new deputation to Spain to justify this conduct, and to infiit, in name of all the communities in Peru, for a confirmation of the government to himself during life, as the only means of preferving tranquillity there. The perfons entrufted with this ftrange commiffion, intimated the intention of Pizarro to the prefident, and required him, in his name, to depart from Panama and return to Spain. They carried likewife fecret inftructions to Hinojofa, directing him to offer Gafca a prefent of fifty thoufand pefos, if he would comply voluntarily with what was demanded of him; and if he fhould continue obftinate, to cut him off either. by affaffination or poifon. e)

Gafca gains his fleet.

Many circumstances concurred in pushing on Pizarro to thofe wild measures. Having been once accustomed to fupreme command, he could not bear the thoughts of defcending to a private station. Confcious of his own demerit, he fufpected that the emperor ftudied only to deceive him, and would never pardon the outrages which he had committed. His chief confidents, no lefs guilty, entertained the fame apprehenfions. The approach of Gafca without any military force excited no terror. There were now above fix thousand Spaniards fettled in Peru; f) and at

e) Zarate, lib. vi. c. 8. Fernandez, lib. ii. c. 33, 34. Herrera, dec. 8. lib. ii. c. 9, 10.

f) Herrera, dec. 8. lib. iii. c. I.

the head of thefe he doubted not to maintain his own independence, if the court of Spain fhould refufe to grant what he required. But he knew not that a fpirit of defection had al-ready begun to fpread among thofe whom he trufted moft. Hinojofa, amazed at Pizarro's precipitate refolution of fetting himself in oppofition to the emperor's commion, and difdaining to be his inftrument in perpetrating the odious crimes pointed out in his fecret inftructions, publickly recognized the title of the prefident to the fupreme authority in Peru, The officers under his command did the fame. Such was the contagious influence of the example, that it reached even the deputies who had been fent from Peru; and at the time when Pizarro expected to hear either of Gafca's return to Spain, or of his death, he received an account of his being mafter of the fleet, of Panama, and of the troops ftationed there.

Pizarro refolves on wa

Irritated almoft to madnefs by an event fo unexpected, he openly prepared for war; (1547-) and in order to give fome colour of justice to his arms, he appointed the court of audience in Lima to proceed to the trial of Gafca, for the crimes of having feized his fhips, feduced his officers, and prevented his deputies from proceeding in their voyage to Spain. Cepeda, though acting as a judge in virtue of the royal

commiffion, did not fcruple to prostitute the dignity of his function by finding Gafca guilty of treason, and condemning him to death on that account. g) Wild, and even ridiculous, as this proceeding was, it impofed on the low illiterate adventurers, with whom Peru was filled, by the semblance of a legal fanction warranting Pizarro to carry on hoftilities against a convicted traitor. Soldiers accordingly reforted from every quarter to his ftandard, and he was foon at the head of a thousand men, the best equipped that had ever taken the field in Peru.

Preparations of Gafca.

Gafca, on his part, perceiving that force. must be employed in order to accomplish the purpose of his miffion, was no lefs affiduous in collecting troops from Nicaragua, Carthagena, and other fettlements on the continent; and with fuch fuccefs, that he was foon in a condition to detach a fquadron of his fleet, with a confiderable body of foldiers, to the coaft of Peru. Their appearance (April 1547.) excited a dreadful alarm; and though they did not attempt for fome time to make any descent, they did more effectual fervice, by fetting afhore in different places perfons who difperfed copies of the act of general indemnity, and the revocation of the late edicts; and who made known every where the

g) Fernandez, lib. ii. c. 55. Vega, p. II. lib. v. c. 7. Herrera, dec. 8. lib. iii. c. 6.

pacifick intentions, as well as mild temper, of the prefident. The effect of spreading this information was wonderful. All who were diffatisfied with Pizarro's violent adminiftration, all who retained any fentiments of fidelity to their fovereign, began to meditate revolt. Some openly deferted a cause which they now deemed te be unjuft.

In furrection of Centeno,

Centeno, leaving the cave in which he lay concealed, affembled about fifty of his former adherents, and with this feeble halfarmed band advanced boldly to Cuzco. By a fudden attack in the night-time, in which he difplayed no lefs military fkill than valour, he rendered himself mafter of that capital, though defended by a garrifon of five hundred men. Moft of thefe having ranged themfelves under his banners, he had foon the command of a refpectable body of troops. h)

against whom Pizarro marches,

Pizarro, though aftonished at beholding one enemy approaching by fea, and another by land, at a time when he trufted to the union of all Peru in his favour, was of a spirit more undaunted, and more accustomed to the viciffitudes of fortune, than to be difconcerted or appalled. As the danger from

h) Zarate, lib. vi. c. 13 - 16. Gumara, c. 180, 181. Fernandez, lib. ii, c. 28. 64, &c.

excess,

Centeno's operations was the most urgent, he inftantly fet out to oppofe him. Having provided horfes for all his foldiers, he marched with amazing rapidity. But every morning he found his force diminished, by numbers who had left him during the night; and though he became fufpicious to and punifhed without mercy all whom he fufpected, the rage of desertion was too violent to be checked. Before he got within fight of the enemy at Huarina, near the lake Titiaca, he could not mufter more than four hundred foldiers. But these he justly confidered as men of tried attachment, on whom he might depend. They were indeed the boldest and most desperate of his followers, confcious like himfelf of crimes for which they could hardly expect forgiveness, and without any hope but in the fuccefs of their arms. With thefe he did not hesitate to attack (October 20. 1547.) Centeno's troops, though double to his own in number. The royalifts did not decline the combat. It was the moft obftinate and bloody that had hitherto been fought in Peru.

and defeats him.

At length the intrepid valour of Pizarro, and the fuperiority of Carvajal's military talents, triumphed over numbers, and obtained a complete victory. The booty was immense, i) and

i) See NOTE XVII,