Miscellaneous. FRANCISCO PIZZARO.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10628, 5 June 1897, Page 6

Miscellaneous. FRANCISCO PIZZARO.

In former timca the farmers of Spnln let their pigs roam in large droves in the forests, attended by a boy, who kept them from wandering too far, and drove tbem at night to an enclosure near home. Pizzaro, the conqueror of Pern, was one of these pig-tenders, when Columbus discovered America in 1402. He was then seventeen years of age; a rude, tough, wilful lad, ignorant of everything except the manners end customs of the animals he drove. To ble dying day he could not write his name, nor read a sentence. Franoisco Pizzaro passed the days of his youth as a keeper of pigs. Here was a strange piece of timber to make a conqueror of— a swine herd, ignoran , living in a seolnded rural region. One day a pig strayed from the herd and could not be found. Pizzaro, dread, ing his father's anger, dared not go home. He made his way to a reornlting station, enlisted in tho Spanish army as a private soldier, and served for a whl.'e in Italy. Attracted by the marvels of the New World, and being naturally fond of adventure, he, too, joined an expedition to America, and, arriving at Hlapanioln, served under Columbus, and soon won distinction. He bad every quality that fits a man for a life of daring adventure. His frame was capable of enduring anything that can be borne by man, and in point of resolution, fortitude and oourage he has never been surpassed since the world began. From his landing in America to the time of his setting oat for Peru, fourteen years elapsed, during which he was em* ployed wherever there was most of difficulty or peril. Having done good service vin.der Columbus in Hlspaniola, j he took pari in .the conquest and exploration of Cuba. Under Balboa he climbed the mountains of the Isthmus of DarieD, and was with him when first he beheld the Paoifio Ocean, and ran down into its waters exulting, taking possession of it in the name of the king of Spain. He assisted in the conquest of the Isthmus, and in the founding of tho city of Panama. In 1524 Pizzaro was residing at Panama, a bronzed and battered veteran, fifty years of age, retired from the Borvice, cultivating, with the aid of a few slaves, a small plantation.' After so I many years of hard service he was still far from rich. There was also living at Panama another soldier of fortune (a foundling too), Diego Almagro, a little older and not muoh richer than Pizzaro ; likewise Fernando de Lnques, an aged priest and schoolmaster, who was a man of considerable wealth. These three men, the youugest of whom was fifty, conceived the projeot of conquering the powerful and wealthy tribes that were supposed to inhabit the western coasts of South America. They were to do this by their own resources, asking nothing from the Governor of Panama except bis sanotlon of the enterprise. It was aB though three men in New York should now nndertake the conquest of the Japanese Empire. Pizzaro was to command the first body of adventurers ; Almagro was to raise, as soon as he could, a second company and join Pizzaro on the coast; the priest was to remain at Panama to watch over tbe interests of the partnership. The confederates having bought a ship and enrolled a hundred, and fourteen | men, Pizzaro set sail, and ran down the coast for some hundreds of miles; landed, now and then; ascended some rivers ; had a fierce conflict with natives, in whioh he was beaten and put to flight ; suffered extremely from hunger, bad food, ceaseless, rains, fatigue and wounds; and, after three months of hardship, and losing eleven men, sought refuge on an Island off the coast of Equador. Joined there by Almagro with sixty f four men, he resumed his attempt to get footing upon the main land. Some slight success cheered his men at length, for, in a village which they surprised, they found a supply of provisions and a large quantity of gold. But this good fortuno only lured them on to new fatiguea Bnd brought upon them sufferings beyond mortal fortitude to endure. When one hundred and forty-one men, out of one hundred and seventy-eight, had sunk under fatigue, privation and the poisoned arrows of the Indians, the rest demanded to return to Panama. Pizzaro would not consent. Ho calmed the discontent of his nieu, and sent Almagro back to Panama tor reinforcements. Tho tale of the sufferings of the adventurers had suoh an effect at Panama that. Almagro could only induce eighty reoruits to follow him, Strengthened by this body Pizzaro renewed bis endeavors, and at length reached tho fertile and populous Empire of Peru. Every Inhabitant wore ornaments of gold, and vessels of the precious metal were Been in every honse. Tbe Spaniards inflamed at the sight of these treasures, attacked the Peruvian troops, but after several svovero and disastrous encounters, Pizzaro perceived that a country inhabited by millions of people and defended by disciplined armies could not be conquered by a hundred men. Again he withdrew to an island on the coast, and again sent Almagro to Panama for more troops. But now tke Governor of Panama interfered. Tho great quantity of gold exhibited by Almsgro could not shake his determination to order Pizzaro home ; and, accordingly, Almagro returned bearing an order for Pizzaro to abandon the enterprise. On receiving this order, Pizzaro refused to obey it. A tumult arose. His followers ran down to the ship and demanded to be conveyed to Panama. Pizzaro joined them, gathered them around him, and, drawing a line in the sand with his sword, addressed them thus : ' Comrades, on that side,' pointing to the south, ' are toil, hunger, nakedness, tho drenohing storm, battle and death, On this side,' poiuting to the north, ' are obbo and safety. But on that aide lies Peru, with its wealth. On this side is Panama and its poverty. Ohoose, each man, what best becomes a brave Caatilian. for my part I go to the South.' Having said these words, he stepped to the southern side of tho line, and there stcod eyeing the homesick crowd. Twelve soldieru, ons prigst and one muleteer joined him. The rest went on board the ship and returned to Panama. With these fourteen companions he withdrew to a rocky island, and there remained five months, waiting for Almagro to join him with reinforcements Their provisions being consumed, they lived upon shell fish, seaweed, reptiles and fish and drank brakish waters from the hollowß of the rooks. At length, to their inexpressible joy, a sail hove in sight. It was a ship sent by Almagro, not to reinforce his confederate, but to bring him back to Panama. The indomitable Pizzaro, however, bo wrought npon the cupidity of the captain of thin vessel that he induced him to join him in continuing his explorations. Once more their eyea were dazzled and their passions kindled by the evidence of the boundloßß we&ltb of Peru ; bu they saw, too, sjich indications of strength and discipline that Pizzaro himself perceived that for tbe conquest of suoh a country a soore of exhausted men would not sufiloe. He now returned to Panama to organise the enterprise anew, He reached that capital after an absence of three years. He was now without resources — a ruined man— and the Governor plaoed an absolute veto upon any further attempt to conquer Paru. Pizzaro, still undaunted; borrowed a small sum, took paBBBWtd Bp&>n, made bio wsy to the court of Charles ?.',' toltf £hat able monarch what hs had dpue and Been, and ashed hla aid and authorisation to resume his attempts, The Emperor gave him the fullest authority, raised him to the rank of noble, and supplied him with a part of the money required. In January, 1521, the flfty-seventh yen? of bis age, with three ships, one hundred and thirtp-fonr foot soldiors and thirty-els L cayilry, he ?a|bd from Panama, Joined on the coast of Pern by seventy two more horsemen and twelve infantry, ho hesitated not to march Into the Interior and confront a large army of Peruvians, BeLre attacking this army, Pizzaro sent a priest to explain to tbe Peruvian monarch tho Christian religion, to deasn.4 his immediate acoeptanoe of the samfe, and his submission to tbe Jfing of Spaing ''.■"" The priest oruoin'x in hand, approached thp Jnea, and, by the aid of an interpreter, delivered a wonderfully extravagant harangue. He began by relating tbe oreation of the universe, the fall of man, the coming of Jesus Christ, His death, resurrection and ascension, the te'.eotion of St Peter as his vicar on earth, the succession of the Popes, and their universal power, He then stated that one of these gucoeiiora of St Peter, {

