He Consented To This, And As The
Day Drew Towards A Close, Being Within An Hour And A Half Of Sunset, He
Proposed To Postpone The Battle Till Next Morning.
But Alonso de Alvarado
assured him that he would be defeated if he delayed, as the whole army
seemed then animated by the best resolution, and it was impossible to say
whether some might not change their sentiments during the night.
The
governor assented to this advice, only saying that he wished to have the
power which had been given to Joshua, that he might stop the going down of
the sun.
At this time the artillery belonging to Don Diego opened its fire upon the
royalists; and as it was dangerous to descend the hill in front towards
the enemy, on account of being too much exposed in that direction to their
guns, the serjeant-major and Alonso Alvarado directed the army to move by
the left, where there was a hollow which led towards the enemy, by which
they were protected from the balls which all flew over their heads. The
troops marched in the following order. Alonzo de Alvarado was on the right
with his troops of horse, having the royal standard carried by Christoval
de Barientos; on the left were the other four captains of horse, Pedro
Holguin, Gomes Alvarado, Garcilasso de la Vega, and Pedro Anzurez, all at
the head of their respective troops in excellent order. Between the two
wings of cavalry, the Captains Pedro de Vergara and Juan Velez de Guevara
marched with the infantry; and Nunno de Castro marched in front with his
musqueteers to begin the battle, with orders to retire when pressed by the
enemy under the protection of the main body.
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