_Of the things that were done by the Chile party, and how they
accepted Don Diego as Governor, also of the arrest of Antonio
Picado, and how the Licentiate Rodrigo Niño and Orihuela came
from Spain._
Having imprisoned the principal citizens of Lima, got possession of
the city, and seized all the arms and horses, the party resolved that
Don Diego should be recognized as Governor. The news of the death of
the Marquis was soon spread over all the districts, and reached the
ears of the Indians. When it became generally known it was deeply
mourned. The Indians said that the Christians had been very cruel to
kill their captain, and that his death would give rise to grave evils.
Never again would there be any one to shelter and protect them like
him who was the first to discover and conquer them. They say that the
battle of Chupas and its result was then foretold by the Indians.
It appeared to Juan de Herrada and his friends that it was a certain
thing that the municipality must receive Don Diego[75] as its
Governor; in order that justice might be maintained in the Realm
until the rightful vengeance he had taken for the death of his father
should be known to his Majesty, when the government would be granted
to him. Fearing that the prisoners were not secure in the church, more
guards were placed over them. The conspirators ordered the magistrates
and municipal officers to assemble and elect Don Diego as Governor.
The authorities, when they knew the intention of Don Diego and Juan
de Herrada, considered that, although it was a great fault, still the
lesser evil would be to accept the lad as Governor. It is said that
among themselves they resented the force that was put upon them, and
that Rodrigo de Mazuelos spoke very openly, at a meeting, against Don
Diego. They proposed, however, to accept him in association with the
treasurer Alonso de Riquelme. While the men of Chile were thinking
that over, Antonio de Garay said that he did not hold that Don Diego
was so ignorant as to need another to help him in governing. Finally
Don Diego was accepted as Governor, and they took the wands from the
ordinary magistrates, and gave them to Peces and Martín Carrillo.
Cristóbal de Sotelo was made Lieutenant Governor; but Juan de Herrada
was the man who governed Don Diego, and directed him in what he had to
do.
Up to this time the secretary Antonio Picado had not been captured;
but now the conspirators went to the house of the treasurer Alonso
de Riquelme, where they already knew he was. Searching the house,
it is said that the treasurer told them, when they asked him where
the secretary was, that he did not know and had not seen him. At the
same time he cast his glance in a certain direction, telling them by
that sign that they would find him under the bed; where they took
him. As he might know where the treasure of the Marquis was, and the
documents, they agreed to treat him well, so that, thinking they were
not going to kill him, he would divulge. They took him to the house of
Don Diego, who was now called Governor.
At this time a gentleman named the licentiate Rodrigo Niño, a native
of Toledo, arrived from Spain. He and one Francisco de Orihuela came
to find the Marquis, Orihuela bringing despatches and the licentiate
to be an advocate in the _residencia_. Just then, too, a trumpeter who
had been in the service of the Marquis was killed. They also arrested
Hurtado, whom they found in the house of the Bishop Don Garcí Díaz.
They gave the officials, to be inventoried, certain gold and jewels
found in a closet of the Marquis's house. A man left Lima and went
to inform Alonso de Cabrera, Chamberlain of the Marquis, of what
had occurred. Don Diego ordered all the papers and documents of the
Marquis to be collected. Among other things they found a will he had
made before he died. Among the papers there were letters from the
_Comendador Mayor_, Don Francisco de los Cobos, and from Dr. Beltrán,
and the Cardinal, and other Grandees of Spain favourable to the
Marquis.
It seemed well that news of the death of the Marquis should be sent to
Cuzco, to Gabriel de Rojas and other friends of Don Diego's father,
that they might be aware of it, and it is said that an appointment as
Lieutenant was sent to Gabriel de Rojas. There was a very diligent
man in Lima named Juan Diente, who was ordered to go to Cuzco with
the news. He went all that way on foot in five days, a thing that
seems almost incredible. But many witnesses are yet alive who know
to be true what I here affirm, that Juan Diente travelled the 120
leagues from Lima to Cuzco in five days,[76] over a road so rough and
wearisome, and in parts snow-covered as we have described elsewhere.
Some say, however, that Indians carried him on their shoulders over
the greater part in a hammock.
FOOTNOTE:
[75] Cieza de León always calls the half-caste son of the Adelantado
Don Diego de Almagro by the name 'Don Diego.' Others call him Almagro
the lad (_el mozo_). He was born at Panamá, the son of Almagro by an
Indian woman of Panamá who was his servant, and called Ana Martínez.
He was probably born in 1518. Francisco Martín de Alcántara, the half
brother of the Marquis, brought the half-caste boy to Peru in 1535,
when his age was seventeen, and treated him as one of his family,
in his house at Lima. Later he was sent to Cuzco to meet his father
returning from Chile. He was with his father until the battle of Las
Salinas. It was then decided to send him to Lima under the care of
Gómez de Alvarado and Juan de Herrada. At Jauja they met the Marquis
Pizarro, who treated the lad as his own son, and ordered him to be
well cared for, and lodged in his house. This continued for a long
time. But such crowds of discontented Almagrists were always coming
there, that at last the Marquis sent the lad to another lodging in
Lima.
[76] Juan Diente was in the conspiracy, though not one of the actual
murderers. For this he was hanged at Guamanga, after the battle of
Chupas. He ought to have been let off in consideration of his fine
pedestrianism!