By
This Means, Don Diego Was Led To Believe That Holguin Actually Intended To
Surprise Him By Night, And Took Effectual Measures To Receive Him, Placing
The Greatest Part Of His Troops Under Arms All Night On That Side Which
The Soldier Mentioned As The Part Where Holguin Was To Attack.
The
intentions of Holguin were diametrically opposite to this story which he
had put in the mouth of the
Soldier, meaning only to gain time for a
secure retreat; so that immediately after dispatching the soldier, he
decamped in the middle of the night, marching with all possible celerity
to get his army into a place of safety, while Don Diego uselessly kept his
army under arms in expectation of being attacked.
When Don Diego discovered the trick which had been imposed on him, he
resumed the pursuit of Holguin with as much celerity as he could: But
Holguin had sent a quick messenger to Alonso de Alvarado, requesting him
to hasten to his assistance, which Alvarado did without delay with all his
own troops and several of the inhabitants of Truxillo. On the junction of
these officers a few davs afterwards, Don Diego discontinued the pursuit,
and returned towards Cuzco. Holguin and Alvarado sent off immediately to
inform Vaca de Castro by letter of all the preceding events, and
counselled him to advance without delay to join them, as they were in
sufficient force to make him master of the country when strengthened by
his authority. At this time Juan de Herrada expired at Jauja, and Don
Diego detached a part of his army to the low country of Peru to collect
those of his party who were at Arequipa and other places. His officers
plundered the city of Arequipa, and dug up every where about the monastery
of the Dominicans in search of treasure, as they were informed that the
inhabitants of that city had concealed their valuable effects in that
convent.
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.
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