574 / 1070
542-
Royal
Coinmentarin.
Bo.ciK·ÍI.
great multitude, but notas yet the Weapons they carried, wherewich
to
offend
rhe Horfe, ( which were the Cre~tures ~hey ~oíl: dreaded,
!
chey refolved
to
re–
rreat into rhe Markec-place, wh1ch bemg w1de and fpac10us, was much more
advancageous for rec:iving rh_e _Enemy, rhan in rhe narrow Su:eets: And be–
ing rhere drawn up m Batcaha, tf1e ~ody of J_nfancry, confühng of one hun–
dred and rwenty Men , was placed m rhe m1ddle, flanked on each ftde with
the Horfe, noc being above Eighcy in all; of which two Tro~ps, of twenty in
a
Troop, were placed in rhe Van, a~d two 'troops, of the hke number, were
drawn up in the Rere,
fo
thac rhey m1ght charge the Enemy on whatfoever ftde
rhey fhould be attacked by chem.
The
Jndians
feeing che
Spaniards
in a Body, aífau!ted them on every pare with
great fury intending
to
over-run chern in an iníl:ant; bue che Horfe fallying out
upon che~, made Houe 'refiíl:ance, and foughc wit~ them untill Break of Day,
when rhe
Jndians
again reinforced che Baccel, and ramed íhow~rs of Arrows up–
on chem, with Volliés of Stones difcharged from, their Slings, howfoever che
Horfe, (which is wonderfull
to
coníider) revenged themfelves upon rhem with
their Lances , killing in every onfec, an hundred and fifry, or two hundred
Jn–
dians;
by reafon chac tbey neither carried defenfive Arms, nor ufed Pikes to·keep
offthe Horfe, chough chey were armed wich them; for not being -ufed to fighc
againíl: Cavalry , bue onely Fvot to Foot , ~nd naked Men againíl: naked Men;
the
Spaniards
by cheir Horfe and Armour prevailed over ~he
lndians
with greac
Slaughter, who hoped nocwichíl:anding by their numbers to .become Conque-
rours in che end.
·
In
chis poíl:ure of War che
Jndians
continued for ,che [pace of (eventeen Days
to íl:raicen and beíiege rhe
Spaniards
in che Markec-place of
Couo,
not permit–
ring chem to fally forch; during which time, as well by ~ight
as
by Day, the
Spaniards
continued in rheir Ranks and Squadr_ons , to be
m
a readinefs againíl:
the Enemy, and as often as chey wenc
to
dnnk, che.y were forced ro go in
Companies to rhe Screarn, which mns ~hrough che Screets of che Cicy; and ro
fearch inco che Ruines of the Houfes, which were butm, for Mayz, which was
rhe onely Food rhey had to fuíl:ain rhem ; bue Provender for their Horfes 1,,yas
more wancing rhan Viél:uals for themfelves, howfoever they found fome Pro~
vifion for fupporc boch of one ~nd che ocher, rhough rnuch damaged hy rhe
Fire, which Hunger and Neceffity made paífable.
On
which particular
Carate
reporcs as followech.,
" In
chis manner che
/,1ca
attempted
Couo
with ali his Force, and belieged
ic
" for eight Months, and ar every Full of rhe Moon he íl:ormed rhe
Spaniards
" on ali íides , bue
Hernando Piyarro
,
and his Brothers , vvirh many Gentlemen
" and Capcains, chat vvere vvirhin che Cicy, made
{louc
reíiíl:ance, and repulfed
;; che_
1
ndians
vvich gre_at Valo~r
j
in vvhich Afüons chofe vvhich vvere moíl: fig-
nahzed, vvere
Gabriel de ROJM, Reman Ponce de Leon , Don Alonfo Enrique,:,;
and
" che Treafurer
Riquelme,
vvich many ochers; all vvhich, vvirh cheir Souldiers
'' behaved chem[elves vvich Courage and Bravery, and none of them unbraciog
" cheir Armour, either by day or night, fighting like defperate Men, vvho had
" given ali over for !oíl:; for baving received incelligence, that che Governour
" and all che
Spaniards,
v,vere cut off~and ílain by rhe
Jndian,,
vvho had made
l
" general Infun·ell:ion in ali pares, they expeél:ed no Relief or Succour, bue
" from God, nor Safety, bue in their ovvn Arms, rhough rhey kil!ed and vvoun-
" ded che
Jndi,ms
very much, and daily diminiíhed their numbers.
:
Thus
far
ar~ che Wor~s of
Carate,
vvho briefly relates che gre:it Danger and
che m~ny Scra1ts to vvh1ch rhefe C:o.nquero1:11's v_vere reduced ~n rhis Siege.
vv~erem, chough rhey ufed all rhe d1hgence 1magmable
to
prov1de themfelves
vvirh Food, yet al! had not fufficed
to
free them from Famine, had not rheir
Jndian
Servants, vvho lived vvich them in their Houfes, like good and
futhfull
Friends, fupplied rheir vvancs
j
for by day they paffed over ro che Enemy, in
vvhom
to
bege~ a Confidence of rhern, rhey feemed to fighr againfl: che
Spania–
ards
,
and by mghc they recurned to chem laden vvich Provifions ; ali vvhich is
confirméd by che Teíl:imony of
Gomar11
and
Carate,
though rhat and rhe orher
~ncerprifes of rhe
In;ª
are_ touched ~nely in íhon by rhern, vvho are filenc alfo
m
che accounc of thofe Miracles vvhICp our Lord
Je(us
Chrifi vvorked ar
Couo
in