At Length,
The Principal Cacique Of Tumbez Sued For Peace, And Made Some Presents Of
Gold And Silver In Token Of Submission.
Having thus reduced the province of Tumbez, Pizarro left a part of his
troops there under the charge of Antonio de Navarre and Alonso Requelme,
the former of whom was Contador or comptroller of accounts, and the latter
treasurer, both in the service of his majesty.
Taking along with himself
the greater part of his troops, he went forwards to the river _Poechos_[7],
thirty leagues to the southward of Tumbez, in which march, as the caciques
and inhabitants received him peaceably, he conducted himself in a friendly
manner to the natives. Passing beyond the before mentioned river, he came
to the bay of Payta, which is the best on all that coast; whence he
detached de Soto to reduce the caciques inhabiting the banks of the river
Amatape or Chira, in which he succeeded after a slight resistance, all the
caciques and natives submitting and demanding peace.
While at this place, Pizarro received a message from Cuzco by certain
envoys sent by Huascar, informing him of the revolt of his brother
Atahualpa, and requesting his assistance to establish him, as the lawful
sovereign, in his just rights[8]. On the receipt of this message, Pizarro
determined to take advantage of the divisions in Peru. He sent therefore
his brother Ferdinand to Tumbez to bring the troops from thence; and
established a colony at San Miguel in the district of Tangarara, near the
sea on the river Chira[9], as a port in which to receive vessels coming
with reinforcements from Panama. Having placed a garrison in St Miguel,
and made a division of all the gold and silver which had been procured
since leaving Puna, the governor marched with the rest of his army for the
province of Caxamarca, in which he was informed that Atahualpa then
was[10].
On this march towards Caxamarca, the Spaniards suffered intolerably, while
passing through the dry and burning sandy desert of Sechura, where for
above fifty miles they could not find any water to drink, or a single tree
to shelter them from the sun. This desert reaches from San Miguel or the
river Piura to the province of Motupe, in which latter they found some
well peopled vallies full of verdure, and were supplied with abundance of
provisions and refreshments to restore them after the fatigues and
privations they had suffered in the desert. Marching from thence by way of
the mountain towards Caxamarca, Pizarro was met by an envoy from Atahualpa,
bringing presents from that prince, among which were painted slippers and
golden bracelets. This messenger informed the governor, that, when he
appeared before Atahualpa, he must wear these slippers and bracelets, that
the prince might know who he was[11]. Pizarro received this envoy with
much kindness, and promised to do every thing that had been required on
the part of Atahualpa; desiring the envoy to inform his sovereign that he
might be assured of receiving no injury from him or the Spaniards, on
condition that the Peruvians treated them with peace and friendship; as he
had it in orders from the king his master, who had sent him to this
country, to do no harm to any one without just cause.
On the departure of the Peruvian envoy, Pizarro continued his march with
great precaution, being uncertain whither the Indians might not attack him
during the passage of the mountains, in one part of which he had to pass
through an almost inaccessible narrow defile, where a few resolute men
might have destroyed his whole party. On his arrival at Caxamarca, he
found another messenger from Atahualpa, who desired that he would not
presume to take up his quarters in that place until he received permission
for the purpose. Pizarro made no answer to this message, but immediately
took up his quarters in a large court, on one side of which there was a
house or palace of the Inca, and on the other side a temple of the sun,
the whole being surrounded, by a strong wall or rampart of earth. When he
had posted his troops in this advantageous situation, he sent captain Soto
at the head of twenty horsemen to the camp of Atahualpa, which was at the
distance of a league from Caxamarca, with orders to announce his arrival.
On coming towards the presence of Atahualpa, Soto pushed his horse into a
full career, making him prance and curvet to the great terror of many of
the Peruvians, who ran away in a prodigious fright. Atahualpa was so much
displeased at his subjects for their cowardice, that he ordered all who
had run away from the horse to be immediately put to death.
After Soto had delivered his message, Atahualpa declined giving any direct
answer, not choosing to address his discourse immediately to Soto: He
spoke first to one of his attendant chiefs, who communicated what the king
had said to the interpreter, after which the interpreter explained what
had been said to Soto. While this circuitous conversation was going on,
Ferdinand Pizarro arrived with some more horsemen, and addressed Atahualpa
in the name of his brother, to the following effect. "That his brother the
general had been sent to wait upon Atahualpa by his sovereign Don Carlos
with an offer of friendship and alliance, and wished therefore to have an
audience of his majesty, that he might communicate what had been given to
him in charge by the king of Spain." To this Atahualpa replied; "That he
accepted with pleasure the offer of friendship from the general, provided
he would restore to his subjects all the gold and silver he had taken from
them, and would immediately quit the country; and that on purpose to
settle an amicable arrangement, he meant next day to visit the Spanish
general in the palace of Caxamarca."
After visiting the Peruvian camp, which had the appearance of an immense
city, from the prodigious multitude of tents and the vast numbers of men
which it contained, Ferdinand Pizarro returned to his brother, to whom he
gave a faithful account of every thing he had seen, and of the words of
Atahualpa.
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