35 



"name signifies " the land of many people," and from 

 the accounts of the first writers upon Chili, its pop- 

 ulation corresponded therewith, being extremely 

 numerous. It lies upon the confines of the principal 

 mountain of the Andes, and is 140 miles in circum- 

 ference. It is watered by the rivers Maypo, Colina, 

 Lampa, and Mapocho, which last divides it into 

 two nearly equal parts, and after pursuing a subter- 

 raneous course for the space of five miles, again 

 shows itself with increased copiousness, and dischar» 

 ges its waters into the Maypo. The mountains of 

 Caren, which terminate it on the north, abound 

 with veins of gold, and in that part of the Andes, 

 which bounds it at the east, are found several rich 

 mines of silver. 



Valdivia, who had endeavoured to penetrate as 

 far as possible into the country, in order to render 

 it difficult for his soldiers to return to Peru, deter- 

 mined to make a settlement in this province ; which, 

 from its natural advantages, and its remoteness, ap- 

 peared to him more suitable than any other for the 

 centre of his conquests. With this view, having 

 selected a convenient situation on the left shore of 

 the Mapocho, on the 24th of February 1541, he laid 

 the foundations of the capital of the kingdom, to 

 which in honour of that apostle he gave the name of 

 St. Jago. In laying out the city he divided the 

 ground into plats or squares, each containing 4096 

 toises, a fourth of which he allowed to every citi- 

 zen, a plan which has been pursued in the founda- 

 tion of all the other cities. One of these plats, lying 

 upon the great square, he destined for the cathedral 



