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280
Royal
Commentaries.
BooKVII.
CH
AP. XVIII.
Of
the
Preparations which were niade for the Conquefi of
.
Chili.
T
Hough the good King
T11p@qui
had had but
ill
fucce~
againfr the
ChirihuttntU
yet it did not difcourage
his
Defign for the Conquell: of
Chili,
or for
Atchieve~
ments of a more noble Nature : For in regard the
great
Maxime of the
lncttn
rate was the increafe of their Empire, they were ever attempting and defigning
fome thing towards the enlargement of it ; and indeed fuch was the Confiitution
of it
in
thofe days,
that
they could not
vi.
ell fubfill:
without War, their people
be.
ing
numerous, and without Employment, and the Stores of
Arms,
Cloths
and
Shoes, which were the Tribute of the Provinces, yearly increafing, there
would
have been no confumptiori of them without a War, but woald have decayed
and perilhed in the Magazines, or Store-houfes, without ufe; for
as
to
Gold
and
Silver, (as we have faid) none was exaCl:ed, nor were they
in
ufe as current
Coin,
bur onely were the voluntary Prefents which the Vaffals gave for adornment of
the Royal Palaces, and Temples belonging to the Sun; for thefe Reafons, and
for
the Love and Obedience whlch his Subje& bore towards him, the King
Tupan·
qui
accounted himfelf to be
in
a proper and able condition for making a War up–
on
the Kingdom of
Chili,
to
which end having advifed with
his
Council concer–
ning the way and manner of
carrying
on the War, and having conftituted and or·
dained Officers for adminiftration ofcommon
J
ufiice, during his abfence; he pro.
ceeded on his way to
Chili,
as far as
Atacama,
which was the mofl: remote Pro·
vince that
was
peopled on that fide, between which
and
Chili
were great Defans,
without People or Provifions; and there he intended to pitch
his
amp, to give
heat and life
to
the defign.
From
Atacama
the
Inca
fent his Spies, and a party like
J
Forlorn-hope, to
dif–
cover and obferve the ways and Difficulties of the paflage; and becaufe the
care
was great, and the true Difcovery of vafi importance, the charge of it
was com–
mitted to
Jnc.u
onely; the King not being willing to entrufl: the common
fafecy
to the faichfulnefs of any, but fuch as were of the Royal Lineage. Thefe
lnctU
took with them certain
Indians
from
Atacama
and
Tucma
for their Guides,
for (as
we have faid before) thefe had fome knowledge of the way; for the better
a{fu.
ranee of which it was ordered, that from two Leagues to two Leagues the
Guides
·
{hould go, and return with a report of the
\:
ay, and difficulties which they
en–
coumred
in
it; and fhould by fuch Advices accordingly contrive with moft
ad-
antage
to
lodge, and lay their Provifions for the Army
in
the mo!l: commodi9us
places. With this labour and diligence they penetrated eighty Leagues through
this defart Countrey, which is as far as from
Atacama
to
Copayapu,
\vhich is a
lit–
tle bu a well peopled Province , environed round
ith long and wide Defarts,
for to pafs forward, as far as to
Cuquimpu,
are other eighty Leagues of defart–
Counrrey.
The Spies having made a Difcovery
as
far as
CopayapH,
and taken as much
no–
tice of every thing, as could be done by a furvey of their Eyes, they returned
with
all diligence
to
render an account to the
Inca
of\ hat they had feen and obferved.
The
Inca
having received their Information, ordered ten choufand Men to be
made
ready, under the Command of General
Sinchiruca,
and two other Major Gene–
rals, whofe Names are not known, the which being difpatched, marched in
the
beft order that the way would permit, having
their
Provilions carried on
the backs
of Sheep, whofe Flefh alfo ferved for ViCl:uals.
.
This Army being difpeeded away , the
Inca
Tupanqui
commanded that
they
fhould be followed by ten thoufand more, for the fuccour and reinforcement of
their Companions, which marched before, the which added to the greater terrour
and affrightment of the Enemy. The
firft
Army being arrived near co
Copa;tt]"'
f
enc