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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