An Inca Account of the Conquest of Peru (16 page)

After the fall of the fortress, the battle lasted another three days, for the Indians regrouped on the next day in order to try to retake the fortress. They courageously attacked the Spaniards, who had taken shelter in the fortress; but because of all the guards, consisting of Cañari auxiliary troops as well as Spaniards, they could not harm them. Moreover, these Indians reported the appearance of a white horse, which had been among the first to penetrate the fortress, doing great damage among the Indians.
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The battle lasted the entire day. At nightfall, the Indians returned to their positions, for they couldn't fight their enemies any longer because of the great darkness. As the Spaniards did not want to give up the fortress, they let them go. The next morning they resumed the battle, which was fought relentlessly on both sides. Finally, when the Indians were attacking the Spaniards with great courage, the Spaniards suddenly broke out of the fortress and launched a fierce counterattack. In the face of this onslaught, the Indians withdrew to Callca, where my father was staying. The Spaniards followed them to the Yucay River, killing or putting to flight a large number of them. There, the Indians eluded the Spaniards, who went on to Callca, where my father was. However, they did not find him there because he was attending a festivity in a town called Sacsasiray. As they could not catch him there, they returned to Cuzco by another way but lost a large amount
of their baggage, which the Indians, who had come out of their hiding place, took from their rear guard. Then the Indians, with their booty, made for the village where my father was celebrating.

After the celebrations in the village of Sacsasiray were over, my father went on to the town of Tambo and spent one night in Yucay on the way. When he arrived at Tambo, he had the entire population of the country gather, for he was planning to build a mighty fort in order to defend himself against the Spaniards, who might attack him. After a very short time all were gathered before my father, and he made the following speech:

The Speech that the Inca made to all his Captains in Tambo, whereto he had withdrawn after the failed siege of Cuzco

“My beloved sons and brothers, you know how in my previous speeches I have always kept you from doing harm to those evil people who entered my land under the pretense of being sons of Viracocha and whom I permitted to do so. Because of all the very good things I have done for them and because of giving them everything I had—silver and gold, materials and maize, herds, subjects, women, servants, and countless other things—they took me prisoner. They insulted and maltreated me without reason. Then they tried to kill me, which I found out through Antonico, their translator. He is present here; he ran away from the Spaniards because he couldn't bear it any longer. And as you learned during the mobilization of the troops for the siege of Cuzco, I had withdrawn to Callca so that we could deal them a heavy blow without first making them suspicious. As far as I know, everything has been carried out according to my orders. However, I was not able to be present as I had wanted to. This was detrimental to your effort to conquer the fortress of Saczahuaman, which they took from you because of your negligence. Moreover, they then put you to flight, following you to Yucay, without
you being able to stop them. It was painful for me to see that you let them get away, despite the fact that you were so numerous and they were but few. Perhaps Viracocha aided them because, as you told me, they worshipped Him all night on their knees. After all, if he didn't help them, what else could explain that they were able to elude you, who were countless in number. But what's done is done. From now on, you must take heed on your life how you deal with them, for you must know that they are our main enemy and that we will always be theirs, because that's the way they have chosen it. I want to take cover in this place and build a fortress that nobody can penetrate. On your life do me this favor, and it may well turn out to be very useful for us one day.”

The Chiefs' Response to the Inca

“Sapai Inca, we, who are your humble servants, kiss your hands.
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We are devastated and embarrassed to come in your sight because of our failure at this most important campaign against these insidious people, who maltreated you so often and repaid your benevolence with such ingratitude. We are thrown into such consternation that we hardly dare to look you in the face but take some consolation in being able to put some of the blame on you. For when we had thoroughly surrounded the enemy and deprived them of all hope for help, we asked you what to do with them and you sent us word that we should let them suffer like they had made you suffer, that you would come and destroy them yourself. In order not to disobey you, we let them be for one day and one night while we were waiting for you. When we were sure of ourselves and deemed them entirely in our hands, they eluded us, and then we were incapable of doing anything to them. We don't know why this happened or what to say about it, except that our misfortune consisted in not striking soon enough and yours in not granting us permission to do so. We are prepared to take upon us the punishment that you want to put on us
for our guilt. With regard to your wish to fortify this town so that you may protect yourself from those people and any other possible attackers, we answer that we will gladly comply, for we owe you more than just this.” Thus, they turned the town into one of the strongest fortifications in Peru during the year and a half that my father stayed in Tambo.

