232 



nor had the Spaniards ever been able to obtain a foot- 

 ing in his province, though it was situated in the 

 neighbourhood of Imperial. Valdivia having at this 

 time sent back one of his sons, who had been taken 

 in the late war, he was so highly -gratified that he 

 came in person to visit him at the fort of Arauco ; 

 and in return for the civilities that he experienced 

 from him and the governor, offered to receive the 

 missionaries in his province, and to persuade Ancana- 

 mon to make peace with the Spaniards. He observ- 

 ed, however, that it would be necessary in the first 

 pjace to return him his women, which could be done 

 without exposing them to any danger, by first ob- 

 taining from him a pass of safe conduct in their fa- 

 vour : this was also the opinion of Valdivia. Uti- 

 flame took upon himself the management of the bu- 

 siness, and departed, taking with him three mission- 

 aries, Horatio Vecchio, of Sienna, cousin to Pope 

 Alexander VH. Martin Aranda, a native of Chili, 

 and Diego Montalban, a Mexican, the friends and 

 companions of his benefactor Valdivia. 



No sooner had the exasperated Toqui learned the 

 arrival of the missionaries at Ilicura, than he hasten- 

 ed thither with two hundred horse, and without 

 deigning to listen to their arguments, slew them all, 

 with their conductor Utiflame, who endeavoured to 

 defend them. Thus were all the plans of pacifica- 

 tion rendered abortive. Valdivia in vain attempted 

 several times to revive the négociation. The officers 

 and soldiers who were interested in the continuance 

 of the war, disconcerted all his schemes, and loudly 



