ovalle's historical relation of chile. 193 



arms, not having laid them down in ninety-five years, vi'hich is no fmall evidence of 

 the good qualities of its inhabitants, and what it may be henceforward, when this dead 

 weight is taken off. Another caufe of the fmall revenue of this bifhoprick, is the lofs 

 of feven cities, fome of them the richefl of the kingdom, which all belonged to its 

 diocefe. 



In the year 1567, there was fettled a high court of chancery, which remained till the 

 year 1574, and afterwards it was removed to St. Jago, where it now is : and though its 

 jurifdiftion reaches as far as this city, there is little for it to do, becaufe the governors 

 are generally prefent, to be nearer the garrifons, and countenance and affift the war, of 

 which there is a continual neceffity. The garrifon is very numerous, and of choice 

 foldiers, where every day they mount the guard, as it is pradifed in places of war. 

 The general provides all the officers, even to the colonels ; but His Majefly names the 

 treafurer and mufter-mafter-general, who is the fecond perfon after the governor : this 

 is a poft of great efteem, and no fmall value in this kingdom ; and there go through 

 his hands three hundred thoufand ducats of the King's money, which every year is to 

 be diftributed among the officers and foldiers, who are enrolled in his books. 



CHAP. XIII. — The Governor Pedro de Valdivia profecutes his Conqueji, and founds the 

 Cities of Imperial^ Valdivia, and Villa Rica, and raifes three Forts in Arauco. 



THE Governor Valdivia having fpent the year 1550 in peopling the city of the 

 Conception, and defending himfelf in his fort againft the continual attacks of the 

 enemy, and having, at the fame time, informed himfelf more exactly of the country, 

 and its fertility, by the means of Captain Hyeronimo de Alderate, who had gone 

 through it, and obferved the number of its inhabitants, refolved to go out of the Con- 

 ception, afld purfue his conqueft. In order to this, after having well provided his fort, 

 and left a garrifon in it, he fet out in the beginning of the year 1551. 



He took his way with his army by the plains of Angol, croffing firft the great river 

 Biobio, and coming to that of Cauten, which, for its gentlenefs, is called the Ladies 

 River, when joined with another very pleafant one near the fea : here he found great 

 fettlements of Indians, and founded the city of Imperial. This is one of the moft 

 agreeable fituations of the whole kingdom, being about three or four leagues from the 

 fea, and thirty-nine leagues from the Conception, and a hundred and nine from the 

 city of St. Jago, in thirty-nine degrees of fouth latitude. All the territory of this city 

 is very fruitful, bearing corn, and all forts of pulfe and fruits, though the black grapes 

 do not ripen fo kindly as the white ones and the mufcadines : the country is not all 

 plains and valleys, nor all hills, but rather a compofition of the whole ; the hills are 

 gentle and tradable, with good pafture and fhelter for cattle ; the ground does not 

 want much watering, it having frequent and large dews that fertilize it. The city was 

 lituated upon a pretty fliff hill, and the confluence of two navigable rivers ; but the 

 port is not good, for the flats there are within three fathom and a half of depth. Here 

 the governor met with fourfcore thoufand Indians fettled, nay, fome authors fay, they 

 were many more ; and all agree that they were a quiet and good-natured people, not 

 at all fo warlike as the Araucanos. 



This city was the head of the bifhoprick, and it began to increafe at firft very much, 

 by reafon of the excellency of its foil and fituation ; and if it had not been deftroyed, 

 as we fliall fee hereafter that it was, it would by this time have been a great city ; for 

 it was already very well peopled, and muft have increafed, if the gold mines which are 

 in its neighbourhood had been wrought, 



VOL. XIV. c c This 



