764 / 1070
Royal Commentaries.
BooK
IV.
faken by cheir men , privately embarked with foµrceen or fifceen rnen , and fai–
led away.
In
the mean time
Hinojofa
p¡iífed very peaceably, without intermedling
in the Government or matters of Ju,füce, or fuffurfog bis People
ro
commit the
leaíl: offence or give occafion of complaint to trae People : with thefe men he
fent
Don Ped;o de Cabrera,
and
Herna:4do Mexia de ,Gu,;,man
bis Son-in-law
ro
Nombre
de Dios,
with Orders to keep that Por~, and intercept all Advices wbich íhould
come as .well from
Spain
as from other pares.
CH
A P.
XXXII.
Of the Aflions
OÍ
Melchior Verdugo
irz
Truxillo, Nica–
ragua
and
in
Nombre de
Dios,,
and how he
Wa5
forced
to leave that
e
ity.
A
Bout che fame Gime there happened an odd Accident in the City of
7r11xillo,
which gave greac offence, ancrl ,raifed che enmity and hatred of che People
a–
gainíl: che perfon who occafioned tbe..fame, whofe name was
Melcbior Verdugo,
to
whom che Province of
Caj[amarca
was appointed by lor, a place famous
for
che
imprifonment of the King
Atahualpa
and ocher remarkable Succeífes which have
been mentioned befare.
.
· Tbis p.erfon having been born in che City of
Avila
,
and Cournrey-man
ro
che
Vice-king, was defüous to fignalize himfelf in doing fomething remarkable for
his fervice; che Vice-king , befare bis imprifonment knowing of his Intenfions ,
gave hirn a large Commillion
ro
dGJe n1any tbings of high impomrnce, and parri–
cularly
to
deflroy or di(piwple the Oty of
Lós Reyes,
for which reafon
Melchior
Verdugo,
and his adherents fell under tbe harreé! and difpleafure of
Gonfalo Pifarro,
a.adof füch as were of bis Party.
'Verdugo ,
betng inforrned hereof, refolved to
efcape out of che King"dom, feariag to fall into rhe 'hands of
Pip1rro.
Howfoever,
being defirous
ro
perform fome Aét exrraordinary, he eogaged fome Soukliers
to
him , boughc Arms fecrecly , and made Mufquet-füot, Mannacles and Chains in
his own houfe, and fo bold he was in his macters, that his Neighbours and Com–
panións were greatly offended thereac: but fortune favoured bis defign, for ac
chat time,
a
Ship arriving in the Port of
Truxillo
frorn
Los R9 es ,
he fent
for
the
~
Maíter and the Mate of che Veífel , pretending that he had a parce! of
M aJ"'
and
other Goods
to
íhip upan him for
Panama,
wbich he defired rhem
ro
come and
fee ;
fo
foon as che Mafier and che Mate were withio his houfe, he put tbem
in -
to
a low cellar or dungeon, which he bad made:
rhen he pretended to be lame
of che Gouc; and fitting in tbac manner ac bis Window, he eípyed one of che
Governours with bis Clerk palling by; and calling
to
rhem , he defüed thern
co
come,
co
draw fome auchentick 'Nricing ,
which
he had occafion for ; 'and defi–
red their excufe for not coming to them by reafon of rhe Indifpoficion which was
upan him : when rhey were come in, he fairly 1ed cbem
ro
che place where che
Maíl:er and Pilar were lodged, and chere he took away rheir whire Scaves, aad
clapt rhem in Chains, fetcing a guard of fix Mufquetiers upan rhem. And re–
turningagain
to
bis Window, he efpied anotber Cicizen palling by,
to
whom
he
called in che fame manner as befare, pretending fome bufinefs with him; and
him alfo he put into his prifon, and in chis manner he decoyed-
ü1
ar leaíl: cwenry
perfons of che principal Cirizens, which were ali that remained ac home, che
ochers being gone in Service of
Pi9.arro.
Then he· fallied out into the Markec–
place wich twency Souldiers whom he judged
to
be faichfull
to
him; he fummo–
ned all people in che King's-name to come in , aod feized on chofe wbo did not
readily obey , and then in hearing ofali his prifoners, he rold rhem plainly , rhat
his bufineís was to carry men and arms to che Vice-king; for which fervice h~ had
an ~cc_afion
for
money, which they mufl: fpeedily pay him, in cafe rhey expeéted
th~ir hberty; and that every one íhould pay his proportion according
to
bis abili-
ty ; .and if not, he was refolved to carry them away with him
to
che Vice-king.
The