A.D. 



1572-8 



/• 



Lopez de 

 Agira. his 

 dangerous con- 

 spiracie. 



Pedro de 

 Orxua mur- 

 thered. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



it very strongly, to the end he might leave all his stuffe 

 there, and such men as were not souldiers. And so they 

 began to build the said towne, and wrought upon it all 

 the winter : where because it raineth much, and withall is 

 very hot, sicknes and want of victuals began to prevaile 

 amongst them, wherupon the souldiers fell a murmuring 

 among themselves. For comming out of Peru, which is 

 one of the fruitfullest & richest countries of the world, 

 they were more inclined to have their fill of bread and 

 meat then to apply their bodies to labour : which was the 

 cause that albeit the countrey in which they now were, 

 was exceeding fruitfull, and that they saw with their eyes 

 most evident apparances of golde, & also that up into the 

 countrey it seemed to be much better ; yet for all this 

 they murmured & would needes returne for Peru from 

 whence they came. In the company of these men there 

 was a souldier of Biskay called Lopez de Agira, a very 

 little man of bodie & lame of one of his legs, but very 

 valiant and of good experience in the warres. This man 

 having bene one of the principall mutiners in Peru, could 

 not here give over his old wont, but asked his fellow- 

 souldiers, what they went to seeke for in those wild 

 deserts whither they were brought : For (said he) if you 

 seeke riches, there are enough in Peru, and there is bread, 

 wine, flesh, and faire women also ; so that it were better 

 to conquer that, and to take it out of the handes of the 

 Spaniardes, and that it were no hard enterprize, because 

 all the souldiers and poore men of Peru would turne unto 

 them, and that that were a better course, then to goe and 

 conquere the savage people in those mountaines : so that 

 once having the government of Peru, the king of Spaine 

 should be inforced to agree with them : if not (sayd he) 

 we shall not lacke them that will succour us, to have the 

 riches of Peru. By these perswasions he brought many 

 souldiers to be of his minde, and conspired also with a 

 young gentleman of Sivill called Don Fernando de Gus- 

 man (who was in love with a young woman which the 

 captaine Pedro de Orzua had, and therefore did the 



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