4000003870

BooK

VII.

Royal

Commentaries.

therefore they were more inclinable to

~epeve,

that in regard that Coun.trey is

Per11,

mountainous, and

full

preop1~es

and hollow

place~,

and. fubJeet

Earthquakes, that the

Spaniards

were unadv1fedly fallen, and penfhed m fome un–

ftable

and

falfe grounds and caves, rather than by the force and courage of the

Indian;

horn

after

m:my years of experience, they concluded unable

delhoy

fuch a'number of

Spaniards

in battel.

\VhiHt

they of

Pe-ru

remained in this doubt-

, full

beliefofmatters after

days- time a more particular and certain relation came

the

Death

raldivia,

and

aJI

his Souldiers, with

all

the circurnfiances of the

late battel which the

Indians

fought with

him:

the

which I {hall

relate according

to that

ac~ount

which

was

given of it from

Chili;

the

which

having

the firft

place fpecified the Infurrection of the

Indians,

and the many. infolencies and out–

rages they had committed, proceeded

tell us; That when

Valdivia

came to the

~lace

where tbefe Rebels of

Arauca

were a!fembled,

found

14000

them in Arms ; which he fuddenly affaulting with his Horfe, did in

many

and

divers

SkirmHhes always

beat them, and

put

chem

flight;

that the

Inrl'r,am

were

terrified with fear, and dread of the

fury

the

Spanifh

Horfe,

that

chey

would never adventure

into

the open

Plains;

~or

c.hat

tef)_Sj>aniards

were able:

beat a thoufand

Indians,

but kept themfelves lurkmg m the Woods and Mountams,

where the

Spanifh

Horfe could not come ac them ; and from thence they often

fal–

lied our, doing

all

the fpoils and mifchiefs thac they were able to the

Spaniards,

from whom they would receive no Articles. or Propofals of Accommodation, be–

ing more willing to dye, than obey, and ferve them longer.

Thus the War was continued and carried on for

many

days, during which

time the report was fpread in

all

parts of the Countrey of

tlre,,Araucam

;

and

co..

ming

co the Ears ofan old Captain of theirs, who had been-famous

War,

and

long experience ; being one day

his Houfe,

hC2

began

to confider the

reafon,

how

could be poffible for fo fmall

number as

Spaniards

co fubdue and en–

flave

1,.

1 3000

Indians;

for chat either they mufl: be

Devils,

or otherwHe

im–

mortal Men, as once the

Indians

did at the beginning believe them to be. To

difcover this myfl:ery, and the reafon of this great difproporcion in War; he one

day afcended to the top of a

Hill,

from whence he could fee and furvey the two

Armies

encamped; tliat

of the

Indians

was large, and

far

extended with great

numbers

of Men, that of the

Spaniards

was litcle, and contraeted within a fmall

· compafs of ground: Confidering awhile hereupon, and of the fituation of che

two Camps, and wondering how

was poffible for

fmall a number

be al–

ways vill:orious over a greater ; he departed, and went from thence to the

Indian

Camp, where

having called

Council, and made a 19ng afld rational difcourfe

upon this

fubjett;

he at

lafi

made thefe Qg_eries and Demands in the

ca[e:

Whether the

Spaniards

vvere mortal Men,

like

them, or vvhether they vvere

immortal and incorruptible bodies, like thofe of the Sun and Moon

Whether

they vvere infenfible of hunger and thirfi, and fiood in need of fleep or repofe af–

ter toil and labour? and in fhort, vvhether they vvere made of flefh and bones,

or of fieel and iron? The like Qgeries he alfo made concerning their Horfes:

all

which anfwer

being

made, that they were Men

them, and of the fame

compofition and nature ; Then, faid he, go your ways, and cake your repofe, and

to morrovv you <hall fee vvho are moil: Men, they, or vve.

With

this the

Af–

fembly .bein&

~iffolved

; in the morning,

bl;eak ofday, they founded to

Arms

th~

Indians

givmg

1oud~r

f!louts, and making greater noife vvith their Trumpets

and

D~urns)

and fuch-like mfirurnents,

tha

n they had formerly done; and

in a

iliort ume

t~e

Old

Captain had divided·

h.is

Army int? thirteen feveral Squadrons,

each confifimg of a thoufand Men, kee

g them

£hll

in referves one after the:

other.

CH AP.