DIEGO MENDEZ DE HINOSTROSA APPOINTED LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR—SALCEDO RETURNS TO TRUJILLO—HIS OFFICE USURPED BY VASCO DE HERRERA—DEATH OF SALCEDO—THREE RIVAL CLAIMANTS FOR THE GOVERNORSHIP—EXPEDITIONS TO THE NACO AND JUTIGALPA VALLEYS—DIEGO MENDEZ CONSPIRES AGAINST HERRERA—ASSASSINATION OF THE LATTER—A REIGN OF TERROR—ARREST AND EXECUTION OF THE CONSPIRATOR—ARRIVAL OF GOVERNOR ALBITEZ AT TRUJILLO—HIS DEATH—ANDRÉS DE CERECEDA AT THE HEAD OF AFFAIRS—DISTRESS OF THE SPANIARDS—EXODUS OF SETTLERS FROM TRUJILLO—THEY ESTABLISH A COLONY IN THE PROVINCE OF ZULA—CERECEDA APPEALS FOR AID TO PEDRO DE ALVARADO—HE IS ROUGHLY USED BY HIS OWN FOLLOWERS—ALVARADO ARRIVES IN HONDURAS—HE FOUNDS NEW SETTLEMENTS—HIS DEPARTURE FOR SPAIN. [Sidenote: RIVAL CLAIMANTS.] When Salcedo set out for the Freshwater Sea, hoping to gain possession of the province of Nicaragua—an expedition which, it will be remembered, resulted only in his humiliation and imprisonment[IX‑1]—his lieutenant, Francisco de Cisneros, left in charge of the government with a force entirely insufficient to uphold his authority, was overpowered by his enemies, and for a time anarchy prevailed throughout Honduras. Captain Diego Mendez de Hinostrosa, despatched by Salcedo from Leon to quell the rebellion, succeeded in restoring order, but only for a time. Before many months had elapsed Diego Mendez was placed under arrest and the regidor Vasco de Herrera appointed in his stead. The new ruler, of whom it is related that, being guilty of sedition, he had fled from Spain to avoid punishment, soon gave the settlers cause to repent of their choice. His first undertaking was to organize a raid to the Olancho Valley, where without cause or pretext he made war on the caciques, kidnapped and branded their subjects, and returned with three shiploads of slaves. In February 1529 Salcedo returned to Trujillo. Before his departure from Nicaragua he had sent his nephew to Spain, to justify before the emperor his conduct in the dispute with Pedrarias, but was answered only by a severe reprimand for his cruel treatment of the natives.[IX‑2] Shattered in health and broken in spirit, he did not venture to depose the usurper from office, and contented himself with merely ordering the release of Diego Mendez, who at once lodged a criminal complaint against Herrera and his accomplices. Salcedo endeavoring to please both parties pronounced the arrest of the former illegal, but inflicted no punishment on the wrong-doers. Herrera thereupon appealed to the audiencia of Panamá, and Diego Mendez awaited an opportunity for revenge, declaring himself meanwhile to be hugely disgusted with the governor's pusillanimity.