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.

• R.oyal Comme'1arie1. BooK IÍI. cheir Forcunes by Poífeffions in che City of Co:uo, where it was my Fortune to have acquaincance with chem. . There four walking fofily over a Plain, to eaíe their Horres, which were much tired with the Labours of the laíl:'Engagement, an.d b.eing at-Jome diíl:ance fro~ the place~herethe,Battel was fou~ht,.they diícq·~i+.d 1 on the fi~e of aJic~e Hill ~low, . fe\ren i ndian Gent!erhen, all arrrle~ wich chei'r' o1Ws and Anfpws, going o _ibirf.wjth che lfndian Army·;' and very" gallaitt, with t eir \:>lurnes of Feáthers, and orher Ornaments. So foon as they faw the Spaniards, they put themfelves into Rank, ac ten or cwelve paces diíl:am each from che orher, with defign to divide che: Enemy , that they might come apare, and not in a Body rogerher. The Spa- niards made figos to them , that tbey were Friends , and would not fight with chem; but notwithíl:andiog the Jndians prepared their Arms, and would noc accepc of their .Friendfhip, fo chae 9oth fides engaged with greac Omrage and Refolution. · 1 The Spaniard1 (as they repon themrelves} ay that they were afhamed of the inequality of chis match, cbat four Cavaliers, fuch as they were, well arrned, and rnounted on rheir Horíes, witb Lances íA-their Hands, íhould engage with feven Indians on Fooc, and naked, without defenfive Arms, who nocwichílanding re- fuíed noc to fighc with as much courage, as if their Breafts had been covered with Steel, affiíl:ing and helping each other with much Bravery. That Jndian who had none to encounter him, always helped hirn, that was engaged, and fo alter- natively carne. in, to the fuccour each of other, fometimes crofs, and fometimes behínd, according to the Order and Method agreed amongíl: them; fo that for the mofl: part, two Jndians fought with one Sp1miard. At length, after a long Skírmiíh, th:it every Spaniard had killed hís Indian, and one of them was in pur- fuit ofa lingle lndian, who, as he was flying, took up a Srone, v. hich he threw and hit the Beaver of his Head~piece, which covered his Face, wirh fuch force as half fiunn'd him, and had killed him outrighc, had ic not been for chat piece of Armour; howfoever, notwichílanding che Blow, the Spaniflrd rnade an end of chis l ndian and killed him alfo. · The orher t vo Jndirms fled , and eícaped; for the Spaniard1 were not very eager to purfüe rhem, conGdering thac their Horres had been much tired, and haraífed with chis recond, as well as with the firfl: Encouncer; fo chat chey choughr it neicher honourable, nor worth rheir pains, to kili the two furviving Jndians. Afrer theSkirmifh was over, che four Companions fi aid a while, to examine themfelves, and to know what hurt each Man had received; and upon Enquiry chey found, chat three of them were wounded, and thac two of theíe three had received chree Wounds apiece, though ílight ones, and che fourth had his Horre wounded wich an Arrow, che which hure was many Days in bea- ling; according as he, who was Maíl:er of the Horre, relaced it to me in this manner: " Ali four of us, ·raid he, were wounded, but I moíl: grievouily of any, be~ " cauíe I was more fenfible of the hure, which my Horfe received, rhan if I had " been wounded my felf, by reafon of che great want I had of him. I rernember when I was a Child, che greac lamentacion che Spaniards made for their Horres, and would rather have been wounded rhemfelves than cheir Horres; and in like manner this Gentleman was croubled fpr chis misformne. ' In fine, theíe four returned to the Army , and acqu:iinted their Companions, tbat che Engagement which chey had had with the íeven lndians chat day, ·was more dangeroui, than che greac fighc wich fix or íeven choufand of chem. Several other Skirmifhes paífed che fame day of the like namre, one of which was chat which we have recounted in che laíl: Chapter of the firíl: Book of chis recond Pare, where we fpeak of the Loyalcy and Affeétion which the Indi11n1 taken in fight profefs unto the Spaniards. In chis manner they marched forward, fighcing every other day more or lefs, untill chey came to a warl ike People, ,called Ch11q11i- faca, where they engaged wich many choufands of lndians, who firaicned the Spa- niards with want of Proviíions, .and kept them always allarm'd with continua! Skirmiíl1es, wherein rnany were .killed and wounded, which che Hiílorians men- tion, bue wich greac brevity. Gomar4