The second voyage of Pizarro was the continuation of the efforts of the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro in reaching what is now Peru. He tried to seek the conquest of these new lands and to obtain the wealth that he supposed to be found there.
In this second attempt, Pizarro finally finds the first Inca city, strengthening his determination despite the difficulties.
The first trip had begun on September 13, 1524, departing from the capital of Panama. Apart from the Extremaduran explorer, Diego de Almagro and the clergyman Hernando de Luque participated in the company.
This first trip was a failure, since the circumstances caused a great loss of men and the need to return to the base.
Preparations
After the failure of the first exploration, Pizarro and his associates did not have an easy time convincing the governor of Panama to support a new attempt. It took two years for them to be ready to go to sea again.
Before that, the three teammates signed a contract making the conditions clear. Finally, in December 1525, Almagro left Panama to meet Pizarro.
Pizarro awaits him with 50 men in Chochama. When the two groups met, the total number of troops was 160 expedition members.
Trip
At the beginning of 1526, Pizarro's second trip properly began. He and Almagro set out to sea, heading for the San Juan River, a route they already knew after their first attempt.
There the explorers separate: Almagro returns to Panama in search of more supplies and reinforcements. For his part, the pilot Bartolomé Ruiz left to the south to reconnoitre the area, and Pizarro stayed in the river area.
Ruiz is quite successful on his route, as he meets the Tumbes Indians and withholds gold, merchandise and three young men from them. However, Pizarro was not having such a good time.
Diseases and alligators wiped out quite a few of his men and discontent began to surface.
Upon returning Almagro they begin to sail south. Although it is true that they found groups of Indians and a lot of gold pieces, the spirits were not calm and many crew members spoke of returning to Panama.
Atacames stubbornness
It is on the beach of Atacames where the tension erupts for the first time. Almagro, tired of the complaints of many of the men, gets angry and calls them cowards. Pizarro comes to the defense of the crew and the two partners begin to fight.
According to the chronicles, they even drew their swords, but the intervention of the calmest prevented the fight. Once calmed down, they continued on their way to the Santiago River.
The thirteen of the Rooster
However, the incidents continued to decimate the expedition members, leaving fewer and fewer.
Therefore, the two captains decide to spend some time in a quieter place, Gallo Island. From there Almagro goes back to Panama to look for more men.
With him were some of the most disgruntled and one of them managed to deliver a message to the new governor saying:
Well, Mr. Governor, take a good look at it completely, that there goes the picker
and here is the butcher ».
The governor, after learning how bad the explorers were having, decides to send a ship to force Pizarro to return by force.
When that ship arrived on the island, Pizarro's men celebrated it with joy but the Extremaduran was enraged.
Then he drew a line with his sword in the sand and announced that whoever wanted to be poor by returning to Panama should stand on one side and that those who wanted wealth, following him to Peru, would stand in their part of the line.
Only thirteen stayed with Pizarro, being known as the thirteen of the island of Gallo.
Pizarro's first triumph
The men who stayed with Pizarro had to wait six months for the pilot Ruiz to join them, taking the reinforcements sent by Almagro.
The expedition was able to continue, and the perseverance of those who had resisted, for the first time, paid off.
In this way they reached the island of Santa Clara and, right after, to Tumbes. It was there that they found the first important city of the Inca Empire.
The stone fortresses, walls and temples, as well as the first contact with the natives, convinced them of having found an important culture.
Although they descended somewhat further south, meeting other indigenous peoples, they decided to return to Panama to give a good account of their findings and prepare in the best way for the new exploration.
Not only in the material aspect, but also in the legal, since they had to negotiate with the Crown of Castile their rights in case of conquering those lands.
References
- History of Peru. Pizarro's Second Trip. Obtained from historiadelperu.carpetapedagogica.com
- Gonzales, Anibal. Pizarro's second trip to Peru. Obtained from historiacultural.com
- New World Encycolpedia. Second expedition (1526). Retrieved from newworldencyclopedia.org
- University of Valencia. Pizarro, Francisco. Obtained from uv.es
- Ballesteros-Gaibrois, Manuel. Francisco Pizarro. Retrieved from britannica.com