CHAPTER LI

_How the King Manco Inca, seeing the dissensions among the Spaniards, summoned all the armed men he could collect to march against Cuzco, and of his death._

The cruel fire was breaking out in all directions and the Devil, enemy of the human race, rejoiced at the cruel war that was waged among the Spaniards, and at the cruelty with which fathers killed their sons and sons killed their own fathers, and that there was perturbation among them all. So he put the desire into the mind of the King Manco Inca to march against the city of Cuzco and destroy it, for it was reported to him that there were few Spaniards there, as most of them had gone to Lima with Gonzalo Pizarro. Prompted by the Devil, and without the knowledge of the Spaniards who were with him, the Inca sent some of his captains, with as large a force as they could muster, to advance towards Cuzco and kill all the Spaniards they could find, burning and destroying the villages. Thus they marched from the province of Viticos in the best order they could form, and arrived at the villages bordering on Cuzco. As soon as the news reached that city, Diego Maldonado ordered one of his servants to go and see if it was true, but when the man came to where the Inca’s captains were, he was killed by them. They also killed the natives of the provinces. When it was certainly known in Cuzco that the news was true, there was great fear throughout the city. As Gonzalo Pizarro had taken all the horses, Diego Maldonado ordered all the mares to be brought. There is no fortress for resisting the fury of the Indians equal to Spaniards on horseback. The Indians, robbing and desolating as they approached, came within six leagues of Cuzco, but they did not dare to advance, fearing the force of the Spaniards, their own bodies being unarmoured and unprotected. The captain Diego Maldonado ordered all the Spaniards, including the clergy, to muster in the great square on their mares, with their lances in their hands. He intended that this should show the Indians how ready and watchful the Spaniards were. He also ordered the Licentiate Antonio de la Gama to advance with some Spaniards to the bridge of the Apurimac to see whether the Indians were coming from that direction, and to resist any damage they came to do. The Licentiate de la Gama departed on this service.

At this time the King Manco Inca was in Viticos where he received reports from his captains. There were with him Diego Mendez, Francisco Barba, Gomez Perez, Cornejo and Monroy. They were followers of Almagro the lad, were at the battle of Chupas and, flying from the severity of Vaca de Castro, had taken refuge with the Indians. They were treated well by Manco Inca but were unable to escape, so there, with no little labour, they passed their time. When the news came to the King Manco Inca of what was passing in the kingdom, and how all the provinces were in revolt, the Spaniards were anxious to leave their cruel though voluntary banishment. The King Manco Inca, taking Diego Mendez aside, asked him to explain clearly and openly and without any reserve who was the great and powerful captain who had arrived at Lima, whether he was strong enough to defend himself against Gonzalo Pizarro, and whether he would remain as universal governor of the kingdom. The Spaniard answered that the captain referred to by the Inca came by order and in the name of the great and powerful King of Spain, from which it may be believed that it will not only be very easy for him to defend himself against Pizarro, but that he would be able to punish the rebel and all his followers, and that he alone would be supreme throughout the kingdom.

I received this account of what happened from a priest named Ortun Sanchez, who, being in charge of Paulo Inca, brother of this Manco Inca, heard all the history. For as soon as the events happened, many Indians who were present came to relate them to Paulo Inca. These Indians said that Manco Inca spoke to Diego Mendez and his companions, asking them to go by a way so that their journey should be unknown to Gonzalo Pizarro or his captains, until they came to where the Viceroy was. They were then to obtain his grace for the Inca, so that no harm might reach him owing to past rebellion. The Spaniards replied that they would gladly undertake this mission. After some further discourse between the Inca and the Spaniards, some Indians who were present say that, after everything had been arranged, and the horses were saddled, there was a dispute with the Inca who ordered his people to kill the Spaniards. The Spaniards, who were valiant, did much execution among the Indians and one of them, Diego Perez, attacked the Inca, and gave him so many stabs with a dagger that he fell dead. This done the Spaniards wanted to mount and escape, but at that moment an Indian chief arrived with a large force, and all the Spaniards were killed with their horses[58]. The Indian forces sent to threaten Cuzco then returned to Viticos, and the Licentiate de Gama was informed of what had happened by some Indians he captured. He, therefore, returned to Cuzco.