51 



credible fatigue, Valdivia, believing himself 

 Well established in that part of Chili which was 

 under the dominion of the Peruvians, distributed 

 the land among his soldiers, assigning to each, 

 under the title of commandery, a considerable 

 portion, with the inhabitants living thereon, ac*- 

 .cording to the baneful feudal system of Europe. 

 Bj this means, having quieted the restless am- 

 bition of his companions, he set out anew on his 

 march for the southern provinces, with a respect- 

 able army of Spanish and Promaucian troops. 



After a journey of .240 miles, he arrived, 

 without encountering many obstacles, at the bay 

 of Penco, which had been already explored by 

 Pastene, where, on the 5th of October, 1550, he , 

 founded a third city, called Conception.* 



The situation of this place was very advan- 

 tageous for commerce from the excellence of its 

 harbour, but, ^lom the lowness of the ground, was 

 exposed in earthquakes to inundations of the sea. 

 The bay, which is in extent from east to west set 



* This city was destroyed by the earthquakes and inunda- 

 tions of the sea, that occurred on the 8th of July, 1730, and 

 the 24th of May, 1751. For this reason the inhabitants esta- 

 blished themselves, on the 24th of November, 1764, in the 

 valley of Mocha, three leagues south of Penco, between the 

 rivers Andalien and Bio-bio, where they founded New Con- 

 ception. The harbour is situated in the middle of the bay 

 called Talgacuano, a little nmre than two leagues west of 

 Mocha ; a fort is all the building that is no-vy left at Peoco. 



