A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 5 by Robert Kerr

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[Transcriber's Note: The spelling inconsistencies of the original have
been retained in this etext.]

A
GENERAL
HISTORY AND COLLECTION
OF
VOYAGES AND TRAVELS,
ARRANGED IN SYSTEMATIC ORDER:

FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF NAVIGATION,
DISCOVERY, AND COMMERCE, BY SEA AND LAND, FROM THE EARLIEST AGES TO THE
PRESENT TIME.

* * * * *

BY ROBERT KERR, F.R.S. & F.A.S. EDIN.

* * * * *

ILLUSTRATED BY MAPS AND CHARTS.

VOL. V.

MDCCCXXIV.

CONTENTS

OF

VOL. V.

* * * * *

PART II. BOOK II. CONTINUED.

CHAP. VII. _Continued_. Continuation of the early history of Peru, after
the death of Francisco Pizarro to the defeat of Gonzalo Pizarro, and the
reestablishment of tranquillity in the country; written by Augustino
Zarate,

SECT. III. Continuation of the Viceroyalty of Blasco Nunnez Vela, to his
deposition and expulsion from Peru,

SECT. IV. History of the usurpation of Gonzalo Pizarro, from the
expulsion of the Viceroy to his defeat and death,

V. Continuation of the Usurpation of Gonzalo Pizarro, to the arrival of
Gasca in Peru with full powers to restore the Colony to order,

VI. History of the Expedition of Pedro de la Gasca, the death of Gonzalo
Pizarro, and the Restoration of Peru to Tranquillity,

VII. Insurrection of Ferdinand and Pedro de Contreras in Nicaragua, and
their unsuccessful attempt upon the Royal Treasure in the Tierra Firma,

CHAP. VIII. Continuation of the early history of Peru, from the
restoration of tranquillity by Gasca in 1549, to the death of the Inca
Tupac Amaru; extracted from Garcilasso de la Vega,

SECT. I. Incidents in the History of Peru, from the departure of Gasca,
to the appointment of Don Antonio de Mendoza as Viceroy,

II. History of Peru during the Viceroyalty of Don Antonio de Mendoza,

III. Narrative of the Troubles in Peru, consequent upon the Death of the
Viceroy Mendoza,

IV. Continuation of the Troubles in Peru, to the Viceroyalty of the
Marquis de Cannete,

V. History of Peru during the Viceroyalty of the Marquis del Cannete,

VI. Incidents in the History of Peru, during the successive Governments
of the Conde de Nieva, Lope Garcia de Castro, and Don Francisco de
Toledo,

CHAP IX. History of the Discovery and Conquest of Chili,

SECT. I. Geographical View of the Kingdom of Chili,

II. Of the Origin, Manners, and Language of the Chilese,

III. State of Chili, and Conquests made in that Country by the
Peruvians, before the arrival of the Spaniards,

IV. First Expedition of the Spaniards into Chili under Almagro,

V. Second Expedition into Chili, under Pedro de Valdivia, to the
commencement of the War between the Spaniards and Araucanians,

VI. Narrative of the War between the Spaniards and Araucanians, from
the year 1550, to the Defeat and Death of Pedro de Valdivia on the 3d of
December 1553,

SECT. VII. Continuation of the War between the Spaniards and
Araucanians, from the death of Valdivia, to that of Caupolican,

VIII. Continuation of the Araucanian War, after the Death of Caupolican,
to the Reduction of the Archipelago of Chiloe by the Spaniards,

IX. Continuation of the Araucanian War to the Destruction of all the
Spanish Settlements in the territories of that Nation,

X. Farther Narrative of the War, to the Conclusion of Peace with the
Araucanians,

XI. Renewal of the War with the Araucanians, and succinct Narrative of
the History of Chili, from 1655 to 1787,

XII. State of Chili towards the end of the Eighteenth Century,

XIII. Account of the Archipelago of Chiloe,

XIV. Account of the native tribes inhabiting the southern extremity of
South America,

CHAP. X. Discovery of Florida, and Account of several ineffectual
Attempts to Conquer and Settle that Country by the Spaniards,

SECT. I. Discovery of Florida, by Juan Ponce de Leon,

II. Narrative of a Disastrous attempt by Panfilo de Narvaez to conquer
Florida; together with some account of that Country,

III. Adventures and wonderful escape of Cabeza de Vaca, after the loss
of Narvaez,

Sect. IV. Narrative of a new attempt to Conquer Florida, by Ferdinand
de Soto,

V. Continuation of the Transactions of Ferdinand de Soto in Florida,

VI. Conclusion of the Expedition to Florida by Ferdinand de Soto,

[Illustration: VICEROYALTY OF NEW GRANADA]

A
GENERAL HISTORY
AND
COLLECTION
OF
VOYAGES AND TRAVELS.

