224 AMERICA. 



number in his army, and that those who returned with such magni- 

 ficent fortunes, would induce new adventurers- to pursue the same 

 plan for acquiring gold. These expectations were abundantly veri- 

 fied j it was impossible to send out better recruiting officers than 

 those who had themselves so much profited by the field ; new soldiers 

 eonstantly arrived, and the American armies never wanted reinforce- 

 ments. 



This immense ransom was only a further reason for detaining Ata- 

 balipa in confinement, until it was discovered whether he had another 

 treasure to gratify their avarice. But whether the Spaniards believed 

 he had no more to give, and were unwilling to employ their troops in 

 guarding a prince from whom they expected no further advantage ; 

 or that Pizarro had conceived an aversion against the Peruvian em- 

 peror, on account of some instances of craft and duplicity which he 

 observed in his character, and which he conceived might prove dan- 

 gerous to his affairs ; it is certain, that by his command, Atabalipa 

 was put to death. To justify this cruel proceeding, a pretended 

 charge was exhibited against the unhappy prince, in which he was 

 accused of idolatry, of having many concubines, and other circum- 

 stances of equal impertinence. The only just ground of accusation 

 against him was, that his brother, Huescar, had been put to death by 

 his command ; and even this was considerably palliated, because 

 Huescar had been plotting his destruction, that he might establish 

 himself on the throne. Upon the death of the Ynca, a number of 

 candidates appeared for the throne. The principal nobility set up 

 the full brother of Huescar ; Pizarro set up a son of Atabalipa ; and 

 two generals of the Peruvians endeavoured to establish themselves 

 by the assistance of the army. These distractions, which in another 

 empire would have been extremely hurtful, and even here, at another 

 time, were at present rather advantageous to the Peruvian affairs. 

 The candidates fought against one another : their battles accustom- 

 ed these harmless people to blood ; and such is the preference of a 

 spirit of any kind raised in a nation to a total lethargy, that, in the 

 course of these disputes among themselves, the inhabitants of Peru 

 assumed some courage against the Spaniards, whom they regarded 

 as the ultimate cause of all their calamities. The losses which the 

 Spaniards met with in these quarrels, though inconsiderable in them- 

 selves, were rendered dangerous, by lessening the opinion of their 

 invincibility, which they were careful to preserve among the inhabi- 

 tants of the New World. This consideration engaged Pizarro to 

 conclude a truce ; and the interval he employed in laying the founda- 

 tions of the famous city of Lima, and in settling the Spaniards in the 

 country. But as soon as a favourable opportunity offered, he renewed 

 the war against the Indians, and, after many difficulties, made him- 

 self master of Cusco, the capital of the empire. While he was 

 engaged in these conquests, new grants and supplies arrived from 

 Spain. Pizarro obtained 200 leagues along the sea-coast, to the 

 southward of what had been before granted, and Almagro 200 leagues 

 to the southwaixl of Pizarro's government. This division occasioned 

 a warm dispute between them, each reckoning Cusco within his own 

 district ; but the dexterity of Pizarro brought about a reconciliation. 

 He persuaded his rival, that the country which really belonged to him 

 lay to the southward of Cusco, and that it was no way inferior in 

 riches, and might be as easily conquered as Peru. He offered him 



