"Think you not the descendants of those men who formed these great
roads, and built the castles and palaces which still endure, can perform
so small a task as that?" he replied. "Wait, my friend, till you see."
After a considerable delay the priest returned, and acknowledging that
the inhabitants were reduced to feed upon mules, dogs, cats, and rats,
said that they agreed to the proposed terms, with a truce of two days.
During this time numbers of half-famished wretches were allowed freely
to wander out and collect all the food they could from the Indians. At
the end of the time two officers of the garrison came out, and sent a
message by the priest, stating that they were deputed to act as
commissioners, and proposed that the enemy should retire to a distance,
while the chiefs should meet them midway between the troops and the
town. No objection was made, and young Andres, Manco, and other chiefs,
with about twenty followers, repaired to the proposed spot. Scarcely
had they arrived there than some of their sentinels, posted on a
neighbouring hill overlooking the town, gave notice that the Spaniards
were collecting in great force at the gates, and were evidently
meditating a sortie to capture the chiefs. On this the two Spaniards
who were approaching the place of meeting, attempted to escape into the
town; but the Indians intercepting them, cut them down as a strong party
of the garrison rushed from the gates. The chiefs, vowing vengeance for
the meditated treachery, had barely time to retreat; their forces came
hurrying up for their protection; and the siege once more commenced with
greater activity than before.
The Indians mustered nearly a thousand muskets, with which they kept up
a hot fire on the trenches: besides which, they assailed the town with
flights of arrows, showers of stones and burning darts, which set fire
to many of the houses where they fell. Still the town held out, and the
leaders, anxious to proceed to other conquests, sent in a third summons
to the garrison to surrender. Another priest was the bearer. I waited
with much anxiety for his return, as the Indians had vowed to destroy
all the inhabitants, should the town be taken after their offer had a
third time been refused. I was not, indeed, quite certain that, in case
of a surrender, some of the chiefs and their followers did not meditate
treachery. They were, it must be remembered, ignorant savages, and on
too many occasions the Spaniards had set them an example they were
likely to imitate.
I took my food each day with Manco on a hill overlooking the town, from
whence a perfect view could be obtained of the whole scene of
operations. During the absence of the envoy hostilities had ceased, and
the Indians had withdrawn to a distance from the trenches. They now
formed a circle round the town, their cavalry occupying every level
space, and the infantry covering the surrounding hills with dense
masses. The river flowed calmly by; the valleys looked bright and
smiling; and the town itself seemed wrapped in perfect repose. Alas! it
was the repose which precedes dissolution. At length the priest was
seen issuing from the gates, and taking his way with a sorrowful
countenance towards the quarters of the young Indian general. We
immediately repaired there. The inhabitants, mistrusting the Indians,
as I concluded, refused to surrender.
"Then their doom is sealed," said Andres; and forthwith gave orders to
block up the course of the river, so as to direct it into the ravine
communicating with the town.
Several thousand men were employed day and night at this work, while the
rest kept the besieged in play. After two weeks' incessant labour, the
works were declared complete, and the whole army prepared for a general
assault. I took up my usual post to watch the result, hoping for the
sake of humanity that it might fail, but induce the inhabitants to
submit. At a given signal the embankments were knocked down, and the
water in a vast torrent rushed towards the town, flooding the
entrenchments and shaking the walls. They, however, withstood the
shock, and the brave defenders again returned to the shattered works
from which they had been driven. Once more the sluices were shut, and
the inhabitants were left to fancy that the threatened danger had passed
by. The next morning, however, the Indians again surrounded the devoted
town; in an increased volume the water was made to pass through the
ravine, and sweeping onward in a terrific torrent, it rushed down upon
the trenches and ramparts, carrying all before it. The defenders fled
in dismay from their posts; the signal for advance was given, and the
Indians, led on by their fiercest chiefs, dashed through the
newly-formed breach and entered the town.
I would willingly draw a veil over the scene of horror which ensued.
