstream to rejoin the main party, continued down the Rio Napo
Napo River
The Napo is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi.The total length of 1075 km. Catchment area of 100,518 square kilometers...
to the Amazon
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
and became the first European to follow the great river all the way to its delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
.
Sources
The best sources for the expedition are the history of Garcilaso de la Vega, el IncaInca Garcilaso de la Vega
Garcilaso de la Vega , born Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, was a historian and writer from the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. The son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca noblewoman, he is recognized primarily for his contributions to Inca history, culture, and society...
(Garcilaso grew up in the household of Gonzalo Pizarro
Gonzalo Pizarro
Gonzalo Pizarro y Alonso was a Spanish conquistador and younger paternal half-brother of Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of the Inca Empire...
and therefore heard his story at first hand) and the narrative of Orellana's chaplain Gaspar de Carvajal
Gaspar de Carvajal
Gaspar de Carvajal was a Spanish Dominican missionary to the New World, known for chronicling some of the explorations of the Amazon.-Arrival in the New World and the Amazonian Expedition:...
, who took part in the navigation of the Amazon. The narrative in William H. Prescott
William H. Prescott
William Hickling Prescott was an American historian and Hispanist, who is widely recognized by historiographers to have been the first American scientific historian...
's History of the Conquest of Peru is elaborated on the basis of Garcilaso.
- Garcilaso de la Vega, el Inca, Royal Commentaries of the Incas and General History of PeruComentarios Reales de los IncasThe Comentarios Reales de los Incas is a book written by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, the first mestizo writer of colonial Andean South America...
(tr. Harold V. Livermore) part 2 book 3 chapter 2. - Gaspar de Carvajal, Relación del nuevo descubrimiento del famoso Río Grande que descubrió por muy gran ventura el capitán Francisco de Orellana.
- Agustín de Zárate, Historia de descubrimiento y conquista del Peru book 4 chapter 1.
- Pedro Cieza de LeónPedro Cieza de LeónPedro Cieza de León was a Spanish conquistador and chronicler of Peru. He is known primarily for his history and description of Peru, Crónicas del Perú...
, Guerra de Chupas, chapter 18. - Toribio de Ortiguera, Jornada del río Marañon chapter 14.