Page:A history of Chile.djvu/134

122 country being prolonged and sanguinary, caused much damage to Chilean commerce, as well as to that of the other Spanish-American provinces. Except for this war, Chile was at peace with all the world and under Aviles made progress, slowly but surely.

The captain-general labored assiduously for the advancement of the country. He was a very devout man and spent a considerable part of his time in his devotions, so that it was said of him that he received inspiration from above. He, however, found his post a most difficult one to fill; there were imceasing bickerings and complainings, and these at length caused him to turn over his office to Pino, March 15th, 1799, and to accept without regrets, the more important office of the vice-royalty of Buenos Ayres, where he remained until June 1801, when he passed to the vice-royalty of Peru.

The Marquis of Aviles' successor in office, the mariscal de campo, Don Joaquin del Pino, came to Chile by way of Mendoza and repaired immediately to the always ready country house of the governors (á la siempre preparada casa de campo), from whence, on the 31st of January 1800, he was conducted by a deputation of the magistrates (Ayuntamiento) to the capital and there received, in the imaginary gate of the city, as governor, and in the Royal Audience chamber as president.

Pino found the most pressing matter demanding his executive attention to be the troublesome Maypo and Mapocho rivers, which now as of old continued to rise above their banks and to flood the city and country. His administration was taken up in discussing ways and means of constructing a canal to divert the