Читать книгу The War of Quito - Pedro de Cieza de León - Страница 20

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How Gonzalo Pizarro sent a spy to Arequipa and further on to get news about the Viceroy, and how some soldiers arrived.

The Captain Gonzalo Pizarro was very anxious to know whether the Viceroy Blasco Nuñez Vela had entered the kingdom and in what part he then was. To resolve these doubts he secretly sent for a soldier named Bazan, who was very diligent and knew the country well. He asked him to set out at once for Arequipa and there to ascertain what the Viceroy said of him, taking great care that it should not be known who sent him. If the Viceroy should be in any province in the kingdom, Bazan was to come back with great speed, but secretly, with the news. If he should find that the Viceroy had not yet entered the kingdom, he was to go on to Lima, where he would be certain to obtain definite news. Bazan, with the desire promptly to comply with Pizarro’s wishes, started with letters of introduction to many prominent persons in Arequipa and Lima, and after a few journeys he came back because he had ascertained for certain that the Viceroy was near Truxillo.

Meanwhile Pizarro arrived at the lake of Titicaca which is in the province of Callao, where he met the Captain Francisco de Almendras[30], who, with two youths who were his nephews, named Diego de Almendras and Martin de Almendras, came to join him, having heard what had happened and of his march to Cuzco. When they met, Gonzalo Pizarro was much pleased, for there had been great friendship between them since the time when they came for the conquest of Peru.

They continued their journey, talking of many things and, as it was told in all parts that Gonzalo Pizarro was on his way to Cuzco, more citizens came to meet him. At the town of Ylave he was joined by Gomez de Leon, Noguerol de Ulloa, and Hernando de Torres, citizens of Arequipa, and a soldier named Francisco de Leon. As soon as they had greeted each other, all their talk was concerning the rigour and harshness of the ordinances, and the violence with which the Viceroy was enforcing them, without listening to the prayers of those who petitioned that they should be referred back to the King their natural lord. Besides these, many soldiers joined Pizarro, who were scattered over the country. The first was Martin Monje who followed the war for a long time, and is now a citizen of the town of Plata. The soldiers joined Pizarro because they delighted in war and hated peace; for in war time they could rob at their wills, and use their neighbour’s property as their own. They all knew from their own experience that in changes some lost and others gained. In the absence of peace and tranquillity in the kingdom poor soldiers might become prosperous citizens, and knights with great estates might become poor, and even lose their lives which is worse. So they offered their services to Pizarro with great pleasure, showing hearty good will to perform all that he required. He, who wrongfully intended to oppose the legal authorities, answered them graciously, and was pleased with the good will they professed.

As Gonzalo Pizarro continued his journey more letters reached him, sent by Alonso de Toro[31], Francisco de Villacastin[32] and other citizens of Cuzco, in which they told him the latest news. All the other settlers in Cuzco and other parts of Peru, although they expressed their sentiments freely respecting the new laws, did not forget to rob the Indians and to take as much as they could from them, ignoring the rules which were intended to put a rein on their avarice. Pizarro reached the town of Ayavire, which is the end of the province of Callao in that direction, and there he found waiting for him the Encomendero of that district, who was Francisco de Villacastin. He, as we said, had written a letter, also Tomas Vasquez[33], a citizen of Cuzco, who was on his way to certain mines of his, in Caravaya. He rejoiced at the meeting with Pizarro and, abandoning his Caravaya journey, returned to the city of Cuzco.

Gonzalo Pizarro, finding that the wishes and acts of all agreed with what they had written in their letters, was very much pleased, and was eager to reach Cuzco. In order to do this as quickly as possible, he left his luggage in a town called Quiquijana, whence he went on to Cuzco by forced marches, having first said to a soldier, named Espinosa, that he was as certain that the Viceroy was now in Lima, as that Jesus Christ was in heaven. They say that, many times on that road they heard Gonzalo Pizarro say that if Blasco Nuñez did not provide a remedy for the ordinances, he would have to play a game on which he must count, for no one else in Spain wished to go out to enforce these laws. He added that his Majesty the Emperor, our Lord, had made a mistake in not sending him the title of Governor of the kingdom which he and his brothers had discovered. Then he swore that either the ordinances should be revoked or he would lose his life.

Further on he met Francisco Sanchez, a citizen of Cuzco, who with hearty welcome and in a loud voice said that Pizarro had done well to come, and that he should hasten to encounter Blasco Nuñez to pay him well for having brought the ordinances. Further than this they say that he spoke words against the powerful Emperor our Lord. Gonzalo Pizarro had met Juan Ortiz de Zarate[34] in the province of Callao, and had tried to persuade him to come with him to Cuzco. Juan Ortiz gave a prudent answer, without wanting to follow him, for he gathered from his loose and disgraceful words that he had no loyal intentions.