killed the other." And Pedro, who of his brothers—three illegitimate like is a bit of partisan, and has a natural himself, and one legitimate, Hernando leaning to his cousin and commander, Pizarro, a man of talent and energy, further states, that Pizarro, in honour- but of turbulent and overbearing disable fulfilment of his promise, pleaded position, who cut an important figure urgently for Almagro, 'till he received in the Peruvian campaigns. “They a rebuff, and was told, that if he did were all poor, and proud as they were not ask the adelantamiento for himself, poor," says Oviedo, who had seen it should be given to a stranger. them, “and their eagerness for gain Whereupon he applied for it, and it was in proportion to their poverty.” was granted him in addition to his Consequently the New World was other dignities. He was also made a the very place for them. Many, howknight of St Jago; and in the armo- ever, who listened eagerly to Pizarro's rial bearings which he inherited by the account of the wealth to be obtained father's side, were introduced the black there, hesitated to seek it through the eagle and the two pillars emblazoned avenue of perils by which it was to on the royal arms. A ship, a llama, be reached. As to money, those who and an Indian city were further added; had it were loath to invest on such 6 while the legend announced that frail security as Peruvian mines ; thus under the auspices of Charles, and proving themselves wiser in their by the industry, the genius, and the generation than many in more recent resources of Pizarro, Peru had been times. Cortés, it is said, assisted discovered and reduced to tranquil- Pizarro to the necessary funds, which lity.” A premature announcement, he would hardly have raised without which many subsequent scenes of the aid of the Mexican conqueror ; bloodshed and violence sadly belied. and the stipulated six months having As regards the good faith kept by expired, the newly-made governor of Pizarro with Almagro and his other Peru cut his cables, and in all haste companions, and the degree of sin- left the shores of Spain, fearing that cerity and perseverance with which if the incompleteness of his preparahe pressed their claims at the court tions got wind, the Spanish crown of Sp Mr Prescott is justly scep- might recede from its share of the tical; and much of the conqueror's contract. At Panama, recruits were after-conduct compels us to believe as reluctant and scarce as in Spain; that in such solicitations it was one and at last, impatient of delay, he word for his friend and two for him- started on his expedition with only self. It is less interesting, however, one hundred and eighty men and to trace his dissimulation and double- twenty-seven horses.

Their equipdealing, and the dissensions resulting ment, however, was good; they were from them, than to accompany him well supplied with arms and ammuniupon his final expedition to the em- tion, and, above all, sanguine of sucpire of the Incas.

Before their departure, their Although, by the articles of the banners and the royal standard were capitulacion, Pizarro was bound to blessed by a Dominican monk, and raise, within six months of its date, a the soldiers took the sacrament. well-equipped force of two hundred Anchoring after thirteen days' sail and fifty men, it was with less than in the Bay of St Matthew, Pizarro three-fourths of that number that he landed his men and marched along sailed from Panama in January 1531. the coast. He at first intended not Careful to secure an ample share to disembark till he reached Tumbez, of the profits of the enterprise, of whose riches and fertility he enterthe Spanish government did nothing tained a pleasant recollection ; but, to assist it, beyond providing some baffled by winds, he altered his deartillery and a few military stores. termination. He had, perhaps, betPizarro must find the funds and the ter have adhered to it. True, that men, and this was no easy matter. the emeralds and gold found at To obtain the latter, he repaired to Coaque encouraged his followers, liis native town of Truxillo in Estre- and enabled the politic adventurer to madura, where he recruited a few make a large remittance to Panama, followers. Amongst them were four to dazzle the colonists and induce

