165 



march with such troops as he could raise against 

 LautarOj and proceeded to fortify the city in tlie 

 best manner possible, guarding all its approaches 

 with strong works. Pedro in the meantime at- 

 tacked the Araucanians in their entrenchments, 

 who, instructed by their commander, after a ' 

 short resistance pretended to take flight ; but no 

 sooner had their enemies entered the abandoned 

 enclosure, than they turned and fell upon them 

 wkh such impetuosity, that they entirely route4 

 them, and the cavalry alone were able to save 

 themselves from slaughter. 



Young Villagran, receiving new reinforce- 

 ments, returned three times to the attack of Lau-^ 

 laro*s camp, but being constantly repulsed with 

 loss, be encamped his army in a low meadow, 

 on the shore of the Mataquito. The Araucaniau 

 general, who occupied a neighbouring mountain, 

 formed the plan of inundating at night the Spanish 

 encampment, by turning upon them a branch of 

 the river. But this bold design, which would 

 have ensured the destruction of the Spaniards, 

 failed of success, as Villagran, being informed 

 of it by a spy, retired, a short time before it 

 was carried into execution, with his army to 

 Santiago. 



The elder Villagran having recovered his 

 health, and being strongly solicited by the citi- 

 zens, who every moment expected to see the Arau- 

 canians at their gates, at length, in 1556, began 



m3 



