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.

57° Royal Commentaries. BooK II. velled by Day againíl: the advice and perfuaíion of the Indians, who a!fured them, that it was a maccer moíl: pernicious to their health to travel over thofe fandy De- farts by.Day ; for rhat whilíl: the Sun refleéted in _its full viole!lce on them, rhe Heats were infüpportable; and that unleís they carnedWater w1th them, the peo- ple would dye wich rhiríl:. .But tl_üs advice ~ive~ by the Indians to march by Nighr, was noc reg:irded by che Sp~m~rds, who imagmed that they gave thar coun- fel out of good will and favour to their lncao; and therefore threatned to kill them in cafe chey did not haíl:en their Journey. The poor Indians, who were humble and obedient, fübmitted to their pleafure; and having travelled a whole day, un- till an hour after Sun· [ecting, both they and the Spaniards found themíelves in great diflrefs for wam of Water ; and more eípecially che Indi1m1, who having carried Burthens ali che clay, above five hundred of them periíhed with heat and thirfr: The Spanifh Foot had incurred che like fate, bue that the Horfe underfianding that a River was not far diílant, ran thicher, and brought Water, which refrefhed them in their great txcremity : che which report Auguftine C1trate confirms in che fixth Chapter of his third Book, as may appear in cneíe Words following: · " AIonfo de A /varado paffing on his J oumey to Couo, over a fándy Defart, fu- " fiained fuch want of Water, that above five hundred of his Indians, who car- ee ried Burthens, were choaked with thirfr ; and had not the Horfe ran in haíle " ro a River, and brought 'thence in cerrain Ve!fels fome Wat~r for refrefhment " of che Spanifh Foot, it is believed thac they had all perifhed. Thus far are che Words uf Carate. F~r want of chofe Jndiani who died with thirfr, they were forced to fiay fome Days, untill they were fupplied with others to carry rheir Burthens. And not to incur again che like neceffity, they left che way of che Defart, and cook up by che Mountains, where thc:y joyned wich ocher cwo hundred Men, feventy of which were Horfe, and che reíl: Foot, which che Marquis had fent under Command of Gome~ de Torda;a de PllYgao, anear Kinfman to Gar filifjfo de la Peg11, to reauic the Forces under Alanfo de Alvarado, which confiíl:ed of five hundrea Spani11rdr: All whicb, as they marched through thofe moumainous and faíl: Countries, had many Skirmifhes at every pafs with the Indians; but being well advifed by frequent misfortunes of this nature, they marched warily, and with due care ro avoid che like fnares, and unhappy fucceífes. Ar length they carne to the Bridge called Rumicacha, which is as much as to fay che Stone-bridge; which being a difficult pafs, che l ndians did all they were able to give a íl:op to the Enemy ac thac place. and many orher Avenue:s chey guarded with Souldiers; to gain which, che Spani- ards made a Decachment of about forcy or fi(cy Muíquetiers, wich a greac num- ber of chofe Jndian1, whom they had taken up for Servancs, and which were ro guide the Spaniatds, whilíl che Mufquetiers guarded che rere, umill che whole Body· had elcaped che danger of tl1ofe clofe and 9ifficult paífages. At the Bridge an in- numerable Comp:my of Ind1:ani crouded on the Spaniard1, and foughc valiantly; cheBactel continued f~veral hours, but ac laíl the Indian1 were forced to give way wich greac flaughcer, for the Mufguetiers of which t~ere were one hundred, galled chemvery much, and were chofe onely who gained che Viétory, for in chofe in- cloíures che Horíe were able to doe no fervice ; howfoever, che Spaniardr Ioíl: twemy eight Men, and nine Horíes, belides many of their !ndian Servants. As Gomara i1J the 138th Chapcer relates in thefe Words: " A/varado marched wichout any interrupcion wich his five hundred Spaniardr, ' ' Luntill he carne. to L11michaca, where is a Stone· bridge; but chere he met wich " greac 1mmbers of Indians, who chought to cut off al! che Chrifüans, or at leaíl: '~ difper,fe them : Bue A/varado and hisSouldiers, though encompaífed on al! fides " with Enemies, fought wich: that Valour and Conduét, that they over-chrew " rhem wich a great flaughter : but chis Viétory coft the lives of many Spaniardr, " and of many Indians, who were friends, and carne to ferve and affiíl: them, &c. From Rmnichaca Alon/o de Alvarado proceeded forwards, skirmifhing wich che ln- dians ar every curn, where the Paíles were narrow and difficult; :md chough chey conceived little hopes to overcome chem, howfoever it was fome fatisfafüon to them ro diílurb thém in their March ; and thougl1 che Indians being no}'V beaten out