137 



tribes, which, like those in the other parts of 

 Chiii, are governed by their respective Ulmenes. 



The Spanish commander, having passed the 

 river with his troops, founded upon thesoutherB 

 shore the sixth city, which he called Val- 

 divia, being the first of the American con- 

 querors who sought in this manner to perpetuate 

 his family name. This settlement, of which at 

 present only the fortress remains, in a few years 

 attained a considerable degree of prosperity, not 

 only from the superior fineness of the gold dug 

 in its mines, which has obtained it the privilege 

 of a mint, but from the excellence of its harbour, 

 one of the most secure and pleasant in the South 

 Sea. The river is very broad, and so deep that 

 ships of the line may anchor within a feW feet of 

 the shore ; it also forms several other harbours 

 in the vicinity. ^^^ 



Valdivia, satisfied with the conquests or rather 

 incursions that he had made, turned back, and in 

 repassing the provinces of Puren, Tucapel, and 

 Arauco, built in each of them, in J 553, a fortress, 

 to secure the possession of the others, a he well 

 knew that from these provinces alone he had to 

 apprehend any attempt that might prove fatal to Q 

 his settlements. Ercilla says that, in this expe- 

 dition, the Spaniards had to sustain many battles 

 "with the natives, which is highly probable, as 

 the continuance of Lincoyan in the command 

 can upon no other principle be accounted for. 



