A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 05: 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 TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 05: 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
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
Gonzalo treated the prisoners sent to him by Acosta with much kindness,
supplying them with clothes and arms, and gave them their choice of any
of the companies of his troops in which they might think proper to
serve. From these men, he received exact information of all the late
events which had occurred at Panama, of the succours which the president
expected to receive from different parts of America, and of the force
which accompanied Aldana on the present expedition. They informed him
likewise that Aldana had set on shore Pedro de Ulloa, a Dominican friar,
disguised in a secular habit, who had orders to distribute copies of the
amnesty in every direction. In consequence of this information, he was
sought for and soon found; and Gonzalo had him confined in a dungeon
near the fish-ponds in his garden, which was infested with toads and
vipers, where he remained till he recovered his liberty on the arrival
of the fleet some time afterwards.
About this time, it was determined to dispatch the licentiate Carvajal
with three hundred mounted musqueteers, together with the detachment
under Juan d'Acosta, to scour the coast to the northwards, and to attack
Diego de Mora who had withdrawn into the province of Caxamarca. When
every thing was in readiness for this expedition, the lieutenant-general
Carvajal went one morning early to Gonzalo, and represented to him, that
it was by no means safe to entrust so important a command to the
licentiate, as a person in whom they could not repose implicit
confidence. That although he had hitherto attached himself to their
party, it was obviously for the sole purpose of being revenged of the
late viceroy; and, as that purpose was now accomplished, it did not
appear that his fidelity could be depended upon. It was proper to
recollect, he added, that all the brothers of the licentiate were
greatly attached to his majesty, particularly the bishop of Lugo who
enjoyed several high employments; so that it was not to be imagined the
licentiate would act cordially in the interest of a party which was
diametrically opposed to that in which all his nearest relations were
engaged. Besides all which, this person had formerly been made a
prisoner by themselves, without any just foundation, and had even been
so nearly punished capitally, that he had been ordered to make his
testament and to confess himself in preparation for death, which
injurious treatment he could not be supposed to have forgotten. Gonzalo
was so much convinced by these arguments, that he countermanded the
order given to the licentiate Carvajal, and sent off Juan d'Acosta on
the expedition to Caxamarca, with a force of two hundred and eighty men.
D'Acosta accordingly set out on this intended service, taking the road
for Truxillo; but on arriving at Baranza, about twenty four leagues from
Lima, he halted at that place for reasons which will appear in the
sequel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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