o justify their
proceeding, those of their party who pressed that measure were
satisfied; and by employing Texada on this errand, the court of royal
audience was virtually broken up, as Ortiz de Zarate could not then hold
sittings by himself[11]. When this proposal was communicated to Texada,
he readily consented to undertake the office, on condition that he were
furnished with 6000 crowns to defray the expences of his voyage.
Accordingly, Cepeda and he composed all the memorials and dispatches
which were deemed necessary, which were signed by these two judges only,
as Ortiz refused his concurrence.

[Footnote 11: Zarate seems to forget the existence of Cepeda, one of the
judges; but he seems to have entirely devoted himself to the party of
the usurper, while Ortiz affected at least to retain a sense of
loyalty.--E.]

When all was in readiness for the dispatch of Texada and Maldonado, a
ship which lay in the harbour of Lima was ordered to be fitted out for
their reception, of which Captain Bachicao was to have taken the
command, with a sufficient number of cannon, and twenty soldiers; having
orders to take possession of all the ships he might fall in with along
the coast. At this time, Vaca de Castro, the ex-president, who still
remained a prisoner in this ship, contrived to gain over a majority of
the seamen belonging to the vessel, with the assistance of his friend
Garcia de Montalva who occasionally visited him. By these means he
acquired the command of the vessel, which was already provided with
every thing needful for the voyage, and immediately set sail. This
untoward incident gave much uneasiness to Gonzalo Pizarro, both because
it delayed the departure of Texada, and because he judged that it could
not have happened without the concurrence of several concealed enemies
to the present state of affairs. On this the troops were ordered under
arms, and all the principal persons who were suspected of disaffection
to the party of Pizarro were taken into custody and committed to the
common prison of the city, both those who had fled from Cuzco, and those
belonging to other cities who had not joined his party. One of the
persons committed to prison on this occasion was the licentiate
Carvajal, to whom the lieutenant-general Carvajal sent a message,
desiring him to confess and make his will, as he was immediately to be
put to death. The licentiate did accordingly what he was desired, and
prepared himself to die with muc