THE HISTORY OF AMERICA. FR BOOK VI. 1523. difcovering Peru, ROM the time that Nugnez de Balboa Book VI. discovered the great Southern Ocean, and received the firft obfcure hints concerning the Schemes for opulent countries with which it might open a communication, the wifhes and fchemes of every enterprifing perfon in the colonies of Darien and Panama were turned towards the wealth of thofe unknown regions. In an age when the spirit of adventure was fo ardent and vigorous, that large fortunes were wafted, and the most alarming dangers braved, in pursuit of discoveries merely poffible, the fainteft ray of hope was followed with eager expectation, and the flighteft information was fufficient to VOL. III. inspire B 207860 BOOK VI. infpire fuch perfect confidence, as conducted men to the moft arduous undertakings . 1523 Unfuccefs ful for fome time. Undertaken ACCORDINGLY, feveral armaments were fitted out in order to explore and take poffeffion of the countries to the east of Panama, but under the conduct of leaders whose talents and refources were unequal to the attempt . As the excurfions of thofe adventurers did not extend beyond the limits of the province to which the Spaniards have given the name of Tierra Firmè, a mountainous region covered. with woods, thinly inhabited, and extremely unhealthy, they returned with difinal accounts concerning the diftreffes to which they had been expofed, and the unpromifing afpect of the places which they had vifited. Damped by these tidings, the rage for discovery in that direction abated; and it became the general opinion, that Balboa had founded vifionary hopes, on the tale of an ignorant Indian, ill understood, or calculated to deceive. BUT there were three perfons fettled in Panama, on whom the circumftances which deand Luque. terred others made fo little impreffion, that, by Pizarro, Almagro, a See NOTE I. b Calancha Coronica, p. 100, at 524. at the very moment when all confidered Bal- Book VI. boa's expectations of difcovering a rich country, by steering towards the eaft, as chimerical, they refolved to attempt the execution of his scheme. The names of those extraordinary men were Francifco Pizarro, Diego de Almagro, and Hernando Luque. Pizarro was the natural fon of a gentleman of an honourable family by a very low woman, and, according to the cruel fate which often attends the offfpring of unlawful love, had been fo totally neglected in his youth by the author of his birth, that he feems to have deftined him never to rife beyond the condition of his mother. In confequence of this ungenerous idea, he fet him, when bordering on manhood, to keep hogs. But the afpiring mind of young Pizarro difdaining that ignoble occupation, he abruptly abandoned his charge, enlisted as a foldier, and after ferving fome years in Italy, embarked for America, which, by opening fuch a boundlefs range to active talents, allured every adventurer whose fortune was not equal to his ambitious thoughts. There Pizarro early diftinguished himself. With a temper of mind no lefs daring than the conftitution of his body was robuft, he was foremoft in every danger, patient under the greatest hardships, B 2 1524. Book VI. hardships, and unfubdued by any fatigue. Though fo illiterate that he could not even read, he was foon confidered as a man formed to command. Every operation committed to his conduct proved fuccefsful, as, by a happy but rare conjunction, he united perfeverance with ardour, and was as cautious in executing, as he was bold in forming his plans. By engaging early in active life, without any refource but his own talents and industry, and by depending on himself alone in his struggles to emerge from obfcurity, he acquired fuch a thorough knowledge of affairs, and of men, that he was fitted to affume a fuperior part in conducting the former, and in governing the latter. ALMAGRO had as little to boast of his defcent as Pizarro. The one was a bastard, the other a foundling. Bred, like his companion, in the camp, he yielded not to him in any of the foldierly qualities of intrepid valour, indefatigable activity, or infurmountable conftancy in enduring the hardfhips infeparable from military fervice in the New World. But in Al e Herrera, dec. 1 & 2, paffim. dec. 4. lib. vi. c. 107. Gomara Hift. c. 144. Zarate, lib. iv. c. 9. magro 1524. magro thefe virtues were accompanied with Book VI. the opennefs, generofity, and candour natural to men whofe profeffion is arms; in Pizarro, they were united with the addrefs, the craft, and the diffimulation of a politician, with the art of concealing his own purposes, and with fagacity to penetrate into thofe of other men. HERNANDO DE LUQUE was an ecclefiaftic, who acted both as prieft and schoolmafter at Panama, and, by means which the contemporary writers have not defcribed, had amaffed riches that infpired him with thoughts of rifing to greater eminence. Terms of their affo SUCH were the men destined to overturn one of the most extenfive empires on the face of ciation, the earth. Their confederacy for this purpose was authorised by Pedrarias, the governor of Panama. Each engaged to employ his whole fortune in the adventure. Pizarro, the least wealthy of the three, as he could not throw fo large a fum as his affociates into the common stock, engaged to take the department of greatest fatigue and danger, and to command in person the armament which was to go first upon discovery. Almagro offered to conduct the fupplies of provifions and reinforcements |