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and their heads cut off and suspended to trees 

 upon the road. The Spanish soldiers, on ar- 

 riving at this spot, were filled with horror at the 

 sight of such an unexpected spectacle, and not- 

 withstanding their accustomed intrepidity, were 

 solicitous to return. Valdivia himself began to 

 regret his having disregarded the advice of his 

 older officers, but piqued by the haughty boasts 

 of the young, who, notwithstanding the mournful 

 evidence before them, declared that ten of them 

 'were sufficient to put to flight the Araucanian 

 army, be continued his march, and on the Sd of 

 December, 1553, came in sight of the enemy's 

 camp. The ruins of Tucapel, the well-regulated 

 array of the hostile army, the insulting scoffs of 

 their enemies, who in a loud voice called them 

 robbers and impostors, filled the minds of the 

 soldiers, accustomed to command and to be 

 treated with respect, with mingled sentiments of 

 indignation and terror. 



The two armies continued a long time ob- 

 serving each other; at length Mariantu, who 

 commanded the right wing of the Araucanians, 

 commenced the combat by moving against the 

 left of the Spaniards under the command of Bo- 

 vadilla, who marched to attack him with a de- 

 tachment, wl;ich was immediately surrounded, 

 and all of them cut in pieces. The scrjcant- 

 major, who was dispatched by Valdivia to his 

 assistance with another detachment, experienced 



