| Exploring The Cimarrones |
|
|
|
| Written by Justin Gould | |
| Friday, September 15 2006 | |
|
When I was driving through the mountainous interior of Panama on Madden Road with Dr. Heckadon a few weeks ago, he said, “around here you'll see a lot of Cimarrones.” I said, “Cima-who”? I was quickly informed that the Cimarrones are the direct descendants of escaped Spanish slaves from the first quarter of the 16th century! These Panamanians can trace their roots to the area for over four hundred years! The mountainous region between Panama City and Colon is Cimarrones central and is where their culture is most prevalent. The first records of the Cimarrones go back to the 1570's when Sir Francis Drake described them as being "a black people which about eighty years past fled from the Spaniards their masters, by reason of their cruelty, and are since grown to a nation, under two kings of their own. The one inhabiteth to the west, the other to the east of the way from Nombre de dios.” Upon fleeing into the mountains from their Spanish owners, the Cimarrones quickly had to adapt to their new jungle environment. So In order to stay alive they wisely sought out the natives for survival tips whom they also intermarried with. Their main settlement appears to have been at Vallano near Nombre De Dios. In addition to threatening to burn down Spanish settlements, the Cimarrones frequently robbed Spanish wagon trains carrying precious commodities that were coming from Panama. They didn't value the gold at all because they had no use for flimsily metal. What they wanted was iron, which they used to make arrow heads and other weapons. Their deep disdain for the Spanish made them close allies of the English. In search of hijacked Inca treasure that was being marched across the isthmus, Sir Francis Drake, the perpetual harasser of Spanish claims made it down here in 1572. Upon arrival, he hired the services of the Cimarrones which were very enthusiastic of their mission as Spanish hunters. They were to be the eyes and ears of Drake and were critical in helping him attain his goal of pillaging Spanish fortunes. During this time, Drake was informed of a Spanish convoy which included the Treasurer of Lima and a mother load of treasure. The first recorded Cimarrone, Pedro Mandiga helped the Drake and his crew ford the Chagres and off they went in search of gold. They got word of a mule train carrying treasure that departed from the Caribbean coast and were moving across the isthmus. Drake set off with thirty of his Cimarrone guides in search of the gold. As they rushed to catch up, they captured some stragglers and questioned them about the details of the contents they were carrying. It turns out the Spanish weren't carrying much of anything of value. Later in 1577, the Cimarrones helped lead an expedition to the pearl islands in search of treasure. The Cimarrones impressed the English with their resilience and their industriousness. When you go up Madden Road and enter the highlands in between Colon and Panama province you will see a people poor in commodities, but rich in history, culture, and traditions. |
|
| Last Updated ( Saturday, April 21 2007 ) |
 |
|
Panama Real Estate | Panama Vacation | Panama Apartment Rentals | Contact Us | Sitemap
Copyright © 2008 The Panama Report - Panama Real Estate All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. |
