228 



Roxas, a contemporary writer, represents as one of 

 the greatest of the Araucanian generals, and that he 

 fought many battles with Merlo, and his successor 

 Don Juan Xaraquemada ; but he neither mentions 

 the places where they were fought, nor any particu- 

 lars respecting them. 



Among the missionaries at that time charged with 

 the conversion of the Chilians, there was a Jesuit 

 called Louis Valdivia, who, perceiving that it was 

 impossible to preach to the Araucanians during the 

 tumult of arms, went to Spain, and represented in 

 the strongest terms to Philip the Third, who was 

 then on th© throne, the great injury done to the cause 

 of religion by the continuance of the war. That de- 

 vout prince, who had more allheart the advance- 

 ment of religion than the augmentation of his terri- 

 tories, sent orders immediately to the government of 

 Chili to discontinue the war, and settle a permanent 

 peace with the Araucanians, by establishing the river 

 Bio- bio as the line of division between the two na- 

 tions. With a view to insure the more punctual ex- 

 ecution of his orders, he also determined to exalt the 

 zealous missionary to the episcopal dignity, and com- 

 mit to him the charge of the government of Chili ; 

 but Valdivia refused to accept of any thing except 

 the privilege of nominating in his place a governor 

 whose views were in conformity to his own. This 

 was no other than Alonzo Rivera, who, as we have 

 already observed, had been exiled to Tucuman. 



Satisfied with the prosperous issue of his voyage, 

 Valdivia returned to Chili in 1612, with a letter from 

 the king himself to the Araucanian congress, rcla^ 