as

We

volunteers. But the sufferings of the As was by no means unusual in those Spaniards on their march through days, the Christians received encouthose sultry and unhealthy regions, ragement from Heaven. "In the were very great. Encumbered with battle,” says Montesinos with laudable heavy armour and thick cotton doub- gravity, “many, both of our people lets, they toiled wearily along beneath and of the Indians, saw that in the a burning sun and over sands scarce air there were two other camps-one less scorching. Fortunately, they were led on by the archangel St Michael unmolested by the natives, who fled with sword and buckler, the other by on their approach. They had enough Lucifer and his myrmidons ; but no to do to combat disease and the cli- sooner did the Castilians cry victory, mate. "A strange epidemic broke than the demons fled, and from out out in the little army ; it took the form of a mighty whirlwind terrible of ulcers, or rather of hideous warts voices were heard to exclaimof great size, which covered the body, “Thou hast conquered! Michael, and when lanced, as was the case with thou hast conquered ! Hence Dou some, discharged such a quantity of Francisco Pizarro was inspired with blood as proved fatal to the sufferer." so great a devotion to the holy Mr Prescott recognises in this horrible archangel that he vowed to call by malady—which he says made its ap- his name the first city he should pearance during the invasion, and did found, fulfilling the same, not long survive it—"one of those shall presently see.” These angelic plagues from the vial of wrath, which interventions were common enough the destroying angel who follows in both in the Moorish and American the path of the conqueror pours out wars of Spain, and have been comon the devoted nations.” Conquerors memorated by many artists, whose and conquered, however, suffered paintings, for the most part more from it alike ; and as to its having curious in design than skilful in exespeedily become extinct, we suspect cution, are still to be occasionally met that it is still well known in Peru. with in the Peninsula. Pizarro was The verrugas, described by Dr Tschudi twice favoured with such celestial in his valuable and delightful narra- succours; the second time at the tive of Peruvian travel, and which the fight, or rather massacre, of Caxanatives attribute to the noxious qua- malca, when certainly he required lities of certain streams, is coincident little aid against the panic-stricken in its symptoms with the disease that hordes, who fell, like grass before the afflicted Pizarro's followers, diminish- mower's scythe, under the fierce sabreing their numbers and impeding their cuts of the martial Spaniards. Neverprogress. The arrival of one or two theless, “a terrible apparition apsmall reinforcements filled up the peared in the air during the onslaught. vacancies thus made in their ranks, It consisted of a woman and a child, and the march was continued until and at their side a horseman, all the adventurers found themselves clothed in white, on a milk-white opposite the island of Puná, upon charger, — doubtless the valiant St which Pizarro resolved to pitch his James, —who, with his sword glanccamp, and there plan his attack upon ing lightning, smote down the infidel the neighbouring city of Tumbez. Be- host, and rendered them incapable of tween the Tumbese and the men of resistance.” Thus gravely and reverPuná there was a long-standing feud, ently deposeth the worthy Fray and the former lost no opportunity of Naharro, who had his information exciting Pizarro's suspicions of the from three monks of his order preislanders. Having been informed that sent in the fight. ten or twelve chiefs were plotting The arrival of Pizarro and his band against him, he seized and delivered upon the coast of Peru, occurred at them to their rivals, who forthwith a moment most favourable to their cut off their heads. A battle was the projects of appropriation. The counimmediate consequence; and the try had just emerged from a sanguinary handful of Spaniards defeated several civil war, in which many of its best thousand Puná warriors, mowing warriors had perished; the throne of them down with musketry and sabre. the Incas was occupied by a usurper,

a

- The

who, to cement his power, had shed harassing warfare, and they welcomed the blood of hundreds of the royal with joy the arrival of a strong reinfamily, his own brethren and relatives. forcement under Hernando de Soto, These events had been thus brought the future discoverer of the Mississippi. about:-The warlike Inca and con- With a hundred fresh men and a supqueror of Quito, Huayna Capac, for- ply of horses for the cavalry, Pizarro got, on his death-bed, the sagacity did not hesitate to cross to the mainthat had marked his reign; and, in land. The inhabitants, although predirect contravention of the fundamen- viously on the most friendly terms tal laws of the empire, divided his with the Spaniards, opposed their dominions between Huascar, his legi- landing, but with no great energy; timate heir, and Atahuallpa, a pet son and a charge of horse drove them to whom he had had by one of his nume- the woods. At Tumbez, however, a rous concubines. The old Inca died, grievous disappointment awaited the and, for five years, his two successors invaders. With the exception of halfreigned, without quarrel, over their a-dozen of the principal buildings, the respective territories. Then dissensions city was razed to the ground; and arose between them ; war broke out; of the rich spoils the Spaniards had and in two great fights, one at the reckoned upon, not a trace was left. foot of Chimborazo, the other on the The adventurers were greatly displains of Cuzco, Atahuallpa's troops, couraged by this discovery. veterans grown gray under his father's gold of Peru seemed only like a banner, were completely victorious. deceitful phantom, which, after beckHuascar was taken prisoner and shut oning them on through toil and danger, up in the fortress of Xauxa ; his rival vanished the moment they attempted assumed the borla or scarlet diadem to grasp it.” They lost heart in this of the Incas, and, using his victory search after an intangible treasure ; with little moderation, if Garcilasso and Pizarro, fearing disaffection as a de la Vega and subsequent Spanish consequence of inaction, hurried them writers are to be believed, butchered, into the interior of the country. At with circumstances of great cruelty, thirty leagues from Tumbez, he foundall of the Inca blood upon whom he ed, in conformity with his vow, the could lay hands. Mr Prescott, how- city of San Miguel; and, after waiting ever, doubts the veracity of Garcilasso, several weeks for further reinforcethe son of a niece of Huayna Capac ments and receiving none, he left fifty and of a Spanish cavalier, who arrived men for the protection of the new in Peru, soon after its conquest, in the settlement, and marched with the suite of Pedro de Alvarado. His remainder in search of the Inca, proorigin, and familiarity with the Peru- claiming every where, as he proceeded, vian tongue, should ensure the cor. the religion of Christ, the supremacy rectness of his statements; whilst his of the Pope, and the sovereignty of relationship, by the father's side, with Charles the Fifth. a family illustrious in letters as in And here, as much, perhaps, as at arms, seems to guarantee his literary any period of his career, we are struck capacity. Bat Garcilasso was sadly by the genius and activity of Pizarro, given to romancing; and his pages and by his wonderful ascendency over cxhibit, amidst much that is really a band of restless desperadoes. Withvaluable, great exaggeration and cre- in five months after landing at Tumdulity. If we could implicitly credit bez, he had made an extensive tour his statements of Atahuallpa's atro- of observation, established a friendly cities, our sympathy with the Inca, understanding with the Indians, parbetrayed, dethroned, and finally mur- celled out lands, cut timber, and dered, by the Spaniards, would be quarried stone; founded a city, and materially lessened. The triumph of organised a municipal governmentthe usurper occurred only a few months A church and a fortress—always the previous to the invasion of Peru by two first edifices in a Spanish-AmeriPizarro, in the spring of 1532.

