_How Don Diego de Almagro's captains, being in the province of
Jauja, agreed that he and no other should be General, and that
Cristóbal de Sotelo should be Camp Master; and how they were for
sending García de Alvarado to Lima, which was opposed by Sotelo._
Don Diego de Almagro and those who were with him were deeply grieved
when the death of Juan de Herrada became known to them. The captains
and principal men consulted together about sending a captain to Lima
for iron to make arms, and other things that were necessary; and
some proposed that it should be García de Alvarado, with a hundred
horsemen and fifty arquebusiers. When this was agreed to, Cristóbal
de Sotelo, with others who viewed discreetly the evils that such an
errand would arouse, and knew that the soldiers would rob the city and
cause trouble and give offence, opposed it; which García de Alvarado
bitterly resented. This having been settled, the soldiers publicly
declared that they wanted no other General than the lad Don Diego, and
that Cristóbal de Sotelo should be their Camp Master. The principal
men entered into consultation over this and agreed that it should be
so, although García de Alvarado showed himself aggrieved, because it
deprived him of the command. From that time forward Don Diego took up
the duties of Captain General, and Cristóbal de Sotelo those of Camp
Master.
It was then determined that the Camp Master Cristóbal de Sotelo should
set out with twenty horsemen, lightly equipped, and ride to the city
of Cuzco to try and gather some friends together; and do what might
seem to him best. So he promptly started with twenty mounted men
lightly equipped, and marched until he arrived at Guamanga, where he
halted for a few days; and then continued onwards to Cuzco. García
de Alvarado, when he saw that Sotelo was placed before him and sent
to Cuzco to do what he liked, was deeply chagrined, and began to
entertain hatred against him. Even his friendship for Don Diego became
weaker, and was no longer so thorough as it was at the beginning. And
thus he became very lukewarm in his Chief's interests.
The Camp Master Cristóbal de Sotelo, travelling very rapidly, arrived
at Cuzco, where he called a meeting of the municipal councillors
to get them to turn round and accept Don Diego as Governor. Felipe
Gutiérrez, when he heard of the arrival of Sotelo in the settlement,
wanted to slip away or go and hide himself at Santo Domingo; but
Sotelo being warned of this, sent certain men who arrested him, and
he was brought to the municipal building. Then Sotelo took the money
he found there, belonging to Francisco de Caravajal and Bachicao and
other persons who had joined Pero Alvarez, for the expenses of the
war. He then ordered Diego Méndez, with twenty horsemen, and some
arquebusiers among them, to proceed to the town of Plata, and have
Don Diego acknowledged there as Governor, since his Majesty had given
that Government to the Adelantado Don Diego de Almagro his father.
When the captain Diego Méndez arrived in the province of Charcas,
where this town of Plata is situated, Antonio Alvarez (a settler
there), Luis de Villanueva, and some others, not wishing to serve Don
Diego nor give countenance to Diego Méndez, absented themselves, as
they were unable to make any show of resistance. Diego Méndez wrote
to Antonio Alvarez to come to him, promising that he would see to it
that Don Diego should be lenient with him. Antonio Alvarez replied
that he was not going to be a traitor. Other negotiations followed and
things happened, but finally Antonio Alvarez, Villanueva, Vivanco,
and others were taken into custody. Diego Méndez, after he had made
them acknowledge Don Diego as Governor, and had installed Juan de Vera
as lieutenant, went on to the rich mines of Porco, where he seized
upwards of 60,000 _pesos de oro_ that were there, and all the horses
and arms he could find; and he returned to the great city of Cuzco
with the whole of it.