159 



respects he was humane, and averse to violence, 

 and his generosity was acknowledged even hy his 

 enemies. During his government, no one was 

 ill treated or put to death except in the field of 

 battle. 



To the terrible calamities that usually follow 

 in the train of war, was added that of the pesti- 

 lence. Some of the Spanish soldiers, who were 

 either infected at the time, or had but recently 

 recovered from the small-pox, in the above in- 

 cursions made by Villagran, communicated for 

 the first time that fatal disease to the Araucanian 

 provinces, which made there the greater ravages, 

 as they were entirely nnacquainted with it. Of 

 the several districts of the country there was one 

 whose population amounted to twelve thousand 

 persons, of which number not more than one 

 hundred escaped with life.* This pestilential 



The following anecdote will show the horror with whidi 

 the small-pox inspired the Indians : " Somo time since, tte 

 viceroy of Peru sent as a present to the governor, Juan Xara- 

 quemada, from Limi to Chili, several jars of powder, honey, 

 wine, olives, and different kinds of seed ; one of these being 

 accidentally broken in unlading, the Indians who were in t"he 

 service of the Spaniards having noticed it, imagined that itvms 

 the purulent matter of the small-pox, wiiich the governor had 

 imported in order to disseminate among their provinces, and 

 exterminate them by this means. They immediately gave 

 notice to their countrymen, who stopped all communication 

 and took up arms, killing forty Spaniards who were among 

 them iu fnll secnrity of peace. The governor, to revange fcis 



