570 / 1060
.
542'
Royal Commentaries.____
BooK
I .
great multitude, but not as yet the Weapons they carried, "' herewith co offend
the Horfe, (which were the Creatures they mofr dreaded,) they refolved co re–
treat into the Market-place, which being wide and fpacious,
was
much more
advantageous for receiving the Enemy, than
in
the narrow Streets: And be–
ing there dra\\
n
up in Baualia, the Body of Infantry, confifiing of one
hun–
dred and twenty Men , was placed in the m.iddle, flanked on each fide
Vt
ith
the Horfe, not being
a~ove
Eighty in all;
of
which two Tro'?ps, of twency
in
a Troop, \\'ere placed m the Van, and two Troops, of the like number were
drawn up in the Rere, (o that they might charge the Enemy on
whatfoe~er
fide
they {hould be attacked by
the:-n.
The
Indians
feeing the
paniards
in a Body, aifaulted them on
every
part
with
great fury, intending
to
over-run them in an infi:ant; but the Horfe fallying out
upon them, made fiout refifiance, and fought with them untill Break of Day
when the
Indians
again reinforced the Battel, and rained fhowers of Arrows
u~
on them,
'~
ith
ollies of Stones difcharged from their Slings, howfoever tlle
Horfe, (which
i
wonderfull to confider) revenged themfelves upon them
with
their Lances, killing in every on[et, an hundred and
fifty,
or two hundred
Jn–
dittns;
by reafon that they neither carried defenfive Arms, nor ufed Pikes to keep
off the
H
rfe, though they
~ere
armed with them; for not being ufed to
.fight
againfi
avalry , but onely F0ot
to
Foot, and naked Men againfl: naked
Men.
che
Spaniards
by their Horfe and Armour prevailed over the
Indians
with
grea~
Slaughter ,
\J
ho hoped notwithfranding by their numbers to become Conque..
rour in the end.
In
this pofiure -of War the
Indians
continued for the fpace of fevenceen
Days
to
firaiten and beGege the
Spaniards
in the Market-place of
Co:uo,
not permit–
ting them to fally forth; during which time, as well by night as
by
Day, the
Spaniardi
continued
in
1:heir Ranks and Squadrons , co be
in
a readinefs againll:
the
Enemy , and as often as they went
to
drink, they were forced ro
~o
in
Companies co the Stream, which runs through the Streets of the
Ciry
5
and co
fearch
into
the Ruines of the Houfes, which were burnt, for Mayz, which was
the onely Food they had
to
fufi:ain them ; but Provender for their Horfes was
more wanting than Vitluals for them[elves, howfoever they found fame Pro-
ilion for fupport both of one and the other, though much damaged by the
Fire, which Hunger and
eceffity made paffable. On \\ hich particular
Carate
reports as followeth.
" In
this manner the
I nca
attempted
Couo
with all his Force, and befieged
it
' for eight Months, and at every
full
of the Moon he fiormed the
Spanjards
' on all !ides, but
Hernando Pir_arro,
and his Brothers, VVith many Gentlemen
'' and
aµrain , that vvere vvithin the City, made fiout refifiance, and repulfed
«
the
Indians
v ith great Valour; in vvhich ACl:ions thofe vvhich vvere mofi fig–
' nalized vv re
Gahriel de
Ropu,
Hernan Ponce
de
Leon, Don Alonfo Enrique:t,
and
'
the Treafurer
Riquelme,
vvich many ochers; all vvhich, vvith their Souldiers,
" beha ed rhemfelves vvith Courage and Bravery, and none of them unbracing
'' their Armour, either by day or night, fighting like defperate Men, vvho had
" given all over for lofl:; for having received inrel1igence, that the Governour,
' and all the
paniards,
vvere cut off; and
{lain
by the
Indian1,
vvho had made a
" general lnfurre ion in all pares, they expeCl:ed no Relief or Succour, but
" from God, nor afety, but
in
their ovvn Arms, though they killed and vvoun–
" ded the
Indians
very much, and daily diminiilied their numbers.
Thu far are the Words of
Carate,
vvho briefly relates the great Danger and
the many
trait
to vvhich chefe Conquerours vvere reduced in this Siege,
vvherein, though they ufed all the diligence imaginable to provide themfelves
vvith ood , yet all had not fufficed
to
free them from Famine, had not their
Jndjan
ervants, vvho lived vvith them
in
their Houfes, like good and faithfull
Friends, fupplied their vvants; for by day they paffed over to the Enemy, in
vvhom
to
beget a Confidence of them, they feemed to fight againll: the
Spania–
ardJ).
and by night they returned to them laden vvith Provifions; all vvhlch is
conl1rmed by the Teflimony of
Gomara
and
Garate,
though that and the ocher
Enterprifes of the
Inca
are touched onely
in
fhorc by them, vvho
are
ftlent alfo
in che account of thofe Miracles vvhich our Lord
J
efus Chrill: vvorked at
Couo
in