Valdivia, determined to extend his frontiers, marched to the south.  It was in the neighbourhood of the Biobio River that he first encountered the Araucanian warriors of the true stock.  Here his forces met with a rude awakening.  In discipline and fighting merit the companies of the Araucanians stood to the remaining tribes of South America in the same relation as did the Zulu regiments to the other fighting-men of Africa.  A furious struggle began which was destined to last for generations and for centuries.  But at no time were the fierce Araucanians subdued, although it fell to their lot to be defeated over and over again, as, indeed, proved the fate of the Spaniards likewise.

Some notion of the tremendous vigour with which these wars of the south were waged may be gathered from “La Araucana,” the magnificent epic written by Ercilla, the Spanish poet, who composed his verses hot from the fight, his arms still weary from wielding the sword.

One of the first of the notable Spanish victims in the course of these wars was Valdivia himself.  Attacked by furious hordes of Araucanians and overwhelmed, the intrepid European and his army perished to a man; while the Araucanians in triumph swept northwards, to be hurled to the south again by the next wave of battle which chanced to turn in favour of the Spaniards.

CHAPTER VIII

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN COLONIES

Having now definitely obtained possession of the enormous territories of South America, it was equally the policy of both Spain and Portugal to retain the enjoyment of the new lands and of their produce for themselves alone.  In order to effect this, stringent laws were laid down from the very inception of the colonization of the Continent.  In a nutshell, they amounted to this:  none but Spaniards might trade with the Spanish possessions of South America, and none but Portuguese with the Colony of Brazil.  In the case of the latter country the regulations were by no means so strictly carried out as in the former.  One of the chief reasons for this, no doubt, was the old-standing and traditional friendship existing between Portugal and England.  With so many interests in common, and such strong sentimental bonds uniting the pair in Europe, it was difficult to shut out the English commerce altogether from Brazil.

In the Spanish colonies the enactments of the Court of Spain were far more rigorously carried out.  Here, since the laws were so strict, the rewards for their breaking were naturally all the greater.  Tempted by the magnitude of these latter, a great number of the officials made a lucrative profession of giving clandestine assistance to foreign commerce in direct contravention of the regulations laid down.