How the King Manco Inca, seeing the dissensions among the Spaniards, summoned all the armed men he could collect to march against Cuzco, and of his death.
The cruel fire was breaking out in all directions and the Devil, enemy of the human race, rejoiced at the cruel war that was waged among the Spaniards, and at the cruelty with which fathers killed their sons and sons killed their own fathers, and that there was perturbation among them all. So he put the desire into the mind of the King Manco Inca to march against the city of Cuzco and destroy it, for it was reported to him that there were few Spaniards there, as most of them had gone to Lima with Gonzalo Pizarro. Prompted by the Devil, and without the knowledge of the Spaniards who were with him, the Inca sent some of his captains, with as large a force as they could muster, to advance towards Cuzco and kill all the Spaniards they could find, burning and destroying the villages. Thus they marched from the province of Viticos in the best order they could form, and arrived at the villages bordering on Cuzco. As soon as the news reached that city, Diego Maldonado ordered one of his servants to go and see if it was true, but when the man came to where the Inca’s captains were, he was killed by them. They also killed the natives of the provinces. When it was certainly known in Cuzco that the news was true, there was great fear throughout the city. As Gonzalo Pizarro had taken all the horses, Diego Maldonado ordered all the mares to be brought. There is no fortress for resisting the fury of the Indians equal to Spaniards on horseback. The Indians, robbing and desolating as they approached, came within six leagues of Cuzco, but they did not dare to advance, fearing the force of the Spaniards, their own bodies being unarmoured and unprotected. The captain Diego Maldonado ordered all the Spaniards, including the clergy, to muster in the great square on their mares, with their lances in their hands. He intended that this should show the Indians how ready and watchful the Spaniards were. He also ordered the Licentiate Antonio de la Gama to advance with some Spaniards to the bridge of the Apurimac to see whether the Indians were coming from that direction, and to resist any damage they came to do. The Licentiate de la Gama departed on this service.
At this time the King Manco Inca was in Viticos where he received reports from his captains. There were with him Diego Mendez, Francisco Barba, Gomez Perez, Cornejo and Monroy. They were followers of Almagro the lad, were at the battle of Chupas and, flying from the severity of Vaca de Castro, had taken refuge with the Indians. They were treated well by Manco Inca but were unable to escape, so there, with no little labour, they passed their time. When the news came to the King Manco Inca of what was passing in the kingdom, and how all the provinces were in revolt, the Spaniards were anxious to leave their cruel though voluntary banishment. The King Manco Inca, taking Diego Mendez aside, asked him to explain clearly and openly and without any reserve who was the great and powerful captain who had arrived at Lima, whether he was strong enough to defend himself against Gonzalo Pizarro, and whether he would remain as universal governor of the kingdom. The Spaniard answered that the captain referred to by the Inca came by order and in the name of the great and powerful King of Spain, from which it may be believed that it will not only be very easy for him to defend himself against Pizarro, but that he would be able to punish the rebel and all his followers, and that he alone would be supreme throughout the kingdom.
I received this account of what happened from a priest named Ortun Sanchez, who, being in charge of Paulo Inca, brother of this Manco Inca, heard all the history. For as soon as the events happened, many Indians who were present came to relate them to Paulo Inca. These Indians said that Manco Inca spoke to Diego Mendez and his companions, asking them to go by a way so that their journey should be unknown to Gonzalo Pizarro or his captains, until they came to where the Viceroy was. They were then to obtain his grace for the Inca, so that no harm might reach him owing to past rebellion. The Spaniards replied that they would gladly undertake this mission. After some further discourse between the Inca and the Spaniards, some Indians who were present say that, after everything had been arranged, and the horses were saddled, there was a dispute with the Inca who ordered his people to kill the Spaniards. The Spaniards, who were valiant, did much execution among the Indians and one of them, Diego Perez, attacked the Inca, and gave him so many stabs with a dagger that he fell dead. This done the Spaniards wanted to mount and escape, but at that moment an Indian chief arrived with a large force, and all the Spaniards were killed with their horses[58]. The Indian forces sent to threaten Cuzco then returned to Viticos, and the Licentiate de Gama was informed of what had happened by some Indians he captured. He, therefore, returned to Cuzco.
