118 



diatc succour in case of siege. Modern geogra- 

 phers speak of it as a city not only existing at the 

 present time, but as very strongly fortified, and the 

 seat of a bishropric, when it has been buried in 

 ruins for more than two hundred years. 



Valdivia, intoxicated with this unexpected pros- 

 j>erity, displayed all that liberality which frequently 

 marks the conduct of those who find themselves in 

 a situation to give away what costs them nothing. 

 Exulting with his officers in the supposed re- 

 duction of the most valiant nation of Chili, he 

 assigned to them, conditionally, the extensive 

 districts of the surrounding country. To Francis 

 Villagran, his Lieutenant- General, he gave the war- 

 like province of Maquegua, called by the Arauca- 

 nians the key of their country, with thirty thousand 

 inhabitants.* The other officers obtained from 

 eight to twelve thousand natives,! with lands in 

 proportion, according to the degree of favowr in 



* After the death of Villagran, the province of Maquegua, was 

 partitioned anew among the conquerors, the principal part of it 

 being assigned to Juan de Ocampo, and the other to Andreas Ma- 

 tencio ; but, in consequence of its recapture by the Indians, they 

 reaped very little if any advantage from these commanderies. 

 Ocampo afterwards obtained asa reward for his distinguished ser- 

 vices, theCorregidarate of the city of Serena, and that of Mendoza 

 and St. Juan, in the province of Cujo ; in this last province was 

 likewise granted him a commandery of Indians, which he after- 

 wards ceded to the crown. He was from Salamanca, of a very 

 illustrious family, a relation to the first bishop of Imperial, and 

 one of the bravest officers that went from Peru to Chili. 



f Among those most in favour with Valdivia, was Pedro Agui- 

 lera, who received the gift of a comnaandery, containing from ten 

 ff> twelve thousand Indians. 