Little or no opposition was offered; but the spirit of vengeance was
aroused, and not a man they encountered escaped. Prayers and entreaties
were disregarded--death was dealt on every side. Those who attempted to
fly were driven back; and of the twenty thousand persons who in the
morning walked alive through the streets, women only and a few priests,
and one or two laymen, who had taken refuge within the church, were
spared. I had earnestly entreated Manco to do his utmost to save the
lives of those who offered no resistance, pointing out to him the policy
of so doing; and through his means chiefly those few persons were
preserved from destruction. He had claimed some of them as his own
property; and for their better protection they were brought to the hut
he and I inhabited, on a hill a short distance from the town.
Among them was a man whose deep dejection, and countenance and manners,
deeply interested me. Though his dress was soiled and bloody, I at once
perceived that he was a gentleman.
"Alas!" he said, "I have been the child of misfortune from my earliest
clays. Whenever any bright prospect has appeared before me, it has
vanished ere I could enjoy it. I married a wife; she was young and
beautiful; but poverty oppressed us, and she had been accustomed to
wealth and luxury. A child was born to us, and I trusted it would
reconcile her to our lot; but as we were travelling through the country,
we were attacked by the Montoneros, and the infant, and the nurse who
had charge of him, were carried away to the mountains and slain, for we
could never again hear tidings of either of them. For years I toiled on
till I amassed a handsome fortune; but scarcely was it obtained, when
death deprived me of my wife. I had laid out my money in the purchase
of an estate, in the cultivation of which I had resolved to employ
myself till heaven should allow me to join my wife and child in another
world, when this dreadful outbreak commenced, and reduced me to beggary.
By a strange fate, though all my companions have been destroyed, I
still am bound to life, which I would gladly have quitted."
Don Gomez de Castro, I learned, was the prisoner's name. Our
conversation, which had been prolonged till a late hour, for it was now
night, was interrupted by a blaze of light, which illuminated the whole
sky. Hurrying to the door of the hut, the cause became apparent. The
unfortunate town of Sarata was on fire. In every direction the flames
were bursting furiously forth, till the entire place became one burning
mass. Don Gomez, as he looked at the scene, wrung his hands, and wept
bitterly. The fire raged all night; and next morning nothing remained
of Sarata but a heap of smouldering ashes. The Indians triumphed, as
savages alone may be excused in triumphing, over their fallen enemies.
The priests who had been rescued, were, however, treated with respect;
which showed the extraordinary influence they had obtained over the
minds of the people. Had it been more beneficially exerted, by teaching
them the simple truths of pure Christianity, it would assuredly have
prevented the horrors of the outbreak; but I fear their aim had rather
been to establish their power, for their own selfish advantage, than for
the sake of religion. "By their fruits ye shall know them."
A council of war was now held; when the young General Andres resolved to
advance upon the town of La Paz; while Manco, with five thousand men,
was to keep the communication open with the north, where he was to
rejoin Tupac Amaru.
I rejoiced at this, for I was anxious to see Pedro and Ned Gale again;
and I own, from the scenes I had witnessed, I longed to quit the Indian
army, and to commence our proposed journey towards Europe. We marched
as rapidly as before; the cavalry scouring the country in every
direction, and now and then reporting that they had met and destroyed a
few of the enemy; but no prisoners were brought in.
I had often expostulated with Manco in vain, on the wanton destruction
of human life. His answer was, "We treat the Spaniards as they treated
us. I cannot prevent my people from taking vengeance."
Yet, strange to say, every chief made a point of attaching to himself,
as a Christian chaplain, one of the priests who had been saved from the
captured towns and villages.
As we approached the neighbourhood of Cuzco, intelligence was brought us
that the Spaniards had collected in great force in that city; and that
having been joined by a number of Indian tribes from Chili, and further
to the south, they were well prepared to give battle to Tupac Amaru. On
hearing this, we redoubled our efforts to join the main army. We found
them drawn up in the neighbourhood of Tungasuca, in an extensive flat,
with a hill on one side, and a river in their rear, prepared to receive
the enemy, who were advancing along a valley in their front. A strong
body was posted on the hill, where the artillery was likewise stationed.
