By this specious discourse, in which Gonzalo endeavoured to persuade his troops that his cause was just and his intentions pure, a considerable effect was produced, and his soldiers unanimously declared their determination to follow and defend him at the risk of their lives.  He then marched out from Cuzco, accompanied by all the inhabitants of that city; and having put his troops in proper order, he gave permission that same evening to several of the citizens, as had been previously concerted between them, to return on purpose to prepare for the journey.  Next morning early, twenty-five of the most eminent citizens, who had first given their assent to the supplications against the obnoxious regulations, considering that the steps which were now taking were criminal and rebellious, and dreading the injurious consequences which they would necessarily produce in Peru, came to the resolution of abandoning the party of Gonzalo and offering their services to the viceroy.  They immediately set about executing this design, and went by long journeys through unfrequented ways in the deserts and mountains, lest Gonzalo might order them to be pursued, which he actually did.  The principal persons in this defection were Gabriel de Roias, and Gomez de Roias his nephew, Garcilasso de la Vega, Pedro del Barco, Martin de Florencia, Jeronimo de Soria, Juan de Saavedra, Jeronimo Costilla, Gomez de Leon, Luis de Leon, and Pedro Manjares[6].  On setting out from Cuzco, they carried with them the orders they had received from the royal audience, by which they were enjoined to compear at Lima to submit to the authority of the viceroy.

When Gonzalo was informed of this notable defection from his cause, by which all his troops seemed very considerably disconcerted, he was almost in the mind to have abandoned his enterprize, and to withdraw into the district of Charcas with about fifty horsemen of his most attached friends, to fortify himself there as well as he could; but after mature reflection, he considered it as less dangerous to follow his first intentions, and to continue the march for Lima.  Having taken this resolution, he endeavoured to encourage his troops, by telling them that the deserters were assuredly ill-informed of the true state of affairs at Lima, as he had letters from the principal inhabitants of that city, assuring him that, with fifty horsemen only, he might easily bring his enterprize to a happy conclusion, and without incurring the smallest danger, as all the colonists entertained the same sentiments with him, and only needed his countenance and direction to declare themselves.  He continued his march accordingly, but very slowly and with infinite difficulty, on account of the extreme labour which was requisite for bringing forward his artillery.  All the cannon and warlike stores had to be carried on the shoulders of Indians, by means of levers or long spars, for which purpose the guns were taken off from their carriages, and it required twelve Indians to each gun, who were hardly able to go above a hundred paces under their load, when they were relieved by an equal number.  On this account, 300 Indians were assigned to each gun, so that the artillery alone, with its ammunition and stores, required above 6000 Indians to conduct it over the mountains.