were afraid of endangering his life by forming any other scheme for his relief; and though the force of the empire was ftill entire, not preparations were made, and no army affembled to avenge their own wrongs or thofe of their monarch. d)

The Spaniards vifit different provinces.

The Spaniards remained in Caxamalca tranquil and unmolefted. Small detachments of their number marched into remote provinces of the empire, and, instead of meeting with any oppofition, were every where received with marks of the most fubmiffive refpect. e)

Almagro arrives with a reinforcement,

Inconfiderable as thofe parties were, and defirous as Pizarro might be to obtain fome knowledge of the interior ftate of the country, he could not have ventured upon any diminution of his main body, if he had not about this time (Dec. 1532.) received an account of Almagro's having landed at St. Michael with fuch a reinforcement as would almoft double the number of his followers. f) The arrival of this long expected fuccour was not more agreeable to the Spaniards, than alarming to the Inca. He faw the power of his enemies increase; and as he knew neither the fource whence they derived their

d) Xeres, 205.

e) See NOTE VIII.

f) Xeres, 204, Herrera, dec. 5. lib. iii. c. 1, an ROBERTSON Vol. III.

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fupplies, nor the means by which they were conveyed to Peru, he could not foresee to what a height the inundation that poured in upon his dominions might rise.

Huafcar put to death, 1533.

While difquieted with fuch apprehenfions, he learned that fome Spaniards, in their way to Cuzco, had visited his brother Huascar in the place where he kept him confined, and that the captive prince had reprefented to them the juftice of his own caufe, and as an inducement to espouse it, had promised them a quantity of treasure vaftly exceeding what Atahualpa had engaged to pay for his ranfom.

If the Spaniards fhould liften to this propofal, Atahualpa perceived his own deftruction to be inevitable; and fufpecting that their infatiable thirft for gold would tempt them to lend a favourable ear to it, he determined to facrifice his brother's life, that he might fave his own; and his orders for this purpofe were executed, like all his other commands, with fcrupulous punctuality. g)

The Spaniards make a divifion of the spoil.

Meanwhile, Indians daily arrived at Caxamalca from different parts of the kingdom, loaded with treasure. A great part of the ftipulated quantity was now amaffed, and Atahualpa af

g) Zarate, lib. iii. c. 6. Gomara Hift. c. 115. Herrera, dee, 5. lib. iii. c. 2.

fured the Spaniards, that the only thing which prevented the whole from being brought in, was the remotenefs of the provinces where it was depofited. But fuch vaft piles of gold, prefented continually to the view of needy foldiers, had fo inflamed their avarice, that it was impoffible any longer to restrain their impatience to obtain poffeffion of this rich booty. Orders were given for melting down the whole, except fome pieces of curious fabrick, referved as a prefent for the emperor. After fetting apart the fifth due to the crown, and a hundred thoufand pefos as a donative to the foldiers which arrived with Almagro, there remained one million five hundred and twenty-eight thoufand five hundred pefos to Pizarro and his followers. The festival of St. James, (July 25.1533.) the patron faint of Spain, was the day chofen for the partition of this vaft fum, and the manner of conducting it ftrongly marks that ftrange alliance of fanaticism with avarice, which I have more than once had occafion to point out as a striking feature in the character of the conquerors of the New World. Though affembled to divide the fpoils of an innocent people, procured by deceit, extortion, and cruelty, the tranfaction began with a folemn invocation of the name of God, h) as if they could have

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h) Herrera dec. ú. lib. iii. c. 3.

expected the guidance of Heaven in diftributing thofe wages of iniquity. In this divifion above eight thousand pefos, at that time not inferior in effective value to as many pounds Sterling, in the present century, fell to the fhare' of each horfeman, and half that fum to each foot foldier. Pizarro himself, and his officers received dividends in proportion to the dignity of their rank.

The effe&t of it.

There is no example in hiftory of fuch a fudden acquifition of wealth by military fervice, nor was ever a fum fo great divided among fo fmall a number of foldiers. Many of them having received a recompence for their fervices far beyond their most fanguine hopes, were fo impatient to retire from fatigue and danger, in order to fpend the remainder of their days in their native country, in ease and opulence, that they demanded their difcharge with clamorous importunity. Pizarro, fenfible that from fuch men he could expect neither enterprise in action nor fortitude in fuffering, and perfuaded that wherever they went, the display of their riches would allure adventurers, lefs opulent but more hardy, to his ftandard, granted their fuit without reluctance, and permitted above fixty of them to accompany his brother Ferdinand, whom he fent to Spain with an account of his

fuccefs, and the prefent deftined for the emperor. i)

The Inca demands his liberty in vain.

The Spaniards having divided among them the treasure amaffed for the Inca's ransom, he infifted with them to fulfil their promise of fetting him at liberty. But nothing was farther from Pizarro's thoughts. During his long fervice in the New World, he had imbibed those ideas and maxims of his fellow-foldiers, which led them to confider its inhabitants as an inferior race, neither worthy of the name nor intitled to the rights, of men, In his compact with Atahualpa, he had no other object than tu amuse his captive with fuch a prospect of recovering his liberty, as might induce him to lend all the aid of his authority towards collecting the wealth of his kingdom. Having now accomplished this, he no longer regarded his plighted faith; and at the very time when the credulous prince hoped to be replaced on his throne, he had fecretly refolved to bereave him of life. Many circumftances feem to have concurred in prompting him to this action, the moft criminal and atrocions that ftains the Spanifh name, amidst all the deeds of violence committed in carrying on the conqueft of the New World.

i) Herrera, dec. 5. lib. iii. c, 4. Vega, p. 2. lib. i. c. 38.