_How Pero López de Ayala discovered the river Soconcho, found a
well-peopled region, and returned to where the general Felipe
Gutiérrez was, and how they all set out for that region._
Before the death of the captain Diego de Rojas, Pero López de Ayala
had started out with a few mounted Spaniards to explore to the
eastward; passing without meeting with any resistance over wide arid
wastes and dense _algarrobo_ forests, peopled by other Indians, who
showed no inclination to attack them. At length they reached the banks
of the river called _Soconcho_,[159] and found large villages on both
sides. Reflecting that it would not be prudent to advance farther
with so small a force, they returned to report to their leaders. When
Felipe Gutiérrez heard what they had seen and discovered, he resolved
to move his camp as far as the province of _Tesuna_, a distance of six
leagues. He first sent Francisco de Mendoza to fetch certain Spaniards
who had remained in Tucumá. In this service Mendoza heard much yelling
and had some skirmishes with the Indians.
When they arrived in that province they found abundance of necessary
things. The natives had retired, not daring to offer battle to the
Christians. They now knew clearly that they were in the country of
the poisonous herb, and that Diego de Rojas had been killed by it,
and not by connivance of Felipe Gutiérrez as had been thought. After
all were united the general Felipe Gutiérrez complained, saying that
consent could not be given for Francisco de Mendoza to take over the
post which had been filled by Diego de Rojas, nor could he suffer
him to do so; and thus there began to be enmity between them, Felipe
Gutiérrez wishing Francisco de Mendoza to remain subordinate to him
like the rest, while Mendoza, knowing that he could not prevent this,
had, by making use of the effects of Diego de Rojas, gained friends
who gave him to understand that they would not see him deprived of the
post he then held, and over this they would all stake their lives.
When Felipe Gutiérrez wanted to carry his intention into effect, some
of those in the league formed by Mendoza admonished him to desist
from a measure that must cause scandal and bloodshed, and be followed
by no advantage, but engender great evil. And mediators thereupon
intervening between them they made friends, and Mendoza retained
his appointment as before. But although this was then arranged, the
suspicion that each felt of the other was not removed.
FOOTNOTE:
[159] The river Salado, which watered the province of Socotonio, first
evangelized by St. Francis Solano late in the sixteenth century. They
were by this time on the south-western fringe of the Gran Chaco.