221 



llie Araiicanian territory to ravage it, and Cotn- 

 pelled him to retreat with loss. 



After this success, the two belligerent nations 

 observed, till the death of Paillataru, a period of 

 about four years, a truce or suspension of arms. 

 This was probably in a great measure owing to 

 the general consternation caused by a dreadful 

 earthquake, which was felt throughout the 

 country, and did great injury to the Spanish 

 settlements, particularly the city of Conception, 

 which was entirely destroyed. The Spaniards, 

 ever attentive to consolidate and give importance 

 to their conquests, erected, in 1570, another 

 bishopric in the city of Imperial, to which they 

 assigned as a diocese the vast extent of country 

 lying between the river Maule and the southern 

 Con6nes of Chili. 



About this time the Mustees, or descendants 

 of the Spaniards and Indians, having multiplied 

 greatly, the Araucanians, perceiving the advan- 

 tages which they miglit derive from their assist- 

 ance, resolved to attach them to their cause, by 

 letting them see that they considered them as 

 their countrymen. With this view, on the deatfi 

 of Paillataru in 1574, thev conferred the office 

 of Toqui on one of these men, called Alonzo 

 Diaz, who had taken the Chilian name of Pay 

 iicnancu, and had for ten years fought in their 

 armies, where he had distinguished himself by 



