Gonzalo were so much
discouraged by the lukewarmness of Gaspard Rodriguez and his friends,
that in all probability the whole army under Gonzalo would have
dispersed if they had been three days later in arriving. But the arrival
of Puelles gave the insurgents great encouragement, both by the
reinforcement which he brought of forty horse and twenty musketeers, and
by his exhortations; as he declared himself ready to proceed against the
viceroy even with his own troops, and had no doubt of being able to take
him prisoner or to drive him out of the country, he was so universally
hated. The encouragements derived by the insurgents from the junction of
Puelles, was still farther strengthened by the arrival of Diaz and his
companions.

Vela Nunnez got safe to Lima, where he informed the viceroy of the
unfortunate result of his expedition, who was very much cast down on the
occasion, as his affairs seemed to assume a very unpromising aspect.
Next day Rodrigo Ninno, and three or four others who refused to follow
the example of Diaz, arrived at Lima in a wretched condition, having
suffered a thousand insults from the conspirators, who deprived them of
their horses and arms, and even stripped them of their clothes. Ninno
was dressed in an old doublet and breeches, without stockings, having
only a pair of miserable pack-thread sandals, and had walked all the way
with a stick in his hand. The viceroy received him very graciously,
praising his loyalty, and told him that he appeared more nobly in his
rags than if clothed in the most costly attire.

When Balthasar de Loyasa had procured the safe conduct from the viceroy
for his employers, he set out without loss of time for the army of
Gonzalo Pizarro. As his departure and the nature of his dispatches were
soon known in Lima, it was universally believed there that the troops
under Pizarro would soon disperse of their own accord, leaving the
viceroy in peaceable and absolute command of the whole colony, upon
which he would assuredly put the ordinances in force with the utmost
rigour to the utter ruin of every one: For this reason, several of the
inhabitants, and some even of the soldiers belonging to the viceroy,
came to the resolution of following Loyasa and taking his dispatches
from him. Loyasa left Lima in the evening of a Saturday, in the month of
September 1545, accompanied by Captain Ferdinand de Zavallos. They were
mounted on mules, without any attendants, and had no baggage to