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
One day several of the citizens came from the camp to the city, under
the authority of a pass, to procure such provisions and other articles
as they stood in need of, the principal persons among whom were Nicolas
de Ribeira, who was alcalde or police judge of the city, Vasco de
Guevara, Hernando Bravo de Lagunas, Francisco de Ampuero, Diego Tinoco,
Alfonzo Ramirez de Sosa, Francisco de Barrionueva, Alfonzo de
Barrionuevo, Martin de Menezes, Diego d'Escobar, and some others. After
they had collected the articles of which they were in want, they left
the city with their horses arms and servants; but, instead of returning
towards the camp, they went off in the road for Truxillo. Being noticed
by some spies, who gave immediate notice to Gonzalo, he caused them to
be pursued by Juan de la Torre with a party of mounted musqueteers. At
the distance of eight leagues from Lima, De la Torre came up with Vasco
de Guevara and Francisco Ampuero, who had fallen behind with the
intention of acting as a kind of rear guard, to give notice to the rest
in case of a pursuit. They defended themselves courageously, and as
their enemies could not take any certain aim, it being under night, they
contrived to make their escape unwounded. De la Torre and his men found
themselves unable to continue the pursuit with any chance of success, as
their horses were already completely tired with their rapid march from
camp. They returned, therefore, believing that, even if they were to get
up with the fugitives, they would be unable to take them by force, as
they were all men of quality, who would rather be slain than surrender.
On their way back to camp, they fell in with Hernando Bravo, who had
fallen behind his companions, and on bringing him a prisoner to Gonzalo
he was ordered to immediate execution. Donna Ynez Bravo, who was sister
to the prisoner and wife to Nicolas de Ribeira, one of the fugitives, on
hearing the situation of her brother, hastened to the camp accompanied
by her father, and threw herself at the feet of Gonzalo, whom she
earnestly implored to spare the life of her brother. Being one of the
most beautiful women of the country, and of the highest rank, and being
seconded by most of the officers who served under Gonzalo, he at length
allowed himself to be prevailed on to pardon her brother, who was the
only person, during the whole subsistence of his usurpation, whom he
forgave for a similar offence. On granting this pardon, Alfonzo de
Caceres, one of the captains under Gonzalo, kissed his hand saying:
"Illustrious prince! accursed be he who abandons you, or hesitates to
sacrifice his life in your service." Yet, within three hours afterwards,
Hernando Bravo and several others made their escape from the camp. Among
these who now deserted were several persons of consideration who had
attached themselves to Gonzalo from the very commencement of the
troubles, so that their defection gave him infinite vexation and alarm,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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