4000003871

BooK

Royal

Commentaries.

ro rime he had advices_of whatfoever was aéted in the Enemies Carnp:

rhe

time ofVVar,

lndians

were not perfons to keep a Secret, for they ferved for Spies

on both lides ; becaufe being doubtfull to which the Viétory would incline, they

endeavoured to gratifie borJ-i parties; that fo che Conquerour mighc not return

them ill for che good Offices- they had done him. And though we have in ano–

ther place touched on the Treachery of the

Jndians

in rhis particular, yet here t):lore

efpecially we are concerned again to repeat it, becaufe the Secret which che Prefi–

denc on this occafion comrnitted as well to che

Jndians

as to the

Spanfards

was

8i9

·•

( according ro th~ opinion of Hiílorians) of high concernment. And though

Gpnfalo Piyarro

received certain imelligence that the Ptefidenc was rnarching

to:

wards him, arrd was ignorant of none of his proceedings, yet he thought not

fic

ro obfüuét ·him in his march or defend che difficulc paífes

(

of which there were

very many) but onely to keep his own ground, and expeét che coming of

Gafca-:;

for having been flufhed with many Viétories , he did not doubt of the coníl:anc

fuccefs of formne.

thé other fide

Francifco de Carvajal,

who day and night ap–

plied his thoughts to military Affairs, that he might promote

Pifarro

to the Go-

vernment of that Empire, obferving in him a íl:range negligence of his Affairs ,

and wichout other Counfeis- than onely

give the Enemy battel ; he went to

hirn, and defired his confideration of fome macters which he had to impart to

him. Sir , {aid he, confidering the late Succeífes , and che prefent íl:ate of your

Affairs, and che dubious fortune ofWar, I would not advife you to hnard your

whole íl:ake on che uncertainties of a Barre!, but rather endeavour to avoid figh–

ting, and prolong the War untill fuch time as fome happy conjunéture happens to

fecure your Affairs. To which end I will lay before you what rnay be faid concer–

ning the {late of both Armies, chat fo I may acquit rny felf in ali poincs relating

unto your felf, and to that caufe in which we are

deeply engaged.

Now, Sir, in order to obtain viétory over your Enemies, it is in the

firíl:

place neceífary for you

abandon this City and leave ic wholly difpeopled ; the

Milis muíl: be broken down, ali Proviíions caken away, rhe -lnhabitants forced to

cake refuge; in other places, and ali their Goods, and what elfe is ·not portable or

be carried with them , confumed and burnt ;.

thac there may remain nothing

which rnay be of ufe and-relief for the Enemy. There are two thoufand men

marching againíl: us, half of which are Seamen and a forc of raw Souldiers who are

almoíl: naked, wichout Hofe or Shoes

their Feet, and,half íl:arved; and liv€

onely in hope of coming

this City, where chey may fatísfie their hunger, and

be cloched:

in wnich wben chey fhall find themfelves difappointed, and nothing

but mifery and defolacion, they will be totally difcouraged, and che Prelídent will

be forced to disband them, having no poflibility to fupporc and fuíl:ain chem.

-. In

the next place I would have ali

Cénteno's

Souldiérs difmiíl:; for ki10wing

themfelves to be'a conquered people, they can never be goe5d friends: Yoo 'have

ac leaíl: five hundred men, .,.~·ho _Í1nce the Battel of

Huarina

are come in to you,

par.t~ke of the benefits of your Viétory, ali which are choice rnen , who will ne–

ver.leave you, or forfake their Colours in the greateíl: extrernities.

I would ha,ve

tvvo parties of Mufquetiers , of fifty men each , detached ltom che main Eody ,

and. fent to the ríg~t-hand of che way , and -to che left ; wirh orders to march

twenty or thirty leagues diíl:ant from the Army, and to feize ali Carde and 0ther

Provifions they can meet; anq·bring chem ro us, and what cannot be carried with

them ,

bum and deílroy , chat nothing thereof may remain for fubíiíl:ence of

the Enemy.

In -this manner your Camp will be fupplied and fed with Kids and

Sheep and other ProviÍ1ons of the Coumrey, and with whatfoever the frefh Pro–

vinces, through which we are

pafs, do afford : whilíl: che Enemy purfuing

us with cwo thoufand rnen, halfof which are ufeleís, will find chemfelves

i'n

greac

wants and neceflities ; and then che other half, which are Souldiers and men ex–

perienced in War, will be íl:arved for want of'Provifions, which they muíl: be

forced to fetch from pares above a hundred leagues diíl:ant from them; for ali the

Viétuals which the Countreys afforded through which they paífed are already con..,

fumed , and they muíl: daily leave thofe pares at a farther diíl:ance in cafe chey

purfue after us.

But indeed füch a purfuit with a choufand men will be almoíl: impoflible ,

that they muíl: be coníl:rained to divide their Forces into two bodies , againíl: any

one of which fingly your men will have che advantage. And in cafe you fhall be

willing to decline fighting, you may march from,one Province to another , and

M m m m m

protraét