Spanish colonial literature in South America

Name: Spanish colonial literature in South America
Author: Moses, Bernard

Moses, Bernard

Spanish American literature -- History and criticism

The expedition from Spain to America, commanded by General Diego Flores
de Valdés, left San Lucar on September 25, 1580. It was organized
to conduct Governor Alonso de Sotomayor to Chile. It consisted of
twenty-three vessels, which carried about six hundred soldiers and a
large number of prospective settlers. Among the passengers was Álvarez de
Toledo, who was destined to hold a conspicuous place among the colonists,
and to add _El Purén indómito_ to the literature of the Araucanian wars.
Toledo was born in Andalucía. Before he joined this expedition he had
visited Norway and had been a soldier in Flanders, and his experience had
in a measure hardened him against the barbarities of Indian warfare.

[Sidenote: The voyage]

In spite of a threatening storm the fleet put to sea at the time
announced. When the storm had passed three vessels had disappeared, and
nearly all of their crews and passengers were lost. The damage suffered
by the remaining vessels caused them to return to Cadiz for repairs.
Of these only seventeen were found fit to continue the voyage. These
finally left Cadiz on November 30. By desertion and disease the number
of soldiers was reduced to five hundred and twenty. Among these were
officers who had won distinction in the campaigns in Flanders: Luis
de Sotomayor, brother of the Governor, Francisco del Campo, and Alonso
García Ramón. After they had suffered storms and equally exasperating
calms for many long months, the surviving vessels reached the island
of Santa Catalina where they halted for recuperation. These were only
eleven; six had paid the toll of the ocean. With eight vessels Diego
Flores de Valdés determined to carry out the plan of reaching Chile by
way of the straits. Sotomayor determined, however, with the three other
vessels to take his soldiers to the Río de la Plata, and thence to cross
the plains and go over the Andes to Chile. He lost one of his vessels
in the Río de la Plata, together with a quantity of clothing and other
stores, but all persons on board were saved.

[Sidenote: Buenos Aires in 1583]

[Sidenote: Overland journey to Chile]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Spanish colonial literature in South AmericaMoses, Bernard

History

Spanish colonial literature in South America

Moses, Bernard

Spanish American literature -- History and criticism

The expedition from Spain to America, commanded by General Diego Flores
de Valdés, left San Lucar on September 25, 1580. It was organized
to conduct Governor Alonso de Sotomayor to Chile. It consisted of
twenty-three vessels, which carried about six hundred soldiers and a
large number of prospective settlers. Among the passengers was Álvarez de
Toledo, who was destined to hold a conspicuous place among the colonists,
and to add _El Purén indómito_ to the literature of the Araucanian wars.
Toledo was born in Andalucía. Before he joined this expedition he had
visited Norway and had been a soldier in Flanders, and his experience had
in a measure hardened him against the barbarities of Indian warfare.

[Sidenote: The voyage]

In spite of a threatening storm the fleet put to sea at the time
announced. When the storm had passed three vessels had disappeared, and
nearly all of their crews and passengers were lost. The damage suffered
by the remaining vessels caused them to return to Cadiz for repairs.
Of these only seventeen were found fit to continue the voyage. These
finally left Cadiz on November 30. By desertion and disease the number
of soldiers was reduced to five hundred and twenty. Among these were
officers who had won distinction in the campaigns in Flanders: Luis
de Sotomayor, brother of the Governor, Francisco del Campo, and Alonso
García Ramón. After they had suffered storms and equally exasperating
calms for many long months, the surviving vessels reached the island
of Santa Catalina where they halted for recuperation. These were only
eleven; six had paid the toll of the ocean. With eight vessels Diego
Flores de Valdés determined to carry out the plan of reaching Chile by
way of the straits. Sotomayor determined, however, with the three other
vessels to take his soldiers to the Río de la Plata, and thence to cross
the plains and go over the Andes to Chile. He lost one of his vessels
in the Río de la Plata, together with a quantity of clothing and other
stores, but all persons on board were saved.

[Sidenote: Buenos Aires in 1583]

[Sidenote: Overland journey to Chile]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Spanish colonial literature in South America

Spanish colonial literature in South America

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