r had not been seen in time, and the Spaniards charging
them with great spirit, the general took to flight, and left his guns in
the possession of the enemy. I had before suspected him of intending
treachery, and I was now certain of it. He, with a number of his men on
horseback, rode off, and did not stop till he had crossed the river
below us.

The action now became general. The whole Indian line advanced, led on
by Tupac Amaru and his bravest chiefs. Both sides fought with the
greatest bravery; but the Spanish infantry, trusting in the superiority
of their firearms, kept at a distance from the Indians, the cavalry only
charging every now and then as the broken ranks of their opponents
offered them an opportunity of success. So vastly superior, however,
were the Indians in numbers, that the wings being moved forward were on
the point of completely encircling the Spaniards, when the whole force
of the latter, advancing at a quick march, made a desperate attack on
the Peruvian centre, the cavalry meantime charging the wings. The
Indians, already shaken, could not withstand the shock. The chiefs
urged them on. Many fought with the most desperate bravery. It had now
become a hand-to-hand combat, the Spaniards like a wedge forcing their
way onward. The great aim seemed to be to seize the Inca. Several of
his chiefs perceiving this, seized his horse's bridle, and endeavoured
to drag him out of the fight. His followers, believing that it was the
signal of defeat, gave way, and fled in all directions. The chiefs in
vain attempted to stop them. Some fled across the plain, others climbed
up the neighbouring heights, and many attempted to cross the river.

Among the latter was the Inca, with the chiefs who had surrounded him
for his protection. The Spanish cavalry followed close upon their
heels. The Inca plunged in with his horse, which boldly stemmed the
torrent; while his gallant followers turned and bravely attempted to
oppose the passage of the Spaniards, till he had crossed safely over.
The latter, flushed with victory, charged them fiercely, and cutting at
them with their swords, scarcely a man remained alive. The Inca, with
his son and brother, and other relatives, had reached the opposite bank,
and was galloping towards the mountains, where he might have found a
safe retreat; when the traitor Quizquiz, who, with his followers, had
been lying in ambush, rushed out and surrounded him. So completely
take