America -- Discovery and exploration -- Spanish; New Mexico -- History -- To 1848; Peru -- History -- Conquest, 1522-1548
De Candia went ashore with his armor and arquebuse, both of which
astounded the natives; and when he set up a plank and shivered it with a
ball, they were overwhelmed at the strange noise and its result. Candia
brought back as glowing reports as Molina had done; and the tattered
Spaniards began to feel that at last their golden dreams were coming
true, and took heart again. Pizarro gently declined the gifts of gold
and silver and pearls which the awe-struck natives offered, and turned
his face again to the south, sailing as far as about the ninth degree of
south latitude. Then, feeling that he had seen enough to warrant going
back for reinforcements, he stood about for Panama. Alonso de Molina and
one companion were left in Tumbez at their own request, being much in
love with the country. Pizarro took back in their places two Indian
youth, to learn the Spanish language. One of them, who was given the
name of Felipillo (little Philip) afterward cut an important and
discreditable figure. The voyagers stopped at the Isle of Gorgona for
their two countrymen who had been left there sick. One was dead, but the
other gladly rejoined his compassionate comrades. And so, with his dozen
men, Pizarro came back to Panama after an absence of eighteen months,
into which had been crowded the sufferings and horrors of a lifetime.
III.
GAINING GROUND.
Governor de los Rios was not impressed by the heroism of the little
party, and refused them aid. The case seemed hopeless; but the leader
was not to be crushed. He decided to go to Spain in person, and appeal
to his king. It was one of his most remarkable undertakings, it seems to
me. For this man, whose boyhood had been passed with swine, and who in
manhood had been herding rude men far more dangerous, who was ignorant
of books and unversed in courts, to present himself confidently yet
modestly at the dazzling and punctilious court of Spain, showed another
side of his high courage. It was very much as if a London chimney-sweep
were to go to-morrow to ask audience and favors of Queen Victoria.
But Pizarro was equal to this, as to all the other crises of his life,
and acquitted himself as gallantly. He was still tattered and penniless,
but De Luque collected for him fifteen hundred ducats; and in the spring
of 1528 Pizarro sailed for Spain. He took with him Pedro de Candia and
some Peruvians, with some llamas, some beautifully-woven Indian cloths,
and a few trinkets and vessels of gold and silver, to corroborate his
story. He reached Seville in the summer, and was at once thrown into
jail by Enciso under the cruel old law, long prevalent in all civilized
countries, allowing imprisonment for debt. His story soon got abroad,
and he was released by order of the Crown and summoned to court.
Standing before the brilliant Charles V., the unlettered soldier told
his story so modestly, so manfully, so clearly, that Charles shed tears
at the recital of such awful sufferings, and warmed to such heroic
steadfastness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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