135 



frequently marks the conduct of those who find 

 themselves in a situation to give away what costs 

 them nothing. Exulting with his officers in the 

 supposed reduction of the most valiant nation of 

 Chili^ he assigned to them, conditionally, the ex- 

 tensive districts of the surrounding country. 

 To Francis Villagran, his Lieutenant-General, 

 he gave the warlike province of Alaquegua, 

 called by the Araucanians the key of their coun- 

 try, with thirty thousand inhabitants.* The 

 other officers obtained from eight to twelve 

 thousand natives^f with lands in proportion, ac- 

 cording to the degree of favour in which they 

 stood with the general. He also dispatched Al- 

 d^rete, with sixty men, to form a settlement on 



* After the death of Villagrau, the province of Maquegua was 

 })artitioned anew among the conquerors, the principal part of it 

 feeing itssigned to Juan de Ocampo, and the other to Andreas 

 Matencio ; but, in consequence of its recapture by the Indians, 

 they reaped very little it' any advantage from these coramand- 

 ries. Ocampo afterwards obtained, as a reward for his dis- 

 tinguished services, the Corregidorate of the city of Serena, 

 and that of Mendoza and St. Juan, in the province of Cujo ; 

 in this last province was likewise granted hinj a commandcry 

 of Indians, which he afterwards ceded to the crown. He was 

 fronj Salamanca, of a very illustrious family, a relation to the 

 fust bishop of Imperial, and one of the bravest officers that 

 went from Bfenf'to Chili. 



t Among lAose most in favour with Valdivia, was Pedro 

 Aguilera, who re<:eived the gift of a commandery, containing 

 from ten to twelve thousand Indians. 



