[CHAPTER LIII]
How Don Diego de Almagro's captains, being in the province of Jauja, agreed that he and no other should be General, and that Cristóbal de Sotelo should be Camp Master; and how they were for sending García de Alvarado to Lima, which was opposed by Sotelo.
DON Diego de Almagro and those who were with him were deeply grieved when the death of Juan de Herrada became known to them. The captains and principal men consulted together about sending a captain to Lima for iron to make arms, and other things that were necessary; and some proposed that it should be García de Alvarado, with a hundred horsemen and fifty arquebusiers. When this was agreed to, Cristóbal de Sotelo, with others who viewed discreetly the evils that such an errand would arouse, and knew that the soldiers would rob the city and cause trouble and give offence, opposed it; which García de Alvarado bitterly resented. This having been settled, the soldiers publicly declared that they wanted no other General than the lad Don Diego, and that Cristóbal de Sotelo should be their Camp Master. The principal men entered into consultation over this and agreed that it should be so, although García de Alvarado showed himself aggrieved, because it deprived him of the command. From that time forward Don Diego took up the duties of Captain General, and Cristóbal de Sotelo those of Camp Master.
It was then determined that the Camp Master Cristóbal de Sotelo should set out with twenty horsemen, lightly equipped, and ride to the city of Cuzco to try and gather some friends together; and do what might seem to him best. So he promptly started with twenty mounted men lightly equipped, and marched until he arrived at Guamanga, where he halted for a few days; and then continued onwards to Cuzco. García de Alvarado, when he saw that Sotelo was placed before him and sent to Cuzco to do what he liked, was deeply chagrined, and began to entertain hatred against him. Even his friendship for Don Diego became weaker, and was no longer so thorough as it was at the beginning. And thus he became very lukewarm in his Chief's interests.
The Camp Master Cristóbal de Sotelo, travelling very rapidly, arrived at Cuzco, where he called a meeting of the municipal councillors to get them to turn round and accept Don Diego as Governor. Felipe Gutiérrez, when he heard of the arrival of Sotelo in the settlement, wanted to slip away or go and hide himself at Santo Domingo; but Sotelo being warned of this, sent certain men who arrested him, and he was brought to the municipal building. Then Sotelo took the money he found there, belonging to Francisco de Caravajal and Bachicao and other persons who had joined Pero Alvarez, for the expenses of the war. He then ordered Diego Méndez, with twenty horsemen, and some arquebusiers among them, to proceed to the town of Plata, and have Don Diego acknowledged there as Governor, since his Majesty had given that Government to the Adelantado Don Diego de Almagro his father. When the captain Diego Méndez arrived in the province of Charcas, where this town of Plata is situated, Antonio Alvarez (a settler there), Luis de Villanueva, and some others, not wishing to serve Don Diego nor give countenance to Diego Méndez, absented themselves, as they were unable to make any show of resistance. Diego Méndez wrote to Antonio Alvarez to come to him, promising that he would see to it that Don Diego should be lenient with him. Antonio Alvarez replied that he was not going to be a traitor. Other negotiations followed and things happened, but finally Antonio Alvarez, Villanueva, Vivanco, and others were taken into custody. Diego Méndez, after he had made them acknowledge Don Diego as Governor, and had installed Juan de Vera as lieutenant, went on to the rich mines of Porco, where he seized upwards of 60,000 pesos de oro that were there, and all the horses and arms he could find; and he returned to the great city of Cuzco with the whole of it.
[CHAPTER LIV]
How, after he had despatched messengers to many parts, the Governor Vaca de Castro resolved to leave Quito and go to join the captain Alonso de Alvarado.
IT has been related how letters from Alonso de Alvarado were given to Vaca de Castro at Carangue, informing him that he, Alvarado, had ranged himself on the side of the King, against the Chile party, and of other matters, and how Vaca de Castro received the news with great satisfaction and sent messengers to the Bracamoros and other parts, calling upon the people to join him in procuring punishment of Don Diego for having murdered the Marquis and usurped the government. When it was known in the coast towns that Vaca de Castro was at Quito several came to join him and, with those brought by himself and by Belalcázar, they made up the force there assembled to 120 men. And as he got word that Pedro de Vergara was coming very willingly to join, with all the Spaniards he had with him, Vaca de Castro determined, since his affairs were having so good a beginning, to set out from Quito; leaving Hernando Sarmiento there as his Lieutenant-Governor. But he first ordered the Adelantado Belalcázar to go on ahead with twenty horsemen and scour the country; for having subdued the natives of that region himself, he was so well known to them, that he could ensure a supply of provisions at all the halting places along the route they would take. Belalcázar said that he would do as he was ordered, and leaving Quito by the royal road, he called at Pansaleo and La Tacunga, and went on until he came to the royal lodgments at Tomebamba. Here he met the captain Diego de Mora, and one Barrientos and others who, with a desire to serve the King, were coming to join Vaca de Castro. Among them came the captain Francisco Núñez, the same who was banished from Lima when they put Francisco de Chaves to death. To escape being punished for having been present at the murder of the Marquis, he pretended that he had come to join Vaca de Castro, and when he knew that the Adelantado Belalcázar was there, he spoke to him requesting that he would so far favour him as to see that he was not hardly dealt with. Although Belalcázar knew that he was one of the most culpable in the murder of the old Marquis, and that Vaca de Castro was anxious to capture the authors of that misdeed, and to inflict punishment commensurate with the greatness of the crime they had committed, he was not only content to let him escape, but, that he might get away without being seen by Vaca de Castro, he gave him a horse, telling him to ride until he was within his (Belalcázar's) government, where he would have nothing to fear.
When Vaca de Castro knew that Diego de Mora and the others were coming to join him, he rejoiced greatly and advanced as far as Tomebamba, still accompanied by Aldana, Maldonado, Valdivieso, and other friends; while to those he found at Tomebamba he showed great regard, and spoke very gratefully. But when he learnt that Belalcázar, without his knowledge or consent, had lent a friendly hand to Francisco Núñez de Pedroso, he resented it deeply, and sending for Belalcázar immediately, rebuked him with some asperity; and from that time forth he did not trust the Adelantado as before. He wrote at once to Sarmiento, his lieutenant at Quito, urging him to use diligence in finding out by what road the captain Francisco Núñez had travelled, and to arrest him, that he might be punished. But although Sarmiento did his best, he was unable to catch the fugitive, because the guide given him by Belalcázar well knew how to elude pursuit and get within the Adelantado's government, where Núñez joined the captain Juan Cabrera, and they went together to Antioquía.