How the captains Felipe Gutiérrez and Diego de Rojas set out from Cuzco on their expedition of conquest.
IT will be well, now that the wars of Las Salinas and of Chupas are bygones, while the time has not yet come for those of Quito and Huarina, and the others which were fought in the Realm, that we should continue our history by relating the things that happened, for I have set myself the task of giving an account of them to my country. Yet my mind is so confused in trying to comprehend the affairs which we yet have to deal with, and my body so aweary through the long journeys and protracted vigils I have passed through, that I certainly need divine help to complete the great undertaking that I have in hand.
My condition is like it was during the expeditions I took part in, when climbing great and rugged mountains so lofty that their summits were lost in the clouds and the scud that accompanied them. At times, when I saw myself in the midst of the ascent, I used to feel so fagged that it was very difficult for me to reach the top; and on turning to gaze beneath me it seemed as if the deep ravines must reach down into the inferno. So in my exhausted state I prayed to God to give me strength to pass onward. Looking back at what I have written since 1523 down to the present time, and realizing how voluminous the writing has been, as well as the much that remains to be finished, I am in still greater trouble than I was in the mountains. For were I to finish off here what is begun, the work would be incomplete; while, if I go on, my judgment is so weak, and my head so vacuous that I know not how I shall be able to do it. But reflecting, as the Philosopher says, that some men must attempt great deeds and worship lofty ideals, the commoner sort being open to all, I will go on, while praying to God to give me strength, and invoking the aid of His most holy Mother; and I will finish the work, or perish in the attempt.
We have already said that the Governor Vaca de Castro appointed the captain Felipe Gutiérrez to be the leader of an exploring party to the region lying to the northward of the famous river of La Plata and the Strait of Magellan, and the captain Diego de Rojas to remain as Governor of the first city they might found; and that he named Nicolás de Heredia, jointly with these, as Camp-master. As, in this empire of the Indies, there had been great trouble, owing to the death of those in command, Vaca de Castro desired that his Majesty's interest should not suffer in such a contingency this time. So he provided that, if it should please God to take Felipe Gutiérrez, the command should vest in the two, and, if one of them died, the other should remain in charge. There were great reports of a river called Arauco, on the borders of Chile, and the intention was to explore in that direction. As soon as the captains received their commissions, they busied themselves in enlisting men, and soon got 130 Spaniards together, horse and foot. To provide for them, besides the help given by Vaca de Castro, they all three laid out as much money as they could provide. For Ensign-general they had Hurtado, for captain Pedro López de Ayala, for royal officer Rodrigo de Cantos. Among them, too, was the spirited youth Diego Alvarez, who was afterwards Ensign-general at the rout of Huarina. When all things were ready, Diego de Rojas set out for the valley of Chiquana[150] with sixty Spaniards, where he decided to wait for the General Felipe Gutiérrez, and the Camp-master Nicolás de Heredia. So Diego de Rojas departed, and marched until he reached that valley, where he learnt from the local Indians that there were large native settlements farther on and that the Indians thereabouts had many Spanish fowls. These were derived from the Spaniards who went out from Spain by command of his Majesty to explore the river of La Plata, taking Don Pedro de Mendoza with them as Governor, and who went through many wonderful experiences, concerning which I will not write.
Now let the reader please observe what a deal there is for us to understand in the affairs of Peru. A very particular friend of mine has told me that I ought to give information respecting the great rivers Uriaparia and Marañón, and this one of La Plata. I answered him that if it should please God to give me grace to get through with the itinerary of my journeys I would write a special book for him on those subjects; but that at present I am concerned with the true account of men who in those days were engaged in discoveries, and must therefore leave the reader to find in that one what is here wanting. For the purpose of pursuing this, our work, there is no need to state more than that the Spaniards who accompanied Mendoza had but recently come from Spain, and did not understand the ways of the New World, nor what men have to surmount there; so that many of them died. The survivors, after their Governor's death, were gentlemen and men of honour, for death takes more quickly those of low degree than the noble; and these pushed on inland from the east side, traversing many regions and great provinces, until at last they came out very near to the town of Plata, as we will relate farther on. As the ships that had landed them on the coast left some of the fowls I have mentioned, our two explorers were able to procure some, and the natives, finding that they were profitable, and dainty eating, bred so many that they became distributed and increased far and wide, and thus it was that Diego de Rojas came to hear about them. As these Indians were such romancers, they exaggerated the reports of that country, saying that the Christians who went there were very fortunate, and that the land was very rich in gold and silver of its own production. The Spaniards, hearing these things, besought Diego de Rojas to leave the eastern[151] road, which led towards the river Arauco, and to make for the part mentioned by the Indians, so that in a short time they might perchance find themselves in a country where all would become rich. Diego de Rojas, eager for discovery, was overjoyed on hearing the words of those who wanted to go that way, and decided to do so.
