184 



CHILI. 



...; '-. . 



Operation* 

 aj>aioM (he 

 Artucuu- 



fidelity, while he inspired them with a more permanent 

 interest, in the country for which they contended. He 

 now penetrated southward), without almost any opposi- 

 tion, to the bay of Prnco ; tnd, according to his usual 

 policy, took possession of the country, by the establish- 

 ment of a new colony, and the foundation of another 

 city. To thil city he gave the name of Conception : it 

 stands on a fruitful soil, and has a fine commercial situ- 

 ation. 



From this period we may date the commencement of 

 a more combined, a mere vigorous, and a more success- 

 ful resistance than the Spaniards had yet experienced, 

 A field of more hazardous contention was now opened 

 to thtm, a field in which they were not unfrequcntly to 

 feel the impotence and the pressure of an unrighteous 

 cause. They were now to encounter, not the timid 

 slaves of luxury and prejudice, but a nation of indignant 

 heroes, roused to exertion in defence of their liberty 

 and possessions, who held in defiance their boasted su- 

 penority, and set at naught even " the thundering arms 

 of Europe." This new power was the Araucanians, a 

 name bestowed indiscriminately upon several distinct, 

 though confederate tribes : they occupy that portion 

 of Chili which extends between the nver- Biobi i and 

 Callacalla. Regarding with indignation the insolence, 

 the rapacity, and the growing power of these formida- 

 ble strangers, and perceiving that the next blow must 

 inevitably fall upon themselves, the Araucanians resolved 

 to send immediate relief to their neighbours of Penco. 

 For this purpose, Aillavalu, their Twjiu or dictator, cross- 

 ed the Biobii), and, at the head of 4-000 men, gave bat- 

 tle to the Spaniards. After the first discharge of mus- 

 ketry, the Chilese, by a bold and dextrous movement, 

 pouring at once upon the whole Spanish line, brought 

 it to close fight, while at the same time the Spaniards, 

 having instantly assumed the form of a square, tirmly 

 maintained their ground. The conflict wjs severe and 

 bloody, and for several hours was bravely supported on 

 both sides. At length Valdivia being dismounted, con- 

 fusion began to shew itself among his troops ; when 

 Aillavalu, eager to seize the momentary advantage, by a 

 rash but gallant impetuosity, fell in the front of battle. 

 His soldiers instantly began to retreat, maintaining, 

 however, so much appearance of intrepidity and order, 

 that the Spaniards dared not to pursue. After the bat- 

 tle Valdivia testified his amazement, at the skill, the 

 valour, and the discipline of his new opponents. He 

 had often encountered all the terrors of European war 

 fare, but never before this engagement had his life been 

 put to such imminent hazard. The boldest of his sol- 

 diers dreaded the return of so daring an enemy ; and, to 

 prepare for the wurst, a strong fortification was imme- 

 diately erected near the town. 



In the mean time, the Araucanians were again advan- 

 cing with a more numerous army than before, but un- 

 der the auspices of a very different leader. Lyncoyan, 

 the new Toqui, possessed neither the skill nor the courage 

 of his predecessor. His strength and his stature were 

 enormous, and it would seem that a regard to these, 

 more than to his mental abilities, had exalted him to the 

 vacant dignity. The Araucanians, while under his gui- 

 dance, seemed to have dropped all the energy of their 

 true character, and the succeeding operations were every 

 where marked with weakness, incapacity, and failure. 

 Tin- Spaniards, however, heard of their approach with 

 some degree of alarm, and immediately drew up under 

 protection of their batteries. But they had little to fear 



from the irresolute temper of their opponent. The first HUtory 

 attack proving unsuccessful, he retreated with precipita- -_- ,-L. 

 tion, leaving the enemy in equal joy and astonishment. 

 So powerfully, however, wcro their minds impressed 

 with the magnitude of the danger, and the importance 

 of their sudden deliverance, that these faithless robbers 

 presumptuously ascribed their safety to the miraculous 

 interposition ot heaven. During a whole year, employ- 

 ed by Valdivia to enlarge the city, and settle the affairs 

 of his new colony, no molestation was offered by the 

 Araucanians. At length the Spaniards, recovering from 

 their apprehensions, began to ascribe to the fears and 

 weakness of the enemy, what was due only to the mis- 

 conduct of their leader. Being i,ewiy reinforced from 

 Peru, Valdivia resolved to venture an incursion into thru- 

 territory. He traversed it with unexpected facility, and 

 was permuted, without almost any resistance, to lay 

 the foundation of three other settlements ; of Impe- 

 rial, (1552,) at the confluence of the rivers Damas and 

 Cauten ; of Villarica, by one of his officers, at the great 

 lake Lauquen ; and of Valdivia, named after himself, at 

 the southern extremity of Araucania. The better to 

 maintain footing in a country of which he now deemed 

 himself the master, he erected a strong fort in each of 

 the most warlike provinces of Puren, Arauco, and Tu- 

 capcl. He even proceeded so Jar as to portion out the 

 country and its inhabitants, among his principal officers. 

 After these important operations, Valdivia retired to St 

 Jago, now as much elated with confidence, as he was for- 

 merly depressed by apprehension ; and having about this 

 time received fresh reinforcements, his ambition btgan 

 to grasp at still wider dominion. He commissioned 

 Francis Aguirre to subdue the two provinces of Cujo 

 and Tucoman, which lie east of the Cordillera ; while 

 he himself entered once more the Araucanian territories, 

 and founded a seventh city in the province of Encol. Un- 

 called this the city of the frontier., an appellation winch, 

 at an after period, became strictly appropriate, f About 

 this time also, with a view, if possible, by a direct com- 

 munication with Europe, to render his future supplies 

 independent of Peru, a vessel was dispatched, undr the 

 command of Francis Ulloa, to examine the straits of Ma- 

 gellan. 



Prosperity thus shone upon the tiiumphant Spaniards, 

 but a fatal storm was already gathering among the ene- 

 my. Submission was equally intolerable and repugnant 

 to the haughty spirit of the Araucanians, and it required 

 but little persuasion to excite them to more vigorous 

 measures. By the exertions of Colocolo, an aged Ul- 

 men, the chiefs were assembled, Lyncoyan deposed, and, 

 after a violent altercation about the supremacy, the choice 

 of a new Toqui was unanimously submitted to the pru- 

 dent Culocolo. He immediately directed their notice to 

 Caupolican, of a genius at once euterprizing and cau- 

 tious, but whose modesty had hitherto prevented his ap- 

 pearing as a candidate. A shout of enthusiastic ap- 

 pl.iu: i- proclaimed his election ; and scarcely had he as- 

 sumed the badge of author. ly, when he had to repress 

 the fiery zeal of his countrymen, who demanded in- 

 stantly to march in quest of the enemy. Alter suffi- 

 cii-nt preparation, he led them against the forts of Arauco 

 and Tucapi'l, both of which, after a short siege, he 

 forced the Spaniards to evacuate ; and, on the ruim of 

 the latter, waited the approach of Valdivia, who was in 

 vain hastening to its relief. The two armies loop met, 

 and tin- ti...t n:.set proved auspicious to the Arauc !; 

 Th.- enemy's l"i w'ni;, pu.,hiuj; forward to meet their 



t Its ruins now stand M boundary mark between the Arauccniaa *nd V 



territories. 



