d determined to put him to death about a month after his
arrival in La Plata from his expedition against Mendoza; but, owing to
some obstacles, they had been induced to deter the execution of their
enterprize to a future period. By some unknown means the circumstances
of this plot came to the knowledge of Carvajal, who put to death the
before-mentioned leaders of the conspiracy, and ten or twelve others,
and banished all the rest. By these merciless executions, in which he
indulged on all occasions, Carvajal inspired so much terror that no one
dared in future to make any similar attempt; as he not only punished in
the severest manner all who evinced any intention of revolt, but put
people to death on the slightest suspicion. Owing to this the loyal
servants of his majesty may assuredly be exculpated from the blame which
has been imputed to them, for not putting Carvajal to death: In reality,
there were many persons sufficiently anxious to have done so, on purpose
to escape from the cruel tyranny under which they groaned in secret; and
four or five conspiracies were entered into for the purpose, which were
all discovered, and occasioned the destruction of at least fifty
individuals. By these means every one was terrified from attempting any
thing against him, more especially as he gave high rewards to all who
communicated any intelligence of the kind, so that all were forced to
temporize and to wait in anxious hope of some favourable opportunity to
deliver them from his cruel tyranny. Carvajal continued to remain at La
Plata, frequently publishing accounts of the successes of Gonzalo
Pizarro, to whom he often sent large remittances; derived from his own
resources, from the royal fifths which he appropriated, and from the
confiscated estates of those whom he put to death, all of which he
seized upon, under pretence of supplying funds for prosecuting the war.

From the 18th of January 1546, the day on which he defeated the viceroy,
Gonzalo Pizarro continued to reside at Quito till the middle of July of
that year, accompanied by a force of about five hundred men, occupied in
almost continual feastings and revelry. Various reasons were assigned
for his long residence in that place; some alleging that it was on
purpose to be more at hand for receiving early intelligence from Spain;
while others attribute it to the great profits he derived from the gold
mines which had been recently discovered in that neighbourhood; and
others