* * * * *

PART II. BOOK II. CONTINUED.

* * * * *

CHAPTER VII _Continued_.

CONTINUATION OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF PERU, AFTER THE DEATH OF FRANCISCO
PIZARRO, TO THE DEFEAT OF GONZALO PIZARRO, AND THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF
TRANQUILITY IN THE COUNTRY; WRITTEN BY AUGUSTINO ZARATE.

SECTION III.

_Continuation of the Viceroyalty of Blasco Nunnez Vela, to his
deposition and expulsion front Peru_.

The viceroy received immediate intelligence of the revolt of Puelles, as
mentioned in the foregoing section, which; was brought to him by a
Peruvian captain named Yllatopa; and, though he considered it as a very
unfortunate incident, he took immediate measures to counteract their
intentions of joining the enemy, by sending a detachment to occupy the
passes of the valley of Jauja, through which they must necessarily march
on their way from Guanuco to join Gonzalo. For this purpose, he
immediately ordered his brother Vela Nunnez to march in all haste with
a detachment of forty light armed cavalry, and thirty musqueteers under
the command of Gonzalo Diaz, besides whom ten of the friends and
relations of Nunnez went as volunteers on this expedition. On purpose to
expedite the march of this detachment as much as possible, the viceroy
caused thirty-six mules to be purchased, which cost 12,000 ducats, the
money being taken from the royal treasury. Being thus excellently
equipped, they set out from Lima, and marched to Guadachili[1], about
twenty leagues from Lima on their way to the valley of Jauja. At this
place a plot was formed by the soldiers for killing Vela Nunnez and
deserting to the army of Gonzalo, which was revealed by the following
incident. Certain scouts who preceded the detachment about four leagues
beyond Guadachili in the district of Pariacaca, met the friar Thomas de
San Martino, provincial of the Dominicans, who had been sent by the
viceroy to Cuzco to try if it were possible to come to some agreement
with Gonzalo; on this occasion one of the soldiers secretly informed the
provincial of the particulars of the conspiracy, begging him to take
immediate means of prevention, as it was to be executed on the following
night. The provincial accordingly hastened his journey to Guadachili,
taking all the scouts he could meet with along with him, as he told them
their present expedition was entirely useless, as Puelles and his troops
had passed through Jauja two days before, and it was now impossible to
intercept them. On his arrival in Guadachili, the provincial immediately
informed Vela Nunnez of the danger to which he was exposed, who
accordingly consulted with some of his friends and relations on the
means of escape. In the evening, they ordered out their horses, as if
for the purpose of sending them to water, and mounting them immediately,
they saved themselves by flight under the cloud of night, being guided
on their way by the provincial.

[Footnote 1: The place mentioned in the text is probably what is now
named Guarochiri, which is in the direction of the march, and nearly at
the distance indicated.--E.]

When the flight of Vela Nunnez and his friends was known, Juan de la
Torre, Pedro Hita, Jorge Griego, and the other soldiers who had formed
the conspiracy, went immediately to the main guard, where they compelled
all the other soldiers, under threats of instant death, to promise going
off along with them to join Gonzalo. Almost the whole of the detachment
promised compliance, and even the captain Gonzalo Diaz was of the
number; but he was apparently more harshly treated by the conspirators
than the others. They tied his hands as if fearing he might use measures
against them; yet he was not only believed to have been a participator
in the plot, but was even supposed to be its secret leader. Most of the
inhabitants of Lima expected Diaz to act in the way he did, as he was
son-in-law to Puelles against whom he was sent, and it was not to be
supposed he would give his aid to arrest his father-in-law. The whole
party therefore, immediately set out in search of Gonzalo, mounted on
the mules which had cost so high a price, and joined him near the city
of Guamanga, where Puelles had arrived, two days before them. At that
time of their junction, the adherents of Gonzalo were so much
discouraged by the lukewarmness of Gaspard Rodriguez and his friends,
that in all probability the whole army under Gonzalo would have
dispersed if they had been three days later in arriving. But the arrival
of Puelles gave the insurgents great encouragement, both by the
reinforcement which he brought of forty horse and twenty musketeers, and
by his exhortations; as he declared himself ready to proceed against the
viceroy even with his own troops, and had no doubt of being able to take
him prisoner or to drive him out of the country, he was so universally
hated. The encouragements derived by the insurgents from the junction of
Puelles, was still farther strengthened by the arrival of Diaz and his
companions.

