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.

734 Royal Commentaries. BooK·lV. Palentino fays cbat it rained ali night, tbat they pa(fed many rocky places and great Rivers,' fo chat many ~~mes their H~rfes were forced to take a rounding way by rhe fide of íl:eep Mounmns, and cornmg to the bottom rhey plunged into Ri- vers in which manner having marched all che night, they loíl: feveral Men and Ho;fes who were fo difabled and lefr behind chat they could noc come time enough to che Batcel, and fo foon as ir was day they found themfelves wichin a Jeagué of fl.!!itu. Thus far are che words of Palentino. The reafon which moved tbe Vice-king to cake tbis troublefome march, was in delign to charge che Enemy in che Rere; bue, as Carate fairh, he did not be. lieve rhat either che way was fo bad nor fo long; for when he moved his Carnp, he was not then above three leagues from f2.!!_itu, and yet wich che compafs they took it proved at Jeaíl: eight Jeagues : rhis errour was fatal to the Vice-king ; for whereas he íhould racher have kept his Men and Horfe fre(h and fit for engage- ment, they were iníl:ead thereof .fo haraífed and üred wich rheir long march of eighr leagues over Deíarrs and unpaffable ·places, thac chey had need of long reíl: and repofe to recover chem ; bue where a misfortune and deíl:iny is intended, the Counfels which are defigned for good ar~ converted to ruine and deílrufüon. CH A P. XXXIV. The Battel of ~itu, wherein the Vice-~ing Blafco Nunnez was defeated ami flain. T H E Vice-king entring into the City of ~itu found no refülance, ancl' there ic was told hirn by a certain Wornan tbat Pi fª"° was marching againíl: him, at which he wondred much, bue was foon made to underíl:and che fraud and íl:rate- geme by which he was decoyed into that fnare. On the ocher fide Gonr.alo Pi 1 am knew nothing of the march of che Vice-king to f2.!!. iru, bue believed all che rime thac he had remained in his Camp; bue when in che morning che Scouts carne near che Tenes , and hearing little or no noife, they advemured in , and under- íl:ood from che Indians of all matters which had paíled, and accordingly gave in- formation chereof to Gonfa lo Pi1arro, who was not waming to fend che news to bis Captains, who irnmediately raifed cheir Camp, and marched in an orderly pofiure to J2.!!.it 11, with intencion to give Batee! to che Vice-king, in what place foever chey fhould meet him. The Vice.king was not ignoranc of ali chefe mat- ters, an9 confidering che great advamage which his Enemies had over him, and chac chere was no fecuriry bue in bis Arms, he refolved to hazard ali upon che for- tune of a Battel, hoping that fuch as were true Servams and faithfull Subjeéls to his Majeíl:y would revolt over to his fide ; and fo animating his people with thefe expeétations, he marched with hisForces out of che Ciry, and both fides were fo ful! of courage as if they had been fecu re of Viétory ; and though Gon1alo Pi¡arro had che greacer advamage in his numbers, yet che Vice-king was equal to him in the Valour and Conduél: of his Captains, ali men of great fpirit and renown: thofe who commanded the Infantry were Sancho Sanche<:. tÍ Avila, bis Coufin {ohn Cabrera, and franci! Sanche<:. ; his Captains of Horfe were Admira] Sebaftian de Belalca1ar Cepeda, and Pedro de Bnj{an, and fo both Armies marched to meer each other: At che fidt a skirmiíh was begun by cwo panies of Musketiers detached from each Army; in which che people of Pif i:trro had che advamage by che íl:rengrh and. goodnefs of their Powder, and by che ufe of their Fire-arms, being che better Marks-men : by chis time borh Armies were come fo near to each orher, chat che decached Parties were forced to recrear to cheir refpefüve Colours ; to make which good on Pi1am's fide, {_ohn de Acofta with another able Souldier callea Pae<:. de Sottomayor carne in to bring their Party off. Then Gon1alo Pif arro commanded Licenciado Carvajal ~o charge che right Wing of che Enemy; and he himfelf de- figned to lead and bring up che Horfe in che From; bue bis Capcains diffuaded him from ir, and rather defüed him to place himfelf wichin a Squadron of Foot, whcre,