After the conquest of New Spain by the Marquis del Valle, he detached one of his captains named Don Pedro de Alvarado to a neighbouring country called Guatimala; which that officer accordingly reduced to subjection after much trouble and many dangers, and, as a reward of his services, was appointed to the government of that province by the king of Spain. On receiving intelligence of the riches of the newly discovered empire of Peru, Alvarado solicited permission from the emperor Don Carlos to be permitted to undertake the conquest of some part of that country, beyond the bounds that had been granted to Pizarro, and received a patent to that effect. Having received authority for this purpose, while he was making preparations for the expedition, he sent one of his officers, named Garcias Holguin, with two ships to examine the coast of Peru, and to gain some precise intelligence respecting its actual state. From the report of Holgum respecting the immense quantities of gold which the governor Don Francisco Pizarro had found in that country, Alvarado was encouraged to proceed in his enterprize; flattering himself, that while Pizarro and his troops were occupied at Caxamarca, he might be able to acquire possession of Cuzco174, which he considered as beyond the two hundred and fifty leagues which had been assigned as the extent of the government conferred upon Pizarro. For the better execution of his design, and lest reinforcements might be sent from Nicaragua to Pizarro, he came by sea to that place one night, where he made himself master of two large ships which had been fitted out there expressly for the purpose of carrying a large reinforcement of men and horses to Peru. In these two ships, and in those which he brought with him from Guatimala, Alvarado set sail with five hundred men, cavalry and infantry, and landed on the coast of South America at the harbour of Puerto Viejo.
From Puerto Viejo, Alvarado marched almost due east with his army, crossing those mountains which separate the plain country of Guayaquil from the table land of Quito, which the Spaniards call the Arcabucos, being thickly covered with brushwood, but over which the road is tolerably easy and only moderately steep, being almost under the equator. In this march his men suffered extremely from hunger and thirst, as the country through which they went was very barren, and had neither springs nor rivulets. The only relief they could procure was from certain large canes as thick as a mans leg, in each of the joints of which they usually found rather more than a quart of excellent water. They were so much distressed by famine on this march as to be under the necessity of eating several of their horses, the flesh of which sold so high that a dead horse brought more money on this occasion than he had cost when living. Besides thirst and famine, they were very much distressed during a considerable part of the way by quantities of hot ashes falling upon them, which they afterwards learnt were thrown up by a volcano in the neighbourhood of Quito, which burns with such violence that its ashes are often carried by the wind to the distance of eighty leagues, and its noise like prodigious thunder is sometimes heard at a hundred leagues from Quito. In the whole march, which was nearly under the equinoctial line, the troops of Alvarado found everywhere abundance of emeralds. After a long and difficult march through these arcabucos, where they were for the most part obliged to cut their way through the thick brushwood by means of axes and their swords, they came at length to a high chain of mountains covered with snow, over which it was necessary to pass. In this difficult and dangerous passage by an extremely narrow road, it snowed almost continually, and the cold was so extremely severe, that although every one put on all the clothes they had along with them, more than sixty men perished from the extreme severity of the weather. One of the soldiers happened to be accompanied by his wife and two young children, and seeing them entirely worn out with fatigue, while he was unable to assist them, he preferred to remain with them and perish, although he might have saved himself. At length, after infinite toil and danger, they found that they had reached the top of the mountain, and began joyfully to descend into the lower grounds of the kingdom of Quito. It is true that in this country they found other high mountains covered likewise with snow, as the province is entirely surrounded and interspersed with mountains; but then there are many temperate vallies among these mountains, which are well peopled and cultivated. About this time, so great a quantity of snow melted suddenly on one of these mountains, producing such prodigious torrents of water, that the valley and village of Contiega were entirely overwhelmed and inundated. These torrents bring down immense quantities of stones, and even vast fragments of rock, with as much ease as if they were only pieces of cork.
