undertaking the charge of governing public affairs, and he [the
Governor] appointed his lieutenant, alcaldes and ordinary regidores and
other public officials, all of whom he chose in the name of H. M. and he
gave them the powers to exercise their offices. This done, the Governor,
with the consent and advice of the religious whom he had with him and of
H. M.'s paymaster who was then with him, with whose assistance he looked
over and considered the circumstances of the citizens until as many [had
been chosen] as H. M. had arranged should take part in the
_repartimiento_ of the natives; in the meanwhile a certain number of
them [Indians] was assigned to all the Spaniards who were to remain, in
order that they might instruct them in the things of our holy catholic
faith. And there set aside and given to the service of H. M. twelve
thousand-odd married Indians in the province of the Collao in the middle
thereof, near the mines, in order that they might take out gold for H.
M. from which, it is understood, there will be great profits,
considering the great wealth of the mines which are there, of which
matters lengthy mention is made in the book of the foundation of this
colony and in the register of the deposit which was made by the
neighbouring Indians. And the approving, confirming or amending of these
arrangements was left to the will of H. M. according as should seem best
to suit his royal service.

CHAPTER XV

The Governor sets out with the cacique for Xauxa, and they receive
news of the army of Quito, and of certain ships which some Spaniards
who went to the city of San Miguel saw on those coasts.

When these things were done, the Governor set out for Xauxa, taking the
cacique with him, and the citizens remained guarding the city
[according] to orders which the Governor left them so that they might
govern themselves until he should command something else. Journeying by
forced marches, on the day of Easter, he found himself on the Bilcas
river, where he learned from letters and notices from Xauxa, that the
warriors of Quito, after they were routed and driven from their last
positions by the captain from Cuzco, had withdrawn and fortified
themselves forty leagues from Xauxa on the Caxamalcha road in a bad
pass in the immediate vicinity of the road, and had built their walls to
prevent the [possibility of] the horses [crossing] the pass. [These
walls had] some very narrow gates in them, and a street