most ancient of the conquerors of New Spain. At this time certain of the Peruvian gentlemen petitioned his majesty to cause perpetual allotments of lands to be made in that kingdom, and a similar petition was presented by Gonzalo Lopez and Alonzo de Villanueva, who had come over as agents from Mexico. His majesty was pleased to order the rapartimiento or distribution of lands to be referred to the council of the Indies, consisting of the Marquis de Mondejar president, with the licentiates Gutierre Velasquez, Tello de Sandoval, Gregorio Lopes de Briviesca, and the Doctor Hernan Perez de la Fuente, oydors or judges of that court, together with the members of other royal councils. At this meeting, it was proposed to make a perpetual distribution of the lands of New Spain and Peru; I am uncertain if New Granada and Popayan were to have been included. Many excellent reasons were given for this measure being adopted, but it was strenuously opposed by the members of the royal council of the Indies, together with Bishop de las Casas, Fra Rodrigo his coadjutor, and the Bishop of las Charcas, who insisted that the matter should be postponed till the return of the emperor from Vienna, when every thing should be arranged to the satisfaction of the conquerors: And thus the affair was dropped for the present.

After my return to New Spain, the conquerors then proposed to send agents to solicit his majesty for our interest exclusively, in consequence of which I was written to here in Guatimala, by Captain Andres de Tapia, Pedro Morena de Medrana, and Juan Limpias Caravajal, on the subject. I accordingly went round among the other conquerors who were settled in this city, to raise a sum by subscription for the purpose, but this project failed for want of money. At a subsequent period, our present invincible king Don Philip, was pleased to command that the conquerors and their posterity should be provided for, attending in the first instance to those who were married. But all has been of no avail.

Two learned licentiates, to whom I communicated the MS. of this history, observed that I had praised myself greatly in the battles of which I have given an account, whereas I ought to have left that to be done by others. But how is any one who was not in the wars with us to praise us as we deserve? To compare myself, a poor soldier, with the great emperor and warrior Julius Cesar, we are told by historians, that he used to write down with his own hand an account of his own

heroic deeds, not chusing to entrust that office to others, although he had many historians in his empire. It is not therefore extraordinary if I relate the battles in which I fought, that it may be known in future ages, thus did Bernal Diaz del Castillo; that my sons and grandsons may enjoy the fame of their ancestor, as many cavaliers and lords of vassals do the deeds and blazons of their predecessors. I shall therefore enumerate the various battles and other warlike affairs in which I have been present. At Cape Cotoche, under Cordova; at Pontonchan in a battle where half our number was slain; and in Florida where we landed to procure water. Under Juan de Grijalva, I was present in the second battle of Pontonchan. During my third voyage, under Cortes, two pitched battles at Tabasco. On our arrival in New Spain, the battle of Cingapacinga or Teoatzinco. Shortly afterwards three pitched battles with the Tlascalans. The affair of Cholula. On our entry into Mexico, I was at the seizure of Montezuma, which I do not enumerate as a warlike exploit, but on account of its great boldness. Four months afterwards, when with 276 men, Cortes defeated Narvaez who had 1300. The relief of Alvarado, when the Mexicans made incessant attacks upon us during eight days and nights, during which I reckon eight several battles, at all of which I was present, and in the course of which we lost 870 men. The battle of Obtumba or Otompan. A battle at Tepeaca. A battle at Tezcuco. Two battles, in one of which I was wounded in the throat by a lance. Two actions about the maize fields near Chalco. The rash attack on the fortresses called the Rocks of the Marquis in our expedition round the lake. The battle of Cuernavaca. Three battles at Xochimilco. During the siege of Mexico, which lasted ninety-three days, I find by my account that I was engaged in upwards of eighty battles and skirmishes. After the conquest, I was sent out on various expeditions to reduce Coatzacualco, Chiapa, and the Zapotecans, in which we had several engagements. In Chamula and Cuitlan, two engagements. In Teapa and Chematlan two others, in one of which I was badly wounded in the throat. I forgot to mention, that we were pursued for nine days in our flight from Mexico, and had to fight four battles before the great one at Otompan. Several actions in our expedition to Higueras and Honduras, during which in a battle at Culacotu I had a horse killed under me which cost 600 Crowns. After my return to Mexico, I went upon an expedition into the mountains against the Zapotecas and Mixtecas. I have on the

whole been present in one hundred and nineteen battles, engagements, and skirmishes; so that it is not wonderful if I praise myself for the many and notable services I have rendered to God, his majesty and all Christendom: And I give thanks and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath preserved me in so many dangers.

22. CONTRACT BETWEEN FRANCISCO PIZARRO, ALMAGRO, AND LUQUE

[Panama, March 10, 1526. William H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Peru (1874), II, 461–465. Translated by Mr. and Mrs. José R. Palomo of Ohio State University. Reprinted by permission of the publishers, the J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia.]

