_How Don Pedro Puertocarrero would not be a Lieutenant for
Almagro, and how he and Gómez de Tordoya and some others quitted
the city of Cuzco, also how some were grieved when they heard of
the death of the Marquis._
I have already related how Don Diego sent that man named Juan Diente,
so famous for his fleetness of foot, to the city of Cuzco, with
letters for the Captain Gabriel de Rojas, and other old friends of
his father, and also sent to Don Pedro Puertocarrero offering him the
office of lieutenant in his own name. He also sent an alternative
commission in blank, so that if none of those should wish to take the
appointment someone else might be chosen. When Juan Diente passed by
Guamanga, Vasco de Guevara was there as lieutenant. He brought letters
to him also, to be its new Governor, trusting to the friendship he
had for Don Diego's father, one of whose captains he had been at
Las Salinas. There was some trouble at Guamanga, for although some
rejoiced at what had happened, others very deeply deplored it.
Finally Guevara was accepted by the municipality as Governor. Juan
Diente then went on to Cuzco, which city he entered at night, going
direct to the monastery of Our Lady of Mercy. From thence he delivered
his letters to the persons they were for, and three or four days
elapsed before any news was made public.
Before this the licentiate de la Gama, with most of the other
residents, had left the city to go to the Collao to prevent the
Captain Pero Alvarez and the Spaniards who had gone with him on an
expedition into the country of the Chunchos from doing any injury to
the natives, so that there were very few citizens left in Cuzco; but
there were over eighty men there who had served under the Adelantado
Almagro at the battle of Las Salinas, and when they heard the news
they were very glad and contented, and exchanged congratulations with
each other.
All this time Gabriel de Rojas was in his house waiting to see whether
Don Pedro Puertocarrero would accept the wand of office from Don
Diego. Presently the _Comendador_ of Our Lady of Mercy came out into
the square with another friar; for in this Realm there is a great
grievance, which is that friars are the promoters of wars. These and
over seventy men at arms cried out that they should go to the town
hall and approve the assumption of office by the new Governor. While
they were in the square, one Melchor Hernández, a native of Truxillo,
went to the house of Don Pedro and told him what was taking place.
In some perturbation Don Pedro got up, and taking his arms went to
the _plaza_, first asking Hernández what he knew. He told him what
was going on, and about the murder of the Marquis. When Don Pedro
came to the _plaza_ the _Comendador_ of Our Lady of Mercy told him
that he ought to accept Don Diego as Governor. Pedro de Puertocarrero
proceeded to the hall where the municipal councillors usually met,
where Diego de Silva and Francisco de Caravajal, _alcaldes_, Hernando
Bachicao and Tomás Blázquez, magistrates, were assembled, no others
being in the city. Don Pedro de Puertocarrero, much upset, said
to them that they knew intelligence had come of the death of the
Marquis, and that he was thereby divested of authority to act as his
lieutenant. They must, therefore, take over the wand of office from
him, and give it to whom they might select. After those present had
made some remarks and had asked Don Pedro to resume the wand, which
he, however, declined, Francisco de Caravajal said let him leave it,
and why was he so timorous? for that Julius Caesar was a greater lord,
yet was killed in his palace. There was some further discussion, but
the magistrates and _alcaldes_, did not agree in naming any one to be
the new lieutenant. The party of Chile shouted out asking what they
were doing, and why did they not accept Don Diego as Governor? Then
the municipality, either because they could do nothing else or because
they were afraid, or from some other cause sufficient unto themselves,
accepted Don Diego as Governor, and appointed Gabriel de Rojas to be
his lieutenant.
Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez had gone out hunting that day, and
were not in the city; neither was Diego de Maldonado, nor the other
citizens who might have opposed the tyranny of Almagro. The Indians
who lived in Cuzco and the neighbourhood were deeply affected when
they heard of the death of the Marquis and of these doings, and a very
great tumult arose in the city. Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez came
back from hunting, and passed along where Don Pedro Puertocarrero
was. They heard from him of the death of the Marquis,[79] and that
Don Diego had been accepted as Governor and Gabriel de Rojas as his
lieutenant. When Gómez de Tordoya heard the news he was deeply
grieved. They say that he went fully armed to where the municipal
council had been held, and said that the murder of the Marquis was a
gross treason, and that God would punish the traitors as they deserved
for so great a crime. Those of the Almagro party who were in Cuzco
showed themselves well content at what had happened, and thought that
the King, our Lord, would pardon Don Diego for the murder of the
Marquis, and give him the government of New Toledo which had been
granted to his father. Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez de Guevara,
fearing lest the men of Chile should arrest them, agreed to flee
that night. Don Pedro Puertocarrero might have done the same, but he
preferred to wait and see if he could take with him the few citizens
who remained. Gómez de Tordoya and Juan Vélez took the royal road
towards Collasuya, and arrived at Chuqui-apu,[80] where they found the
citizens of Cuzco who had gone away with the licentiate de La Gama
to put Pero Alvarez outside the boundaries. When they heard of the
death of the Marquis great was the sorrow they felt, remembering how
he had served his Majesty for sixteen years, exploring and opening
up the kingdom, and now in his old age, ever occupied with laborious
work without any rest, he had been murdered by these men of Chile.
They felt so deeply the murder of their captain that they could not
restrain their feelings. The tears which fell from their eyes were
sure signs of the love they felt for their murdered captain.
Don Pedro was kept a prisoner in his house at Cuzco. He had sent to
warn the remaining citizens--namely, to Diego de Silva, Francisco de
Caravajal, Tomás Vázquez, Francisco Sánchez, and Diego de Gumiel--to
flee from Cuzco. But the men of Chile arrested two of them, and took
care that the rest should not escape. Pedro de los Ríos was outside
the city, and when about to return home he was told what was going on.
So he waited until night, and then went to his own house. Don Pedro de
Puertocarrero got word of his coming, and they consulted together and
agreed to leave the city; and though several Chile men were charged to
watch him he got away from his house, with his horses and a servant
who called himself Benavides. Being joined by Pedro de los Ríos they
followed for more than a league down the bed of the stream which flows
through Cuzco, when they left it and took the track that seemed most
likely to lead them after Gómez de Tordoya, with whom Captain Castro,
Francisco de Villacastin, Jerónimo de Sorio, Gonzalo de los Nidos, and
others, had already joined company.
FOOTNOTES:
[79] We are not told whether Gómez de Tordoya then heard of the heroic
death of his young son, who was Pizarro's page.
[80] La Paz.