[CHAPTER XLV]
Of the things that were done by Captain Alonso de Alvarado after he had raised the banner of the King.
IT has already been related how the captain Alonso de Alvarado held it to be a great injury to the service of the King that the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro should have been put to death; and here he had raised the banner in the royal name, and collected troops to strengthen his position in the highlands where he was awaiting the arrival of the President Vaca de Castro, who, it was now publicly known, was coming as Judge of residencia in the affairs of Almagro and Pizarro. As the news spread, Don Diego de Almagro and Juan de Herrada wrote to persuade Alvarado to espouse their side, to which he answered as already stated. When it became known in the cities of Trujillo and San Miguel that Alonso de Alvarado had raised the banner in the name of the King, some joined him who, holding the deed done by Don Diego in abhorrence, did not wish to be on a side which would support his party or agree in its views, but were unanimous in the service of the King. When Alonso de Alvarado knew that García de Alvarado had gone to Piura, he wished to rout him before he could return to Lima; for if this could be achieved it would be a great disaster for the men of Chile, who had such confidence in his prowess. With this determination Alvarado ordered a soldier named Carrillo, who had gone to Trujillo for arms, as we have related, to proceed to Caxamarca, where Melchor Verdugo, and to Guamachuco, where Aguibera, were proprietors, and had some parties of Indians who knew the country well, to get them to help him, as he wished to defeat and kill García de Alvarado and those who were with him. Verdugo wished to be neutral, by what they say, and answered Carrillo equivocally. They also say that when García de Alvarado passed by there, he brought him one or two very good horses and some arquebuses, and that it was by Verdugo's advice that García de Alvarado hurried his departure. And furthermore, that although Verdugo received letters from Alonso de Alvarado calling upon him to join, he would not do so.
When Alonso de Alvarado found that he had not managed to entrap García de Alvarado, knowing that a great force was being assembled at Lima to march against him and to find the Judge Vaca de Castro, he decided to depart from the city where he was, to join the Judge, who was believed to be now in Quito. He marched as far as Cotabamba, where he halted because he deemed the place strong, and one which could not be attacked by his enemies, and whence, should they come in force, he could retreat further inland. He then sent other messengers to Vaca de Castro, reporting that he, Alvarado, and his followers were well, and urging the Judge to come quickly, because as soon as the masses knew of his arrival in the Realm many would come forward to join him and serve the King.
Let us now leave Alonso de Alvarado, and say that after the captain Pero Alvarez Holguin had arrived at the city of Cuzco, and been publicly received there as General and proclaimed by the sound of trumpets in the great square, he devoted himself to preparing arms and getting men together. When Pedro Anzures arrived he did the same. Don Alonso de Montemayor then arrived in that city. He had come by order of Don Diego de Almagro to speak to Holguin on his behalf. He was to say that he was aware of the movements which were taking place; that, putting other things aside, Holguin should conform to his party; and that as he had always shown himself a friend of the Adelantado Almagro and his supporters he should now be one of the avengers of his death. If Pero Alvarez had not entered Cuzco he should take the city for him (Don Diego); and, collecting all the arms and men possible, he should then return to Lima. Don Alonso did not put forward any of these arguments, for when he arrived at Cuzco he found Pero Alvarez within, and although he spoke some things to him on Don Diego's part, he, like a prudent cavalier, was very guarded in what he said, and evinced a desire to serve the King. But Pero Alvarez arrested him for the time being, and had a secret watch kept on him to prevent him from returning to Lima.
[CHAPTER XLVI]
How the President Vaca de Castro quitted Popayán, to go to the city of Quito.
WE recounted in former chapters how, while the Licentiate Vaca de Castro was in the city of Popayán, Lorenzo de Aldana brought news of the death of the Marquis Pizarro in the city of Lima at the hands of the men of Chile, and how, when this was known to Vaca de Castro, he wrote to the Adelantado Don Sebastián de Belalcázar, who was then at Cali, desiring him not to go to the city of Cartago, nor to Anzerma for the present. Vaca de Castro was very anxious to know for certain if the news was true. At this juncture one Ordas, and Juan de Valdivieso, citizens of Cuzco, arrived, who, jointly with Diego Maldonado and other settlers in Peru, had embarked at Panamá for that Realm. When they had reached the coast of Peru they received the news of the Marquis's death; and, as the Judge had landed at the port of Buenaventura, they gave up their voyage further southwards, and went inland to Quito to find him. Thence they went on to Pasto, and, together with Villalba, they proceeded to Popayán, where they found Vaca de Castro, and related to him what was going on; how Don Diego had assumed the rôle of governor of the realm; how he had sent one of his captains, named García de Alvarado, to range the coast, and even to get the Judge himself into his clutches in order to detain or kill him; how he had taken and killed Alonso de Cabrera and others, and had captured and carried back the Licentiate García de León a prisoner. When Vaca de Castro heard this news he became quite convinced that the Marquis had been murdered, and that Don Diego was set up as Governor. He wrote again to Belalcázar therefore, explaining that the Marquis had been murdered, and that Don Diego had shamelessly and insolently got himself installed as Governor, and had been so received at Lima. Vaca de Castro called upon Belalcázar, who had always been a faithful servant of his Majesty and was the King's Governor and Captain-General, to collect as many men and arms as possible and march to Popayán, where the Judge awaited him.
People allege that when Belalcázar read this letter from Vaca de Castro, he was much worried, and that it was more from fear than from goodwill that he obeyed the summons. This seems likely, because he always showed himself lukewarm in whatever things occurred, and in the letters he sent to the cities nearest the coast he wrote that he was going back because he could not do otherwise, but would soon return. He had another reason for wishing to go down stream but not up, which was that according to positive news received at Cali, Captain Jorge Robledo, the founder of those towns and cities, with all those who had been his followers before, had espoused the royalist cause, and the Adelantado was anxious to arrest him. However, Belalcázar replied to the Licentiate that he would be happy to come to Popayán at once and do what might be required of him, and that he would bring as many men as he could, although he then had very few in the city. He got ready as best he was able, and set out for the city of Popayán, accompanied by some of his servants and friends, and other inhabitants of Cali. At Popayán he was received by the President Vaca de Castro.