WE have already related that Don Diego, by the advice of Juan de Herrada and Cristóbal de Sotelo, determined to write to the captain Alonso de Alvarado at the city of La Frontera,[78] where he was lieutenant for the Marquis. He wrote a very polite letter, apprising him of the death of the Marquis and of how the municipality of the city of Lima had acknowledged him, Don Diego, as Governor, and that all the other cities and towns in the Realm had done the same. He appealed to Don Alonso, as a knight who would understand the motive for avenging the death of his father, not to side against him. He asked him to show friendship and to retain from him the appointment he had held from the Marquis, which he now sent, desiring to increase his honour and estate. With this letter he sent him a commission as captain and Governor's lieutenant in that city. And to make sure that Don Alonso should accept the commission without wavering they compelled the secretary Antonio Picado, who was their prisoner, and whom they knew to be a fast friend of Alvarado's, to write him a letter in his own style explaining that Don Diego had acquiesced in the murder of the Marquis because of the ingratitude he had shown towards Almagro his father, and the cruelty with which he had treated his partisans; adding that, since all the lieutenants and captains of the Marquis had obeyed and complied with the demands of Don Diego, Alvarado should do the same. By refusing he would be doing great disservice to God and to his Majesty, and injury to the natives. With these letters Juan de Herrada wrote another saying almost the same thing. These letters were sent to the city of La Frontera, but when Alonso de Alvarado saw them he became very angry, and replied in terms relating to the crime they had committed, and not to the soft words they had written.
In Lima there began to be troubles among the men of Chile themselves. They took the Doctor Juan Blázquez, who had withdrawn to the convent of Santo Domingo, and kept him a prisoner in the house of Antonio Picado, where he was for several days. The Bishop Friar Vicente de Valverde came from Cuzco very depressed on hearing of the death of the Marquis and finding that his brother the doctor was a prisoner, for he feared that those of Chile would kill him. There was a little vessel lying in the port, and, pretending he was going out hunting, he got on board with his brother Dr. Blázquez, and some other persons, and put to sea with the intention of going to seek for the President Vaca de Castro. But at the island of Puna the natives came out and killed the bishop, the doctor, and sixteen other Spaniards. Twenty Spaniards also left the coast to go trading to Quito, with much merchandise; and a Cacique named Chaparra attacked them in the region of Carrochamba, killed them all without leaving one, and took all the merchandise. To return to García de Alvarado. He left the city of Truxillo to go to San Miguel. In the valley of Jayanca he left all his party except twenty horsemen, and with these he went on to San Miguel. There he established the government for Almagro, seized the gold of deceased persons and all the horses and arms that were to be had, and arrested the licentiate León because he suspected him. Several days had passed since Alonso de Alvarado had raised the banner for the King, and it had become known throughout the Realm. Great was the perturbation among the men of Chile, for, as Alvarado's authority was widespread, they deplored his being against them. García de Alvarado had made prisoners of Cabrera, Villegas, Vozmediano, and others, who had been raising opposition by means of letters to all parts. So, in order to put fear into the rest, or for some other reason, Juan de Herrada wrote to García de Alvarado, ordering him to kill these men at once. As soon as García de Alvarado had seen the letter he sent to Payta for the prisoners, and cut off their heads at San Miguel, as the crier proclaimed, "for being mutineers." Orihuela, the same who had arrived from Spain with despatches for the Marquis, not taking heed that it was no time for plain speaking, went to the residence of Don Diego, and used some strong language which the men of that party did not like. So Juan de Herrada went to Orihuela's lodging and arrested him, and next morning they took him to the gibbet and cut off his head as a mutineer. Before he died he declared that he was not under Don Diego's jurisdiction. Why, then, did they put him to death, if it was not for a letter he wrote some days before to the chamberlain Alonso de Cabrera, saying that he was an envoy from Spain and that he would bear himself as a courageous man in seeing the death of the Marquis avenged? When they were about to kill him he cried with a loud voice that they should mind that he was employed by the Crown, thinking that on that account peradventure they might spare his life.
After this was done Don Diego and Juan de Herrada brought all their ingenuity to bear to find out where the treasure was which the Marquis had possessed. Sometimes they asked Antonio Picado, with blandishments, to tell them; and when that was of no use, they put him into a great fright by threatening to compel him by applying the torture.
[CHAPTER XXXVII]
How Don Pedro Puertocarrero would not be a Lieutenant for Almagro, and how he and Gómez de Tordoya and some others quitted the city of Cuzco, also how some were grieved when they heard of the death of the Marquis.