Vela Nunnez got safe to Lima, where he informed the viceroy of the
unfortunate result of his expedition, who was very much cast down on the
occasion, as his affairs seemed to assume a very unpromising aspect.
Next day Rodrigo Ninno, and three or four others who refused to follow
the example of Diaz, arrived at Lima in a wretched condition, having
suffered a thousand insults from the conspirators, who deprived them of
their horses and arms, and even stripped them of their clothes. Ninno
was dressed in an old doublet and breeches, without stockings, having
only a pair of miserable pack-thread sandals, and had walked all the way
with a stick in his hand. The viceroy received him very graciously,
praising his loyalty, and told him that he appeared more nobly in his
rags than if clothed in the most costly attire.

When Balthasar de Loyasa had procured the safe conduct from the viceroy
for his employers, he set out without loss of time for the army of
Gonzalo Pizarro. As his departure and the nature of his dispatches were
soon known in Lima, it was universally believed there that the troops
under Pizarro would soon disperse of their own accord, leaving the
viceroy in peaceable and absolute command of the whole colony, upon
which he would assuredly put the ordinances in force with the utmost
rigour to the utter ruin of every one: For this reason, several of the
inhabitants, and some even of the soldiers belonging to the viceroy,
came to the resolution of following Loyasa and taking his dispatches
from him. Loyasa left Lima in the evening of a Saturday, in the month of
September 1545, accompanied by Captain Ferdinand de Zavallos. They were
mounted on mules, without any attendants, and had no baggage to delay
their journey. Next night, twenty-five persons set out from Lima on
horseback in pursuit of them, determined to use every possible
expedition to get up with Loyasa that they might take away his
dispatches. The chiefs in this enterprize were, Don Balthasar de Castro,
son of the Conde de la Gomera, Lorenzo Mexia, Rodrigo de Salazar, Diego
de Carvajal usually called the gallant, Francisco de Escovedo, Jerom de
Carvajal, and Pedro Martin de Cecilia, with eighteen others in their
company. Using every effort to expedite their journey, they got up with
Loyasa and Zavallos about forty leagues from Lima, and found them asleep
in a _tambo_ of palace of the Incas. Taking from them the letters and
dispatches with which they were entrusted, they forwarded these
immediately to Gonzalo Pizarro by means of a soldier, who used the
utmost diligence in travelling through bye ways and short cuts through
the mountains, with all of which he was well acquainted. After this, de
Castro and the rest of the malecontents continued their journey towards
the camp of Gonzalo, taking Loyasa and Zavallos along with them under
strict custody.

Upon receiving the intercepted dispatches which were brought to him by
the soldier, Gonzalo Pizarro secretly communicated them to Captain
Carvajal, whom he had recently appointed his lieutenant-general, or
maestre de campo, in consequence of the sickness of Alfonzo de Toro, who
held that commission on commencing the march from Cuzco. After
consulting with Carvajal, he communicated the whole matter to the
captains and those other chiefs of the insurgent-army who had shewn no
intentions of abandoning him, as they had not participated in applying
for the safe conduct from the viceroy. Some of these, from motives of
enmity against individuals, others from envy, and others again from the
hope of profiting by the forfeiture of the lands and Indians belonging
to the accused, advised Gonzalo to punish these persons with rigor, as a
warning to others not to venture upon similar conduct. In this secret
consultation, it was determined to select the following from among those
who were clearly implicated in taking part with the viceroy, by their
names being contained in the safe conduct taken from Loyasa: Captain
Gaspard Rodriguez; Philip Gutierrez, the son of Alfonso Gutierrez of
Madrid who was treasurer to his majesty; and Arias Maldonado, a
gentleman of Galicia, who had remained along with Gutierrez at Guamanga,
two or three days march in the rear of the army, under pretence of
having some preparations to make for the journey. Accordingly, Gonzalo
sent off Pedro de Puelles to Guamanga accompanied by an escort of
cavalry, who arrested these two latter gentlemen and caused them to be
beheaded.

