1. Aguirre was rather astonished when he heard of the scheme planned by the council for his assassination, so he determined to lose no time in murdering those who had sentenced him. He secretly prepared his friends for action, but only made known to two of them his intention of killing the Prince, for these two had promised Aguirre to do so two days before, when the brigantines should be on the point of sailing.

As we have already said, the island on which they were encamped was narrow. In one part of it Don Fernando was lodged, Montoya and other captains were at the other end, whilst Aguirre and his friends were in the centre.

The first thing Aguirre did was to issue an order that all the canoes, above and below the brigantines, should be brought up to them; that without his express order not one should be used, to prevent information from being carried from one part of the camp to the other; and that his friends should send their baggage secretly on board the brigantines, so that, in case their plans became known, and they were ordered to be arrested, they might embark and set sail.