Lieutenant Nun

Erauso describes Cuzco as a city as grand as Lima in terms of both riches and people. Erauso also notes that it has a cathedral and describes the clerical structure in the area. After a few days in Cuzco, Erauso got into more controversy; she insists that “whatever you may have heard” (51), she was entirely blameless.

In this case, the sheriff was murdered by a man named Carranza over personal grievances between the two, but Erauso was blamed for it. For five months, she was kept prisoner until the truth came out. Once she was released, she left the city.

Her next destination was Lima, which was being blocked by eight Dutch ships at that time. Erauso joined one of the five Spanish ships sent to break the blockade. The attack went well at first, but the Dutch managed to sink the Spanish flagship, the ship that Erauso was on. Only three were able to escape from the ship, and they were soon picked out of the water by the Dutch. The remaining Spanish ships returned to port.

Erauso remained in Dutch custody for 26 days, thinking that they would take her back to Holland. Instead, they dropped her and the other prisoners off on the coast, 100 leagues away from Lima.