Vaca De Castro Had Reached Peru With Much Difficulty And Fatigue.
The
voyage from Panama was exceedingly tedious and tempestuous, and the vessel
in which he sailed lost all its anchors.
Having at last reached the
harbour of Buenaventura at the bottom of the bay of Choco on the coast of
Raposo, he went from thence by land to the frontiers of the government of
Benalcazar, who commanded in Popayan, and thence to Peru. He suffered much
hardship and fatigue in that journey, both from the length and difficulty
of the way and the scarcity of provisions, so that he fell sick as being
quite unused to such fatigues. Yet as the death of the marquis and the
subsequent events were already known in Popayan, de Castro continued his
journey with as little delay as possible, that he might endeavour by his
presence to remedy the disorders of the country. Although Vaca de Castro
had been sent to Peru ostensibly to investigate into and take cognizance
of the death of Almagro, and of the subsequent transactions, without any
order to deprive the marquis of the government, or even to suspend his
authority; yet he had been furnished with a secret commission, by which he
was authorized to assume the government, in case the marquis should die
during his voyage, or after his arrival, and to exercise all the functions
of that high office, till the emperor might give orders to the contrary.
By the authority of this commission, he was received in the camp of
Holguin and Alvarado as governor. He was accompanied thither by several
persons who had joined him on his first arrival in Peru, particularly by
Captain Lorenzo de Aldana, who had been lieutenant governor of Quito under
the marquis. He sent before him Captain Pedro de Puelles, to make
preparations for carrying on the war. He sent likewise Gomez de Royas to
Cuzco, with orders to the magistrates and inhabitants of that city to
receive him as lieutenant. Royas used so much diligence and address that
he arrived at Cuzco and was received and acknowledged in the command of
that place before Don Diego could reach it with his army.
When Vaca de Castro passed through the province of Bracamoras on his way
from Quito to Truxillo, Captain Pedro de Vergara, who was then occupied in
reducing that province, and had even fortified himself in a strong post on
purpose to defend himself against Don Diego, joined him with all his men.
At Truxillo the new governor was joined by Gomez de Tordoya, who had
quitted the camp in consequence of a dispute with Holguin. He was joined
likewise at Truxillo by Garcilasso de la Vega and some other gentlemen. By
all these means, when Vaca de Castro left Truxillo to repair to the camp
of Holguin and Alvarado, he had already collected a well armed force of
more than two hundred men, all ready to obey his orders. Immediately on
his arrival at the camp, Holguin and Alvarado received him with every
demonstration of joy, giving up to him their standards and all other marks
of authority; all of which he restored, except the royal standard, which
he retained for himself. Having appointed Holguin to the command of the
army, as maestre de campo general, he ordered him to march forwards to
Jauja, and to wait there till he himself might return from Lima, where he
proposed going that he might establish its government in proper order, and
on purpose to collect men, arms and ammunition. He gave orders to Holguin,
that Captain Diego de Royas should always precede the army about twenty
leagues, with a detachment of thirty horsemen, to gain intelligence of the
motions of the enemy. At the same time he sent back Diego de Mora to
Truxillo, to take the command in that city. De Castro thus took every
proper precaution for the successful issue of his expedition, with as much
prudent foresight as if he had been all his life enured to warlike affairs.
When Don Diego found that Holguin had escaped from his pursuit, as
formerly related, he went to Cuzco with his army, where Christoval de
Sotelo, whom he had detached there before him, had already taken
possession of the city, and had displaced the magistrates who had been
established there under the authority of the new governor. Immediately on
the arrival of Don Diego at Cuzco, he made every exertion to provide
artillery and gunpowder for the farther prosecution of the war. Both of
these warlike articles are easily made in Peru. As to artillery, there is
abundance of metal for that purpose, and there were also several persons
in Cuzco who were perfectly well acquainted with the manner of founding
cannon: These were _Levantines_ or Greeks, several of whom had come to
Peru out of respect for Pedro de Candia, who was master of the ordnance to
Don Diego. Powder was likewise easily made in great abundance, as
saltpetre is to be had in every part of that country of excellent quality.
At the same time he had defensive armour made for those of his people who
were in want, forming corslets and helmets of silver mixed with copper,
which answered amazingly well, and, were made by the native artists, who
fabricated every kind of arms in imitation of, and as good as those of
Milan. By these means, and by collecting all the arms throughout the whole
country, every one of his men was at least provided with a coat of mail, a
cuirass or corselet, and a helmet[9]. In this manner Don Diego was enabled
to equip two hundred musqueteers, and to establish several companies of
men at arms, as hitherto in Peru, hardly any thing had been seen of that
kind, the cavalry being all light horse except a very few.
While these preparations were going on, an unfortunate quarrel arose
between the captains Garcias de Alvarado and Christoval de Sotelo, in
which they drew their swords and Sotelo was slain.
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