Of other things done by Francisco dc Mendoza, and how he sent to arrest Nicolás de Heredia and sent Felipe Gutiérrez away.

AFTER Francisco de Mendoza had gained the people over, and been received as captain, and sworn to as such, he ordered one Juan García to go with twenty-six men and turn Felipe Gutiérrez out of the province; that with six mounted men, he might find his way back to Peru. García was also to arrest Nicolás de Heredia, the Camp-master, and to take away his arms and those of the men who were with him, fearing lest, Felipe Gutiérrez being absent, he might seek for means to take command by virtue of the commission he held from Vaca de Castro. Nicolás[366] de Heredia had remained behind with some Spaniards who were sick, and the captains having gone far ahead, he had not been able to join them; while, the Indians having made fierce war upon him, he and his companions had shown much spirit in defending themselves against them.

After taking charge of Felipe Gutiérrez and the six who were to go with him, Juan García started off and marched until he came to where Nicolás de Heredia was encamped, whom, suspecting nothing, he arrested. Then, having taken Felipe Gutiérrez and his six companions as far as the outskirts of the mountain country, he left them. With great risk to themselves and their horses, and with much difficulty, they reached Cuzco at a time when Vaca de Castro had already left the city and Gonzalo Pizarro was wishing to set out for Lima.

Juan García returned to Francisco de Mendoza, taking Nicolás de Heredia with him and, before they arrived at the camp, Mendoza ordered Gabriel Hernández to go and tell Heredia, from him, that he was there as captain, that all had sworn to him as such, and that Heredia must do the same, or else go the same road as Felipe Gutiérrez. Gabriel Hernández, having arrived at the place where Heredia was, warned him that it would not do to act otherwise, and Nicolás de Heredia took the oath to Francisco de Mendoza as his captain, as the rest had done. To make it more binding they divided the Host between them. Thence they set out in search of food, always hearing some yelling of the Indians, who were so numerous that they could not be fairly reckoned.

Francisco de Mendoza next ordered Juan García to go with thirty Spaniards and explore towards the uplands of Popayán,[169] and he was away for three months, finding several native settlements, and hearing news of very prosperous[367] ones farther on. In many of the pueblos they saw they found no other b............