ovalle's historical relation of chile. 169 



that came to conquer and fubdue their country. The Governor Valdivia penetrated as 

 far as the valley of Mapocho, though with the lofs of many of his men. He found 

 this valley extremely well peopled, becaufe of its breadth, fertility, and pleafantnefs, 

 being thoroughly watered by the river of that name, which, after having run fome 

 leagues, finks under ground, does not lofe itfelf entirely, but appears more nobly, and 

 comes out with a more powerful ftream two or three leagues further, being much bet- 

 tered in its waters, which, from muddy, are turned clear as chryftal. 



CHAP. II. — The Foundation of the City of St.Jago in Mapocho. — The Defcription of 



its Situation, 



TOWARDS the eaft, the great Cordillera, or Snowy Mountain, is a wall to this 

 valley of Mapocho, and is in winter all over white, but in fummer by fpots here and 

 there : to the weft it has the ragged rocks of Poiiangue, Caren, and Lampa, whofe 

 foot we may fay is ftiod with gold (for that which is found in its mines is fo fine, that a 

 great deal was got out of them). Neither is this valley uncovered on the fides ; for to 

 the north and louth it is environed by other mountains, which, though they do not 

 approach the Cordillera in height, yet are high enough to make a circle about this 

 valley, which in feveral of its rocks produces gold : it is, in its diameter from the Cor- 

 dillera to the hills of Pouangue and Caren, five or fix good leagues, and from north 

 to fouth, which is from the river Colima to that of Maypo, feven or eight leagues more ; 

 fo that its circumference is between 26 and 28 leagues, or more, if we go down as 'far 

 as Francifco del Monte, which is a place of moft pleafant ftiady woods, where all the 

 timber is cut for the building of the houfes. 



In this valley, two leagues from the great Cordillera, by the fide of the river Ma- 

 pocho, God has planted a mountain of a beautiful afpeft and proportion, which is like 

 a watch-tower, up6n which the whole plain is difcovered at once with the variety of its 

 culture in arable and meadow ; and in other places woods of a fort of oak upon the 

 hills, which aiford all the fuel neceffary for the ufes of life. At the foot of this moun- 

 tain, which may be two miles about, the Caftilians found many habitations of the 

 Indians, to the number of eighty thoufand, as authors report ; which Pedro de Valdi- 

 via obferving, and guefling from thence, that it was the beft part of the whole valley, 

 he refolved to found here the city of St. Jago, which he began the 24th of February in 

 the year 1641. It ftands in 34 degrees of latitude, and longitude 77, diftant from the 

 meridian of Toledo 1980 leagues. The form and ground-plot of this city yields to few 

 others, and is fuperior to moft of the old cities of Europe j for it is regular, like a 

 chefs-board, and in that fliape, and that which we call the fquares for the men, of 

 black and white, are in the city called Ifles, with this difference, that fome of them are 

 triangular, fome oval, fome round ; but the fquare ones are all of the fame make and 

 bignefs, and are perfedly fquare : from whence it follows, that wherefoever a man 

 ftands at any corner he fees four ftreets, according to the four parts of the heavens. 

 Thefe fquares at firft were but of four large houfes, which were diftributed to the firft 

 founders ; but now by time and fuccefTion of inheritance, they have been divided into 

 leffer, and are every day more and more divided ; fo that in every fquare there are 

 many houfes. 



Towards the north, the city is watered by a pleafant river, till it fwells fometimes 

 in winter, when it rains eight, nay twelve and fourteen days without ceafing ; for then 

 it overflows, and does great mifchief in the city, carrying away whole houfes, of which 



VOL. xrv. 2 the 



