region of Peru into the eastern plain of the Rio de la Plata. Alfonso de
Toro continued the pursuit as far as the city of La Plata, which is an
hundred and eighty leagues to the south of Cuzca. Finding that place
abandoned and entirely stript of every thing which might contribute to
the subsistence of his troops, and being unable to procure provisions on
account of the absence of all the curacas or caciques, he was under the
necessity to discontinue his pursuit of Centeno, and even found himself
compelled to return towards Cuzco. In this retreat, De Toro took the
command of the advanced guard of fifty men, ordering the main body to
march at leisure, and left a rear-guard of thirty of his best mounted
cavalry under Alfonso de Mendoza, with orders to use every possible
means of procuring intelligence of the motions of Centeno; that, in case
of his following, the troops might be collected together in good order
to rejoin the van.

The departure of De Toro from La-Plata on his return to Cuzco was soon
communicated to Centeno by means of the Indians. He was astonished at
this sudden alteration of affairs; and, as he understood that De Toro
marched in great hast, without keeping his troops in close array, he
supposed that circumstance to have been occasioned by De Toro
entertaining suspicions of the fidelity of his followers, and that he
had found them ill-disposed towards the party of the Pizarrians. On
these considerations, Centeno resolved to pursue in his turn, in hope of
drawing some advantage to the cause in which he was engaged from this
measure, and even expecting that several of the followers of Toro might
come over to his side. He sent off therefore the captain Lope de Mendoza
with fifty light armed cavalry in pursuit of the enemy. Mendoza got in a
short time to Collao; and, although de Toro and most of his troops had
already passed beyond that place, he made prisoners of about fifty who
remained behind, whom at first he deprived of their horses and arms.