OVALLE's historical relation op chile. , 129 



which reafon they feldom fet out but a great many together, and well provided for 

 an encounter ; but moft commonly they are well pleaied with fome little prefent, 

 which they afk very boldly, as if they were mafters of all the goods in the waggons : 

 they generally are content with a little bifcuit or wine ; but if the travellers are too 

 niggardly, they are in danger all the way, and muft owe their fafety to their fire-arms. 



BOOK IV. 



OF THE FIRST ENTRANCE OF THE SPANIARDS INTO THE KINGDOM OF CHILE. 



CHAP. I. — The IntroduSlion to this Book. 



TJ AVING hitherto treated of thofe three parts, into which at firft we divided the 

 kingdom of Chile ; of its foil and climate ; of its temperature and properties ; 

 of its inhabitants, and their antiquity, nobility, and cuftoms ; the order of this hiftory 

 requires we fliould now treat of the entrance of the Spaniards into their country ; 

 fince by that it has been changed much for the better in many things : and although 

 what we have already mentioned about the flocks, fruit, bread, wine, oil, &c. of 

 which they had no idea, before the Spaniards came among them ; yet this is nothing 

 in comparifon with the advantages they received by the light of the gofpel, which 

 by the means of the fame Spaniards, was and is communicated to them. Upon this 

 confideration, we may well excufe fome military excefles of covetoufnefs in fome of 

 the firft difcoverers and their foldiers, who as fuch, and men who are bred in diforder 

 and confufion, and ufed to embrue their hands in blood where they find refiftance^ 

 had lefs regard to the ftrid rules of juftice towards the Indians. But this was againft 

 all the orders of Their Catholic Majefties, who from the beginning recommended 

 moft ftriftly the prefervation of the privileges of thofe poor people, charging all their 

 governors, captains, conquerors, and royal minifters, that they fliould always have 

 before their eyes, in the conqueft of this new world, not fo much the dilatation of 

 their royal power and monarchy, as the propagation of the gofpel, and the kind 

 ufage of the Indians, their converfion being the principal motive of the undertaking, 

 as we fliall fee in its proper place. 



But how is it poffible, morally fpeaking, that human anions, though never fo 

 well defigned upon high motives, fhould not have a mixture of the inconveniences 

 which paflion, not overcome by reafon, produces? and fo it is no wonder, that in 

 the beginning of thofe difcoveries fome diforders Ihould happen, though they never 

 were fo exorbitant as fome authors make them ; and particularly in Chile they were 

 much lefs, becaufe the inhabitants of thofe parts made the Spaniards feel their valour 

 at their very firft entrance, where they found their progrefs oppofed with greater 

 vigour than they imagined. 



But fince this kingdom is one of the confiderable parts of America, it will be necef. 

 fary firft to fay fomething of the difcovery of the new world ; for this being the 



VOL, XIV. s remoteft 



