496 / 1070
R.oyal
Commentaries.
BooKt
CH A P. XXXI.
How
Huafcar Inca
demande<! fuccour ad jufiice from thé
r
wo who went on difcovery.
H
Ernand0
de
So/o,
and
Peter del Barco,
having travelled above ahundred
Leagues.
carne ac lengch to
Sau{a,
whern che Capcains of
Atahua!pa
held
Huafcar
in
·impri[onment; of which tbe
SpAniards
being infonped, they delired to fee him;
and clie
Inca
being in like manner ~efüoµs thereof, chough he was kept undér clofe
cuíl:ody , yet at length they obtained admiffion : What difcour[e paífed between
them at tnat time, was not well un~k~r~ood for want of an lnterpte~er ; nor could
chey exprefs chemfe!V¡es in any other manner, cñan by ftgns. Onely qÍCerwards
ic
was, reported, That
Huafcar
being informed by rhe
In~ians,
that the principal de–
ftgn of che
Spaniards
was to doe jufücq
7
and to reli ve¡yten under oppreífion and
violence, which precence (as che
Spanifh
Wricers affirm) was always in a fpeciou>'
manner publiíhed by nhe
Siraniards
from tbe tune of cheir firíl:,Invafton of chofe
Ü)untries, and which atal times they boaíl:ed
in
puríuance of che Commands of
his Majeíly, who enjoyned them/O hurt none, and to render unto every one
his
due: Of which (as we fay)
lbta¡car
beíng aífured, he with more affurance of re–
dre~, complained of\che tyranny, quelcy and injufüce, which he had received
from his Brorher
AtahuulpA,
who noc content to d~fpoil him and bis Heirs of
bis
Iüngdom and Dominions, refolved to bereave bim of bis life, and to that end
had ill)_prifoned him under
firiét
and watchfull Guards: Wherefore wich
all
ear–
nefinefs he conjured cliem, not to aba)ldon an~ ~eaye
him
in
that czondition, bqc
to cake him with chem out of the hands of thac Guard, which deílgned
(fo
foon
as they were departed) to puc him to death. And whereas chey had publiíhed
and made known unco all perfons, that tbeir incentions were to eafe and relieve
che oppreífed, he was well aífured, chat fo foon as chey had received true infoi--:
matíon from che Capcain-General of che jufüce of his caufe, chey would reHore
him again to bis Libercy and Kingdom : U_pon which condition he promifed
them not onely to fill che Charnber wich Veíléls of Gold and Silver unto che line
drawn by bis Brocher, but chac he would raiíe and pile chem up unto che very
ceiling ; for the performance ofwhich; he efieerned himfelf muen more able chan
his Brother ; in regard that he was well acquainced with che places where fecret
Treafures of bis Facher were concealed, and where his Ancefiours had amafied
irnrnenfe Sums and Riches, which his Brocher would have embezled, and much
diminiíhed, to build Temples and Alcars for accompliíhment of his Vo"s;
in
which he had been
fo
profufe, chat he was become poor, and unable
to
cornply
with the Ranfome which he had promifed.
In
anfwer whereunco,
Hernando
de
Soto,
and
Peter del Barco,
gave him
to
underfiand by ftgns, that in obedience to
the Comrnand of their Capcain-General, they were obliged to proceed as far
as
Co:i:.,co,
and for thac reafon could not fiay wich him , but ar tbeir remm they
would perform whatfoever might cend to bis fervice and advantage: After which
they departed, leaving poor
Huafcar
more fad and diíconfolace than before ; for
having once tntertained fome hopes and expeétation ofrelief by cheir coming, he
becarne abfolucely defperare, and defponding of life and comfon ; believing, as
it afierwards happened, chat their vifit and difcourfe was a prelude to bis death.
CH A P.