Pizarro lost no time in repairing to court; he appeared before the emperor with the unembarrassed dignity of a man conscious of what his services merited; and he conducted his negociations with such dexterity and address, which could not have been expected from his education or former habits of life. His description of his own sufferings, and pompous account of the country which he had discovered, confirmed by the specimens he had brought, made such an impression on Charles, and his ministers, that they not only approved of the intended expedition, but seemed to be interested in the success of its leader. Presuming upon those favourable dispositions, Pizarro paid little attention to the interest of his associates. But as the pretensions of Luque did not interfere with his own, he obtained for him the ecclesiastical dignity to which he aspired. For Almagro he claimed only the command of a fortress, intended to be erected at Tumbez. To himself he secured whatever his boundless ambition could desire. He was appointed governor, captain-general, and Adelantado of all the country which he had discovered, and hoped to conquer; with supreme authority, civil as well as military, and an absolute right to all the privileges and emoluments usually granted to adventurers in the New World. His jurisdiction was declared to extend two hundred leagues along the coast, south of the river St. Jago; to be independent of the governor of Panama: and he had power to nominate all the officers who were to serve under him.

In return for these concessions, Pizarro engaged to raise two hundred and fifty men, and to provide the ships, arms, and warlike stores, requisite towards subjecting to the crown of Castile, the country of which the government was allotted him. Pizarro's funds were so low, that he could not complete more than half the stipulated number: after he had received his patents from the crown, he was obliged to steal away privately out of the port of Seville, in order to elude the scrutiny of the officers who had in charge, to examine whether he had fulfilled the stipulations of his contract: before his departure, however, Cortes who had returned to Spain, about this time, advanced him a supply of money, willing to contribute his aid towards enabling an ancient companion, with whose talents and courage he was well acquainted, to begin a career of glory, similar to that which he himself had finished.

He landed at Nombre de Dios, in 1529, and marched across the isthmus to Panama, accompanied by his three brothers, Ferdinend, Juan, and Gonzalo. Of whom the first was born of lawful wedlock, the two others, like himself, were of illegitimate birth; and by Francisco, his mother's brother. They were all in the prime of life, and of such abilities and courage, as fitted them to take a distinguished part in his subsequent transactions. Pizarro found Almagro so much exasperated at the manner in which he had conducted the negociation, that he not only refused to act any longer, in concert with a man, by whose perfidy he had been deprived of the honours and emoluments to which he had a just claim, but laboured to thwart all his schemes, and rival him in his discoveries.

Pizarro, however, had more wisdom and address than to suffer a rupture so fatal to all his schemes, to become ir reparable. By offering voluntarily to relinquish the office of Adelantado, and promising to concur in soliciting that title, with an independent government for Almagro, he gradually mitigated the rage of an open hearted soldier, which had been violent, but not implacable. Luque, highly satisfied with having been successful in all his own pretensions, zealously seconded Pizarro's endeavours. A reconciliation was effected; and the confederacy renewed on its original terms.

Notwithstanding their re-union, their interest was barely sufficient to equip three small vessels; on board of these shipped only one hundred and eighty soldiers: thirty-six of whom were horsemen. Pizarro, with this contemptible force, set sail to invade a great empire. Almagro was left at Panama, as formerly, to follow him with what reinforcements he could procure. Pizarro compleated the voyage in thirteen days, but was carried by the winds and currents above a hundred leagues north of Tumbez, the place of his destination, and was obliged to land his troops in the bay of St. Matthew. Without losing a moment, he began to advance towards the south, taking care, however, not to depart from the sea shore, that he might effect a junction with the supplies he expected from Panama.

Pizarro in attacking the natives when he ought to obtain their confidence, subjected himself and followers to many calamities; such as famine, fatigues, and diseases of various

kinds, hardly inferior to those which they had endured in their former expedition. These disasters corresponded so ill with the alluring prospect of the country given by Pizarre, that many began to reproach him, and every soldier must have become cold to the servi e, had they not met with some appearances of wealth, which seemed to justify the reports of their leader. At length they reached the province of Coaque the fourteenth of April, 1531, and having surprized the principal settlement of the natives, they seized the vessels and ornaments of gold and silver, valued at thirty thousand pesos, with other booty of such value, as dispelled all their doubts, and inspired the most desponding with sanguine hopes.

Pizarro was so delighted with this rich spoil, which he considered the first-fruits of a land overflowing with treasure, that he instantly dispatched one of his ships to Panama, with a large remittance to Almagro; and another to Nicaragua, with a considerable sum to certain persons of influence in that province, in hopes of alluring adventurers, by this early display of the wealth which he had acquired. Disdaining to employ any conciliatory means to bring over the natives to his interest, he continued his march, and attacked them with such violence in their scattered habitations, as compelled them to retire into the interior country, or to submit at discretion.

This sudden appearance of strangers whose actions and manners were so different from their own, and whose power appeared irresistible, made the same dreadful impression on these natives, as in the other parts of Ame

rica.

Pizarro met with little resistance, until he attacked the island of Puna, in the bay of Guayquil. The inhabitants of this island were numerous, less civilized and more fierce and warlike than those on the continent; they defended themselves with such obstinate valour, that six months elapsed before Pizarro could reduce them to subjection.

From Puna he proceeded to Tumbez, where he remained three months to recruit his men, who were attacked by distempers peculiar to the climate. While he lay here, two detachments arrived from Nicaragua, which, though neither exceeded thirty men, he considered as a reinforcement of great consequence: especially as they were com

manded by Sebastian Benalcazar, and Hernando Soto, two olcers 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 Manco 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 a rebel. Pizarro discovered at once the importance of this intelligence; and without.