AMERICA, 225 



his assistance in the expedition, the success of which he did not even 

 call in question. 



Almagro, that he might have the honour of subduing a kingdom 

 for himself, listened to his advice; and joining as many of Pizarro's 

 troops to his own as he judged necessary, he penetrated, with great 

 danger and difficulty, into Chili ; losing many of his men as he passed 

 over mountains of an immense height, and always covered with snow. 

 He reduced, however, a very considerable part of this country. But 

 the Peruvians were now become too much acquainted with war not 

 to take advantage of the division of the Spanish troops. They made 

 an effort for regaining their capital, in which Pizarro being indispos- 

 ed, and Almagro removed at a distance, they were very nearly suc- 

 cessful. The latter, however, no sooner got notice of the siege of 

 Cusco, than, relinquishing all views of distant conquests, he returned 

 to secure the grand object of their former labours. He raised the 

 siege, with infinite slaughter of the assailants ; but, having obtained 

 possession of the city, he w T as unwilling to give it up to Pizarro, who 

 now opproached with an army, and knew of no other enemy but the 

 Peruvians. This dispute occasioned a long and bloody struggle be* 

 tween them, in which the turns of fortune were various, and the 

 resentment fierce on both sides, because the fate of the vanquished 

 was certain death. This was the lot of Almagro, who, in an advanced 

 age, fell a victim to the security of a rival, in whose dangers and tri- 

 umphs he had long shared, and with whom, from the beginning of the 

 ent. rprise, he had been intimately connected. During the course of 

 this civil war, many Peruvians served in the Spanish armies, and 

 learned, from the practice of Christians, to butcher one another. 

 That blinded nation, however, at length opened their eyes, and took 

 a very remarkable resolution. They saw the ferocity of the Euro- 

 peans, their unextinguishable resentment and avarice, and they con- 

 jectured that these passions would never permit their contests to 

 subside. Let us retire, said they, from among them ; let us fly to 

 our mountains ; they will speedily destroy one another, and then we 

 may return in peace to our former habitations. This resolution was 

 instantly put in practice : the Peruvians dispersed, and left the Spa- 

 niards in their capiial. Had the force on each side been exactly 

 equal, the singular policy of the natives of Peru might have been at- 

 tended with success : but the victory of Pizarro put an end to Alma- 

 gro's life, and to the hopes of the Peruvians, who have never since 

 ventured to make head against the Spaniards. 



Pizarro, now sole master of the field, and of the richest empire in 

 the world, was still urged on by his ambition to undertake new enter- 

 prises. The southern countries of America, into which he' had 

 some time before dispatched Almagro, offered the richest conquest. 

 Towards this quarter, the mountains of Potosi, yielding large quanti- 

 ties of silver, had been discovered, the shell of which only remains at 

 present. He therefore followed the track of Almagro into Chili, and 

 reduced another part of that country. Orellana, one of his comman- 

 ders, passed the Andes, and sailed down to the mouth of the river of 

 Amazons: an immense navigation, which discovered a rich and de- 

 lightful country ; but as it is mostly flat, and therefore not abound- 

 ing in minerals, the Spaniards then, and ever since, neglected it. 

 Pizarro, meeting with repeated success, and having no superior to 

 controul, no rival to keep him within bounds, now gave loose reins 

 »o the natural ferocitv of his temper, and behaved with the basest 



Voi . II. G g 



