Chapter X

_Second attempt against Chili.--Valdivia reaches
Mapocho.--Founds the city of St. Jago.--Temper
of the natives.--Terrible battle.--Sends to Peru
for help.--Officers taken.--Their treacherous
escape.--Valdivia Perseveres.--Final success and
arrangements._

The next who attempted the conquest of Chili, was Pedro de Valdivia, a Spanish adventurer, and, like all the others, eager to distinguish himself, and to gain a fortune. However, he was not so cruel and avaricious as many of the adventurers. He determined to establish a permanent settlement in Chili. He began his march in the year 1540, with 200 Spaniards, and a numerous body of Peruvian auxiliaries; he had also some monks, several women, and a great number of European quadrupeds, with everything requisite for a colony.

He pursued the same route as Almagro, but, as it was in the summer, he passed the Andes without trouble, and entered Copiapo. But he found a cool reception, though it was warm weather. The people had learned the fate of Peru, and were determined not to allow their country to be plundered by the Spaniards, if they could help it.

They, of course, began to attack Valdivia, on all sides; but still the Spaniards made good their way, and reached the province of Mapocho, now called St. Jago. This lies about 600 miles distant from the confines of Peru. It was a beautiful country, pleasant and fertile, and had such a large population, that its name was interpreted to signify “the land of many people.” It lies upon the mountains of the Andes, and is 140 miles in circumference. The mountains in the north part abounded with gold, and in the east were rich mines of silver.

Valdivia admired the country, and determined to possess it. He accordingly began his settlement, by founding a city, which he named St. Jago, in honor of that apostle. At that time, Christians really believed that God was well pleased with having his followers conquer the heathen; and the most cruel and wicked of the Spanish adventurers always made a parade of their religion, or rather, their superstitions.

Valdivia went on, for a time, very successfully with building his city; but the natives were forming plans to destroy him. These he suspected, and seized and confined a number of their chiefs. Still, he was not at ease, and, wishing to watch their movements, he took sixty horse, and went out to scour the country. The Mapochians in the vicinity, who were watching for such an opportunity, immediately fell upon the colony with terrible fury, burned the half-built houses, and assailed the citadel, where the inhabitants had take a refuge, on all sides.

The battle began at day-break, and was continued till night; fresh troops of Indians constantly pouring in to fill the places of those shot down by the Spaniards. The commander of the fort sent, during the night, a messenger to Valdivia, who immediately returned. The Indians were thus attacked on both sides; the musketry and horse made a terrible slaughter among them; they had no arms but bows and slings, yet they fought most furiously, till nearly all their army was destroyed.

Valdivia thus relieved the siege, and rebuilt the city; but, for six years, the natives were constant in their attacks; they cut off the Spaniards at every opportunity, destroyed the crops, and, finally, rendered all the fertile plains around St. Jago uncultivated and desert; and then retired to the mountains.

The Spanish soldiers had become heartily tired of this fighting life. A few battles did very well, but to spend year after year in warfare was not at all comfortable. So they finally determined to kill their general, and then return to Peru. Valdivia discovered the conspiracy, and finally succeeded in quelling it.

About the same time, he obtained possession of a rich gold mine, in the valley of Quillota; and, by distributing the gold freely among his men, he found that they soon grew contented. But he discovered that he needed more soldiers, as the natives were far from being subdued; and he had constantly to keep a detachment of troops to guard the miners.

At length, Valdivia resolved to send, by land, two of his captains, Monroy and Miranda, with six companions, whose spurs, bits, and stirrups he directed to be made of gold, hoping thus to entice the Spaniards in Peru to come to his assistance.

These messengers were escorted by thirty horsemen, who were to accompany them to the borders of Chili. They reached Copiapo: here they were attacked by one hundred archers, commanded by Corteo, an officer of the Ulmen. The Spaniards were all slain, except the two captains, who, dreadfully wounded, were taken prisoners, and brought before the Ulmen.

That prince resolved to put them to death; but, at the solicitation of his wife, the Ulmena, he finally consented to spare them. She unbound them with her own hands, 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 that they should find means to escape. This was natural; nor would it, perhaps, have been wrong, had they not committed a most horribly ungrateful crime to effect it. They were not strictly guarded, and frequently rode out with the young prince. One day, as this youth, the son of their benefactress, was riding between them, escorted by his archers, and preceded by his lance-bearer, Monroy suddenly attacked him with a poiniard he had concealed, and gave him several mortal wounds; while Miranda wrested the lance from the officer; and, in the confusion caused to the escort by seeing their young prince bleeding on the ground, these two treacherous Spaniards easily escaped.

But this breach of faith was ultimately of great disadvantage to the Spaniards. That one unprovoked murder probably caused the death of hundreds; because the natives never, after the occurrence, seemed to have put any faith in the professions of the white men.

The succeeding year or two were spent by Valdivia in fighting, and founding cities. The natives were gradually losing strength and hope; many were slain in the wars, and some yielded to what seemed inevitable, and became the allies of the Spaniards.

Still, there was much for these invaders to endure. At one time, the Copiapians, to revenge the murder of their prince by Monroy, killed forty Spaniards; and, not satisfied with that vengeance, they persuaded the Coquimbanes to massacre all the inhabitants of a colony which had been founded in their territory, and to raze the city of Serena, which Valdivia had caused to be built, to its foundations.

In 1549, the city was rebuilt in a more advantageous situation: but every advantage had to be purchased at the point of the sword, and paid for by human blood.

After a contest of nine years, and almost incredible hardships, the Spanish power seemed established in that part of Chili which had, formerly, been under the dominion--or, rather, superintendence--of the Peruvian empire. Valdivia then proceeded to distribute the conquered lands among his officers, as had been done in the West Indies and Peru. Then he was ready to undertake the conquest of the remaining provinces of Chili.

He accordingly began his march, with a pretty large army of Spaniards and Indians, and proceeded 240 miles, to the bay of Penco, where, on the 5th of October, 1550, he founded a third city, called Conception.

He had now arrived in the vicinity of the Araucanians; and, before we proceed with the story of the war, I will give you some account of the character and manners of this brave, free, and, in many respects, wonderful people.