CHAPTER LXIII

    Of what further happened in the city of Cuzco, of the speech Don Diego made to his companions; and of what García de Alvarado did.

IN relating the things that passed in the city of Cuzco between Don Diego de Almagro and his people, and their great activity in equipping themselves with arms, it must be understood that the good captain Cristóbal de Sotelo was quite indefatigable. Out of his own estate he had given 100,000 pesos among the soldiers, his companions; and he had sent spies, by order of Don Diego, to find out whether Vaca de Castro was advancing. The Inca Paulo also ordered runners to find out at Jauja what was happening at Guaraz; and when Vaca de Castro had joined Alonso de Alvarado and Pero Alvarez Holguin the news of their union spread over all the provinces of the Realm in such a way that it soon reached Cuzco, and the Indians said that Vaca de Castro had brought many Spaniards and foot-soldiers. This news did not fail to cause some stir—not that it caused dismay to young Don Diego and his accomplices. They entered into consultation, he and his captains and principal supporters in the city, to decide what had best be done. They agreed to leave Cuzco as soon as possible, and to induce Vaca de Castro not to give battle nor cause an encounter, because they were waiting to see the royal command of Caesar, and his commission, in order not to go beyond his orders in any way. They knew not the hour when García de Alvarado would come; but ordering all the Spaniards of his party who were in Cuzco, horse and foot, to[212] assemble in a place where they could hear him, Don Diego thus addressed them:

"You all know, and no one can cease to remember, the great worth of my father to this Realm, and the constancy with which he tried to open up the country; also the desire he displayed not to fail in his duty to his Majesty in a single point, and the cruel death they inflicted upon him, as witnessed by some of the veterans who were with him at Las Salinas and are now with me to follow in his footsteps. Afterwards, having endured this great calamity for you and for me, and being in Lima, I was so badly treated by the Marquis that in truth I often abhorred my life and wished for death, which he was about to order to be inflicted on me. To escape from such odious bondage, and to avenge my father's death, I took the life of the Marquis, which he justly forfeited, for the life he took or ordered to be taken of one who had so greatly honoured and befriended him. Now that the Marquis is dead—and even if he were not dead—let it not appear to you that we are doing any ill service to his Majesty in wishing to conduct the government that he conferred upon my father. His Majesty even empowered my father to nominate a successor to administer his government in the royal name in the event of his own death; and that all who were unaware of this may now take it for certain, I have resolved to order the commissions and grants that his Majesty issued to my father to be read before you all. Mind ye, therefore, that my desire goes no farther than to see myself placed in full charge of the province of New Toledo, in order that I may pay back the much I owe to you, as well as reward the services you rendered my father in past wars and explorations."

Then, having ordered them all to go to an open field outside the city, the commissions held from his Majesty by the late Adelantado were read. Amongst them was one[213] which said: "Whomsoever shall be nominated by him as Governor after his own days, him shall the municipalities obey and accept as his successor." His father's will gave further proof wherein there is a clause showing that he appointed his son Don Diego to be his successor as Governor, and Diego de Alvarado to be his executor. As soon as these documents had been read, and which the soldiers were not a little glad to hear, Don Diego concluded his speech in these words: "Now that you know this to be clear, I appeal to you to be my faithful friends and companions, and not to forsake me until it is seen what my fate will be, and what his Majesty will order. Vaca de Castro does not bring any power or authority with him to dispossess me of the government; and do you bear in mind how many and great were the services of my father, and the ingratitude of the Pizarros."

So well did this young man know how to address the Spaniards that he won all their hearts and incited them to follow him against any leader who might come against them. Most of the soldiers who were in Cuzco, indeed, were men of worth and of white blood; and, as they had shown themselves to be friends and supporters of Don Diego from the beginning, they bestirred themselves to follow him with a constancy which was unwavering, and not—as some mean minds are wont to believe—feigned. It is said that they felt such hatred against Cardinal Loaysa,[105] knowing that Vaca de Castro had been appointed through his influence, that they burnt him in effigy, and spoke many insulting words against him.

[214]

García de Alvarado had gone, as we said, to the lowlands, by order of Don Diego, and was to raid the coast tracts as far as Arequipa. He went by way of Lunahuana, plundering all he could, and seizing all the arms and horses he found. He arrived at Arequipa, where he committed gross excesses, and killed a resident called Montenegro, and another Spaniard; and they do say that he was so grasping that he went the length of carrying off the sacred vessels of silver and gold from inside the churches. After he had inflicted not a few outrages at Arequipa he set out with the reinforcements and arms he had been able to get, for Cuzco, where he was warmly welcomed by Don Diego de Almagro. Sotelo knew very well about the murder of Baltanas at Guamanga by Martín Carrillo, and that there had been conversations between him and García de Alvarado, which proved to him that they were his covert enemies. Considering that it is not necessary to be too precise in such times, he concealed what he felt in his breast, and spoke to García de Alvarado, as soon as he arrived at Cuzco with others, desiring to be on friendly terms. Alvarado said that Cristóbal de Sotelo had done wrong in nominating Juan Gutiérrez Malaver to be captain of the men raised in Cuzco, and that he had not any intention to condone or overlook it.

Now Sotelo was the officer whose duty it was to provide what was necessary in the city, and he took great care that the soldiers should not commit any robberies or excesses nor provoke the native Indians. But war brings with it unbridled license, and soldiers do not consider they show pluck unless they appropriate the goods and property of peaceful people. And so two soldiers, who called themselves the Machines, broke into the house of Captain Gabriel de Rojas, to kill another soldier and make off with what they could. In fine they killed him, and though they tried to shelter themselves in a place where Sotelo could[215] not arrest them, they did not succeed; for as soon as he got notice of their crime he promptly had them searched for and ordered their arrest. He told them to confess, for they would be presently put to death for the crime they had committed.