_Of what happened in the city of Lima, and how Pedro Alvarez
Holguin left the city of Cuzco on an expedition of discovery._
The coming of Vaca de Castro as Judge was publicly known in Lima
through letters that had arrived from Spain; and the men of Chile
anxiously awaited the hour of his arrival, when they would seek for
justice respecting the putting to death of Don Diego de Almagro. They
were in very great need, and the Marquis did nothing to alleviate
their condition. There was an estate with some Indians which, it was
said, Domingo de la Presa had given or sold to Don Diego.[45] It
happened that Domingo de la Presa died at this time, and Francisco
Martín de Alcántara, brother of the Marquis, asked for the estate.
There were even some words about it, for the Bishop, as was said, also
had pretensions. Finally the Marquis took it away from Don Diego and
gave it to Francisco Martín. This was assuredly a great injustice,
and not in conformity with the position and claims of Don Diego,
having regard to his father's services to the King. As maize and other
supplies for Don Diego's house, where all the men of Chile boarded,
were obtained from this estate, they felt the want so much that it was
pitiful to hear what the lad Don Diego said, and how he complained of
the harshness with which the Marquis treated him. Juan de Herrada, who
had formerly been his father's servant, sought by every means for food
to sustain Don Diego and his followers, who had become very poor. It
is true that the Marquis, in order to make friends with some of them,
sent word to the captains Juan de Sayavedra, Cristóbal de Sotelo, and
Francisco de Chaves that he would give them Indian bondsmen whereby
they might live in comfort: but they scoffed at a promise of that
sort, saying that they would rather die of hunger than receive food at
the hands of the Marquis.
In view of the current news of the coming of Vaca de Castro, the men
of Chile determined to send Alonso de Montemayor and Juan de Baeza,
dressed in mourning, to welcome the Judge at Piura, or wherever they
could overtake him, and when they reached him they were to petition
for restitution of what they had lost, and punishment of their enemies
for the treason of having killed the Adelantado. Some there were who
said that Juan de Herrada and young Almagro conspired together to
find out the intentions of Vaca de Castro, and, if these were not
in agreement with what they expected and believed, to kill him and
seize all the arms he might have with him. This is the story told
by the Pachacama party, but at that time no such plot to murder
Vaca de Castro was in being or even discussed among them, nor did
they send the deputies for any other purpose than to acquaint him
with the course of events, and also to learn, perchance, whether he
came with intent to favour the Marquis and not to do full justice
to them. If so, they would prepare to arm and, with some friends,
they would defend themselves against any one who should wish to
annoy them. Presently those two set out to do what we have stated.
When the Marquis heard of the approach of Vaca de Castro, he sent a
chamberlain named Alonso de Cabrera to receive him, and to see the
lodgings prepared for him, where he was to rest on the road. Although
the Marquis felt sore at the coming of Vaca de Castro, he prudently
dissembled, and gave out that he was pleased at his arrival. At this
time Pedro Alvarez Holguin had gone on an expedition of discovery
with a small force, in the direction of the Chunchos. Don Pedro de
Puertocarrero was then lieutenant for the Governor at Cuzco. Captain
Pedro Anzures was in the town of Plata, where many gentlemen of rank
had settled; and had instituted good order among the Indians in those
provinces. Those who would not acknowledge their subjection, nor
render obedience to his Majesty, were punished and forced to submit.
In the other towns and new settlements the same care was observed.
In Lima, as well as in all the other cities of the Realm, a great
quantity of wheat and barley was raised.
Now the Marquis was guided by the counsels of his secretary Antonio
Picado, who was not a man of constancy or prudence. It would have been
well to lead the Marquis towards a policy of conciliation, which would
have attracted friends; but Picado did just the reverse. He said many
ugly things of the men of Chile, and it was through his scheming that
the farm was taken from the lad Don Diego and given over to Francisco
Martín. To insult the men of Chile, Picado one day put on embroidered
clothes enriched with many gold figs,[46] and went in that garb to
the quarters of young Diego. There he made his horse plunge and caper
about to the bodily danger of those present, as if with intent to
knock them over. Those of Chile felt hurt and insulted when they saw
this, deploring that their misfortunes and ill-luck were such that
Picado could come thus and triumph over them. From that time their
suspicions grew, and they were in dread lest the Marquis should kill
or banish them, so they sought for arms to defend themselves. The
Marquis was informed of this, and he was counselled by his friends
to keep people about him to guard his person, that he might not be
murdered on a sudden. But he would not take their advice; on the
contrary, he went out of his house every day alone. He went to a place
where a mill was being built, where the men of Chile might have killed
him many times, if they had cared to station themselves there.
FOOTNOTES:
[45] Almagro's son.
[46] Others say a cap with a gold medal having a silver fig embossed
upon it, and a motto--"For the men of Chile."