ii6 A HISTORY OF CHILE O'Higgins, who had been appointed captain-general by the court of Spain. The Spaniards sought to firmly establish themselves in that part of Chile north of the Biobio. This terri- tory had been divided into thirteen provinces, and was governed by an appointee, usually a lieutenant-general, combining as we have seen, after the second estab- lishment of the Royal Audience, the titles of president, governor and captain-general. The captain-general re- sided at Santiago and was directly responsible to the court of Spain, save in the event of war, when, in cer- tain matters he was subject to the viceroy of Peru. During Jauregui's administration the province of Maule was subdivided, the river serving as the boundary be- tween the two new states. The southern part was named Cauquenes and its capital was the city of that name. Afterward the province was still further divided, and the new province Curico formed in the north of it. Besides the provinces above mentioned, the Span- iards held of Valdivia's early conquest, the fortress of Valdivia, the Archipelago of Chi]o6 and the island of Juan Fernandez. There were four subordinate govern- ors of Chiloe, Valdivia, Valparaiso and Juan Fernandez, under the captain-general. The latter, beside his general office, commanded the army, and had the su- preme administration of justice, presiding over the highest tribunals at the capital, whose jurisdiction ex- tended to all the provinces. They were the Tribunal of Audience, or royal senate, that of finance and that of commerce, all presided over by judges receiving large salaries. The captain-general also had under him the three principal officers of Chile, the quarter- master, the sergeant-major and the commissary. The provinces were governed by prefects, or corregidors, called also subdelegates, who were usually appointed
