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.

Royal Commentaries.- BooKI. CH A P. _. X. • 1 Francis Pi~arro pr'Oceeds in hi5 Conquefi. P. l farro and his tl1\f~eetj Comp<rnions remained many Momhs in the Iíland of Gorgona, , enduring great hardíhips in that Countrey where are perpetual Rains, wirhout Houfe or Tent, or any thing to cover them, and where the beft and choicen 9f thei~ food was nothing but the fleíh of great Serpents; fo that it feemed, as if God had fuíl:ained them by a miracle; and indeed the Divine Pro- viden~e appeared moíl: wonderfully in putting i~ into the Hearrs of ali, .belides there thirteen, ro recuro, to de.moníl:rate unto the World, that this Conqueíl: was not effelled by Humane, but by Divine Aid; far it is hardly conceivable how, lmtJ1anely fpeaking, it íhould enter imo the minds of thirteen Men onely, to ad- venrure on the C9nqueíl: of Peru, Of which therefore we can give no other Ac- oount, than onely that the Divine Merey cornpaílionatihg the Miferies aod Ig- norances of thofe Gentiles, was pleafed to incite and inflame a fue of Courage in the Breaíls of thofe Spaniards, fitted far fuch an Enterprife; foras God did under the Old Teíl:amem infufe íl:rengrh and virrue inro the Locks of Si11mpfon, fo now he was pleafed by fuch weak meaos as thefe to bring Light out of Darknefs, and make way for the effulion and fpreading of his Holy Gofpel. At the end of many Momhs ( for a difpatch could not be fooner made) the Ship arrived which Almagro fent with Provifions, but without Men; a misforrune fo difcouraging, that one might believe they would rarher have been induced to recuro home, than períiíl: in rheir refolution. But God fo influenced their Minds with íl:range hopes, that they figured unto themfelves a concurrence of ali hap- PY Ornens in their favour, for they no fooner faw rhe Ship, than that rhey refol- ved to proceed in their Voyage, and diícover at leaíl: what Counrrey and what People they were, whp inhabited under the Equinoéhal, a Region as yet un- known to the Spaniards: With thefe Intentions rhey embarked, and at lengch with much labour they got out of the Golf in which they were embayed; for both rhe South wind, which always blows in, and rhe Current, which always fets from North to Sourh, made it very difficult to furmount borh one and rhe orher; for indeed ir is a wonderfull thing to fee, and ir were well if it were de- fcribed in our Maps, for the benefit of Navigation , in \ ihar manner, and wirh whar rapidnefs rho Ce Srreams run; for \\ ith rhe violence of rhe Waves, and force of the Current, they make fucha noife, and raiíe fuch a froth, as is moíl: rerrible to behold, and is dangerous to Ships, which being fucked in by thofe Whirl- pools, are certainly lo/l Many of thefe Currenrs caíl: up rhe earrh and ílime from rhe bottom, tlm the Waters are very rhick and rurbid, others are clear and ]impid; fome are large and hroad, and others narrow , but thar which is mofr füange to fee, is rhe vaíl: difference of one Water from the other, that is of one Water which runs wirh a fwift _Strearn frorn th~t which is íl:ill, or runs ílowly; the Waters on each {ide are qmer, and feern hke a Wall to rhe r:ipid Scream which runs in the middle, the reaíoo of which I cannot comprehend. Ir is fuffi- cient for our purpofe to tell you, that rheir Navigation over fuch Currents, and in an unknown Sea, for many Days and Momhs, was very difficulr; and there- fore we cannot fufficiently applaud the courage of thefe thi rreen Companions who would íl:ill advemure, and. íl:ruggle und~r al! theíe Difcouragemems. They fuffered much by hunger, for berng but few mnumber, they '~ere camious of ha- zarding themíelves amongíl: rhe Indians, onely rhey fometimes watched an oppor- tunity to get Food and Provifions by íl:ealth and robbery, rather iban by force of Arms, or open appearance. CHAP.-