ment, and stabbed him repeatedly with his dagger. The
conspirators then dragged him out to the public square and cut off his
head, declaring him a traitor, and proclaiming that they had done so for
the service of the king.

Considering that Almendras was universally detested, the conspirators
had not thought it necessary to use any precautions for conciliating the
people; yet all the inhabitants declared for the king, and took
immediate measures to support his authority and to defend themselves
against the resentment of Gonzalo and the insurgents. For this purpose,
they elected Centeno as commander in chief of the province; in which
capacity he appointed proper persons to be captains of cavalry and
infantry under his authority, and used every effort to inlist a body of
troops, which he paid out of his own funds, being one of the richest men
in the country; but in this he was assisted by the other inhabitants of
the province, who contributed towards the expence. Centeno was of an
honourable family, being descended from Hernan Centeno who had made
himself illustrious in the wars of Castillo. He was about thirty-five
years of age, of very agreeable manners, of a liberal disposition,
personally brave, of an excellent character and universally respected.
At this time he enjoyed a revenue exceeding 80,000 crowns; but about two
years afterwards, on the discovery of the famous mines of Potosi, he
became possessed of above 100,000 crowns of annual rent by means of his
Indians, as his estate lay very near these mines.

Having assembled a body of troops, Centeno used every effort to provide
them with arms and all other necessary equipments. He placed guards at
all the passes, to prevent any intelligence from being conveyed to the
enemy till his affairs were in proper order. He sent likewise Lopez de
Mendoza one of his captains, first to Porco and thence to Arequipa to
collect as many men as possible, and to endeavour to arrest Pedro do
Puentes the lieutenant of Gonzalo at Arequipa. But Puentes fled
immediately from Arequipa on receiving intelligence of the events which
had occurred at Las Charcas. Mendoza therefore took possession of
Arequipa without resistance; whence he reinforced himself with all the
men, arms, and horses, he could procure, and carried off all the money
he could find, with which and his reinforcement he returned to Centeno
at La Plata.

On the return of Mendoza, Centeno found himself at the head of two
hundr