The Discovery of Peru

By W. H. PRESCOTT

William Hickling Prescott (1795-1859), an eminent American historian. His style is remarkable for its spirit, clearness, and grace. His works, "The Conquest of Peru," "The Conquest of Mexico," and "Ferdinand and Isabella," are about Spain and her conquests.

The following selection is from "The Conquest of Peru." Francisco Pizarro (1475-1538) was a Spanish adventurer, who had accompanied Balboa on his expedition to the New World. In 1524 Pizarro, in a small vessel with about one hundred men, set sail in search of a land of gold, said to lie to the south of Mexico. He persisted in his enterprise in spite of conflicts with the natives and the opposition and rebellion of his followers. After great hardships by both sea and land, he reached the empire of Peru.

I

While the whole eastern coast of the American continent had been explored and the central portion of it colonized, even after the brilliant achievement of the Mexican conquest, the veil was not yet raised that hung over the golden shores of the Pacific.

5

Floating rumors had reached the Spaniards, from time to time, of countries in the far west, teeming with the metal they so much coveted; but the first distinct notice of Peru was about the year 1511, when Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the discoverer of the Southern Sea, was weighing 10 some gold which he had collected from the natives.

A young barbarian chieftain, who was present, struck the scales with his fist, and, scattering the glittering metal around the apartment, exclaimed, "If this is what you

prize so much that you are willing to leave your distant homes, and risk even life itself for it, I can tell you of a land where they eat and drink out of golden vessels, and gold is as cheap as iron is with you.”

5 It was not long after this startling intelligence that Balboa achieved the formidable adventure of scaling the mountain rampart of the isthmus which divides the two mighty oceans from each other; when, armed with sword and buckler, he rushed into the waters of the Pacific, and 10 cried out in the true chivalrous vein, that "he claimed this unknown sea with all that it contained for the king of Castile, and that he would make good the claim against all, Christian or infidel, who dared to gainsay it." All the broad continent and sunny isles washed by the waters 15 of the Southern Ocean! Little did the bold cavalier comprehend the full import of his magnificent vaunt.

On this spot he received more explicit tidings of the Peruvian empire, heard proofs recounted of its civilization, and was shown drawings of the llama, which, to the 20 European eye, seemed a species of the Arabian camel. But, although he steered his caravel for these golden realms and even pushed his discoveries some twenty leagues south of the Gulf of St. Michael, the adventure was not reserved for him.

25

Floating rumors of the wealth and civilization of a mighty nation at the south were continually reaching the ears and kindling the dreamy imaginations of the Spaniards; and it may seem astonishing that an expedition in that direction should have been so long deferred. But 30 the exact position and distance of this fairy realm were matter of conjecture. The long tract of intervening coun

try was occupied by rude and warlike races; and the little experience which the Spanish navigators had already had of the neighboring coast and its inhabitants, and still more the tempestuous character of the seas, for their expeditions had taken place at the most unpropitious seasons 5 of the year, enhanced the apparent difficulties of the undertaking, and made even their stout hearts shrink from it.

Such was the state of feeling in the little community of Panama for several years after its foundation. Mean- 10 while, the dazzling conquest of Mexico gave a new impulse to the ardor of discovery; and, in 1524, three men were found in the colony in whom the spirit of adventure triumphed over every consideration of difficulty and danger that obstructed the prosecution of the 15 enterprise. One among them was selected as fitted by his character to conduct it to a successful issue. That man was Francisco Pizarro.

Pizarro set forth with his comrades, and at length the adventurous vessel rounded the point of St. Helena, and 20 glided smoothly into the waters of the beautiful Gulf of Guayaquil. The country was here studded along the shore with towns and villages, though the mighty chain of the Cordilleras, sweeping up abruptly from the coast, left but a narrow strip of emerald verdure, through 25 which numerous rivulets, spreading fertility around them, wound their way to the sea.

The voyagers were now abreast of some of the most stupendous heights of this magnificent range: Chimborazo, with its broad round summit towering like the 30 dome of the Andes, and Cotopaxi, with its dazzling cone

of silvery white, that knows no change except from the action of its own volcanic fires, for this mountain is the most terrible of the American volcanoes, and was in formidable activity at no great distance from the period 5 of our narrative.

Well pleased with the signs of civilization that opened on them at every league of their progress, the Spaniards at length approached the city of Tumbez. As they drew near, they beheld a town of considerable size, 10 with many of the buildings apparently of stone and plaster, situated in the bosom of a fruitful meadow, which seemed to have been redeemed from the sterility of the surrounding country by careful and minute irrigation. When at some distance from shore, Pizarro saw 15 standing toward him several large balsas, which were found to be filled with warriors going on an expedition against the island of Puna.

Running alongside of the Indian flotilla, he invited some of the chiefs to come on board of his vessel. The 20 Peruvians gazed with wonder on every object which met their eyes, and especially on their own countrymen, whom they had little expected to meet there. The latter informed them in what manner they had fallen into the hands of the strangers, whom they described 25 as a wonderful race of beings that had come thither for no harm, but solely to be made acquainted with the country and its inhabitants.

This account was confirmed by the Spanish commander, who persuaded the Indians to return in their balsas and 0 report what they had learned to their townsmen, requesting them at the same time to provide his vessel with

refreshments, as it was his desire to enter into a friendly intercourse with the natives.

The people of Tumbez were gathered along the shore and were gazing with unutterable amazement on the floating castle, which, now having dropped anchor, rode 5 lazily at its moorings in their bay. They eagerly listened to the accounts of their countrymen, and instantly reported the affair to the curaca, or ruler of the district, who, conceiving that the strangers must be beings of a superior order, prepared at once to comply with their 10 request.

It was not long before several balsas were seen steering for the vessel, laden with bananas, plantains, yucca, Indian corn, sweet potatoes, pineapples, cocoanuts, and other rich products of the bountiful vale of Tumbez. 15 Game and fish, also, were added, with a number of llamas, of which Pizarro had seen the rude drawings belonging to Balboa, but of which, till now, he had met with no living specimen. He examined this curious animal, the Peruvian sheep, or, as the Spaniards called 20 it, the "little camel" of the Indians, with much interest, greatly admiring the mixture of wool and hair which supplied the natives with the material for their fabrics.

II

On the day following, the Spanish captain sent one of his own men, named Alonzo de Molina, on shore, 25 accompanied by a negro who had come in the vessel from Panama, together with a present for the curaca, of some swine and poultry, neither of which was indigenous to the New World. Toward evening his emissary returned