Note 8 — Chapter III

Francisco de Carbajal was born in 1468 at a village called Ragana near Arevalo, in the diocese of Avila. His quotations and frequent references to ancient history show that he received a fairly good education. But he must have been young when he entered upon a military life. He served under the great Captain, Gonsalvo de Cordova, Colonna, Leyva, and other well-known warriors of the Italian wars. He was at the battle of Ravenna in 1512, when he was aged 44, and must already have seen much service. He fought at the battle of Pavia in 1525, and at the sack of Rome in 1527. At Rome he took for his share of the booty all the papers in a lawyer’s office. The ransom for them enabled him to go to Mexico with his wife Catalina Leyton, of a noble Portuguese family. In 1536, when he was 68, he first went to Peru. He was sent by the Viceroy of Mexico, Don Antonio de Mendoza, to assist Pizarro, at the time when he was besieged by the Indians in Lima. Pizarro sent him to settle in Charcas. Arriving at Arequipa on his way he knew no one, and was standing at the corner of a street with his wife and family, not knowing what to do. Miguel Cornejo, a citizen, saw them, heard their story, and took them to his house, treating them hospitably. At the battle of Huarina, ten years afterwards, Cornejo was taken prisoner, fighting against Carbajal, and expected to be put to death. Carbajal said to him—“I am not unmindful of what you did for me at Arequipa, with my wife and family, not knowing where to go. I give you liberty, and for your sake exempt your companions from all punishment. Go home and look to your safety with all quiet and content.” After the murder of the Marquis Pizarro, Carbajal joined Vaca de Castro and was appointed “Sargento-Mayor.” At the battle of Chupas he marshalled the royal army, and showed both military skill and extraordinary personal valour. The old veteran was very corpulent, and when a shot from young Almagro’s cannon mowed a space in the advancing troops of Vaca de Castro, Carbajal threw himself into the gap, telling the men that his size made him a bigger target than any one else. Then he took off his morion and breastplate, throwing them on the ground to be like the meanest soldier, so arousing the admiration of the troops that they carried all before them. The victory of Chupas was due to him.

The rumours respecting the New Laws convinced Carbajal that there was trouble ahead. He was long past 70, and was anxious to end his days at home and in peace. He got permission from Vaca de Castro to return to Spain, and went to Lima to obtain a passage home. General Mendiburu (Diccionario Historico-Biografico del Peru) thought, from Carbajal having lodged in the house of the Treasurer Riquelme on that occasion, that they were great friends. But Cieza de Leon implies that he was rather an unwelcome guest.