CHAPTER XXXIV

    How Don Diego de Almagro, having tyrannically occupied the city of Lima, sent messengers to other cities of the Realm, requiring them to recognize him as Governor.

DON Diego had got possession of the city of Lima, and had been accepted there as Governor. Next, by the advice of Juan de Herrada, Cristóbal de Sotelo, Francisco de Chaves, and the rest, he resolved to attempt to gain the support of the inhabitants of the city, and of other cities, by soft words. Letters were prepared and messengers despatched to all the cities of the Realm, but chiefly to Alonso de Alvarado, who was lieutenant for the Marquis in the city of La Frontera, which is a settlement in the Chachapoyas, stating politely that Don Diego would value his friendship, and desired him to be his lieutenant in the city of which he had charge. This letter was sent off at once. García de Alvarado, at Don Diego's request, then went to speak with Gómez de Alvarado, hoping to persuade him to remember the friendship he had of old for Don Diego's father, and not to go against the son nor even remain neutral. Gómez de Alvarado thereupon went to speak with Don Diego, whom everybody was calling Governor, and to offer his support as from the first. A[118] messenger was also sent to Truxillo, and Diego de Mora, who was lieutenant at that place, wrote very agreeably to Don Diego, expressing satisfaction at what had been done. Don Alonso de Montemayor came back when he heard that the Judge had arrived at Buenaventura, and about what had happened at Lima. Juan Balsa collected what arms he could and some horses, to go and join Don Diego.

Alonso de Cabrera, who, we have said, was a servant of the Marquis, was in Guaylas. When he heard of the death of his master he was much grieved. He managed to get together some Spaniards, intending to go forth and do what damage he could to the men of Chile. When this was known in Lima, Juan de Herrada wrote to him to persuade him to come to the city and take charge of the children of the Marquis; but he, madly and without considering the changes wrought by time, replied almost with menace, which availed him nothing and only fired the anger of the usurpers, who would have been glad to get Cabrera into their power and kill him. Although they knew that Diego de Mora had shown himself to be friendly to Don Diego, they agreed, on the advice of Juan de Herrada and Cristóbal de Sotelo, to send García de Alvarado to Truxillo with forty horsemen, to do what was best for their party in that city. Presently García de Alvarado started, and in a place called Tambo Blanco he met Luis García Samamés, lord of the Conchucos Indians, who told him not to go on, because Diego de Mora and everyone in Truxillo had shown themselves to be his very good friends, and would do whatever he might ask them so long as it were not against the King's service. If Alvarado went there, he said, it would afford an opening for dissension in the city, and there would be trouble. García de Alvarado, thinking well of what Luis García Samamés had said to him, returned to Lima. Meanwhile there was news that Cabrera was collecting men. García de Alvarado was[119] therefore ordered to embark in a galleon that was in the port, with fifty horsemen and twenty arquebusiers, and go and take Cabrera prisoner; and then to proceed along the coast as far as the city of San Miguel. García de Alvarado obeyed this order, and sailed away on the route to Truxillo with the force we have stated.