conveyed to all parts of the country,
giving notice of the arrival of the president in the valley of Jauja,
and the great preparations he was making in that place.

From Jauja the president sent his lieutenant-general, Alfonzo de
Alvarado, to bring up from Lima all the soldiers that could be spared
from that place, together with some pieces of artillery from the ships,
and clothes and money for the supply of such of the soldiers as were in
want; all of which services were performed by Alvarado in a short time.
The president now mustered his army, of which Pedro Alfonzo de Hinojosa
was lieutenant-general, and the licenciate Bendicto de Carvajal carried
the royal standard, Don Pedro de Cabrera, Gomez de Alvarado, Juan de
Saavedra, Diego de Mora, Francisco Hernandez, Rodrigo de Salazar, and
Alfonzo de Mendoza were captains of cavalry; Don Balthazar de Castillo,
Pablo de Menezes, Hernando Mexia de Guzman, Juan Alfonzo Palomino, Gomez
de Solis, Francisco Mosquera, Don Ferdinand de Cardinas, the adelantado
Andagoya, Francisco d'Olmos, Gomez d'Arias, and three other captains,
Porcel, Pardaval, and Serna, commanded the infantry. Gabriel de Royas
was appointed to command the artillery. Besides the military officers
already mentioned, the president was attended by the archbishop of Lima,
the bishops of Cuzco and Quito, the provincials of the Dominicans and of
the order of Mercy, and by several other ecclesiastics, both priests and
friars. On a general muster and review of the army, it was found to
consist of seven hundred musqueteers, five hundred pikemen, and four
hundred cavalry. Afterwards, on arriving at Xaquixaguana on the march
towards Cuzco, it was augmented to nineteen hundred men, by the junction
of several other detachments, forming the largest and best appointed
array hitherto seen in Peru.

The president, having completed his preparations, began his march from
Jauja in good order on the 19th of December 1547, taking the route of
Cuzco, and especially desirous of crossing the river Abancay[34] in some
safe place. In this part of his march he was joined by Pedro de
Valdivia, the governor of Chili. Valdivia had come by sea to Lima, on
purpose to raise men, and to procure various stores of which he was in
want, with clothing and ammunition, on purpose to enable him to proceed
in the conquest of Chili. On his arrival at Lima, and learning the
situation of affairs in Peru, he determined upon joining the president.
His arr