,-a storehouse and a court After the battle of Puná the Spa- of justice, strongly, if not elegantly niards were greatly annoyed by the built, had already arisen. Strict disenemy, who kept up a desultory and cipline was maintained amongst the

1847.]

Prescott's Peru. Spaniards, who were forbidden, under of the conqueror of Peru. He preheavy penalties, to molest or ill-treat ferred weakening his force, already far the natives; and, most astonishing of too feeble, to retaining the disconall, Pizarro succeeded in persuading his tented and pusillanimous. The conrapacious followers to relinquish their tagion of bad example had more terrors shares in the gold and silver already for him than the hosts of Atahuallpa. collected, which was sent, after a fifth And he "would not die in that man's had been deducted for the crown, to company who feared his fellowship to pay off the ship-owners and those die with him." Only nine of his who had supplied stores for the expe- one hundred and seventy-seven foldition. After the settlement of these lowers availed themselves of the perpreliminaries, he struck boldly into mission, thus boldly accorded them, the heart of the land. His army (the to retrace their steps. With the resiname is a mockery, applied to such a due Pizarro resumed his march. force) consisted of sixty-seven cavalry As the Spaniards advanced, their and one hundred and ten infantry, difficulties and uncertainties increased. amongst whom were only three arque- Rivers impeded their progress, and busiers and twenty crossbowmen. they had to construct bridges and rafts. With this paltry troop he dared to They passed through well-built towns, advance against the powerful army where they saw large magazines of which he had ascertained was encamp- military stores and rations, and along ed under command of Atahuallpa, handsome paved roads, shaded by within twelve days' journey of San avenues of trees, and watered by arMiguel. We read of subsequent events tificial streamlets. The farther they and scarcely wonder at a mob of timid penetrated into the country, the more Peruvians being dispersed by a hand- convinced they were of its resources ful of resolute men, mail-clad, well and civilisation, far beyond any thing disciplined, and inured to war, but they had anticipated, and the more in numbers as one to a hundred sensible they became of the great of those opposed to them. Pizarro, temerity of their enterprise. When however, had no assurance of the they strove to learn the Inca's intenslight resistance he should meet; he tions and whereabouts, the contradiccould know but imperfectly the re- tory information they obtained added sources of the Inca; he was wholly to their perplexity. The Inca, it was ignorant of the natural obstacles the said, was at the head of fifty thousand country might oppose to his progress, men, tranquilly awaiting the appearand of the ambuscades that might be- ance of the eight-score intruders who set his path. His dauntless spirit thus madly ran into the lion's jaws. paused not for such considerations. This was discouraging enough. And And, scanty as his numbers were, he when the Spaniards reached the foot did not fear to risk their diminution, by of the stupendous Andes, which intera proposal resembling that of Harry vened between them and Caxamalca, the Fifth to his troops. Those who and were to be crossed by means of had no heart for the expedition, he paths and passes of the most dangerannounced to his little band, on the ous description, easily defensible by fifth day after their departure from San tens against thousands, their hearts Miguel, were at full liberty to return failed them, and many were of opinion to the city. The garrison was weak, to abandon the original plan and take he would gladly see it reinforced, and the road to Cuzco, which wound along any who chose to rejoin it should have the foot of the mountains, broad, shady, allotted to them the same share of land and pleasant. Pizarro was deaf to and number of Indian vassals as this proposal. His eloquence and those Spaniards who had remained in firmness prevailed, and the Andes the settlement.