I HAVE already related how Don Diego sent that man named Juan Diente, so famous for his fleetness of foot, to the city of Cuzco, with letters for the Captain Gabriel de Rojas, and other old friends of his father, and also sent to Don Pedro Puertocarrero offering him the office of lieutenant in his own name. He also sent an alternative commission in blank, so that if none of those should wish to take the appointment someone else might be chosen. When Juan Diente passed by Guamanga, Vasco de Guevara was there as lieutenant. He brought letters to him also, to be its new Governor, trusting to the friendship he had for Don Diego's father, one of whose captains he had been at Las Salinas. There was some trouble at Guamanga, for although some rejoiced at what had happened, others very deeply deplored it. Finally Guevara was accepted by the municipality as Governor. Juan Diente then went on to Cuzco, which city he entered at night, going direct to the monastery of Our Lady of Mercy. From thence he delivered his letters to the persons they were for, and three or four days elapsed before any news was made public.
Before this the licentiate de la Gama, with most of the other residents, had left the city to go to the Collao to prevent the Captain Pero Alvarez and the Spaniards who had gone with him on an expedition into the country of the Chunchos from doing any injury to the natives, so that there were very few citizens left in Cuzco; but there were over eighty men there who had served under the Adelantado Almagro at the battle of Las Salinas, and when they heard the news they were very glad and contented, and exchanged congratulations with each other.
All this time Gabriel de Rojas was in his house waiting to see whether Don Pedro Puertocarrero would accept the wand of office from Don Diego. Presently the Comendador of Our Lady of Mercy came out into the square with another friar; for in this Realm there is a great grievance, which is that friars are the promoters of wars. These and over seventy men at arms cried out that they should go to the town hall and approve the assumption of office by the new Governor. While they were in the square, one Melchor Hernández, a native of Truxillo, went to the house of Don Pedro and told him what was taking place. In some perturbation Don Pedro got up, and taking his arms went to the plaza, first asking Hernández what he knew. He told him what was going on, and about the murder of the Marquis. When Don Pedro came to the plaza the Comendador of Our Lady of Mercy told him that he ought to accept Don Diego as Governor. Pedro de Puertocarrero proceeded to the hall where the municipal councillors usually met, where Diego de Silva and Francisco de Caravajal, alcaldes, Hernando Bachicao and Tomás Blázquez, magistrates, were assembled, no others being in the city. Don Pedro de Puertocarrero, much upset, said to them that they knew intelligence had come of the death of the Marquis, and that he was thereby divested of authority to act as his lieutenant. They must, therefore, take over the wand of office from him, and give it to whom they might select. After those present had made some remarks and had asked Don Pedro to resume the wand, which he, however, declined, Francisco de Caravajal said let him leave it, and why was he so timorous? for that Julius Caesar was a greater lord, yet was killed in his palace. There was some further discussion, but the magistrates and alcaldes, did not agree in naming any one to be the new lieutenant. The party of Chile shouted out asking what they were doing, and why did they not accept Don Diego as Governor? Then the municipality, either because they could do nothing else or because they were afraid, or from some other cause sufficient unto themselves, accepted Don Diego as Governor, and appointed Gabriel de Rojas to be his lieutenant.
Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez had gone out hunting that day, and were not in the city; neither was Diego de Maldonado, nor the other citizens who might have opposed the tyranny of Almagro. The Indians who lived in Cuzco and the neighbourhood were deeply affected when they heard of the death of the Marquis and of these doings, and a very great tumult arose in the city. Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez came back from hunting, and passed along where Don Pedro Puertocarrero was. They heard from him of the death of the Marquis,[79] and that Don Diego had been accepted as Governor and Gabriel de Rojas as his lieutenant. When Gómez de Tordoya heard the news he was deeply grieved. They say that he went fully armed to where the municipal council had been held, and said that the murder of the Marquis was a gross treason, and that God would punish the traitors as they deserved for so great a crime. Those of the Almagro party who were in Cuzco showed themselves well content at what had happened, and thought that the King, our Lord, would pardon Don Diego for the murder of the Marquis, and give him the government of New Toledo which had been granted to his father. Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez de Guevara, fearing lest the men of Chile should arrest them, agreed to flee that night. Don Pedro Puertocarrero might have done the same, but he preferred to wait and see if he could take with him the few citizens who remained. Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez took the royal road towards Collasuya, and arrived at Chuqui_apu,[80] where they found the citizens of Cuzco who had gone away with the licentiate de La Gama to put Pero Alvarez outside the boundaries. When they heard of the death of the Marquis great was the sorrow they felt, remembering how he had served his Majesty for sixteen years, exploring and opening up the kingdom, and now in his old age, ever occupied with laborious work without any rest, he had been murdered by these men of Chile. They felt so deeply the murder of their captain that they could not restrain their feelings. The tears which fell from their eyes were sure signs of the love they felt for their murdered captain.