After a pause, during which the priests of the Chancas and of the Yuncas
behind us sacrificed sheep to the moon and the many other gods they
worshipped, and those of the Quichuas, as I could see from my rock, made
prayers and offerings to the rising sun, with a mighty shouting the Inca
hosts began to advance across the plain towards us. Reckoning them with
my eye I saw that they outnumbered us by two or three to one; indeed
their hordes seemed to be countless, and always more of them came on
behind from the dim recesses of the city. Divided into three great
armies they crept across the plain, a wild and gorgeous spectacle,
the sunlight shining upon the forest of their spears and on their rich
barbaric uniforms.
A furlong or more away they halted and took counsel, pointing to me with
their spears as though they feared me. We stood quite still, though
some of our generals urged that we should charge, but this I counselled
Huaracha not to do, who desired that the Quichuas should break their
strength upon us. At length some word was given; the splendid "rainbow
Banner" of the Incas was unfurled and, still divided into three armies
with a wide stretch of plain between each of them they attacked, yelling
like all the fiends of hell.
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