Chiloé

In May 1643, the expedition arrived at the Chiloé Archipelago.^[20] The Spanish at the small fortified settlement of Carelmapu spotted the Dutch on 20 May and sent infantry and cavalry to prevent them from landing.^[20][21] In the face of this threat, the Dutch had to land further away from Carelmapu at Punta de la Arena.^[21] With a force of 200 musketeers and arquebusiers the Dutch advanced on Carelmapu, starting bushfires to clear their way.^[21] The Spanish emptied the fort of Carelmapu and hid their women and children in the forests. After the well-ordered Dutch troops opened fire on the Spanish forces they retreated hastily into the woods.^[21] The Dutch entered the fort of Carelmapu, capturing much equipment, supplies and horses. A counter-attack by the Spanish ended in failure and the death of the Spanish Governor of Chiloé, Andrés Herrera.^[22] Carelmapu was subsequently sacked and its Catholic church vandalised.^[20][21][22] The plunder of Carelmapu gave the Dutch the opportunity to replenish their depleted food supplies at the cost of revealing their presence to the Spanish.^[20][23] However, in Carelmapu the Dutch learned that their arrival had been expected as they recovered a letter sent to the settlement's corregidor from Pedro de Toledo, the Spanish viceroy in Peru, warning of a Dutch expedition and ordering the use of a scorched earth strategy against them.^[20] The Dutch captured Spaniards, including Antonio Sánchez Jinés who later guided them to the Spanish settlement of Castro and other places in the archipelago.^[22][24] Sánchez Jinés was particularly useful as he spoke indigenous Mapudungun.^[24]

Fernando de Alvarado succeeded Andrés Herrera as military commander of the Spanish in Chiloé.^[22] De Alvarado organized the remaining troops in Carelmapu and Calbuco aiming to prevent an indigenous uprising and harass the Dutch invaders.^[25] He moved quickly through the forested paths that led south from Carelmapu and reached Castro before the Dutch did so.^[25] Amidst heavy rains de Alvarado ordered the city of Castro to be dismantled and the population to hide in the forests.^[25] Buildings in Castro had their straw roofs removed as well as the wood shingle roof of the church to render them useless as shelters and more difficult to burn. As in Carelmapu, the Dutch sacked the settlement upon arrival and vandalised its church. According to contemporary Spanish chronicler Diego de Rosales, the Dutch insulted the prisoners in Spanish, Latin and Portuguese, called them cowards, and encouraged them to reveal where they could find their women.^[22] In Castro the Dutch left an inscription insulting the inhabitants of the city.^[25]

After Castro the Dutch went back north pillaging the countryside managing to gather chickens, sheep, pigs and many apples.^{[25][upper-alpha 2]} Because the inhabitants of Chiloé Archipelago had hidden, the Dutch met few people after leaving Castro.^{[25][upper-alpha 3]}

In July, the expedition returned to Carelmapu where 470 Huilliches agreed to join the expedition to Valdivia. The expedition spent May to mid-August, the southern hemisphere winter, resting, reorganising and repairing ships and equipment. It also gathered intelligence on the Chiloé Archipelago.^[20] On 7 August, Brouwer died in Puerto Inglés.^[15][20] Maurice of Nassau had foreseen that this might happen and had provided the expedition with a sealed letter to be opened in this eventuality.^[28] The letter transferred command to Vice-General Elias Herckmans, who had until then been in charge of the ship Vlissingen; he had previously been governor of Paraíba.^[15][20][28]

Spanish envoys to Peru

Meanwhile, De Alvarado arranged for the fast assembly of a sailing vessel in southern Chiloé, which as soon as ready hastily sailed to Arauco to alert the Spanish in mainland Chile.^[29] To avoid interception by the Dutch envoys had to sail round Chiloé Island from the south through the Gulf of Corcovado.^[29] This ship was led by captain Domingo Lorenzo and having on board also Jesuit missionary Domingo Lázaro and Dutch prisoner Joost Lambertsz who had been captured in Carelmapu.^[29] Reaching Arauco in late August safely was in itself an accomplishment as sailing in the Roaring Forties in the Austral winter was dangerous given it was a season of rain and storms.^[29] Once Spanish authorities in Central Chile learned about the Dutch expedition captain Alonso de Mujica y Buitrón was sent with Father Lázaro to Lima to give the news to the Viceroy of Peru.^[29]

