596 / 1060
. 566
Roy'tll Commentaries.
ble,
fo
that
the people which were fent
thither
fuftained
much
difficulty
and
hardfhip; for
the
Mountains were incredibly high, and covered with lofty tre
of
fuch a
fort
of hard Timber,
as
would not yield
to
the Hatchet;
and
the Bulhe:;
fo thick and clofe, that they were like a Wall,
that
neither Man or Beall: could
pafs
through them ; and the Rains were
fo
conftant, and made fuch
a
perpetual
Deluge,
that
hen they intended ro
have burnt
them, the fire was extinguHhed
and would not take.
~
At
fuft
when the
Spaniards
enrred upon
that
Conqaelt,
they
expected to
have
found many
lnJjans
~
ithin the Countrey ; and
fo
paffed,
as
well
as
they were
able, opening the ¥ays b¥ force df Amis and Labour, riling and defcending by
che Chane
ls
which were made by
W
.atets falling from the Mountain. And
with
thefe Difficulties they proceeded for many days, though they were fufficiently
in–
formed by the
lndian1,
whom they
brou~ht
out of
Peru
to ferve them, that
it
was
all
labour loft,that there were no peqplem many Leagues difianr from thofe parts
that the Region being uninhabitable, was Abandoned by
all
people and neve;
planted by tne
Incan
Kings : Howfoever, the
Spaniard!
would not hearken ro tbem
efteeming
it
a difreputation to their Enrerprife to
rernm
back to the Countrey of
their Companions. Wherefore
perfiltin'g
in this refolution to proceed
they
tra–
velled
at
1eafr a hundred 1.eagnes, oeingreduced ro fuch a want of all Provifions
that
they
were forced to eat Herbs and Roots, Toads,
Serpents,
and other Infe6ts'
which,
as
they faid,
in
that time
of
Famine,
had
as
good
a
relhfh
as Hares
or
Co~
nies ;
and,
.as
they report, the
great
Set-pents were
much
better Meat than che
frnaller 'Snakes.. At length,
after a
long and tedious Journey, in
r\~'hich
they had
no profpett of
a
better condition, but
that fti'.11
their Famine and Hardiliips en-
reafed, rhe Officers of the Army, and of the King)s Treafure, ivent
ro
the Cap–
tain, and cold him , That fince they had learned by experience, rhac.the Hara–
ihips of that difcovery were not longer to be fufiained; for
that
having now
wandred
for
above five Months withln tnofe Mountains, tbey
had
nor feen fo
much a one
Jndian
to
conq~er,
nor an Acre of Land to cultivate , but had onely
met with Mountains, and RiYers, and Lakes, and Brooks, and a perpetual Deluge
of Rain ; wherefore they coaceived it
betc~r
to
confult his own, and the fafety of
his people by
a
return,
rather .rhan
out
of
an
lHIJate
humour to throw
away
the Live· of his people by Famine, and other Hard{hips. To which the Ca2-
tain
made anfwer, Tnat
he had
many days pafi obferved and confidered
alJ
rhofe
Difficulties~
hich they laid b fore him ; and that about the
time
of two Momhs
after
d1ey
had entred within thofe Mountains, he had conceived fame thoughts
of
ma.
ing a r turn;
but confidering that fuch
a
retreat would
have
been dHho–
nourable to them, and
to
himfelf, he had perfi!l:ed in
this
Enterprife
untill
this
ery time ;
and
ill mufi
continue
oo
intreat,
and importune them to take cou–
rage nd proceed forward,
fo
that their Companions, who are ernulous
of
their
greac underrakings, might not have occafton to revile them with fcorn, and bid
them to begone
to
their Riches, and delicious Dwellings of
Peru.
Wherefore he
again requefl:ed and conjured them not now to relinquifh their defign, or
rum
their backs to a work which
they
had almofi overcome; for the more
dan~r,
the
more honour;
and !ince Fame
and Glory
is
the reward of
iltory, they (}
ottld
preG for\,·ard like good Souldiers
to
obtain it, at feaft perfill:
fo
far in the profecu–
tion of
it,
umill
it
appeared defperate, and drive it
fo
far, as that tbeir Adverfa–
ries and
evil
Tongues might have nothing
to
objed againll: them ; for which they
would have fufficient fubjett and caufe, in cafe they iliould io foon return
with
their bufinefs
uneffeeted ;
in the mean time he could not bur have a fenfe and
feeling of their Labours and flardChips, more than of
his
own
~
howroever,
Gnce
they
faw
that he did not flinch, nor retreat a fiep backward, he defired them
to
follow him, who was their Olptain, being thereunto obligea as Cavaliers, good
Souldiers and
Spanit1rd1.
With which good words, and prelfmg infiances, oeing
overcome, they complied
~
ith his deftres, and proceeded otner three Monrbs
in their difcovery : As their Journey lengthned,
fo
Sicknefs increafed; for che
bodies of Men not being able to fufl:ain fuch Hardiliips, many, as we]]
Indians
as
Spaniard1,
fell fick and died,z more of Hunger, than of any other DHl:emper.
Thus feeing that their Men tell fick, and died every day, fo chat they were not
able to proceed forward, they refolved by common confent
to
return, yet not by
the fame way; but taking a compafs to the Eall:ward, they came about by
the
ourh chat for their
b~tter
fatisfaction they might take a round, and bring all
'
\Vi
thin