After the junction of Lerma, Almagro approached during the night to the bridge of Abancay with one part of his army, where he knew that Gomez de Tordoya and a son of Colonel Vilalva waited for him; and he detached at the same time a large body of his troops to a ford of the river, where those who had conspired in his favour along with Lerma had the guard. By these men the troops of Almagro were received as friends, so that they passed the river without opposition. Some of these conspirators contrived during the night to throw above fifty lances belonging to the cavalry of Alvarado into the river. Owing to all these circumstances, when Alvarado proposed next morning to have attacked the enemy, he found himself abandoned by the conspirators; and a considerable number of his own troops, not being able to find their arms, did not come up in time for the attack. By these means Almagro got an easy and bloodless victory, not a single Spaniard being killed on either side, Rodrigo Orgognez only losing several of his teeth by a stone thrown from a sling192. After the capture of Alfonso Alvarado, the Almagrians pillaged his camp, and carried all the adherents of Pizarro as prisoners to Cuzco, where they were harshly treated. In consequence of this victory the partizans of Almagro were so much elated, that they used to say the Pizarros might now retire from Peru to govern the Mangroves under the equator.
In consequence of the victories which Alvarado had gained over the Indians at Pachacamac and Lumichaca, as already mentioned, the Inca and Titu Yupanqui were obliged to retire from before Lima, which they had in a manner blockaded. By this circumstance the marquis found himself at liberty to act in support of his interest at Cuzco; and having received considerable reinforcements from various parts, he began his march for Cuzco at the head of more than seven hundred men, horse and foot. In this expedition, his only purpose was to succour his brothers against the Peruvians, as he had not hitherto received information of the return of Almagro from Chili, or any of those other events which had taken place, as before related. Most of the troops by which the marquis was lately joined, were sent by Don Alonso de Fuenmayor, archbishop and president of Hispaniola, under the command of his brother Don Diego de Fuenmayor. Besides these, Gaspar de Espinosa had brought some troops from Panama, and Diego de Avala had brought others from Nicaragua. With this army the marquis set out from Lima for Cuzco, taking the way of the plain, and arrived in the province of Nasca, about twenty-five leagues from Lima193. At this place he received intelligence of the return of Almagro, the death of one of his brothers and imprisonment of the other two, the defection of Lerma, and the capture of Alvarado. He was sensibly affected by this afflicting news; and considering that his troops were only prepared for contending against Indians, he thought proper to return immediately to Lima to take proper measures under the present emergency of his affairs.
Soon after his return to Lima, the marquis sent the licentiate Espinosa to endeavour to bring about an accommodation with Almagro. Espinosa was directed to represent to Almagro, that if his majesty were informed of the disputes between them, and the evil consequences of these upon the condition of the colony, he would assuredly recal both, and send some other person to assume the government of Peru, who would reap the rich fruit of their joint labours. If Almagro refused to listen to these remonstrances, and to enter into a friendly accommodation, Espinosa was instructed to request that he would set the brothers of Pizarro at liberty, and would remain at Cuzco without attempting any farther hostilities, untill they had laid a statement of their differences before his majesty, and had received his final orders respecting the boundaries between their governments. Espinosa was unable to persuade Almagro to agree to any accommodation, and soon afterwards died. Leaving Gabriel de Roias as his lieutenant in Cuzco, with the charge of Gonzalo Pizarro and Alonso de Alvarado, Almagro descended into the plain with a considerable force, carrying Ferdinand Pizarro along with him. He penetrated into the province of Chancay, which is only twenty leagues from Lima, where he even established a colony or garrison, in a place which was without any manner of doubt within the province of the marquis.
On the return of the marquis to Lima, he made additional levies of troops; giving out openly that he was reduced to take up arms against Almagro, who had invaded his government. In a few days he assembled an army of seven hundred men, among whom was a considerable body of musqueteers, which had been brought from Flanders with the necessary arms and ammunition by Pedro de Vergera, along with the troops of Diego de Fuenmayor. Hitherto there had not been a sufficient number of musquets in Peru to form entire companies of that species of troops; but on the present occasion the marquis was enabled to arm two companies with that powerful weapon, one of which was commanded by the before named Pedro de Vergera, who had been formerly sent to discover the province of Bracamoras. Nugno de Castro was appointed captain of the other company of musqueteers. Diego de Urbina, nephew of the maestre de campo Juan de Urhina, was made captain of the pikemen. Diego de Roias, Peranzures, and Alfonso de Mercadillo, were appointed captains of horse: Pedro de Valdivia maestre de campo, and Antonio de Vilalva sergeant-major, who was son of Colonel Vilalva.
About this time, Alonso de Alvarado and Gonzalo Pizarro, who remained prisoners in Cuzco194, made their escape from prison, and joined the marquis with above seventy men whom they had persuaded to accompany them, bringing likewise along with them as prisoner Gabriel de Roias the lieutenant of Almagro. The arrival of these officers gave much satisfaction to the marquis, both on account of their escape from danger, and because the reinforcement they brought along with them gave great encouragement to his troops. He appointed his brother Gonzalo lieutenant-general of his army, and Alonso Alvarado maestre de campo, or major-general of the cavalry. When Almagro learnt that his prisoners had escaped, and the numerous forces which the marquis had procured, he became desirous of an accommodation, for which purpose he sent Alfonso Enriquez, Diego Nugnez de Mercadura the factor, and Juan de Guzman treasurer, to the marquis to desire an interview, at which they might regulate every thing that was in dispute between them. After several messages and proposals, the marquis proposed to refer the whole matter to the umpirage of Francisco de Bovadilla, provincial of the order of Mercy, to which Almagro consented.
In virtue of the powers given to him by both parties, Bovadilla ordained that Ferdinand Pizarro should be set at liberty; that Cuzco should be restored to the marquis; that both armies should be disbanded, and the different companies sent in various directions to discover and conquer the country; and that finally the whole dispute about the boundaries of the two governments should be referred to the decision of his majesty. Bovadilla likewise persuaded Almagro and Pizarro to have an interview in the village of Mala195, mid-way between the two armies, at which they might discuss the terms of an entire reconcilement, each to be attended by twelve horsemen. They accordingly set out for that place from their respective camps; but as Gonzalo Pizarro did not give implicit confidence to the promise of Almagro, he followed his brother with the whole army, which he secretly posted in the neighbourhood of Mala, placing Castro with forty musketeers in ambush among some reeds near the road by which Almagro had to pass, and directing him, in case Almagro was accompanied by a larger force than was agreed on, to give notice by a discharge of musketry, that Gonzalo might hasten to the defence of the marquis.
192
We learn from the History of America, II. 331, that this bloodless victory over Alvarado took place on the 12th July 1537. Garcilasso calls it the battle of the river Amancay, and names Alvarado Alonso. –E.
194
Zarate forgets that only a few lines before, he had mentioned that Almagro carried these officers along with his army:-E.
195
Mala, or San Pedro de Mala, is a town and sea-port on a river of the same name, about 50 miles south from Lima.