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
management of affairs, whoever might command. Yet with all his caution,
he could not so carefully conceal his sentiments, but that he
occasionally dropped expressions of resentment.
The discontent of De Toro was well known to the inhabitants of Cuzco,
yet they were in hopes that Carvajal would set every thing to rights on
his arrival. Carvajal having arrived in the neighbourhood of the city,
which he was to enter next day at the head of two hundred men, part
cavalry and part musqueteers, De Toro was very anxious to muster all
that were able to carry arms; and from this measure, and the precautions
he took that every one should be in the most perfect equipment, and the
troops steady in their ranks, it was suspected that he entertained some
evil design. De Toro was thus posted with his troops, as if in ambush,
in the way by which Carvajal had to march into the city. As these
circumstances were made known to Carvajal, he ordered his troops to
march in close array, and even ordered their arms to be loaded with
ball, prepared for whatever might happen. On entering the city, De Toro
and his troops were seen on one side, as if ready to dispute the
passage. Carvajal halted his men, and the two parties remained for some
time observing each other with mutual distrust. At length, as neither
side seemed inclined to commence hostilities, both parties broke their
ranks, and intermingled as friends.
Carvajal was exceedingly irritated against De Toro for his conduct on
this occasion, but dissembled till he had entered into Cuzco, where he
was received in the most honourable manner. A few days afterwards, he
caused four of the principal inhabitants to be arrested, and ordered
them to instant execution, without consulting De Toro, or even assigning
any reason for this cruel and arbitrary proceeding. Some of those whom
he put to death were among the most intimate friends of De Toro, who
deemed it prudent and necessary to be silent on the occasion. The
unexpected cruelty of Carvajal occasioned much astonishment and
consternation among the inhabitants of Cuzco, insomuch that none of them
dared to refuse accompanying him on the expedition, and he was enabled
to leave Cuzco at the head of three hundred well appointed soldiers with
which he marched by Collao in the way towards the province of Las
Charcas in search of Centeno. As the latter had a considerably stronger
force, it was believed by many that Carvajal would be unsuccessful in
this expedition, more especially as most of his followers acted more
from force than good will, because he allowed them no pay and treated
them with much severity. In his whole conduct and deportment Carvajal
acted in a brutal and passionate manner, evincing himself on all
occasions the enemy of good men; for he was a bad Christian, constantly
addicted to blasphemy, and of a cruel and tyrannical disposition,
insomuch that it was generally expected his own people would put him to
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