987 / 1060
BOOK
VII.
Royal
Commentaries.
Rebel's
Army
expected them
in
P11cara,
with intention to give them Bat–
te! ;
for at that time there were fugitives from both Parti s; fome of
the King's
Army
flying to
the
Rebels, and fome of the Rebels to the Roya–
lifi:s,
fo
that
by
fuch an intercourfe no Counfels or
Defigns
could be concealed.
The Juftices being on the march to
PucaYa,
fent away with all hafte. to
have the Powder, Ammuniton, Match and Bullet to be brought to them.,
which had been left behind
in
Antahuailla,
qy
the negligence of fome
Officers : Howfoever
by
the care and diligence of
Pedro de
Gian.ca,,
who was
appointed for that Service, fuch expedition was made, that the
Ammunition
arrived -at the Army in good time., and the day before the Battel, to the great
fatisf~"l:ion
and encouragement of the
Army.
CH AP.
xxv.
The King's Arn1=J comes to the place where
the Rebels
ht!<l
fortified
themfelves.. They
enca1np in a Plain,
and
in–
trench; feveral Sk.irmifbes happen, to the difadvantage
of the King's Party.
HE Juftices., a·s they were
on
their march, received the ill news
of
the
un...
fortunate lofs
(>f
Gomez
de Solis
in
Arcquepa;
at which
though
they were
' mut.h
troubled,
yet
being
that which could
not be
remedied, they diffembled
the refentment of
it.,
and proceeded
on
their
way
to
Pucara,
where
the
Enemy
had
fortified
themfelves to great advantage,
in
a place
fo
fituated,
and ftrong
by
Nature, that they could not be attacked
on
any
fide :
it
be–
ing encompaffed about with a Mountain
fo fteep
and
cragged,
that it was
not
'paffable without
much
difficulty.., and
feemed
co be a wall made
by
Hand
and Art ; the entrance thereunto was very narrow, with windings and
turnings
to
the right; and
left, but
the lodgment therein was wide
and
capacious.,
fuffi-
, cient to recehre
their
men, and beafrs, with all the appurtenances belonging to
their
Camp.
They
had ftore
of all
Provifions and Ammunition,
for after fo
fignal a Victory as that obtained at
Chuquinca.,
they could want nothing
~
and moreover their bands of
Negers,
or black
Guard,
brought daily in fucq
Provjtions as they
found
in the neighbouring Parts.
On
the other fide, his
Majefties
Camp
was pitched in an open plain, without
any
naruq1l Fortificati–
on or defence., and ill-provided either with V
il'tua
s
or
Ammunition, .(as we
have faid); howfoever not to lye open.,and expof< d to the Enemy,they in trench–
ed in the b'eft manner they were ab e ; cafting up earth
b~eaft
high round
the Camp; which was not difficult to be done,
by
the help of
fo
many
Indians,
who having been formerly employed in carrying the Artillery, did now ferve
for Pioneers, and other Offices belonging to the Camp; and by their labour in a
very
lb.ore
time a Trench was caft
up
quite
round
the
Army.Francifco Hernandez.–
obferving in what manner his Majefties Forces were encamped,mounted a
battery
of Cannon on the top of a Hill, from whence he could lhoot into the Enemies
Camp ; and oftentimes in bravery
wou~d
fboot over into the plains ; and thus
continued firing day and night,
to
the great difturbance of the Juftices and
all
their Army : and howfoever (which is
frrange)
the Bullets, as if they
had
been
pellets
of
wind., did no hurt ejther to Man or Beaft : The which we muft attri–
bute
to
the
My
~ery
of
Divine
Providence, which would not permit thofe Guns
made., and founded out
of
the confecrated Metal of Bells dedicated
to
God.,s
Service, to be ufefol in
fuch
bloody
Tragedi s, as was
obferved
by
confidering
men., both in
one Camp
and in
the
other.
Both Armies being thus encamped in
fight of each other; the Officers
and
Souldiers
defired
to
fignalize their
valour
by
fome feats of Arms; in the firft Skirmifhes two Souldiers of good
R eputation on the
King's
fide were killed, and five or fix others ran
G gg ggg
away
•
I.