WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 757 



helpful advice of Captain Maldonado, for he had slight opinion of 

 the Indians — an additional cause of his downfall. Thinking that he 

 was losing time and reputation, and that his courage and the force 

 he was leading would suffice, he marched on heedlessly, leaving written 

 orders and word in every direction that they should follow him. 

 On reaching Coton, he sent Capt. Diego Doro ahead with lo soldiers 

 to hurry and reconnoiter the enemy's location and camp. They were 

 killed by the savages, and cut in pieces which they hung up on trees ; 

 but the Governor went on, though he witnessed this sad spectacle 

 of his scouts' fate ; rashly he proceeded, Death calling him on, and 

 reached a plain within sight of the Tucapel blockhouse, whence the 

 enemy came forth to meet him. 



Chapter XX 



How the Araucanian Army Joined Battle on the Tucapel Plain 

 with Gov. Valdivia and His Men at Many Points, and Defeated and 

 Killed Them. 



2002. When Governor Valdivia and his 150 Spaniards had reached 

 the plain within sight of the Tucapel blockhouse which the savages 

 had burned down — it was there that the rebellion had started, at the 

 end of October 1553 — the 13,000 Indians rushed out upon him from 

 ambush ; this was the force that had been determined upon and raised 

 at the meeting earlier described. The able strategy of Caupolican 

 and an elderly captain who had remarked the Spaniards' method of 

 fighting, divided them up into 13 squadrons of 1,000 Indians each, 

 under their brave and energetic chiefs or governors — Tucapel, Rengo, 

 Lepomande, Gracolano, Guaticol, Leucoton, Engol, and other brave 

 captains with their officers and subordinates to aid them in directing 

 them. The general in command of the whole army was valiant 

 Caupolican, who had with him other elderly captains belonging to 

 his council as aides to assist him. 



2003. This was the way, and such the arrangement in which they 

 issued forth from the ambuscade : from different directions they fell 

 upon Gov. Pedro de Valdivia and his men, under orders to keep 

 fighting in relays and put their utmost efforts into it, with the idea 

 of exhausting the Christians. They all made a sudden attack upon 

 them, divided as has been described; one squadron of 1,000 Indians 

 would fight until it was cut up and dispersed by the courage of the 

 Spaniards ; then these would retire to get a rest and immediately 

 another squadron would come in in its place ; and as the Spaniards 

 with their courage and the plunging of their horses would break 



