LOPEZ VAZ AD. 



1572-87. 

 come by the Spaniards, they also immediately yeelded 

 their lande unto them. But the other halfe as it was El estado de 

 the richest and the fruitfullest part, so God had peopled ^^^^'''^'^' 

 it with the most valiant and furious people in all 

 America. 



The province which they inhabite called El Estado de [^^^- 797-J 

 Arauco is but a small province about 20 leagues in . ^^^^ ^ 

 length, and is governed by ten principall men of the 

 countrey, out of which tenne they chuse the valiantest 

 man for the generall in the warres. The kings of Peru 

 in times past could never conquere this part of Chili, nor 

 yet any other kings of the Indians. The weapons used 

 by these people of Arauco are long pikes, halbards, bowes 

 and arrowes : they also make them jacks of seale-skinnes, 

 and head-pieces : in times past the heads of their halbards 

 and pikes were of brasse, but now they have gotten store 

 of yron. They pitch their battels in maner like the Chris- 

 tians : for putting their pikemen in rankes, they place 

 bowmen among them, and marshal! their troupes with 

 discretion and great valour. Now the Spaniards com- 

 ming unto this province sent word unto them by other 

 Indians, saying that they were the children of God, and 

 came to teach them the word of God, and that therefore 

 they ought to yeelde themselves unto them : if not, they 

 would shoot fire among them and burne them. These 

 people not fearing the great words of the Spaniards, but 

 desiring to see that which jthey had heard reported, met 

 them in the field, and fought a most cruell battell : but 

 by reason of the Spaniards great ordinance and calivers, 

 they were in the end put to flight. Now these Indians 

 thinking verily that the Spaniards were the children of 

 God, because of their great ordinance which made such 

 a noise, and breathed out such flames of fire, yeelded 

 themselves unto them. So the Spaniards having divided 

 this province made the Indians to serve their turnes for 

 getting of gold out of the mines, which they enjoyed in 

 such abundance, that hee which had least had 20000 

 pezos, but Captaine Baldivia himselfe had 300000 pezos 



275 



