The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

BooK -VU. • J . rherefore rhey were more inclinable to believe, rhat in regard rhat Coumrey is Jike Peru, mountainous, and ful! of precipi~es and hollow pl'!ces, and fubjeét ro Earthquakes, rhar rhe Spaniards w~re unadvifedly fallen, and perifhed in fome un- fiable, and falfe grounds:'and cav~s, rarhel.f tha?.l by the fot:ce and courage of rhe' Jndians, , whom afrer m:my years of experience, they concluded unable ro deíl:roy fucha number of Spaniards in batee!. \Vhilíl: rheyof Pe-;u remained in rhis doubt- full bel_ief ofmarters, after ~º days, time a more partictJ.!ar and cerrain relation Gfme of the Death of Paldivia, and a.Jl his Souldim, , with al! the eirc:umífarices of rhe late battel, which the lndians fought wirh him : tbe which I íhal:l relate according to tbat acconnt which was given of it from Chilí; the wnich having in the firíl: . place fpecified the Iníurreél:ion of the lndians, and the many iníolencies and ouc- rages they had committed, proceeded to tell us; Thar when Yaldivia carne ro rh~ place where tbefe. Rebels b( h111tca were aífernbled, he fmtnd r 3 or 14. .000 of ~hern in füms ; w~ich he fuddenly affaulrif1g witb bis _Horfe,, . di:d in rnany arid divers Skirtlilif.11e.s a.1ways beat rhem, and put rbem to flight j fo · ~hat rhe India/is vv,eré fo cerrified vvirh fear,. ªnd ,dread of the fqry of rhe Spanifh Horfe, rhat rbey would never ad'f€nrme imro the open Plains :,· for that ten Spaniards were ab:le ~o beat a thouf4nd lndians, but kept themfelves lurking in the W00ds and Mountains, ~here rhe Spá.?'ifo. Horfe co_uld not c~me_at them; and from tlwnce they ofrem fal- lie© out, doing all the fp01lS> and m1fch1efs thar they were ahle to 1:he S¡anit1'fd1, from whom they would receive oo Arrides or Propofals of Accommodation; be- jng more willing to dye, than obey, and ferve them longer. , · Thus the War was continued and carried on for many days, during which ·time the report was fpread in all parts o'f the Countrey of the Araucans ; and co- ming ro the Ears of an old Captáin of theirs, who bad been famous in War, and qf long experience ; bei:ng one day in bis Houfe,. he began to confider rhe reafon, l:iow it could be poílible for fo fmall a number as 1 50 Spaniards to fubdue anden- tlave 12 or 1 jooo Jndians; for that eirher rhey mull: be Devils, or otherwife im~ morral Men, as once the jndiam did ar the beginning befieve rhem to be, To diícover this myíl:@ry, and rhe reafon of this great diíproportlem in War; he one day afcended to the top of a Hill, from whepce·he could fee and furvey. tbe two Armies encamped ; that of the lndians was large, and far extended wirh greac .nurnbers of Men, rhat of the Spaniard! was litrle, and contraéled within a fmall compafs of ground: Confidering awhile hereupon, and of rhe fimacion of rhe w 0 Camps, and wondering how it was poffible for fo fmall a number to be al- ways viétorious over a greater ; he déparred, and went from thence ro rhe lndian Camp, where haviog called a Council, and made a long and racional difcourfe upon this fubjeél: ; he at laíl: rnade thefe Qgeries and Demands in the cafe : Whether the Spaniards vvere mortal Men, like them, or yvhether rhey vvere irnmorral and incorruptible bodies, like thofe of the Sun and Moon ? Whecher they vvere infenfible of hunger and thiríl:, and íl:ood in need of íleep or repofe af- ter roil and labour? and in íhort, vvhether they vvere made of flefh and bones, or of íl:eel and iron t The like Qgeries,he alfo rnade concerning their Horfes: To all which anfwer being made, that they were Men like tbern, and of the fame compofition and nature ; Then, faid he, gQ your ways, and take your repofe, and to morrovv you /hall fee vvho are moíl: Men, they, or vve. With this the Af- fembly belng diífolved; in the morning, by break ofday, they founded ro Arrns:, rhe Jnditm.s givifig Iouder lhouts, and making grearer noife vvich their Trumpers and .Drums, and füch-like infiruments, than rhey had formerly done ; and in a íhort time the Old Captain had divided his Army inro thirteen feveral Squadrorn;, each confiíl:ing of a thoufand Men, keeping them íl:ill in reíe¡·ves one after the other. CH A P.