CHAPTER XVII

    Of what passed in the city of Los Reyes, and how the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro, with the concurrence of the Bishop Friar Vicente de Valverde, made the general repartimiento: and the departure of Gómez de Alvarado to form a settlement at Guanuco.

DURING the time that the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro was absent from the city of Los Reyes, the natives not being yet quite subdued, nor having given up the hope of regaining their ancient liberty by killing the Spaniards, two principal citizens of Lima, named Francisco[50] de Vargas (a native of Campos) and Sebastian de Torres, who held an encomienda in the province of Guaraz, being at Guaylas, with some others, were killed by the Indians. When this was known at Lima, captain Francisco de Chaves[26] [the good] went to punish the Indians, with the approval of the municipality and judicial authorities, taking a sufficient force of horse and foot. They laid waste the fields and villages of the natives, because they were found up in arms. The war made by the Spaniards was so cruel that the Indians, fearing lest they should all be killed, prayed for peace. This was granted by the captain Francisco de Chaves, who thought he had done harm enough. The war being ended he returned to Lima.

At this time the Marquis had founded the cities of Guamanga and Arequipa, and had visited all the provinces of the Collao. He was so much fatigued that he was glad to return to Lima where, after some days, he resolved to make a general repartimiento, with the consent and concurrence of the Bishop, Valverde, because such had been the order of his Majesty.

They both, the Bishop and the Marquis, swore solemnly to make the repartimiento with all fidelity, without considering anything but the service that each man had performed. But though they took this oath, there were some who said that they kept it badly, because they left many conquerors and explorers poor and in want, while they gave to many of their servants the best and richest of the repartimientos.

As the Marquis had founded the cities we have men[51]tioned, and considered it desirable that one should be founded in the province of Guanuco, he presently determined to give orders with that object. Looking round to select a captain to perform this service, he concluded that Gómez de Alvarado, brother of Don Pedro, would do it well, while it would offer a means to gain his friendship; and it might even furnish an opening for those of Chile[27] to lose the hatred they felt against the Marquis owing to past differences. So the Marquis sent for Gómez de Alvarado, and told him that he had determined to found a city in the province of Guanuco, that he should have the repartimiento of Indians there, and offered him the appointment. Gómez de Alvarado, seeing the delay there was in Spain in providing for justice, and not being able maintain himself, but now in actual need, replied to the Marquis that he would do what he ordered. When the magistrates and settlers in Lima understood that the Marquis intended to found a city at Guanuco, they protested that it was not just to so curtail the extent of their jurisdiction. Already Guamanga had been taken from them. They told the Marquis further that he could not order such a settlement to be made in those provinces, since they belonged to their city. But this did not prevent him from despatching the captain Gómez de Alvarado with the people who wished to go with him, among them being some from Chile, friends of his who had been old soldiers in Peru. With these he set out for Guanuco, and in the locality which appeared most suitable for maintaining a new population, he founded the city, naming Diego de Caravajal and Rodrigo Nú?ez, formerly the Camp-master of Almagro the elder, to be its alcaldes. The people of Lima did not cease to complain, urging that the extent of their jurisdiction should not be curtailed. It came to such a pitch that the Marquis was induced to[52] abandon the title of "city," and give the new settlement the name of "town," to be subject to Lima. When Gómez de Alvarado learnt this, he came from the new city or town of Guanuco to Lima with the determination not to return to it unless it were ordered to be called a city.

Further on we will relate what happened afterwards at Guanuco, for all that was done by Gómez de Alvarado counted for nothing; and the Marquis ordered one Pedro Barroso to take charge of the affairs of that province. At this time the men of the Almagro party were in sore straits. They wandered in the Indian villages to get something to eat, barely clothed and in great misery. As they all knew that Don Diego was in Lima, they came down from Charcas, Arequipa, and Cuzco to seek him, saying that his Majesty was treating them badly, in not sending out a judge against the Marquis. Those of the party who were in Lima were not in less necessity than those who were away. For some time before this the Marquis had directed Don Diego to leave his house,[28] and though he afterwards sojourned in the house of Francisco de Chaves, he was also sent away from thence. Juan de Herrada and Juan Balsa sought him out. There arrived to join him thirty or forty of those who had followed the Adelantado, old yeomen of his father, and they too suffered great want. The Governor ordered nothing for their sustenance nor did he remember that without Almagro he would not have been what he was, nor would he have attained at the command he then held. Those of the Almagro party endured their squalid condition as best they could.

At that time there were in the city of Lima the captains Juan de Sayavedra, Francisco de Chaves, Cristóbal de[53] Sotelo, Saucedo, Juan de Herrada, Don Alonso de Montemayor, and the accountant Juan de Guzmán, besides other old friends of the Adelantado. Juan de Herrada employed himself in contriving how they and Don Diego could be maintained. It happened that there was only one cloak among ten or twelve of them, and when one went out with it on, the others remained indoors, so that the cloak was always in use. Besides those who arrived to join Don Diego he had other friends in the city, but there was not found one citizen who had the charity or the will to give them anything to eat. No one would maintain the youth Don Diego, nor those who were with him, excepting one Domingo de la Presa, who put a small village near the city at their disposal, the Indians of which provided them with maize, firewood, and other necessaries. We will leave off writing of the men of Chile until the time came when they slew the Marquis, and we will say how the factor Illán Suárez de Caravajal got word that these men of Chile had come to Lima, where it might be they would plot something not for the well-being of the Marquis. This factor wrote a letter in cypher and sent it. This made it necessary for the licentiate Benito Suárez to explain the contents of the letter.[29] He told the Marquis that his brother the factor advised him, in that letter, to be on his guard lest the men of Chile kill him; and to be careful of his person, because many were coming from Charcas, Arequipa, and Cuzco to join with Don Diego. Although the Marquis received this information, he took no steps nor did he place any guard over his person. He made Dr. Blázquez his lieutenant, in succession to Francisco de Chaves, who had held the post up to that time.

The captain Alonso de Alvarado arrived from Chachapoyas, and had some words with Francisco de Chaves and[54] Gómez de Alvarado in the presence of the Marquis. It came to such a pass that Alonso de Alvarado and Gómez de Alvarado challenged each other and took the field. When the Marquis heard of it he interfered and induced these two captains to make peace. He looked on Alonso de Alvarado with much favour, as his own captain and the founder of the city of La Frontera.[30] With permission of the Marquis he returned to that city.