manded by Sebastian Benalcazar, and Hernando Soto, two officers of distinguished merit and reputation. From Tumbez he proceeded to the river Piura, and near the mouth of it, he established the first Spanish colony in Peru; to which he gave the name of St. Michael.

At the time when the Spaniards invaded Peru, the dominions of its sovereigns extended in length from north to south above fifteen hundred miles, along the Pacific ocean; its breadth from east to west, was considerably less, being bounded by the vast ridge of the Andes, stretching from its one extremity to the other. According to the traditions of the natives of Peru, they were rude and uncivilized like the rest of the savages of America, until Manco Capac and Mama Ocollo, appeared amongst them, who declared themselves to be the children of the sun, sent by their beneficent parent, in pity, to instruct and reclaim them. These extraordinary personages settled at Cuzco, and laid the foundations of a city. Manco Capac instructed the men in agriculture, and the useful arts. Mama Ocollo taught the women to spin, and weave. After providing food and raiment and habitations for the rude people, of whom he took charge, Manco Capac introduced such laws and policy, as might be most likely to perpetuate their happiness. The functions of those he placed in authority, were so defined, and the administration of justice maintained with so steady a hand, that the country over which he presided, assumed the aspect of a well governed state.

Thus, according to tradition, was founded the empire of the Incas, or Lords of Peru. They were not only obeyed as monarchs, but revered as divinities. Their blood was held to be sacred; intermarriages with the people were forbidden, and was never contaminated with any other race: their clothing was different; the monarch appeared with ensigns of royalty, reserved for him alone, and received from his subjects that homage and respect, which approached almost to adoration.

In the year 1526, Huana Capac, the twelfth monarch from the founder of the state, was seated on the throne, eminent for his pacific virtues, as well as for his martial talents; he added the kingdom of Quito to his dominions, by which he nearly doubled the power of the Peruvian empire: he married the daughter of the vanquished mo

narch of Quito, by whom he had a son Atahualpa, whom he named at his death his successor, which happened about the year 1529, leaving the rest of his kingdoms to Huascar his eldest son, by a mother of the royal

race.

Notwithstanding the Peruvians revered the memory of a monarch, to whose wise administration their country was so much indebted; yet, when they were informed of the order of succession, so repugnant to ancient usage, and deemed sacred amongst them, they manifested a disposition unfavourable to his successor. Huascar encouraged by those sentiments of his subjects, required his brother to renounce the government of Quito, and to acknowledge him as his lawful superior; but Atahualpa having previously gained a large body of troops which had accompanied his father to Quito; these were the flower of the Peruvian warriors, and were accustomed to victory; relying on their support, Atahualpa first eluded his brother's demand, and then marched against him in hostile array. Thus by the ambition of two young men the kingdom of Peru was involved in a civil war. The force of arms triumphed over the authority of the laws, and Atahualpa remained victorious, and made a cruel use of his victory. He put to death all the children of the sun, descended from Marco Capac, whom he could seize either by force or stratagem. His brother Huascar, from political motives was spared for some time, and detained a prisoner, that by issuing orders in his name the usurper might more easily establish his own authority.

When Pizarro landed in the bay of St. Michael, this civil war raged with such fury between the two brothers, that although they received early accounts of the invasion of their country, and the violent proceedings of the Spaniards, they were so intent upon a war, which to them appeared more interesting, that they paid no attention to the motions of an enemy, whose number was too small to excite any great alarm and to whose career they could easily put a check, when more at leisure.

The first information Pizarro received respecting the war, was from Huascar himself, who sent messengers to Pizarro to solicit his aid against Atahualpa whom he represented as an usurper, and à rebel. Pizarro discovered at once the importance of this intelligence; and without

waiting for the reinforcement which he expected from Panama, with part of his troops boldly pushed forward, leaving a small garrison in St. Michael.

He directed his course towards Caxamalca, a small town at the distance of twelve days march from St. Michael, where Atahualpa was encamped with a considerable body of troops. Before he had proceeded far, an officer from the Inca met him, with a valuable present, and an offer of his alliance, together with an assurance of a friendly reception at Caxamalca.

Pizarro with the usual, artifice of his countrymen in America, pretended he was the ambassador of a very powerful monarch; that he was coming to assist him against those enemies who disputed his title to the throne. The Peruvians had formed various conjectures concerning the Spaniards; it was altogether incomprehensible to them what had induced them to enter their country; sometimes they were disposed to consider them as beings of a superior nature, who had visited them from a beneficent motive; their continual professions of good will strengthened this conjecture, and Pizarro's declaration of his pacific intentions, so gained upon the credulity of the Inca, that he determined to give him a friendly reception. He therefore allowed the Spaniards to march in tranquillity across the sandy desart between St. Michael and Motupi, where the most feeble effort of an enemy, added to the unavoidable distresses which they suffered in passing through that comfortless region, must have proved fatal to them. From thence they advanced to the mountains, and passed through a narrow defile so inaccessible, that a few men might have defended it against the whole power of Spain, in that part of the globe.