were crossed, with much toil, but

without molestation from the Peru“ He which hath no stomach to this fight,

vians.
Let him depart: his passport shall be made,
And crowns, for convoy, put into his purse.”

It is difficult to understand tho

Inca's motives in thus neglecting the Precisely similar to the proclama- many opportunities afforded him of tion of the hero of Agincourt was that annihilating the Spaniards. His whole

conduct at this time is mysterious and · by Mr Prescott. "Holding us for unaccountable, greatly at variance very little, and not reckoning that a with the energy and sagacity of hundred and ninety men could offend which he had given proof in his ad- him, he allowed us to pass through ministration of the empire, and that defile, and through many others wars against Huascar. Nothing was equally bad, because really, as we easier than to crush the encroaching afterwards knew and ascertained, his foreigners in the defiles of the Cordil. intention was to see us, and question leras, instead of allowing them to us as to whence we came, and who had descend safely into the plain, where sent us, and what we wanted .... their cavalry and discipline gave them and afterwards to take our horses and great advantages. Perhaps it never the things that most pleased him, and occurred to Atahuallpa that so trifling to sacrifice the remainder." These a force could contend under any cir- calculations were more than neutracunstances, with a chance of success, lised by the decision and craft of the against his numerous army.

In their white man. Established in Caxaintestine wars, the Peruvians fought malca, whose ten thousand inhabitants with much resolution. In the battle had deserted the town on his apof Quipayan, which placed the crown proach, Pizarro beheld before him a of Peru on Atahuallpa's head, the white cloud of pavilions, covering the fight raged from dawn till sunset, and ground as thick as snow-flakes, for the slaughter was prodigious, both the space apparently of several miles." parties exhibiting great courage and In front of the tents were fixed the obstinacy. And subsequently, in en- warriors' lances; and at night innumegagements with the Spaniards, proofs rable watch-fires, making the mounof Peruvian valour were not wanting. tain-slope resemble, saysan eyewitness, After the death of Atahuallpa, on the “a very starry heaven," struck doubt march to Cuzco, more than one fierce and dismay into the hearts of that little fight occurred between Spanish cavalry Christian band. “ All," says one of and Peruvian warriors, in which the the Conquistadores,“ remaining with former had not always the advantage. much fear, because we were so few, When Cuzco was burned, and siege and had entered so far into the land, laid to its fortresses, one of these was where we could not receive succours." valiantly defended by an Inca noble, All, save one, the presiding genius of whose single arm struck the assailants the venture, who showed himself equal from the ramparts as fast as they to the emergency, and nobly justified attained their summit. And when his followers' confidence. Pizarro saw several ladders having been planted at that retreat was impossible, inaction once, the Spaniards swarmed up on ruinous, and he resolved to set all all points, and overpowered the last of upon a cast by executing a project of his followers, the heroic savage still unparalleled boldness. The Inca, who would not yield. “Finding further very soon assumed a dictatorial tone, resistance ineffectual, he sprang to the had ordered the Spaniards to occupy edge of the battlements, and, casting the buildings on the chief square at away his war-club, wrapped his Caxamalca, and no others, and had mantle around him and threw himself also signified his intention of visiting headlong from the summit.” Relying the strangers so soon as a fast he was on the bravery of his troops, and con- keeping should be at an end. The sidering that the Spaniards, although square, or rather triangle, was of compact in array, and formidable by great extent, and consisted of a stone their horses and weapons, were in fortress, and of large, low, widenumbers most insignificant, it is pro- doored halls, that seemed intended bable the Inca felt sure of catching for barracks. Upon this square and caging them whenever he chose, Pizarro prepared to receive his royal and was therefore in no hurry to do visitor. it, but, like a cat with a mouse, chose On the appointed day, Atahuallpa to play with before devouring them. made his appearance, at the head of This agrees, too, with the account given his numerous army, variously estiin an imperfect manuscript, the work mated by Pizarro's secretary and of one of the old conquerors, quoted others there present, at from thirty to