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1 66 OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



The Inga Paulo finding his prefent fo well received, being defirous to make his 

 court, got from the neighbouring parts three hundred thoufand ducats of gold more, 

 which he prefented to the Adelantado ; which gave him fuch joy, to fee that fo 

 rich a country was fallen to his lot, that he caufed all his people to be aflembled, 

 and pulling out all the bonds and obligations made to him in Cufco, for the gold and 

 filver which he had there lent them, he cancelled them all, one by one, declaring to 

 his debtors, that he freely forgave them their debts, and was forry they were not 

 greater; and not only fo, but opening his bags of gold, he began to ufe great 

 liberalities ; which fo pleafed them, that they forgot the dangers they had gone 

 through, every one promifmg himfelf vail riches from fuch a conqueft. Francifco 

 Lopes de Gomara, who writes this hiftory, fays, that it was a liberality becoming a 

 great prince, rather than a private foldier : but he adds, as a confideration of the 

 little liability of human affairs, and the profperity of this world, that when he 

 died, he had nobody to give a pall to cover his coffin. 



But let us not afflid the reader fo foonwith the memory of that lamentable tragedy; 

 let us rather follow this great captain in his good fortune. As he went further into 

 the country, he was refpeded and treated as if he had been the Inga himfelf, in all 

 the places he came to; but when he came to a nation called the Promocaes, which 

 was the limits, beyond which the kings of Peru could never extend their empire, he 

 found the fame refiftance as they had done. The Adelantado perceiving this, de- 

 manded fuccour from the Inga Paulo, who gave it him, by calling in the Inga*s gar- 

 rifons of the neighbouring frontier ; and fo the war began. 



Here the Spaniards met with their match, and began to experience that the conqueft 

 of this part of America would not be compalfed by their bare appearing with their 

 horfes, dogs, and guns ; or that a kingdom might be got by taking a king prifo- 

 ner, and feparating his army to their purpofes, and fo remain abfolute mafters of 

 the field ; for here they met with a nation, who, though they admired their horfes, and 

 were furprized to fee them, yet the greatnefs of their courage overcame that furprize ; 

 fo they met and engaged them with great valour, and many were killed on both fides. 

 The Spanifh blood, which ufed to be fo little fpilt, was here fhed in abundance ; 

 and from that time to this, the flaughter of them has not ceafed, fo as to make either 

 fide fafe. 



However, the valour of the Spaniards, and the advantages they had over them by 

 horfes and guns, was fuch, as they might well depend upon, which made them con- 

 ceive the conqueft of Chile to be a work of about two years at moft ; as it is probable 

 it would have been, if the divifions between Almagro and Pizarro, and his brothers, 

 had not cut the thread of that enterprife, as it did that of their own lives ; for they pe- 

 rifhed by one another's hands, upon points of conteft about jurifdidion. 



About this time the Adelantado being engaged with the Indians in a bloody war, 

 Rodrigo Orgonnes arrived with his Spaniards, and fo did Juan de Arrado, with the 

 King's royal patents, and a commiffion for the government of a hundred leagues of the 

 country ; which was juft as if a deluge of water had been poured upon the fire already 

 lighted of the war with the Promocaes, Cauquenes, and Pencos, who were the nations 

 that had withftood this invafion. As for the Indians, they pretended to no more than 

 to defend their country, and their liberty, from foreign invaders ; and the Spaniards 

 found themfelves called away by more earneft motives of intereft, and fo turned another 

 way. Not but that there were different opinions about what was to be done ; fome 

 thought that it was better to fettle where they were, the heavens and earth being both 

 the beft that they had yet difcovered, and its riches fuch as they were witneffes of; 



others 



