assistance of the viceroy for whom they were employed
to levy troops; while they were averse from that measure, and finding
themselves at the head of a respectable force, they made light of the
orders of Casaos, and refused to obey him: But the necessity they were
now under of providing for their mutual defence, occasioned them to
enter into an accommodation of their disputes.

After the dispatch of Carvajal to Panama, as already mentioned, Hinojosa
set sail with ten vessels, and continued along the coast to the north
till he arrived at Buenaventura, a small sea port at the mouth of the
river San Juan which forms the southern boundary of Popayan, the
government of Benalcazar. He proposed to learn at this place the
situation and intentions of the viceroy, and to have seized any vessels
that might be at this harbour, to prevent them from being employed by
the viceroy for returning to Peru. On arriving at Buenaventura, Hinojosa
sent some soldiers on shore, who brought off eight or ten of the
inhabitants, from whom he learnt that the viceroy remained at Popayan,
engaged in assembling troops and military stores for attempting to
return into Peru; and that finding Yllanez and Guzman delayed their
return from Panama, he had sent off his brother Vela Nunnez with several
corporals on their way to Panama, to expedite the transmission of such
reinforcements as could be procured, and had supplied him for that
purpose with all the money belonging to the king at Popayan. Hinojosa
was likewise informed that Vela Nunnez had the charge of a bastard son
of Gonzalo Pizarro of twelve years old, who was found by the viceroy at
Quito, and was now sent away to Panama, in the hope that the merchants
of Panama might ransom him at a high price to acquire the good will of
Gonzalo. The individual who communicated all this information added that
the viceroy had employed a number of Indians to cut down a quantity of
timber, which was to be conveyed to Buenaventura, on purpose to build a
small vessel for the accommodation of Vela Nunnez; who must now be
within a short distance of Buenaventura, and had sent this person before
to inquire if he might come in safety to that place.

On receiving this intelligence, Hinojosa landed two confidential
officers with a party of soldiers, giving them orders to take two
several routes into the interior, as pointed out by the informant, on
purpose to take Vela Nunnez. Accordingly, one of these officers came up
wit