Hinojosa, who had
hitherto been lieutenant-governor there, resigned the command of the
city and troops, but as was believed with much dissatisfaction. De
Robles immediately collected as much money as he could procure, and
enlisted all the soldiers that were to be found in that neighbourhood,
with whom he marched to Xaquixaguana, about four leagues from Cuzco. At
that place he learned that Diego Centeno; who had concealed himself for
more than a year in a cave among the mountains, had recently left his
concealment, on learning the arrival of the president, and had collected
several of his former partisans, who had hidden themselves from the fury
of Gonzalo in various parts of the woods and mountains. By this time
Centeno had collected about forty men, mostly on foot, though some of
them still had the horses with which they had made their escape.
Although these men were neither so well armed or equipped as they could
have wished, Centeno resolved to make an attempt upon Cuzco, shewing as
much confidence as if he had been at the head of five hundred well armed
troops. His principal followers were Luis de Ribera, Alfonso Perez de
Esquival, Diego Alvarez, Francisco Negral, Pedro Ortiz de Zarate, and
Friar Dominic Ruiz, commonly called Father Viscayno. With this small
band of followers, Centeno drew nigh to Cuzco, being doubtless invited
to that step by some of the principal inhabitants, for the purpose of
freeing them from the tyranny of De Robles, a young man of low origin
and little ability. It was even said that Alfonso de Hinojosa, from
resentment against Gonzalo for superseding him in the government, had
sent privately to offer his assistance to Centeno. Both of these reports
are highly probable; as otherwise it would have been a most inexcusable
rashness in Centeno, to call it no worse, to have presumed upon
attacking Cuzco with the small number of men he had collected; as,
besides the inhabitants of the city, there were more than five hundred
soldiers there and in the environs, while he had only forty ill armed
men, most of whom had swords or daggers fastened to poles, instead of
pikes or lances.

On learning the approach of Centeno, De Robles returned to Cuzco, where
he made such preparations as seemed necessary; and, on hearing that
Centeno was within a days march, he took the field with three hundred
men, sending forwards Francisco de Aguira to procure intelligence. This
person was brother to one Peruchio de Aguira