ecting such provisions
and other necessaries as might serve his purpose, he set off for
Truxillo with thirty armed horsemen, declaring publickly that Gonzalo
was a tyrant and usurper, that all good subjects were bound to obey the
orders of his majesty, and that he was resolved to join the president.

When this serious defection became known in the camp, it was universally
believed that the army would soon disperse, and that Gonzalo would be
massacred. Gonzalo endeavoured to restore order and confidence among his
troops, pretending to care little for those who had deserted him; yet
resolved to decamp next morning. That very night, Lope Martin, an
inhabitant of Cuzco, deserted almost in sight of the whole army. Next
morning Gonzalo quitted his present camp, and marched about two leagues
to a new camp near an aqueduct, taking every precaution to prevent his
people from deserting; believing that his principal danger on that
account would be got over if he were once ten or twelve leagues from
Lima. The licentiate Carvajal was appointed to take charge of the night
guard, with strict injunctions to prevent desertion: But even he, in the
middle of the night, quitted the camp accompanied by Paulo Hondegardo,
Marco de Retamoso, Pedro Suarez d'Escovedo, Francisco de Miranda,
Hernando de Vargas, and several others belonging to his company. These
men went in the first place to Lima, whence they took the road towards
Truxillo. A few hours afterwards, Gabriel de Roias left the camp,
accompanied by his nephews Gabriel Bermudez and Gomez de Roias and
several other persons of quality. These men left the camp unseen by any
one, as they went through the quarter which had been confided to the
charge of the licentiate Carvajal.

In the morning, Gonzalo was much distressed on learning the events of
the past night, and more especially by the desertion of the licentiate
Carvajal, whom he had disobliged by superseding him in the command which
had been conferred on Juan d'Acosta, and by refusing him his niece Donna
Francisca in marriage. The departure of the licentiate had a very bad
effect on the minds of the troops; as they knew he was entrusted with
all Gonzalos secrets, and had been greatly in his confidence ever since
the death of the viceroy whom he had slain in the battle of Quito.
Carvajal left to the value of more than 15,000 crowns in the camp, in
gold silver and horses, all of which was immediately confiscated and
divided among the so