68 



CANTO XXXV. 



DON GARCIA being arrived at the boundaries of Chili, which 

 no Spaniard had passed, encourages his soldiers, in a spii'ited ha- 

 rangue, to the acquisition of the new provinces which lay before 

 them. They enter a rude and rocky country, in which they are 

 exposed to many hazards by their deceitful guides. Tunconabala 

 meets them, as he had projected, with the appearance of extreme 

 poverty ; and, after many assurances of the sterility of that region, 

 advises them to return, or to advance by a different path, which he 

 represents to them as dangerous, but the only practicable road. 

 On finding them resolved to press forward, he supplies them with 

 a g\iidc. They advance, with great toif and danger. Their guide 

 escapes from them. They continue their march, through various 

 hardships, in a desolate region. They at length discover a fertile 

 plain, and a large lake with many little inhabited islands. As they 

 approach the lake, a large gondola, with twelve oars, advances to 

 meet them : the party it contained leap ashoi'e, and salute the 

 Spaniards with expressions of amity. 



CANTO XXXVI. 



THE young Chieftain of the gondola supplies the Spaniards with 

 provisions, I'efusing to accept any reward : and our Poet celebrates 

 all the inhabitants of this region, for their amiable simplicity of 

 manners. He visits one of the principal islands, where he is 

 kindly entertained. He discovers that the lake had a communica- 

 tion with the sea, by a very rough and dangerous channel : this 

 circumstance obliges the Spaniards, though reluctant, to return. 

 They lament the necessity of passing again through the hardships 

 of their former road. A young Indian undertakes to conduct them 

 by an easier way. But our adventurous Ercilla, before the little 

 army set forth on their return, engages ten chosen associates to 

 embark with him in a small vessel, and pass the dangerous chan- 

 nel. He lands on a wild and sandy spot, and, advencing half a 

 mile up the countiy, engraves a stanza, to record this adventure, 

 <in the bark of a tree. He repasses the channel, and rejoins the 

 Spanish troops; who, after much difficulty, reach the city of 

 Imperial. 



FINIS, 



