4000003871

Royal

Commentaries.

BooK

VII.

CH A P.

XXII.

Of the New Method and Way of Fighting, contrived by an

Old

Indian

Captain.

•

Spaniards

being allarumed with the noife and íhouts of the

lndians,

fa!.

lied forth in their bright and glittering Arms, with long Plumes on their

Helmets, and Feathers on the heads of their Horfes ; and feeing the many Diviíi–

ons and Squadrons of the Enemy, they imagined that they were more able tó

break the fmaller Battalions, than if they were united into one body. So foon

as the

l ndian

Captain faw the

Spaniards

appear, he encouraged che firíl: Squádron

fight with them, exhorting them

doe their beíl:; not (faid he) that I expeét

you íhould overcome them, but that you íhould perform what you are able in

favour and defence of your Countrey ; and when you are woríl:ed, and can per–

form no more, that then you fave your felves by füght, taking care in your retreat;

that you break not into the ocher bodies, fo as

diforder chem, but thac you

fly

behind all che relt, and there rally, and make up your body again; the like advice

and order he gave to all the other Squadrons. Wich this deíign and refolurion

the

l ndians

engaged with the

Spaniards,

with whom having fought awhile, and

performed what they were able ; being routed, they recired into the Rere of the

Army, the fecond, third, fourch and fifth, were eaíily broken, and routed by che

Spaniards,

but yet not wichout fome !oís on the

Spanifh

íide both

Men and

Horfe.

Thus as the firíl: Squadrons were overthrown, íl:ill new refe~es carne up, who

al! fought in their orders one afcer the otber.

che Rere of all was another Cap–

tain, who governed in che orderly rallying of che Squadrons, which he cau[ed to

eat, and drink, and repoíe chemfelves, whilíl: che others cominued che fight, thac

chey might be refrefhed, ·when their turn carne for the next engagement. The

Spania,ds

having already routed five Squadrons of che Enemy, and feeing íl:ill ten

or twelve more befare chem coming on; and having foughcchree -long hours, yec

encouraging one che ocher, chey aíláulced che íixch Squadron, which carne in re–

lief of che fifth, which chey overthrew, as alfo che fevemh, eighth, nimh and

temh Divifion. Bue now having foughc feven long hours wichouc intermiílion,

both che Men and Horfes began

fail, not being able to charge with chac metcle

and vigour as chey did in che beginning; which che

lndian1

obferving, would noc

permic chern one moment of repofe, bue ílill plied chem with new and frefh Squa–

drons, and after al! che

Spaniards

faw nocwithíl:anding ten Divifions íl:ill to be

foughc wich ; and chough che natural force boch of Man and Horfe began now ro

grow tired, and faint; yec they füll roufed cheir invincible fpirits, noc co fhew or

evidence any fymptoms or appearances of failure to che

Jndian.,r :

Howfoever che

Indi,ms

beginning fenfibly to find the decay of che

Spanifh

vigom: and mettle, and

char cheir force was not fo impetuous and irrefiílible as it was ac füft, íl:ill conti-

. nued

bring up iheir Squadrons, unrill cwo a dock in che afcernoon ; which che

Governonr

Pedrode Valdivia

obferving, and chat chere were eighc or nine Squadrons

fiill to be overcome.; and chat when chofe vvere rouced, chey vvere alvvays ral–

lied, and made up; vvbich nevv vvay and method of Fighting having vvell con–

fidered ; and thac

being novv late tovvards che Evening, it vvas probable che

Enemy would afford chem as little repofe in che Night, as they had given chem

refpite in che Day ; he refolved to rerreat before cheir Horfes were wholly [pent,

and difabled of farrher fervice : According to his Command his Souldiers retrea–

ted cowards a narrow país, which if chey could reach, being about a League and

a halffrorn the place where the Fight was, they imagined chemfelves fecure from

any attack of the Enemy; for chat two

Spaniards

on foot were abl

defend it

from all che Army of che

Indians.

Having taken chis refolution, chough ·lace, he

gave ,