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1586-1643 - Competing Imperialists

The quantity of the precious metals derived from Chile, the fertility of the country, and the mildness of the climate, began to attract the attention of other nations. The English, under Sir Thomas Cavendish, who arrived in 1586, with three ships, attempted to form a settlement in the bay of Quintero, but were immediately attacked and repulsed by the Spaniards, who suffered no nation to interfere in their new settlements. A second expedition under Sir John Narborough, in the reign of Charles II, was still more unfortunate, the whole fleet being lost in the straits of Magellan.

The Dutch also, with five ships, attempted in 1600 to make a settlement in the Island of Chiloe, and began by plundering the settlement and massacring the settlers; but the crew of their commodore having landed at Talca, the Indians fell upon and destroyed them, and the enterprise was therefore abandoned. Meantime the Araucanians, under Paillamachu, had leagued themselves with all the Indian tribes, as far as the Archipelago of Chiloe. Every Spaniard that was found outside of the fortresses was slain, and the cities of Osorno, Valdivia, Villarica, Imperial, Cafiete, Angol, Coya, and the smaller fortresses, were invested at once. Conception and Chillan were burned, and in little more than three years all the settlements of Valdivia and his successors between the Biobio and Chiloe were destroyed: the inhabitants, after suffering the extremes of famine, were made prisoners, and the unmarried of both sexes given to people of the country, but the married allowed to retain their wives and families. The descendants of these prisoners are among the most inveterate enemies of the Spaniards, but the Indians have improved in the arts of civil life by their means. The fortunate cacique died in 1603, the year after the taking of Osorno, the last place that he reduced.

To prevent a recurrence of these disasters, a body of 2,000 regular troops was established on the frontier in 1608, which has at least served the purpose of preventing the Indians from any serious invasion of the northern districts; but their predatory inroads have never been wholly repressed, and Araucana continued free.

In 1609, the court of audience, which had been suppressed at Conception, was re-established at Santiago, a city far enough from the Indian frontier not to dread the incursions of the natives, but too distant from the sea, being ninety miles from Valparaiso, its nearest port. This situation, however, had at that period its convenience, as it was out of the reach of the French, Dutch, and English adventurers, who then disturbed the tranquillity and endangered the possessions of the Spanish settlements on the shores of the Pacific.

In 1638, the Dutch made an attempt to form an alliance with the Araucanians, and thus obtain possession of Chile; but that nation refused all intercourse with Europeans, and destroyed the parties the Dutch had landed both in the islands of Mocha and Talca. Not disheartened, however, that enterprising people returned in 1643 with a numerous fleet, troops, and artillery, took possession of the deserted Valdivia, and began to build three strong forts at the entrance of the harbour.

The invasion of the Dutch pirate, Hendrik Brouwer, was very well managed, at least during his lifetime, and at first entirely successful. The Dutch landed and destroyed the Spanish colonies in Castro and other parts of Chiloe". They then ascended the river and founded a fort at Valdivia. At first the Indians welcomed the Dutch and made an offensive and defensive alliance with them. Provisions in abundance were brought into the fort, and it seemed as if Southern Chile would be in the end a Dutch and not a Spanish settlement. But Brouwer died, and after a few months the prospect of a permanent Dutch settlement did not appear to the Indians quite so attractive as it had seemed at the beginning. Moreover, the foreigners began to enquire about gold mines. Provisions ran short, and the Indians disappeared. Herckmans, the successor of Brouwer, gave up the attempt, and the Dutch sailed away and entirely abandoned both Chiloe and Valdivia.

Some six months afterwards a Spanish expedition from Peru landed at Valdivia, and again established a fortress (6th February 1645). The Spaniards availed themselves of the labor of the Dutch; finished their forts, and strengthened the island of Mancura. So that the settlement remained undisturbed from without till the late revolution.