160 



ployed tl^at night in making every preparation to 

 obtain the greatest • possible advantage fron\ the 

 treachery of their ally. 



When the princii)al officers of the Araucanians 

 were informed of the intention of their general, they 

 openly disapproved of it, as dishonourable and dis- 

 graceful to the national spirit, and refused to ac- 

 company him in the expedition. Adhering, never- 

 theless, with obstinacy to his design, he began his 

 march at day break, with three thousand men for 

 Cañete, in the vicinity of which he lay concealed 

 until the time appointed, when Pran came to in- 

 form him from Andrew that all was ready. The 

 Araucanians then proceeded in silence to the cit}', 

 and fmding the passage free, began to enter it. But 

 the Spaniards having allowed entrance to a certain 

 number, suddenly closed the gate, and at the same 

 moment commenced a fire with grape shot from all 

 their cannon upon those without. 



Dreadful was the slaughter made among them, 

 and the more so as it was wholly unexpected. The 

 horse then made a sally from another gate, and com- 

 pleted the destruction of those who had escaped the 

 fire of the cannon. Caupolican had the fortune, or 

 rather misfortune, to escape the general slaughter of 

 his men. He retired with a few attendants to the 

 mountains, whence he hoped soon to descend with a 

 new army capable of maintaining the field. Wliilc 

 tlie cavalry were gi^'ing a loose to their fury on those 

 \vithout, the infantry were employed in butchering 

 those within the walls, who, havmg lost ail hope of 

 escape, rather chose to be cut in pieces than to sur- 



