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 juncture one Ordas, and Juan de Valdivieso, citizens of Cuzco, arrived, who, jointly with Diego Maldonado and other settlers in Peru, had embarked 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 insolently 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 Majesty 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.

People allege that when Belalcázar read this letter from Vaca de Castro, he was much worried, and that it was more from fear than from goodwill that he obeyed the summons. This seems likely, because he always showed himself lukewarm in whatever things occurred, and in the letters he sent to the cities nearest the coast he wrote that he was going back because he could not do otherwise, but would soon return. He had another reason for wishing to go down stream but not up, which was that according to positive news received at Cali, Captain Jorge Robledo, the founder of those towns and cities, with all those who had been his followers before, had espoused the royalist cause, and the Adelantado was anxious to arrest him. However, Belalcázar replied to the Licentiate that he would be happy[159] to come to Popayán............