gro here who had gone with the
Christians to Cuzco, and he told me that these fears were feigned; for
that the captain-general had many well-armed men with him, that he
counted them by his knots in presence of the Christians, and that they
numbered thirty-five thousand Indians. So we went to Jauja, and, when we
were half a league from the town, and found that the captain did not
come out to receive us, a chief of Atahualpa, whom I had with me and
whom I had treated well, advised me to advance in order of battle,
because he believed that the captain intended to fight. We went up a
small hill overlooking Jauja, and saw a large black mass in the plaza,
which appeared to be something that had been burned. I asked what it
was, and they told me it was a crowd of Indians. The plaza is large, and
has a length of a quarter of a league. As no one came to receive us on
reaching the town, our people advanced in the expectation of having to
fight the Indians. But, at the entrance of the square, some principal
men came out to meet us with offers of peace, and told us that the
captain was not there, as he had gone to reduce certain chiefs to
submission. It would seem that he had gone out of fear, with some of his
troops, and had crossed a river near the town by a bridge of network. I
sent to tell him to come to me peaceably or else the Christians would
destroy him. Next morning the people came who were in the square. They
were Indian servants, and it is true that they numbered over a hundred
thousand souls. We remained here five days, and during all that time
they did nothing but dance and sing and hold great drinking-feasts. The
captain did not wish to come with me, but when he saw that I was
determined to make him he came of his own accord. I left the chief who
came with me as captain there. This town of Jauja is very fine and
picturesque, with very good level approaches, and it has an excellent
river-bank. In all my travels I did not see a better site for a
Christian settlement, and I believe that the Governor intends to form
one there, though some think that it would be more convenient to select
a position near the sea, and are, therefore, of an opposite opinion. All
the country, from Jauja to Cajamarca, by the road we returned, is like
that of which I have already given a description.

After returning to Cajamarca and reporting my proceedings to the
Governor, he ordered me to go to Spain and to give an account to his
majesty of t