Page:A history of Chile.djvu/38

 the passes, which in summer are passable. The army was now destitute of provisions and not clad for this wintry climate. The unfortunate natives were compelled to do service as beasts of burden, chained together in gangs, and were in other ways treated with the harshest cruelty. This Almagro affected to deprecate, but his own conduct afterward in causing a large company of Chileans to be burned alive for the massacre of three of his men by some outraged Indians, would seem to indicate that he was not sincere in his expressions of displeasure concerning some of the cruelties perpetrated by his men upon this and other occasions.

The expedition might have perished in the mountain defiles, leaving no survivor to tell the story, had not the veteran commander—now nearly seventy years of age—pushed forward resolutely with a small party of his horsemen and obtained timely relief from the natives at Copiapo. By this assistance those Spaniards with the more robust constitutions and a few of the Peruvians were enabled to extricate themselves from the snows of the mountains.

They emerged into the green vales of Chile. The natives at first were friendly, and received the newcomers with hospitality, because of their respect for Paullu. Almagro dispatched an officer in advance with a strong party to ascertain the character of the country to the south. A party of his recruits soon arrived under the intrepid Orgañez. Almagro also received sometime after this, his long delayed royal warrant defining his grant and powers. It appeared quite probable that Cuzco fell within his jurisdiction, and many of his men urged his return to take