1524.

Book VI. of troops, of which Pizarro might ftand in need. Luque was to remain at Panama to negociate with the governor, and fuperintend whatever was carrying on for the general intereft. As the spirit of enthusiasm uniformly accompanied that of adventure in the New World, and by that ftrange union both acquired an increase of force, this confederacy, formed by ambition and avarice, was confirmed by the moft folemn act of religion. Luque celebrated mafs, divided a confecrated hoft into three, and referving one part to himfelf, gave the other two to his affociates, of which they partook; and thus, in name of the Prince of Peace, ratified a contract of which plunder and bloodshed were the objects .

Their firft attempt.

THE attempt was begun with a force more fuited to the humble condition of the three affociates, than to the greatness of the enterprife in which they were engaged. Pizarro Nov. 14. fet fail from Panama with a fingle veffel, of finall burden, and a hundred and twelve men. But in that age, fo little were the Spaniards acquainted with the peculiarities of climate in America, that the time which Pizarro chofe

Herrera, dec. 3. lib. vi. c. 13. Zarate, lib. i. c. 1.

for

1524.

1525.

for his departure was the moft improper in Book VI. the whole year; the periodical winds, which were then fet in, being directly adverfe to the courfe which he purpofed to fteer. After beating about for feventy days, with much danger and inceffant fatigue, Pizarro's progress towards the fouth-eaft was not greater than what a skilful navigator will now make in as many hours. He touched at feveral places on the coaft of Tierra Firmè, but found every where the fame uninviting country which former adventurers had defcribed; the low grounds converted into fwamps by the overflowing of rivers; the higher, covered with impervious woods; few inhabitants, and thofe fierce and hoftile. Famine, fatigue, frequent rencounters with the natives, and, above all, the diftempers of a moift, fultry climate, combined in wafting his flender band of followers. The Attendedundaunted refolution of their leader continued, fuccefs. however, for fome time, to fuftain their fpirits, although no fign had yet appeared of difcovering thofe golden regions to which he had promised to conduct them. At length, he was obliged to abandon that inhofpitable coaft, and retire to Chuchama, oppofite to the pearl

Herrera, dec. 4. lib. ii. c. 8. Xerez, p. 179.

with little

Book VI. islands, where he hoped to receive a fupply of provisions and troops from Panama.

1525

BUT Almagro having failed from that port with feventy men, ftood directly towards that part of the continent where he hoped to meet with his affociate. Not finding him there, he landed his foldiers, who, in fearching for their companions, underwent the fame diftreffes, and were expofed to the fame dangers, which had driven them out of the country. Repulfed at length by the Indians in a fharp conflict, in which their leader loft one of his eyes by the wound of an arrow, they likewife were compelled to reimbark. Chance led them to the place of Pizarro's retreat, where they found fome confolation in recounting to each other their adventures, and comparing their fufferJune 24. ings. As Almagro had advanced as far as the river St. Juan, in the province of Popayan, where both the country and inhabitants appeared with a more promifing afpect, that dawn of better fortune was fufficient to determine fuch fanguine projectors not to abandon their scheme, notwithstanding all that they had fuffered in profecuting it '.

II.

f Herrera, dec. 3. lib. viii. c. 11, 12. See NOTE ALMAGRO

country

1526. They refume the

ing.

ALMAGRO repaired to Panama, in hopes of Book VI. recruiting their shattered troops. But what he and Pizarro had fuffered, gave his men fuch an unfavourable idea of the fervice, undertak that it was with difficulty he could levy fourfcore men. Feeble as this reinforcement was, they did not hesitate about refuming their operations. After a long feries of difafters and disappointments, not inferior to those which they had already experienced, part of the armament reached the Bay of St. Matthew, on the coaft of Quito, and landing at Tacamez, to the fouth of the river of Emeraulds, they beheld a country more champaign and fertile than any they had yet difcovered in the Southern Ocean, the natives clad in garments of woollen or cotton ftuff, and adorned with feveral trinkets of gold and filver.

BUT, notwithstanding those favourable appearances, magnified beyond the truth, both by the vanity of the perfons who brought the report from Tacamez, and by the fond imagination of those who liftened to them, Pizarro and Almagro durft not venture to invade a country fo populous with a handful of men

Zarate, lib. i. c. 1.

enfeebled

1526.

BOOK VI. enfeebled by fatigue and difeafes. They retired to the small island of Gallo, where Pizarro remained with part of the troops, and his affociate returned to Panama, in hopes of bringing fuch a reinforcement, as night enable them to take poffeffion of the opulent territories whofe existence feemed to be no longer doubtful ".

Pizarro re

called by the

Panama.

BUT fome of the adventurers, lefs enterprigovernor of fing, or lefs hardy than their leaders, having fecretly conveyed lamentable accounts of their fufferings and loffes to their friends at Panama, Almagro met with an unfavourable reception from Pedro de los Rios, who had fucceeded Pedrarias in the government of that fettlement. After weighing the matter with that cold oeconomical prudence which appears the first of all virtues to perfons whofe limited faculties are incapable of conceiving or executing great designs, he concluded an expedition, attended with fuch certain wafte of men, to be fo detrimental to an infant and feeble colony, that he not only prohibited the raifing of new levies, but dispatched a veffel to bring home Pizarro and his companions from the island of Gallo. Almagro and Luque, though deeply affected

Xerez, 181. Herrera, dec. 3. lib. viii. c. 13.