26 



CHAPTER V. 



First Expedition of the Spaniards to Chili. 



FRANCIS PIZARRO and Diego Almagro hav- 

 ing put to death the Inca Atahiialpa, had subjected 

 the empire of Peru to the dominion of Spain. Pi- 

 zarro, desirous of enjoying without a rival this im- 

 portant conquest, made at their mutual expense, per- 

 suaded his companion to undertake the reduction 

 of Chili, celebrated for its riches throughout all 

 those countries. Almagi*o, filled with sanguine 

 expectations of booty, began his march for that ter- 

 ritory in the end of the year 1535, with an army com- 

 posed of 570 Spaniards and 15,000 Peruvians, under 

 the command of Paullu^ the brother of the Inca 

 Manco, the nominal Emperor of Peru, who had suc- 

 ceeded the unfortunate Atahualpa. 



T\vo roads lead from Peru to Chili ; one is by 

 the sea coast, and is destitute of water and provision ; 

 the other, for a distance of 120 miles, passes over 

 the inmiensc mountains of the Andes. This last Al- 

 magro took, for no other reason but because it was 

 the shortest. His army, after having been exposed 

 to infinite fatigue, and many conflicts with the adjoin- 

 ing savages, reached the Cordilleras just at the com- 

 mencement of winter, destitute of provisions, and 

 but ill supplied with clothing. In this season the 

 snow ialls almost continually, and completely covers 