[CHAPTER XC]
How the General, Felipe Gutiérrez, and the Camp-master set out from Cuzco, and how Diego de Rojas went to explore in the direction indicated by the Indians.
THE General Felipe Gutiérrez and the Camp-master Nicolás de Heredia had remained in the city of Cuzco, and, as soon as Diego de Rojas departed, they sent the Spaniards outside, because, being in small parties, they would gain supplies more easily, and the Indians would suffer less hardship. When everyone else had gone, the captains departed likewise. It is very commonly the case that the men who roam about this country are ill disposed, friends to turmoil and enemies of concord, without having any reason for breeding strife; and thus, some of those who had arrived at the place where Diego de Rojas was waiting told him that Felipe de Gutiérrez was coming with some of his friends, and harboured an intention of murdering him, when they arrived, so as to gain the sole command. Diego Rojas did not fail to be disturbed on hearing what we have said, but, being a prudent man, he did not believe it to be altogether true, nor did he put all suspicion aside, but took warning to look out for himself. As those who were with him were eager to go forward with the expedition, he ordered forty Spaniards to get ready to go with him, at the same time writing to Felipe Gutiérrez to make haste and join him. He left Diego Pérez Becerra in charge of the camp, and secretly instructed Pero López de Ayala to go back and meet Felipe Gutiérrez, ascertain his intention and proceedings, and report the result to Diego himself. Pero López de Ayala went, with three mounted companions. As soon as these messengers had departed, Diego de Rojas left Chiquana and, guided by what the Indians had told him, made his way over pretty difficult country until he reached a province called Tucumá,[152] which lies beyond the cordillera of the Andes, and at the foot of very rugged hills, which, however, are not more than four leagues across. To reach this province they followed down the course of a stream. The distance from there to Chiquana, where the camp was left, is fifty leagues.
In some parts of this province there are dense forests; the rest is open plain, and there the Indians have built round houses of heavy timber framing, thatched with straw. The natives knew of the coming of the Spaniards, rumours of it having spread far and wide, but they had not the courage to oppose them. On the contrary, they fled from their homes like cowards, through fear of the invaders. When Diego de Rojas arrived at Tucumá and found that the natives did not come out to him, having intelligence of a more populous district farther on, he decided to continue his march to another village called Capayán. The Chief of that place, when he heard that the Christians were coming, ordered 1,500 of his vassals to assemble, all loaded with straw, besides carrying their ordinary weapons. When they came near to where Diego de Rojas and his comrades were advancing, the Chief ordered the straw to be laid down as a mark beyond which the Spaniards must not advance, and warned them that if they passed it they would all be killed, for that they had no right to invade the land which belonged to the Indians and had been in their occupation without let or hindrance for many ages. The captain Diego de Rojas, seeing what the Indians did and said, told his companions to be mounted and ready for whatever might happen, as he wanted to speak to the natives, and to explain to them the cause of his coming. After the Chief had made his speech, all the Indians took up their bows and arrows, while Diego de Rojas, moving to where the Chief stood, explained that he and those other Christians were subjects of the Emperor Don Carlos, and that they came from other places where he also was lord. If the Indians would believe in our God, and have the Emperor for their natural lord and king, there would be peace and true friendship between them; if not, war could not be avoided until, forced by necessity, they themselves should pray for peace. Diego de Rojas made them understand this through the interpreters present.