2 DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY. 



and central provinces had been acknowledged. To the south dwelt the Promaucanos and Arau- 

 canos, over whom neither the Inca Yupanqui nor Almagro had been able to obtain decided 

 advantage by attacks on the land side ; and the tenor of his orders to Pastene renders it cer- 

 tain that his conduct was instigated by military tact and necessity, as well as "for the better 

 service of his Majesty, whose subjects will be gratified with knowledge that there are lands 

 to repay their labors, of which I have taken possession." He then goes on directing him to 

 proceed from the port of Valparaiso to the Straits of Magellan, making examination of the 

 coast and ports ; to land with armed men, and take possession whenever he may consider it 

 expedient ; to bring back with him a cargo of provisions and live stock ; and to render, at his 

 return, an accurate account of his doings. 



After sailing to the southward thirteen days, finding himself beyond 41 south latitude, Pas- 

 tene bore up for the coast, and landed at a port which he baptized " San Pedro," as well in 

 compliment to the governor as to the name of the ship that bore them. This was to the north- 

 ward of Chiloe, and would coincide" nearly with Puerto Estaguillas of the maps, though M. 

 Gay has actually marked on his map of the province of Valdivia, published under the auspices 

 of the Chilean government, a small creek and indentation of the coast, " Ensenada y rio de San 

 Pedro." A subsequent attempt was made to penetrate southward, as well by land as by sea, 

 and the parties did succeed in seeing one of the islands composing the Chonos archipelago ; but 

 the claim of Chile to the territory as far as Magellan is based on the instructions to Pastene. 

 As the Portuguese were the only nation to dispute the right and they suffered their title to 

 be lost by non-occupation a penal colony was established by the republic within the straits, 

 and the jurisdiction of Chile has thus been perfected. Apparently, without regard to the vary- 

 ing distance of the Andes a natural boundary known to exist at the time of the invasion 

 the eastern limits of Chile were fixed at one hundred leagues from the coast. But the spirit 

 which had instigated the foray from Peru was not less restless in the breasts of Pizarro's lieu- 

 tenants, than when they braved the privations of Atacama ; and though constantly harassed by 

 attacks from the most warlike race they had ever encountered in America, yet, in the twenty 

 years that followed, the Andes had been repeatedly traversed by small armed bands, and all 

 the country, as far east as the sixty-third meridian from Greenwich, had been formally added to 

 Valdivia' s government. True, there were controversies and contests, on territory far within 

 this limit, between subordinates of President Gasca, who had succeeded the Pizarros, and 

 Francisco de Villagra, who was under the authority of Valdivia ; but before the close of 1560, 

 the provinces from Tucuman to Cuyo, inclusive, and west of the Kio Dulce, had acknowledged 

 immediate allegiance to the last. The last added were the first lopped off from the new con- 

 federation. Almost incessant wars with the Araucanos during the next two centuries permit- 

 ted few succors to be sent to colonies offering so little in recompense as did those to the eastward 

 of the Andes ; and so completely do they appear -to have been lost sight of, that even the epochs 

 at which they severally separated are not noted by the historian of Chile.* Mendoza was last. 

 Its people having expressed a preference for the Argentine republic about the time that Chile 

 accomplished its independence of the mother country, no obstacle was interposed ; and the 

 eastern boundary, which until then was at the foot of the Andes, on the Argentine side, was 

 withdrawn to the. crests of the highest range. Long before this, however, the name Chile 

 which, at the time of Valdivia, belonged properly but to the basin in which lies Santiago had 

 been applied to the entire territory. The derivation of the name is in dispute. Some assert 

 that it was given by the Peruvians, in whose language Tclii-li signifies "snow;" whilst others 

 believe that the aboriginal tribes so called it because of the constantly-repeated cry, resembling 

 Chi-li, uttered by a species of thrush, the Trille (Agelaius tliilius), though the former derivation 

 seems most probable. 



Thus, when the republic took its place among the nations of the earth, Chile consisted but of 



* Sir Woodbine Parish says, that -San Luis, San Juan, and Mendoza were added to the vice-royalty of Buenos Ayres in 1776. 



