29 



111 the me?.ii time, two soldiers having separated 

 from the army, proceeded to Guaseo, ^vhere they 

 were at first well reeeived, but were afterwards put 

 to death by the inhabitants, in consequence, no doubt, 

 of some acts of violence, which soldiers, freed from 

 the controul of their officers, are very apt to commit. 

 This was the first European blood spilt in Chili, 

 a country afterwards so copiously watered \^ ith it. 



On being informed of this unfortunate accident, 

 calculated to destroy the exalted opinion which he 

 wished to inspire of his soldiers. Almagro, having 

 proceeded to Coquimbo, ordered the Ulmen of the 

 district, called Marcando, his brother, and twenty 

 of the principal inhabitants to be brought thither, 

 all of whom, together with the usurper of Copiapo, 

 he delivered to the flames, without, according to 

 Herrera, pretending to assign any reason for his con- 

 duct. This act of cruelty appeared to every one 

 very extraordinary and unjust, since among those 

 adventurers there were not wanting men of sensibili- 

 ty, and advocates for the rights of humanity. The 

 greater part of the army openly disapproved of the 

 severity of their general, the aspect of whose affairs 

 from this time forward became gradually worse and 

 worse. 



About this period, 1537, Almagro received a con- 

 siderable reinforcement of recruits under Juan de 

 Rada, accompanied with royal letters patent, appoint- 

 ing him governor of two hundred leagues of territory, 

 situated to the southward of the government granted 

 to Francis Pizarro. The friends whom he had left 

 in Peru, taking advantage of this opportunity, urged 