namely, Popo Alexander VI., had conferred upon the KiDg of Spain the sovereignty of all tlio ooxmtrles of the New World. Finally ho culled upon the Inoa to recognize the sovereignty of the king, submit to the Pope, lay down his arms and pay tribute, ' What tribute,' asked the Inoa, with a sneer, • am I lo pay to this Charles, who, yon say, is himself inferior to God the Father, God the Son, God H e Holy Ghost, and even to the Pope ? I desire |tobe a vassal of the geda alone. I know nothing about the Pope, not his pcotendod right to dispose of my kingdom ; and, as to renouncing the religion of my ancestors, it will be time to do that when yon have proved to me the truth of yours.' As soon as the priest returned with this reply, Pisszaro ordered his artillery. A short bat desperate and bloody battle , ensued. Rushing, himself, upon the litter of the Inoa, Pizzaro overturned It and took the monarch prisoner. Then the Peruvians fled, leaving behind thorn their king, two thousand killed, threo thousand prisoners and an Immenso booty. Pizmo was wounded in the hand, but ho lost not a man of his little army. This single bottle made Pizzur-i master of Peru, which he ruled for the next eight years with sovereign sway. How he ruled it every sohool-boy knows. He betrayed and murdered the captive locs. He quarrelled with Almagro over the division of the spoils, and finished by putting him to death. He accumulated a greater amount of troaßnre than was ever possessed, before or since, by an individual. Spoiled by prosperity without parallel, he was cruel to the Peruvians, capricious and tyrannical to the_ Spaniards, and, at length, a rebel against his king. A oonsplraoy, hoaded by the son of the murdered AlmaRTO, waß formed against him. On a Sunday afternoon, in 1541, at the hour when the tyrant was aooustomed to sleep, b blind of the coakdatates burst into his palace, killed or dispersed his servants, and attaoked him. Armed only with asword and bucklor, he defended himself with the nioßt desperate courage. Four of his assailants he slew; five more he wounded, and he still fought on. At last one of the band engaged him and drew hta attention from the rest, and, whilo Pizzaro dealt a furious blow at his chief assailant, the others succeeded in giving him a mortal wound. He fell at the feet of an image of Christ, which, it is said, he kissed at the moment of his death. So perished, In his Bixty-eigbt year, the man who was, perhaps, the most resolute of all the sons of men. In mere strength of purpose, it is questionable if his eqnsl ever lived ; but, though this is one of the most valuable of qualities, and accomplishes very great things, a man must nave much more In order to turn to good acoount the prizes won by it. Pizzaro was little more than a magnificently gifted brute.