[12] Robertson, II. 299, suppresses all mention of any hostile intentions
    on the part of Atahualpa.—­E.

[13] Robertson, note cxxx, justly observes, that the extravagant and
    absurd discourse of Valverde, of which that given by Zarate in the
    text is an epitome, is merely a translation or paraphrase of a form,
    concerted in 1509 by a junto of Spanish lawyers and divines, for
    directing the office employed in the New World how to take possession
    of any new country.—­E.

[14] In this engagement, or massacre rather, according to one Spanish
    writer 2000 Peruvians were slain, while another author swells the
    number to six or seven thousand, and a third says five thousand.  Of
    the Spaniards not one was even hurt except the general Pizarro, who
    was wounded in the hand by one of his own soldiers.—­Roberts.  Hist. of
    America.  II. 302. and note cxxxi.

[15] Considerable even as this sum appears, it seems too small for the
    sovereign of so vast an empire which abounded so much in gold; yet we
    have no means of correcting the amount.  Garcilasso however mentions
    one piece of goid plate found in the baths of Atahualpa after the
    battle worth 100,000 ducats; but his work is so strange a farrago of
    confusion and absurdity as to bear very little authority.—­E.

[16] The omission of the length and breadth of this room by Zarate, is
    supplied by Robertson, ii. 503, from the other original Spanish
    authors, who say the room was 22 feet long by 16 feet broad.  The reach
    of Atahualpa could not be less than. 7-1/2 feet, 2640 cubic feet of
    gold, even heaped up of hollow vessels, must have produced a most
    astonishing value of that precious metal; but there are no data on
    which to calculate the numerical value of this imperial ransom, which
    the Spaniards certainly meant to accept, but would never have
    fulfilled the alternative.—­E.

[17] The sum in the text is quite vaguely expressed; perhaps pieces of
    eight reals, or dollars.—­E.

[18] At 17-1/2 leagues to the degree, this government accorded to Pizarro,
    would have reached from about Tacames to the lat. of 11 deg. 25’ S.
    whereas the kingdom of Peru extends to lat. 21 deg. 35’ S. and its most
    valuable and richest provinces would have fallen to the share of
    Almagro.—­E.

[19] This expression is entirely vague, and does not even say which
    governor is meant.  We shall see afterwards that this project of
    Almagro to appropriate the southern part of Peru took place at a
    subsequent period, and involved the recent conquest in long and
    destructive civil wars.—­E.