How the President Vaca de Castro quitted Popayán, to go to the city of Quito.

WE recounted in former chapters how, while the Licentiate Vaca de Castro was in the city of Popayán, Lorenzo de Aldana brought news of the death of the Marquis Pizarro in the city of Lima at the hands of the men of Chile, and how, when this was known to Vaca de Castro, he wrote to the Adelantado Don Sebastián de Belalcázar, who was then at Cali, desiring him not to go to the city of Cartago, nor to Anzerma for the present. Vaca de Castro was very anxious to know for certain if the news was true. At this juncture¹ one Ordas, and Juan de Valdivieso, citizens of Cuzco, arrived, who, jointly² with Diego Maldonado and other settlers in Peru, had embarked³ at Panamá for that Realm. When they had reached the coast of Peru they received the news of the Marquis's death; and, as the Judge had landed at the port of Buenaventura, they gave up their voyage further southwards, and went inland to[158] Quito to find him. Thence they went on to Pasto, and, together with Villalba, they proceeded to Popayán, where they found Vaca de Castro, and related to him what was going on; how Don Diego had assumed the r?le of governor of the realm; how he had sent one of his captains, named García de Alvarado, to range the coast, and even to get the Judge himself into his clutches in order to detain or kill him; how he had taken and killed Alonso de Cabrera and others, and had captured and carried back the Licentiate García de León a prisoner. When Vaca de Castro heard this news he became quite convinced that the Marquis had been murdered, and that Don Diego was set up as Governor. He wrote again to Belalcázar therefore, explaining that the Marquis had been murdered, and that Don Diego had shamelessly and insolently⁴ got himself installed as Governor, and had been so received at Lima. Vaca de Castro called upon Belalcázar, who had always been a faithful servant of his Majesty⁵ and was the King's Governor and Captain-General, to collect as many men and arms as possible and march to Popayán, where the Judge awaited him.

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