How the Governor Vaca de Castro ordered the Adelantado Belalcázar to return to his government, and how he was informed of Pero Alvarez having entered into Guaraz; and how, being at Motupe, Don Alonso de Montemayor and the captain Vasco de Guevara came to him there.

AFTER the arquebusiers who were sent by Captain Pedro de Vergara arrived, a messenger named Francisco de las Balsas, also sent by Vergara, came with the news that Pero Alvarez had taken the field in the service of the King against Don Diego, and that he and Gómez de Tordoya were at Guaraz with a strong force, waiting for the Governor\'s arrival. The Governor was heartily pleased with this news, and rendered devout thanks to our Lord. And there was great satisfaction among all those who were with him, looking forward to the hour that would see them united with the men under the captains Pero Alvarez and Alonso de Alvarado, for there were upwards of 400 Spaniards, very brilliant men, and many of them cavaliers of high birth. He learnt too that the captains Pedro Anzures and Garcilaso de la Vega and the people of the town of Plata had united with Pero Alvarez, and that Don Diego had followed them to near Bombon, and everything else that had happened. When the Governor Vaca de Castro had received such joyful news, than which none other could afford him greater happiness, he considered, since he was still feeling dissatisfied at having the Adelantado Belalcázar in his company that this gave him a pretext for ordering him to return. He, therefore, spoke to Lorenzo de Aldana, and instructed him to tell Belalcázar that the time had now come for him to return to his own government, where the natives were in revolt and required to be brought into subjection;[189] and that now that Alonso de Alvarado and Pero Alvarez, with so many cavaliers, had declared themselves servants of the king, his services could be dispensed with. The Adelantado replied, to what Lorenzo de Aldana had said to him on the part of the Governor, that he was there to serve his Majesty, that he ought not to be ordered to return, because it would be a very great disgrace for him to go back in that manner, and it would be said that it had been for another reason.

The Governor ordered his secretary, Sebastián de Merlo, to go to the lodgings of the Adelantado and to notify him by command on the part of his Majesty, that he was required to return at once to his own government to place it in order, because this was desirable for the service of the King our Lord; and that, if he did not do so, he could not be looked upon as doing the king\'s service, nor be regarded as possessing the loyalty that was expected from him as a subject and Governor of the king. The Governor ordered that this should be notified to the Adelantado Belalcázar apart, where no other person could overhear. Merlo went immediately to do this, and arrived in the presence of Adelantado. On reading the order of Vaca de Castro, Belalcázar was very much disturbed, and directed the people who were with him, and who had come from his government, to accompany him to the Governor Vaca de Castro. Merlo went before him, to apprise Vaca de Castro of the coming of Belalcázar with his followers. Without making any fuss, Vaca de Castro ordered the cavaliers who were with him to be watchful lest Belalcázar should attempt anything [in the nature of violence], and directed the arquebusiers to be ready, with arquebuses in their hands. Belalcázar came, accompanied by his followers, to where Vaca de Castro was, and when their arrival was announced the latter ordered that he be allowed to enter. Belalcázar entered alone, with a rueful countenance,[190] and said that he was astonished at what had been communicated to him with reference to returning to his government. His departure from it, as the Governor knew, was to serve his Majesty in this campaign, and not to return until Don Diego had been punished for his insurrection in the Realm of Peru. If he returned, some people would think that there was some sufficient cause for it, or that he had shown himself an approver and favourer of Don Diego. Having heard what Belalcázar said, and his arguments to clear himself of the impression the Governor had of him, Vaca de Castro replied with very serious words. He said that he did not doubt that Belalcázar had always shown himself to be a very loyal servant of his Majesty, who had entrusted him as such with the government of a distant province. He, Vaca de Castro, would not have thought any other thing of Belalcázar if it had not come to his certain knowledge that he, and his people, had fa............