A peace of upwards of fifty years’ duration had naturally given room for the development of a country possessed of such abundant natural advantages as is _Chili_. Its interruption was owing to the missionaries who were sent amongst the Araucanians, and to the officers who were appointed to protect them, whose presence and pretensions the Araucanians resented; and, in 1722, it was determined to have recourse to arms. The _Toqui_, Vilumilla, even at this late date adopted so vast a project as that of the expulsion of the Spaniards from _Chili_. Having killed three or four of the missionaries’ protectors, he despatched messengers to the Chilians in the Spanish provinces, inviting them to rise on the appearance of signal-fires. The native Chilians, however, declined to respond to the _Toqui’s_ invitation. The _Toqui_, nothing daunted, set out at the head of his troops to attack the Spanish settlements; but he was careful to give information to the missionaries, in order that, by retiring from the country, they might avoid ill-treatment. It is unnecessary to give the details of this short war, which was terminated by the peace of _Negrete_, where the treaty of _Quillin_ was once more confirmed, and the title of Captain of Friends or protector of missionaries abolished. [Sidenote: 1742.] _Chili_ was ruled over for fifteen years with wisdom and humanity by _Don_ Gabriel Cano; and his successor received instructions to gather the Spanish inhabitants into more compact societies. For this purpose he founded, in 1742, the cities of _Copiapo_, _Aconcagua_, _Melipilla_, _Rancagua_, _St. Fernando_, _Curico_, _Talca_, _Tutuben_, and _Angeles_, and was rewarded by the dignity of Viceroy of _Peru_. From 1753 date _Santa Rosa_, _Guasco-alto_, _Casablanca_, _Bella-Isla_, _Florida_, _Coulemu_, and _Quirigua_; whilst at the same time a settlement was formed on the island of _Juan Fernandez_, which till then had been the retreat of pirates. [Sidenote: 1773.] _Don_ Antonio Gonzaga, whilst governor of _Chili_, undertook to bring the Araucanians to live in cities, with the only result, however, of forcing that brave people to take up arms once more in defence of their liberties. An accommodation was at length arrived at, by which things reverted to their previous state, the Araucanians, in acknowledgment of their autonomy, being conceded the right of keeping a minister-resident in _St. Iago_. Thus has this brave people, although inconsiderable in point of numbers, succeeded in maintaining its independence, after having cost Spain a greater sacrifice of blood and treasure than sufficed for all her conquests in the New World. [Sidenote: 1792.]