Continued victories had so heightened his con- 

 fidence^ that nothing appeared to him impossible 

 to be overcome. 



In order to carry into effect this hazardous en- 

 terprise, he required but five hundred men, to be 

 selected by himself; but those who pressed to 

 march under his standard were so numerous, 

 that he was compelled to receive another hun- 

 dred. The two generals then separated amidst 

 the joyful acclamations of the nation, who, 

 thoughtless of the reverses of fortune, flattered 

 themselves with the most fortunate issue to their 

 expeditions. 



Lautaro, at the head of his six hundred com- 

 panions, traversed all the provinces lying between 

 the Bio-bio and the Maule, without doing the 

 least injury to the natives, who called him their 

 deliverer. But when* he had passed this last 

 river, he began cruelly to lay waste the lands of 

 the hated Promaucians, whom, had he then 

 treated with kindness, he would have detached 

 from the Spanish interest, and united to his party. 

 But the intemperate desire of revenge did not 

 allow him to foresee the good effects that this 

 opportune reconciliation might produce to the 

 common cause. 



After having taken revenge, in some measure, 

 upon these betrayers of the country as he called 

 them, he fortified himself in their territory, in an 

 advantageous post, situated on the shore of th 



m2 



