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1533 - The search for treasure Expeditions to Pachacamac and Cuzco  Atahualpa believed that the Spanish would leave Peru as soon as the ransom had been paid. He therefore suggested to Pizarro that some conquistadors should be sent to oversee the collection of gold and other treasures from Cuzco and Pachacamac. These were easy sources of gold for Atahualpa to offer up: Cuzco had been the centre of his brother Huascar's forces and Atahualpa had already decided that the capital of the Inca Empire would be moved from Cuzco to Quito. The shrine of Pachacamac, south of modern Lima, had fallen from favour following several recent disastrous predications - in particular, it had advised Atahualpa to make war on the Spanish, saying he would defeat and kill them.Hernando Pizarro left Cajamarca with a small contingent of men and spent fifteen wondrous days riding through the mountains and coastal plains. They were impressed by the numerous suspension bridges, Inca roads, storehouses, terraces and well-ordered towns encountered on their way. However, on reaching Pachacamac they discovered that the priests had hidden most of the treasure. Hernando Pizarro stormed the inner sanctuary of the shrine and tortured some of the priests but a month of searching revealed no treasure. Meanwhile in Cajamarca, a steady stream of gold and silver had been arriving but the promise of Cuzco's vast treasure trove lured three men to volunteer for an expedition deep into the heart of the hostile Inca Empire. Atahualpa's leading general, Quisquis, gave the three Spaniards a cool reception in Cuzco, telling them that "if they refused to release the cacique [Inca] he himself would go to rescue him". The Spaniards defiled the holy temples and sanctuaries of Cuzco, prized seven hundred plates of gold from the Temple of the Sun and looted many treasures from the Inca mummies. The enraged Indians watched helplessly, knowing that co-operation was necessary to save Atahualpa's life. The Inca's Generals  Three of Atahualpa's leading generals were still at large in Peru with their armies during this time: Chalcuchima was in Jauja with 35,000 warriors, Quisquis was holding Cuzco with 30,000 warriors, and Rumiñavi was situated north of Cajamarca with yet another large army. These three generals were revered and feared throughout the empire owing to their recent triumphs over Huascar's armies. Each of these generals and their armies posed a serious threat to the safety of the Spanish.Hernando Pizarro, returning from Pachacamac, tricked the general Chalcuchima into returning with him to Atahualpa in Cajamarca. Immediately upon arrival, the Spanish imprisoned Chalcuchima and, believing he had hidden vast quantities of gold, tortured and burned him. Distribution of Atahualpa's ransom By the middle of 1533, the entire ransom of silver and gold had been delivered to the Spanish in Cajamarca. The many precious and finely worked objects were melted down over a four-month period to produce some 6 tons of gold and 12 tons of silver. Hernando Pizarro was sent back to Spain with some treasure for the King as part-payment of the "royal fifth", the royal tax paid upon all treasure captured during the conquest. The original conquistadors all received a share equivalent to his position in the conquest: each horseman received 40kg of gold and 81kg of silver whilst foot-soldiers received half this amount. |
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