would come thither to populate and advance it. For, in truth,
the land being very large and very full of natives, the Spaniards who
were in it then were all too few for conquering it, holding it and
settling it, and, although they had already done great things in
conquering it, it was owing more to the aid of God who, in every place
and occasion, gave them the victory, than to any strength and means
which they had for succeeding, with that further aid they were confident
He would sustain them in the future.

That melting of the metals completed, the Governor commanded the notary
to draw up a document in which it said that the cacique Atabalipa was
free and absolved from the promise and word which he had given to the
Spaniards, who were to take the house full of gold in ransom for
himself. This document the Governor caused to be proclaimed publicly and
to the sound of trumpets in the plaza of that city of Caxamalca, making
it known, at the same time, to the said Atabalipa by means of an
interpreter, and also he [the Governor] declared in the same
proclamation, that, because it suited the service of H. M. and the
security of the land, he wished to maintain the cacique as a prisoner
with good guard, until more Spaniards should arrive who should give
added security; for, the cacique being free, he being so great a lord
and having so many soldiers who feared and obeyed him, prisoner though
he was, and three hundred leagues [from his capital], he could not well
do less in order to free himself from all suspicion; all the more so
because many times it had been thought almost certain that he had given
orders for warriors to assemble to attack the Spaniards. This, as a
matter of fact, had been ordered by him, and the men were all in
readiness with their captains, and the cacique only delayed the attack
because of the lack of freedom in his own person and in that of his
general Chilichuchima,[6] who was also a prisoner. After some days had
passed, and when the Spaniards were on the point of embarking in order
to return to Spain, and the Governor was making the rest ready for
setting out for Xauxa, God Our Lord, who with his infinite goodness was
guiding affairs toward all that was best for his service, as will be
[seen], having already in this land Spaniards who were to inhabit it and
bring to the knowledge of _the true God_ the natives of the said land so
that Our Lord might always be praised and known by these barbarians and
s