They
might well have shaken the confidence of hearts less courageous.
Pizarro, before leaving his present quarters, despatched a messenger to
San Miguel with particulars of his movements, sending, at the same time,
the articles received from the Inca, as well as those obtained at different
places on the route. The skill shown in the execution of some of these
fabrics excited great admiration, when sent to Castile. The fine woollen
cloths, especially, with their rich embroidery, were pronounced equal to
silk, from which it was not easy to distinguish them. It was probably the
delicate wool of the vicuna, none of which had then been seen in
Europe.20
Pizarro, having now acquainted himself with the most direct route to
Caxamalca,--the Caxamarca of the present day,--resumed his march,
taking a direction nearly south. The first place of any size at which he
halted was Motupe, pleasantly situated in a fruitful valley, among hills of
no great elevation, which cluster round the base of the Cordilleras. The
place was deserted by its curaca, who, with three hundred of its warriors,
had gone to join the standard of their Inca. Here the general,
notwithstanding his avowed purpose to push forward without delay,
halted four days. The tardiness of his movements can be explained only
by the hope, which he may have still entertained of being joined by
further reinforcements before crossing the Cordilleras.
Pages:
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366