WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 759 



Chapter XXI 



Of the Death of Gov. Pedro de Valdivia and of What Happened 

 to the 14 Spaniards Who Left Puren in His Suite. 



2005. After the cruel and hloody battle fought on the plain in 

 sight of Tucapel, which had lasted from dawn till the darkening 

 of the night which ended at Lebu Pass, and in which all the Span- 

 iards died fighting, four friendly Indians alone escaped, three of 

 them Yanaconas and one a boy named Andres, native of the Chile 

 \'alley, who had been companion of the treacherous Felipe, whose 

 other name was Lautaro. While the exultant Araucanians gathered 

 and busied themselves in celebrating their victory, the four Christian 

 Indians, who had been in hiding for fear of the savages' vengeance, 

 made all speed, sometimes on the roads and sometimes through the 

 woods, for they knew the country, and arrived at Fort Arauco, where 

 Capt. Diego Maldonado had remained nursing his wounds with 15 

 other Spaniards who had been hurt in the retreat from Tucapel ; 

 they informed him of the bloody battle and disaster in which the 

 Governor and his men had been killed. 



2008. Capt. Diego Maldonado, on learning of the unfortunate 

 disaster caused by the Governor's refusal to accept his helpful advice 

 and wait for reinforcements, took courage and rose from his bed 

 and immediately abandoned Fort Arauco with all his men, not having 

 forces able to defend it and withstand an enemy pufifed up and 

 overbearing after his victory ; he retreated to La Concepcion, com- 

 missioning the leading Indians of Arauco, who were at peace, to 

 bring all the stuff and the baggage which they had there and which 

 had been left by some of the soldiers who fell with Gov. Pedro de 

 Valdivia. 



2007. While this was going on, the Araucanians celebrated their 

 victory with great festivities and drinking bouts. Again they gathered 

 and held a council to determine how to finish with the Spaniards 

 and kill them all, so as to remain quiet and peaceful in their own 

 country, without any interference, since they had come out victorious 

 and better off with the weapons and horses of the fallen Spaniards. 

 They debated all this in the presence of wretched Gov. Pedro de 

 Valdivia and his chaplain, tied to two posts. He humbly begged and 

 urged them to spare his life ; he promised that without any new 

 impositions or warfare he would immediately leave the Kingdom 

 and take away the Spaniards living there and leave them free and 



