139 



life.^ This pestilential disorder, which from its long- 

 continuation has been more fatal than any other to the 

 human race, had been a few years before intro- 

 duced into the northern parts of Chili, where it has 

 since from time to time reappeared attended with 

 great mortality to the natives. The southern provin- 

 ces have for more than a century been exempted 

 from its ravages, from the precautions employed by 

 the inhabitants, to prevent all communication with 

 the infected countries, as is the case with the plague 

 in Europe, ^ 



Whilst Villagran was employing all his attention, 

 in maintaining as far as possible the Spanish power 

 in those parts, and in opposing those victorious ene- 

 mies who were endeavouring to annihilate it, he 

 saw himself on the point of being compelled to turn 

 his arms against his own countrymen. Francis 

 Aguirre, who in Valdivia's instructions, had been 



* The following anecdote will show the horror with which the 

 small-pox inspired the Indians : " Some time since the viceroy of 

 Peru sent as a present to the governor, Juan Xaraquemada, from 

 Limi to Chili, several jars of powder, honey, wine, olives and 

 different kinds of seed ; one of these being accidentally broken ia 

 unlading, the Indians who were in the service of the Spaniards 

 having noticed it, imagined that it was the purulent matter of the 

 small-pox, which the governor had imported in order to dissemi- 

 nate among their provinces, and exterminate them by this means. 

 They immediately gave notice to their countrymen, who stoppecl 

 all communication and took up arms, killing forty Spaniards who 

 were among them in full security of peace. The governor to re- 

 venge this outrage, entered the Araucanian territory, and thus, 

 owing to the suspicion of these barbarians, was a war excited, 

 wliich was continued until Don Alonzo de Rivera returned a se- 

 cond time to assume the government of the k\i\^dom''\...Jer&nim^ 

 Quiroga*q Memoirs of the IV^r of Chili ^ chap. r4. 



