Volume 3

A collection of voyages and travels, some now first printed from original manuscripts, others now first published in English. To which is prefixed, an introductory discourse (supposed to be written by the celebrated Mr. Locke) intitled, the whole history of navigation from its original to this time / Illustrated with maps and cuts, curiously engraved.

  • Awnsham Churchill
Date:
1744-1746
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A collection of voyages and travels, some now first printed from original manuscripts, others now first published in English. To which is prefixed, an introductory discourse (supposed to be written by the celebrated Mr. Locke) intitled, the whole history of navigation from its original to this time / Illustrated with maps and cuts, curiously engraved. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    77/940 (page 69)
    though hitherto no one has treated pur- pofely of this matter. There are now two hiftories in the prefs, which will make out, by particulars, all that has been faid of this nation. Don Alonfo de Ereilla fiys enough, in his famous poem call’d the Araucana •, but becaufe it is in verfe, it feems to leffen fomething the real truth and yet abftra6t- ing from the hyperboles and enlargings of poetry, all the hiftorical part is very con¬ formable to truth, he being a gentleman of great quality, and an eye-witnefs of what he affirms -, for what he writ, was not by hearfay, but upon the very fpot where the things happened *, fo that he might have had as many contradidors as he had witnef- fes, who were prefenc as well as he at what pafs’d. He dedicated his book to the moft ca- tholick king, his lord and mafter; and pre- fenting to him with his own hand, when he came from Chile to ^pain^ ’tis to be pre- fum’d he would not have dared to fail in the exadnefs of truth, for fear of receiving a chaltifement, inftead of a reward, which he obtain’d for it. Let any read his pro¬ logue, in which, in a very good ftyle, and in profe, he gives a noble account of the valour of the Indians^ and concludes his preface with thefe words: [/ have faid all this, as a proof and clear demonftration of the vahur of thefe nations, worthy of all the en¬ comiums / can give them in my verfes; and beftdes, there are now iri Spain feveral per- fons who were prefent at many of the adiions which I here defcribe, ajid refer to them the defence of my work on that Jidel] Thus far this author, worthy of immortal praife for his incomparable book, which, though pub- liffied above fifty years ago, and printed in Spain and Flanders, is yet continually re¬ printed which fhews the value the curious and the learned have for it. The Arauca- nos are indeed the chief fubjed of it; and yet what is faid of them may be extended to all the Indians of Chile, as we fhall fee in its proper place, when we fhall treat of the wars they had with the Spaniards. But before ever the Spaniards fet their feet on their ground, they had given fuffi- cient proof of their bravery, which was in¬ vincible, to the Ingas, emperors of Peru, fince with all their power they could never conquer them, though they endeavour’d it, as being extremely inclin’d to inlarge their dominions; and they defir’d it the more, for the fame of Chile, to which they fent a powerful army, and which made fome pro- grefs at firft, fubjeding fome nations to ex¬ traordinary tributes. But as they purfued their point, and came to the valley of Maule, they met with the Promocaes, to whofe fuccour the Chilenos, who inhabited more within the country, were come, and VoL. III. forc’d the army of the Ingas to retire inOvAi-tE. hafte. Gareilaffo de la Vega relating this more particularly, fiys, That the Ingayn Pangue, the tenth kingf^^r jj, of Peru, came to the confines of his own'\''ega. kingdom, to a place call’d Atacama, to be nearer at hand to attend the conqueft of Chile : and from thence firfl fent his fcouts through the fourfeore leagues of uncultiva¬ ted country, which was between his king¬ dom and Chile, with orders to difpatch a man, every two leagues, with an account of what they difeover’d ; which they did, one meffenger following another, and lea¬ ving in the way certain marks, whereby they that came laft might guide themfelves. He firft fent ten thoufand men, under the command of general Sinchiruca, and two other colonels of his own kindred, not be¬ ing willing to commit to any others care fo great an enterprize. They came with¬ in fight of the valley of Copiapo, which is the firft inhabited valley of Chile ; with the inhabitants of which, the Peruvians began to fkirmifh, becaufe they had not admitted the embafly which they fent them as from the Inga, to own him for their lord ; and withal, having given notice of the refi- ftance, they found to the Inga, he fent them ten thoufand men more, with a new fum- mons, aftliring them. That his defign was not to take their country from them, but only that they ffiould own him as fon of the fun, and lord of all that was warm’d and enlighten’d by him. Thofe of Copiapo feeing this new relief to their enemies, and knowing that it would not be the laft, bc- caufe the Inga yn Pangue Was preparing another fuccour, and being convinced that this acknowledgment would coft them lefs than the blood that muft be fpilt in a long refiftance, they agreed to own the Inga as he defir’d. This was the firft entrance of the Peru¬ vians as far as Maule, which is one of the rivers of Chile, as has been faid already. By this time, the army of the Peruvians was fifty thoufand men, and defiring to profecute their conqueft, they fent their or¬ dinary embaffy to the nation of the Promo¬ caes, who having already been inferm’d of their invading their neighbours, were in arms to defend their country. The am- baffadors of the Inga deliver’d their accu- ftom’d mefiage, protefting, that their lord defir’d nothing more, than to be acknow¬ ledg’d as fon of the fun, and honour’d ac¬ cordingly by their fubrniffion. The Pro¬ mocaes, who were refolv’d to defend their liberties, made anfwer, Fhat the conajierors foould be the lords and majiers; and lb uni¬ ting all their forces, came on the fourth day, and prefented battle to the Peruvians. The IngAs, generals, furpriz’d at fuch a cou- S ragious