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VII.
·
R oya l
Commentaries.
drons inro divers parrs
j
one of whicb was
'/ohn de Piedrahita
with Ítxty Souldiers,
and the orher was
Salvador de Lof_ana
V',
ith forcy orhei·s. From his Maj"eíl:y's Camp
Geronimo de Co.fti!la,
a Citizen of
Co~co,
was ordered wich twency five Souldiers to
fcour che Coumrey, and difcover che enemies quarters
j
le was bis forcune
to
cake
that way by which
'/ohn de Piedráhita
was coming
j
bue having incelligence chac he
was not above
four
leagues diftanc, and thac he was [rxcy rnen íl:rong,
he
made
his recrear, not being able to engage wich
fo
great a number. But on che orher
fide
Piedrahita
having advice from che
lndi,:ms
(who as we have faid are Spies for
both parties) thac
Geronimo Cofti!la
was not far from him, he marched in che night
towards him, and by break of day beac up bis Q!arters, where, íurpriÍtng him un-
2wares, he rouced him, and too~ three prifoners, and ther.ewith recurned to the
Arrny.
CH A ·P.
IX.
Three of the ¡ang's Captains tc_1k_e a Cáptain and fortj
Sou!–
diers belonging to the Rebels : they deliver them up to one
of
the Juftic~s.
Francifco Hernandez
finding 'lizany of his_
Souldiers .to i-evoü from him, refolvés to engage the
Royal
Amry,
A
Ccording to che fucceffes ofWar; which are aiways various and doubtfull,
it was che fortune of
Geronimo de,Co.fti!la
in bis recrear to meet wich
Geronirho
de Silva,
whom che Juíl:ices had fent afcer him with fome recruits
j
and being
fearfull chat
Hernande;;;:,
was drawing towards them with bis whole Army, they both
judged
fit
to retreat, and in the way it was their chance to take an
Jndian
who
was a domeíl:ick Servant to Captain
Salvador de Lof.ana;
to
whom chey put divers
queílions, and forced him to confefs in what place his Maíl:er was, and what núm–
ber of people he had with him : ofwhich they fenc advice to the Judges, and
de
4
fired a fufficienc recruit ofMento furprife and take them; The Juíl:ices immedi–
ately upon chis notke di[pacched away
Lope Martin
with fixty men more for their
afliíl:ence, who joyning with
Gt:ronimo de Co.ftilla,
and
Geronimo de Silva,
fo
well ma–
nagecl _their buíineís, that though che enemy were good Souldiers, and well armed
wich Fire-locks, and had .poíl:ed themfelves in a faíl: place, yet upon promi[e of
pardon foral! their paíl: offences to bis Majeíl:y they fobmicted and furrendred rhem–
felves, and carne quietly out of ·their
Fort,
fuffering themfelves all to be taken,.
except one man, who made bis efcape to carry che news thereof to
Prancifco Her–
nande~,
who was greacly croubled thereat, becaufe he confided much i~
Lófana
and
his Souldiers, .who were che beíl: and choiceíl: rnen chat he had in al! his Army.
The prifoners being carried to che King's Camp, the Jufüces would have hanged
them all, but that che Souldiers began to mminy, proteíl:ing that they woald never
more make excurfions inco che Countrey, nor aét farther againíl: che enemy, in
ca[e rhefe men were executed
j
for that might provoke che concrary parcy to re:
turn rhem che like, -and oblige che Souldi~ry to aét on both fides in a defperate
manner : che Captains alfo took up che rnatter in favour of their Souldiers, and
petitioned che Court of Juíl:ice to moderare che Sencence: who chereupon to put
them out ofÍtght and view of che Army,
frnt
Lofana
and his Souldiers to
Alta1pi–
rano
his Majeíl:y's Judge Advocate at Sea, to difpofe of chem as he thought
fit
~
who by virtue ofthat Warranc hanged up
Lorana
and other cwo of che rnoíl: culpable
amongíl: them, and baniíhed al! che reíl: out of the Kingdom.
Though chis lofs of Capcain
Lofana
and bis .Souldiers very much troubled and
afHiét:ed
Hernandei::;,
yet, not to íhew himfelfdifmayed, he proceeded forwar.d with
his Army, depending much upon che plots and ílrategems of War whic:h he had
concrived : and being come to the Valley of
Pachacamac
four leagues diílanc from
the City of
Los
R9n,
he called
a
Council ofWar to refolve on maccers which
were to be aét:ed : and there it was refolved, that by night they íhould furprife
thac pare of
thti:
Arrny which was encamped without
che
Cicy ; and chat
ti-rey
e
eeee
€
.
íhould