Valdivia

The expedition set sail for Valdivia on 21 August and reached their destination within three days.^[20] Herckmans arrived at the mouth of Valdivia River in Corral Bay on 24 August. From there the Dutch had difficulties sailing up the Valdivia River to the site of Valdivia as they lacked experience of sailing on rivers.^[28][30] At Tornagaleones River one ship ran aground on a rocky shallow.^[30] This ship was dismantled.^[30] The ruins of Valdivia were reached by the two remaining ships four days later on 28 August.^[30] Upon arrival curious Mapuches gathered to watch them.^[30] The ships were surrounded by canoes.^[30] Reportedly some natives boarded the ships and stole iron objects, including a valuable compass.^[30]

In Valdivia the Dutch established a new settlement, which Herckmans named Brouwershaven after Brouwer.^[15] On 29 August the Dutch had met with local tribal leader Manquipillan and his host.^[30][20] In the meeting the Dutch held a long discourse in which they highlighted what they believed was the common enmity to Spain; later gifts were given by the Dutch.^[30] At the end a friendly relationship had been established with Manquipillan.^[20] A new solemn meeting was held on 3 September, with an even greater assistance. In this meeting a formal alliance was established between the Dutch and local Mapuches.^[30] Local Mapuches promised to help the Dutch with the construction of a fort and to give provisions for the nascent colony.^[30] The embalmed body of Brouwer was buried in Valdivia on 16 September there.^[30][15]

A ship under Captain Elbert Crispijnsen was sent back to Dutch Brazil on 25 September to report on the positive development of the colony and request additional supplies.^[20] In Valdivia the Dutch began the construction of a fort.^[16] A major setback to the Dutch was that they had also failed to find the anticipated gold mines.^[31] The Mapuches began to realise the Dutch had no plans of leaving and their search for gold caused suspicion, leading the locals to halt their deliveries of food.^[20][16] The Mapuche chief Juan Manqueante, from Mariquina, who was in friendly terms with the Dutch, staunchly refused them to access the gold mines of Madre de Dios in his lands.^[32] Manqueante told the Dutch of his people's negative experiences of Spanish gold mining.^[32] Other contributing factors behind the cold attitude of local Mapuches may have been the Dutch rhetoric about war with Spain, which may have upset the Mapuches of Valdivia who had lived in peace for about forty years and the fact that local Mapuches may not have seen any significant difference between the Dutch and Spanish.^[30] Local Mapuches justified not sending provisions by claiming they did not have enough food for themselves.^[30] The Dutch were demoralised by the scarcity of food and lack of comfort.^[24] A mutiny begun to smolder and some Dutch left the encampment at night for the woods with the final aim of surrendering to the Spanish in Concepción.^[24]

Spanish interpreter Antonio Sánchez Jinés warned the Dutch of the changing attitudes, yet the Dutch leadership chose to turn a blind eye to this issue.^[30] Sánchez Jinés feared for his life as he told the Dutch of Mapuches wanting to kill him blaming him for having told the Dutch about gold riches and guiding them to Valdivia.^[24]

Local Mapuches went further to attempt to have part of the Dutch to depart to crush an alleged Spanish troop gathering near La Imperial.^[30][24] Having been told that the information about the Spanish was false and an ambush, Herckmans called for a council among the Dutch officers on 15 October.^[30] The council took the decision to retreat to Constantino Island^{[upper-alpha 4]} thus abandoning Valdivia.^[16] The next day, 16 October, four deserters were arrested and two of them executed with firearms.^[34] On 26 October more deserters and accomplices were tried, resulting in various executions.^[34]

Yet before leaving Valdivia the Dutch called local Mapuches for a meeting where Herckmans made them aware that treacherous attitudes had not gone unnoticed.^[30] Nevertheless, following this the Dutch gave away some of their antique weapons and armour including chain mails and morions in exchange for provisions.^[30] Likely it was also their hope these weapons would be put into use against the Spanish.^[30]

Juan Manqueante provided relief to the hungry Dutch in the form of cattle.^[30][20] This relief was only temporary since Manqueante probably considered it a farewell gift.^[20] Before leaving, Manqueante was contacted by Herckmans to let him know that the Dutch intended to return with 1,000 African slaves to take care of mining and agriculture in order to leave the indigenous peoples free of forced labour. This promise was never fulfilled.^[20]

Return to Brazil

The expedition finally left Chile on 28 October and reached Recife on 28 December, three weeks after the arrival of Crispijnsen.^[30][35] In Brazil the reinforcements and provisions asked for by Crispijnsen were ready to sail for Valdivia and John Maurice of Nassau was disappointed to learn that the colony had been dismantled.^[35] The failure of the expedition was blamed on Herckmans who died soon afterwards.^[30] The Pernambucan Insurrection broke out in Dutch Brazil in 1645, recapturing most of the Dutch territory and putting great pressure on the local Dutch leaders. With no resources to spare, Dutch pretensions in Chile were at an end.^[35]