The Best of the Bureau/The_Best_of_the_Bureau_Bureau_Development_Inc._1992.iso/dp/0072/00722.txt

Text File | 1992-08-07 | 24KB | 396 lines

$Unique_ID{bob00722}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{History Of The Conquest Of Peru
Chapter III: Part II}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Prescott, William H.}
$Affiliation{}
$Subject{de
que
pizarro
los
del
la
ms
footnote
con
cap}
$Date{1864}
$Log{}
Title:       History Of The Conquest Of Peru
Book:        Book III: Conquest Of Peru
Author:      Prescott, William H.
Date:        1864

Chapter III: Part II

     On the fifth day after leaving San Miguel, Pizarro halted in one of these
delicious valleys, to give his troops repose, and to make a more complete
inspection of them.  Their number amounted in all to one hundred and
seventy-seven, of which sixty-seven were cavalry.  He mustered only three
arquebusiers in his whole company, and a few crossbow-men, altogether not
exceeding twenty. ^9 The troops were tolerably well equipped, and in good
condition.  But the watchful eye of their commander noticed with uneasiness,
that, notwithstanding the general heartiness in the cause manifested by his
followers, there were some among them whose countenances lowered with
discontent, and who, although they did not give vent to it in open murmurs,
were far from moving with their wonted alacrity.  He was aware, that, if this
spirit became contagious, it would be the ruin of the enterprise; and he
thought it best to exterminate the gangrene at once, and at whatever cost,
than to wait until it had infected the whole system.  He came to an
extraordinary resolution.

[Footnote 9: There is less discrepancy in the estimate of the Spanish force
here than usual.  The paucity of numbers gave less room for it.  No account
carries them as high as two hundred.  I have adopted that of the Secretary
Xerez, (Conq. del Peru, ap. Barcia, tom. III. p. 187,) who has been followed
by Oviedo, (Hist. de las Indias, Ms., Parte 3, lib. 1, cap 3,) and by the
judicious Herrera, Hist. General, dec. 5, lib. 1, cap 2.]

     Calling his men together, he told them that "a crisis had now arrived in
their affairs, which it demanded all their courage to meet.  No man should
think of going forward in the expedition, who could not do so with his whole
heart, or who had the least misgiving as to its success.  If any repented of
his share in it, it was not too late to turn back.  San Miguel was but poorly
garrisoned, and he should be glad to see it in greater strength.  Those who
chose might return to this place, and they should be entitled to the same
proportion of lands and Indian vassals as the present residents.  With the
rest, were they few or many, who chose to take their chance with him, he
should pursue the adventure to the end." ^10

[Footnote 10: "Que todos los que quiriesen bolverse a la ciudad de San Miguel
y avecindarse alli demas de los vecinos que alli quedaban el los depositaria
repartimientos de Indios con que se sortubiesen como lo habia hecho con los
otros vecinos; e que con los Espanoles quedasen, pocos o muchos, iria a
conquistar e pacificar la tierra en demanda y persecucion del camino que
llevaba." Oviedo, Hist. de las Indias.  Ms., Parte 3, lib. 8, cap. 3.]

     It was certainly a remarkable proposal for a commander, who was ignorant
of the amount of disaffection in his ranks, and who could not safely spare
a single man from his force, already far too feeble for the undertaking.
Yet, by insisting on the wants of the little colony of San Miguel, he
afforded a decent pretext for the secession of the malecontents, and swept
away the barrier of shame which might have still held them in the camp.
Notwithstanding the fair opening thus afforded, there were but few, nine in
all, who availed themselves of the general's permission.  Four of these
belonged to the infantry, and five to the horse.  The rest loudly declared
their resolve to go forward with their brave leader; and, if there were some
whose voices were faint amidst the general acclamation, they, at least,
relinquished the right of complaining hereafter, since they had voluntarily
rejected the permission to return. ^11 This stroke of policy in their
sagacious captain was attended with the best effects.  He had winnowed out
the few grains of discontent, which, if left to themselves, might have
fermented in secret till the whole mass had swelled into mutiny.  Cortes had
compelled his men to go forward heartily in his enterprise, by burning their
vessels, and thus cutting off the only means of retreat.  Pizarro, on the
other hand, threw open the gates to the disaffected and facilitated their
departure.  Both judged right, under their peculiar circumstances, and both
were perfectly successful.

