IN preceding chapters we mentioned that the General Felipe Gutiérrez and the Camp-master Nicolás de Heredia had departed from Cuzco, and had gone, with all speed, to join Diego de Rojas. Francisco de Mendoza had hastened to do what he had been ordered by the captain Diego de Rojas, and in a few days he arrived where the Spaniards had left their camp. There he reported to Pero López de Ayala and the others what had happened, and the hope there was that farther on they would come to a very rich country; also that all these regions are well supplied with provisions, which was no small relief and advantage to those who desired to continue the war and discoveries. As the principal object of Francisco de Mendoza was to meet Felipe Gutiérrez and learn his wishes, he set out with some mounted men to meet him, and, having travelled for several days, he came upon him at a village called Totaparo, where he gave him an account of all that had happened. While travelling with him, Mendoza tried to find out the humour in which Gutiérrez came, and the feeling he had towards Diego de Rojas. For so it was that there were not wanting those who said to Felipe Gutiérrez just what had been said to Diego de Rojas, telling him to look out for himself because Diego de Rojas wanted either to kill him or to send him out of the province so that he, Rojas, might have sole command. Notwithstanding these reports and others spread by men prone to mischief, Felipe Gutiérrez, being a sensible and God-fearing man, gave little credit to them. In the presence of all who came with him, he said that he asked them to receive him as their captain until he joined his companion Diego de Rojas, who was a captain well acquainted with Indian warfare, having grown old in such service, both in Nicaragua and in other parts. Having joined him, both they and himself must place themselves under him and regard him as their superior officer. He added that, please God, he would not give any credit to the gossip against Diego de Rojas, which he looked upon as churlish camp rumours.
When Felipe Gutiérrez had said this, Pero López de Ayala took him apart, and told him secretly of the things they had said to Diego de Rojas, and of the evil intentions of some who, without shame or the fear of God, strove to create discord between them by means of those misunderstandings. When Felipe Gutiérrez understood this, he resolved to send other messengers, jointly with Pero López de Ayala, namely Alonso de Zayas and Pablo de Montemayor, with letters making known his arrival and stating what had happened, declaring that he looked upon Rojas as his leader and true friend, and that he desired to join him as his subordinate; also begging him not to believe the treacherous men who were striving to create enmity between them. He added that those who carried the letters would inform him of anything else he might wish to know. At this time the camp had been moved from Chiquana to Tucumá. The captain Diego de Rojas found himself with such a force that he could overrun the country without difficulty, and compel the barbarians to render obedience to the great Charles our Lord. Having fixed his camp at Tucumá, he set out in various directions, with some mounted men, to explore the province. Zayas and Pero López de Ayala and the others who came by order of Felipe Gutiérrez were in some danger, there being no troops at Chiquana. The Indians yelled in defiance, but at last, by courage and perseverance, they reached Tucumá, and thence proceeded to where Diego de Rojas was waiting, at a village called Capaya. His joy was very great when he saw the letters and learnt that Felipe Gutiérrez was coming with good intentions towards him. Moreover, he felt that he would do well to deal circumspectly with his own followers.
[CHAPTER XCIII]
How the natives of those provinces concealed the provisions, and of the want that, it was believed, would be the consequence; also how Diego de Rojas sent messengers to Felipe Gutiérrez.
WHEN the natives saw that the Christians were settling in the land without any intention of leaving it, but on the contrary had sent for those who remained in Chiquana, they unanimously determined to conceal the provisions in order that, forced by necessity owing to the hunger they would suffer, they might quit the province. So, all at once and with great promptitude, they worked with such good will that, in a few days, nothing was found but the maize in leaf; for this they could not carry off. The Christians, feeling the want of food, searched for it in all directions, and when Diego de Rojas saw that there was none he took whom he thought necessary with him and, leaving the camp with a sufficient guard, resolved to go out and look for anything they could eat wherever they might find it. First, however, he ordered Pablo de Montemayor to return to Felipe Gutiérrez with all speed, and tell him what straits they were in for food; and that, while he himself was seeking out where the Indians had concealed the supplies, he thought it would be prudent for Gutiérrez to halt until further messengers could be sent him. In order that Montemayor might go in safety, so that the Indians could not do him any harm, they sent to obtain some horsemen from border settlements near the Andes. Diego de Rojas endeavoured with great diligence to find the maize and other eatables hidden by the Indians, but failed to meet with anything whatever. The Spaniards who accompanied Felipe Gutiérrez talked freely against the captains, regretting that Diego de Rojas should have come on by that route, knowing it was the intention of all of them to go towards Chile and the river Arauco. They murmured in such a way that Felipe Gutiérrez feared there would be a mutiny. Montemayor having made good speed on the way they met each other in a village called Irequire, at the end of the valley of Chiquana, and there he delivered the message from Diego de Rojas. Having seen the letter, Gutiérrez regretted the want of provisions, and reflecting that hunger was a lesser evil than that the soldiers should mutiny or kill him, and, moreover, that they were near the high road leading to Chile, he determined not to make all the news public, but to push on with all speed to where Diego de Rojas was, and so they set out at once.
When the captain Diego de Rojas could not find any provisions in all those parts, thickly peopled as they were from one end to the other, he received news of another very great province called Concho, and his necessity being so great, he resolved to adventure his person and those of his followers in an effort to find something to eat. Having decided to go there, they succeeded in reaching it in a few days. The fame of the horses had so cowed the Indians that they were stricken with terror and were able to offer but little resistance to the Spaniards, who found plenty of maize and other supplies. Farther on they discovered another settlement where there were many ewes and fowls and ducks. Diego de Rojas had come upon such abundance of provisions that he now regretted having sent to detain Felipe Gutiérrez who, notwithstanding that he encountered some difficulty in the march through the forests, was already very near at hand, on learning which Diego de Rojas was exceedingly glad. It was not long before Diego Gutiérrez and the Camp-master Nicolás de Heredia arrived, and they were received by all with great joy, thanks being given to God that they should thus be united without the loss of a man.
[CHAPTER XCIV]
How, after the captains were united, they determined to go forward; how they suffered much from thirst, insomuch that many of their servants perished, yet how they went on exploring.