Page:Civilization and barbarism (1868).djvu/318

274 he was a monk or a general, but that matters little to him now. With the money acquired by oppressing the people of Mendoza, he left a home for each of his three families.

With so much that was bad, this man must have had some good qualities, for he had friends whose affection was never weakened by absence or death, and no one who inspired such devotion could be wholly bad. He was also beloved by his soldiers, many of whom remained with him for years. He was in the habit of sending large supplies of grain to the poor people south of Mendoza; and whenever he learned of the arrival of the Chilian families who frequently emigrated to Mendoza, he supplied them with provisions until they could establish themselves. And, lastly, those who saw him intimately, say that he was extravagantly fond of his children, whose caresses were his greatest pleasure.

The family of Aldao is now represented by the acknowledged children of three women, some other natural children, and the legitimate offspring of his brother Don Jose All the Aldaos had met with a tragic end, though that of Felix was the least so. All Mendoza followed his body to the church within which he was buried. That evening the Almeda was crowded with persons of both sexes; until then, this promenade, the scene of much bloodshed when Pacheco was there, had been entirely unfrequented.

The only benefit which Mendoza received during the rule of this governor, was the settlement of its southern frontier by emigrants from Chili, who collected in villages under the protection of the fort of