waiting for the reinforcement which he expected from Panama, with part of his troops boldly pushed forward, leaving a small garrison in St. Michael.

He directed his course towards Caxamalca, a small town at the distance of twelve days march from St. Michael, where Atahualpa was encamped with a considerable body of troops. Before he had proceeded far, an officer from the Inca met him, with a valuable present, and an offer of his alliance, together with an assurance of a friendly reception at Caxamalca.

Pizarro with the usual artifice of his countrymen in America, pretended he was the ambassador of a very powerful monarch; that he was coming to assist him against those enemies who disputed his title to the throne. The Peruvians had formed various conjectures concerning the Spaniards; it was altogether incomprehensible to them what had induced them to enter their country; sometimes they were disposed to consider them as beings of a superior nature, who had visited them from a beneficent motive; their continual professions of good will strengthened this conjecture, and Pizarro's declaration of his pacific intentions, so gained upon the credulity of the Inca, that he determined to give him a friendly reception. He therefore allowed the Spaniards to march in tranquillity across the sandy desart between St. Michael and Motupi, where the most feeble effort of an enemy, added to the unavoidable distresses which they suffered in passing through that comfortless region, must have proved fatal to them. From thence they advanced to the mountains, and passed through a narrow defile so inaccessible, that a few men might have defended it against the whole power of Spain, in that part of the globe.

The Spaniards were suffered to take possession of a fort, erected for the security of that important station. As they drew near to Caxamalca, Atahualpa renewed his professions of friendship; and as a further proof of his sincerity, sent them presents of much greater value than the former.

The Spaniards on entering Caxamalca, took possession of a large space of ground, on one side of which was a palace of the Inca, and on the other a temple of the sun: the whole surrounded with a strong rampart of earth. The troops being thus safely disposed, Pizarro dispatched

Hernando Soto and his brother Ferdinand, to the camp of Atahualpa, which was about a league distant from the town. They were instructed to confirm the declaration he had before made, of his pacific disposition, and to request an interview with the Inca. They were treated with that respectful hospitality usual among the Peruvians, and obtained a promise from the Inca to visit the Spanish commander next day in his quarters. The deputies were astonished at the order which prevailed in the court of the Peruvian monarch; but their attention was more particularly attracted by the vast profusion of wealth which they observed in the Inca's camp. The rich ornaments worn by him, and his attendants, the vessels of gold and silver, in which the repast offered to them was served up, and the utensils of every kind, formed of those precious metals used in common amongst them, opened prospects far exceeding any idea of opulence that a European of the sixteenth century could form.

On their return to Caxamalca, while their minds were yet warm with admiration and desire of the wealth which they had beheld; they gave such a description of it to their countrymen, as confirmed Pizarro in a resolution he had already taken. He remembered the advantages Cortes had gained by seizing Montezuma; and was from the same motives desirous of getting the Inca in his power. His plan was as daring as it was perfidious.

He determined to avail himself of the unsuspicious simplicity with which Atahualpa relied on his professions, and to seize his person during the interview to which he had invited him. He formed his plan with deliberation, and with as little compunction as if it was perfectly allowable by principles of justice and honour. He divided his cavalry into three small squadrons, under the command of his brother Ferdinand, Soto, and Benalcazar; his infantry was formed in one body, except twenty of tried courage, whom he kept near his own person, to support him in the dangerous service which he reserved for himself; the artillery consisting of two field-pieces, and the cross-bow-men were placed opposite to the avenue, by which Atahualpa was to approach. All were commanded to keep within the square, and not to move until the signal for the action was given. Early in the morning, the Peruvian camp was all in motion. Atahualpa solicitous to appear with the greatest

splendour and magnificence in his first interview with. the strangers, took up so much time in his preparations, that the day was far advanced before he began his march, and moved so slowly, that the Spaniards were apprehensive their intention was suspected. To remove this, Pizarro dispatched one of his officers with fresh assurances of his friendly disposition.

The Inca at length approached, preceded by four hundred men, in an uniform dress, as harbingers, to clear the way before him. He himself, sitting on a throne, adorned with plumes of various colours, and almost covered with plates of gold and silver enriched with precious stones, and was carried on the shoulders of his principal attendants. Behind him came some chief officers of his court, carried in the same manner, attended by several bands of musicians, and the whole plain was covered with troops, amounting to more than thirty thousand men. As the Inca drew near the Spanish quarters, father Vincent Valverdi, chaplain to the expedition, advanced with a crucifix in one hand, and a breviary in the other, and in a long discourse, attempted to explain to him the fall of Adam, the incarnation, sufferings, death, and resurrection, of Jesus Christ, the appointment of St. Peter as God's vicegerent on earth, the transmission of his apostolic power by succession to the popes, and the donation made by pope Alexander to the king of Castile of all the regions in the New World.