I at once repaired there, in the hopes of finding Ned; but the cacique
who had command of it received me very coldly, and informed me that the
services of my countryman were no longer required, and that he could not
tell where he was. This chief went by the name of Quizquiz, after a
famous general of the Inca Atahualpa. I had met him before. I did not
like either his countenance or his manners; but the Inca had confidence
in him, and listened to his advice. He had become, I suspected, jealous
of Ned, and did not like his interference.
After wandering about for some time among the motley assemblage of dusky
warriors, I found my old friend in the rear, sitting on the ground, and
quietly smoking his pipe. As soon as he saw me, he jumped up and wrung
my hand heartily.
"I'm glad to see you, mate, that I am," he exclaimed. "I've been
waiting for you, to be off; for the sooner we are out of this, the
better, I'm thinking. A set of lubbers there have got hold of the guns,
which they don't know how to work; and they'll do themselves no good,
and the enemy no harm, when they begin to fight, I warrant. The Inca is
as fine a fellow as ever stepped; but for that Senor Quizquiz, or
whatever they call him, he'll play him some trick, or my name's not Ned
Gale; mark that, mate."
Ned having thus vented his spleen, as many another man would have done
at having been deprived of his command, told me that Pedro was at a
village among the hills in the neighbourhood, anxiously waiting my
return. He informed me also that the wife of the Inca, Nita, and a
large number of other women were collected there. Accompanied by Ned, I
returned to where Manco with his men was encamped; and obtaining
permission from him to carry off Don Gomez, we set out to look for
Pedro. I was mounted, and I had likewise obtained horses for my
companions. Beyond the river I have spoken of there was a succession of
lofty hills, among which was situated the village now inhabited by the
wives of the chiefs and other women. We were obliged to ride along the
banks of the river some way, till we found a ford, which we crossed. As
we ascended the first eminence, and looked back upon the scene we had
left, it presented a very beautiful appearance. The long lines of
warriors, their shining arms, the innumerable banners, and the variety
of costumes, from the half-naked savages of the interior, with their
skin mantles and feather crowns, to the well-clothed inhabitants of the
mountains and western plains, and the rich dresses of the chiefs
embroidered with gold and ornamented with precious stones. Then the
extraordinary mixture of weapons--the artillery and muskets of modern
warfare, with the bows, the slings, the clubs, and darts of ancient
times. Each man had come provided with such arms as he could procure;
and for years before every Indian who could obtain a musket had
carefully concealed it for the moment when he hoped to use it for the
liberation of his country.
Tupac Amaru had acted the part of a good general, by providing an ample
commissariat, and several mills for the manufacture of gunpowder. Had
he at once followed up the successes with which the outbreak commenced,
instead of wasting his time in preparing the pageants of mock royalty, I
see no reason to doubt that he might really have re-established the
dynasty of the Incas in Peru. If we look at the way in which the
Circassians, a mere handful of men, have for so many years defended
against the arms of the Russians, a country more difficult to protect,
we cannot but believe that the Peruvians might have successfully held
the passes of the Andes against any force Spain could have sent against
them. In the case of the Circassians, however, it is the superior race,
few in number, and unaccustomed to what is called civilisation, but
defending their mountains against the inferior, though armed and
disciplined by service; whereas the Peruvians were decidedly far lower
in the scale of human beings than the Spaniards, and for long ages had
been unacquainted with war, and had yielded submission to those against
whom they had now risen. There were many noble spirits among them; but
others had the faults which years of slavery will ever leave behind, and
treachery and deceit were among them. Such reflections as these passed
through my mind as I watched the embattled host.
Just as we gained the brow of the hill, the loud roar of cannon sounded
in our ears, and turning our horses' heads, we saw a large body of
Spanish cavalry galloping towards the Peruvian army. The artillery of
the latter had opened on them at too great a distance to harm them.
