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.
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