4000003871

Royal Commentaries.

BOOK

VIU.

ofthe Kingdom of

Cht!e,

which was become vacant by the Oeath of

Geronimus

de A/deme

who died oo bis way thither of grief, to think tbat

800

Perfons

perifhed in'the ~a~eon by bis_faulc_, and·tbe fa~lt of h~s Sifte~-in-Law ; for he

knew weU, that 1( 1t ha~ not oeen rn confi~e~at1on of h1m, the Mafter of che Ship

would not have g1ven L1cenfe to tbat Rel1g10us Woman to keep a Caadle

her Cabin by nigbt, which was'the defl:ruél:ion of .the Veffel, and of ali thofe

therein. The advancement of

Don García de Mendofa,

that Charge and

íruft, was pleafing to all tbofe of

Pm,;

tbat many Souldiers, and Perfons

bf Eftates offered themfelves freely .to accompany bien in that Expedition

knowing ;bat it would be a Service acceptaf?le to bis Majefty, and to the Vice~

king.$aniillian

tbe Chief Jud_ge of the C~ánc~ry,was appointed Oeputy Gover–

nour to

Don Garcia,

and to d1reé1: and gmde h1m ; and he was earnefl:ly intreated

i:o aécept ofthís Office. Grearpreparations·\;'Vere made over all the Kingdom

for chis Journey, of Armes, Horfes, Cloaths, and other Ornacnents, which

coft very dear in this C~untr~, whereall t~e Commodities of

Spain

are raifed

to a vaft price.

The Vtce-Ktn_g alfo ªPP?IIl_ted three other Gentlemen ofQua–

licy for three feveral parts, wh1ch were w1thin .t~at Conqueft ; namely,

Gomez

Aria1, ']ohh de Salinas,

and

.Antonde Awayo,

every one ofwhith was very fiudi- •

bus to difcharge his Duty in bis Office refpeél:ively.

Don

arcia de Mendof11

being gbne to bis Governrnenr, atteiided, as we haV'e

faid, wicb a great nurnber of Choice and Seleét Perfons: So foon as be was

in the poífellion thereof, he fpeedilydeíigned the Conqueft of the

lndim

Arau–

co.1,

wbo were become very infolenc and proud by thofo Viétories which they had

gained over the

Spaniards

The firft was thac.over

Don Pedro de Valdivia,

which

was followed by forne others afcerwards, which are written in Verfe

the

Poets of thofe times, wbicb had been much more properfy delivered in ·

Profe, for then we might.have_given Credit thereunto, more than we can

the Fiétions of Poetry.

The Governour having in a íhort time provided himfelf with all things ne–

ce{fary for the-War., ent~i:ed into the.rebelled Provinces with a . number of

brave Men, Arms, .f'\rnunmon and Prov1fions, for _the Enemy had carried away

every thing, leavmg the Country naked., and wuhout any Suftenance foran

Army.

They bad not entcred very far into thefe pares, but the

lndi11w

had

fit–

ted an Arnbufh for them, and had compofed a Vanguard of

5000

lndi11m,

wich

orders not

fight, nor come wichin any danger of being forced by the Enerny

toan engagement. Tbe

Spaniard.1,

being info,rmed by their Scouts and Spyes

fent abroad,that che

Jndians

fled before them, wuhout any ftop or

fray

in a fetled

place ; gave order to puríue checn with all con_venient fpeed, and yet wich

foch Caution, as not to be entrapped by thetr Ambufhes, or Surprifals .

for the Governour, at che time he firft en~ered in~o that Country, had bee~

fore-warned by thofe wbo bad been acquarnted wtth the Stratagerns which

thoíe People uíe in the War, by kirmifhing, and flying, to be always drcum–

fpeét, and doub~ful of them. Howfoever

eager was the Governour to pur•

fue che Enemy, m hopes totally to deft~oy them, and by a ~loody ílaughter of

them to difcourage the reft from makmg farther oppofiuon, that he made

. little ufe of the Caution which was given him ; for. leaving his Carnp, and

T enes, he followed the Enemy a whole day, anda mght; and being remo.

ved at a good diftailce from thenc~, out carne _the

Indians

from their holes

and places, wbere t~ey had been h1~den, and fe1zed on t~e Camp wichout any

oppofition. and plundered ª?d carned away all the Baggage, and Necelfaries

belonging to the Anny. Witb tbe News hereof the G~>Veroour was forced

give over his cbafe,and fee to recover wbat tbe ~nemy had plundered frorn him;

but it was too late,for they w~re returned to their fecret Holds,and to the places

wbere they had concealed their booty paft ali recovery. The news ofthis fuccefs

tame toPem,almoíl: as foon as tbat oftheGovernours arrival in the feat of hisGo~

vernment,

that ali the WorId wondered at chis fudden accident, and how in

lliort a time tbe

Indians

fhould be fuch Gainers, and the

Sp;miard.1

fuch Lofcrs for

tbey had loft all theirBagg~ge,e~en to their very Shirts,and wearingCloath;. To

t epair tbis difafter, the V1ce-K10g fent

away

with all fpeed new Recruits ofali

ngs thac were ~ece!fary,in_wbich he expended out of the .King'sTreafury vaft:'

foms ofGold andStlver,at wh1chPeople much

murmured,asPalentino

faitb meaning

the firft expence which was made,when

Don Garcia

went to his Gover~ment of

Chili,