Soon After The Liberation Of His Brother Ferdinand, The Marquis Received
Provisional Orders From His Majesty, By The Hands Of
Pedro Anzures; by
which the two governors were commanded to retain the countries which each
of them had discovered and
Conquered, and in which they had formed
establishments at the time when this provisional order should be notified
to them; neither of them making any attempt to disturb the other until his
majesty should give definitive orders on the subject. Having now his
brother at liberty, the marquis sent a notification to Almagro of this
imperial order, requiring him to retire according to his majestys orders
from the country which he, Pizarro, had discovered, and in which he had
established colonies. Almagro answered, that he was ready to obey the
orders of his majesty, in keeping possession of the country and
establishments he occupied when the imperial order was notified, for which
reason he required the marquis to leave him in the peaceable enjoyment of
what he how possessed, declaring that on his part he would carefully and
entirely perform whatever should be finally commanded by his majesty. The
marquis replied, that the city of Cuzco and the adjoining territory had
been first discovered, colonized, and occupied by him, of which he had
been violently dispossessed by Almagro, that in conformity with the orders
of his majesty, therefore, it behoved Almagro to evacuate that city and
territory, or he would drive him from it by force, as all the compacts and
conventions which had been entered into between them were abrogated by
this new regulation of his majesty.
As Almagro refused to accede to these demands, the marquis marched against
him with his whole force, on which Almagro retired towards Cuzco, and
fortified himself on a high mountain named Guavtara, breaking up all the
roads to render the approach to his camp as difficult as possible.
Ferdinand Pizarro found means to ascend the mountain during the night by a
secret path, and forced the passages with his musqueteers, so that Almagro
was forced to abandon this position, seeking his safety in flight. Being
sick at the time, he went with the advanced guard, leaving Orgognez to
bring up and protect the rear. One night, Orgognez learnt by two of
Pizarros horsemen who were taken prisoners, that the enemy were close up
with his rear, on which he hastened the retreat as much as possible,
although several of his officers were anxious for him to turn back upon
the pursuers, knowing by experience that those who usually inhabited the
plain were liable, on their first coming into the mountainous region, to
sickness and vomiting, very much resembling sea-sickness. Orgognez refused
to listen to this advice, because contrary to the orders of Almagro; yet
it was believed he might have been successful, as the troops belonging to
the marquis were in reality affected by that ordinary malady, and were
besides so much distressed by the snow that Pizarro retired back with his
army into the maritime plain of Peru.
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