During this time, after my father had already talked to the Indians and expanded on the misfortune that had come upon them, there arrived in this said town of Tambo some messengers who reported on what had been happening in Lima and Cullcomayo. In Sausa there had been a battle between the Spaniards and the Indians in which the Indians were victorious. They brought my father many heads of Spaniards, as well as two Spaniards who were alive, and one black and four horses. They arrived very happy about their victory, and my father received them with all honors and encouraged the others to fight like them. Just about then, a certain Captain Rodrigo Orgóñez arrived with a group of soldiers in the said town of Tambo in order to fight my father. As soon as my father found out about this, he sent many Indians against the Spaniards so that they would cut off their access to the fortress of Tambo, which is located on the other side of the river. They met each other in a fierce battle on the plain called Pascapampa and Pachar, but neither party could finally claim victory because the Spaniards were much harassed by the cactus plants that grow around there and one of them, as well as three blacks, died in the battle. Another one was captured in the fortress by the Indians because he had gone too far ahead of the others. After the night had parted the battling parties, each retreated into their fortifications. Upon nightfall the Spaniards erected their tents. At dawn they started their fires as though they wanted to continue the battle. However, still before daybreak, they returned to Cuzco. The Indians, who had expected to find them in the morning, found nobody there, which amused them extremely and made them surmise
that the Spaniards had fled out of fear. When all this had passed and the Spaniards had returned home, my father, who was still in Tambo, continued with the construction of the fortress. During his stay at Tambo, ten captured and defeated Spaniards who were kept there and were being treated very well, even eating at my father's own table, ran away after receiving a message from Cuzco. However, as they were not very skilled, they were recaptured in a town called Maras, two leagues from Cuzco, and brought back. When my father asked them for the reason why they had run away, they didn't know what to say. One of them was the aforementioned Antonico, who, although he had warned my father against the intrigues of the Spaniards, did not know how to appreciate his good treatment by my father, who had him taken around in his chair and cared for him as though he were his own son. For this reason, he fared the same as the rest of them. They all were ordered to be turned over to some Moyomoyo Indians from the Anti lowlands in order to be hacked to pieces and eaten.

When all of this was over and the construction of the fortress completed, my father announced that he wished to withdraw into the Antian lowlands
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and to give up the other land, for the Spaniards were harassing him too much and the Anti people were begging him much to settle in their land so that they could protect him and serve him as their king. Being determined to take this step, he had his people summoned in order to explain to them how they were to conduct themselves in living together with the Spaniards.

Manco Inca's Instructions
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to the Indians about how to conduct themselves toward the Spaniards when he decided to withdraw to the Anti

“My beloved sons and brothers, all of you who are present here and who have accompanied me in my trials and tribulations will
hardly guess, I suppose, why I have summoned you now. But I will explain it to you presently. On your life, don't let the things I have to say disturb you, for you know that necessity often compels people to do things that they don't want to do. For this reason, I can't help but acquiesce to those Anti Indians, who have been begging me for some time to visit them. I will do them this favor and stay with them for a few days. I ask you that you please not be upset, because I do not want to cause you any pain, for I love you like my own children. I would be very happy if you carried out this wish.

