The Marquis
Accordingly Resolved To Send His Brother Gonzalo Pizarro To Discover That
Country; And As It Was Necessary To
March thither by way of Quito, where
likewise every requisite for the expedition was to be procured, the
marquis conferred
The government of the kingdom of Quito on his brother,
till his majestys pleasure might be made known. Gonzalo Pizarro
accordingly set out from Cuzco with a considerable force, taking his route
for Quito by way of the elevated mountain vallies[2]. In this march he was
opposed by the Indians of the province of Guanuco with so much
perseverance and bravery, that the marquis was under the necessity of
sending him a reinforcement under Francisco de Chaves. After having
overcome this obstacle, he arrived in safety at Quito, where he proceeded
to make preparations for his expedition to Los Canelos.
On account of the hostile conduct of the Guanucos towards Gonzalo, and
because the curacas or caciques of that province, in conjunction with
those of the Conchucos had made frequent attacks on the city and province
of Truxillo, in which they killed all the Spaniards they could meet with
and pillaged the country, not even sparing their Indian neighbours, the
marquis sent a detachment of troops under Gomez de Alvarado to make a
conquest of Guanuco, with orders to establish a settlement in that country
to keep the natives under subjection. In their military expeditions, the
Peruvians of Guanuco carried an idol along with them, named Cataquilla, to
which they made offerings of all whom they massacred or made prisoners,
and of the spoil which fell into their hands. They persisted for a long
time in their barbarous hostilities, till at length, Miguel de la Cerna
raised a considerable force in Truxillo, with which he joined Francisco de
Chaves. With these forces conjoined, they fought successfully against the
Indians of Guanuco and reduced them to subjection.
When Gonzalo Pizarro had completed the preparations for his expedition, he
set out from Quito in the year 1540 at the head of 200 Spaniards well
equipped, of whom the half was cavalry[3]. He was attended by 4000
friendly Indians[4], and by a flock of 4000 animals, consisting of swine
and Peruvian sheep, to serve as provisions, and to carry the baggage and
ammunition of the army. After passing a place called Inca, the boundary of
the conquests of Huana Capac towards the north and east, Gonzalo arrived
in the country of the Quixos, where he was opposed by the natives, but
they all disappeared one night, without the Spaniards being able to make a
single prisoner. On the retreat of the Indians, Gonzalo and his troops
took possession of their deserted habitations in which they rested for
some days. While here, the country was visited by a dreadful earthquake,
accompanied by prodigious thunder and lightning and an immense fall of
rain. The earth opened in many places and swallowed up above five hundred
houses. By the excessive rains, which continued forty or fifty days, a
river in the neighbourhood of the Spanish quarters became so swollen that
it was quite impassable, in consequence of which the troops suffered much
from famine, as they were unable to get across the river in search of
provisions.
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