604 / 1070
57°
R.oyal Commentaries.
BooK
II.
velled by Day againíl: the advice and perfuaíion of the
Indians,
who aífured them,
that
it
was a matcer moíl: pernitious
to
their healch
to
travel over thofe fandy De–
farts
by,Day ; for that whilíl: the Sun refleéted in _its full viole!lce on them, che
Heats were infüpportable ; and thac unlefs they carnedWater w1th rhem, che peo–
ple would dye wich thiríl. But this advice given by the
Indians
to march by
Night, was not reg:irded by che
Sp~niards,
who irnagined that they gave that coun–
fel out of good will and favour to their
Inca.;
and therefore threatned to
kili
them
in cafe they did not hafien their Journey. The poor
Indian1,
who were hurnble
and obedient, fübrnitted
to
their pleafure
5
and having travelled a whole day, un–
till
an hour afcerSun-fetting, both they and the
Spaniards
found thernfelves in great
diíl:refs for want of Water ; and more efpecially the
Indi11n1,
who having carried
Burthens all the day, above five hundred of them periíhed with heat and thirfr:
The
Spanifh
Foot had incurred the like fate, bue that che Horfe underíl:anding that
a Ríver was not far diílant, ran thicher, and brought Water, which refreíhed them
in cheir great txtrernity : the which report
Auguftine Ciirate
confirms in che fixth
Chapter of his third Book, as may appear in tnefe Words following: ·
·
"
AIonfo de A!varado
paffing on his
J
ourney
to
Couo,
over a tándy
Defart,
fu–
" íl:ained fuch want of Water, that above five hundred of his
Indians,
who car–
" ried Burthens, were choaked wich thiríl: ; and had not che Horfe ran in haíle
" to
a
River, and brought 'thence in cercain Veífels fome Wat~r for refreíhment
'' of che
Sp11nifh
Foot, it is believed that they had all perifhed. Thus
far
are the
Words ·of
Carate.
For want of thoíe
Jndians
who died with chirft, they were forced to
füy
fome
Days, untill they were fupplied wich others to carry their Burchens. And noc to
incur again che like necefficy, they left che way of che Defart, and took up by the
Mountains, where they joyned with other two hundred Men, feventy of which
were Horfe, and che reíl: Foot, which che Marquis had fent under Command of
Gomn
de
Tordoya de 'l'Pga.,
anear Kinfman
to
Garyilitjfo
de
la
Vega,
to reauit che
Forces under
Abmfo
de
A/varado,
which confiíl:ed of five hundred
Spani¡¡ydJ:
All
whicb, as they marched through thofe mountainous and faíl: Countries, had many
Skirmifhes at every pafs with the
Indians
;
bue being well advifed by frequent
misforrunes of chis narure, chey marched warily, and with due care ro avoid che
like fnares, and unhappy fucceífes. Ac lengch chey rame to che Bridge called
Rumicacha,
which is
as
much as to fay che Srone-bridge; which being
a
difficult
pafs, che
Indians
did
ali
they were able to give a f.l:op to che Enemy at that place,
and many other Avenu~ they guarded with Souldiers; to gain which, che
Spani–
ards
made
a
Detachment of about forty or fi(ty Mufquetiers, with a greac num–
ber of chofe
Indians,
whom they had caken up
for
Servants, and which were
to
guide che
Spaniai-ds,
whilíl the Mufquetiers guarded che rere, untill che whole
Body
had &aped che danger of chofe clofe and sJifficult paífages. At che Bridge an in–
numerable Comp:rny of
Indians
crouded on che
Spaniard1,
and foughc valiantly;
che Barre! continued f~veral hours, bue at laíl: che
Indian1
were forced co give way
with great ílaughcer,
for
the Mufguetiers of which there were one hundred, galled
chem very much, and were chofe onely who gained che Viél:ory, for in chofe in–
clofures che Horfe were able
to
doe no fervice ; howfoever, che
Spaniards
!oíl:
twenty eight Men, and nine Horfes, beÍtdes many of their
!ndian
Servants.
As
Gomara
in che
1
38th Chapter relates in chefe Words:
"
A/varado
matched without any interruption with his five hundred
Spaniard:r,
''. ¡_Un.till he carne to
L,,michaca,
where is a Stone- bridge; bue rhere he met with
'' great nurnbers of
Indians,
who thought to cut off all che Chrifüans, or at leaíl:
,r
difperfe,them : But
A/varado
and his Souldiers, though encompaífed on
ali
fides
" with Enemies, fought wirh: that Valour and Conduét, that rhey over-chrew
" chem wich a great ílaughter : but chis Viétory coíl: che lives of many
SpaniardJ,
" and of many
Indian1,
who were friends, ande.ame co ferve and affifr them,
&c.
From
Rmnichaca Alonfo de Alvarado
proceeded forwards, skirmiíhing with che
In–
dians
at every turn, where che Paíles were narrow and difficult; :md though chey
conceived little hopes to overcome them, howfoever ic was fome fatisfafüon
to
them
to
diílurb chém in their March ; and chougl1 the
IndianJ
being no}'V beacen
out