The royal commentaries of Peru, in two parts the first part, treating of the original of their Incas or kings, of their idolatry, of their laws and government both in peace and war, of the reigns and conquests of the Incas, with many other particulars relating to their empire and policies before such time as the Spaniards invaded their countries : the second part, describing the manner by which that new world was conquered by the Spaniards : also the civil wars between the Piçarrists and the Almagrians, occasioned by quarrels arising about the division of that land, of the rise and fall of rebels, and other particulars contained in that history : illustrated with sculptures / written originally in Spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega ; and rendered into English by Sir Paul Rycaut, Kt.

CHAP. I.

Of the Conquest of the Charcas; and of other Battels be∣tween the Indians and the Spaniards.

BY the Death of Almagro, and the Absence of Hernando Piçarro, all the management of the Conquest, and the weight of the Government of Peru was charged on the shoulders of Marquis Piçarro, to whom God had given a sufficient talent of Wisedom to support the care both of one and the other, had not evil Counsellours interposed, to the disturbance and confusion of every thing; for the Captains (as we have mentioned in the preceding Book) being dispeeded away, and amused with new Conquests, the Land was at rest and quiet; amongst which Com∣manders, Gonzalo Piçarro, Brother to the Marquis, was sent to conquer the Collao, and the Charcas, and people distant about two hundred Leagues to the South∣ward of Cozco; with him the greatest part of those Cavaliers were sent, who came in with Don Pedro de Alvarado to gain new Countries; for those already subdued, were onely such as were Dependances on the Cities of Cozco and los Reyes, which, together with all the Vallies along the Sea-coast, as far as Tumpiz, were divided amongst the first Conquerours, who had had a hand in the Imprisonment of Ata∣hualpa. Wherefore it was necessary to enlarge those Conquests, that out of them provision might be made for the second Adventurers, who entred in with D. Diego de Almagro, and Pedro de Alvarado.

Gonzalo Piçarro entred on the Collao with a good number of stout and valiant Men; at first the Indians made little opposition, but afterwards when they found them well entred into the Charcas, and at a hundred and fifty Leagues distance from Cozco, they then plied them close, and frequently engaged them in Battels, in which there were losses on both sides; and the Indians aimed chiefly at their Horses; for they were of opinion, that if they could kill them, and force the Men to fight on Foot, they should have much the advantage, and over-power them with their Multitudes, At length it happened, that after a bloudy Fight, in which many were killed on both sides, that the Spaniards gained the Victory: To prosecute which on all sides, several parties took divers ways, and amongst the rest, three Companions agreed to go with Gonzalo Piçarro. One of which was Garçilasso de la Vega, another John de Figueroa, and the third Gaspar Jara; all which had Commands over Indians in that Town, which is now called the City of Plate, and in the Indian Tongue Chuquisaca, and afterwards they improved

their Fortunes by Possessions in the City of Cozco, where it was my Fortune to have acquaintance with them.

These four walking softly over a Plain, to ease their Horses, which were much tired with the Labours of the last Engagement, and being at some distance from the place where the Battel was fought, they discovered on the side of a little Hill below, seven Indian Gentlemen, all armed with their Bows and Arrows, going to join with the Indian Army, and very gallant, with their Plumes of Feathers, and other Ornaments. So soon as they saw the Spaniards, they put themselves into Rank, at ten or twelve paces distant each from the other, with design to divide the Enemy, that they might come apart, and not in a Body together. The Spa∣niards made signs to them, that they were Friends, and would not fight with them; but notwithstanding the Indians prepared their Arms, and would not accept of their Friendship, so that both sides engaged with great Courage and Resolution.

The Spaniards (as they report themselves) say, that they were ashamed of the inequality of this match, that four Cavaliers, such as they were, well armed, and mounted on their Horses, with Lances in their Hands, should engage with seven Indians on Foot, and naked, without defensive Arms, who notwithstanding re∣fused not to fight with as much courage, as if their Breasts had been covered with Steel, assisting and helping each other with much Bravery. That Indian who had none to encounter him, always helped him, that was engaged, and so alter∣natively came in, to the succour each of other, sometimes cross, and sometimes behind, according to the Order and Method agreed amongst them; so that for the most part, two Indians fought with one Spaniard. At length, after a long Skirmish, that every Spaniard had killed his Indian, and one of them was in pur∣suit of a single Indian, who, as he was flying, took up a Stone, which he threw and hit the Beaver of his Head-piece, which covered his Face, with such force as half stunn'd him, and had killed him outright, had it not been for that piece of Armour; howsoever, notwithstanding the Blow, the Spaniard made an end of this Indian, and killed him also.

