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R.oyal Commentarie1.
BooK
l.
C HA P.
IX.
fi~axrio
js for{t1~en
by
ali his Souldiers, onely thirteen Com–
pc¡nions remain with pim.
W.
Hen
Almagro
returned to
Pa11ama,
it was then about a year fince this En–
terprife was firíl: begun, at which time be found a new Governour, called
Pedro de !oJ
Riru,
a Gentleman of
Cordova,
who having received and perufed rhe Peti–
tion of
che Souldiers, he fent a cercain
J
qdge, called
TafHr?
to cheCock líland, wich
Comm
~ílj.onto free aH fuch as íhould be defüous to recurn unto
Pan(lma.
.This
Reporc
bei,ngrumoured abroad, fuch as before had engaged thernlelves to go wirh
Almagro,
began
to
wirhdraw rhemfelves, fayiqg, that ftnce thoíe who were alrea–
dy on che place, were weary of cheir Employrnent, and defirous to rettft-n home,
it would be to little purpofe for thern to cake up che Cudgels which che others
had laid down; rhe which misfortune
Almagro
great!y lamented, having !oíl: ali
his hopes; and
Pifarro,
when he found himfelf abandoned , and forfaken of aU
his Men, without regard to chat Faith and Eng¡gement of Articles by whi:ch rhey
had affociated chemfelves wich him, he remaid'ed perplexed, and diftraél:ed wich
greac confufion of Mind ;_ar lengch plucking ul? nis .courage, ~hat _he rnighc di–
fünguiíh who were for h1m, and who were agamft h1m; he la1d hlS hand upon
his Sword, and drew ir, and wich che point chereof he drew aLine on the grom~d,
towards
Pcru,
and turning to his
Men,
faicl to them:
" Fellow Souldiers, This Line fignifies che Labours, Hunger, Thiríl:, Weari–
" nefs, Wounds, Sickneífes, and all other Dangers and Hazards which are ro be
" fuíl:ained to procure chis greac Conqueíl:, even
to
che lofs perhaps of Life ic–
" felf: Whofoever finds himíelfendued with Courage fufficient
to
undergo chis
" greac Tria!, and whofe Heroick Soul is capable of rhe generous Thoughcs of
" chis Noble Conqueíl:, lec him, in token, and for evidence of his brave Spirit,
" pafs on che ocher ftde of thás Line, which íhall ferve for a Teílimony becween
" me and them of their Faich and Refolucion; and lec fuch ¡is find in chemfelves
~' a Cowardly Spirit, and a Soul too mean for fo fublime an Aél:ion, lec chem
" return to
Panama;
for my pare, I will force no Man, being refolved
to
rernain
" here my felf with chofe few rhac will be my Companions, noc doubciog bue–
" that God, for che Glory and Honour of bis moíl: holy Name, will
fo
affiíl: us
" with his Divine Providence, that we íhall find no wanc of chofe who out of
" Fear and Cowardife forfake us.
The
SpaniardJ
having heard the conclufion of chis Speech, immediately haíl:ed
aboard with ali [peed imaginable, left any unlucky accident íhould prevent cheir
recurn
to
Panama ;
foras che difficulty and fear of Labour is always more prevalenc
in mean and poor Spirits, chan che thoughrs of Honour, or hopes of Riches,
fo
thefe vile and abjeé\: Souls forfook their generous Capcain, who would have con–
duél:ed chem
to
che heighc of eternal Fame, to recum ignorniniouíly wich cheir
Judge. Howfoever thirteen remained for Companions wirh
Pifarro,
who could
noc be corrupced or difcouraged by che
íl1
examples oí che Fugitives, bue racher
having cheir Hearts and Spirics more enflamed wich Diídain againft rhe cowardly
and bafe, they courageouíly paífed che Line which
Pi~arro
had drawn with his
Sword, and chere renewed cheir Vows and Proteíl:acions, of Coníl:ancy and Faich,
promifing to live and dye with their Oiprain and generous Leader.
Piyarro
having returned chern Thanks, and promifed chem che Prizes and Re,
wards of their Conqueíl:s, chey paífed over in a Boac to anocher Iíland, called che
Gorgona,
where they endured greac wanc ofal! Provifions, living for feveral monrhs
and days on no ocher füíl:enance rhan wirh Se:1.-weeds, and great Serpem~, and
ocher creeping Creatures, of which chat Iíland yields great abundance; and is
miferably infeíl:ed wich Rains, an_g fubjeét ro terrible Lighcnings and Thunder;
in
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