4000003870

BooK

Royal

Commentaries.

Inftrutl:ions they bad received : J\nd being come to the City of

H umanca.,

they

were informed that

Hernandez:..

was gone to

Rimuc

way

of th plains ; a nd

according to that Intelligence they followed him, and

after

a few days

March, ·they were advifed

th~t

he was quartered about fifteen Leagues from

them, with

300

Souldiers, of which

150

were Mufqueteers.

The

Captain,

not

affrighted with

his

numbers, contqmed their purfoit afcer him, and

the next day

they were told

the

Indians.,

that

they were only

200,

and

daily the report of their numbers deqeafed ,

until they were faid

to be no more than one hundred.

This variety of reports given

the

Indians

concerning the number of the Enemy, had fomething

truth,

and foundation in

it ;

for

Hernandez.,

being fled, his Souldiers difperfed them–

felves by twenty and thirty in a Company, and at length

came

meet

together., and form a body of about

200

men, moft of which had belonged

the Marlhal,

but

afterwards taking affection

Hernllndez.,,

they follow–

ed his Fortune.

But

regard they were men

runnin~

away, and poifeifed with a fear of E–

nemies purfuing after them, they were forced to hide themfelves in W oods,and

Caves, wanting

all

things neceifary

for

their convenience

and

fupport ;

that when the King's Forces approached near to them, they were not above

one hundred in all : For the

Indians

in the fir

report they gave of them,

accounted them to be more than 'they really were,

in the fecond relation

they reckned thofe whom

they

found .wandriog on the way, and in the

Iaft,

thofe who were met and

joyned in a Body.

So we may believe that

Hernandez:..

had

not

forfaken and abandoned his Souldiers, be might

frill

have

conferved

himfelf and them, for

itt

wo~ld

have

been

very difficult to have

taken, or deftroyed them. The Captains being now about three Leagues difrant

from the Enemy, difpatched away a

Spaniard,

who was very diligent and

nimble,

together with an

Indian

for his Guide., to view the

Enemy,

and

bring certain intelligence of their ftrength. The Spy having taken an exact

furvey of their numbers, wrote a Letter advifing that they might be

$0,

aud no rnore.

Hereupon

the

Captains haftened their March all they were

able, until they came within fight of each other, with Drums beating,

an~

Colours flying, and attended with about

eighty

Indians,

whom the

Curacas

had

fent for Service

the

Spaniards.

The Rebels having difcovered

the

Enemy coming upon them, and feared to be furprized, and fur rounded

the

Horfe ho were forty in all., took up to the Mountain, and lheltered them..

felves under fame Rocks, which ferved them for a

Parapet

'Or

Fortifica~ion .

The Captains notwitbftanding refolved to attack them in their

ftrong

holds,

trufting to a Band of

200

Indians

ill armed, who volantarily and of their

own accord were come in to them, with intent to deftroy the Rebels or

A ucas

as they called t hem, who were the Peft and trouble of the Country. The

Captains being now within Mufquet-fhot of the Enemy, four or five of

them~

amongft which an

Enfign

Hernandez:-

was one., came to them, and inftantl

defired not to fire upon them ;

for that without force., or the death of any

man;--tlley intended to

yield

themfelves Prifoners; and upon thefe terms

tbey

ftood., when about ten or twelve mor came in and fubmitted,tho' the

Indians

the time pelted them with Stones,until the captains commanded them to dcfift :

After which all the Souldiers of

Hernandez,

came

in,

and furrendred themfelves,

leaving him with

friends

only,

namely with his Son-in-Law

Almaraz:..,

and a

G~ntleman

of the Country

Ejfremadura.,

called

Gome~

Suarez..

Figueroa.

Francifco Hernandez,

finding himfelf thus abandoned and forfaken

all

hrs

Souldiers ; came forth with intent to be either killed or taken, as the Enemy

fhould think

fit;

which when the Captains

faw,

they approached near the

Rock,

and

with

all

theii; Men furrounded him

take him Prifoner ;

the

firft. that came near him were three noble Perfons.,

namely

Stephen

Syl–

veftre, Gomez.. Arias

de .Avila,

and

Hernando

Pantoxa:

The latter of which

taking hold of

H ernandez..

the

Helmet, and he defending himfelf with his

Sword,

Gomez., A rias

clapt his ha nd on the hilt, ccmmanding him to del iver

his Arms, which

Hernande~

r efufing

to do, and ftiU !tri ving,

Sylveftre

thrufr

the point of his Lance to his Breaft,

telling

him, that unlefs he did as

Gome"'

Arias

bid him, he would immediately kill him.

Hereupon

H ernandez..

r efi gned his

Sword

Gomez.. A rias,

and having fe t him

H hhhh h