How the Licentiate Vaca de Castro arrived at the port of Buenaventura, and went from thence, with much difficulty, to the city of Cali, where the Adelantado Don Sebastián de Belalcázar, Governor for his Majesty, was staying; and of what he did there.
IT is necessary that we should now talk a little about the licentiate Vaca de Castro, for hitherto the narrative has not given him his proper place. Leaving for the time the story of events which took place in the cities of Lima and Cuzco we will observe that Vaca de Castro had found out where the port of Buenaventura lay, and ascertained that the road to the city of Cali, where the Adelantado Sebastián de Belalcázar then tarried was very difficult.[82] And having sent Merlo forward to announce his coming and the duty he was charged with in the Realm of Peru by his Majesty, he also requested that Pascual de Andagoya might be set at liberty. So Vaca de Castro arrived at that port of Buenaventura, where he only found four or five men, employed by the merchants who came from Tierra Firme. Everyone believed that Vaca de Castro brought powers with him which would be quite sufficient for any business that might present itself anywhere he might wish to pass, and so he himself said and announced.
Merlo, bearing the letter and authority of Vaca de Castro that we have mentioned, made the journey to Cali, where he gave the news to the Adelantado, who was on the point of starting for the new city of Cartago. He said the licentiate Vaca de Castro, President of the Royal Audience of Panamá, and Judge of Peru, had been driven by a storm into the port of Buenaventura; and that from thence he sent an order, in compliance with the petition of Don Juan de Andagoya, son of the Adelantado Don Pascual de Andagoya, that the latter was to be brought from Popayán, where he was kept under arrest, to Cali, where the Judge would soon arrive. He, Vaca de Castro, would hear the statements of both Governors, and deliver judgment. Merlo made known this order to the Adelantado Belalcázar who wrote to Francisco García de Tovar, his lieutenant at Popayán, to bring Andagoya to Cali. Then Belalcázar, knowing that Vaca de Castro was at the port of Buenaventura, and that he was in want of provisions, arranged to send along the necessary food and Indians, to enable him to travel. Belalcázar was about starting for the city of Cartago, to visit the regions discovered and conquered by the captain Jorge Robledo, but it appeared to him most proper to wait at Cali until Vaca de Castro should arrive, and his Majesty's commands be made known.
Vaca de Castro, with much help from the captain Cristóbal de Peña, started from the port, suffering from serious illness and, as there was no physician or surgeon in his company, he might have died. At the end of thirty-three days he arrived at the city of Cali, two Spaniards having been killed by tigers on the road, and seven others having died of hunger and fatigue. The Governor and all the citizens of Cali gave Vaca de Castro a very good reception, provided lodgings for himself and his followers, and supplied them freely with all they needed. Vaca de Castro was at Cali for three months, very ill; and both the Governors Belalcázar and Andagoya being at Cali together, to prevent any scandal arising between them, Vaca de Castro notified them by order that they must have no dispute on any subject, otherwise his Majesty would be ill served. As Vaca de Castro came with a keenness for money he bargained with Belalcázar to take over certain things he had brought, which were of little value, and pay for them at prices which could not be called cheap. Vaca de Castro sent his messengers to Quito, that his arrival might be known throughout Peru, his Majesty having appointed him Judge to investigate the past troubles between the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro and the [late] Adelantado Don Diego de Almagro. It was now three months since he had arrived at the city of Cali; and having ruled that the Adelantado Don Pascual de Andagoya should present himself before his Majesty and his Privy Council,[83] he now determined to go to Popayán, to pick up the direct route from thence to the Realm of Peru.
[CHAPTER XLI]
How the President Cristóbal Vaca de Castro left the city of Cali for that of Popayán, and how he there heard of the death of the Marquis, from Lorenzo de Aldana who came in search of him.
AS soon as Vaca de Castro had recovered sufficiently to be able to travel, he was desirous of continuing his journey to Lima, where he expected to find the Marquis and make arrangements for carrying out his Majesty's instructions. He, therefore, spoke to the Adelantado Don Sebastián de Belalcázar saying that he wished to set out for Popayán, and asking that the necessary things might be provided by the way. Belalcázar complied with this request, and the Licentiate Vaca de Castro set out for the city of Popayán, which is twenty-two leagues from Cali, accompanied by his staff. On his arrival there he was made very welcome by the inhabitants and municipal authorities.
At the time when the Marquis was killed, Lorenzo de Aldana was at Quito, and the news was not long in reaching that city, as news will fly. Nevertheless Aldana had already set out to join Vaca de Castro. For there had been a delay of four months between the Judge's landing at Buenaventura and his arrival at Popayán, so that the news of his arrival reached Quito before that of the death of the Marquis. But the latter news came to Quito very soon after Aldana's departure. One of Aldana's servants named Almaraz, who had charge of his Indians and estate, made great haste to overtake him, and brought him word of it. When Aldana heard it he was deeply affected, and made still greater haste to reach the city of Popayán where Vaca de Castro then was. He arrived on a Sunday morning when the people had just gone to mass. He made his way into the church and at once reported himself to Vaca de Castro, who welcomed him, having been apprised of his good and meritorious services. But when Vaca de Castro heard that the Marquis was dead he could scarcely believe it true, yet he did not fail to consider that the Chile party, as conquered men who desired to avenge the death of their Adelantado, might have committed the murder. He was very glad that he carried a commission from his Majesty to govern the province and administer justice himself, in the event of the Marquis's death. Certainly he did not show much feeling on hearing of the event, although some believed this was his policy. On the same day he despatched messengers to the Adelantado Belalcázar, asking him not to go to Cartago or any where else, but to remain in the city until it was definitely known whether the news he had received of the death of the Marquis was true or false. Belalcázar replied that he would do what was ordered and not depart, however much it might seem desirable. We will now leave off writing of Vaca de Castro, and relate what was happening at Lima.