ovalle's historical relation of chile. 31 



In all this the jefuit, who was the author of this hiflory, mufl: be confeffed to have 

 deferved the character of a candid inquifitive philofopher ; and in what he has per- 

 formed befides, about the fettlements of the Spaniards, he is very particular, efpecially 

 in his defcription of the city of St. Jago de Chile ; where any one may fee the pro- 

 grefs of priellcraft in that new world, by the vaft riches of the convents, monafteries, 

 and nunneries : but above all the inftrudtive chapters of this treatife, there is one about 

 the methods of driving a trade between Europe and Chile to and from the Philip- 

 pines and Eaft Indies, which contains fecrets of commerce and navigation, which I 

 wonder how they were publifhed, and it is poflible may, ere it be long, be pradlifed 

 by the Spaniards and other nations, if the navigation of the Mexican Gulph becomes 

 fo troublefome, as it is Hke to be made by the naval powers of Europe, who feem to 

 have chofe thofe feas for the fcene of all their maritime power to exert itfelf in. 



There is a digreffion about the firfl difcovery of the iflands and Continent of America 

 by Columbus, and a progreffive narration of all the other difcoveries, as they were made, 

 and by whom, which is very curious ; but as it is borrowed from other writers, the 

 author can challenge no other merit than that of a judicious compiler. 



All that needs to be added to this preface, is, to let the world know that the tranf^ 

 lation was firfl: encouraged by the Royal Society, of which the tranflator has the honour 

 to be a member ; and that it was two fummer's work, that it might be the lefs fubje^t 

 to errors ; and to prevent them, that worthy encourager of all natural knowledge, as 

 well as of his own profeffion, in which he excels. Dr. Hans Sloane, has contributed 

 very obligingly fome of his care and attention,. 



The Author's Preface. 



T5EING come from the kingdom of Chile into Europe, I obferved that there was fo 

 little known of the parts I came from, that in many places the very name of Chile 

 had not been heard of. This made me think myfelf obliged to fatisfy, in fome meafure, 

 the defire of many curious perfons, who preifed me to communicate to the world a 

 thing fo worthy of its knowledge. But I found myfelf in great difficulty how to comply 

 with their preffing infl:ances, being defl:itute of all the materials requifite for fuch a 

 work, and at fuch a difl:ance from the place that could furnifli them, that I defpaired 

 of giving a jufl fatisfaftion : however, in obedience to thofe whofe commands I cannot 

 but refpeQ:, I refolved to write this account, more to comply with my duty, and give 

 fome information of thofe remote regions, than to pretend to a perfed and exaft.hifliory,. 

 which this relation, in all its parts, (I confefs,) comes very fliort of. The reader, then,, ' 

 being thus prepared, will, I hope, have a regard to the little help I could have in this 

 work, at fuch a diflance as Rome and Chile are from one another ; and by his prudence 

 and goodnefs, excufe any thing that may feem lefs finiflied in this v/ork ; particularly 

 fmce there is hopes of a general hifl:ory of Chile, which cannot be long before it is 

 finiflied. 



In the mean time, the firfl: and fecond books of this relation will fliew the natural 

 ftate of the kingdom of Chile, both as to its climate and product ; the third will defcribe 

 the qualities ot its firfl: inhabitants ; the fourth and fifth will defcribe the firfl: entrance 

 of the Spaniards into ir, and the conquefl: of it by them j the fixth will contain the va- 

 rious events of the war, caufed by the noble refiftance made by the Araucanos ; the 

 feventh will fliew the firil means of peace attempted by father Lewis de Valdivia, of 

 the company of Jefus, in order to facilitate the preaching of the holy Gofpel, and the 

 glorious death of his holy companions 5 the lafl: book, which is aUb the largefl: of all,. 



will 



