THE first part of the War of Quito closes just before the murder of Illan Suarez de Carbajal. It was a final death-blow to the Viceroy’s rule. He knew this himself and no doubt felt sorrow and remorse at his sudden gust of passion. But it was too late. The deed was done.

On assuming the governorship of Peru Gonzalo Pizarro was advised to send envoys to Spain to urge the greatness of his services, explain the course of events, and obtain confirmation of his position. The wise and far-seeing Carbajal alone opposed. He said that the best Procuradores were many arquebuses, soldiers and horses. But it was resolved that Dr Tejada, one of the Judges, should go to represent his colleagues, and Francisco Maldonado for Pizarro. There was only one ship, the one on board of which Vaca de Castro had long been kept a prisoner by the Viceroy. Vaca de Castro was informed of the intention by his relation Garcia de Montalvo. The crew willingly agreed to seize the ship and take Vaca de Castro to Panama, for he was respected and beloved by all on board. So she sailed away, leaving Gonzalo Pizarro furious, for there was no other vessel to take his “Procurators.”

Luckily a brigantine arrived from the port of Arequipa and Dr Tejada, Maldonado, and Bachicao embarked, sailing along the coast. At Payta they heard of the release and landing of the Viceroy.

As soon as the vessel with the Judge Alvarez on board, taking the Viceroy and his brothers to Panama, was well out at sea, there was another act of treachery. Alvarez went to the Viceroy, declared he had only taken charge of him to get him out of the power of his colleague Cepeda, and that now he was free to do as he pleased. The Viceroy took charge, very ungratefully covered Alvarez with abuse, and landed with his few followers.

Bachicao went on to Panama. On his arrival Vaca de Castro, and the Viceroy’s envoys—his brother-in-law Cueto and Zurbano—fled to Nombre de Dios, and embarked for Spain. They were joined by Tejada and Maldonado. But Tejada died during the voyage. Cueto and Maldonado arrived, and went off to the Emperor in Germany to tell their stories. Vaca de Castro landed at Terceira, and went thence, by way of Lisbon, to the Court of Spain. He was falsely accused and imprisoned in the castle of Arevalo for more than five years. Finally he was acquitted, and declared to have been a good ruler. He was restored to his seat in the Royal Council of Castille. Garcilasso saw him at Madrid in the end of 1571. His son Antonio was granted a large repartimiento in Peru.

The Viceroy having landed, managed to get together 150 men and marched to Quito where he was well received, and increased his force by 200 more men. With this force, and a native of Quito named Diego de Ocampo as general, he returned to Piura. The Judge Alvarez was always with him. Gonzalo Pizarro sent Gonzalo Diaz de Pineda and Geronimo de Villegas along the coast to Truxillo and Piura to collect men. They reached Piura, but fled on the approach of the Viceroy and sent the news to Pizarro. The Viceroy made a night march and surprised them, putting them and their followers to flight. Pineda fled alone into the mountains and died of hunger. Villegas escaped to Truxillo, while the Viceroy returned to Piura.

Gonzalo Pizarro, when he received the news that the Viceroy was still in the country at the head of a large force, resolved to attack him without delay. He left Lorenzo de Aldana as Governor of Lima, with 80 arquebusiers. He went himself by sea to Truxillo, with 150 picked officers and men, stores and munitions of war. The rest marched by land. The Judge Cepeda had become a fighting man and a strong partisan of Pizarro. The Audiencia or Court of Justice had ceased to exist, for Alvarez was with the Viceroy, Tejada had gone to Spain, and Zarate remained at Lima, keeping aloof from all recent proceedings.

Pizarro took the royal seal with him, and embarked in March 1545. Landing at Santa he marched to Truxillo, where all the troops were assembled, going thence to the province of Collique. He had 600 men, horse and foot, about the same number as the Viceroy but Pizarro’s were more experienced soldiers. Supplies of all kinds were got together in Collique, and arrangements were made for carrying water across the deserts. On his approach to Piura, the Viceroy made a rapid retreat into the mountains. Pizarro, without entering Piura, followed in pursuit. Each day the work became more severe. Many stragglers from the Viceroy’s force were captured. Reaching Ayahuaca Pizarro halted to rest his men and obtain supplies. The Viceroy continued his march to Quito. Pizarro resumed the pursuit, but the mountain route was extremely difficult. At last he sent Carbajal ahead with 50 mounted men, who reached the enemy’s camp at 4 A.M. The Viceroy got his men into some order and continued his march. At dawn, when he saw the small number of his pursuers, he turned to attack them. His men were perishing with cold and hunger, and Carbajal declined the combat. Fresh troops joined Pizarro under Juan de Acosta[72], and the Viceroy was so closely pressed that he fled with 60 mounted men. He reached Tumibamba where he put his Camp Master Ocampo and several others to death, on suspicion of traffic with the enemy—the captains Geronimo de la Serna and Gaspar Gil.

The Viceroy marched from Tumibamba to Quito without difficulty, where he put three more officers to death. Pizarro sent Juan de Acosta to follow the Viceroy with 60 cavalry.