In consequence of all this, he required Atahualpa to embrace the Christian faith, and acknowledge the pope as supreme head of the church, and the king of Castile as his lawful sovereign; promising, that if he instantly complied, the Castilian monarch would take him under his protection, and permit him to continue in the exercise of his royal authority; but if he should impiously refuse to obey this summons, he denounced war against him in his master's name, and threatened him with the most dreadful effects of his vengeance.

This strange harangue upon abstruse subjects, and unknown facts, it was impossible at once to make an untutored Indian understand. It was altogether incomprehensible to the Inca. Those parts of more obvious meaning, filled him with astonishment and indignation. His reply, notwithstanding, was temperate. He observed,

that he was lord over the dominions he governed, by hereditary right; that he could not conceive how a foreign priest should pretend to dispose of territories which did not belong to him; that if such a preposterous grant had been made, he, as rightful possessor, refused to confirm it; and that he had no inclination to renounce the religious faith of his ancestors, nor would he forsake the service of the sun, the immortal divinity, whom he and his people revered, in order to worship the god of the Spaniards, who was subject to death; that as to the other parts of the discourse, as he could not understand their meaning, he wished to know where he had learned things so extraordinary. "In this book," answered Valverdi, reaching out to him his breviary. The Inca opened it eagerly, and turning over the leaves, lifted it to his ear: "This," says he, "is silent; it tells me nothing," and threw it with disdain to the ground. The monk, enraged at this action, ran towards his countrymen, and cried out, "Christians! "to arms, to arms! the word of God is insulted, avenge "this profanation on those impious dogs!"

Pizarro gave the signal of assault: instantly the mar tial music struck up, the cannon and muskets began to fire, they sallied out fiercely to the charge, and the infantry rushed on sword in hand. The astonished Peruvians dismayed at the suddenness of the attack, so altogether unexpected, and the irresistible impression of the cavalry, and the fire arms, fled with universal consternation in every quarter, without attempting any defence. Pizarro at the head of his chosen band advanced directly towards the Inca; and notwithstanding his nobles vied with each other in sacrificing their own lives to cover the sacred person of their sovereign, the Spaniards soon penetrated to the royal seat; and Pizarro having seized the Inca by the arm, dragged him to the ground, and carried him as a prisoner, to his quarters.

The Spaniards, elated with success, pursued the fugi tive Peruvians in every direction, and with unrelenting barbarity continued the slaughter, until the close of the day, without meeting with any resistance. About four thousand Peruvians were killed, not one Spaniard fell, and Pizarro was the only one that was hurt, having received a slight wound from one of his own soldiers, while struggling eagerly to lay hold of the Inca. The plunder

of the field was rich beyond any idea which the Spaniards had formed concerning the wealth of Peru.

Transported with their success, and the value of the plunder, they passed the night in mirth and rejoicings, as might have been expected from such needy adventurers, upon such a sudden change of fortune: their exultation was extravagant, and without any remorse for having slain so many innocent people, without any just cause or provocation.

At first the Inca could hardly believe a calamity so unexpected to be real. But he soon felt all the misery of his fate; his dejection was equal in proportion to the grandeur from which he had fallen. Pizarro fearing he should lose the great advantages he had promised himself, by having him in his possession, endeavoured to console him, with professions of kindness and respect, that did not in the least correspond with his actions. By residing among the Spaniards, Atahualpa soon discovered their ruling passion; which they were in nowise careful to conceal; and by applying to that made an attempt to recover his liberty. The offer he made for his ransom astonished the Spaniards. The apartment in which he was confined, was twenty two feet in length, and sixteen in breadth; this he undertook to fill with vessels of gold, as high as he could reach. Pizarro closed eagerly with this tempting proposal, and a line was drawn upon the walls of the chamber, to mark the stipulated height, to which the treasure was to rise.

Pleased with having a prospect of liberty, the Inca took measures instantly for fulfilling his part of the agreement, by sending messengers to Cuzco, Quito, and other places, where gold had been amassed, with orders to bring what was necessary for obtaining his ransom, immediately to Caxamalca. The Peruvians, accustomed to respect every mandate of their sovereign, with the greatest alacrity executed his orders. Deceived with the hopes of regaining his liberty by this means, and afraid of endangering his life, by forming any other scheme for his relief, and though the force of the empire was entire, no preparations were made, and no army assembled, to avenge their own wrongs, or those of their monarch.

The Spaniards remained at Caxamalea unmolested. Small detachments marched into the remote provinces of