The Best of the Bureau/The_Best_of_the_Bureau_Bureau_Development_Inc._1992.iso/dp/0074/00747.txt

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$Title{History Of The Conquest Of Peru
Chapter IX: Part II}
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$Author{Prescott, William H.}
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$Date{1864}
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Title:       History Of The Conquest Of Peru
Book:        Book IV: Civil Wars Of The Conquerors
Author:      Prescott, William H.
Date:        1864

Chapter IX: Part II

     As week after week rolled away, Gonzalo Pizarro, though fortified
with the patience of a Spanish soldier, felt uneasy at the protracted stay
of Blasco Nunez in the north, and he resorted to stratagem to decoy him
from his retreat.  He marched out of Quito with the greater part of his
forces, pretending that he was going to support his lieutenant in the
south, while he left a garrison in the city under the command of Puelles,
the same officer who had formerly deserted from the viceroy.  These
tidings he took care should be conveyed to the enemy's camp.  The artifice
succeeded as he wished.  Blasco Nunez and his followers, confident in
their superiority over Puelles, did not hesitate for a moment to profit by
the supposed absence of Pizarro.  Abandoning Popayan, the viceroy, early
in January, 1546, moved by rapid marches towards the south.  But before he
reached the place of his destination, he became apprised of the snare into
which he had been drawn.  He communicated the fact to his officers; but he
had already suffered so much from suspense, that his only desire now was,
to bring his quarrel with Pizarro to the final arbitrament of arms.

     That chief, meanwhile, had been well informed, through his spies,of
the viceroy's movements.  On learning the departure of the latter from
Popayan, he had reentered Quito, joined his forces with those of Puelles,
and, issuing from the capital, had taken up a strong position about three
leagues to the north, on a high ground that commanded a stream, across
which the enemy must pass.  It was not long before the latter came in
sight, and Blasco Nunez, as night began to fall, established himself on
the opposite bank of the rivulet.  It was so near to the enemy's quarters,
that the voices of the sentinels could be distinctly heard in the opposite
camps, and they did not fail to salute one another with the epithet of
"traitors." In these civil wars, as we have seen, each party claimed for
itself the exclusive merit of loyalty. ^18

[Footnote 18: "Que se llegaron a hablar los Corredores de ambas partes,
Ilamandose Traidores los vnos a los otros, fundando, que cada vno
sustentaba la voz del Rei, i asi estuvieron toda aquella noche
aguardando." Ibid., ubi supra.]

     But Benalcazar soon saw that Pizarro's position was too strong to be
assailed with any chance of success.  He proposed, therefore, to the
viceroy, to draw off his forces secretly in the night; and, making a
detour round the hills, to fall on the enemy's rear, where he would be at
least prepared to receive them.  The counsel was approved; and, no sooner
were the two hosts shrouded from each other's eyes by the darkness, than,
leaving his camp-fires burning to deceive the enemy, Blasco Nunez broke up
his quarters, and began his circuitous march in the direction of Quito.
But either he had been misinformed, or his guides misled him; for the
roads proved so impracticable, that he was compelled to make a circuit of
such extent, that dawn broke before he drew near the point of attack.
Finding that he must now abandon the advantage of a surprise, he pressed
forward to Quito, where he arrived with men and horses sorely fatigued by
a night-march of eight leagues, from a point which, by the direct route,
would not have exceeded three.  It was a fatal error on the eve of an
engagement. ^19

[Footnote 19: For the preceding pages, see Zarate, Conq. del Peru, lib. 5,
cap. 34, 35. - Gomara, Hist. de las Ind., cap. 167. - Carta de Gonzalo
Pizarro a Valdivia, Ms. - Montesinos, Annales, Ms., ano 1546. - Fernandez,
Hist. del Peru, Parte 1, lib. 1, cap. 50-52.

     Herrera, in his account of these transactions, has fallen into a
strange confusion of dates, fixing the time of the viceroy's entry into
Quito on the 10th of January, and that of his battle with Pizarro nine
days later (Hist. General, dec. 8, lib. 1, cap 1.) This last event, which,
by the testimony of Fernandez, was on the eighteenth of the month, was by
the agreement of such contemporary authorities as I have consulted, - as
stated in the text, - on the evening of the same day in which the viceroy
entered Quito.  Herrera, though his work is arranged on the chronological
system of annals, is by no means immaculate as to his dates.  Quintana has
exposed several glaring anachronisms of the historian in the earlier
period of the Peruvian conquest.  See his Espanoles Celebres, tom. II.
Appendix, No. 7.]

     He found the capital nearly deserted by the men.  They had all joined
the standard of Pizarro; for they had now caught the general spirit of
disaffection, and looked upon that chief as their protector from the
oppressive ordinances.  Pizarro was the representative of the people.
Greatly moved at this desertion, the unhappy viceroy, lifting his hands to
heaven, exclaimed, - "Is it thus, Lord, that thou abandonest thy
servants?" The women and children came out, and in vain offered him food,
of which he stood obviously in need, asking him, at the same time, "Why he
had come there to die?" His followers, with more indifference than their
commander, entered the houses of the inhabitants, and unceremoniously
appropriated whatever they could find to appease the cravings of appetite.

     Benalcazar, who saw the temerity of giving battle, in their present
condition, recommended the viceroy to try the effect of negotiation, and
offered himself to go to the enemy's camp, and arrange, if possible, terms
of accommodation with Pizarro.  But Blasco Nunez, if he had desponded for
a moment, had now recovered his wonted constancy, and he proudly replied,
- "There is no faith to be kept with traitors.  We have come to fight, not
to parley; and we must do our duty like good and loyal cavaliers.  I will
do mine," he continued, "and be assured I will be the first man to break a
lance with the enemy." ^20

[Footnote 20: "Yo os prometo, que la primera laca que se rompa en los
enemigos, sea la mia (y assi lo cumplio).  Fernandez, Hist. del Peru,
Parte 1, lib. 1, cap. 53.]

     He then called his troops together, and addressed to them a few words
preparatory to marching "You are all brave men," he said, "and loyal to
your sovereign.  For my own part, I hold life as little in comparison with
my duty to my prince.  Yet let us not distrust our success; the Spaniard,
in a good cause, has often overcome greater odds than these.  And we are
fighting for the right; it is the cause of God, - the cause of God," ^21 he
concluded, and the soldiers, kindled by his generous ardor, answered him
with huzzas that went to the heart of the unfortunate commander, little
accustomed of late to this display of enthusiasm.

[Footnote 21: "Que de Dios es la causa, de Dios es la causa, de Dios es la
causa." Zarate, Conq. del Peru, lib. 5, cap. 35.]

     It was the eighteenth of January, 1546, when Blasco Nunez marched out
at the head of his array, from the ancient city of Quito.  He had
proceeded but a mile, ^22 when he came in view of the enemy formed along
the crest of some high lands, which by a gentle swell, rose gradually from
the plains of Anaquito.  Gonzalo Pizarro, greatly chagrined on
ascertaining the departure of the viceroy, early in the morning, had
broken up his camp, and directed his march on the capital, fully resolved
that his enemy should not escape him.

[Footnote 22: "Un quarto de legua de la ciudad." Carta de Gonzalo Pizarro
a Valdivia, Ms.]

     The viceroy's troops, now coming to a halt, were formed in order of
battle.  A small body of arquebusiers was stationed in the advance to
begin the fight.  The remainder of that corps was distributed among the
spearmen, who occupied t