164 



lîighiy delighted on seeing a boat make towards 

 them, on board of which were fifteen persons hand- 

 somely clothed. Without the least apprehension they 

 immediately leaped on shore, and saluting the Spa- 

 niards with much cordiality, inquired who they 

 were, whither they w^re going, and if they were in 

 W'ant of any thing. The Spaniards asked them for 

 provisions : the chief of this friendly people imme- 

 diately ordered all the provisions that were in the 

 boat to be brought, and in the most hospitable man- 

 ner distributed them among them, refusing to ac- 

 cept any thing in return, and promised to send them 

 a large supply from the circumjacent islands. 



Indeed, scarcely had these famished adventurers 

 encamped when there arrived from all quarters pi- 

 ragues loaded with maize, fruit and fish, which were 

 in like manner distributed to them gratuitously. The 

 Spaniards, constantly regaled by these islanders, 

 coasted the Archipelago to the bay of Rcloncavi, 

 and some went over to the neighbouring islands, 

 where they Ibund land well cultivated, and women 

 employed in spinning wool mixed with the feathers 

 of sea birds, from which they made their clothes. 

 The celebrated poet Ercilla -was one of the party, and 

 solicitous of the reputation of having proceeded fur- 

 ther south tlian any other European, he crossed the 

 gulf, and upon the opposite shore inscribed on the 

 bark of a tree some verses containing his name and 

 the time of the discovery, the 31st of January, 1559. 



Don Garcia, satisfied with having been the first 

 to discover by land the Archipelago of Chiloe, re- 

 turned, taking for his guide one of those islanders, 



