l
in all the cities of Spanish America, he promulgated a body of
fundamental regulations, comprised in forty-two articles or statutes,
some of which respecting the treatment of the natives within its
territory and jurisdiction evinced much prudent humanity; yet, as in all
the other subjected countries of America, he left them in a great
measure subject to the control and caprice of the citizens to whom they
were allotted.

After the settlement of his new city, and having received a
reinforcement of soldiers from Peru, he resolved to attack the
Araucanians in their own territories, believing that their courage was
now entirely subdued, as they had made no attempt to molest him since
their late repulse under Lincoyan. With these views, he passed the
Biobio in 1552, and proceeding rapidly through the provinces of Encol
and Puren, unopposed by the tardy and timid operations of Lincoyan, he
arrived at the river Cauten, which divides the country of the
Araucanians nearly into two equal parts. Near the confluence of this
river with the Damas, he founded a new city which he named
_Imperial_[66], in honour of the Emperor Don Carlos; though some say
that it received this name in consequence of finding some wooden figures
of eagles with two heads, fixed on some of the native huts. This city
was placed in a beautiful situation, abounding in all the conveniences
of life; and, during the short period of its existence became one of the
most flourishing in Chili. Being placed on the shore of a large and deep
river, capable of allowing large ships to lie close to the walls, it was
excellently situated for commerce, and had free access to receive
succours of all kinds by sea in case of being besieged. By modern
geographers, this place is still spoken of as an existing city, strongly
fortified, and the seat of a bishopric; but it has been in ruins for
considerably more than two hundred years.

[Footnote 66: The place where Imperial once stood is marked on our maps
on the right or north shore of the conjoined streams of the Ouisa and
Cauten, immediately above the junction of a small river which is
probably the Damas of the text.--E.]

Intoxicated with his present prosperity, and the apparent submission of
the Araucanians, he assigned extensive districts in the surrounding
country among his officers. To Francisco Villagran, his
lieutenant-general, he gave the warlike province of _Maquegua_,
considered by the Araucanians as the key of th