430
C H
|]th€ government now devolved upon the eldest son
of die auditor, Don Louis Merlo de la Fuente.
46, Ineffectual efforts of Philip III. to establish
a lasting^ peace. — Among the missionaries about
iliis time charged with the conversion of the Chili-
aiis, there was a Jesuit called Luis Valdivia,
who perceiving that it was impossible to preach to
the Araucanians during the tumult of arms, went
to Spain, and represented in'! the strongest terms
to Philip 111. who was then on the throne, the
great injury done to tlie cause of religion by the
continuance of the war. That devout prince, who
bad more at lieart the advancement of religion than
the augmentation of his territories, sent orders im-
mediately to the government of Chile, to discon-
tinue the war and settle a permanent peace with
the Araucanians, by establishing the river Eiobio
as the line of division between tlie two nations.
The articles of peace had been discussed, and were
about to be mutually agreed upon, w hen an unex-
pected event rendered abortive all the measures
that had been taken. Among the wives of Anca-
namon, the existing toqui, was a Spanish lady,
who, taking advantage of his absence, fled for re-
fuge to the governor, with two small children, and
four women, whom she had persuaded to become
Christians, two of whom were the wives, and the
others the daughters of her husband. The indig-
nation of the toqui on this occasion w as carried to
such an extreme, that, upon some missionaries
being sent under the superintendence of Valdivia
to preach the gospel among the Araucanians, he
hastened to meet them at Illicura, where, without
deigning to listen to their arguments, he put them
all to the swwrd. Thus were all the plans of paci-
fication rendered abortive ; Ancanamon incessantly
harassed the Spajiish provinces, and the war w'as
recommenced in 1617, with greater fury than be-
fore. From the above-mentioned period to the
year 1637, nothing material occurred in our his-
tory, saving the enterprises of the Toquis Lcintur
and Pntapichion ; these, however, did not serve
materially to change the state of affairs.
47. Second expedition of the Dutch. — In the fol-
lowing year the Dutch attempted a second time to
form an alliance with the Araucanians, in order to
obtain ] ossession of Chile ; but this expedition
was not more fortunate than the first. Tlie squa-
dron, which consisted of four ships, was dispersed
by a storm on i(s arrival on the coast, in 1638. A
boat well manned and armed, being afterwards dis-
patched to the island of Mocha, belonging to the
Araucanians, the inhabitants supposing that they
came to attack them, fell upon the crew, put the
whole to death, and took possession of the boat.
L E.
A iioliicrcrew' experienced a similar misfortune in the
little island of Ta'ca or Santa Miwia. 'he Arau-
canians, as has been already observed, were equally
jealous, and not (as inay be readily imagined)
without reason, of every European nation.
48. Second expeddion of the English. — Notwith-
standing the ill success of the Dutch, Sir John
Narborough, an English naval commander, un-
dertook some years alter a similar enterprise, by
order of his sovereign Charles II. ; but in pass-
ing the straits of Magellan, he lost his whole fleet,
which was much better equipped than that of the
Dutch. The war continued to rage with undi-
minished fury until the year 1640, the time when
the reins of government were assumed by Don
Francisco Zuniga, Marquis de Baydes. It was
under his milder auspices, that, in January of the
following year, the articles of peace were agreed
upon, the day of its ratification being fixed for the
sixth of that month, and the place of meeting, the
village of Quillin, in the province of Puren.
49. Peace at length concluded. — At the time
prefixed, the marquis appeared at the appointed
place, with a retinue of about 10,000 persons,
from all parts of the kingdom. Lincopichion, the
existing toqui, at the head of the four hereditary
toquis, and a great number of ulraenes and other
natives, opened the conference with a very elo-
quent speech. He then, according to the Chilian
custom, killed a llama., and sprinkling some of the
blood on a branch of cinnamon, presented it in
token of peace to the governor. The articles of
the treaty were next proposed and ratified, and in
one of these the marquis stipulated that the Arau-
canians should not permit the landing of any
strangers upon the coast, or furnish supplies to
any foreign nation whatever; which being conform-
able to the political maxims of the nation, was
readily complied with. Thus Avas a period put
to a w^ar of 90 years duration, and this grand nego-
ciation Avas terminated by a sacrifice of 28 camels^
and an eloquent harangue from Antiguenu, cliief
of the district, upon the mutual advantages Avhich
botli nations Avould derive from the peace.
50. Last expedition of the Dutch. — In 1643, two
years after tlie peace, the importance of the article
inserted by the governor in tlie treaty was rendered
very apparent to the Spaniards, by a last attempt
made by the Dutcli to possess themselves of Chile.
Their measures were so Avell taken, that had they
been in tlie least seconded by the Araucanians, tliey
must liave infallibly succeeded. Having left Bra-
zil, Avhich they had conquered, Avith a numerous
fleet, Avell provided Avitli men and cannon, they
took possession of the harbour of Valdivia, which]
EN