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Quito conquered by Benalcazar.

While his fellow-foldiers were thus employed, Benalcazar, governor of St. St. Michael, an able and enterprising officer, was afhamed of remaining inactive, and impatient to have his name diftinguifhed among the difcoverers and conquerors of the New World., The feasonable arrival of a fresh body of recruits from Panama and Nicaragua, put it in his power to gratify his paffion. Leaving a fufficient force to protect the infant fettlement entrusted to his care, he placed himself at the head of the reft, and fet out to attempt the reduction of Quito, where, according to the report of the natives, Atahualpa had left the greatest part of his treasure. Notwithstanding the vast distance of that city from St. Michael, the difficulty of marching through a mountainous country covered with woods, and the frequent and fierce attacks of the beft troops in Peru, commanded by a fkilful leader, the valour, good conduct, and perfeverance of Benalcazar furmounted every obftacle, and he entered Quito with his victorious troops. But they met with a cruel mortification there, The natives now acquainted, to their forrow, with the predominant paffion of their invaders, and knowing how to difappoint it, had carried off all thofe treasures, the profpect of which had prompted them to undertake this arduous expedition, and had fupported

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them under all the dangers and hardships wherewith they had to ftruggle in carrying it ón. x)

Alvarado's expedition.

Benalcazar was not the only Spanish leader who attacked the kingdom of Quito. The fame of its riches attracted a more powerful enemy. Pedro de Alvarado, who had diftinguifhed himself fo eminently in the conqueft of Mexico, having obtained the government of Guatimala as a recompence for his valour, foon became difgufted with a life of uniform tranquillity, and longed to be again engaged in the buftle of military fervice. The glory and wealth acquired by the conquerors of Peru heightened this paffion, and gave it a determined direction. Believing, or pretending to believe, that the kingdom of Quito did not lie within the limits of the province allotted to Pizarro, he refolved to invade it. The high reputation of the commander allured volunteers from every quarter. He embarked with five hundred men, of whom above two hundred were of fuch diftinction as to ferve on horfeback. He landed at Puerto Viejo, and without sufficient knowledge of the country, or proper guides to conduct him, attempted to march directly to Quito, by following the courfe of the river Guay

x) Zarate, lib. ii. c. 9. Vega, p. II. lib. ii. c. 9. Herrera, dec. 5. lib. iv. c. II, 12. lib. v. c. 2. 3. lib. vi, c. 3. ROBERTSON Vol. III.

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quil, and croffing the ridge of the Andes towards its head. But in this route, one of the moft impracticable in all America, his troops endured fuch fatigue in forcing their way through forefts and marfhes on the low grounds, and fuffered fo much from exceffive cold when they began to afcend the mountains, that before they reached the plain of Quito, a fifth part of the men and half of their horfes died, and the reft were fo much difpirited and worn out, as to be almost unfit for fervice. y) There they met with a body, not of Indians but of Spaniards, drawn up in hoftile array against them. Pizarro having received an account of Alvarado's armament, had detached Almagro with fome troops to oppofe this formidable invader of his jurifdiction; and these were, joined by Benalcazar and his victorious party. Alvarado, though furprifed at the fight of enemies whom he did not expect advanced boldly to the charge. But, by. the interpofition of fome moderate men in each party, an amicable accommodation took place; and the fatal period, when Spaniards fufpended their conqueft to embrue their hands in the blood of their countrymen, was poftponed a few years. Alvarado engaged to return to his government, upon Almagro's paying him a hundred thousand pefos to defray the expence of his armament. Moft of his followers remained

in the country; and an expedition, which

y) See NOTE X.

threatened Pizarro and his colony with ruin, contributed to augment its ftrenght. z)

Honours conferred on Pizarro and Almagro.

By this time (1534 ) Ferdinand Pizarro had landed in Spain. The immenfe quantities of gold and filver which he imported, a) filled the kingdom with no lefs aftonishment than they had excited in Panama and the adjacent provinces. Pizarro was received by the emperor with the attention due to the bearer of a prefent fo rich, as to exceed any idea which the Spaniards had formed concerning the value of their acquifitions in America, even after they had been ten years mafters of Mexico. In recompence of his brother's fervices, his authority was confirmed with new powers and privileges, and the addition of feventy leagues, extending along the coaft, to the fouthward of the territory granted in his former patent. Almagro received the honours which he had fo long defired. The title of Adelantado, or governor, was conferred upon him, with jurif diction, over two hundred leagues of country, ftretching beyond the fouthern limits of the province allotted to Pizarro. Ferdinand himself did not go unrewarded. He was admitted into

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3) Zarate, lib ii. c. 10-13. Vega, p. 11. lib. i. c. I, 2, 9. &c. Gomara Hift. c. 126. &c. Remefal Hift. Guatimal. lib. iii. c. 6. Herrera, dec. 5. lib, vi. c. I, 2. 7, 8,

a) See NOTE XI,

the military order of St. Jago, a diftin&tion always acceptable to a Spanish gentleman, and foon fet out on his return to Peru, accompanied by many perfons of higher rank than had yet ferved in that country. b)

Beginning of diffentions between Pizarro and Almagro.

Alma

Some account of his negociations reached Peru before he arrived there himfelf. gro no fooner learned that he had obtained the royal grant of an independent government, than, pretending that Cuzco, the imperial refidence of the Incas, lay within its boundaries, he attempted to render himself master of that important ftation. Juan and Gonzalez Pizarro, prepared to oppofe him. Each of the contending parties was fupported by powerful adherents, and the difpute was on the point of being terminated by the fword, when Francis Pizarro arrived in the capital. The reconciliation between him and Almagro had never been cordial. The treachery of Pizarro in engroffing to himself all the honours and emoluments, which ought to have been divided with his affociate, was always prefent in both their thoughts. The former, confcious of his own perfidy, did not expect forgivenefs; the latter, feeling that he had been deceived, was impatient to be avenged, and though avarice and

b) Zarate, lib. iii. c. 3. Vega, p. II. lib. ii. c. 19. Her rera, dec. 5. lib. vi. c. 13.

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