[Footnote 11: Ibid., Ms., loc. cit. - Herrera, Hist. General, dec. 5, lib.
1. cap. 2. - Xerez, Conq. del Peru, ap. Barcia, tom. III. p. 187.]

     Feeling himself strengthened, instead of weakened, by his loss, Pizarro
now resumed his march, and, on the second day, arrived before a place called
Zaran, situated in a fruitful valley among the mountains.  Some of the
inhabitants had been drawn off to swell the levies of Atahuallpa.  The
Spaniards had repeated experience on their march of the oppressive exactions
of the Inca, who had almost depopulated some of the valleys to obtain
reinforcements for his army.  The curaca of the Indian town, where Pizarro now
arrived, received him with kindness and hospitality, and the troops were
quartered as usual in one of the royal tambos or caravansaries, which were
found in all the principal places. ^12

[Footnote 12: Conq. i Pob. del Piru, Ms.]

     Yet the Spaniards saw no signs of their approach to the royal encampment,
though more time had already elapsed than was originally allowed for reaching
it.  Shortly before entering Zaran, Pizarro had heard that a Peruvian garrison
was established in a place called Caxas, lying among the hills, at no great
distance from his present quarters.  He immediately despatched a small party
under Hernando de Soto in that direction, to reconnoitre the ground, and bring
him intelligence of the actual state of things, at Zaran, where he would halt
until his officer's return.

     Day after day passed on, and a week had elapsed before tidings were
received of his companions, and Pizarro was becoming seriously alarmed for
their fate, when on the eighth morning Soto appeared, bringing with him an
envoy from the Inca himself.  He was a person of rank, and was attended by
several followers of inferior condition.  He had met the Spaniards at Caxas,
and now accompanied them on their return, to deliver his sovereign's message,
with a present to the Spanish commander.  The present consisted of two
fountains, made of stone, in the form of fortresses; some fine stuffs of
woollen embroidered with gold and silver; and a quantity of goose-flesh, dried
and seasoned in a peculiar manner, and much used as a perfume, in a pulverized
state, by the Peruvian nobles. ^13 The Indian ambassador came charged also
with his master's greeting to the strangers, whom Atahu allpa welcomed to his
country, and invited to visit him in his camp among the mountains. ^14

[Footnote 13: "Dos Fortalecas a manera de Fuente, figuradas en Piedra, con que
beba, i dos cargas de Patos secos, desollados, para que hechos polvos, se
sahume con ellos, porque asi se usa entre los Senores de su Tierra: i que le
embiaba a decir, que el tiene voluntad de ser su Amigo, i esperalle de Paz en
Caxamalca." Xerez, Conq. del Peru, ap. Barcia, tom. III. p. 189.]

[Footnote 14: Pedro Pizarro, Descub. y Conq., Ms. - Oviedo, Hist. de las
Indias, Ms., Parte 3, lib. 8, cap. 3. - Relacion del Primer. Descub., Ms. -
Xerez, Conq. del Peru, ap. Barcia, tom. III. p. 189.

     Garcilasso de la Vega tells us that Atahuallpa's envoy addressed the
Spanish commander in the most humble and deprecatory manner, as Son of the
Sun and of the great God Viracocha.  He adds, that he was loaded with a
prodigious present of all kinds of game, living and dead, gold and silver
vases, emeralds, turquoises, &c., &c, enough to furnish out the finest
chapter of the Arabian Nights.  (Com. Real., Parte 2, lib. 1, cap. 19.) It
i