238 



latter collecting themselves in the only bastion that 

 the flames had spared, kept up from thence so se- 

 vere a fire upon the enemy, that Putapichion, de- 

 spairing after some time of being able to maintain 

 himself in the fort, retreated, taking with him twelve 

 prisoners and several horses. 



From ihence he crossed the Bio-bio, and attacked 

 the post of Quine!, whichwas defended by a garrison 

 of six hundred men ; but failing also in tliis at- 

 tempt, he turned against the devoted province of 

 Chilian, from whence he brought olT a great number 

 of peasants and of cattle, notwithstanding the exer- 

 tions of the sergeant-major to stop his rapid march. 

 In the following year, 1628, the governor, eager for 

 retaliation, determined to invade the Auraucanian 

 provinces in three directions ; to the quarter-master 

 he assigned the maritime country, and to the sergeant- 

 major that of the Andes, reserving the intermediate 

 for himself. In pursuance of this plan, at the head 

 of twelve hundred regular troops, and a correspon- 

 dent number of auxiliaries, he traversed the prov- 

 inces of Encol and Puren, captured a great number 

 of men and cattle, and having passed the river 

 Canten, ravaged in a similar manner the rich district 

 of Maquegua. 



Whilst he was returning, well pleased with the 

 success of his expedition, Putapichion presented 

 himself with three thousand men in order of battle. 

 The first encounter was so violent that many of the 

 Spaniards having fallen, the rest were complcatly 

 broken ; but being at lengh rallied by the exertions 

 of their \ allant officers, they maintained their ground, 