As

The Spaniards were suffered to take possession of a fort, erected for the security of that important station. they drew near to Caxamalca, Atahualpa renewed his professions of friendship; and as a further proof of his sincerity, sent them presents of much greater value than the former.

The Spaniards on entering Caxamalca, took possession of a large space of ground, on one side of which, was a palace of the Inca, and on the other a temple of the sun: the whole surrounded with a strong rampart of earth. The troops being thus safely disposed, Pizarro dispatched

VOL. I.

P

Hernando Soto and his brother Ferdinand, to the camp of Atahualpa, which was about a league distant from the town. They were instructed to confirm the declaration he had before made, of his pacific disposition, and to request an interview with the Inca. They were treated with that respectful hospitality usual among the Peruvians, and obtained a promise from the Inca to visit the Spanish com mander next day in his quarters. The deputies were aston ished at the order which prevailed in the court of the Peru vian monarch; but their attention was more particularly attracted by the vast profusion of wealth which they observed in the Inca's camp. The rich ornaments worn by him, and his attendants, the vessels of gold and silver, in which the repast offered to them was served up, and the utensils of every kind, formed of those precious metals used in common amongst them, opened prospects far exceeding any idea of opulence that a European of the six teenth century could form.

On their return to Caxamalca, while their minds were yet warm with admiration and desire of the wealth which they had beheld; they gave such a description of it to their countrymen, as confirmed Pizarro in a resolution he had already taken. He remembered the advantages Cortes had gained by seizing Montezuma; and was from the same motives desirous of getting the Inca in his power. His plan was as daring as it was perfidious.

He determined to avail himself of the unsuspicious simplicity with which Atahualpa relied on his professions, and to seize his person during the interview to which he had invited him. He formed his plan with deliberation, and with as little compunction as if it was perfectly allowable by principles of justice and honour. He divided his caval ry into three smali squadrons, under the command of his brother Ferdinand, Soto, and Benalcazar; his infantry was formed in one body, except twenty of tried courage, whom he kept near his own person, to support him in the dangerous service which he reserved for himself; the artillery consisting of two field-pieces, and the cross-bow-men were placed opposite to the avenue, by which Atahualpa was to approach. All were commanded to keep within the square, and not to move until the signal for the action was given. Early in the morning, the Peruvian camp was all in motion. Atahualpa solicitous to appear with the greatest

splendour and magnificence in his first interview with the strangers, took up so much time in his preparations, that the day was far advanced before he began his march, and moved so slowly, that the Spaniards were apprehensive their intention was suspected. To remove this, Pizarro dispatched one of his officers with fresh assurances of his friendly disposition.

The Inca at length approached, preceded by four hundred men, in an uniform dress, as harbingers, to clear the way before him. He himself, sitting on a throne, adorned with plumes of various colours, and almost covered with plates of gold and silver enriched with precious stones, and was carried on the shoulders of his principal attendants. Behind him came some chief officers of his court, carried in the same manner, attended by several bands of musicians, and the whole plain was covered with troops, amounting to more than thirty thousand men. As the Inca drew near the Spanish quarters, father Vincent Valverdi, chaplain to the expedition, advanced with a crucifix in one hand, and a breviary in the other, and in a long discourse, attempted to explain to him the fall of Adam, the incarnation, sufferings, death, and resurrection, of Jesus Christ, the appointment of St. Peter as God's vicegerent on earth, the transmission of his apostolic power by succession to the popes, and the donation made by pope Alexander to the king of Castile of all the regions in the New World.

In consequence of all this, he required Atahualpa to embrace the Christian faith, and acknowledge the pope as supreme head of the church, and the king of Castile as his lawful sovereign; promising, that if he instantly complied, the Castilian monarch would take him under his protection, and permit him to continue in the exercise of his royal authority; but if he should impiously refuse to obey this summons, he denounced war against him in his master's name, and threatened him with the most dreadful effects of his vengeance.

This strange harangue upon abstruse subjects, and unknown facts, it was impossible at once to make an untutored Indian understand. It was altogether incomprehensible to the Inca. Those parts of more obvious meaning, filled him with astonishment and indignation. His reply, notwithstanding, was temperate. He observed,