Gaspar Rodriguez was in the camp, where he commanded a body of near two
hundred pikemen; and as Gonzalo and his advisers dared not to put him to
death openly, as he was a very rich man of considerable influence and
much beloved, they had to employ a stratagem for his arrestment. Gonzalo
ordered a hundred and fifty musqueteers of the company commanded by
Ceremeno to hold themselves in readiness around his tent, near which
likewise he caused his train of artillery to be drawn up ready for
service, and then convened all the captains belonging to his troops in
his tent, under pretence of communicating some dispatches which he had
received from Lima. When the whole were assembled, and Rodriguez among
them, he became alarmed on seeing that the tent was surrounded by armed
men and artillery, and wished to have retired under pretext of urgent
business. At this time, and in presence of the whole assembled officers,
the lieutenant-general Carvajal, came up to Rodriguez as if without any
premeditated intention, caught hold of the guard of his sword, and drew
it from the scabbard. Carvajal then desired him to make confession of
his sins to a priest, who was in attendance for that express purpose, as
he was to be immediately put to death. Rodriguez used every effort to
avoid this sudden and unlooked for catastrophe, and offered to justify
himself from every accusation which could be brought against him; but
every thing he could allege was of no avail, as his death was resolved
upon, and he was accordingly beheaded.

The execution of these three leaders astonished every one, being the
first which were ventured upon since the usurpation of Gonzalo; but they
more especially terrified those other persons who were conscious of
having participated in the same plot for which their chiefs were now put
to death. A few days afterwards, De Castro and his companions arrived at
the camp of the insurgents, with their prisoners Loyasa and Zavallos. It
has been reported that, on the very day of their arrival, Gonzalo sent
off his lieutenant-general Carvajal to meet them on the road by which
they were expected, with orders to have Loyasa and Zavallos strangled:
But, fortunately for them, their conductors had left the ordinary road,
taking a circuitous and unfrequented path, so that Carvajal did not fall
in with them; and, when they were brought before Gonzalo, so many of his
friends and accomplices interceded for their pardon, that he agreed to
spare their lives. Loyasa was commanded immediately to quit the camp, on
foot and without any provisions. Zavallos was detained in the camp as a
prisoner; and, rather more than a year afterwards, was appointed
superintendent of those who were employed in digging for gold in the
province of Quito. While in that employment, it was represented to
Gonzalo that Zavallos had become so exceedingly rich, that he must have
purloined a great proportion of the gold which was drawn from the mines.
Being predisposed against him by his former conduct in the service of
the viceroy, Gonzalo was easily persuaded to believe him guilty, and
ordered him to be hanged.

The departure of De Castro and his companions from Lima, as already
mentioned, though conducted in great secrecy, was soon discovered. On
the same night, as Diego de Urbina, the major general of the army
belonging to the viceroy, was going the rounds of the city, he happened
to visit the dwellings of several of those who had accompanied De
Castro; and finding that they were absent, and that their horses, arms,
servants, and Indians were all removed, he immediately suspected that
they were gone off to join Gonzalo. Urbina went directly to the viceroy,
who was already in bed, and assured him that most of the inhabitants had
fled from the city, as he believed that the defection was more general
than it turned out to be. The viceroy was very justly alarmed by this
intelligence, and ordered the drums to beat to arms. When, in
consequence of this measure, all the captains and other officers in his
service were assembled, he gave them orders to visit the whole houses of
the city, by which means it was soon known who had deserted. As Diego
and Jerom de Carvajal, and Francisco Escovedo, nephews of the commissary
Yllan Suarez de Carvajal were among the absentees, the viceroy
immediately suspected Yllan Suarez of being a partisan of Gonzalo
Pizarro, believing that his nephews had acted by his orders, more
especially as they dwelt in his house, and could not therefore have gone
away without his knowledge; though assuredly they might easily have
escaped by a different door at a distance from the principal entrance.
Actuated by these suspicions, the viceroy sent his brother, Vela Nunnez,
with a detachment of musqueteers, to bring Suarez immediately to the
palace for examination. On arriving at his house, Suarez was in bed, but
was brought immediately before the viceroy, who was now dressed is his
armour, and reposing on a couch. It is reported by some who were
present, that the viceroy addressed Suarez on entering the following
words. "Traitor! you have sent off your nephews to join Gonzalo
Pizarro." "Call me not traitor, my lord," replied Suarez, "I am as
faithful a subject to his majesty as you are." The viceroy was so much
irritated by the insolent behaviour of Suarez, that he drew his sword
and advanced towards him, and some even allege that he stabbed him in
the breast. The viceroy, however, constantly asserted that he did not
use his sword against Suarez; but that the servants and halberdiers who
were in attendance, on noticing the insolent behaviour of the commissary
to their master, had put him to death, without allowing him time for
confession, or even for speaking a single word in his own defence. The
body was immediately carried away for interment; and as the commissary
was very universally beloved, it was thought dangerous to take his dead
body through the great court of the viceregal palace, where there were
always a hundred soldiers on guard during the night, lest it might
occasion some disturbance. For this reason, it was let down from a
gallery which overlooked the great square, whence some Indians and
negroes carried it to a neighbouring church, and buried it without any
ceremony in his ordinary scarlet cloak.

