_How Felipe Gutiérrez came to join Diego de Rojas; of the
arrival of Francisco de Mendoza at Chiquana, and what else
happened._
In preceding chapters we mentioned that the General Felipe Gutiérrez
and the Camp-master Nicolás de Heredia had departed from Cuzco, and
had gone, with all speed, to join Diego de Rojas. Francisco de Mendoza
had hastened to do what he had been ordered by the captain Diego de
Rojas, and in a few days he arrived where the Spaniards had left their
camp. There he reported to Pero López de Ayala and the others what had
happened, and the hope there was that farther on they would come to
a very rich country; also that all these regions are well supplied
with provisions, which was no small relief and advantage to those who
desired to continue the war and discoveries. As the principal object
of Francisco de Mendoza was to meet Felipe Gutiérrez and learn his
wishes, he set out with some mounted men to meet him, and, having
travelled for several days, he came upon him at a village called
_Totaparo_, where he gave him an account of all that had happened.
While travelling with him, Mendoza tried to find out the humour in
which Gutiérrez came, and the feeling he had towards Diego de Rojas.
For so it was that there were not wanting those who said to Felipe
Gutiérrez just what had been said to Diego de Rojas, telling him to
look out for himself because Diego de Rojas wanted either to kill him
or to send him out of the province so that he, Rojas, might have sole
command. Notwithstanding these reports and others spread by men prone
to mischief, Felipe Gutiérrez, being a sensible and God-fearing man,
gave little credit to them. In the presence of all who came with him,
he said that he asked them to receive him as their captain until he
joined his companion Diego de Rojas, who was a captain well acquainted
with Indian warfare, having grown old in such service, both in
Nicaragua and in other parts. Having joined him, both they and himself
must place themselves under him and regard him as their superior
officer. He added that, please God, he would not give any credit to
the gossip against Diego de Rojas, which he looked upon as churlish
camp rumours.
When Felipe Gutiérrez had said this, Pero López de Ayala took him
apart, and told him secretly of the things they had said to Diego
de Rojas, and of the evil intentions of some who, without shame or
the fear of God, strove to create discord between them by means of
those misunderstandings. When Felipe Gutiérrez understood this, he
resolved to send other messengers, jointly with Pero López de Ayala,
namely Alonso de Zayas and Pablo de Montemayor, with letters making
known his arrival and stating what had happened, declaring that he
looked upon Rojas as his leader and true friend, and that he desired
to join him as his subordinate; also begging him not to believe the
treacherous men who were striving to create enmity between them. He
added that those who carried the letters would inform him of anything
else he might wish to know. At this time the camp had been moved from
Chiquana to Tucumá. The captain Diego de Rojas found himself with
such a force that he could overrun the country without difficulty,
and compel the barbarians to render obedience to the great Charles
our Lord. Having fixed his camp at Tucumá, he set out in various
directions, with some mounted men, to explore the province. Zayas
and Pero López de Ayala and the others who came by order of Felipe
Gutiérrez were in some danger, there being no troops at Chiquana. The
Indians yelled in defiance, but at last, by courage and perseverance,
they reached Tucumá, and thence proceeded to where Diego de Rojas was
waiting, at a village called _Capaya_. His joy was very great when he
saw the letters and learnt that Felipe Gutiérrez was coming with good
intentions towards him. Moreover, he felt that he would do well to
deal circumspectly with his own followers.