The other two Indians fled, and escaped; for the Spaniards were not very eager to pursue them, considering that their Horses had been much tired, and harassed with this second, as well as with the first Encounter; so that they thought it neither honourable, nor worth their pains, to kill the two surviving Indians.

After the Skirmish was over, the four Companions staid a while, to examine themselves, and to know what hurt each Man had received; and upon Enquiry they found, that three of them were wounded, and that two of these three had received three Wounds apiece, though slight ones, and the fourth had his Horse wounded with an Arrow, the which hurt was many Days in hea∣ling; according as he, who was Master of the Horse, related it to me in this manner:

All four of us, said he, were wounded, but I most grievously of any, be∣cause I was more sensible of the hurt, which my Horse received, than if I had been wounded my self, by reason of the great want I had of him.

I remember when I was a Child, the great lamentation the Spaniards made for their Horses, and would rather have been wounded themselves than their Horses; and in like manner this Gentleman was troubled for this misfortune.

In fine, these four returned to the Army, and acquainted their Companions, that the Engagement which they had had with the seven Indians that day, was more dangerous, than the great fight with six or seven thousand of them. Several other Skirmishes passed the same day of the like nature, one of which was that which we have recounted in the last Chapter of the first Book of this second Part, where we speak of the Loyalty and Affection which the Indians taken in fight profess unto the Spaniards. In this manner they marched forward, fighting every other day more or less, untill they came to a warlike People, called Chuqui∣saca, where they engaged with many thousands of Indians, who straitned the Spa∣niards with want of Provisions, and kept them always allarm'd with continual Skirmishes, wherein many were killed and wounded, which the Historians men∣tion, but with great brevity.

Gomara in the 143d. Chapter, and Carate in the 12th Chapter of his 3d. Book, saith, That Gonzalo Piçarro made a Discovery as far as the Province of the Charcas, where he was surrounded with such numbers of Indians, which assailed him on all sides, that he was forced to desire succours from the Marquis, who supplied him therewith, both of Horse and Foot, from Cozco; and for better expedition the Marquis gave out, that he himself would go in person, and accordingly he marched out with them three or four days from the City.

This Siege, as Authours write, was so close, and strait, that the Spaniards be∣ing reduced at last to the utmost extremity, sent advice thereof to the Marquis, by the Indians whom they retained in their Service, who (as we have seen before) had served for Messengers with all fidelity in the like dangers, in confidence of whom, they dispatched many of them by divers ways; so that in case some should miscarry, others might escape.

The Marquis being hereby made sensible of the great Distress to which his Bro∣ther Gonzalo Piçarro was reduced, dispeeded a Captain with Succours, and gave out, for the more haste of the Supplies, as Carate saith, that he himself would go in Per∣son; but neither the diligence used in sending Relief, which would have come too late, nor yet the appearance which the Marquis made of going in Person, would have availed toward the delivery of the Spaniards, from the straits of that Siege, had not God most wonderfully appeared for them, and sent the Divine St. Jago, the Patron of Spain, visibly to fight on their side, as he had done before at Cozco.

The Christians seeing themselves thus wonderfully favoured, and that in this, as in the like occasions, they had been rescued by Miracle, they fought with such Courage, that before the Succours came, they had gained the Victory. In remembrance of which signal Favour which God had performed for them, they determined to establish a Colony of Christian People in that place, where now a Cathedral Church is built, and the Royal Chancery is held, which is enno∣bled and enriched to that degree, in which we see it at present; all which is arisen from the Mines of Potosi, which are about eighteen Leagues distant from thence.

Blas Valera giving a Relation of all the memorable Battels which happened between the Spaniards and the Indians in Peru, gives an Account of that which was fought in this Province, and says, that God, by his Angel, fought there for his Gospel.