On Arriving At Tumbez He Was
Desirous To Take Possession Of The Island Of Puna, But As The _Curaca_ Of
That island defended himself courageously, Atahualpa did not think it
prudent to waste much time in the attempt, more especially
As he had
intelligence of the approach of Huascar with a numerous army; for which
reason he continued his march towards Cuzco, and arrived at Caxamarca,
where he established his head-quarters. From this place he detached two of
his principal officers at the head of two or three thousand light armed
troops, with orders to reconnoitre the army of the enemy, and to bring him
word of their numbers and situation. When this party had arrived at no
great distance from the camp of the enemy, they quitted the direct road
and made a circuit among the woods and mountains, to prevent the enemy
from discovering them. Procuring intelligence that Huascar had retired to
a place at some distance from his camp, attended by seven hundred of his
principal officers and nobles, on purpose to avoid the noise and confusion
of his great army, they attacked his quarters by surprise, easily defeated
his small escort, and made him prisoner. While endeavouring to make good
their retreat to the camp of Atahualpa with their great prize, they were
surrounded on every side by the vast army of the enemy, which could easily
have exterminated them, being at least thirty to one. But the commanders
of this fortunate detachment, immediately told Huascar that they would put
him to death, if he did not instantly give orders to his army to retire:
and at the same time assured him that his brother Atahualpa had no farther
desire than to be permitted to enjoy the kingdom of Quito in peace, for
which he would do homage to him as his king and lord. Huascar, terrified
by the prospect of death, and believing their promise of restoration to
liberty and dominion, issued peremptory orders to his army to desist from
their intended attack and to return to Cuzco, which they did accordingly;
and the Atahualpan officers carried Huascar a prisoner to Caxamarca, where
they delivered him up to their master. Thus were the affairs of Peru
situated when Don Francisco Pizarro arrived in that country with the
Spaniards; which conjuncture was exceedingly favourable to his views of
conquest, of which we shall give an account in the next section, as the
great army of Huascar was entirely dispersed, and Atahualpa had dismissed
a great proportion of his troops, after this fortunate event, which had
placed his enemy in his hands.
* * * * *
_Of the Peruvian History before the arrival of the Spaniards_[35].
"Peru, like the rest of the New World, was originally possessed by small
independent tribes, differing from each other in manners, and in their
forms of rude policy. All, however, were so little civilized, that, if the
traditions concerning their mode of life, preserved among their
descendants, deserve credit, they must be classed among the most
unimproved savages of America.
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