ry efforts of the Jesuits met with little
success.

During the 18th century the condition of the colony was improved in many
ways. The Bourbon kings of Spain were more liberal in their colonial
policy. Merchant-ships were allowed to sail direct to Chile, trade with
France was sometimes permitted, and a large batch of hardy emigrants was
sent out from the Biscay provinces of Spain. Freed from the
preoccupation of the Indian wars, the governors gave more attention to
the general welfare of the country: a university was started in Santiago
in 1747, many towns were built about the same time, agriculture and
industries were promoted and a coasting trade grew up. In 1778 Charles
III. threw open all the ports of Spain to the colonies and allowed
freedom of trade with France. But in general the administration of the
colony was burdensome, oppressive and inefficient. The people had no
voice in the government. Ruling with the help of the Royal Audience, the
governor was absolute master of the country, and regulated the smallest
details of life. Such time as the officials could spare from the main
object of enriching themselves by extortion and corruption was given up
to endless official and religious ceremonies and to petty disputes of
etiquette and precedence. All the high posts and offices were filled by
men sent from Spain, with the result that bitter jealousy reigned
between them and the native-born colonists (_criollos_). The _criollos_
as a rule filled the posts in the municipalities (_cabildos_), disposed
of by sale, so that when the revolution broke out the _cabildos_
naturally became the centres of the movement. As in all Spanish
colonies, so in Chile, the Church played a large part in the public
life. Chile was divided into the two bishoprics of Santiago and
Concepcion, and the Church managed to accumulate most of the wealth of
the country. At the same time the monks and Jesuits did useful work in
teaching industrial and agricultural arts, and in giving the people a
certain degree of education; but the influence of the Church was used to
bolster up the traditional narrow colonial system, and the constant
quarrels between the clergy and the secular powers often threw the
country into confusion.

At the opening of the 19th century Chile was a colony whose resources
had hardly been touched, with a population of about 500,000 persons, of
Spanish and mixed Spanish and Indian blood: a people endowed with the
vigour of chara