irst thing the soldiers did on entering the house, was to find their
way to that side facing the mountains. Some stationed themselves at the
windows, through the shutters of which they forced holes to admit the
muzzles of their muskets; while others took up a strong position in the
court-yard, whence they could annoy the advancing enemy. Their hurried
arrangements had scarcely been concluded, when the Indians in strong
force rushed to the walls, uttering the most dreadful shouts of defiance
and hatred. The Spaniards reserved their fire till they came close upon
them. The word was given by the officer in command, and a volley was
poured in upon them which proved fatal to many; yet the rest came on
undauntedly to the attack. I had intended to have followed my family
into the vaults, and I should have been wiser had I done so; but a
strong desire to see the fight, not unnatural to one of my age and
temper, kept me back; and having escaped the observation of the
soldiers, I had clambered up to the roof, where, through a small window,
I could see all that was going forward. It was a post I very soon found
of considerable danger, for, when the Indians began to fire, the bullets
came rattling about my head very thick. What had become of the Indian
servants I could not tell; but I concluded that they had wisely betaken
themselves to the vaults, or to some other place of safety.

I must observe that on either side the walls of the outbuildings and
gardens extended across the hill to the summit of precipitous cliffs, so
that the Indians could not get round to attack the house in the rear
without clambering over these impediments. As, however, the line was
very extended, it required great activity and vigilance on the part of
the Spaniards to defend it. Several parties, of ten or fifteen men
each, were employed in continually moving about from place to place
whenever any of the enemy showed a disposition to scale the walls. The
main attack of the Indians was, however, directed against the house
itself; indeed it was only subsequently that any attempts were made at
other points. The Indian chiefs showed the most undaunted bravery; and,
though singled out by the Spaniards for destruction, they were always in
the thickest of the fight, and exposed to the hottest fire. I looked in
vain for my friend Manco; and at first I was afraid that he might have
been killed, till it occurred to me that he was probably with the main
bod