144 



... "^ 



ary, as their provisions began to fail^ and tfier 



had no hope of being relieved. In pursuance of 

 this plan^ at midnight thev mounted their horses, 

 and suddenlj opening the gate, rushed out at full 

 speed, and escaped through the midst of their 

 enemies; the Araucanians, who supposed it to 

 be one of their customary sallies, taking no mea- 

 sures to obstruct their flight, 



Caupolican having destroyed this fortress; led 

 his troops to attack that of Tucapel. This post 

 was garrisoned by forty men, under the command 

 of Martin Erizar. That distinguished ofl&cer 

 defended himself valiantly for several days, but 

 much weakened by the continual assaults of the 

 enemies, and provisions failing him, he deter^ 

 mined to withdraw to the same fort of Puren, 

 whither the garrison of Arauco had retreated, 

 which he executed, either in consequence of a 

 capitulation with Caupolican, or by an artifice 

 similar to that which had succeeded so fortu- 

 nately with the commander of Arauco. 



The Araucanian general having destroyed 

 these fortresses, which caused him the greatest 

 anxiet}', encamped with his army on the ruins of 

 that of Tucapel, to wait the approach of the 

 Spaniards, who, as he supposed, would not be 

 long in coming against him. No sooner had 

 Valdivia, who was then in Conception, learned 

 the siege of Arauco, when he began his march 

 for that place, with all the forces that he could 



