WORKS ISSUED BY
The Hakluyt Society
THE WAR OF QUITO
SECOND SERIES
No. XXXI
ISSUED FOR 1913
COUNCIL
OF
THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY.
ALBERT GRAY, Esq., K.C., _President_.
THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD BELHAVEN AND STENTON, _Vice-President_.
SIR CLEMENTS ROBERT MARKHAM, K.C.B., F.R.S., Ex-Pres. R.G.S.,
_Vice-President_.
THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD PECKOVER OF WISBECH, _Vice-President_.
ADMIRAL SIR LEWIS BEAUMONT, G.C.B., K.C.M.G.
SIR THOMAS B. BOWRING.
LIEUT.-COLONEL CHARLES FREDERICK CLOSE, C.M.G., R.E.
BOLTON GLANVILL CORNEY, Esq., I.S.O.
MAJOR LEONARD DARWIN, late R.E., late Pres. R.G.S.
WILLIAM FOSTER, Esq., C.I.E.
F. H. H. GUILLEMARD, M.D.
EDWARD HEAWOOD, Esq., _Treasurer_.
SIR EVERARD IM THURN, K.C.M.G., C.B.
JOHN SCOTT KELTIE, LL.D.
ADMIRAL SIR ALBERT HASTINGS MARKHAM, K.C.B.
ALFRED P. MAUDSLAY, Esq.
LIEUT.-COLONEL SIR MATTHEW NATHAN, G.C.M.G., R.E.
ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET THE RIGHT HON. SIR EDWARD HOBART SEYMOUR,
G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., LL.D.
H. R. TEDDER, Esq.
LIEUT.-COLONEL SIR RICHARD CARNAC TEMPLE, BART., C.I.E.
BASIL HOME THOMSON, Esq.
J. A. J. DE VILLIERS, Esq., _Hon. Secretary_.
THE WAR OF QUITO
BY
PEDRO DE CIEZA DE LEON
AND
INCA DOCUMENTS
TRANSLATED AND EDITED
BY
SIR CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, K.C.B.
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY
MDCCCCXIII
Cambridge:
PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTORY NOTE ix
The War of Quito by Pedro de Cieza de Leon
(LIII chapters), with notes 1
Letter from the Bishop of Cuzco to the King 132
Indictment of the Judges against the Viceroy 143
Sequel 152
Letter from Carbajal to Gonzalo Pizarro 160
Gasca’s voyage 162
Murder of the Inca Manco narrated by his son 164
Mission of Figueroa to the Inca 170
Note on Molina 200
INDEX 201
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
Cieza de Leon, besides his two chronicles (translations of which already
form part of the first series of the Hakluyt Society’s volumes),
completed a history of the conquest and civil wars of Peru. The
manuscripts have not all been found, but Jimenes de la Espada edited and
published the first part of the “War of Quito” by Cieza de Leon in 1880.
It is valuable because Cieza was the most trustworthy of all the old
writers on Peru, and because he was on the spot and acquainted with many
of the actors in the scenes he describes. Cieza is always fair and
impartial.
The interest attaching to this recovered work of Cieza is that it
records the attempt of the Spanish Government, at the instance of Las
Casas, to befriend the Indians by enforcing laws for their protection.
It will be seen that the martinet who was sent as Viceroy to carry out
the policy of the Government was a hopelessly impossible person. The
hopes of the Inca Manco were raised on receiving the news of the
Viceroy’s arrival with the New Laws, and he died in the full
anticipation that there was a dawn of better things for his people.
The narrative of Cieza is well told and full of interest. But it comes
to an end just before the Viceroy’s murder of the Factor Illan Suarez de
Carbajal, which was the immediate cause of his overthrow. To the
narrative of Cieza is, therefore, added in the present volume a letter
from the Bishop of Cuzco to Charles V which describes the murder and
subsequent events. The letter is followed by the Indictment of the
Judges against the Viceroy, also giving their version of the murder and
of the events which followed.
To complete the story a Sequel has been written by the editor, narrating
the events from the assumption of the government by Gonzalo Pizarro to
his complete victory and the death of the Viceroy at Añaquito. From that
date, for too short a time, Gonzalo Pizarro was Governor of Peru, and in
possession of the only approach by Panama, with none to oppose him.
His Camp Master was Francisco de Carbajal, a veteran of the Italian
wars, now verging on his eightieth year, and very corpulent. His life
story, up to this time, will be found in the narrative of Cieza, in the
Sequel, and in notes. Carbajal is accused of great cruelty. It is true
that he showed no mercy to traitors and deserters, from policy not from
innate cruelty. The treachery of nearly every one in Peru is perfectly
astounding, as will be seen in Cieza’s narrative; and strong measures
were absolutely inevitable. But he was kind and indulgent to his own
men, and he had a wife who was attached to him, a Portuguese lady named
Leyton, of good family. Carbajal was a soldier with forty years of
experience in the wars of Italy and by far the ablest military man in
Peru. He was well educated, extraordinarily sagacious and far-seeing,
very witty and humorous, and possessed of almost incredible physical
endurance.
The wise old man saw that there could be no forgiveness for Gonzalo
Pizarro, and that it was quite futile to send envoys to Spain to explain
what had happened and to apply for the governorship for Gonzalo. He,
therefore, urged Gonzalo Pizarro to assume the kingship, to create
nobles, to grant _encomiendas_ in perpetuity, to marry an Inca princess,
and to enact judicious laws for the efficient protection of the Indians.
