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.

;-~---------------- 742- Royal Commentariu. BooK IV. tries, where a cruel fort of Jndiaps inhabited, chey ufed anorher fort of poifoo, aod of a different oamre to whac we have ·before mentione::d; for they wóuld cake the Leg of an Jndian, whom chey h~d k.illed, and hang it up in the Air againfl: the Sun, and fil! ic wirh rnany Barbs of po1foned Arrows, wh1Ch were raken out of che fleíh of an Indian, which after fome days chey rook om, and wichout clean- fing of them they dried chem in the Air where che Sun did noc come, and chen chey headed their ArroWs with them ; and that became the moíl: malevolem poi- , fon, and che moíl: hard to be cured in the world ; 1 have feen the experiment chereof, and as an eye-witnefs will relate the effeét in its due place. After che Spaniards carne imo chat Countrey, and waged War upqn the Indians, they then changed che nature of cheir poifon: for whereas before they compounded their poifon with the Aelh of Indians, they the~ made it with che Áefh of Spaniards, whom rhey killed or took ; but more parncularly they defired che fleíh of forne red- headed Sparrlard, whofe hairs were of a deep Saffron colout; for they were of opinion that there was more he:it in that Aefh, and confequently more virulency in che poifon which it produced : bue perhaps they may have heard it often faid amongíl: che Spa;qiardJ themfelves, that red-headed men are fit ro make a cornpo- fition of poifon. Bm to return to chofe who had made rheir enrrance into chis Countrey, they obferved fuch animofiries and quarrels which chey maintained one againfl: another, rhat it was impoffible to reconcile rhem ; fo chat many of them refolved to leave thar Counrrey and go into Pcru; for that whilll they were fo divided rhere was no hopes ro [ubdue chofe Indiaw, who were a rugged and a marcial forc of people. Bue of che naru re of chis poifon, and of ~~· h a t elfe happened in chis advencure, and the great difcords and differences amongíl: theSpaniardJ, Diego Fernande>::. Palen- tino recounts a long íl:ory, with many Hrange and various accidents, which for breviry íake we omi t, and refet che Reader to his rela rion. Bue befides thefe dif- ferences amongíl: themfelves, the SpaniardJ wer~ inclined to t~·avel into Peru upon the nelA s which an Jndian broughr of cornmouons there; w1thout any other par- Liculars, rhan onely chat the SpaniardJ waged Civil Wars amongíl: themfelves. Upon chis oews Graviel Bermudn was difpatched to the confines of Peru to in- form himfelf of rhe fiare of matters, and ro certifie to rhem che truth of things; afrer which they would refolve to cake that fide to v. hich rhey were mofl: inclined, Graviel rravelling on che way with thisdefign happily met with Lope de Mendofª• who gave him a relarion at large of all .rhat had pa!Ted in Pern, fince che time tfiat Diego de Rojru deparred rhence ; and joyning his men with che party of Graviel Bermudc>::., they by mutual confent difparched Meffengers to :Nicho!M de Eredia, who was chiefof anorher fünd of Men ; and he immediately carne to thern with his Aífociates. Lope deMcndº fª reconciled rhem and rnade rhem Friends, and aU by common confenr made him cheir Captain-General, promifing to obey and fol- low him. They were in ali abour an hundred and fifty men in number, alrnoft ali Horfe; men of great bravery and inured to,Sufferings, having for the fpace of three years togerher undergone incredible hard01iµs both by Famine and long Tra- vels; during .which time rhey made a difcO\ ery of fix hundred leagues of Land, fca rce enjoying one dav of repofe :, che relarion of which is not to be expre!Ted by che Pen ofWriters. With this ílout and brave Cavalry Lopc de Mendºfª defcen- ded from the Mounrains, either wi th intent ro give a íl:op ro che proceedings of Francifco de Car vajal, orto join with forne other Party which owned and declared for obedience and loyalty to che King. Accordingly he nmched as far as the Pro- vince and People called P11cu11a, where he reíl:ed one day for che refreílm1ent of his Men and Horíes, being much lmafféd wirh long marches and want of Provi, fions. Francifco de Cttrvaja! who ornitted no point rhat concerned a good Corn- rnander, received intelligence how that Lope de Mcndor.a, wich bis Souldiers of rhe lnvJfion, ( for rhey gave che name of Invaders to thar Party ) were defcended from che Moun'.ains, and th:it they were noc \\ ell at unity and in friendfhip one wirh ch~ orher, and therefore nor ro .lofe rhat advantage he refolved to engage tl:iem before rliey were bener reconciled. Lope de Mendo ca, having ne1rvs of füs coming, fortified hirnfelf wirhin Treoches, but when he~ heard rhat CarvP..jal ap- proacbed nearer he rhen changed bis·mind, fearing a Siege; for which having made no proviÍlon, he conr.luded that he could not long hold bue before he íhould be forced to a furrender: be(ides he conGdered, chat his fo1'ce confifüng for che moíl: pare ofHorfe, rhey would fight wirh more advamage in t'he open Field than within