His Original and the manner of his Rising.
Whilest the Spaniards found so much to do with the Peruvians, yet they could not forbear more and more Clashing amongst themselves, the Marquess commanding that Almagro should surrender and leave the City Cusco; but he refusing to obey, fortifi’d himself on the top of the Mountain Gaytara, stopt the Ways by cutting down the Trees: but Ferdinando Pizarro getting up to the top along a private Way, made such a confusion amongst them with Bolt-shot, that Almagro, who was sick at that time, was forc’d to flye; which being told Pizarro, he pursu’d him, and had doubtless utterly defeated him at that bout, had not his Men, benumm’d with marching in the deep Snow, been taken with a Distemper which made them as if they had been all Sea-sick, (for such is the property of the Mountain Guaytara) insomuch that they could scarce carry their Arms: Whereupon Almagro was advis’d to oppose his Pursuers, and that he need not doubt of the Victory; but he either following his own Dictates, or being counter-advis’d, fortifi’d himself in Cusco, whither Ferdinand and Gonsalvo Pizarro march’d against him. Rodrigo de Orgonnes Commanded Almagro’s Army, who being sick, lay on the Walls of the City to see the Battel fought. The Peruvians, who on each side were in the Spanish Service, march’d in the Front: on the twenty sixth of April, Anno 1538. the Fight began, in which the Almagrians did much mischief with Cross-bar shot amongst the Pizarrians; yet Almagro’s Horse retreated first, being under the Command of Peter Valdivia; soon after which the rest of his Army, their Courage also failing, fled to the City; into which, as soon as Orgones being shot in the Head and slain, the Conqueror rush’d after them, and took Almagro Prisoner: yet notwithstanding this prosperous beginning, he soon found himself in a great strait, since those which remain’d alive of Almagro’s Party refus’d to serve Pizarro, and murmur’d against him in all places, resolving to take Almagro from him by force, besides that Pizarro’s Soldiers grumbled that they were not paid sufficiently for the many hazards which they had run: wherefore to compose these Troubles as well as possibly he could, he banish’d all whom he thought to be of the opposite Party, sent away the chief of his own mutinous Soldiers with Captain Peter de Candia, to discover new Countreys, put Almagro to death, and march’d to Callao; where being straitned for want of Provision, he made no stay, but got his Army with much ado to Cusco. Gonsalves Pizarro was likewise so set upon by the Natives, that he lost a considerable number of Men: In short, the Pizarrans were defeated in all places, and at length the Marquess, though forewarn’d by his Secretary Antonio Picado, was murder’d in his own House in the City of Lima, otherwise call’d De los Reyos, by a Bastard-Son of Almagro, nam’d Diego, in the Year 1541; his Body dragg’d to the Church-yard, lay there to every ones view and derision, till John de Barbara buried the same. His Father Gonsalvo Pizarro, sir-nam’d The tall Citizen of Truxillo, Commanding a Company of Foot in Navarre, had two lawful Sons, viz. Ferdinand, who was murder’d in the Spanish Castle Motta, and John that was slain in Cusco, when Mango Inga conquer’d the City, the other two, Gonsalvo and Francisco, being both Bastards; the last of which is said to have been expos’d by his Mother in the Church Porch, and kept alive for several days by sucking of a Sow, till his Father afore-mention’d finding him, and acknowledging him for his Son, put him out to Nurse, and when he was grown up set him to keep Swine; which course of Life he soon left, and following Alphonsus de Ojeda, Balboa, and Pedro de Avita in their Expeditions, he quickly grew rich, and at last came to that heighth of Honor and Command we have heard. Francisco Martino de Alcantara was also his Brother by the Mothers side onely. He was a Man who despis’d all Dangers and Hardships, was so well experienc’d in Martial Affairs, that he might well stand in competition with many of the antient Heroes. In Los Reyos he built two very artificial Water-Mills, a Dominican Cloyster, and another for the Monks De la Merced, and likewise a stately Palace for himself: He was both meek