_How the Viceroy departed from Tumbez for the city of San Miguel,
beginning to enforce the ordinances, which aroused a strong feeling
in Peru._
The Viceroy Blasco Nuñez de Vela arrived at Tumbez accompanied by
Francisco Velasquez Vela Nuñez his brother, and the Captain Diego
Alvarez de Cueto his brother-in-law, with other knights, and his
servants. He was intent on enforcing the new laws. He sent out his
orders before he had been received as Viceroy, commanding all to receive
him as such, for in that way His Majesty would be best served. He
ordered that no extra tribute should be taken from the Indians, and that
no force or ill treatment should be used in dealing with them. These and
other orders were given which, although just, should have been carried
out with much order and prudence, and not with too much severity nor in
such haste. Nevertheless they did not give sufficient cause to justify
those in Peru in their revolt.
In Tumbez Diego Alvarez de Cueto and others who came with him, as well
as some residing in Peru, advised that the new laws should not then be
enforced, but that the Royal Court of Justice should first be
established, and the kingdom be in the Viceroy’s power. But the Viceroy
would never see things in that light. From this it seems to me that God,
by reason of the grave sins of those who lived in Peru, was served that
affairs should be guided in this way, that afterwards the sinners might
be chastised with His mighty justice. For certainly their pride and
their immorality in openly sinning, merited punishment from God’s hand.
The gravity of such great sins deserved the calamities and excessive
hardships which came upon them. The Viceroy answered, as he always did,
that he must obey the King’s orders even if it should cost him his
life.
He was fifteen days in Tumbez arranging these matters, at the end of
which time he determined to set out for the city of San Miguel[15]. He
accomplished the journey and was publicly well received, but really, at
the bottom of their hearts, every one was sorry to see him, because he
brought the new laws. Finally he was received as Viceroy, and at once
began to enforce the ordinances. He ordered a copy to be made of the
grants of Indians within the boundaries of San Miguel, asking the
Caciques how many they had given, and the Encomenderos how many they had
received, according to which he assessed the tribute which had to be
paid. He then gave the Indians to understand that his Majesty ordered
that they were to be free, and to be treated as his vassals.
The members of the municipality of that city, seeing how the Viceroy
enforced the ordinances, entreated him not to do so at once, but to give
time for the Emperor to be informed generally of the state of the
kingdom that, in consideration of the great service performed for his
Majesty, he might deign to show mercy and not to insist on the
ordinances being enforced in their entirety. Although they supplicated
in great sorrow, holding up their right hand in testimony that they
would always serve the King with loyalty, their prayers availed nothing,
nor the protests and representations they made. Further he presently
superseded Diego Palomino because he had been Lieutenant to the
Governor, and he gave complete liberty to the Indians, telling them not
to give anything to the Spaniards unless they paid for it first, and to
use weights and measures in their dealings.
News came to Truxillo and the city of the Kings of all these
proceedings, with much exaggeration. Besides the people who were coming
by land, a ship commanded by Juan Vazquez de Avila, who was her master,
arrived at Callao, the port of the city of the Kings. The master said
that he had landed the Viceroy at Tumbez. On the receipt of this news
there was a great tumult in the city, hearing what had passed where the
Viceroy was, and anticipating the enforcing of the ordinances. The
magistrates and officials assembled and consulted respecting the
approach of the Viceroy, and the trouble throughout the kingdom, to
decide what course to take. After the discussion they decided that some
learned persons of authority should go to meet the Viceroy and give him
a welcome, informing him of what was happening, and how all, with bosoms
on the ground, would do what their Lord and King commanded.