150 



NAERATIVE OF AMARU'S REBELLION. 



Chap. IX. 



Castille had usurped the crown and dominions of Peru, im- 

 posing innumerable taxes, tributes, duties, excises, monopolies, 

 tithes, fifths ; appointing officers who sold justice, and treating 

 the people like beasts of burden. For these causes, and by 

 reason of the cries which have risen uj) to Heaven, in the 

 name of Almighty God, it is ordered that no man shall 

 henceforward pay money to any Spanish officer, excepting 

 the tithes to priests ; but that tribute shall be paid to the 

 Inca, and an oath of allegiance to him be taken in every 

 town and village. The document is without date.^ 



On March 12tli, 1781, the army under General del Valle 

 marched out of Cuzco. A detachment of 2000 men was 

 sent against the insurgents, commanded by the Caciques 

 Parvina and Bermudez," in the province of Cotabambas, who 

 were both killed in a desperate action. Tupac Amaru used 

 to call these brave chiefs his right and left arms. Mean- 

 while the main body of the royalist army advanced slowly 

 along the mountains to the westward of the valley of the 

 Vilcamayu, suffering much from thB snow-storms, the want 

 of food and fuel, and the shameful neglect of all commissa- 

 riat an-angements by Areche. On the 18tli the Inca sent a 

 message to the Spanish General, saying that the morrow, 

 being the festival of San Jose, would be an appropriate day 

 for settling their differences ; and that he should prepare his 

 troops for a movement of which, in compliment to the name- 

 day of both himself and Del Valle, he deemed it courteous 

 to apprise his adversary. In consequence of tliis message 

 the Spaniard kept his men under arms all night, but no 

 attack took place, and in the morning the Inca's army was 



' This draft of an edict is amongst 

 the papers in Augelis. It is iiossible, 

 however, that it may Iiave been forged 

 by the Spaniards, in order to produce 

 written evidence of the intentions of 

 Tupac Amaru. 



"^ Tomas I'arviua de Colquemarca, 

 '■ Justicia Mayor," and Felipe; Ber- 

 mndez, a Spamard, belonged to the 

 "Junta i'rivada,' or Privy Council, of 

 the luca. Bermudez had acted as the 

 Inca's secretary. 



