As he had the command of the fea-coaft, and expected confiderable fupplies both of men and military ftores, it was no lefs his intereft to gain time, and to avoid action, than it was that of Almagro to precipitate operations, and bring the conteft to a speedy iffue. He had recourfe to arts which he had formerly practifed with fuccefs, and Almagro was again weak enough to fuffer himself to, be amufed with a profpect of terminating their differences by fome amicable accommodation. By varying his overtures, and shifting his ground as often as it fuited his purpose, fometimes feeming to yield every thing which his rival could defire, and then retracting all that he had granted, Pizarro dexterously protracted the negociation to fuch a length, that though every day was precious to Almagro, feveral months elapfed without coming to any final agreement. While the attention of Almagro, and of the officers with whom he confulted, was occupied in detecting and eluding the fraudulent intentions of the governor, Gonzalo Pizarro and Alvarado found means to corrupt the foldiers to whofe cuftody they were committed, and not only made their efcape themselves, but perfuaded fixty of the men who formerly guarded them to accompany their flight. k) Fortune having thus delivered one of his brothers, the go

k) Zarate, lib. iii. c 8. Herrera, dec, 6. lib. ii. c. 14.

vernor fcrupled not at one act of perfidy more to procure the release of the other. He propofed, that every point in controverfy between Almagro and himself should be fubmitted to the decifion of their fovereign; that until his awardwas known, each fhould retain undisturbed poffeffion of whatever part of the country he now occupied; that Ferdinand Pizarro fhould be fet at liberty, and return inftantly to Spain, together with the officers, whom Almagro purpofed to fend thither to represent the justice of his claims. Obvious as the defign of Pizarro was in those propofitions, and familiar as his artifices might now have been to his opponent, Almagro, with a credulity approaching to infatuation, relied on his fincerity, and concluded an agreement on these terms. 1)

His preparations for war.

The moment that Ferdinand Pizarro recovered his liberty, the governor, no longer fettered in his operations by anxiety about his brother's life, threw off every difguife which his concern for it had obliged him to affume. The treaty was forgotten; pacifick and conciliating measures were no more mentioned; it was in the field, he openly declared, and not in the cabinet; by arms, and not by negociation; that it must now be determined who should

1) Herrera, dec. 6. lib. iii. c. 9. Zarate, lib. iii. c. 9. Gomara Hift, c. 140. Vega, p. II. lib. ii. c. 35.

be master of Peru. The rapidity of his preparations fuited fuch a decifive refolution. Seven hundred men were foon ready to march towards Cuzco. The command of thefe was given (1538.) to his two brothers, in whom he could perfectly confide for the execution of his most violent schemes, as they were urged on, not only by the enmity flowing from family rivalfhip, but animated with the defire of vengeance, excited by recollection of their own recent difgrace and fufferings. After an unfuccessful attempt to cross the mountains in the direct road between Lima and Cuzco, they marched towards the fouth along the coaft as far as Nafca, and then turning to the left, penetrated through the defiles in that branch of the Andes which lay between them and the capital. Almagro, instead of hearkening to fome of his officers, who advised him to attempt the defence of thofe difficult paffes, waited the approach of the enemy in the plain of Cuzco. Two reafons feem to have induced him to take this refolution. His followers amounted hardly to five hundred, and he was afraid of weakening fuch a feeble body, by fending any detachment towards the mountains. His cavalry far exceeded that of the adverse party, both in number and discipline, and it was only in an open country that he could avail himself of that advantage.

His army marches to Cuzco,

The Pizarros advanced without any obftruction, but what arose from the nature of the defert and horrid regions through which they marched. As foon as they reached the plain, both factions were equally impatient to bring this long protracted conteft to an iffue. Though countrymen and friends, the fubjects of the fame fovereign, and each with the royal standard displayed; and though they beheld the mountains that furrounded the plain in which they were drawn up, covered with a vast multitude of Indians, affembled to enjoy the fpectacle of their mutual carnage, and prepared to attack whatever party remained mafter of the field, fo fell and implacable was the rancour which had taken poffeffion of every breaft, that not one pacifick counfel, not a fingle overture towards accommodation proceeded from either fide. Unfortunately for Almagro, he was fo worn out with the fatigues of fervice, to which his advanced age was unequal, that, at this crifis of his fate, he could not exert his wonted activity; and he was obliged to commit the leading of his troops to Orgognez, who, though an officer of great merit, did not poffefs the fame afcendant either over the fpirit or affection of the foldiers, as the chief whom they had long been accustomed to follow and revere.

Almagro defeated and taken. April 26. 1538.

On the

The conflict was fierce, and maintained by each party with equal courage. fide of Almagro, were more veteran foldiers, and a larger proportion of cavalry; but these were counterbalanced by Pizarro's -fuperiority in numbers, and by two companies of welldisciplined mufketeers, which, on receiving an account of the infurrection of the Indians, the emperor had fent from Spain. m) As the ufe of fire-arms was not frequent among the adventurers in America, n) haftily equipped for fervice, at their own expence, this fmall band of foldiers, regularly trained and armed, was a novelty in Peru, and decided the fate of the day. Wherever it advanced, the weight of a heavy and well-fuftained fire bore down horfe and foot before it; and Orgognez, while he endeavoured to rally and animate his troops, having received a dangerous wound, the rout became general. The barbarity of the conquerors ftained the glory which they acquired by this complete victory. The violence of civil rage hurried on fome to flaughter their countrymen with indifcriminate cruelty; the meannefs of private revenge inftigated others to fingle out individuals as the objects of their vengeance. Orgognez and feveral officers of dif

m) Herrera, dec. 6. lib. iii, c. 8.

m) Zarate, lib. iii, c. 8.