CHAPTER XCII

    How Felipe Gutiérrez came to join Diego de Rojas; of the arrival of Francisco de Mendoza at Chiquana, and what else happened.

IN preceding chapters we mentioned that the General Felipe Gutiérrez and the Camp-master Nicolás de Heredia had departed from Cuzco, and had gone, with all speed, to join Diego de Rojas. Francisco de Mendoza had hastened to do what he had been ordered by the captain Diego de Rojas, and in a few days he arrived where the Spaniards had left their camp. There he reported to Pero López de Ayala and the others what had happened, and the hope there was that farther on they would come to a very[324] rich country; also that all these regions are well supplied with provisions, which was no small relief and advantage to those who desired to continue the war and discoveries. As the principal object of Francisco de Mendoza was to meet Felipe Gutiérrez and learn his wishes, he set out with some mounted men to meet him, and, having travelled for several days, he came upon him at a village called Totaparo, where he gave him an account of all that had happened. While travelling with him, Mendoza tried to find out the humour in which Gutiérrez came, and the feeling he had towards Diego de Rojas. For so it was that there were not wanting those who said to Felipe Gutiérrez just what had been said to Diego de Rojas, telling him to look out for himself because Diego de Rojas wanted either to kill him or to send him out of the province so that he, Rojas, might have sole command. Notwithstanding these reports and others spread by men prone to mischief, Felipe Gutiérrez, being a sensible and God-fearing man, gave little credit to them. In the presence of all who came with him, he said that he asked them to receive him as their captain until he joined his companion Diego de Rojas, who was a captain well acquainted with Indian warfare, having grown old in such service, both in Nicaragua and in other parts. Having joined him, both they and himself must place themselves under him and regard him as their superior officer. He added that, please God, he would not give any credit to the gossip against Diego de Rojas, which he looked upon as churlish camp rumours.

When Felipe Gutiérrez had said this, Pero López de Ayala took him apart, and told him secretly of the things they had said to Diego de Rojas, and of the evil intentions of some who, without shame or the fear of God, strove to create discord between them by means of those misunderstandings. When Felipe Gutiérrez understood this, he resolved to send other messengers, jointly with Pero López[325] de Ayala, namely Alonso de Zayas and Pablo de Montemayor, with letters making known his arrival and stating what had happened, declaring that he looked upon Rojas as his leader and true friend, and that he desired to join him as his subordinate; also begging him not to believe the treacherous men who were striving to create enmity between them. He added that those who carried the letters would inform him of anything else he might wish to know. At this time the camp had been moved from Chiquana to Tucumá. The captain Diego de Rojas found himself with such a force that he could overrun the country without difficulty, and compel the barbarians to render obedience to the great Charles our Lord. Having fixed his camp at Tucumá, he set out in various directions, with some mounted men, to explore the province. Zayas and Pero López de Ayala and the others who came by order of Felipe Gutiérrez were in some danger, there being no troops at Chiquana. The Indians yelled in defiance, but at last, by courage and perseverance, they reached Tucumá, and thence proceeded to where Diego de Rojas was waiting, at a village called Capaya. His joy was very great when he saw the letters and learnt that Felipe Gutiérrez was coming with good intentions towards him. Moreover, he felt that he would do well to deal circumspectly with his own followers.