himself to soothe these turbulent spirits, and to divert their minds from such dangerous schemes, by painting to them in seducing colours the happy prospect

that awaited them.

Valdivia had often heard in Peru that the valley of Quillota abounded in mines of gold, and imagined that he might obtain from thence a sufficient quantity to satisfy his soldiers. In consequence, notwithstanding the difficulties with which he was surrounded, he sent thither a detachment of troops, with orders to superintend the digging of this precious metal. The mine that was opened was so rich that its product surpassed their most sanguine hopes. Their present and past sufferings were all buried in oblivion, nor was there one among them who had the remotest wish of quitting the country. The governor, who was naturally enterprising, encouraged by this success, had a frigate built in the mouth of the river Chile, which traverses the valley, in order more readily to obtain succours from Peru, without which, he was fully sensible, he could not succeed in accomplishing his vast undertakings.

CHAPTER VII.

The Copiapins defeat a body of Spaniards; Successful stratagem employed by the Quillotanes; Valdivia receives reinforcements from Peru; He founds the city of Coquimbo, which is destroyed by the natives; The Promaucians form an alliance with the Spaniards; Foundation of the city of Conception.

IN the mean time, as the state of affairs was urgent, Valdivia resolved to send to Peru by land two of his captains, Alonzo Monroy and Pedro Miranda, with six companions, whose spurs, bits and stirrups he directed to be made of gold, hoping to entice, by this proof of the opulence of the country, his fellow citizens to come to his assistance. These messengers, although escorted by thirty men on horseback, who were ordered to accompany them to the borders of Chili, were attacked and defeated by a hundred archers of Copiapo, commanded by Coteo, an officer of the ulmer of that province. Of the whole band none escaped with life but the two officers, Monroy and Miranda, who were brought covered with wounds before the ulmen.

Whilst that prince, who had resolved to put them to death as enemies of the country, was deliberating on the mode, the ulmena or princess, his wife, moved with compassion for their situation, interced

ed with her husband for their lives, and having obtained her request, unbound them with her own hands, tenderly dressed their wounds, and treated them like brothers. When they were fully recovered, she desired them to teach her son the art of riding, as several of the horses had been taken alive in the defeat. The two Spaniards readily consented to her request, hoping to avail themselves of this opportunity to recover their liberty. But the means they took to effect this were marked with an act of ingratitude to their benefactress, of so much the deeper dye, as, from their not being strictly guarded, such an expedient was unne

cessary.

As the young prince was one day riding between them, escorted by his archers, and preceded by an officer armed with a lance, Monroy suddenly attacked him with a poniard, which he carried about him, and brought him to the ground, with two or three mortal wounds; Miranda at the same time wresting the lance from the officer, they forced their way through the guards who were thrown into confusion by such an unexpected event. As they were well mounted they easily escaped pursuit, and taking their way through the desarts of Peru, arrived at Cuzco, the residence at that time of Vasca de Castro, who had succeeded to the government upon the death of Pizarro, cruelly assassinated by the partizans of Almagro.

On being informed of the critical situation of Chili, Castro immediately dispatched a considerable number of recruits by land under the command of

Monroy, who had the good fortune to conceal his march from the Copiapins; and at the same time gave directions to Juan Batista Pastene, a noble Genoese, to proceed thither by sea with a still greater number. Valdivia, on receiving these two reinforcements, which arrived nearly at the same time, began to carry his great designs into execution. As he had been solicitous from the first to have a complete knowledge of the sea coast, he ordered Pastene to explore it, and note the situation of the most important parts and places, as far as the straits of Magellan. On his return from this expedition, he sent him back to Peru for new recruits, as, since the affair of Copiapo, the natives became daily more bold and enterprising.

Among others, the Quillotanes had, a little time before, massacred all the soldiers employed in the mines. For this purpose they employed the following stratagem: one of the neighbouring Indians brought to the commander, Gonzalo Rios, a pot full of gold, telling him that he had found a great quantity of it in a certain district of the country. Upon this information, all were impatient to proceed thither to participate in the imagined treasure. As they arrived tumultuously at the place described, they fell into an ambuscade, from whence none escaped except the imprudent commander and a negro who saved themselves by the superior excellence of their horses. The frigate that was then finished was also destroyed, being burned together ·with the arsenal.

Valdivia, on receiving advice of this disaster, hastened thither with his troops, and having revenged, as far as in his power, the death of his soldiers, built a fort to protect the miners. Being afterwards reinforced with three hundred men from Peru, under the command of Francis Villagran and Christopher Escobar, he became sensible of the necessity of establishing a settlement in the northern part of the kingdom, that might serve as a place of arms, and a protection for the convoys that should come that way. For this purpose he made choice of a beautiful plain at the mouth of the river Coquimbo, which forms a good harbour, where, in 1564, he founded a city called by him Serena, in honour of the place of his birth; it is not, however, known at present by this appellation, except in geographical treatises, the country name having prevailed, as is the case with all the other European -settlements in Chili.

In the ensuing year he began to think of extending his conquests, and for that purpose proceeded into the country of the Promaucians. Contemporary writers have not made mention of any battle that was fought upon this occasion; but it is not to be supposed that this valiant people who had with so much glory repulsed the armies of the Inca and of Almagro, would have allowed him, without opposition, to violate their territory. It is, however, highly probable, that Valdivia, in the frequent incursions which he made upon their frontiers, had had the art to persuade them to unite with him against the other Chilians by seducing promises; a mean

1