816 / 1060
79
2
I•
/1tryal Commentaries.
BooK
\1.
CH AP. XVII.
Diego Centeno
writes to the Prefident, giving him an ac–
count of rhefe matters
hy
the Janie Me/fenger
which
Pi...
<sarro
had Jent to hini.
The Prefident comes to
Saufa .
where
he
n1eets
Francifc:o Voffo.
C
Ente~o
heing we.11 affured of the good will a!ld affe_ttion which
Poj[o
bore to his
Ma1efl:y
s Service,
by
that free manner
with
whICh he offered it, and
by
the
difcovery he made of the correfpondeoce which the Enftgn held with
Pi
2
arro;
he
thought
fit
to fend the very fame Meffenger co the Prefidenc, with Letters giving
him a relation at large of all which had paifed untill that time, and how
ne
had
fo environed
Pifarro
on all tides, that he could not efcape from him. He acquain–
ted him how {hong he was, and how weak
Pifarro,
and that he hoQed to over..
come him without fighting. He farther acquainted him with the Meffage
brought
to him b
Francifio
Voj{o,
and for better confirmation he feat him the very Letter.
Mxeover
Centeno
acquainted
Voffe
vdth the
anfwer he had given to
Gonfalo
pjy_arro
a:
d told him, chat he crufied him with chat difpatch to carry
it
unto the
Prelioent;
and to bear his
charg~s
in
Co
long a Journey he gave him the value of a thoufand
pieces of Eigh( in Gold ; and farther diretted him, that
after
he had been a lhort
time
at
Pifarro's
Camp, and had
delivered
his
Letters,
and given a relation of all
marters, ne fhould then buy the bell: Mule he could find to
carry
him with all
fp~ed
poffible to
the
Prefident ; and in regard he was well acquainted with the
fiace
and condition
of
both Camps, his diretl:ions were to inform
the Prelidenc
with the circumfl:ances of
affairs
on both fides,
in
refpetl: to the
number
of people,
and the manner how they were armed. And
becaufe
his bufinefs was now to aet
a
double part, he gave him a Grant in the
name
of his Majefiy of certain Lands
or Plantations in
Areg11epa
which were
vacant, figned by
his
own hand,
deftring
the Prefident to confirm the fame
in
reward of the Loyalty and Services of
Fran–
ci:fco
'P<Jj[o.
Accordingly
Pojfo
returning again to
Pipiirro
was ordered by him to acquaint
Francifco de Carvajal
with all the particulars of what he had feen and heard from
Centeno,
becaufe that
Carvajal
having been his intimate Friend and Patron, he
would no doubt freely open himfelf, and declare whatfoever had palfed
bet":een
him
and
Centeno.
Carvajal
examined him as to all matters, and
Vojfo
fully
anfwe–
red and
fa
ti
fied him
in
every thing; namely
~ho
were
the Captains
boch
of
Horfe
and Foot, and what was the number of his Souldie1 s; and confeffed chat
he had received the information from
Centeno
himfelf, who was fo free 'rVith him
as
to
acquaint him with
the
fubfiance of the Letter which he had wrote to
Go11-
falo Pifarro
in anfwer of
his;
confirming the fame by word of mouth
that
he
would be
his
Advocate with the Prefidenr, and intercede with
him
to pardon
them both as to Life and Efiate, and would doe him all other good offices, pro–
vided he would return
to
his allegiance and the duty he owed unto the
King.
Carva;al,
having heard and examined all
the
matrer, brought
P'oj[o
to
Pipirro
to
tell
che
fiory himfelf, who having repeated all as is before related, and parricular-
ly chat
Centmo
offered to be his Advocate_ and Intercelfour:.
Pifarro
turned away
.
in a rage,
and
faid, chat he
[corned
to
receive
favours from
him
who had been
fo
much obliged to his Brothers and himfelf: and
u_nderfiand~ng
that
~he
Letter con–
tained litcle more than chat, he refufed to reade
1t;
and, like a furious and defpe–
rare man he ordered che Letcer co be publickly burned,
to
!hew
chat
he would
enter
int~
no Treaty with him: And not to difcourage his Souldiers, he ordered
Yqf{o
to
report, that
Centeno
had not above feven hundred men, though in reality
he wa above twelve
hundred
men firong.
·
P'offe
having thus related all this matter, and delivered his Melfage; by means
of a Friend of hi , (to whom he did not communicate the Secret) he b?ughc a
good Mule., which cofi eight hundred pieces of Eight, and the next mght
be
mounted thereon and by break of
day
had travelled twelve leagues from the
'
Camp
/