“You are well aware, and I have often told you before, how these bearded men intruded into my land under the pretense of being Viracochas. Considering their clothes and other characteristics that are entirely different from our own, this did not seem implausible to you and even to me. Because of this and also because of the reports of the Tallana Yunca people, who observed them doing certain things in their country, I permitted them, as you know, to come into my country and into my cities. I treated them in the way that is well-known throughout the entire land. As you know, I gave them many things, after which—and because of which—they treated me in the manner that you have witnessed. Not only they but also my brothers Pascac, Ynguill, and Huaipar deprived me of my land and even made an attempt on my life. However, I eluded this attempt thanks to Antonico's warning, as I have told you the other day in this place. He was eaten by the Anti people because he did not know how to behave. In the face of all of these and many other things, which I will omit here in order to avoid prolixity, I have summoned you to Cuzco in order to pay them back for a small part of all of that which they have done to us. But your design did not succeed because, I think, they were aided by their god or because I wasn't present. This gave me great pains, but we shouldn't wonder or agonize about it too much, for not all of men's designs always work out the way we would like it. Therefore, I appeal to you
not to despair; after all, things could have been worse, considering that we also caused them some damage. Thus, as you know, we captured a few of them in Lima, in Cullcomayo, and in Jauja, which might bring us some consolation, even though it doesn't measure up to the pains they have given us.

“It seems to me that the time has come for me to depart for the land of the Antis, as I told you earlier. I will have to remain there for several days. Keep in mind my command not to forget what I have told you and what I am still about to tell you now, which is the following: keep in mind how long my grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and I as well, have sustained and protected you, and how we have furthered and governed your households, providing for them according to your needs. Therefore, you and your descendants are obliged never to forget me, my grandfathers, and great-grandfathers for your entire lives, but to respect and obey my son and brother Titu Cusi Yupanqui and my other sons and their descendents. By doing so, you will give me great joy; and they will thank you according to the instructions with which I leave them. May these words be enough for you now.”

The Indians' Answer to the Inca

“Sapai Inca, how can you leave your sons behind with such a heavy heart? They have desired nothing but to serve you and would even risk their lives for you a thousand times if necessary! To the care of which king, which master, are you leaving them? What disservice, what betrayal, what evil deed have we done to you that you want to abandon us like this, helpless and without a master or king to respect? Never have we known another master or father but you, your father Huayna Capac, and his ancestors. Don't leave us like this, master, without protection and consolation but grant us, if you will, the joy of accompanying you to wherever it is that you want to go. All of us, children
and adults, men and women, are ready to follow you and don't want to abandon you, even though you may leave us.” When my father saw how anxious all of his people were to serve him, he gave them the following answer:

“I thank you, my sons, for the willingness and desire that you have shown for following me to wherever I need to go. You will not have to regret your investment in me, for you will receive my gratitude and compensation sooner than you might think. But now, on your life, be composed and don't anguish so much, for I will see you again very soon. From now until I return or until I send word through a messenger, you shall do the following, which shall be your way of life. First, you are not to believe anything that these bearded ones, who have mocked me because of my good faith, may say for they lie a lot, as they have lied to me in all their dealings with me, and they will continue to lie in their dealings with you as well. One thing you could do is to pretend on the outside that you agree to their demands and to give them a small trinket now and then, depending on what your land yields. These people are so crude and so different from us that they may take from you by force what you don't give them; and they may abuse you because of it. The best way to prevent this from happening is to act exactly as I tell you. Second, you are to keep yourself ready for the time when I send for you or when I send word about what is to be done with these people. In the case that they attack you or try to take your land from you, always defend yourself, even though you might lose your life in the attempt. If you are in extreme difficulty and need my personal presence, send word through messengers, regardless of where I might be. And watch yourself, for they deceive with their pretty words and later keep nothing that they have said. For this is the way they conducted themselves toward me, as you have seen, when they told me that they were sons of the god Viracocha and initially showed me great friendship and love but later treated me in the way you have seen. If they had been
the sons of Viracocha as they claimed to be, they wouldn't have done what they have done. For Viracocha can change the mountains into a plain, make the rivers run dry, and raise mountains where there have been none before, but he never hurts anyone. We have seen nothing of this in their behavior. On the contrary, instead of doing good things, they have done bad things to us by violently and deceitfully depriving us of our possessions, wives, sons, daughters, fields, food, and many other things that we had in our country—all against our will. We can hardly consider people who act like this to be sons of Viracocha; but rather, as I have said on other occasions, sons of
supai,
or worse, for they have imitated him in their actions and did things too depraved for me to mention.