231 



ters of her hiisband. The indignation of the Toqui 

 on this occasion was extreme) though he was much 

 less exasperated at the flight of his wives, than the 

 kind reception which they had experienced from the 

 Spaniards. As soon as he obtained information of 

 it he rehnquished every thought of peace, and re- 

 turned buck to demand them of the governor. His 

 claim Mas taken into consideration ; but a majori- 

 ty of the officers, mimy of v/hom were opposed to a 

 peace from the advantage which they derived from 

 the prisoners, refused to surrender the women to 

 the Toqui, assigning as a reason their unwilling- 

 ness to expose them to the danger of abandoning the 

 faith which they had embraced. After many inef- 

 fectual propositions, Ancanamon, notwithstanding 

 his resentment, was reduced to solicit merely the 

 restoration of his daughters, whom he tenderly loved. 

 He was answered, that as tlie eldest had not yet 

 been converted to the christian faith, his request, 

 as respected her, would be complied with, but 

 that they could not so readily grant it in the case of 

 the second, who had already been baptised. 



While affairs were in this critical state, another 

 character appeared upon the stage, who revived the 

 almost extinguished hopes of the desired accom- 

 modation. Utaflame, Arch-Ulmen of llicura, had 

 ever been the most inveterate enemy of the Spanish 

 name ; and in order to avoid all kind of commerce 

 with the enemy, had constantly refused to ransom 

 his sons or relations who were prisoners. He prided 

 himself on having opposed with success all the go- 

 vernors of Chili, from the elder Villagran to Rivera ; 



