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ambition had induced them not only to dif femble their fentiments,but even to act in corcert while in purfuit of wealth and power, no fooner did they obtain poffeffion of thefe, than the fame paffions which had formed this temporary union, gave rife to jealoufy and difcord. To each of them was attached a small band of interested dependents, who, with the malicious art peculiar to fuch men, heightened their fufpicions, and magnified every appearance of offence. But with all thofe feeds of enmity in their minds, and thus affiduoufly cherifned, each was fo thoroughly acquainted with the abilities and courage of his rival, that they equally dreaded the confequences of an open rupture. The fortunate arrival of Pizarro at Cuzco, and the addrefs mingled with firmness which he manifefted in his expoftulations with Almagro and his partizans, averted that evil for the prefent. A new reconciliation took place; the chief article of which was, that Almagro fhould attempt the conqueft of Chili; and if he did not find in that province an establifhment adequate to his merit and expectations, Pizarro, by way of indemnification, fhould yield up to him a part of Peru. This new agreement, though confirmed (June 12. 1534.) with the fame facred folemnities as their firft contract, was observed with as little fidelity, c)

c) Zarate, lib. ii. c. 13. Vega, p. II. lib. ii. c. 19. Benzo. lib. iii. c. 6. Herrera, dec. 5. lib. vii. c. 8.

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Regulations of Pizarro.

Soon after he concluded this important tranfaction, Pizarro marched back to the countries on the fea-coaft, and as he now enjoyed an interval of tranquillity, undisturbed by any enemy, either Spanish or Indian, he applied himself with that perfevering ardour, which diftinguifhed his character, to introduce a form of regular government into the extenfive provinces fubject to his authority. Though ill qualified by his education to enter into any difquifition concerning the principles of civil policy, and little accuftomed by his former habits of life to attend to its arrangements, his natural fagacity fupplied the want both of fcience and experience. He diftributed the country into various districts; he appointed proper magiftrates to prefide in each; and established regulations concerning the administration of juftice, the collection of the royal revenue, the working of the mines, and the treatment of the Indians, extremely fimple, but well calculated to promote the publick profperity. But though, for the prefent, be adapted his plan to the infant ftate of his colony, his afpiring mind looked forward to its future grandeur. He confidered himself as laying the foundation of a great empire, and deliberat ed long, and with much folicitude, in what place he fhould fix the feat of government.

Foundation of Lima.

Cuzco, the imperial city of the Incas, was fituated in a corner of the empire, above four hundred miles from the fea, and much farther from Quito, a province of whose value he had formed an high idea. No other fettlement of the Peruvians was fo confiderable as to merit the name of a town, or to allure the Spaniards to fix their refidence in it. But, in marching through the country, Pizarro had been ftruck with the beauty and fertility of the valley of Rimac, one of the most extenfive and beft cultivated in Peru. There, on the banks of a small river, of the fame name with the vale which it waters and enriches, at the distance of fix miles from Callao, the most commodious harbour in the pacifick Ocean, he founded a city which he destined to be the capital of his government. He gave

it the name of Ciudad de los Reyes, either from the circumftance of having laid the firft ftone, at that feafon (January 18. 1535.) when the church celebrates the feftival of the Three Kings, or, as is more probable, in honour of Juana and Charles, the fovereigns of Caftile. This name it ftill retains among the the Spaniards, in all legal and formal deeds, but it is better known to foreigners by that of Lima, a corruption of the ancient appellation of the valley in which it is fituated. Under his inspection, the buildings advanced with fuch rapidity, that it foon affumed the form of a city, which, by a ma

gnificent palace that he erected for himself, and by the ftately houfes built by feveral of his officers, gave, even in its infancy, fome indication of its fubfequent grandeur. d)

Almagro invades Chili.

In confequence of what had been agreed with Pizarro, Almagro began his march towards Chili; and as he poffeffed in an eminent degree the virtues moft admired by foldiers, boundless liberality and fearless courage, his ftandard was followed by five hundred and feventy men, the greatest body of Europeans that had hitherto been affembled in Peru. From impatience to finifh the expedition, or from that contempt of hardship and danger acquired by all the Spaniards who had ferved long in America, Almagro, inftead of advancing along the level country on the coaft chose to march across the mountains by a route that was fhorter indeed, but almoft impracticable. In this attempt his troops were expofed to every calamity which men can suffer, from fatigue, from famine, and from the rigour of the climate in those elevated regions of the torrid zone, where the degree of cold is hardly inferior to what is felt within the polar circle. Many of them perifhed, and the

d) Herrera, dec. 5. lib. vi. c. 12. lib. vii. c. 13. Calancha Cronica, lib. i. c. 37. Barnuevo, Lima fundata, ii. 294.

furvivors, when they defcended into the fertile plains of Chili, had new difficulties to encounter. They found there a race of men very different from the people of Peru, intrepid, hardy, independent, and in their bodily conftitution, as well as vigour of spirit, nearly refembling the warlike tribes in North America. Though filled with wonder at the firft appearance of the Spaniards, and still more aftonished at the operations of their cavalry and the effects of their fire arms, the Chilefe foon recovered fo far from their fuprize, as not only to defend themselves with obftinacy, but to attack their new enemies with more determined fiercenefs than any American nation had hitherto difcovered. The Spaniards, however, con tinued to penetrate into the country, and collected fome confiderable quantities of gold; but were fo far from thinking of making any fettlement amidst fuch formidable neighbours that, in spite of all the experience and valour of their leader, the final. iffue of the expedition ftill remained extremely dubious, when they were recalled from it by an unexpected revolution in Peru. e) The causes of this important event I fhall endeavour to trace to their fource.

e) Zarate, lib. iii. c. I. Gomara Hift. c. 131. Vega, p. 11. lib. ii. c. 20. Ovalle,Hift. de Chile, lib. iv. c. 15. &c. Herrera, dec. 5. lib. vi. c. 9. lib. x. c. I, &c.

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