Chap. X. RECALL OF AUECHE. Ifil 



pata, continued his march up the valley of the Vilcamayu, 

 crossed the pass of Ayaviri, and, entering the Collao, advanced 

 towards Puno, where he arrived in the middle of May. 

 But the Indians of his army were disgusted at the excessive 

 rigour with which the rebels were treated ; they deserted in 

 great numbers,^ and assisted the troops of Diego Tupac 

 Amaru in harassing the Spaniards, and cutting of all supplies. 

 The army of del Valle had been shamefidly neglected by the 

 visitador Areche, who was too busy in torturing his prisoners 

 to attend to the commissariat. The troojis were wretchedly 

 clad, unpaid, without medical stores, or biscuit, or fresh meat. 

 Under these circumstances the General reluctantly deter- 

 mined to retreat to Cuzco, taking with him the garrison and 

 inhabitants of Puno, which place was evacuated by Orellana 

 on the 26tli of May. The army which had left Cuzco in 

 March 15,000 strong was now reduced, by desertions and 

 sickness, to 1443 men, with which force General del Valle 

 commenced the retreat, closely followed and constantly 

 harassed by the Indians. He reached Cuzco on the 4th of 

 July, when a paper war ensued between him and Ai'eche, the 

 latter blaming him for evacuating Puno, while the General 

 retorted that Areche had shamefully neglected the wants of 

 his army, and failed to make any attempt to subdue the 

 country round Cuzco.'' 



The Viceroy seems to have taken the part of the General 

 in this controversy ; and the foul vulture Areche, with his 

 companion Matta Linares, was recalled. He reached Lima 

 on August 23rd, 1781, and embarked for Spain with the poor 

 little Fernando, son of Tupac Amaru, who was sentenced to 

 imprisonment for life. 



* One thousand nine hundred and 

 fifty men deserted in six days. — Letter 

 from del Valle. 



'^ Manifesto del Gen. del Valle. Se 



queja amargamente contra el visitador 

 Areche. Cuzco, Septre. 1781. — Guzman 



MSS. 



M 



