_How some knights set out from the city of the Kings to meet the
Viceroy, and of his departure from San Miguel for Truxillo._
The members of the municipality of the city of the Kings having
determined to send persons to meet the Viceroy, they appointed the
Factor Yllan Suarez de Carbajal[16], the Captain Diego de Aguero[17],
both Magistrates, and Juan de Barbaran Procurator of the city. With
them there went Pablo de Meneses[18], Lorenzo de Estopiñam, Sebastian de
Coca, Hernando de Vargas, Rodrigo Nuñez de Prado and others. Among them
was the Friar Esidro of the order of Dominicans, who went by order of
the most reverend Don Jeronimo de Loaysa, Bishop of the city of the
Kings.
Leaving those I have mentioned to proceed on their journey, we will
return to Blasco Nuñez who, after he had done what has been related in
the city of San Miguel and its dependencies, determined to proceed to
Truxillo, and accordingly he set out accompanied by his followers.
The Factor, with those who went with him from the city of the Kings,
travelled on until they came to some buildings called “Las
Perdrices[19]” ten leagues from that city; intending to wait there until
they met the Viceroy. Presently a Spaniard arrived in great haste and
came to them. His name was Ochoa, and he said that he came with
despatches from the Viceroy to the municipality of the city of the Kings
and to Vaca de Castro. This was true, for the Viceroy had sent him in
advance. The Factor Yllan Suarez de Carbajal, the Captain Diego de
Aguero, as Magistrates, and Juan de Barbaran as Procurator opened the
parcel. They found in it a copy of the appointment which his Majesty
gave to Blasco Nuñez as Viceroy, and a letter for Vaca de Castro,
ordering him no longer to exercise the functions of Governor, and to
come to the city of the Kings. For the municipality of the city of the
Kings there was another letter, ordering the members to receive Blasco
Nuñez as Viceroy, by virtue of the order he sent, and no longer to look
upon Vaca de Castro as Governor. The report was that this Viceroy, from
the time he entered the kingdom, held the affairs of Vaca de Castro as
odious, and that he favoured those who had taken the side of Don Diego
de Almagro. These are vulgar rumours, and I do not know how much truth
there is in them[20].
These despatches having been seen by the Factor and the others, they
were delighted at the hostility shown in them to Vaca de Castro, and
they decided that Juan de Barbaran, as Procurator, should go back with
the news. He returned in all haste to the city of the Kings and, having
arrived, he rushed through the streets as if the land had rebelled
against the service of the King, shouting--“Liberty! the Lord Viceroy is
coming, see here are his despatches.” On hearing this there entered the
town hall the Treasurer Alonso Riquelme, the Overseer Garcia de Saucedo,
Juan de Leon, Francisco Ampuero, Nicolas de Ribera the lad, Alonso
Palomino, Nicolas de Ribera the elder, being Magistrates.
The royal provision of his Majesty ordered that, by its authority,
Blasco Nuñez should be received as Viceroy. But the document was merely
a copy, by which Blasco Nuñez could not then be received as Viceroy.
They met three times without being able to decide. At last, more on
account of the enmity to Vaca de Castro than for any other reason it was
resolved that the Viceroy should be received in the city in accordance
with the order. When they were in session they sent for the Licentiate
Esquivel, a native of the city of Badajos, who, wishing to further the
service of the Emperor, gave his vote that they should receive Blasco
Nuñez as their Viceroy. This being done the Licentiate proceeded to
Truxillo to join the Viceroy and offer his services. He sent a statement
of these proceedings to Vaca de Castro, with the letter of the Viceroy.
The Licentiate de la Gama[21], who was the lieutenant of Esquivel,
notwithstanding that the Viceroy had written to him in a friendly way,
left the city to meet Vaca de Castro, leaving the Magistrates in charge.
They gave the rod of office to Juan de Barbaran, and made public the
appointment of the Viceroy, which is as follows:
“Don Carlos by divine clemency Emperor, always august, King of Germany;
Doña Juana his mother, and the same Don Carlos, by the same grace Kings
of Castille, of Aragon, of Leon, of the Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of
Navarre, of Granada, of Toledo, of Valencia, of Galicia, of Majorca, of
Seville, of Sardinia, of Cordova, of Corsica, of Murcia, of Jaen, of the
Algarves, of Algesiras, of Gibraltar, of the Canary Isles, and the
Indies and Tierra Firme of the Ocean Sea; Count of Barcelona, Lord of
Vizcaya and Molina, Duke of Athens and Neopatria, Count of Flanders and
of Tyrol. We, seeing that it will be for the furtherance of our service
and for the good of our province of New Castille called Peru, have seen
fit to nominate a person who in our name and as our Viceroy will govern
and provide for all things appertaining to God our Lord, and to the
increase of our Holy Catholic Faith, and to the instruction and
conversion of the natives of that land; and also provide for all things
conducive to the maintenance, peopling, and securing the welfare of the
said New Castille and its provinces; for this purpose, confiding in you
Blasco Nuñez Vela, and because we believe that our service will be
furthered and the good of the said province of New Castille, and that
you will discharge the said office of our Viceroy and Governor with that
prudence and fidelity we expect from you, we, by these presents,
nominate you our Viceroy and Governor of the said New Castille and its
dependencies during our good pleasure. As such Viceroy and Governor,
both in all that appertains to the instruction and conversion of the
said Indians to our Holy Catholic Faith, and in the increase of
population and prosperity of the said land, you are to act as may be
convenient. By this letter we order the Licentiate Vaca de Castro our
present Governor of the said province, our President and Judges of the
Royal Court we have ordered to be established in our city of the Kings,
our Captain Generals and Captains of the said land, all Councillors,
Justices, Magistrates, Knights, Esquires, Officers, and Citizens in all
our cities, towns, and villages in the said New Castille, who are now or
shall hereafter be settled there, and each one of them, without any
delay and without further waiting for any other letter or command, to
receive and hold as our Viceroy and Governor of the said New Castille,
called Peru and its dependencies, and to freely consent that you shall
occupy and use those appointments during our royal pleasure, in all
things, and each one of them, that shall be for the good of our service
and good government, and all, while they hold their offices, shall obey
and comply with your orders while you shall give all favour and help
that they may seek for, and that may be necessary, and in all things
they shall obey you, and cause no obstruction to your orders. We give
you power to use and exercise authority over them. It is also our good
pleasure that if you the said Blasco Nuñez Vela are hindered in the
furtherance of our service, or in the execution of our justice, you are
empowered to banish any person who is now or may be hereafter in the
said province of New Castille or its dependencies. We further order that
you shall receive each year, for your two offices of Viceroy and
Governor of the said land, 5000 ducats counted from the day you make
sail from the port of San Lucar de Barrameda to proceed on your voyage
to our said province of Peru, and we order our officers of the said
province that they give and pay your due in the manner in use in the
said land, receiving your acknowledgment. Given in the town of Madrid on
the 1st day of March 1543 I the King.”