590 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



their hands, and thinking there was danger in delay, when the large 

 forces Huascar was expecting should be assembled, set out with great 

 haste and alacrity in pursuit of the poor bewildered King; and 2 

 leagues W. of the city they unexpectedly overtook and attacked him, 

 just as he was joining forces with those troops of his who were 

 arriving tired out with the haste of their march. These were the 

 conditions under which they valiantly defended the just cause of their 

 King. The bloody battle lasted all day, with great losses on both 

 sides ; but the rebels won and took cruel advantage of their victory 

 on the losers ; poor King Huascar was captured and put under guard 

 by the rebels. 



This battle took place at the end of the year 1528; some say that 

 it was only i league from the city, on the Quepaypa plain. Certain 

 it is that if King Huascar had retired with his followers to the 

 fortress to await aid from his vassals — -for it was in view of similar 

 occasions and purposes that the kings of that empire had built it — 

 the traitors could not have carried out their evil purpose ; but they 

 were 30,000 chosen soldiers, and experienced in warfare. 



1584. With the great victory they had won, and the capture of 

 good King Huascar Inca, they were greatly puffed up and rejoiced ; 

 they sent word as quickly as possible to the rebel Atahualpa that they 

 had the King captive and in their power, and issued orders immedi- 

 ately that this should be made known and published all over the 

 empire, both for their warlike (aucana) renown and to cause the 

 armies which might come for aid from the provinces notified, to 

 be dissolved at the news of their victory and the imprisonment of 

 the King. In this way they thought that they could indulge more 

 at their ease the cruel tortures and murders they were about to 

 perpetrate upon those of the blood royal, and the other governors 

 and functionaries of the empire. 



When the rebel Atahualpa had learned of the victory, he reflected 

 that he could not reign in accordance with the statutes and practice 

 of the Kings of Cuzco, for they had to be legitimate successors of 

 the blood royal by father and mother ; and since he was not, he could 

 only achieve the kingly station by murdering and exterminating all 

 those of the blood royal; it was likewise desirable and needful to 

 destroy the opposing forces. So he pretended that he wished to 

 restore the Kingdom to his brother Huascar ; and in order to settle 

 upon the terms which should ensure tranquillity and wise administra- 

 tion on the part of both, so that in future there should be no 

 disturbance or disorder, he ordered that all over the empire they 

 should summon the Incas of the blood royal, the Governors, Captains, 



