49 



nnmiuent hazard of experiencing a total rout. 

 His loss upon tljis occasion must have been verjr 

 considerable, since he afterwards relinquished 

 his plan of proceeding farther, and returned to 

 St. Jago. Perceiving that his expected suc- 

 cours from Peru did not arrive, he resolved to 

 gV) thither in person, hoping, by means of his 

 activity and address, to recruit a body of troops 

 sufficient for the subjugation of the Bouthern 

 provinces, which had shown themselves the most 

 warlike. 



As he was on the eve of his departure, in the 

 year 1547, Pastenes arrived, but without any 

 men, and brought news of the civil war that had 

 broken out between the conquerors of the empire 

 of the Incas. Nevertheless, persuaded that he 

 might reap an advantage from these revolutions, 

 he set sail with Pastene for Peru, taking with 

 him a great quantity of gold. On his arrival, 

 he served in quality of quarter-master general 

 in the famous battle that decided the fate of 

 Gonzalo Pizarro. Gasca, the president, who 

 under the royal standard, had gained the vic- 

 tory, pleased with the service rendered him 

 upon this occasion by Valdivia, confirmed him 

 in his office of governor, and furnishing him with 

 an abundance of military stores, sent him back 

 to Chili, with two ships filled with those seditious 

 adventurers, of whom he was glad of aa oppor- 

 tunity to be disembarrassed. 



VOL. IL E 



