401

CHILE.

[archers of Copiapo, commanded by Cotco, an
officer of the ulinen of that province. Of the whole
band none escaped with life but the two officers,
Monroy and Miranda, who Avere brought covered
with wounds before the ulmen.

12. The compassionate ulmena.—^^ hilst that
prince, Avho had resoU’cd to put them to death, as
enemies of the country, Avas deliberating on the
mode, the v.hnena, or princess, hisAvife, moved with
compassion for their situation, interceded Avith her
husband for tin ir lives; atid having obtained her
request, uisbound them Avitli lier own hands, ten-
derly dressed! +h -ir Avounds, and treated them like
brothers. When they Avere fully recovered, she
desired ihenr to teach her son the art of riding, as
several of the horses had been taken alive in tlie
defeat. 'I'he tAVo Spaniards readily cojisented to
her request, hoping to avail themselves of this op-
portunity to recover their liberty. lJut the means
they took to effect this, Avere marked Avith an act
of ingratitude to tlu'ir benefactress, of so much the
deeper dye, as, from their not being strictly guard-
ed, such an e.vpedicnt Avas unnecessary. As the
yountr prince Avas one day riding between tliem,
escorted by his arcl!crs, and preceded by an officer
armed Avith a lance, Monroy suddenly attacked
him with a poniard Avhich he carried about him,
and bro!ight him to the ground Avith tAvo or three
mortal Avounds ; Miranda at the same time wrest-
ing tlie lance from the officer, they forced their
Avay through their guards, Avho Avere throAvn into
confusion by such an unexpected event. As they
were Avell-mounted, they easily escaped pursuit,
and taking their Avay through the deserts of Peru,
arrived at Cuzco, the residence at that time of
Vascade Castro, Avho had succeededed to the go-
vernment upon the death of Pizarro, cruelly as-
sassinated by the partizans of Airaagro.

IS. Ilecruits from Perti under Monro7/.-—Oi\
being informed of the critical situation of Chile,
Castro immediately dispatclied a considerable
number of recruits by land, under the command
of Monroy, who had the good fortune to con-
ceal his march from the Cppiapins, and at the
same time gave directions to Juan Bautista Pas-
tene, a noble Genoese, to proceed thither by sea
Avith a still greater number. Valdivia, on receiv-
ing these two reinforcements, Avhich arrived nearly
atthe same time, began to carry his great designs into
execution. As he had been solicitous from the first
to have a complete knowledge of the sea-coast, he
ordered Pastene to explore it, and note the situa-
tion of the most important parts and places, as far
as the straits of Magellan. On his return from
this expedition, he .sent him back to Peru for new

VOL. I.

recruits, as since the alfair of Copiapo, the natives
became daily more bold and enterprising.

14. Stratagem of the Quillotanes. -~-Amon^
others the Qiullotanes had, a little time before,
massacred all the soldiers employed in the mines.
To this end they made use of the folloAving strata-
gem : One of the neighbouring Indians brought
to the commander, Gonzalo Rios, a pot biil of
gold, telling him that he had found a groat quaii-
titv of it in a certain district of the country ; upon
th is information, all were impatient to proceed
thither to particip'ate in ti)c imagined treasure.
As they arrived tumultuously at the place de-
scribed, they easily became victims to an ambus-
cade Avhich had been formed for them, not one of
them escaping except the imprudent commander
and a Negro, Avho saved themselves by the supe-
rior excellence of their horses. The frigate, Avhich
wasthen finished, Avas also destroyed, being burned
together with the arsenal.

15. Serena founded.- — VixWivhx, on receiving
advice of this disaster, hastened thither with his
troops, and having revenged as far as in his poAver
the death of his soldiers, built a fort to protect the
miners. Being afteiAvards reinforced Avith SOO
men from Peru, under the command of Francis
Viliagrau and Christopher Escobar, he became
sensible of the necessity of establishing a settle-
ment ill the n. part of the kingdom, that might
serve as a place of arms, and a protection for the
convoys that should come that Avay. For this pur-
pose he made choice of a beautiful plain at the
mouth of the river Coquimbo, Avhich forms a goed
harbour, Avherc, in 1564, he founded a city called
by him Serena, in honour of the place of his birth ;
it is not, however, knoAAn at present by this ap-
pellation, except in geographical treatises, the
country name having prevailed, as is the case Avith
all the other European settlements in Chile.

16. Promoucian u///es.-— luthe ensuing year he
began to think of extending his conquests, and
for that purpose proceeded into the country of the
Promaucians. Contemponiry Avriters have not
made mention of any battle that Avas fought upon
this occasion; but it is not to be supposed that
this valiant people, Avho had with so much
glory repulsed the armies of the Inca and of
Almagro, would have alloAved him, Avithout oppo-
sition, to violate their territory. It is, hoAvever,
highly probable that Valdivia, in the frequent in^
cursions Avhich he made upon their frontiers, had
discovered the art to persuade them to unite with
him against the other Chilians by seducing pro-
mises. In fact, the Spanish armies have ever
since that period been strengthened by Promaucian’]