aving accurate intelligence, nor keeping
sufficient guard, was surprised and defeated by Giron with some
considerable loss, and obliged to retreat in great disorder. Yet Giron
was under the necessity to discontinue the pursuit, as many of his men
deserted to the royalists.

Sensible of the detriment suffered by the royal interests in consequence
of the disagreement between the present generals, Judge Santillan and
Archbishop Loyasa, to which the defeat of Meneses was obviously owing,
these very unfit persons for military command were displaced, and Paulo
de Meneses was invested in the office of commander-in-chief, with Pedro
de Puertocarrero as his lieutenant-general. This new appointment
occasioned great discontent in the army, that a person who had lost a
battle, and rather merited ignominy and punishment for his misconduct,
should be raised to the chief command. The appointment was however
persisted in, and it was resolved to pursue the enemy with 800 men
without baggage.

Hernandez Giron, who retreated by way of the plain towards Arequipa, had
reached the valley of Nasca, about sixty leagues to the southwards of
Lima, before the confusion and disputes in the royal camp admitted of
proper measures being taken for pursuit. At this time, the judges gave
permission to a sergeant in the royal army, who had formerly been in the
conspiracy of Diego de Royas, to go into the enemys camp disguised as an
Indian, under pretence of bringing them exact information of the state
of affairs. But this man went immediately to Hernandez, whom he informed
of the quarrels among the officers and the discontents in the royal
army. He likewise informed him that the city of San Miguel de Piura had
rebelled, and that one Pedro de Orosna was coming from the new kingdom
of Grenada with a strong party to join the rebels in Peru. But to
qualify this favourable news for the rebels, Giron received notice at
the same time that the marshal Alvarado was coming against him from Las
Charcas with a force of twelve hundred men. About this time, on purpose
to reinforce his army, Giron raised a company of an hundred and fifty
negroes, which he afterwards augmented to 450, regularly divided into
companies, to which he appointed captains, and allowed them to elect
their own ensigns, sergeants, and corporals, and to make their own
colours.

In the mean time, the marshal Alonzo de Alvarado, employed himself
diligently in Las Charcas to raise men for the roya