both of his children, he made no attempt permanently to consolidate his empire, but at his death bequeathed to Huascar, the elder son, the kingdom of Cuzco, and to Atahualpa that of Quito; an arrangement most unfortunate for the Peruvians, and one which led the way to their speedy subjugation by the Spaniards.

If Huayna Capac made this division of the empire from motives of policy, the event showed that he possessed little foresight as a statesman. The measure was considered utterly at variance with the established maxims of government; and no sooner was it known at Cuzco, than it excited general disgust among the people. Huascar, ambitious of individual sway in Peru, and encouraged by these murmurs and the charge of illegitimacy made against his brother, Atahualpa, formally summoned him to lay down his authority and submit to him as a sovereign. Many of Atahualpa's retainers deserted him, and joined Huascar. This, however, produced little effect upon the former, who was at the head of the main body of the Peruvian forces. These troops he had the address to confirm in his interest, and, by temporizing, he eluded the demand of Huascar till he found himself in a condition to take the field against him. A civil war immediately ensued.

The first battle was fought at Amboto. The rival sovereigns were not in the field. Atoco commanded the troops of Huascar, and Chaliquichiama those of Atahualpa. After a bloody conflict, in which sixteen thousand men were killed, the forces of Huascar were defeated; Atoco was made prisoner, and put to death in cold blood; the conquering general made a drink

ing cup of his skull, and ornamented it with gold. It is thus that civil dissensions, in all ages and all countries, have augmented the common barbarities of war. This victory strengthened the party of Atahualpa, who immediately received the submission of several provinces. He is charged with having exercised atrocious cruelties towards those of his enemies who fell into his hands; but the narrations of the Spanish historians are to be received with suspicion in these matters, as they were under a strong temptation to blacken the character of a person whom their countrymen treated with such wanton injustice and cruelty.

In

Atahualpa now took upon himself the title of Inca of the whole empire, and was crowned at Tomebamba. Huascar, in the meantime, had recruited his shattered forces, and now advanced to meet his rival. Each army consisted of about eighty thousand men. the province of Paltas, a general action was fought, which ended in the complete overthrow of Huascar. Forty thousand men are said to have fallen. Huascar was taken prisoner and confined in the tower of Cuzco. The supremacy of Atahualpa was now fully

established.

But while the conqueror exulted in his success, a more extraordinary danger threatened him. In the northern part of his empire, appeared suddenly a band of strangers from an unknown part of the world; men who were represented as of fierce aspect, wonderful strength, irresistible courage, and armed with weapons which seemed to rival the lightnings of heaven. These were the Spaniards, led by Pizarro, who, in 1531, landed in the Bay of St. Matthew, with

a force of one hundred and forty-four foot soldiers and thirty-six horsemen. This insignificant army made a hostile invasion into an empire containing several millions of inhabitants. The thirst for gold had led them through every degree of fatigue and peril on this expedition, and the event showed that avarice can prompt mankind to deeds of bravery not surpassed by those which spring from love of country, the desire for fame, and other motives equally honorable to human nature.

The capital of the province of Coaque was the first considerable town visited by the invaders. It contained much treasure in gold, silver and jewels, "which," says the Spanish historian, Herrera, with great simplicity, "the natives had time enough to secure, if they had thought fit; but as they had done no harm to the strangers, they never imagined they would hurt them, but supposed they should all have a merry time together!" The town was immediately plundered; the inhabitants fled to the mountains, and the Spaniards, with their rapacity stimulated by a rich booty so easily obtained, continued their march to the south. Town after town was taken and pillaged, new spoils only increasing the thirst of the invaders for more. A reinforcement of sixty men increased their army; and the unwarlike Peruvians, terrified by the fire-arms, the war-horses, the spears and the swords of the Spaniards, fled everywhere before them. At St. Michael, on the river Piura, where Pizarro halted some time, on his march, to establish a colony, he first heard of the civil war by which the empire was then distracted.

Had Peru been at peace on the arrival of the Spaniards, there could have been little chance for success on the part of the invaders. Even the vast superiority of their arms, courage, skill and discipline, would have been insufficient to sustain them against the overpowering numbers of the Peruvian armies. Atahualpa did not succeed in conquering his rival till the Spaniards had made considerable progress in the country, and the panic occasioned by their appearance and exploits had made a serious impression upon the people. Pizarro had not been slow to perceive the importance of the conjuncture during which he had arrived in the empire. He pushed forward, with all possible rapidity, towards Caxamalca, where Atahualpa was encamped with a considerable army. The Peruvian chief, hearing of his approach, sent a messenger with a present and an offer of his alliance. Pizarro accepted the present, declared his willingness to assist Atahualpa against his brother Huascar, and continued his march.

Atahualpa would willingly have crushed the invaders at a single blow, but it was now too late. Such terror had been inspired by the arms and equipments of the Spaniards, that the Peruvian troops showed an unwillingness to march against assailants who were believed to be invincible. Atahualpa, timid and irresolute at the approach of his new enemies, had not the firmness to take any decided step to oppose their march. He even suffered himself to be imposed upon by Pizarro's assurances of friendship, and allowed the Spaniards to penetrate into the country, without opposition, toward the mountains which encompass the

low country of Peru, and to pass unobstructed through a defile so narrow and difficult of passage, that a handful of men might have defended it against a numerous army.

Having gained this important point, Pizarro halted his men and took possession of a fortress which commanded the pass. Atahualpa sent another embassy, to which the Spaniard replied by an evasive and ambiguous statement of his pacific intentions. The Peruvian chief continued to load the strangers with presents, which only betrayed the fears of the donor and stimulated anew the avarice of his visitors. Atahualpa suffered them to advance and take possession of the town of Caxamalca, a league from his own camp. The timidity and irresolution of this prince were strongly contrasted with the boldness and decision of the Spanish chieftain. Without hesitation, he formed a design to seize upon the person of the Inca, and, by that event, to acquire the means as well as a pretext for his scheme of unlimited usurpation, conquest and plunder. Never before was exhibited such a combination of perfidy, rapacity and cruelty, as appears in the accomplishment of Pizarro's audacious project.

He marched into Caxamalca towards evening, and quartered his troops in a large court situated between the royal palace and a temple of the sun; the court, as well as the buildings, being surrounded by a strong wall. From this spot he despatched an embassy to the Inca, requesting an interview. On reaching the the messengers found the Peruvian army drawn up to receive them. The Peruvians gazed with aston

camp,