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VI.

1528.

BOOK abate the ardour of the three affociates; but they perceived that they could not carry their scheme into execution without the countenance of fuperior authority, and must folicit their fovereign to grant that permiffion which they could not extort from his delegate. With this view, after adjusting among themselves, that Pizarro fhould claim the station of governor, Almagro that of lieuteuant-governor, and Luque the dignity of bishop in the country which they purposed to conquer, they fent Pizarro as their agent to Spain, though their fortunes were now so much exhausted by the repeated efforts which they had made, that they found fome difficulty in borrowing the fmall fum requifite towards equipping him for the voyage",

Pizarro fent to Spain to

PIZARRO loft no time in repairing to court, negociate. and new as the fcene might be to him, he appeared before the emperor with the unembarraffed dignity of a man confcious of what his fervices merited; and he conducted his negociations with an infinuating dexterity of addrefs, which could not have been expected either from his education or former habits of life. His feeling description of his own fufferings, and his pompous account of the country which he had

"Herrera, dec. 4. lib. iii. c. 1. Vega, 2. lib. i. c. 14.

discovered,

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VI.

1528.

his affo

discovered, confirmed by the fpecimens of its BOOK. productions which he exhibited, made such an impreffion both on Charles and his minifters, that they not only approved of the intended expedition, but feemed to be interested in the fuccefs of its leader. Prefuming on thofe difpofitions in his favour, Pizarro paid little attention to the interest of his affociates. As the preten- Negles fions of Luque did not interfere with his own, ciates, he obtained for him the ecclefiaftical dignity to which he afpired. For Almagro, he claimed only the command of the fortrefs which should be erected at Tumbez. To himfelf he fecured whatever his boundless ambition could defire. He was appointed governor, captain-general, July 26. and adelantado of all the country which he had cures the fupreme discovered, and hoped to conquer, with fupreme command authority, civil as well as military; and with full right to all the privileges and emoluments ufually granted to adventurers in the New World. His jurisdiction was declared to extend two hundred leagues along the coaft to the fouth 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 ferve under him. In return for thofe conceffions, which coft the court of Spain nothing, as the enjoyment of them depended upon the fuccefs of Pizarro's

I 4

and pro

to himself.

BOOK Pizarro's own efforts, he engaged to raise two

VI.

1528.

Slender

force he was

1529.

hundred and fifty men, and to provide the fhips, arms, and warlike ftores requifite towards fubjecting to the crown of Caftile the country of which the government was allotted him,

INCONSIDERABLE as the body of men was able to raife. which Pizarro had undertaken to raise, his funds and credit were fo low that he could hardly complete half the number; and after obtaining his patents from the crown, he was obliged to fteal privately out of the port of Seville, in order to elude the scrutiny of the officers who had it in charge to examine, whether he had fulfilled the ftipulations in his contract. Before his departure, however, he received some supply of money from Cortes, who having returned to Spain about this time, was willing to contribute his aid towards enabling an ancient companion, with whofe talents and courage he was well acquainted, to begin a career of glory fimilar to that which he himself had finished P..

He landed at Nombre de Dios, and marched across the ifthmus to Panama, accompanied by his three brothers, Ferdinand, Juan, and Gonzalo,

• Herrera, dec. 4. lib. vii. c. 9.

P. Ibid. lib. vii. c.10.

of

VI.

1529.

of whom the first was born in lawful wedlock, BOOK the two latter, like himself, were of illegitimate birth, and by Francifco de Alcantara, his mother's brother. They were all in the prime of life, and of fuch abilities and courage, as fitted them to take a distinguished part in his subsequent tranfactions.

1530.

His recon

with Al

On his arrival at Panama, Pizarro found Almagro fo much exasperated at the manner in ciliation which he had conducted his negociation, that he magro. not only refused to act any longer in concert with a man by whose perfidy he had been excluded from the power and honours to which he had a just claim, but laboured to form a new affociation, in order to thwart or to rival his former confederate in his discoveries. Pizarro, however, had more wifdom and addrefs than to fuffer a rupture fo fatal to all his schemes, to become irreparable. By offering voluntarily to relinquish the office of adelantado, and promifing to concur in foliciting that title, with an independent government, for Almagro, he gradually mitigated the rage of an open-hearted foldier, which had been violent, but was not implacable. Luque, highly fatisfied with having been fuccefsful in all his own pretenfions, cordially feconded Pizarro's endeavours. A reconciliation was effected, and the confede

racy

BOOK
VI.

1530.

Their arma

ment.

1531

February.

Lands in
Peru.

racy renewed on its original terms, that the enterprize fhould be carried on at the common expence of the affociates, and the profits accruing from it fhould be equally divided among

them.

EVEN after their re-union, and the utmost efforts of their interest, three small vesels, with a hundred and eighty foldiers, thirty-fix of whom were horsemen, compofed the armament which they were able to fit out. But the astonishing progrefs of the Spaniards in America had infpired them with fuch ideas of their own fuperiority, that Pizarro did not hesitate to fail with this contemptible force to invade a great empire. Almagro was left at Panama, as formerly, to follow him with what reinforcement of men he should be able to muster. As the feafon for embarking was properly chofen, and the course of navigation between Panama and Peru was now better known, Pizarro completed the voyage in thirteen days; though, by the force of the winds and currents, he was carried above a hundred leagues to the north of Tumbez, the place of his deftination, and obliged to land his troops in the bay of St. Matthew. Without

a Herrera, dec. 4. lib. vii. c. 9. Zarate, lib. i. c. 3. Vega, 2. lib. i. c. 14.

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