l6o OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



hundred thoufand pieces of eight given them upon their arrival ; for though they were 

 not at the battle, yet their prefence confirmed the viftory, and helped to keep 

 Atagualpa prifoner. The remainder of the treafure, which was above a million, was 

 divided among Pizarro's men ; and they being few, were all made rich, and in a 

 condition to make difcoveries of their own. The Adelantado fent his brother Hernando 

 ^ jL ' Pizarro to Caftile, with the news of this happy progrefs of their difcoveries, and of the 

 ' propagating the Chriftian faith in the converfion of the Indians ; and he alfo carried 



with him the claim of Don Diego d' Almagro to two hundred leagues of land beyond 

 his brother's, of which he was likewife to be Adelantado. All this he negotiated very 

 much to the content of all ; and in the year 1534, there was granted, in Toledo, to 

 Don Diego d* Almagro the government of that which they called the new kingdom of 

 Toledo, which began at a place called Las Chinchas, where the territory of Pizarro 

 ended, and extended itfelf to the Straights of Magellan. 



CHAP. XIV. — The News of the Government of Don Diego d* Almagro is brought to him; 

 and he goes upon the Difcovery of that of Chile. 



DON Francifco Pizarro had given commiflion to Don Diego d' Almagro, to take 

 poffeflion of Cufco, when the news came of the government of two hundred leagues 

 given him by His Majefty, to begin from the Chinchas. This caufed great difturbance; 

 for it was believed that Cufco would fall into this divifion ; and the friends of Don Fran- 

 cifco Pizarro, judging this of great prejudice to Pizarro, that the marfhal, even by his 

 commiflion, fhould find himfelf in poflefllon of Cufco, they advifed him immediately ^to 

 revoke the powers he had given, which he did ; and this was the firft caufe of the 

 difturbance in Peru, which made afterwards fo great a noife, and for which they both 

 loft their lives. But I being to write the hiftory of Chile, and not of Peru, fhall leave 

 the reader to thofe hiftorians who treat of it at large. This news being known in 

 Truxillo, one Diego d* Aguero fet out to carry it to Almagro, who was upon his march 

 to take pofleflion of Cufco. He overtook him at the bridge of Acambay ; and he 

 having received it vidth great moderation, Ihewed himfelf above the greatnefs of his 

 fortune, and gave him as an Albricias, or prefent for his good news, feven thoufand 

 Caftilians, which are near twenty thoufand ducats ; and by this news he was moved to 

 change his defign of conquering a people called the Chiriguaenaes, and treated of that 

 of Chile ; for he fuppofed it would fall into the government he was to have, and (as 

 Herrera fays) moved by the informations he had of the great riches of Chile. 



To prepare himfelf for this enterprize, which was like to be very chargeable, 

 he caufed a great deal of filver to be melted in Cufco, to draw out the King's fifi:hs. 

 Amongft other things, there was a man's burden of gold rings to be melted down ; 

 and one Juande Lepe being by, and taking a fancy for one of them, begged it of Mar- 

 fhal Almagro, who fhewed himfelf fo much a gentleman, and fo liberal, that he faid 

 prefently, that he Ihould not only take that ring, but that he fhould open both his 

 hands, and take as many as could lie in them j and hearing he was married, he 

 ordered him befides four hundred crowns as a prefent for his wife. He fhewed 

 another piece of liberality to one Bartholornew Peres, for having prefented him with 

 a fhield, which was to order him hkewife four hundred pieces of eight, and a filver pot 

 weighing forty marks of filver, and had for handles two lions of gold, which weighed 

 three hundred and forty pieces of eight ; and to one Montenegro, who prefented him 

 with the firft Spanifh cat that ever came to the Indies, he ordered fix hundred pieces 



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