158 



CHAP. IV. 



Villagran raises the siege of Imperial and of 

 Valdivia ; Tlie small-pox break out among the 

 Araucanians ; Conception having been rebuilt, 

 Lautaro returns and destroys it ; He marches 

 against Santiago , and is killed. 



Meanwhile the commanders of the cities of 

 Imperial and Valdivia, closely besieged hy Cau- 

 polican, demanded succours of the governor, 

 who, notwithstanding his late losses, failed not 

 to send them, with all possible speed, a sufficient 

 number of troops for their defence. The Arau- 

 canian general, believing it difficult under such 

 circumstances to possess himself of those places, 

 raised the siege, and went to join Lautaro, to at- 

 tempt with their combined foroes some other en- 

 terprise of greater importance. 



Villagran, availing himself of the absence of 

 the enemvj ravaged all the country in the vicinity 

 of Imperial, burned the houses and the 'crops, 

 and transported to the city all the provisions that 

 were not destroyed. Such rigorous measures he 

 vindicated by the pretended rights of war, but 

 they usually produce no other eftect than that of 

 distressing the weak and the helpless. In other 



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