Three days after this tragical event, when the judges of the royal
audience made the viceroy a prisoner, as shall be presently related,
among their first transactions, they made a judicial examination
respecting the circumstances attendant upon the death of Suarez. It was
ascertained in the first place, that he had disappeared since the time
when he was carried before the viceroy at midnight; after which, the
body was dug up, and the wounds examined[2]. When the intelligence of
the death of Suarez spread through Lima, it gave occasion to much
dissatisfaction, as every one knew that he had been always, favourable
to the interest and authority of the viceroy, and had even exerted his
whole influence in procuring him to be received at Lima, in opposition
to the sentiments of the majority of the magistrates of that city. His
death happened on the night of Sunday the 13th of September 1544. Early
next morning, Don Alfonzo de Montemayor was sent by the viceroy with a
party of thirty horse, in pursuit of De Castro and the others who had
gone after Loyasa and Zavallos. When Montemayor had travelled two or
three days in the pursuit, he learnt that De Castro and his companions
were already so far advanced in their journey that it would be utterly
impossible to get up with them. He accordingly turned back, and
receiving information on his return towards Lima, that Jerom de Carvajal
had lost his companions during the night, and, being unable to discover
the road by which they were gone, had concealed himself in a marsh among
some tall reeds, where Montemayor found him out, and carried him
prisoner to Lima, on purpose to give him up to the viceroy. Fortunately
for Carvajal, the viceroy was himself a prisoner when Montemayor
returned to Lima.

[Footnote 2: This judicial examination, so formally announced, is left
quite inconclusive by Zarate.--E.]

When the anger of the viceroy had somewhat subsided, he used great pains
to justify himself, in regard to the death of Suarez, explaining the
reasons of his conduct in that affair to all who visited him, and
endeavouring to convince them that he had just reasons of suspicion,
giving a detailed account of all the circumstances respecting the arrest
and death of Suarez. He even procured some judicial informations to be
drawn up by the licentiate Cepeda, respecting the crimes which he laid
to the charge of the commissary, of which the following is an abstract.

"It appeared reasonable to suppose that Suarez must have been privy to
the desertion of his nephews, as they lived in his house and could not
have gone off without his knowledge. He alleged that Suaraz had not
exerted all the care and diligence that were necessary and proper, in
several affairs connected with the present troubles which had been
confided to him. It was objected to him, that he was particularly
interested in opposing the execution of the obnoxious regulations;
since he would have been obliged, along with the rest, to give up the
lands and Indians he then held as an officer of the crown, which he had
not done hitherto on account of the subsisting disturbances in the
country. Lastly, the viceroy charged against him, that having entrusted
Suarez at the very beginning of the troubles with certain dispatches for
his brother, the licentiate Carvajal, who then dwelt at Cuzco, intended
for procuring intelligence by his means of what was going on in that
city, he had never given or procured any answer on that subject;
although it must certainly have been easy for him to have procured
intelligence from his brother, by means of the Indian vassals of both,
and by those belonging to the king who were at his disposal officially,
all of whom dwelt on the road between Lima and Cuzco." Besides that all
these allegations carry very little weight in themselves, as evidences
of the presumptive guilt of Suarez, none of them were ever
satisfactorily established by legal proof.

As the viceroy found that all his affairs had turned out unfortunate,
and that every person seemed much discontented in consequence of the
death of Suarez, he changed his intention of waiting for Gonzalo Pizarro
at Lima, which he had caused fortify in that view with ramparts and
bastions. He now resolved to retire to the city of Truxillo, about
eighty leagues from Lima, and entirely to abandon and even to dispeople
the city of Lima; in the execution of this project he meant to send the
invalids, old persons, women, children, and all the valuable effects and
baggage belonging to the inhabitants by sea to Truxillo, for which
purpose he had sufficient shipping, and to march all who were able to
carry arms by land, taking along with him all the European inhabitants
of every settlement in the plain between Lima and Truxillo; and sending
off all the Indian population of the plain to the mountainous region. By
these decisive measures, he hoped to reduce the adherents of Gonzalo
Pizarro to such straits, by depriving them of every possible succour and
refreshment, after the fatigues of a long and painful march, encumbered
with baggage and artillery, as might constrain them to disband their
army, when they might find the whole way between Lima and Truxillo
reduced to a desert entirely devoid of provisions. The viceroy
considered himself under the necessity of employing these strong
measures, as some of his people deserted from him almost daily to the
enemy, in proportion as the insurgents approached towards Lima.