CHAPTER LVIII

    How the Governor Vaca de Castro, leaving the plains, ascended¹ from Santa by the mountain road, and how he met Gómez de Alvarado, and was annoyed on learning that he came without permission from Alonso de Alvarado; and how the Provincial², Fr. Tomás de San Martín, also arrived.

THE Governor Vaca de Castro arrived at a coast valley they call Santa, where there is a large river, and where great edifices³ and houses, now in ruins, formerly⁴ stood. The plains and meadow lands along the banks of the river were covered with brambles and cane-brakes and dense[196] bush, where great quantities of mosquitos are bred; and at the time when Vaca de Castro was there these were by no means few. It was a great plague, and tormented⁵ the Governor and those who were with him to such an extent that, without tarrying long amidst such malign⁶ company, hasty preparations were made for ascending⁷ the heights. They followed the road to the right of the provinces of Moro and Quizquiz,[99] taking a supply of provisions with them, and some Indians who carried the baggage. The captain Pedro Vergara had remained in Truxillo, to gather in some men who had stayed behind, but in a short time he overtook the Governor, who was travelling by stages. As they ascended to the high elevations⁸ in the mountains, that common ailment⁹ of the head which overtakes everybody attacked him and most of the others, and used them so ill that they felt like being on the sea. At the end of some days the Governor arrived at a village called Tozal, where he was told by a Spaniard he found there that in the camp of the captain Alonso de Alvarado, some words had passed between the latter and a youth named Gómez de Alvarado "the lad."[100] When he heard of the approach of Vaca de Castro, this young man had quitted the camp without his captain's permission, and was coming to join the Governor.[197] Vaca de Castro was displeased¹⁰ on hearing this and the more so in that he should be coming without leave from his captain, Alonso de Alvarado. Calling his secretary, the Governor instructed him to draft an order and go and notify it to Gómez de Alvarado, requiring him, under severe penalties in case of default, to return and place himself under his captain's banner. And he directed Merlo to then go with Gómez, until he had seen him safely under his captain's orders. Presently Merlo started off with the order to do what was commanded by the Governor, and went on until he came to where Gómez de Alvarado was quartered. With him he found the Provincial, Fr. Tomás de San Martín, who, when at Lima, had heard of the coming of Vaca de Castro; and, wishing to further the king's service, had presently set out to meet him, and had now come by way of Guaraz and the place where Alonso de Alvarado had formed his camp, and also by that of Pero Alvarez Holguin. All the officers of both camps enjoyed his company, and he theirs. One day when Alonso de Alvarado was in his own camp a coolness took place over some contention¹¹, and high words passed between that captain and Gómez de Alvarado. The Provincial intervened and made peace between them. Gómez de Alvarado then asked leave of the captain to go and seek for the Governor Vaca de Castro, which leave was refused. So he went out from the camp without leave, and when this became known to the Governor he sent Merlo with the order already mentioned. Arrived at the quarters at Guaylas, Merlo found Friar Tomás and Gómez de Alvarado lodging¹² there, having travelled together from the camp. As Gómez was a cavalier of such high rank, Merlo thought it advisable to inform the Provincial what the Governor had sent him to do. The Provincial listened, and counselled Gómez de Alvarado to set out at once to meet Vaca de Castro, as he was so near. Holding this to be good advice, Gómez ordered his[198] horse to be saddled and, without letting Merlo know it, promptly¹³ rode away to where he thought he would find the Governor. He was ushered¹⁴ before Vaca de Castro and explained his great desire to serve him, and that he had left the camp of Alonso de Alvarado in order to find him the sooner.

Vaca de Castro was much annoyed that Gómez de Alvarado should have come in this way, instead of obeying his order to return to the camp of Alonso de Alvarado; but, as there was now no remedy for it, he dissembled his anger before the young man. Presently they set out for the station at Guaylas where the Governor and all who were with him suffered in their heads from mountain sickness, and felt as if they were on the high seas. Here the Provincial spoke¹⁵ to Vaca de Castro and freely offered his services, and the Governor welcomed him very cordially. From this place Vaca de Castro ordered Gómez de Alvarado to go to the camp of Alonso de Alvarado, as he was informed that he had quitted it without leave or assent¹⁶. He would not allow any one to withdraw from the ranks of captains who had done such good service to the king, without their assent. Gómez de Alvarado felt aggrieved¹⁷ that the Governor should order him to return to where the captain Alonso de Alvarado was. He tried by means of words to excuse himself from going, but this availed him nothing. So he went, and the Provincial, Fr. Tomás, went with him; and when they arrived, he put himself between the two, and prevailed upon them to make friends. Having arrived at the quarters at Guaylas on Easter eve, the Governor resolved to halt there for two days, with the assent of all who came with him.

1 ascended   

v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

3 edifices   

n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They complain that the monstrous edifices interfere with television reception. 他们抱怨说，那些怪物般的庞大建筑，干扰了电视接收。 来自辞典例句
• Wealthy officials and landlords built these queer edifices a thousand years ago. 有钱的官吏和地主在一千年前就修建了这种奇怪的建筑物。 来自辞典例句

4 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

6 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

7 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

8 elevations   

（水平或数量）提高( elevation的名词复数 )； 高地； 海拔； 提升

参考例句：

• Weight of the crust changes as elevations are eroded and materials are deposited elsewhere. 当高地受到侵蚀，物质沉积到别的地方时，地壳的重量就改变。
• All deck elevations are on the top of structural beams. 所有甲板标高线均指结构梁顶线。

9 ailment   

n.疾病，小病

参考例句：

• I don't have even the slightest ailment.我什么毛病也没有。
• He got timely treatment for his ailment.他的病得到了及时治疗。

10 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

11 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

12 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

13 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

14 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

16 assent   

v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
• The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。

17 aggrieved   

adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He felt aggrieved at not being chosen for the team. 他因没被选到队里感到愤愤不平。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is the aggrieved person whose fiance&1& did not show up for their wedding. 她很委屈，她的未婚夫未出现在他们的婚礼上。 来自《简明英汉词典》