307 



CHAP. XL 



Present State of Chili. 



From the brief relation that we have given of 

 the occurrences in Chili since its discovery^ it 

 will be seen that its possession has cost Spain 

 more blood and treasure than all the rest of her 

 settlements in America, The Araucanians,, oc- 

 cupying but a small extent of territory, have 

 vrith far inferior arms not only been able to 

 counterbalance her power till then reputed irre- 

 sistible, but to endanger the loss of her best esta- 

 blished possessions. Though the greater part of 

 her officers had been bred in that school of war, 

 the low countries, and her soldiers, armed with 

 those destructive weapons before which the most 

 extensive empires of that continent had fallen, 

 were considered as the best in the world, yet 

 have this people succeeded in resisting them. 



This will appear more wonderful when we call 

 to mind the decided superiority that the disci- 

 pline of Europe has ever given its troops in all 

 parts of the world. The rapidity of the Spanish 

 conquests excited universal astonishment. A few 



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