_Of what Vaca de Castro did in Lima, of the arrival of the
captains at Jauja, and how Pedro Anzures went to San Miguel._
After the Governor Vaca de Castro arrived in Lima, and was welcomed
and acknowledged as related in the preceding chapter, he was informed
by the factor Illán Suárez, his brother the licentiate, and Francisco
de Godoy, of all the events that had happened there. He put before
them and the other officials and magistrates how the captains Alonso
de Alvarado and Pero Alvarez Holguin had collected a brilliant array
of troops, all desirous of serving His Majesty, and determined not
to rest until the tyranny of Don Diego should be put down. He found
in them all a true and earnest readiness to do the same. In Lima he
also found Gómez de Alvarado,[113] brother of the Adelantado Don
Pedro, with whom he was much pleased. Exertions were made to raise
money, and to collect men to augment his force. They were called up
at the sound of the drum, and when they had all been mustered, Gómez
de Alvarado was made captain of the mounted men, and Juan Vélez de
Guevara of those on foot. At this time Alonso de Alvarado and Pero
Alvarez, with Garcilaso and the rest, had gone forward from Guaraz and
marched by stages until they arrived in the province of Jauja, where
they found Diego de Rojas. They ordered him to advance to the city of
Guamanga[114] and make a fort there, where he was to wait until the
rest of the division should arrive, pending the receipt of news of
what Don Diego was doing, and whether he had departed from Cuzco.
The camp was pitched in Jauja, and the captains and men-at-arms were
well supplied by the _Guancas_, natives of that valley. Vaca de
Castro was at Lima procuring necessaries, where the captain Juan de
Sayavedra, the licentiate Benito Suárez de Caravajal, the captains
Diego de Agüero and Francisco de Godoy, with the secretary Jerónimo
de Aliaga, had attached themselves to him, whilst Montenegro and
other inhabitants of Lima offered to go with him. Diego Gavilán the
_conquistador_,[115] a native of Guadalcanal, did the same, and they
prepared to leave Lima.
The captain Pedro Anzures made such good speed that he soon reached
the city of San Miguel, and arrested Diego de Santiago, from whom
he took 18,000 _pesos de oro_. With this he proceeded to Lima, and
was welcomed by the Governor. The money brought by Anzures supplied
pay and outfits for the soldiers. In the port of Callao there lay
anchored the great galleon, with four other ships. Not knowing what
might be the result of the war, Vaca de Castro thought it well to
hold the sea secure, so as to be able to escape by it if they should
find themselves closely pressed. After having taken the advice of
the senior persons there he appointed Juan Pérez de Guevara, the same
who had gone to settle Moyobamba, to command the ships. He promised
that he would do what he was ordered, in all loyalty. When Vaca de
Castro had put things in order at Lima, he set out on his journey,
and travelled until he arrived in the valley of Jauja, where he
was welcomed by the captains. Diego de Rojas had marched as far as
Guamanga, and ascertained from the Indians that Don Diego was still at
Cuzco, where all the inhabitants were favouring the King's service.
Vaca de Castro now thought it well to set out from Jauja, and they
made preparations, when a thing happened which presently bid fair
to cause much harm. It arose about certain Indians who were wanted
to carry loads for the company of Alonso de Alvarado, but whom Pero
Alvarez, in his capacity as Camp-master, would not supply. Alvarado
was so angry that he sent Pero Alvarez a challenge. When Pero Alvarez
received it he became exceedingly enraged, and was about to meet
his adversary when Vaca de Castro heard of it. In a great hurry,
before the friends of either could take sides, he sent for Alonso
de Alvarado, and ordering him not to go from where he was, the
Governor began to expostulate with him. He appealed to him as the
oldest captain, and one who had always served the king, not to show
enmity for so slight a cause and in such difficult times towards Pero
Alvarez, nor any other captain. Having said these things, Vaca de
Castro then ordered his secretary Pero López to go to Pero Alvarez
and ask him for the letter containing the challenge. Pero Alvarez
answered that he did not treat such things seriously, and that he had
already torn up the letter. The Governor then directed Pero López,
Lorenzo de Aldana, and Francisco de Godoy to go and get the letter;
and Pero Alvarez sent the torn pieces to Vaca de Castro. Francisco
de Godoy, Lorenzo de Aldana, Garcilaso de la Vega and other gentlemen
then intervening, Alonso de Alvarado and Pero Alvarez were induced
to make friends, and they remained on good terms as before. Vaca de
Castro recompensed the native dwellers in Jauja for the supplies they
had given, and distributed the new pikes among the soldiers; and they
prepared to leave Jauja at once.
FOOTNOTES:
[113] This was the elder Gómez de Alvarado (no relation to the other),
one of the old captains of the Adelantado Almagro. He disapproved of
the murder of the Marquis, and of the subsequent proceedings of the
young Almagro, and had therefore remained at Lima.
[114] Now called Ayacucho.
[115] _i.e._, with Pizarro at Caxamarca, and received his share of the
Atahualpa ransom.