308 



Portuguese gained possession of an extensive 

 territory in the East^ with a facility almost 

 incredible, notwithstanding the number and 

 strength of the natives^ who were accustomed to 

 the use of fire-arms. Their general, Pacheco, 

 with a hundred and sixty of bis countrymen, 

 several times defeated the powerful Zamorin, 

 who commanded an army of fifty thousand sol- 

 diers, well supplied with artillery, without the 

 loss of a single man. Brito, who was besieged 

 in Cananor, was equally successful in defeating 

 a similar army. Even in our davs^ Mens, de la 

 Touche, with three hundred French, put to 

 flight an army of eighty thousand Indians, who 

 had invested him in Pondicherry, and killed 

 twelve hundred with the loss of only two of his 

 men. Notwithstanding the combined efforts of 

 force and skill, the Araucanlans have constantly 

 kept possession of thrir country. A free people, 

 however inconsiderable in point of numbers, can 

 perform wonders : The page of historj^ teems 

 with examples of this kind. -^ 



The Spaniards, since losing their settlements 

 in Araucania, have prudently confined <heir views 

 to establishing themselves firmly in that pari of 

 Chili, which lies between the southern confines 

 of Peru and the river Bio-bio, and extends from 

 the 24th to the 36th and a half degree of south 

 latitude ; this, as has been already mentioned, 



