The Republican journal., 1904-03-03


made his page, in battle between
Caupolican and the Spaniards, wher
victory seemed to favor the latter
seized lance, turned against his latt
master and rallied his countrymen
when, so says the good Able Moline
''The Chilians, ashamed of being sur
passed in valor by a boy, turned witt
such fury upon their enemies as to put
them to rout and destroy them, sc
that of the whole splendid Spanish
army but two men escaped"
Though the conqered Valdivia beg
ged hard, but in vain, for life after thai
fatal fray with the youthful Lauparo
and promised if spared to leave the
country at once and forever with al
his followers, and though five of thu
eight cities he founded now lie in ruins
this part of Chill is full of him. The
river bears his name, as well as the
fertile province through which it runs
and so does its capital city. Properly
speaking it is the Rio Gale, flowing
from the Andes to the sea, and only
that portion of it between Corral and
Valdivia city is entitled to the name
"V aldivia." The capital of Valdivia
province is the most important town in
southern Chill. the centre of a consid
cradle trade in flour, timber, hides and
wool, and is settled almost exclusively
by Germans. Because of its many
Touring mills it has been dubbed the
Minneapolis of South America. 1t was
founded by the Spaniards who gave it
the name of their leader about the
year 1851. Forty years later it was
taken and plundered by the Araucan-
ians; and in 1887 was again completely
ruined by an earthquake.
From Corral we went up to Valdivia
city in steam tug. So narrow and
winding is the channel, full of snags
and shoals, that it is navigable only for
crafts drawing less than nine feet of
water, and even those require the as
sistance of local pilot. All the ada
cent country is hilly and heavily tim
bered, and the river looks as if barred
little way ahead by the green, I'M
trodden solitude that crowds close on
every side, while the perspective is
closed by the great, white volcano,
villa Rica," which stands l75 miles
inland, but whose snowy dome, sur
mounted by a thin spire of smoke, is
distinctly visible from the ocean. The
city of Villa Rica, at the base of the
volcano, which Valdivia built some $50
years ago, has been SO many times de-
stroyed by Indians and earthquakes
that but little trace of it remains.
Valdivla city is only about l 900 feet
above sea-level, and is completely sur
rounded by dense forests. Its river
front is lined by the great Touring mills
that supply the staff of life to all Chill
and for that matter to nearly all the
western side of South America, even as
lar north as Panama
The chief object of interest in Val
DIVA is an old round tower, relic of
the Conquistadores which shows up
beautifully from the river On land
ing we made a run for it. the captain
giving us only twenty minutes ashore,
and it would not be pleasant to have
our friends sail away and leave us in
this lonesome region. We found the
ruins another case of Ills distance
lends entertainment to the view," and
were sorry we had disillusioned our
selves. a rough board fence is built
close around the ancient tower, at the
top of the little hill upon which it
stands. Ascending a flight of rickety
wooden steps, we pounded upon rick
ETY. wooden door, with visions before
our eyes of knights and troubadours,
halberds and coats-of mail, and were
answered by the angry baying Of dog
inside. Presently the door was opened
by an elderly German, who lives with.
in the temporary enclosure, in little
wooden hut leaned against the crumb-
ling citadel, which appeared to be CON
jointly occupied by numerous colony
of pigs and chickens. A pile of boards
DISTRACTED the entrance to the tower,
in front of which the angry dog tugged
frantically at his chain; so that there
was nothing to be done but to scampe1
back to the landing with all possible
speed.
We steamed back to Corral, and two
days later Joined party for little
trip into the edges of the 'Invincible
State" the territory of the unconquer
able Araucanians. But that is another
story, too full of incidents to begin in
this letter. FANNIE B. WARD.
0AsToREA.
Bears tn. H1hs Kind YOU Have Always Buvs