They halted for a time to allow the infantry to advance with several
light field pieces, which at once commenced a very effectual fire on the
crowded ranks of the Indians. Several large bodies of the Peruvians
rushed gallantly on to meet them; when the Spanish cavalry charged in
among their somewhat disordered ranks, and drove them back with great
loss. Quizquiz finding, it appeared, that his guns did little execution
from whence he was posted, dragged them on more in advance. Ned watched
him anxiously.
"There," he exclaimed, "I thought it would be so. Does the lubber think
the Dons will let him stay there quietly to fire at them?"
Quizquiz, however, seemed to think differently, and began firing away
with great animation, his shot telling with some effect on the Spanish
ranks. No sooner was this perceived, than a strong body was despatched
to attack him. Some Peruvian troops were also marching to his support;
but his danger had not been seen in time, and the Spaniards charging
them with great spirit, the general took to flight, and left his guns in
the possession of the enemy. I had before suspected him of intending
treachery, and I was now certain of it. He, with a number of his men on
horseback, rode off, and did not stop till he had crossed the river
below us.
The action now became general. The whole Indian line advanced, led on
by Tupac Amaru and his bravest chiefs. Both sides fought with the
greatest bravery; but the Spanish infantry, trusting in the superiority
of their firearms, kept at a distance from the Indians, the cavalry only
charging every now and then as the broken ranks of their opponents
offered them an opportunity of success. So vastly superior, however,
were the Indians in numbers, that the wings being moved forward were on
the point of completely encircling the Spaniards, when the whole force
of the latter, advancing at a quick march, made a desperate attack on
the Peruvian centre, the cavalry meantime charging the wings. The
Indians, already shaken, could not withstand the shock. The chiefs
urged them on. Many fought with the most desperate bravery. It had now
become a hand-to-hand combat, the Spaniards like a wedge forcing their
way onward. The great aim seemed to be to seize the Inca. Several of
his chiefs perceiving this, seized his horse's bridle, and endeavoured
to drag him out of the fight. His followers, believing that it was the
signal of defeat, gave way, and fled in all directions. The chiefs in
vain attempted to stop them. Some fled across the plain, others climbed
up the neighbouring heights, and many attempted to cross the river.
Among the latter was the Inca, with the chiefs who had surrounded him
for his protection. The Spanish cavalry followed close upon their
heels. The Inca plunged in with his horse, which boldly stemmed the
torrent; while his gallant followers turned and bravely attempted to
oppose the passage of the Spaniards, till he had crossed safely over.
The latter, flushed with victory, charged them fiercely, and cutting at
them with their swords, scarcely a man remained alive. The Inca, with
his son and brother, and other relatives, had reached the opposite bank,
and was galloping towards the mountains, where he might have found a
safe retreat; when the traitor Quizquiz, who, with his followers, had
been lying in ambush, rushed out and surrounded him. So completely
taken by surprise was he, that neither he nor any of his companions
attempted to defend themselves. Of those who did, one man only escaped
from among them, and we saw them galloping with desperate speed towards
us. Meantime the Spanish cavalry had crossed the stream, and the
traitor advancing to meet them, in a few minutes the unfortunate Inca
was in their power.
We had been so intently watching these events, that we had not observed
what was taking place in another direction. When the chief who had made
his escape was perceived by the Spaniards, several horsemen were sent in
pursuit of him. He urged on his horse with desperate speed over the
rocky and broken ground, at the foot of the sierra on which we stood,
the soldiers every now and then discharging their pieces at him. My
interest increased as he approached, for I fancied that I recognised my
friend Manco. His pursuers got nearer to him, and fired more
frequently. I dreaded lest their shot should take effect. They were
close upon his heels; for his horse, wearied with his long journey and
constant exertion during the day, could scarcely bear him on. Just at
that moment a shout reached my ears, and looking up in the direction
whence it came, I saw Pedro running along the ridge of the hill towards
us. I waved to him as a signal that I had recognised him, and then once
more turned to watch Manco's progress. Tired as was his steed, it was
more accustomed to the rough ground than were those of the Spaniards,
with their heavy arms and accoutrements. The noble animal exerted all
its energies, well aware, it seemed, that a life depended on its speed.