EXPLORATION OF CHILI. 401 



first traverse this gateway of the two oceans in 1520, continued his voyage of 

 circumnavigation without waiting to survey the Fuegian Archipelago or the 

 adjacent coastlands. 



Even Loaysa's squadron, which penetrated into the strait five years later, made 

 no further discoveries in these waters, although weatherbound for several months 

 by head-winds, fogs and snowstorms. One only of Loaysa's vessels, driven by a 

 tempest beyond the eastern (Atlantic) entrance of the strait, passed southwards 

 to a place which, to the crew, seemed the "land's end," and which was, doubtless, 

 one of the southern islands of the Fuegian archipelago. At the outlet of the 

 strait another of the vessels, that commanded by Guevara, steered northwards 

 and ultimately reached New Spain (Mexico), without, however, sighting any of the 

 South American coastlands. In 1540 Alonzo de Camargo succeeded in coasting 

 these shores between Magellan Strait and one of the Arequipa ports, and thus 

 began the land expeditions in Chilian territory. 



So early as the year 1534 a royal decree granted to Almagro the fief of Nuevo 

 Toledo, south of Peru, requiring him to reduce and colonise the land. This region, 

 still unknown to the Spaniards, was the country to which the Quichuas gave the 

 name of Chili or Chile, a name which ultimately prevailed, and which has probably 

 the meaning of " cold." Compared with the shores of Peru, those of Chili have, 

 in fact, a much lower temperature, which during one season is distinctly cold. 



In 1545 Almagro, following the route of the plateaux, and then making a 

 detour eastwards to avenge the murder of a Spanish envoy, crossed the Andes in 

 one of the most elevated regions of the crest, and thus penetrated into the vast 

 domain which he was commissioned to reduce. Copayapu, the Copiapo of the 

 Spaniards, being a dependency of the Quichua empire, made no resistance, and 

 meekly surrendered its treasures in compliance with the orders of the Inca's 

 brother, who accompanied Almagro. 



After passing Coquimbo, the conqueror sent forward his lieutenant, Gomez 

 de Alvarado, who followed the coast "very near the world's end," as far as a land 

 where the people were clothed in sealskins, and where rain fell in abundance 

 The expedition came to an end probably at the river Maule, for farther on begin 

 the forest regions inhabited by Indians who had never submitted to the Quichua 

 yoke, and who would undoubtedly have stoutly resisted the intruding strangers. 

 Nor had they any gold to attract the invaders, who retraced their steps towards 

 Peru, following the maritime route across the arid Atacama and Tarapaca solitudes. 

 With these two journeys were connected all subsequent expeditions of conquest 

 and settlement. 



In 1540 Pedro de Valdivia resumed the work of exploration. Passing the 

 point where Almagro had stopped, he founded the city of Santiago, which has 

 remained the capital of the country, and then pushed on from stage to stage as 

 far as the Rio Biobio, limit of the territory of the Araucanians. Here the 

 conquerors came into collision with men of resolute courage. They succeeded at 

 first in founding a few military posts, and even some colonies ; but the natives 

 maintained a ceaseless war of surprises and open conflicts until the Spaniards 

 27 