It has been already said that Almagro had left Benalcazar in the government of Quito, meaning to return to Cuzco, because no intelligence had reached him of the motions of Alvarado; and mention has been made of his having reduced certain rocks and fortresses into which the Indians of Quito had retired to defend themselves. This had occupied him so long, that Alvarado had penetrated into the province of Quito before Almagro had returned into the south of Peru, being still employed in reducing the southern districts of Quito. He received the first intelligence of the arrival of Alvarado while reducing the province of Liribamba175, for which purpose he had to pass a considerable river with much difficulty and danger, as the Indians had destroyed the bridges, and waited on the other side of the river to attack him while passing. He defeated them, though with much difficulty, as the Indians were very numerous, and their wives fought as bravely as the men, being very expert in slinging stones. In this engagement the head cacique of the Indians was made prisoner, and from him Almagro got the first intelligence of the arrival of Alvarado, who was then only at the distance of about sixty miles, employed in reducing an Indian fortress into which one of the captains of the Indians had retired, whose name was Zopazopaqui. On receiving this news, Almagro sent seven horsemen to inquire into its truth, and to bring him exact information of the strength and intentions of Alvarado. These were all made prisoners by the troops of Alvarado, who liberated them some time afterwards. Alvarado advanced with his troops within less than twenty miles of the camp of Almagro, who, considering the great superiority in number possessed by Alvarado, formed the resolution of returning to Cuzco with an escort of twenty-five horse, and to leave the remainder of his troops under Benalcazar for the defence of the country.
At this time, Philipillo, the Indian interpreter who has been already mentioned as the cause of the death of Atahualpa, fearing to incur the punishment of his treachery, fled from the camp of Almagro to that of Alvarado, taking along with him a principal Peruvian cacique. These men had concerted with most of the Peruvian curacas or chiefs who accompanied Almagro, to hold themselves and their people in readiness to abandon him and to join Alvarado at the earliest notice sent them for that purpose. Immediately on his arriving in the presence of Alvarado, Philipillo offered to make him master of the whole country, informing him at the same time of the design of Almagro to retire to Cuzco, and that if he chose to attack him without delay he might easily make him prisoner, as he had only about eighty horsemen and a hundred and fifty infantry. On this advice, Alvarado marched immediately to attack Almagro, whom he found at Liribamba, resolved to defend himself bravely, and to die fighting rather than fly. Almagro had thrown up intrenchments for his defence, having divided his small party into two bands, one of which he commanded in person, and placed the other under the command of Benalcazar. Alvarado marched up with his troops in order of battle; but when just on the point of commencing the attack, certain propositions of peace were made, and a truce was agreed upon for the rest of the day and the following night, on purpose to agree upon conditions176. In a conferrence for this purpose, an agreement was entered into, which was greatly forwarded by a licentiate named Caldera. It was agreed that Almagro should pay to Alvarado 100,000 pesos, or 2000 marks of gold177, as an equivalent for the expences he had incurred in fitting out his expedition, and that the two commanders should go together to Pizarro, for the purpose of procuring the necessary funds for payment of this agreement. The conditions were kept secret, lest the companions of Alvarado might prevent their execution, as their interest had been entirely overlooked in this agreement. It was therefore given out that Alvarado was to embark with his people to make farther discovery of the country, leaving that part which was already occupied and conquered by the Spaniards, and permission was given to all who thought proper that they might remain at Quito with Benalcazar. A considerable number of the followers of Alvarado availed themselves of this permission, and others accompanied him and Almagro to Pachacamac, where they were informed Pizarro had gone from Xauxa expressly to receive them. Before leaving the province of Quito, Almagro ordered the curaca who deserted from him along with Philipillo to be burnt alive, and would have treated the interpreter in the same manner, but Alvarado interceded for him, and obtained his pardon.
174
From the subsequent operations of Alvarado, this seems an error of the press for Quito. –E.
175
Probably that now called Riobamba by the Spaniards, about 100 miles south from Quito. –E.
176
Garcilasso says that the soldiers of both armies, being mostly natives of Estremedura, mixed together without permission of their officers, and made propositions of peace and amity, by which the generals were in a great measure forced to an agreement.
177
Two thousand marks of gold of eight ounces each, and the ounce at four pound Sterling are worth L.64,000, perhaps equivalent to near L.460,000 of modern money. –E.