288.
[7] Perhaps that now called Mancora, intermediate between the river of
Tumbez and that of Piura. In this route Pizarro had to cross a
mountainous district, not mentioned by Zarate, called the hills of
Castro, Aguarro, and Pachini - E.
[8] Garcillasso suspects that this message must have come from some
_curaca_ in the interest of Huascar, who was then a prisoner to
Atahualpa. - E.
[9] San Miguel stands on the river Piuru, which runs into the sea upwards
of forty miles farther south than the Chira. This colony being
intended for a harbour to receive reinforcements, was probably first
established at the mouth of the river, where Sechura now stands. The
present town of San Miguel is near thirty miles from the sea - E.
[10] In this adventurous march into the interior of an extensive empire,
the forces commanded by Pizarro, who had now received several
reinforcements, consisted of 62 horsemen and 102 foot soldiers, twenty
of whom were armed with cross-bows, and only three carried muskets or
rather matchlocks. - Robertson, H. of Amer. II. 295. He appears also to
have had two small field-pieces. - E.
[11] This envoy would assuredly bring some other message; and accordingly
Robertson, II. 296, says that he offered an alliance, and a friendly
reception at Caxamarca. Garcilasso gives a long and vague account of
the object of this message, and enumerates many articles of provisions
and curiosities, and some rich presents of gold and silver dishes and
vases which were sent on this occasion by Atahualpa to Pizarro. - E.
[12] Robertson, II. 299, suppresses all mention of any hostile intentions
on the part of Atahualpa. - E.
[13] Robertson, note cxxx, justly observes, that the extravagant and
absurd discourse of Valverde, of which that given by Zarate in the
text is an epitome, is merely a translation or paraphrase of a form,
concerted in 1509 by a junto of Spanish lawyers and divines, for
directing the office employed in the New World how to take possession
of any new country. - E.
[14] In this engagement, or massacre rather, according to one Spanish
writer 2000 Peruvians were slain, while another author swells the
number to six or seven thousand, and a third says five thousand. Of
the Spaniards not one was even hurt except the general Pizarro, who
was wounded in the hand by one of his own soldiers. - Roberts. Hist. of
America. II. 302. and note cxxxi.
[15] Considerable even as this sum appears, it seems too small for the
sovereign of so vast an empire which abounded so much in gold; yet we
have no means of correcting the amount. Garcilasso however mentions
one piece of goid plate found in the baths of Atahualpa after the
battle worth 100,000 ducats; but his work is so strange a farrago of
confusion and absurdity as to bear very little authority. - E.
[16] The omission of the length and breadth of this room by Zarate, is
supplied by Robertson, ii. 503, from the other original Spanish
authors, who say the room was 22 feet long by 16 feet broad. The reach
of Atahualpa could not be less than. 7-1/2 feet, 2640 cubic feet of
gold, even heaped up of hollow vessels, must have produced a most
astonishing value of that precious metal; but there are no data on
which to calculate the numerical value of this imperial ransom, which
the Spaniards certainly meant to accept, but would never have
fulfilled the alternative. - E.
[17] The sum in the text is quite vaguely expressed; perhaps pieces of
eight reals, or dollars. - E.
[18] At 17-1/2 leagues to the degree, this government accorded to Pizarro,
would have reached from about Tacames to the lat. of 11 deg. 25' S.
whereas the kingdom of Peru extends to lat. 21 deg. 35' S. and its most
valuable and richest provinces would have fallen to the share of
Almagro. - E.
[19] This expression is entirely vague, and does not even say which
governor is meant. We shall see afterwards that this project of
Almagro to appropriate the southern part of Peru took place at a
subsequent period, and involved the recent conquest in long and
destructive civil wars. - E.
[20] Reckoning the mark at _eight_ ounces, the gold at L.4, and the silver
at 5s 6d. per oz. this royal fifth would come to L.108,000, and the
whole treasure to five times that sum, or L.540,000. But as the
precious metals were then worth at least _six_ times as much as now,
or would purchase _six_ times the amount of labour or necessaries,
this first fruit of the conquest of Peru exceeded the value of three
millions sterling. - E.
[21] Of this tragical event, the illustrious Historian of America, gives a
somewhat different account, II. 310, from Herrera and Garcilasso de la
Vega; which, as much too long for a note, is subjoined in the text to
the narrative of Zarate, and distinguished by inverted commas. - E.
[22] Probably the district now called Jauja: as the x and j have nearly
the same sound in Spanish with the aspirated Greek xi. - E.
[23] Apparently Guancavelica, in which is the town of Vilca-bamba. - E.
[24] This name of _Paul_ could hardly be Peruvian. Manco Capac, a full
brother of Huascar, had been recognized as Inca at Cuzco; perhaps the
person named Paul by Zarate, is the same prince who is called Paullu
by Gardilasso, and may have received that name in baptism at an after
period. - E.
[25] This it probably an error of the press for _Condesugo_. To the south
of Cusco, and in the plain of Peru, there are two contiguous districts
named the Condesuyos of Arequipa and Cusco, which are probably the
province alluded to in the text. The term seems Spanish; but it is not
unusual with Zarate to substitute posterior names to those of the
period concerning which he writes.
![Mexico - A General History And Collection Of Voyages And Travels - Volume 4 - By Robert Kerr
- - Roberts. H. of Amer. II. 288.
[7] Perhaps that now called Mancora, intermediate between the river of
Tumbez and that - Page 175](../images/travel.jpg)
