WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES ^VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 739 



true that there are different ways of reaching them, both by the coast 

 and by the King's Highway ; I shall state accurately both what I 

 have learned from officers and soldiers of experience in that King- 

 dom, who have marched through it and have examined it many times, 

 and what light I myself have gained on it all, for I have spent the 

 best part of my life down there. 



1954. From the city of La Concepcion to Biobio, where the fort 

 of San Pedro is situated, it is 2 leagues. From there it is 15 to 

 Lavapie. In between there is an inlet, at the Province of Arauco on 

 the coast 9 leagues from the fort of San Pedro ; that was the limit 

 of the territory of the city of La Concepcion. Arauco is at 37°3o' ; 

 there used to be a fort there, which was the base for the pacification 

 of that country. From Arauco it is 5 leagues to the Millarapue 

 V^alley, occupied by Indians on the warpath even in peaceful times. 

 The territory of Lavapie is in this neighborhood, on the same lati- 

 tude. The sea runs up the river on the rising tide, so that boats can 

 enter ; they get quantities of fish and also of salt, which they make 

 by damming the sea water coming in with the tide, and caking it 

 under the hot sun. 



1955. From Lavapie Point to the Rio de Lebu, which is at 38° S., 

 it is 6 leagues. Here Don Garcia de Mendoza established the city 

 of Canete, which was later abandoned on account of the war. From 

 the Rio de Lebu it is 6 leagues to the island of Mocha, which is 

 5 leagues out to sea. This island has a population of peaceful Indians. 

 Now returning to Millarapue, it is 3 leagues from there to Quiapo ; 

 from there, 2 to the fort of Lebu ; then 2 to the tanning vat (lavadero) 

 of Paylataro ; i more to the Old House (Casa Vieja) of Lincoya ; 

 then 2 to the Pilmaiquen Valley, and 2 more to Tucapel, where the 

 old fort stood which was burned by the Araucanians in the year 1553, 

 and within sight of which they attacked Governor \^aldivia and 

 defeated and killed him ; the Spaniards fought with them on that 

 plain and the 14 who remained alive reached the ferry across the 

 Rio de Lebu, where they perished, as will be described when I treat 

 of the wars. 



1956. From Tucapel one comes at once on the Puren swamp, 

 where there was another fort with 30 soldiers, married men and 

 bachelors ; at that time when they saw the country in rebellion, they 

 retired to La Imperial with 7 more soldiers of renown (?) (de la 

 fama), the survivors of the 14 who had gone from the Puren fort 

 to the relief and aid of the Governor, and arrived after the Indians 

 had won and had killed the Governor. They fought with the savages 

 and escaped by good luck and courage from that critical situation. 



