affume a fuperior part in conducting the former, and in governing the latter. c)

Almagro had as little to boast of his defcent as Pizarro. The one was a baftard, the other a foundling. Bred, like his companion, in the camp, he yielded not to him in any of the foldierly qualities of intrepid valour, indefatigable activity, or infurmountable conftancy in enduring the hardships infeparable from military fervice in the New World. But in Almagro these virtues were accompanied with the openness, generofity, and candour, natural to men whose profeffion is arms; in Pizarro, they were united with the addrefs, the craft, and the diffimulation of a politician, with the art of concealing his own purposes, and with fagacity to penetrate into thofe of other men.

Hernando de Luque was an ecclefiaftick, who acted both as prieft and fchoolmafter at Panama, and by means which the contemporary writers have not defcribed, had amaffed riches that infpired him with thoughts of rifing to greater eminence.

Terms of their affociation,

Such were the men deftined to overturn one of the most extenfive empires on the face of the earth. Their confederacy for this purpofe was authorised by Pedrarias, the governor

c) Herrera, dec. 1 & 2, paffim. dec. iv. lib. vi. e. 107. Go. mara Hift. o. 144. Zarate, lib. iv. c. 9.

of Panama. Each engaged to employ his whole fortune in the adventure. Pizarro, the least wealthy of the three, as he could not throw fo large a fum as his affociates into the common ftock, engaged to take the department of greatest fatigue and danger, and to command in perfon the armament which was to go firft upon difcovery. Almagro offered to conduct the fupplies of provifions and reinforcements of troops, of which Pizarro might ftand in need. Luque was to remain at Panama to negociate with the governor, and fuperintend whatever was carrying on for the general intereft. As the spirit of enthufiafm uniformly accompanied that of adventure in the New World, and by that ftrange union both acquired an increase of force, this confederacy, formed by ambition and avarice was confirmed, by the moft folemn act of religion. Luque celebrated mafs, divided a confecrated hoft into three, and referving one part to himfelf, gave the other two to his affociates, of which they partook; and thus, in name of the Prince of Peace, ratified a contract of which plunder and bloodshed were the objects. d)

Their first attempt, attended with little fuccefs.

The attempt was begun with a force more fuited to the humble condition of the three affociates, than to the greatnefs of the enterprise in which they were engaged. Pizarro fet

d) Herrera, dec. 3. lib, vi. c. 13, Zarate, lib. i. c. I.

fail from Panama (Nov. 14. 1524) with a fingle veffel, of fmall burden, and a hundred and twelve men. But in that age, fo little were the Spaniards acquainted with the peculiarities of climate in America, that the time which Pizarro chofe for his departure was the most improper in the whole year; the periodical winds, which were then fet in, being directly adverfe to the courfe which he purposed to fteer. e) After beating about for feventy days, with much danger and inceffant fatigue, Pizarro's progrefs towards the fouth-eaft was not greater than what a skilful navigator will now make in as many hours. He touched (1525) at feveral places on the coast of Tierra Firmè, but found every where the fame uninviting country which former adventurers had defcribed; the low grounds converted into fwamps by the overflowing of rivers, the higher, covered with impervious woods; few inhabitants, and those fierce and hoftile. Famine, fatigue, frequent rencounters with the natives, and above all, the diftempers of a moift, fultry climate, com-bined in wafting his flender band of followers. The undaunted refolution of their leader continued, however, for fome time, to fuftain their fpirits, although no fign had yet appeared of discovering thofe golden regions to which he had promised to conduct them. At length, he was obliged to abandon that inhofpitable coaft,

Herrera, dec, 4. lib, ii, 6. 8, Xerez, p. 179.

and

and retire to Chuchama, oppofite to the pearl iflands, where he hoped to receive a supply of provifions and troops from Panama.

But Almagro having failed from that port with feventy men, ftood directly towards that part of the continent where he hoped to meet with his affociate. Not finding him there, he landed his foldiers, who, in fearching for their companions, underwent the fame diftreffes, and were expofed to the fame dangers, which had driven them out of the country. Repulfed at length by the Indians in a fharp conflict, in which their leader loft one of his eyes by the wound of an arrow, they likewife were compelled to reimbark. Chance led them to the place of Pizarro's retreat (June 24.) where they found fome confolation in recounting to each other their adventures, and comparing their fufferings. As Almagro had advanced as far as the river St. Juan, in the province of Popayan, where both the country and inhabitants appeared with a more promising aspect, that dawn of better fortune was fufficient to determine fuch fanguine projectors not to abandon their scheme, notwithstanding all that they had fuffered in profecuting it. f)

They refume the undertaking, 1526.

Almagro repaired to Panama, in hopes of recruiting their fhattered troops. But what he

f) Herrera, dec. 3. lib. viii. c. II, 12. See NOTE II.

ROBERTSON Vol. III.

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and Pizarro had fuffered, gave his countrymen fuch an unfavourable idea, of the fervice, that it was with difficulty he could levy fourscore men. g) Feeble as this reinforcement was, they did not hesitate about refuming their operations. After a long feries of difafters and difappointments, not inferior to those which they had already experienced, part of the armament reached the Bay of St. Matthew, on the coaft of Quito, and landing at Tacamez, to the fouth of the river of Emeraulds, they beheld a country more champaign and fertile than any they had yet discovered in the Southern Ocean, the natives clad in garments of woollen or cotton stuff, and adorned with feveral trinkets of gold and filver.

But, notwithstanding those favourable appearances, magnified beyond the truth, both by the vanity of the perfons who brought the report from Tacamez, and by the fond imagination of those who liftened to them, Pizarro and Almagro durft not venture to invade a country fo populous with a handful of men enfeebled by fatigue and difeafes. They retired to the fmall ifland of Gallo, where Pizarro remained with part of the troops, and his affociate returned to Panama, in hopes of bringing fuch a reinforcement, as might enable them to take poffeffion of the opulent territories, whofe exiftence feemed to be no longer doubtful. h)

g) Zarate, lib. i. c. I.

h) Xerez, 181. Herrera, dec. 3. lib. vii. C. 13..