and affable; and though he bore the greatest Command in the Emperor’s Name over the mighty Kingdom of Peru, and got more Riches than ever any of the Roman, Persian, Grecian, or Assyrian Monarchs possess’d, yet he went in the same plain kind of Apparel in the heighth of his Grandeur, as when he was but in a low Condition; about his Neck he commonly ty’d a Linnen Hankerchiff, with which he us’d to wipe the Sweat from his Face: in peaceable Intervals he spent whole days in playing at Bowls, without any distinction of Persons, chusing often to play rather with a Sea-man or common Soldier, than a phantastick Gallant: He visited the meanest Citizens, and many times us’d to eat with poor People, to whom he was upon all occasions very noble and liberal; All his Designs he carried on by the strength of meer natural Parts: for he was so very illiterate, that he could neither Write nor Read; his Edicts were Sign’d with his two Marks, betwixt which his Secretary writ Francisco Pizarro; he is said to have had a Son which died young by Attabaliba’s Sister, who came afterwards to be call’d Donna Angelina; he died in a very unfortunate time, for upon his good success the Spanish Power had grounded their whole Designs, thinking with the Peruvian Treasures, as the Sinews of War, to have erected a fifth Monarchy to succeed the fourth of the Romans.
Almagro utterly defeated by Vacca de Castro.
Deliver’d up Prisoner by Salazar, and Beheaded.
Pizarro’s Murderer, though aiming at the Supream Power, he had a considerable Party to countenance and aid him, yet he found resistance in many places, not without the loss of many Men on both sides. In which Juncture the Learned Vacca de Castro Landed in Peru, with a Commission from the Emperor to settle the divided Kingdom of Peru in Peace and Quiet; but the young Almagro mad to see his Ambition thus cross’d, gave Battel to Castro in the Plain of Chupas; the Dispute was long and resolute on both sides, and the Night coming on made the Fight the more terrible, in which the Victory inclin’d to Castro; however the Almagrians stood to it stoutly for a great while, and that chiefly through the valor of the Captains Balboa and Christopher Losa, who breaking in amongst the Castreans, hack’d and hew’d down all they came near, till at last they were forc’d to betake themselves to flight, and had not many of them exchang’d their white Scarfs with the red of the slain Castreans, scarce any of them had escap’d from being kill’d in the pursuit, and most of them that did escape were slain the next Morning by the Peruvians. Rodrigo Salazar, Almagro’s Deputy, deliver’d up his Lord to Castro, who condemn’d him to death, whereupon he was immediately Beheaded with a Sword. This Battel hapned on the twenty sixth of September Anno 1542. when it Froze so hard the following Night, that most of those that were left wounded upon the place, were frozen to death. Thus Castro began his Government with Blood, and made it his first Business to make a Discovery by several of his Captains, whom he sent for that purpose, of the Countreys lying Eastward from Peru, lying upon the great River De la Plata, and the River Marannon, where in most places they met onely with salvage People, and for the most part Man-eaters; and in one place where they Landed, a great Fish resembling a Dog came ashore and kill’d several Arm’d Soldiers. A year and a half Castro had liv’d in Cusco, when at the arrival of the Vice-Roy Blascus Nunnez Vela, all things were turn’d topsie-turvy, he being sent thither by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, accompanied by four Councellors, Diego Sepada, Lison Tejada, Juan Alvarez, and Peter Ortiz, to curb the Spaniards Villanies and Outrages committed against the Peruvians, entred Tumbez, Anno 1544. where he immediately publish’d the Emperor’s Edicts, which were to this effect:
The Emperor’s Proclamation in behalf of the Indians.
All Peruvians are to be releas’d from Slavery; no Spaniard shall the least oppress them, nor make use of their Service without rewarding them for the same, nor take any Provisions of them without paying for it.
Ill resented by the Spaniards.
Pizarro marches against the Vice-Roy Vela.
Vela clashing with the Commissioners, is seiz’d upon.