credible fatigues, Valdivia, believing himself well established in that part of Chili which was under the dominion of the Peruvians, distributed the land among his soldiers, assigning to each, under the title of commandery, a considerable portion, with the inhabitants living thereon, according to the baneful feudal system of Europe. By this means, having quieted the restless ambition of his companions, he set out anew on his march for the southern provinces, with a respectable army of Spanish and Promaucian troops.

After a journey of 240 miles, he arrived, without encountering many obstacles, at the bay of Penco, which had been already explored by Pastene, where, on the 5th of October, 1550, he founded a third city, called Conception.*

The situation of this place was very advantageous for commerce from the excellence of its harbour, but, from the lowness of the ground, was exposed in earthquakes to inundations of the sea. The bay, which is in extent from east to west six

*This city was destroyed by the earthquakes and inundations of the sea, that occurred on the 8th of July, 1730, and the 24th of May, 1751. For this reason the inhabitants established themselves, on the 24th of November, 1764, in the valley of Mocha, three leagues south of Penco, between the rivers Andalien and Bio-bio, where they founded New Conception. The harbour is situated in the middle of the bay called Talgacuano, a little more than two leagues west of Mocha; a fort is all the building that is now left at Penco.

miles, and nine from north to south, is defended from the sea by a pleasant island called Quiriquina; the entrance upon the north side, which is half a league broad, is the only one of sufficient depth to admit ships of the line, the other being narrow, and only navigable for small vessels. The soil, under the influence of a favourable climate, produces an abundance of timber, minerals, excellent wine, and all the other necessaries of life, and the sea and rivers great quantities of delicate fish.

The adjacent tribes, perceiving the intention of the Spaniards to occupy this important post, gave information of it to their neighbours and friends, the Araucanians, who, forseeing that it would not be long before the storm would burst upon their own country, resolved to succour their distressed allies, in order to secure themselves. But before I proceed to relate the events of this war, I have thought proper to give some account of the character and manners of that warlike people, who have hitherto, with incredible valour, opposed the overwhelming torrent of Spanish conquest, and from henceforward will furnish all the materials of our history.

THE

CIVIL HISTORY

OF

CHILI.

BOOK II.

CHAPTER I.

Local Situation, Character, Dress, and Dwellings of the Araucanians.

THE Araucanians inhabit that delightful country situated between the rivers Bio-bio and Valdivia, and between the Andes and the sea, extending from 36. 44. to 39. 50. degrees of south latitude. They derive their appellation of Araucanians from the province of Arauco, which, though the smallest in their territory, has, like Holland, given its name to the whole nation, either from its having been the first to unite with the neighbouring provinces, or from having at some remote period reduced them under its dominion. This people, ever enthusiastically attached to their independence, pride

themselves in being called Auca,* which signifies frank or free, and those Spaniards, who had left the army in the Netherlands to serve in Chili, gave to this country the name of Araucanian Flanders, or the Invincible State, and some of them have even had the magnanimity to celebrate in epic poetry the exploits of a people who, to preserve their independence, have shed such torrents of Spanish blood.

The Araucanians, although they do not exceed the ordinary height of the human species, are in general muscular, robust, well proportioned, and of a martial appearance. It is very unusual to find among them any person who is crooked or deformed, not from their pursuing, as some have supposed, the cruel custom of the ancient Spartans, in suffocating such unfortunate children, but because they leave to nature the care of forming them, without obstructing her operations by the improper application of bandages and stays. Their complexion, with the exception of the Boroanes, who, as I have already observed, are fair and ruddy, is of a reddish brown, but clearer than that of the other Americans. They have round faces, small animated eyes full of expression, a nose rather flat, a hand

According to Falkner the missionary, Aucaes is a name of reproach, given them by the Spaniards, and signifying rebels or wild-men-aucani is to rebel, to make a riot-auca-cahual (cevallo) is a wild horse.-E. E.

some mouth, even and white teeth, muscular and well shaped legs, and small flat feet.

Like the Tartars, they have scarce any beard, and the smallest hair is never to be discerned on their faces, from the care they take to pluck out the little that appears; they esteem it very impolite to have a beard, calling the Europeans, by way of reproach, the long beards. The same attention is paid to removing it from their bodies, where its growth is more abundant; that of their heads is thick and black, but rather coarse; they permit it to grow to a great length, and wind it in tresses around their heads; of this they are as proud and careful as they are averse to beards, nor could a greater affront be offered them than to cut it off. Their women are delicately formed, and many of them, especially among the Boroanes, are very handsome.

Possessed of great strength of constitution, and unincumbered with the cares that disturb civilized society, they are not subject, except at a very advanced period of life, to the infirmities attendant upon old age. They rarely begin to be grey before they are sixty or seventy, and are not bald or wrinkled until eighty. They are generally longer lived than the Spaniards, and many are to be met with whore age exceeds a hundred; and, to the latest period of their lives, they retain their sight, teeth, and memory, unimpaired.