Rodrigo de Salazar, in whom
Puelles reposed entire confidence, entered into a conspiracy with
several soldiers at Quito, assassinated Puelles, and declared for his
majesty. After this exploit, Salazar set out from Quito for Tumbez with
three hundred men, with the intention of joining the president. By these
several events, and others which have been formerly related, almost the
whole of Peru had already returned to obedience before the arrival of
the president in the kingdom.

While these favourable events were going on in Peru, the president
embarked at Panama with about five hundred men, and arrived safely at
the port of Tumbez; one of his ships, commanded by Don Pedro de Cabrera,
being under the necessity of stopping at Buenaventura, whence Cabrera
and his men marched by land to Tumbez. On his arrival in Peru, the
president received letters from all parts of the kingdom, by which the
writers offered him their services and assistance, besides communicating
their sentiments on the situation of the colony, and giving their advice
how best to proceed in reducing it to order; to all of which letters he
replied with great condescension. So many flocked to his standard from
all quarters, that he considered himself sufficiently strong to overcome
all resistance from the remnant of the insurgents, without drawing any
reinforcements from the other Spanish colonies in America; on which
account he sent off messengers to New Spain, Guatimala, Nicaragua, and
St Domingo, informing the governors of these colonies of the favourable
turn of affairs in Peru, and that he should now have no occasion for
the reinforcements which he had formerly thought necessary. Soon after
his arrival, he gave orders to his lieutenant-general, Pedro Alfonzo de
Hinojosa, to march with the troops to form a junction with the royalists
in Caxamarca. In the mean time Polo de Menzes remained in charge of the
fleet, with which he advanced along the coast to the southwards, while
the president, with a sufficient escort, went by the road of the plain
to Truxillo, at which place he received intelligence from all parts of
the country, stating that every thing went on well.

The president had resolved that he would not go to Lima till he had
completed the purposes of his mission, by the final conquest of Gonzalo
and his adherents, and the restoration of peace and order in the kingdom
of Peru; on which account he transmitted orders to all quarters, that
all who had