_How Don Diego de Almagro, having tyrannically occupied the city
of Lima, sent messengers to other cities of the Realm, requiring
them to recognize him as Governor._
Don Diego had got possession of the city of Lima, and had been
accepted there as Governor. Next, by the advice of Juan de Herrada,
Cristóbal de Sotelo, Francisco de Chaves, and the rest, he resolved
to attempt to gain the support of the inhabitants of the city, and
of other cities, by soft words. Letters were prepared and messengers
despatched to all the cities of the Realm, but chiefly to Alonso
de Alvarado, who was lieutenant for the Marquis in the city of La
Frontera, which is a settlement in the Chachapoyas, stating politely
that Don Diego would value his friendship, and desired him to be his
lieutenant in the city of which he had charge. This letter was sent
off at once. García de Alvarado, at Don Diego's request, then went
to speak with Gómez de Alvarado, hoping to persuade him to remember
the friendship he had of old for Don Diego's father, and not to go
against the son nor even remain neutral. Gómez de Alvarado thereupon
went to speak with Don Diego, whom everybody was calling Governor, and
to offer his support as from the first. A messenger was also sent to
Truxillo, and Diego de Mora, who was lieutenant at that place, wrote
very agreeably to Don Diego, expressing satisfaction at what had been
done. Don Alonso de Montemayor came back when he heard that the Judge
had arrived at Buenaventura, and about what had happened at Lima. Juan
Balsa collected what arms he could and some horses, to go and join Don
Diego.
Alonso de Cabrera, who, we have said, was a servant of the Marquis,
was in Guaylas. When he heard of the death of his master he was much
grieved. He managed to get together some Spaniards, intending to go
forth and do what damage he could to the men of Chile. When this was
known in Lima, Juan de Herrada wrote to him to persuade him to come
to the city and take charge of the children of the Marquis; but he,
madly and without considering the changes wrought by time, replied
almost with menace, which availed him nothing and only fired the anger
of the usurpers, who would have been glad to get Cabrera into their
power and kill him. Although they knew that Diego de Mora had shown
himself to be friendly to Don Diego, they agreed, on the advice of
Juan de Herrada and Cristóbal de Sotelo, to send García de Alvarado to
Truxillo with forty horsemen, to do what was best for their party in
that city. Presently García de Alvarado started, and in a place called
_Tambo Blanco_ he met Luis García Samamés, lord of the Conchucos
Indians, who told him not to go on, because Diego de Mora and everyone
in Truxillo had shown themselves to be his very good friends, and
would do whatever he might ask them so long as it were not against
the King's service. If Alvarado went there, he said, it would afford
an opening for dissension in the city, and there would be trouble.
García de Alvarado, thinking well of what Luis García Samamés had said
to him, returned to Lima. Meanwhile there was news that Cabrera was
collecting men. García de Alvarado was therefore ordered to embark
in a galleon that was in the port, with fifty horsemen and twenty
arquebusiers, and go and take Cabrera prisoner; and then to proceed
along the coast as far as the city of San Miguel. García de Alvarado
obeyed this order, and sailed away on the route to Truxillo with the
force we have stated.