The second expedition to Peru was made possible by the following compact. Pedrárias de Ávila, governor of Darién and the adjacent territory, who had been a party to the first expedition (that of 1524), withdrew for a money consideration from the second.

In the name of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, three distinct Persons and only one true God, and in the name of Our Lady the Blessed Virgin, we hereby enter upon this contract.

Be it known to all men to whom these presents may come that I, Don Fernando de Luque, an ordained priest and vicar of the Holy Church of Panamá, party of the first part: and, parties of the second part, Captain Francisco Pizarro, and Diego de Almagro, all of us residents of this city of Panamá, do hereby agree to enter upon a contract, which shall be in force and valid in perpetuity, to this effect:

That, whereas we, the herein before mentioned Captain Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, hold a commission from Governor Pedro Arias de Ávila to explore and subdue those lands and territories known as Perú, which lie, according to present information, beyond the Gulf and across the sea beyond; and because, in order to undertake the said journey and conquest, we have need of ships, men, and provisions and other necessaries for the acquisition of which we do not have the necessary funds; and whereas you, the said Don Fernando de Luque, agree to provide these funds in consideration of a share of the

profits of this undertaking, we agree and covenant that all three of us shall fraternally share equally in all that may be discovered, gained, and conquered; and we further agree to colonize the said lands and territories of Perú.

And whereas you, the said Don Fernando de Luque, have, as your contribution to this enterprise, given us and otherwise placed at our disposal for defraying the expenses of the fleet and contingents necessary for the said journey and conquest of the said kingdom of Perú 20,000 pesos in bars of gold (450 maravedis per peso), which said bars of gold we receive herewith, having passed from your possession into ours in the presence of the notary, maker of this instrument, who weighed the bars and verified the amount; and I, Hernando del Castillo, do hereby testify that I witnessed the weighing of the said 20,000 pesos in bars of gold which were accepted in my presence by the said Captain Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, do pledge the favor of the before mentioned governor and likewise the commission granted us by him and in the name of His Majesty to explore and subdue the said territories of Perú, and any other grants which His Majesty or his council of the Indies may, in the future, deign to make to us, without special advantage to any of the parties to this contract. We further pledge our services and take upon ourselves the said exploration and conquest, to direct and assist in any armed conflict which may arise in the course of the conquest and colonization of the said kingdom of Perú, which, however, shall not entitle us to claim any more than an equal share even as you, Don Fernando de Luque, that, all three of us shall equally, not only in any personal profits but also in the spoils of war and any acquisitions we, or any one of us, might, in any manner, secure in the said kingdom of Perú. And we will in good faith, without any fraud, give you the one third part of whatever fortune God may grant us, because we acknowledge and confess that it is by right yours and your heirs' or assigns', or whosoever may succeed you in this enterprise, and in your name we will peacefully surrender it and make an accounting of it to you or to your successors, without any one of us receiving a greater share than you, the said Don Fernando de Luque, or your heirs and assigns. And likewise for whatever dictatorship or seignory, perpetual or temporary, which His Majesty might grant to either or both of us in the said kingdom of Perú, you are to have the

third of all rentals, lands, and vassals and whatever might in any manner or form come into our possession in the said kingdom of Perú, either in the nature of lands, rents, apportionment of Indians, emoluments and vassals; you are to be lord of and enjoy the third part of it even as we ourselves, without addition or condition whatsoever, and, should we claim or allege any such, I, Captain Francisco Pizarro and I, Diego de Almagro, and in our names our heirs, do hereby waive hearing either in or out of a court of justice, and hold this instrument to be a sufficient warrant for the execution of judgment against us; and I, Don Fernando de Luque, subscribe to this contract in the form and manner described above, and I give the 20,000 pesos in gold for the said discovery and subjugation of the said kingdom of Perú, whether for loss or for profit, as God Our Father wills it. Of the result of the expedition to the said kingdom and territory I am to have and to enjoy the one third part, the other third part to be for Captain Francisco Pizarro, and the other third part for Diego de Almagro, without any one of us receiving more than the other, not only the seignories but also of allotments of Indians, lands, inheritances, riches, hidden treasures, any wealth or discovery of gold, silver, pearls, emeralds, diamonds and rubies, and of whatever appointment and rank which you, the said Captain Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, may have and possess in the said kingdom of Perú, you will have to give me one third.

And we, the said Captain Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, accept the terms of this contract in the form and manner which Don Fernando de Luque desires, which contract declares that we shall share equally in everything, whether of perpetual grants which His Majesty might make to us either in vassals or Indians or whatsoever other emoluments, and Don Fernando de Luque shall have and enjoy as his the one third part of it from the time that His Majesty should make the above mentioned grants. To insure the discharge of this contract and all contained therein, and to insure that we, the said Captain Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, seek you out and surrender unto you, and said Don Fernando de Luque, the one third part of all that we may discover and possess in whatever form or manner; in order to insure the performance of this contract we, the said Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, hereby take oath in the