4000003870

Royal

Commentarie1.

BooK

II.

them

frill

watch

full~

and

tired

chem out with confiant labour. Moreover the

fuffered much for want of Provifions ; though they received fome

fupplid

fro~

the

Indians,

who were their Menial Servants, and would every

Night

(as

they

had pracHfed

the Siege of

Cozco)

go forth into the Enemy's Camp where pre–

tending,

that

they had revolted from their Malters, would return baJk with Pro–

vifions, and with intelligence of all the defigns and intentions of the Enemy •

\ hich was of great ufe

them, .for

that

h.en

the

Indians

made any Attack

upo~

them, they

were

always

readmefs to

ceive

them; and

was

advice from

them

that

D iego

de Aguero,

and many others

who

had Plantations

near

/os

R!Ye.$

were not furprized, before they had time, by help of

their

Horfes,

fecure

their

retreat within the Walls of the City. But befides thefe humane Affifiences God

was pleafed to work Miracles at that Siege in favour

the Chrillians, as

had

formerly done in that of

Couo

for chat the River to

which

they trull:ed much

for their

fafety, and was

their

belt defence, was the occafion of ruine, and

tamed

their

entire dell:ruetion ; for during the time of the Siege, rhe Waters

welled

above the banks,

that whe(\foever they paffed over to the

Spaniardf,

were

forced

to return, they

received

a lofs;

for chat being often put

to flight, many

with fear caft thernfelves into cheWarers, and were drowned; and yet this River

was not

deep as many others are in that Coumrey, being commonly iliallow

unlefs in the Winter, when the falls

the Land-waters make great Flouds; how:

foever, rhe

Spaniarc&

made nothing to pafs and re-patS ic at their

pleafore;

which

when the

Indians

obferved, they concluded that the very Elements fought againft

chem, and were reconciled to the

party

of the

ViracochtU

;

and that the

Pachaca–

mac,

who is the God which fullains the Unh erfe, had forfaken their Caufe

and

favoured the

Enemy. Farther

they confidered, that fo foon as they

faw

the

Vira.

cochtU

drawn up in the Field,

thtir

hearts

failed them; and chat though

they

were

a thoufand to one, yet they durll: not engage with

them ;

all which were

dear

evidences, that the great Creatour of rhe W odd did imereft

himfelf

favour

the caufe and quarrel of the

Span;arck

The

Jndian1

being

affe&ed with

thefe

Apprehenfions,

and wieh a dear

rnani–

fefiation

of the

Miracle

of God,

they

every day abated

their

Courage,

and

became

cowed and

dHheartned,

that from thar

time afierwards they atternprecf

nothing

of any moment ; and though they continued their

Camp

che fide

the

River,

was

rather

in obedience to their Commanders, than

hopes of per–

forming any thing to the ruine of their Enemies, and the good of rhemfelves.

In the mean time the

Indi11n

Domell:ick

Servants

gave intelligence to their

Mafiers

t!hat:

was difcourf

and defigned in the Carnp of the

Indians

;

and the

Spa–

niardf

being fenfible

the great Miracles which God wrought for them, and

thac

their

Enemi

ohferved

the fame, they recurned thanks fur all

thofe

Wonders,

comparing

their

deliverance by means of this River, to that which the Children

l frael

received from the

Egyp_tians

at the Red Sea. And in regard their greateft

Batte

and Vietories fucceeded on the banks of this River, they conceived a moft

eCpecial devotion for the Bleffed St.

Chriftopher,

calling unto remembrance all the

Wonders which are recorded of that Saint, and which are

paint~d

commonly

Churches, to defcribe and fet forth the Miracles which God performed

the RL–

ver by means of thac Saint ; and afterwards

all their Bartels and Skirmifhes,

they invoked the Name of

St.

Cbt"ijfophe'f"

equa-lly

with that

Sr.

fames:

And af–

ter this Siege, they called thofe Hills in which

the

l ndianr

kept their Head-quarters

the Mountains of St.

Chriftopher,

becaufe

chey

were

near, that nothing

but

che

River parted them and the City, and were the places where the

Sp11niard1

put an

end

co the War,

having entirely fubjeeted and conquered the

Jndi.1tn1.

AP.

·~ .