Page 243 - Vida y Obra de Vizcardo Guzman - Vol-1

Nueva Colección Documental de la Independencia del Perú
Vida y obra de Juan Pablo Viscardo y Guzmán

2
DESPACHOS DE LOUIS DUTENS, DE LA LEGACIÓN BRITÁNICA EN TURÍN, SOBRE LA
REBELIÓN DE TÚPAC AMARU

Turin, 27 junio-31 octubre 1781.
Turin, 27th June, 1781 — Sir: ... I am informed by the best authority
that some fresh accounts (arrived from America by the way of Spain) relate
that Prince Casimir continued to advance towards Lima; that on his march
form the Andes he has seinzed on three Spanish governors of some of those
districts and hanged them, and that a body of five hundred regular troops sent
to stop his progress had been cut to pieces, ten men only having escaped the
fate of the rest. —As Prince Casimir may in future prove to be a conspicuous
man, it will, I presume to think, not be improper for me to throw on his cha-
racter the lights wich I have been able to acquire here. I have had long con-
versations with an Ex-Jesuit of this country, an exceeding sensible man who
passed eight years in Peru and other Spanish settlements in South America.
He knew Casimir personally and says that he was brought at Lima,
where he was christened by the name of Casimir. He boasted then of being
descended from the ancient Incas of Peru, which was generally allowed, and
thó he shewed an active and enterprising genius, the indolence or midness of
the Vice-Roy at time prevented any other notice being taken of him than that
of endeavoring to attach him to Spanish Government. But as soon as he came
to the age of reflexion, he retired to a part of the country in the Andes between
Lima and Quito, where he was aknoledged by an independent tribe of the
Peruvians for their lawfull Sovereign and he has ever since reigned over them
unattack’d and unmolested. Sixteen years ago he was preparing an expedition
against Lima, which in order to prevent, two Jesuits were sent to him, one of
whom was the very man I have been mentioning. They staid a week with him
and persuaded him to desist from his idea and some small concession was
offerd which he accepted; but he said shewing some of his children: «When
those boys are grown to be men I shall not be satisfied with a Little». He has
ever since applied to train up the young people of his country to military exer-
cices and seizes now on the opportunity which the dissatisfaction of the grea-
test part of the Peruvians offers, to put his ambitious desins into execution;
and the same person assures me that he will certainly be joined by all the

242