' . ovalle's historical relation of chile. 159 



to the crofs, in the month of May in the year 1533, the army which Atagualpa had fent 

 againft his brother Guafcar, near Cufco, overcame him and took him prifoner, and 

 were bringing him to Atagualpa, without knowing any thing of what had happened 

 between him and the Caftilians ; but on the way Guafcar learned that his enemy was a 

 prifoner too ; and Atagualpa was at the fame time informed of the viftory he had 

 obtained ; he hearing it, ihook his head, and cried, " O fortune ! what is this, that I 

 am this day a conqueror, and conquered ?'* Guafcar moderated his grief with the news 

 of his enemy's misfortune, thinking that the Caftilians would revenge him on the 

 tyrant, who pretended to take from him his lawful inheritance. 



Atagualpa, though a prifoner, began to make refledions in this manner : If I caufe 

 my brother to be put to death, how do I know how the Caftilians will take it ? and 

 whether they will not put me to death for this, and remain lords of the land ? If I 

 let him come on, and he fpeaks with them, the juftice 'of his caufe will fpeak for him, 

 and I muft perifh ; for I cannot exped mercy from any. What remedy ? He found 

 it cunningly, as he thought : he feigned a great fadnefs, with a defign that the Pizarros, 

 who vifited him every day, fliould afk him what was the matter. They did accordingly ; 

 and, feeing him fo afflidled, defired to know the caufe of that extraordinary grief. He 

 anfwered deceitfully, that having received the news that his generals had put to death 

 his brother Guafcar, it gave him an exceeding grief, of which he was not to be com- 

 forted ; becaufe, though they were enemies, yet he was his brother ; and he could not 

 but be much concerned at his death. All this, was feigned, to fee how the Spaniards 

 would take it ; and finding they did not feem offended at the thing, he fent orders 

 immediately to his generals, who were coming on with his brother, that they fhould 

 put him to death prefently by the way ; which they did, by drowning of him in a river, 

 which amongft them is an infamous death. His cries to Heaven to revenge his unjuft 

 death, were ufelefs at that time. 



But let no man give it to another to fave his own life ; for there is not a fhorter, 

 nor a more certain way for him to lofe it : let him not ftrive by politick maxims, which 

 an unjuft and ambitious paffion fuggefts ; for though that may be an appearance of 

 ftability, yet divine juftice breaks through it all like cobwebs, and at length leaves no 

 crime without its chaftifement. Atagualpa proved himfelf a great example of this truth, 

 all his artifices ferving only to afford his enemies a pretext to take away his life. He 

 had promifed to fill the room where they kept him prifoner, which was a very large 

 one, with gold and filver, befides ten thoufand bars of gold, and fome heaps of jewels, 

 as an earneft, for his ranfom. And though this was. accepted ; and that he performed 

 it according to his promife, yet he did not obtain what he pretended ; for, inftead of his 

 liberty, they pronounced to him a fentence of death, which he juftly deferved for 

 having put his brother to it, and tyrannized over that which was none of his o^vn ; 

 and becaufe of the advice the Spaniards had every day of the army that was gathering 

 together, which if it were true, and Atagualpa at liberty at the head of them, 

 there would have been good reafon to fear, from his fubtilty, great and irreme- 

 diable inconveniences, which they thought they could no .ways avoid fo well as by 

 taking his life, though with fome hopes of his exchanging it for a better and eternal 

 one, if it be true that before he died he was inftrufted, and received baptifm, as fome 

 fay he did. 



About this time, which was in the year 1533, Don Diego d'Almagro being made 

 marftial, came from Panama to Tombez with a good body of men and arms ; and 

 from thence he went on to help his good friend, the Adelantado Pizarro, in his con- 

 quefts, not letting his men do any injury to his Indians as he went. There were a 



hundred 



