_How the Governor Vaca de Castro on his way to Quito arrived at
a village called Carangue and there received letters from the
captain Alonso de Alvarado, by which he learned that Alvarado
had risen against Almagro, in the name of the King; from which
news he derived great pleasure._
Vaca de Castro was now very anxious to reach Quito, in order to
increase his force, and to receive more complete news. Pressing
forward he made such good progress that he quickly arrived at
_Carangue_, which is fourteen leagues from Quito. Here a messenger met
him with news that gave him no little joy. Looking over the letters
he received, he learnt that the captain Alonso de Alvarado, who was
Lieutenant for the Marquis in the city of La Frontera, had raised the
banner in the royal name as soon as he heard of the murder, holding it
to have been a shameful deed by which his Majesty would be ill served,
and had himself collected all the troops he could, and stationed
himself in a strong position prepared for defence, where it would be
very difficult for the enemy to injure him. Vaca de Castro now gained
complete knowledge of all that we have just related, which Alonso
de Alvarado sent to tell him. All those who came with the Governor
saw the letters and heard the news; and they held what Alvarado had
done to be a good beginning, and the news to be gladsome. Vaca de
Castro then sent the messenger back with all speed to the Chachapoyas
provinces, where Alvarado was, with a copy of the royal _Cedula_ and
a gracious letter praising the step Alvarado had taken in raising
the royal banner, and saying that no less was to be expected from so
gallant and loyal a cavalier. The Governor also desired that news
of his own coming should be sent to Lima, Cuzco, and all the other
principal places in Peru. Soon after despatching this messenger, the
Governor Vaca de Castro arrived in the city of Quito, where he was
very honorably received, and with great solemnity, as Governor and
Captain-general. As soon as he was established there, he proceeded to
send other messengers to all quarters of the Realm, that his arrival
in it might be known, and announcing that he was then at Quito.
Diego Maldonado, a citizen of Cuzco, arriving on the coast and hearing
of the death of the Marquis, and that Don Diego had assumed the
_rôle_ of Governor, it seemed to him undesirable to go farther. He,
therefore, proceeded to Quito to join the Governor Vaca de Castro.
Diego de Peralta, and other settlers in Peru, did the same. Although
the Adelantado Belalcázar came with the Governor, he did so not
willingly, be it understood, owing to the reasons already explained;
but he always relied upon the opinion of Lorenzo de Aldana, and was
guided by his counsel. Report quickly spread the news to the maritime
towns of Puerto Viejo, Guayaquil, and San Miguel, of the arrival of
Vaca de Castro at Quito, and of how he had been received there as
Governor and was making a call for troops. Many, with the desire
to serve his Majesty, went to join him; and others, who had been
neutral, came forward at the King's call and for his service, and they
therefore went to Quito to accompany Vaca de Castro and serve under
him.
When the Governor heard that Gonzalo Pizarro had gone to explore
the _Canela_ with more than 200 men, and among them many accustomed
to war, he called one Gonzalo Martín, a citizen of Quito and an old
_conquistador_, and ordered him to go with twenty or thirty men, well
equipped, and push into the _Canela_ by the same route as Gonzalo.
He was diligently to endeavour to inform Gonzalo of the murder of
his brother the Marquis by the men of Chile, and that he, Vaca de
Castro, had come in the King's name to govern the province and execute
judgment on the guilty. He, therefore, called upon Gonzalo Pizarro
to return with the men under his command, to help punish Don Diego
for what he had done. But although this Gonzalo Martín succeeded in
getting the message through to Gonzalo, he was not himself able to
reach him. Vaca de Castro also heard that the captain Pedro de Vergara
was in the region of Bracamoros with troops. So he sent one Sandoval,
with eight or ten Spaniards, to carry word of his arrival and to warn
Vergara that the interests of the King's service required him to
proceed at once with his men, and join in marching against Don Diego,
who had occupied Lima. Although the province of Chaparra and the
Paltas were in revolt, and the natives were very daring, Sandoval and
his men passed through all the disturbed country, crossing by rugged
tracks over difficult mountain ranges, until they reached the place
where Captain Vergara was, and told him the news they brought and what
had happened in the land. When Vergara heard all this, being desirous
of serving the King against the murderers of the Marquis, he prepared
to set out from thence.