ABSTRACT
Hernando Pizarro gave orders to march with all speed to the bridge over the Apurimac, lest the enemy should get possession of the hill which commanded it. It is certain that if Almagro had taken the advice that some of his captains gave him, and had marched with all his force to meet the Pizarros at this river, it would have been easy for him to defeat them, as these would have arrived tired. Hernando Pizarro and his captains arrived at the bridge and that night occupied the adjacent hill. Then, leaving the high road to Cuzco, they took another on the right hand and followed it until they came to a small village on the top of a hill. Hernando Pizarro wanted to march towards Cuzco with the small force he had with him without waiting for the rest of his army. So great was his desire to be avenged on Almagro that any delay caused him annoyance, and so as not to lose time he told the captains that were with him that they ought at once to advance on Cuzco. They all considered this haste to be very unwise, and held that it would be very imprudent to move until the rest of the forces arrived, the enemy being so near that one did not know when they might attack. As their views differed from those of Hernando Pizarro, they asked Alonzo de Alvarado to speak to him, and represent the imprudence of advancing until the whole force had arrived, for it was known that the Adelantado was in Cuzco, and he might have sent part of his forces to surprise them in some pass, where there would be danger.
