Mark-Harrop
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There were also riflemen on foot and , conventionally , the commander who delivered a pitched battle , not a skirmish, divided his forces by giving the forefront of the riders - dragons - the task of carrying the first assault ; riflemen then advancing , while a part of the cavalry remained in reserve , ready to respond to the rescue of a group that would give signs of weakness . When the rain terms permitted, the infantry was to advance under the protection of the cavalry. The Indians posted on the heights fought by throwing boulders ( Galgas ) and batting sling. Then when the battle required a melee - which was frequent fore - they dealt with sticks and spears, at the cost of high mortality in their ranks.
Sounds to me like the "galgas" (a term I'm not familiar with in Spanish) is referring more to the large stones thrown down at the soldiers while they were in mountain passes or other channelized areas surrounded by high ground. Quite common in Bolivia
"Battle sling" probably means smaller and faster projectiles in "direct fire" mode.
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