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VI.

1533. The Spa

niards make

MEANWHILE, Indians daily arrived at Caxamalca from different parts of the kingdom, loaded with treasure. A great part of the a divifion of ftipulated quantity was now amaffed, and Atathe spoil. hualpa affured the Spaniards, that the only thing which prevented the whole from being brought in, was the remoteness of the provinces where it was depofited. But fuch vast piles of gold prefented continually to the view of needy foldiers, had fo inflamed their avarice, that it was impoffible any longer to reftrain their impatience to obtain poffeffion of this rich booty. Orders were given for melting down the whole, except fome pieces of curious fabric, referved as a prefent for the emperor. After fetting apart the fifth due to the crown, and a hundred thousand pefos as a donative to the foldiers which arrived with Almagro, there remained one million five hundred and twenty-eight thoufand five hundred pefos to Pizarro and his followers. The festival of St. James, the patron faint of Spain, was the day chofen for the partition of this enormous fum, and the manner of conducting it strongly marks the strange alliance of fanaticifm with avarice, which I have more than once had occafion to point out as a striking feature in the character of the conquerors of the New World. Though affembled to divide the fpoils of an innocent people, procured by deceit,

July 25.

extortion,

VI.

1533.

extortion, and cruelty, the tranfaction began with BOOK a folemn invocation of the name of God", as if they could have expected the guidance of Heaven in diftributing those wages of iniquity. In this divifion above eight thousand pefos, at that time not inferior in effective value to as many pounds sterling in the present century, fell to the share of each horfeman, and half that fum to each foot foldier. Pizarro himself, and his officers, received dividends in proportion to the dignity of their rank.

of it.

THERE is no example in hiftory of fuch a The effect fudden acquifition of wealth by military service, nor was ever a fum fo great divided among fo small a number of foldiers. Many of them having received a recompence for their fervices far beyond their most fanguine hopes, were fo impatient to retire from fatigue and danger, in order to spend the remainder of their days in their native country, in ease and opulence, that they demanded their discharge with clamorous importunity. Pizarro, fenfible that from fuch men he could expect neither enterprise in action nor fortitude in fuffering, and perfuaded that wherever they went, the display of their riches would allure adventurers, lefs opulent but more

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VI.

1533.

BOOK. hardy, to his ftandard, granted their fuit without reluctance, and permitted above fixty of them to accompany his brother Ferdinand, whom he fent to Spain with an account of his fuccefs, and the present deftined for the emperor 1.

The Inca demands his

liberty in

vain.

THE Spaniards having divided among them the treasure amaffed for the Inca's ranfom, he infifted with them to fulfil their promise of fetting him at liberty. But nothing was farther from Pizarro's thoughts. During his long fervice in the New World, he had imbibed those ideas and maxims of his fellow-foldiers, which led them to confider its inhabitants as an inferior race, neither worthy of the name, nor intitled to the rights, of men. In his compact with Atahualpa, he had no other object than to amuse his captive with fuch a profpect of recovering his liberty, as might induce him to lend all the aid of his authority towards collecting the wealth of his kingdom. Having now accomplished this, he no longer regarded his plighted faith; and at the very time when the credulous prince hoped to be replaced on his throne, he had secretly refolved to bereave him of life. Many circumstances seem to have concurred in prompting him to this action, the most criminal and atrocious

i Herrera, dec. 5. lib. iii. c. 4. Vega, p. 2. lib. i. c. 38.

that

VI.

that ftains the Spanish name, amidst all the deeds BOOK of violence committed in carrying on the conqueft of the New World.

1533.

jealous.

THOUGH Pizarro had seized the Inca, in Me and the Spaniards imitation of Cortes's conduct towards the Mexi- mutually can monarch, he did not poffefs talents for carrying on the fame artful plan of policy. Deftitute of the temper and address requifite for gaining the confidence of his prifoner, he never reaped all the advantages which might have been derived from being master of his perfon and authority, Atahualpa was, indeed, a prince of greater abilities and difcernment than Montezuma, and seems to have penetrated more thoroughly into the character and intentions of the Spaniards. Mutual fufpicion and diftruft accordingly took place between them. The ftrict attention with which it was neceffary to guard a captive of fuch importance, greatly increafed the fatigue of military duty. The utility of keeping him appeared inconfiderable; and Pizarro felt him as an incumbrance, from which he wished to be delivered *.

ALMAGRO and his followers had made a demand of an equal fhare in the Inca's ranfom;

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Almagro

and his fol

lowers de

mand his life.

VI.

1533.

BOOK and though Pizarro had bestowed upon the private men the large gratuity which I have mentioned, and endeavoured to footh their leader by prefents of great value, they still continued diffatisfied. They were apprehensive, that as long as Atahualpa remained a prifoner, Pizarro's foldiers would apply whatever treasure fhould be acquired, to make up what was wanting of the quantity ftipulated for his ranfom, and under that pretext exclude them from any part of it. They infifted eagerly on putting the Inca to death, that all the adventurers in Peru might thereafter be on an equal footing'.

Motives which induced Pizarro to confent.

PIZARRO himself, began to be alarmed with accounts of forces affembling in the remote. provinces of the empire, and fufpected Atahualpa of having iffued orders for that purpose. These fears and fufpicions were artfully increased by Philippillo, one of the Indians whom Pizarro had carried off from Tumbez in the year one thousand five hundred and twenty-feven, and whom he employed as an interpreter. The function which he performed admitting this man to familiar intercourse with the captive monarch, he prefumed, notwithstanding the meannefs of

1 Zarate, lib. ii. c. 7. Vega, p. 2. lib. i. c. 7. Herrera, dec. 5. lib. iii. c. 4.

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