United and brave, these men came forth publicly and openly determined to murder the Marquis or perish in the attempt, believing that he intended to execute justice upon them on that very day.

They told off Pedro Picón,[58] a native of Mérida, and Marchena, and Francisco de Chaves to station themselves in the plaza, mounted on horseback. The warlike youth García de Alvarado y Sosa,[59] Martín Carrillo,[58] Peces, Martel,[58] Francisco Coronado[58] of Badajoz, Juan Asturiano, Pedro Navarro, Diego Becerra,[60] and Juan Diente[58] were also in the plot. These were to be on the watch and help the party when they came out. Before the latter started they sent a spy to find out what the Doctor was doing, and how many people had gone to the house of the Marquis, for they already knew that he had not gone to mass. It is even said that the Doctor sent a spy, and that when he entered they all hid themselves inside so that he could not see them. Then, as Montenegro, a resident of Lima, was passing, they hustled him inside by force. He found out what they wanted to do and tried to hinder them, but his words had no effect.

[CHAPTER XXXI]

In which what happened is concluded down to the time when the Marquis Pizarro was murdered by the men of Chile.

ALL those I have mentioned being assembled in the quarters of Don Diego, Juan de Herrada said: "Look ye, Sirs! that if we show determination and contrive to kill the Marquis, we avenge the death of the Adelantado and secure the reward that our services done to the King in this land merit, and if we do not go forward with our intention, our heads will be set on the gallows which stand in the plaza. But let each one choose the course he prefers in this business." They all answered in conformity with his wishes, and so they all went forth from the place where they were assembled, armed with coats of mail, breast-plates, halberds, two cross-bows, and one arquebus, shouting in loud voices: "Long live the King! Death to tyrants!" García de Alvarado, with those I have mentioned, went out by another street on horseback to support them. Those of Chile took their way to the house of the Marquis along the city streets towards the plaza. Only nineteen in number they passed through more than a thousand people, and although these heard the shouts of the murderers, by some secret judgment of God, they did not interfere. They merely said, "Oh, they go to murder either the Marquis or Picado." The conspirators reached the plaza still shouting, "Long live the King! Death to tyrants!" Sometimes the name of Almagro was heard. So, without opposition, they came to the house of the Marquis. It was strong, and to reach the apartments where he was, it was necessary to cross two court-yards. In one there were narrow doorways, with doors so strong that if one man shot the bolts, it would take more than two hundred to force them. Besides these there was another door where the Marquis was, which persons in his company could easily defend against any who might come to assail him. But no attention was paid to these things and there were no precautions taken.

plan of the part of the
CITY of LIMA

Hakluyt Society: Series II, vol. 42

The [Plan of Lima]

The seat of Pizarro's government was first at Jauja, in the mountains; but this being found inconvenient it was removed to the coast plains, where Lima still stands, and a scheme for laying out the city in square allotments was adopted. It provided for 117 such squares, known as manzanas, each side or cuadra of which measured 147 varas or Spanish yards, or, according to Cobo, 450 pies or Spanish feet. The roadway between each square and the next was 40 pies in width. The Plaza mayor with its adjoining roadway was left vacant, for public use; and Cieza tells us that a gibbet was erected in the middle of it. Every manzana was subdivided into four equal portions called solares, or sites; and the central group of these was allotted or taken up when the city was founded, in 1535, in the manner stated hereunder (cf. the Plan opposite, and vide the Introduction, pp. [xxxviii-xxxix]).

N.B.—The Plan is copied from an eighteenth century MS. in the British Museum, but shows the allotments concerned, around the Plaza mayor, exactly as they were when the city was founded.