Some captains held to the earlier decision, and gave sound reasons for not pushing forward; but, after discussion, it was finally decided to go and take up a position at Guamanga and thence search for Vaca de Castro. They called upon Father Márquez to declare to all the soldiers the smallness of the force that Vaca de Castro was bringing, and that it was not fit to oppose the strength and efficiency they themselves possessed. The priest did this. Afterwards he said mass before all the Spaniards, and when it was over he affirmed, by that true body of God which had been in the chalice, that what he had told the captains and soldiers was fact. On hearing this oath they all rejoiced. They quitted that place the next day and, keeping the same order, marched towards Andahuaylas, where the Chief, named Guasco, had carried off all the provisions to a place of hiding. For being in the _encomienda_ of the wealthy Diego Maldonado who, he knew, was with Vaca de Castro, this Chief was unwilling to befriend the opposite party. Moreover he had a writ from Vaca de Castro empowering him to kill any Spaniard of the men of Chile's party who should countermand the Governor's requisitions. When the Spaniards saw that the Indians were not peaceably disposed, they were enraged with them; but this was no time to busy themselves with punishing Indians, so they made their own preparations for getting onward as best they could, having first despatched the licentiate de La Gama with an embassy to the camp of Vaca de Castro to discuss peace. Vaca de Castro ordered him and those who came with him to lodge at Guaylas, which is on the other side of the river. He listened to the message of the embassy, and remarked that there were many in the camp of Don Diego who desired to quit the error of their ways, but had not been able to contrive to do so. The upshot of this embassy was, that Vaca de Castro directed that Juan Balsa and another leader from among the principal men should come, and he would discuss terms of peace with them. At this time, Don Diego had arrived at the royal residence of Vilcas, where he made himself secure, and pitched his camp among those ruined [Inca] edifices, under the superintendence of his Sergeant-major Suárez, a trusty fellow well versed in affairs of war. Here Don Diego and his captains determined to send messengers afresh to Vaca de Castro, in order to treat for peace; and they deemed that it would be of great help in justifying their claims if two letters were written, one by Don Diego and the other by his captains. I possess the originals of those letters, which I here set down word for word, as it is my habit to do with many others that I put in and will put in. The messenger who carried them was Lope de Idiáquez. The letter from Don Diego ran thus: LETTER FROM DON DIEGO DE ALMAGRO TO THE GOVERNOR VACA DE CASTRO "VERY MAGNIFICENT SIR,