hey came, whether they were going, and it they were in want of
any thing. The Spaniards asked for provisions, and the chief of these
strangers immediately gave them all the provisions in his boat, refusing
to accept any thing in return, and promised to send them a large
immediate supply from the neighbouring islands. Indeed the famished
Spaniards had scarcely completed their encampment, when numerous
piraguas arrived from the different islands, loaded with maize, fruit,
and fish, all of which the natives distributed gratuitously among them.
Constantly and liberally supplied by these friendly islanders, the
Spaniards marched along the shore of the continent opposite the
archipelago, all the way to the Bay of Reloncavi. Some of them went over
to the neighbouring islands, where they found the land well cultivated,
and the women employed in spinning wool, mixed with the feathers of
sea-birds, which they manufactured into cloth for garments. The
celebrated poet Ercilla was one of the party; and as he was solicitous
of the reputation of having proceeded farther south than any other
European, he crossed the gulf to the opposite shore, where he inscribed
some verses on the bark of a tree, containing his own name and the date
of the discovery, being the 31st January 1559.

Satisfied with this discovery of the archipelago of Chiloe, Don Garcia
returned towards the north, having one of the islanders as a guide, who
conducted him safely to Imperial through the inland country of the
Huilliches, which is for the most part level and abounds in provisions.
The inhabitants, who are similar in all respects to their western
neighbours the Cunches, made no opposition to his march through their
country; and Don Garcia on this occasion founded the city of Osorno in
their country at the western extremity of a great lake, though
according to some authors he only rebuilt that town. For some time this
place increased rapidly in population and wealth, in consequence of
great abundance of fine gold being found in its neighbourhood, and of
extensive manufactures of woollen and linen carried on by its
inhabitants; but it was afterwards destroyed by the toqui
Paillamacu[75].

[Footnote 75: The ruins of Osorno are in lat. 40 deg. 30' S. and long. 73 deg.
20' W. The lake, or _Desaguodero de Osorno_, extends 50 or 60 miles from
east to west, by a breadth of 6 or 7 miles.--E.]

While Don Garcia was engaged in this expedition into the south of Chili,
A