Lady Gaga, Barack O and Common walk into a bar

[Spartacus]

spinnin' records in the heatherae thread

 

[Spartacus]

the expedition continued on
the Spaniards often had to dismount to lead their horses along the 3ft wide paths carved in the mountains
everywhere they saw evidence of forts and manned bridges but nowhere did they encounetr any resistance
after all what could 160 men do against the veteran army of the Inca?
had the Incas sought to attack them in the narrow mountain defiles, the Spanish horses and arty (4 guns),so effective later on, would have totally nullified
and Pizarro and his band would have been slaugtered
but the Spaniards were allowed to march on
after several weeks eventually Pizarro and his men emerged from the mountains
into a beautiful level valley at the end of which lay the new seat of the Incan government
Cajamarca
the expedition rested for a day and waited for the rearguard to join
the situation was not good
spread across the hillside was the entire veteran army of Atahuapa (the Inca)
some 40,000 strong!

 

[Spartacus]

the Spanairds were apprehensive as nothing like this had been seen in the Indies up until then
imagine a staduim with 40,000 and you'll have an idea of the scale of opposition
Pizarro billeted his men in the square of Cajamarca and proceeded to send Hernando de Soto and a
detachnment of mounted men to seek an audience with the Inca (king) Atahualpa
the small party advanced cautiously moving the few miles to the resisdence of The Inca through the curious,but quiet ranks of the huge army

 

[Spartacus]

the Inca himself was in the midst of a ceremonial feast
despite the fact that Atahualpa (the Inca) or any of the Incas had seen a horse before,
Atahualpa evinced little interest in de Soto and his speech
after some polite convo on diplomatic terms the Spanish decided to leave
before doing so though, at the request of the Inca, De Soto gave Atahualpa a quick demonstration in horsemenship;

 

[Spartacus]

he wheeled his horse around and charged directly at the Inca, stopping only inches from his seated figure
If Atahualpa was frightened by this daring exhibition, he did not show it.
but this demonstration of equestrian capability made a lasting impression on the Incan Army
to be continued