_How the King Manco Inca, seeing the dissensions among the
Spaniards, summoned all the armed men he could collect to march
against Cuzco, and of his death._
The cruel fire was breaking out in all directions and the Devil, enemy
of the human race, rejoiced at the cruel war that was waged among the
Spaniards, and at the cruelty with which fathers killed their sons and
sons killed their own fathers, and that there was perturbation among
them all. So he put the desire into the mind of the King Manco Inca to
march against the city of Cuzco and destroy it, for it was reported to
him that there were few Spaniards there, as most of them had gone to
Lima with Gonzalo Pizarro. Prompted by the Devil, and without the
knowledge of the Spaniards who were with him, the Inca sent some of his
captains, with as large a force as they could muster, to advance towards
Cuzco and kill all the Spaniards they could find, burning and destroying
the villages. Thus they marched from the province of Viticos in the best
order they could form, and arrived at the villages bordering on Cuzco.
As soon as the news reached that city, Diego Maldonado ordered one of
his servants to go and see if it was true, but when the man came to
where the Inca’s captains were, he was killed by them. They also killed
the natives of the provinces. When it was certainly known in Cuzco that
the news was true, there was great fear throughout the city. As Gonzalo
Pizarro had taken all the horses, Diego Maldonado ordered all the mares
to be brought. There is no fortress for resisting the fury of the
Indians equal to Spaniards on horseback. The Indians, robbing and
desolating as they approached, came within six leagues of Cuzco, but
they did not dare to advance, fearing the force of the Spaniards, their
own bodies being unarmoured and unprotected. The captain Diego Maldonado
ordered all the Spaniards, including the clergy, to muster in the great
square on their mares, with their lances in their hands. He intended
that this should show the Indians how ready and watchful the Spaniards
were. He also ordered the Licentiate Antonio de la Gama to advance with
some Spaniards to the bridge of the Apurimac to see whether the Indians
were coming from that direction, and to resist any damage they came to
do. The Licentiate de la Gama departed on this service.
At this time the King Manco Inca was in Viticos where he received
reports from his captains. There were with him Diego Mendez, Francisco
Barba, Gomez Perez, Cornejo and Monroy. They were followers of Almagro
the lad, were at the battle of Chupas and, flying from the severity of
Vaca de Castro, had taken refuge with the Indians. They were treated
well by Manco Inca but were unable to escape, so there, with no little
labour, they passed their time. When the news came to the King Manco
Inca of what was passing in the kingdom, and how all the provinces were
in revolt, the Spaniards were anxious to leave their cruel though
voluntary banishment. The King Manco Inca, taking Diego Mendez aside,
asked him to explain clearly and openly and without any reserve who was
the great and powerful captain who had arrived at Lima, whether he was
strong enough to defend himself against Gonzalo Pizarro, and whether he
would remain as universal governor of the kingdom. The Spaniard answered
that the captain referred to by the Inca came by order and in the name
of the great and powerful King of Spain, from which it may be believed
that it will not only be very easy for him to defend himself against
Pizarro, but that he would be able to punish the rebel and all his
followers, and that he alone would be supreme throughout the kingdom.
I received this account of what happened from a priest named Ortun
Sanchez, who, being in charge of Paulo Inca, brother of this Manco Inca,
heard all the history. For as soon as the events happened, many Indians
who were present came to relate them to Paulo Inca. These Indians said
that Manco Inca spoke to Diego Mendez and his companions, asking them to
go by a way so that their journey should be unknown to Gonzalo Pizarro
or his captains, until they came to where the Viceroy was. They were
then to obtain his grace for the Inca, so that no harm might reach him
owing to past rebellion. The Spaniards replied that they would gladly
undertake this mission. After some further discourse between the Inca
and the Spaniards, some Indians who were present say that, after
everything had been arranged, and the horses were saddled, there was a
dispute with the Inca who ordered his people to kill the Spaniards. The
Spaniards, who were valiant, did much execution among the Indians and
one of them, Diego Perez, attacked the Inca, and gave him so many stabs
with a dagger that he fell dead. This done the Spaniards wanted to mount
and escape, but at that moment an Indian chief arrived with a large
force, and all the Spaniards were killed with their horses[58]. The
Indian forces sent to threaten Cuzco then returned to Viticos, and the
Licentiate de Gama was informed of what had happened by some Indians he
captured. He, therefore, returned to Cuzco.