- 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.