By these measures he would secure the support of all the Spaniards and
all the native population--there would be such unanimity that attacks
from without would be repulsed. The only safety was in a bold front. The
words of wisdom were only listened to with favour, but not adopted.
The Sequel is followed by an interesting letter from Carbajal to Pizarro
in which he refers to the kingship.
Pizarro hesitated and was lost. There was the basest treachery. Hinojosa
and Aldana delivered up Panama and the fleet to the cleric Pedro de la
Gasca, who had been sent out with full powers.
A translation of a curious document in the King’s library at Madrid
follows, giving an account of the storm encountered by Gasca on his
voyage to Peru.
Next there is a translation of Appendix No. 18 in Espada’s edition of
Cieza de Leon’s “Guerra de Quito.” It is only a fragment, but it
contains the account of the murder of the Inca Manco, given by his son
Titu Cusi Yupanqui, who was an eye-witness.
The last document is the exceedingly interesting Report by Diego
Rodriguez de Figueroa of his mission to Titu Cusi Yupanqui Inca, between
1565 and 1568.
[Illustration]
THE WAR OF QUITO[1]
BY
PEDRO DE CIEZA DE LEON
CHAPTER I
_How the Viceroy Blasco Nuñez Vela sailed from San Lucar, and what
happened until his arrival at the city of Panama, which is in the
kingdom of Tierra Firme._
The Viceroy Blasco Nuñez had been ordered to fit out ships to sail from
Spain, and to continue his journey to the kingdoms of Peru. When
everything was ready, he sailed from that port, with the knights who
were to accompany him, on Saturday the 3rd day of the month of November
in the year of our redemption 1543[2]. Navigating swiftly over the great
ocean sea, he sailed on until he arrived at Gran Canaria. Here he took
in fresh provisions and was joined by the Licentiate Cepeda, who was
going out as a Judge. Leaving that island, the voyage was continued
until the ships arrived at Nombre de Dios three days after Epiphany in
1544. Here he remained for 15 or 16 days, at the end of which time he
proceeded to the city of Panama with those who had accompanied him.
I deeply lament that a knight so accomplished as was the Viceroy should
have fallen into the hands of such wicked and perverse men. For his want
of judgment and lack of prudence in public affairs did not merit a death
so cruel as he met with at Añaquito near the equator. The things that
must happen cannot be prevented, and all is in the will of the most high
God.
The Viceroy arrived at the city of Panama without waiting for the Judges
who, for some reason, did not leave Nombre de Dios with him, but
remained there. The Viceroy found the Licentiate Pedro Ramirez de
Quiñones, now Judge of the Confines, in Panama. He was taking the
_residencia_ of Dr Villalobos and the Licentiate Paez, who had been
Judges of the Court established in that kingdom. Presently the Viceroy
took the royal seal, and placed it in a box with the veneration which
was its due, with several chapters of the Ordinances[3], intending to
carry out the orders literally. They required that all the men and women
of Peru should be sent to their native homes at the cost of those who
possessed them, it being the will of the King that they should be free,
as his subjects and vassals[5]. Notwithstanding that the order was just
and righteous, some of the Indians evaded it because they were married,
others because they liked their masters and were tolerably instructed in
the matters of our Holy Catholic Faith. Even of those who were ordered
to depart many merely went to hide in secret places so as not to go
whither they were sent, and others went to the churches, whence they
were taken by order of the Viceroy, and put on board ships, where many
died. So that very few returned to their native places, and those that
did went back to the rites and idolatries they had formerly been
accustomed to. There was thus no benefit derived from compliance with
this ordinance. Some Spanish conquerors, who returned to Spain, had
lived with Indian women for many years, and had children by them. These
were to be sent to the native places of the mothers at the cost of their
masters. If they disputed or complained they had to pay double for
freight and passage. Some had small children and prayed that they might
not be sent to die owing to having no mothers. These were ordered to pay
a still larger sum.
The authorities, appointed to enforce the new laws in Peru, were the
Viceroy and four Judges of the Royal Court of Justice[6].
When the Judges arrived at Panama there were some entertainments, and it
was reported that the Viceroy and the Judges were not on very good
terms, and that, in secret, neither he treated them well, nor they him.
Considering the severity of the new laws, and the difficulty of
enforcing them in Peru, owing to the resistance of those in that
kingdom, the Judges suggested to the Viceroy that an intention to
enforce them should not be shown until they were in possession of Peru.
When the Court was established there, it would be easier to enforce the
orders of his Majesty. The Viceroy had received news of what was passing
in Peru, of the great number of people in that kingdom, of the
proceedings of the Governor Vaca de Castro, and that there were many
charges for artillery and arquebuses and much gunpowder in the cities of
Lima and Cuzco. He was strongly advised to enter Peru quietly and with
consideration, for if he came in another way there would be a rebellion
against him. For besides the arms and people actually in the country,
more came every day, and are now coming. But the Viceroy, unmoved by
these reports, replied that his single cloak and sword would suffice for
all Peru. Many, hearing these boastings, foresaw what they must be
prepared for. As the ordinances were so severe against men who had lived
so freely as those in Peru, and so heavy for them, it was evident that
they would take up arms, for it was their custom to contend in war for
very slight causes.