CHAPTER LII
What happened to the General Vela Nuñez and the danger he was in; and how Gonzalo Diaz and others passed over to Pizarro.
The reader will remember that the Viceroy sent Vela Nuñez and the captain Gonzalo Diaz de Pineda to the bridge of Xauxa, to intercept and capture or kill Pedro de Puelles and Jeronimo de Villegas, with the others who set out from Huanuco to join Gonzalo Pizarro. Vela Nuñez travelled with the object of reaching the bridge of Xauxa in time, for by holding that position they could not escape. But that was not Pineda’s wish. He wanted the party of Puelles to pass on before he arrived, and then to join Pizarro himself. His was a vile and treasonable act. The Viceroy’s trust in him, his nomination as captain, and the noble character of Vela Nuñez who was his companion, should have made him refrain. But he was not himself destined to succeed in his plot, and soon we shall relate his miserable end, and how he paid for his treachery with his life. On their journey they came to a church in Huarochiri where, after prayers, Gonzalo Diaz intended to murder Vela Nuñez. The conspirator was in concert with Juan de la Torre, Cristoval de Torres, Piedrahita, Alonso de Avila, Jorge Griego. The murder was not consummated because Alonso de Barrionuevo, a native of Soria, a determined man who loyally served the King, would not part from Vela Nuñez. The same loyalty was shown by Sebastian de Coca, Hernan Vela and the others who intended to return to Lima, and not to join Pizarro. Gonzalo Diaz and the other disaffected officers continually discussed among themselves how they should kill Vela Nuñez, but as they could not find an opportunity in Huarochiri, it was not done. They proceeded on their journey until they reached the snows of Pariacaca where they continued their schemes, seeking to murder the innocent and to desert to the tyrant.
Vela Nuñez was always surrounded by Barrionuevo and the other loyal knights. As they proceeded on their journey they met the Regent Friar Tomas de San Martin, the Secretary Pero Lopez and the others who were returning from their unsuccessful mission. They had encountered Pedro de Puelles and Jeronimo de Villegas in the valley of Xauxa, who were going with great speed to join Pizarro, and they had some conversation with them. When the Provincial heard that the General Vela Nuñez was going to attack Pedro de Puelles, he took him aside and told him that he should not go further, and that he should be careful of his person, because those who were with him had a plot to murder him. He had overheard words to this effect, spoken by Gonzalo Diaz. Besides, Pedro de Puelles had already passed the bridge of Xauxa. The General, much disturbed and in great trepidation, said to Gonzalo Diaz and the other officers that, as Pedro de Puelles had already passed Xauxa, there was no longer any use in marching against him. He intended, therefore, to turn back and rejoin the Viceroy. He there and then turned the bridle of his horse, though he knew that Gomez de Solis, with ten or twelve others, would go on to Xauxa to join Gonzalo Pizarro. With great speed and as much fear they returned to sleep at Huarochiri in great terror of treachery and lest any of their loyal friends should be murdered.
Gonzalo Diaz, arriving at Huarochiri late, after sunset, as one who brought intended crime with him, did not see his way to accomplishing the treason with the others who had conceived it. So they assumed a careless appearance, saying they were much fatigued by the road. Vela Nuñez with his friends went back to Lima with all speed. Gonzalo Diaz and his accomplices spoke to the rest of the men who were there, advising them to go with them to join Pizarro, as he would treat them well, while the Viceroy was cruel and wanted to take away all their properties. Several, having heard his discourse, replied that they wished to serve the Viceroy, and not to go with him and lose their lives. When Gonzalo Diaz heard this he was annoyed, and agreed with his friends to disarm those who would not go, and to take away their horses. This they did, and in this condition, disarmed and on foot, Rivadeneira, Sebastian de Coca, Rodrigo Niño and others had to return to Lima. Gonzalo Diaz and his friends took the road to Guamanga. They entered that city and at first there was some disturbance, Pedro de Puelles thinking they had come from Lima against him, but when the truth was known they all rejoiced, saying one to another that Pizarro would certainly be Governor, and from that time they would give him the title of lordship. They ordered Cristoval de Torres to go with all this news to Gonzalo Pizarro, who had then arrived near the valley of Andahuaylas, and he rejoiced to know that Gonzalo Diaz was in Guamanga.