ired places till they might
ascertain that Gonzalo had proceeded farther on his march, which indeed
he continued to do with much precipitation. When he had proceeded to a
considerable distance from Lima, all those who had abandoned him flocked
to that city, and every day some fresh deserters came there, by which
means Aldana got accurate intelligence of the proceedings of Gonzalo,
who was reported to be in continual dread of being put to death by his
own men. After the flight of the licentiate Carvajal and Gabriel de
Roias, Gonzalo made no farther use of the royal standard, only
displaying that which contained his own arms. His cruelty increased with
his disappointment, insomuch that not a day passed in which he did not
put some one to death. He took extraordinary precautions for his own
personal safety, which were so far effectual, but every effort to
prevent desertion was unavailing.

Lorenzo de Aldana sent intelligence of all these matters to the
president, by means of messengers dispatched both by sea and land,
earnestly urging him to come into Peru as quickly as possible, as the
insurgent party seemed at so low an ebb that nothing was wanting but his
presence to make it fall entirely in pieces and submit without a
struggle. On the 9th. of September 1547, when assured that Gonzalo had
retreated eighty leagues from Lima, Aldana landed with all his officers
and all the inhabitants of Lima that had taken shelter on board his
ships. He was received on shore with every demonstration of joy and
respect, every one who was able appearing in arms to do him honour.
Having appointed Juan Fernandez to the command of the ships, he took
charge of the vacant government of Lima, where he made every possible
preparation for carrying on the war, collecting arms ammunition and all
other necessaries.

Some time after the departure of Juan d'Acosta from Lima for Cuzco by
the mountain road, as already mentioned, at the head of three hundred
men well armed and equipped, he got notice that Gonzalo Pizarro had
abandoned that city; on which he sent Fra Pedro, a monk of the order of
Mercy, to Gonzalo, to demand instructions for his ulterior proceedings.
Pizarro sent back the monk with directions for Acosta to join him at a
certain place. On his return to Acosta, accompanied by a person named
Gonzalo Muquos, after delivering his dispatches, Friar Pedro gave him an
account of all that had happened in the army of Gonzalo, and in
particular of