4000003870

;- l3ooK

IX. ·

Royal Com1nentaries.

----------~--=-----=--------::----;---::..-.-....:~-----

XXXVII.

Of the Cruelty which

Atahualpa

ufed

towards

the

Women

anti Children

lff

the Bloud-ftoya!.

:~A ~i.hualpa

having de!lroyed all

the

Men of

the

Royal Family,

together with

.cl..

all the

C1mrca1,

Commanders and Subje&, of

any

note belonging to

H11-

Rfcar;

his Cruelties) which were never fatiated

with

humane flefh and blond, pro–

ceeded with new chirll: and appetite to devour the Children and Women, being

the

unhappy

Reli&

of the Royal Race ;

and

though

the

tendernefs of their

Sex

and Age was fufficient

move compaffion,

and

plead

their behalf

yet

ob–

durate

were the

Bowels of this

Tyrant) that

he made

fearch

in all places for the

Women

and Children of the Royal Race, (excepting onely the Wives of the Sun,

which conferved themfelves within the

Walls

of their Convent )

and

having ga–

cheted them together without the

City,

they praltifed fuch torments upon them,

that

they died with llngring deaths. After which thefe damnable

Minill:ers

Cruelty

made the HriCl:efi fearch they could through

all

the Dominions, for thofe

the Royal Bloud, that

not any of them might efcape their hands ;

fo .

that

_in

all parts they had colleeted great numbers· both of Men and Women, as well

i1legitimate,

legitimate ;

for

that the

Jnca1

having a greater liberty and licence

granted them

the free ufe of Women , than any others, their Family became

the

moll: numerous and extenfive of any

the whole Enipire. And having

thus

colletted thefe people, they ranged them in a

Plain,

which lyes about a League

di–

'frant to the Northward of the City; which Field hath been called

Tahuarpampa,

or the Field ofBloud, ever

fmce

the Fight

which

happened

that place between

the

Chancaf,

and the,people of

Couo,

as we have declared formerly

its due place.

Thefe poor wretches being

this manner Prifoners

the Field, they encom- ,

paffed

them with three Files; the

firft

was of

Souldie~

·who were to be a guard

about them, and to oppofe any InfurreCl:ion

cafe the City of

Couo

fbould at–

tempt it, and ferve to bridle and fubjeCl: their Enemies; and then the other

two

Files were Sentinels and Guards, left any fhould efcape, or anY' others enter

a–

mongfl: them to bring them relief. Upon thefe

fad

wretches they praetifed their

Cruelties in feveral manners;

fome they gave onely a little raw Mayz to eat,

and a few crude Herbs , making them to continue the firiClnefs of fuch

a Faft as

their Religion enjoyned chem for a few days; the Wives, Sillers, Aunts, Coufm–

Gerrnans, and Mothers- in-law of

Atahualpa

they hanged upon Trees, the tallefi:

and mofl lofty that they could find ; fame they hanged up by the hairs of

the

head, others under the armes, and others in that unhandfome manner, as becomes

not our modefiy to report ; to fame of them they delivered their Infants to hold

their armes, whicn when they fell from them, they knocked them

on the

head with Clubs; fame they hanged by one arme, fome by both,

and

others

the

wafie, thac

they might be long in dying,

for

kill

them at once, feemed

too much mercy,

and

which thefo poor wretches implored with their

lafi:

cries

and groans. The Boys and Girls they killed by degrees) bringing out a number

to death

every quarter

C!f

the Moon,

ufo~g

them widi no

lefs

cruelty

than

they

had

e~erc1fed tow~r~s

their J?arents; and

_am~ngll:_

their ocher torments, fiarving

was

one

way

k11lmg.

Diego

Fernande~

htS H1fiory of

Peru,

touching briefly

the

Cruelti~s

which

Atahualpa

ufed, hath thefe words:

" Between

Guafcar

Inga,

and his Brother

Atahalspa,

there happened a great difPute and comro–

:: verfie concerning

the

Gover~me?t,

and

him

":ho

was

to be

the

Supreme

Monarch.

Guafcar Inga

refidmg

Caz.co

and h1s Brother

Atabalipa

Caxa

Malea.

At~balipa diipe~ded n~o

his p

rincipal Captains, called

Chalcuchiman>

,, and

~1:;;:,qu1~,

\'\'ho

b~mg

valiant and ll:out Men, raifed a great Army, and

" there\yuh r:'arched

agamfi

Guafcar,

with defign, that

having

overcome and

ca–

. ken him Pnfoner,

abalipa

fhould be declarea

Kin~

In this March they

fob-

dued