750 / 1070
Royal
Commentariu.
Book
IV.
CH A P.
XXVI.
Gon~alo Pi~arro
fiill continuing to pwfue the Vice-/<f-ng
,
both Armies fuftain great [amine a11(L hard/hip in their
march.
The violent death of the Vice-ki,ng's Major Ge–
neral and Captains.
G
Onptlo Eiptrro
ílill continuing to pu~fue the Vice-king, re(o~ved totally to
defeac liis whole Force; and accordrngly, for betcer exped!Clon, decached
abouc fifcy feleét Hor[emen under che command of
Francifco de Carvajal ,
to
fali
in upon the rere of the Enemy, whilíl himfelf followed che rnain body of che
Ann·y. On che ocher fide, he
Cent
Orders to
Hernando Bachicao,
who
was
then on
che Coafl:, to leave his Sbips at
Tumpiz.
under a good Guard, and
to
march with
whac Forces he had,
to
joio wich his at
fl!!_itu.
And having given thefe Orders he
cominued che purfüic, giving courage and [pirit to
Carvajal;
who knew thac he
fhould be
well
[econded in a very fhorc time.
In
che mean time che Vice-king
encouraged his people, and having marched eighc Leagues in one ~y, chey difpo–
fed rhemfelves to reíl:, foppofing chac chey were goc far out of che reach of cheir
Enemies; bue
Francifco
·
de Carvajal
who ílepc noc , fell inco cheir quarters abouc
four
hours in che nighc; and gave chem che
firíl:
allarum with his own Trumpet.
The Vice-king immediacely arofe, and rallying his people togerher as well
as
he could, drew chem inco a poíl:ure of defence, apd
fo
rnarched away :
Carvajal
follo\~ ing clofe upon their he Is,
wok
forne of che Fooc, who lagged
in
che rere;
burfo foon as ic was day, chac chey could cake a,yiew of each ocher, che Vice–
kingperceiving che fü1all number, drew
out
his rnen to give rhem attel, and di–
vided bis Body, .conGíling of a hundred and fifcy rnen, inco cwo divifi ns or f<1ua–
drons : bue
Carvajal,
not being willing to engage on fuch difadvamages, founded
a
Retreac: upon
v\
hit:h che Vice-king drew off his en , and proceeded on his
march; bu , alas
!
wirh little comforr,
for
his men were perifhing wirh rravail
and famine , and cheir Horres fo faint for wancof grafs and provender, that they
\~ ere nor
fir
for a march : wherefore che Vice king , commirerating che condicion
of his men, told them, chat if any one of rhem were defirous
to
remain behind,
he freely gav
rhem cheir difcharge, bue noc a man of rhern accepced chereof,
bue
íaid, rh e rhey would rach r die with him, rhan eferc hit'n : fo chey marched
day and níghr witl ouc fleep, or repofe , or fuflenance, or any refreíhment.
In
che mea
o,
tim::: inrelligence w,is given
tO
Goni¡a!o Pii¡arro
of whac had paffed becween
che Vice-king and
Carvajrd;
of which fome who were Enemies
to
Carvajal
made
ufe,
ro
difparage his Conduét, faying, rhat ic was in hi power
to
have defeaced
the whole force of che Enerny at rhat rime , having fürprized chern as they were
íleeping and acreíl: and
I
find that fome Hi.ílor·ans objeét chis matter againíl:
him as a poim of negleét:
bue I ,
who knew the perfon of che man, am of an–
orher opinioo, and have heard from many well experienced in che War, thac
fince che time
ofrulir,u
Ctffar,
chere bachnocbeen a greacer Souldier than he, che
cruel¡¡ is, and1Co all.Hiíl:orians report, chac che V~ce-king being a hundred and
fif.
ry
to fifcy, tbar
is,
rhree ro one, ic was prudence in him not
co
advemure on fuch
a diíadvamageous imderraking, bue rather
to
make a Bridge of Silver
for
defpe–
race rnen
rn
eícape over. Moreover forne fay he had no Commiílion to engage,
or to hazard his men; bue in military matters íc is hard
to
cenfure great Captains,
who berrer underftand tl\e fecrec of their affairs rhan Scrangers can do. Howfo–
ever che matcer was,
Goni¡alo Pii¡arro
reinforced him with cwo hundred meo more,
which he
(ene
under the command of
Licenciado Carvajal,
by which auxiliary force
chey allarum'd and purfued fhe Vice-king umill he carne
to
che Province, and
peope called
/íyah11ac,1,
feizing every day fome of rheir Men, Horfes and Baggage,
fo
chat byche time he carne
to
Ayah11aca,
be had fi:arce eighry Men remaining of
all his numbei" ; howfoever he proceeded forward
ro
fl!!_itu,
,where he hoped
to
find Provifion for bis Men.
In rhe like íl:raics alfo was che Army of
Pif«m
,
who