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R.oyal Commerf;tarie1. BooK IiI.
cheir Fortunes by Poífeffions in che City of Co:uo, where it was rny Forcune co
have acquaincance with them.
There four walking fofcly over a Plain, to eare their Horres, which were much
tired with the Labours ofche laíl:'Engagemenc, andb.eing at fome diíl:ance frotP.the
place ~here the,Batt~l was fou~ht,..they dircq"!1id1on the fi~e ofaJit~e Hill m'élow,
. fe\ren indian Gent!errlen, all arme~ with thei'r' OV(S and Anpws, góiÓg o,ibirí.wjth
che ,fíldian Army·;' and very' gallant, with 'e 'eir Plumes of Feáthers,~ and orher
Ornaments. So foon as chey faw che Spaniards, they put themfelves into Rank,
ac cen or cwelve paces diíl:anc each from che ocher, with defign to divide che:
Enemy , thac they might come apare, and noc in a Body cogether. The Sp_a–
niards made figns to them , chat tbey were Friends , and would noc fight
wich chem; bue nocwithíl:andiog che Jn prepared their Arms, and would
noc accepc of cheir.Friendfhip, fo thac fides engaged wich greac Courage
and Refolution. ! , ,
The Spaniards (as chey reporc chemrelves} fay that they were afhamed of che
inequalicy of chis match, cbat four Cavaliers, fuch as they were, well arrned, and
rnounted on their Horres, wich Lances ín-cheiF Hands, íhould engage wich íeven
Jndiam on Fooc, and naked, wichout defenfive Arms, who notwichfianding re–
fured noc to fighc with as much coura_ge, as if their Breafts had been covered with
Steel, affiíl:ing and helping each ocher with much Bravery. Thac Jndi"n who
had none to encounter hím, always helped hirp, chac was engaged, and fo alcer–
natively cam~ in, co che füccour each of other, fometimes crofs, and fornetimes
behínd, according to che Order and Method agreed amongll them; fo chat for
the moíl: pare, two Jndians foughc wich one Sp11niard. At lengch, after a long
Skírmifh, th:it every Spaniard had killed his Jndian, and one of them was in pur–
fuit ofa fingle lndian, who, as he was flying, took up a Scone, which he chrew
and hit che Beaver of his Head~piece, which covered his Face, wich füch force
as half fiunn'd him, and had killed him outright, had ic noc beeq for thac piece
of Armour; howfoever, nocwithílanding che Blow, che Spani11rd made an end of
chis lndian and killed him alfo. ·
The ocher cwo Jndirms Aed, and ercaped; for che Spm1iard1 were not very
eager to puríue chern, confideríng chac their Horres had been rnuch tired, and
haraífed wich chis fecond, as well as wich the firíl: Encounrer; fo chac chey
choughc ic neicher honourable, nor worch rheir pains, to kili the two furviving
lndians.
Afcer che Skirmifh was over, che four Companions íl:aid a while, to examine
themfelves, and to know what hure each Man had received; and upon Enquiry
chey found, chat three of them were wounded , and chac two of there three
had received chree Wounds apiece, though ílighc ones, and che fourth had
his Horfe wounded wich an Arrow, che which hure was many Days in bea–
ling; according as he, who was Maíl:er of che Horfe, related ic to me in chis
rnanner:
" Ali four of us, ·faid he, were wounded , bue I mofl: grievouily of any, be.:
'' cau[e I w:is more fenfible of che hure, which my Horfe received, rhan if I had
" been wounded my felf, by reafon of che great wanc I had of him. I remember
when I was a Child, che great lamentation che Spaniards made for cheir Horfes,
and would rather have been wounded chemfelves than cheir Horres; and in like
manner this Gentleman was rroubled fpr chis misforcune. .
'
In fine, chefe four returned co che Army , and acqu:iinted cheir Companions,
cbat the Engagemenc which they had had with che [even lndians chat day, ·was
more dangerou¡, than che greac fighc with fix or feven thoufand of them. Several
ocher Skirmifhes paífed che fame day of che like nacure, one of whích was thac
which we have recounced in che lall Chapter of che firíl Book of chis fecond
Pare, where we fpeak of che Loyalcy and Affeétion which the l ndi1m1 caken in
fight profefs unco che Spaniards. In chis rnanner chey marched forward, ñghcing
every other day more or leís, untill chey carne to a warlike People, ,called Ch11q11i–
faca, where chey engaged with many thoufands of Jndians, who firaitned che Spa–
niards wich want of ProviÍions, ,and kepc them always allann'd wirh continua]
Skirmiíhes, wherein rnany were .killed and wounded, which che Hifl:orians men–
tion, bue wich greac brevity.
Gomar11