Pizarro and the Conquest of Peru

Conditions and Terms of Use AUTHORITIES ON FRANCISCO PIZARRO Copyright © Heritage History 2009 XVIth CENTURY. Herrera, Antonio de (1552–1625), and Some rights reserved Oviedo y Valdes (1478—1557) cover completely doings in the "Indies," including the conquest of Peru. The latter, Oviedo, was This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an organization personally acquainted with Pizarro, as he accompanied Pedrarias dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history books, and to the to Darien in 1514, and was at Panama when the expedition was promotion of the works of traditional history authors. fitted out at that point for Peru. The books which Heritage History republishes are in the public domain and Pedro Pizarro's Relaciones del Descubrimiento y are no longer protected by the original copyright. They may therefore be reproduced Conquista de los Reynos del Peru, though finished by 1571, was within the United States without paying a royalty to the author. not published until two hundred and fifty years later. The text and pictures used to produce this version of the work, however, are XVIIth CENTURY. The same may be said of Fernando the property of Heritage History and are licensed to individual users with some restrictions. These restrictions are imposed for the purpose of protecting the integrity Pizarro y Orellana, who wrote and published (Madrid, 1639) the of the work itself, for preventing plagiarism, and for helping to assure that Varones Ilustres del Nuevo Mundo, which contains lives of the compromised or incomplete versions of the work are not widely disseminated. Pizarros and Almagro. In order to preserve information regarding the origin of this text, a copyright Garcilasso de la Vega (the "Inca Garcilasso") (1539– by the author, and a Heritage History distribution date are included at the foot of 1616) published a monumental work on Peru (Lisbon, 1609; every page of text. We request all electronic and printed versions of this text include Cordova, 1617), for the writing of which he was peculiarly fitted these markings and that users adhere to the following restrictions. by birth and education. Though largely quoted by those who 1) This text may be reproduced for personal or educational purposes as long as came after him, he is not held to be always accurate. the original copyright and Heritage History version number are faithfully XVIIIth CENTURY. The story of Peru is well told in reproduced. Robertson's America; but "by far the best life of Pizarro" is 2) You may not alter this text or try to pass off all or any part of it as your own contained in the Vidas de Espanoles Celebres, by Don Manuel work. Josef Quintana (Madrid, 1807); Pizarro and Balboa, in English, 1832. 3) You may not distribute copies of this text for commercial purposes unless you have the prior written consent of Heritage History. XIXth CENTURY. The XIXth century also witnessed the forthcoming of such great works as Help's, Prescott's, and 4) This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original Markham's. Help's Life of Pizarro consists of material from his document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have occurred Spanish Conquest, and conspicuously exhibits the peculiarities during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a perfectly reliable reproduction. of its author. Of Prescott's Conquest of Peru, which was first published Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for commercial in 1843, and soon translated into all the languages of Europe, it purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] seems almost superfluous to remark that it is by far the most Original Copyright 1906 by Frederick A. Ober. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 comprehensive "popular" treatment of the subject, and at the same time exhaustive and critical. The narrative of the conquest, of which Pizarro was the central figure, cannot be dissociated from its hero, who is vividly portrayed by the great historian. TABLE OF CONTENTS IN THE LAND OF POISONED ARROWS ...................................... 4 WITH BALBOA IN DARIEN ...................................................... 9 SAILING THE UNKNOWN SEA ................................................ 13 THE DESPERATE ADVENTURER ............................................ 19 SUCCESS IN SIGHT AT LAST .................................................. 24 AN APPEAL TO THE CROWN .................................................. 28 ON THE PERUVIAN FRONTIER ............................................... 32 A GLANCE AT THE PERUVIANS ............................................. 36 A MARCH TO THE MOUNTAINS ............................................. 41 IN THE INCA'S STRONGHOLD ................................................. 45 HOW ATAHUALLPA WAS CAPTURED .................................... 49 THE PRISONER AND HIS RANSOM.......................................... 54 THE INCA AND HIS MURDERERS ........................................... 59 IN THE HEART OF PERU ........................................................ 63 IN THE CITY OF THE SUN....................................................... 67 QUARRELS OF THE CONQUERORS ......................................... 71 THE INCA RAISES HIS STANDARD ........................................ 74 THE DOWNFALL OF ALMAGRO ............................................. 78 FRANCISCO PIZARRO. HOW PIZARRO WAS ASSASSINATED ...................................... 83 Original Copyright 1906 by Frederick A. Ober. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 moreover, fierce and warlike, being allied to the cannibal Caribs CHAPTER I of the islands, he found himself engaged in war at the outset. There were no braver men in the world than the IN THE LAND OF POISONED ARROWS Spaniards of those days, seasoned by their wars with the Moors and their many encounters with the American Indians, and, as every foe they met had been overcome, they held these natives 1510–1519 of the New World in contempt, from the ease with which they were vanquished. There was hardly a Spaniard who did not Four hundred years ago the continent of South America consider himself a match for at least a score of Indians, clad as was known to the world at large only as a vast wilderness he was in his impenetrable armor of steel, and armed with keen- inhabited by savages. But a few points had been touched at here edged sword or arquebuse; while his naked enemy was almost and there on its north-eastern coast, and no expeditions of defenceless, his rude weapons consisting solely of war-club and discovery had been made to its unknown interior. Columbus, javelin, or lance of fire-hardened wood, with bow and arrows. Vespucius, Pinzon, and others had sailed along certain sections But these natives of "Terra Firma"—as the north coast was of the coast, but behind the barrier of its mountains all was called—possessed a weapon which made them for a time the mystery. It was called, indeed, and for many years after the first equals of the Spaniards. It was the terrible poisoned arrow, landing of Spaniards in the West Indies remained, the dipped in the deadly curare, or woorari, prepared by them in the "mysterious continent." secret recesses of the forests. It is on the northern coast of this continent, in the year Clouds of these envenomed arrows assailed the 1510, that we obtain our first glimpse of Francisco Pizarro. He Spaniards as they landed on the hostile shore; but they did not had sailed thither from Santo Domingo, in an expedition heed them, having hitherto considered an arrow-wound as of no commanded by Alonzo de Ojeda, a cavalier renowned for his consequence. When, however, soldier after soldier dropped to lion-like courage, but whose impetuous bravery always led him the ground in most excruciating torments, which were swiftly into disaster. His lieutenant, Pizarro, was equally brave and ended by inevitable death, the survivors became panic-stricken. resolute, but cool and calculating, even in the midst of perils; Ojeda thus lost seventy of his men in his first encounter with the and thus we see him the first time he looms upon the horizon of Indians of Terra Firma, and was himself wounded in the thigh, history, sturdily defending himself against the attacks of and would certainly have died but for his heroic remedy, which desperate Indian hordes. he made his surgeon apply, on pain of death for refusal. Behind him and his companions lay the interminable Wrenching the envenomed arrow from the wound, he enclosed forest, which, swarming with hostile Indians, enveloped them on his thigh between two red-hot plates of iron. By this means the every side save in front, where stretched the sea, but upon which poison was expelled, though the limb was scorched and they could not embark unless some were left to perish. His shrivelled; but he survived, while his pilot, the gallant Juan de la commander had been given the governorship of a province on Cosa, died from a similar wound, after his body had swollen to the isthmus of Darien; but he had to conquer that province first, twice its natural size. and as it was occupied by natives who fancied they had a better Although equally exposed with Ojeda, Francisco Pizarro right to it than Ojeda—as they really had—and as they were, survived this skirmish with the Indians unharmed, to make his Original Copyright 1906 by Frederick A. Ober. 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 bow to posterity. He was simply a soldier

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