Gonzalo Pizarro had sent Francisco de Almendras to Charcas as his Lieutenant, a staunch adherent. He put a citizen of Chuquisaca named Gomez de Luna in prison for some speech against Pizarro’s rule. The municipality ordered him to be released, upon which Almendras went to the prison and had him strangled. Many people were furious, especially a citizen named Diego Centeno. He made a plot with others (Luis de Mendoza, Alonso Perez de Esquivel, Alonso de Camargo, Hernan NuÑez de Segura, Lope de Mendieta, Juan Ortiz de Zarate) to murder Almendras[73]. This they did, and then declared for the King, appointing Diego Centeno their Captain-General. Alonso de Toro marched against him from Cuzco. When the news reached Gonzalo Pizarro near Quito, he sent Carbajal to put down the insurrection. The indefatigable old man set out with an escort of 20 men. He collected men on the way at Truxillo and Guamanga, and then took the route by Lima to Arequipa, thence to Cuzco where he found Alonso de Toro. He marched against Centeno who retreated before him. Carbajal gave him no rest, and hunted him down to the coast.

Meanwhile Gonzalo Pizarro continued the chase of the Viceroy by day and night, over a country purposely made bare of provisions by the pursued. Pizarro was joined by Bachicao who came from Panama with 350 men, artillery, and 20 ships. Pizarro’s force then amounted to 800 soldiers. The Viceroy continued his flight to Pastos, within the jurisdiction of Sebastian de Belalcazar. Pizarro, after a short stay at Quito, continued the pursuit, and the Viceroy fled to Popayan. Pizarro then returned to Quito. He appointed Pedro de Hinojosa to command the fleet which was at Puerto Viejo, with 250 men. Hinojosa obtained information that the Viceroy’s brother, Vela NuÑez, was coming to the coast on a mission to Spain, with a natural son of Gonzalo Pizarro as a hostage. Hinojosa captured them both, and proceeded with them to Panama. He arrived there in October 1545, and took possession without interfering with the civil government.

The Viceroy busily collected arms and assembled troops at Popayan and, having received false news respecting the strength of the enemy, he began his march southwards, hoping to destroy the forces of Puelles and Pizarro. In reality Pizarro had 200 arquebusiers, 350 pikemen and 150 cavalry, with plenty of good powder.

The fighting Judge Cepeda was there, and the Licentiate Benito Suarez de Carbajal, brother of the murdered Factor, with thirty friends and relations to avenge his death.

The Viceroy faced his enemies near Quito, thinking that he only saw the detachment of Puelles, and that Pizarro was not there. His captains advised a flank march over most difficult country to Quito. This took all night, and at dawn they were a league from the town, worn out with fatigue. The idea was to take the enemy in rear, but it was a fatal mistake. The Viceroy came out of Quito, while Gonzalo Pizarro’s army turned and advanced to meet him.

The Viceroy’s Captains

The two bodies of cavalry encountered each other but the Viceroy’s men were worn out by the long night march. It was a desperate battle at close quarters, both infantry and cavalry. The Viceroy received a blow from Hernando de Torres of Arequipa, which brought him to the ground. Puelles would have protected him, but the Licentiate Carbajal, after searching for him, came up and caused a negro to cut off his head. Gonzalo Pizarro was enraged at this treatment of the Viceroy, and caused his body to be honourably buried, he himself being chief mourner. Pizarro’s victory was complete: 200 of the Viceroy’s men were killed. The Judge Alvarez died of his wounds a few days afterwards.

Gonzalo Pizarro sent the news of his victory to all the cities in Peru, and Captain Alarcon brought the glad tidings to Hinojosa at Panama in a ship. Pizarro trusted Hinojosa fully, as he owed everything to his benefactor. Hinojosa’s treason was the cause of Pizarro’s fall. Alarcon brought back Gonzalo Pizarro’s son, and Vela NuÑez, the Viceroy’s brother: who received full pardon and went with Pizarro to Lima. Gonzalo Pizarro was now at the height of his power. Always just and inclined to mercy, he never put anyone to death without trial. On his return to Lima he enacted some excellent laws for the protection of the Indians. Gasca confessed that Gonzalo Pizarro was a good governor.

Old Carbajal had been hunting Diego Centeno, who hid himself in a cave for eight months. Of his accomplices Lope de Mendoza and Nicolas de Heredia were executed, the rest pardoned, including Luis Pardomo and Alonso Camargo.

Carbajal wrote a long letter to Gonzalo Pizarro urging him to assume the kingship of Peru. He said that no pardon could be expected after killing the Viceroy, nor would it be safe to trust to any promises that might be sent to him. He should divide all the vacant land among his supporters as perpetual tenures, instead of two lives, with titles of Dukes, Marquises, and Counts, and should create military orders. He strongly advised Pizarro to secure the devotion of the natives by taking an Inca Princess as his Queen. Puelles and Cepeda concurred. Pizarro had entered Lima in triumph, accompanied by four Bishops, of Lima, Quito, Cuzco, and Bogota, by Lorenzo de Aldana and all the municipal officers and magistrates, and nearly all the citizens.

Vela NuÑez, the Viceroy’s brother, had been brought back to Lima. There was also at Lima one Juan de la Torre who had married a daughter of a Curaca near Puerto Viejo. He got with her a large treasure, and he wanted to return to Spain to enjoy it. He proposed to Vela NuÑez to join him and seize a ship to which Vela NuÑez agreed. The ruffian then thought he might gain more by betraying his victim to Pizarro. Vela NuÑez was beheaded.

When Carbajal heard of the arrival of Gonzalo Pizarro at Lima, he came from Charcas where he had restored tranquillity. Pizarro came out some distance to meet him. He brought with him great store of treasure, and had a grand reception. Alonso de Mendoza was left as Pizarro’s Lieutenant in Charcas.

All seemed hopeful for the future, with a good administration under a most popular Governor. The treachery of Hinojosa and Aldana in delivering up the fleet to Gasca at Panama, renewed all the trouble, with six more years of civil war.