CHAPTER XXV

    Of what happened in the city of Lima, and how Pedro Alvarez Holguin left the city of Cuzco on an expedition of discovery.

THE coming of Vaca de Castro as Judge was publicly known in Lima through letters that had arrived from Spain; and the men of Chile anxiously awaited the hour of his arrival, when they would seek for justice respecting the putting to death of Don Diego de Almagro. They were in very great need, and the Marquis did nothing to alleviate their condition. There was an estate with some Indians which, it was said, Domingo de la Presa had given or sold to Don Diego.[45] It happened that Domingo de la Presa died at this time, and Francisco Martín de Alcántara, brother of the Marquis, asked for the estate. There were even some words about it, for the Bishop, as was said, also had pretensions. Finally the Marquis took it away from Don Diego and gave it to Francisco Martín. This was assuredly a great injustice, and not in conformity with the position and claims of Don Diego, having regard to his father's services to the King. As maize and other supplies for Don Diego's house, where all the men of Chile boarded, were obtained from this estate, they felt the want so much that it was pitiful to hear what the lad Don Diego said,[83] and how he complained of the harshness with which the Marquis treated him. Juan de Herrada, who had formerly been his father's servant, sought by every means for food to sustain Don Diego and his followers, who had become very poor. It is true that the Marquis, in order to make friends with some of them, sent word to the captains Juan de Sayavedra, Cristóbal de Sotelo, and Francisco de Chaves that he would give them Indian bondsmen whereby they might live in comfort: but they scoffed at a promise of that sort, saying that they would rather die of hunger than receive food at the hands of the Marquis.

In view of the current news of the coming of Vaca de Castro, the men of Chile determined to send Alonso de Montemayor and Juan de Baeza, dressed in mourning, to welcome the Judge at Piura, or wherever they could overtake him, and when they reached him they were to petition for restitution of what they had lost, and punishment of their enemies for the treason of having killed the Adelantado. Some there were who said that Juan de Herrada and young Almagro conspired together to find out the intentions of Vaca de Castro, and, if these were not in agreement with what they expected and believed, to kill him and seize all the arms he might have with him. This is the story told by the Pachacama party, but at that time no such plot to murder Vaca de Castro was in being or even discussed among them, nor did they send the deputies for any other purpose than to acquaint him with the course of events, and also to learn, perchance, whether he came with intent to favour the Marquis and not to do full justice to them. If so, they would prepare to arm and, with some friends, they would defend themselves against any one who should wish to annoy them. Presently those two set out to do what we have stated. When the Marquis heard of the approach of Vaca de Castro, he sent a chamberlain named Alonso de Cabrera to receive him, and to see the[84] lodgings prepared for him, where he was to rest on the road. Although the Marquis felt sore at the coming of Vaca de Castro, he prudently dissembled, and gave out that he was pleased at his arrival. At this time Pedro Alvarez Holguin had gone on an expedition of discovery with a small force, in the direction of the Chunchos. Don Pedro de Puertocarrero was then lieutenant for the Governor at Cuzco. Captain Pedro Anzures was in the town of Plata, where many gentlemen of rank had settled; and had instituted good order among the Indians in those provinces. Those who would not acknowledge their subjection, nor render obedience to his Majesty, were punished and forced to submit. In the other towns and new settlements the same care was observed. In Lima, as well as in all the other cities of the Realm, a great quantity of wheat and barley was raised.

Now the Marquis was guided by the counsels of his secretary Antonio Picado, who was not a man of constancy or prudence. It would have been well to lead the Marquis towards a policy of conciliation, which would have attracted friends; but Picado did just the reverse. He said many ugly things of the men of Chile, and it was through his scheming that the farm was taken from the lad Don Diego and given over to Francisco Martín. To insult the men of Chile, Picado one day put on embroidered clothes enriched with many gold figs,[46] and went in that garb to the quarters of young Diego. There he made his horse plunge and caper about to the bodily danger of those present, as if with intent to knock them over. Those of Chile felt hurt and insulted when they saw this, deploring that their misfortunes and ill-luck were such that Picado could come thus and triumph over them. From that time their suspicions grew, and they were[85] in dread lest the Marquis should kill or banish them, so they sought for arms to defend themselves. The Marquis was informed of this, and he was counselled by his friends to keep people about him to guard his person, that he might not be murdered on a sudden. But he would not take their advice; on the contrary, he went out of his house every day alone. He went to a place where a mill was being built, where the men of Chile might have killed him many times, if they had cared to station themselves there.