219 



tacked and defeated hiin after a long and obstinate 

 contest. This defeat enabled the victors to over- 

 run and lay waste the country, without opposition, 

 for the space of a year, from whence they took 

 a great number of women and children, whom 

 they made slaves; In the meantime the Spanish 

 general attempted repeatedly, to no purpose, to 

 persuade the Araucanians to commence negocia- 

 tions for peace. Preferring all possible evils to 

 the loss of liberty, they constantly refuged to 

 Jend an ear to his proposals. 



As peace, so necessary to the welfare of the 

 colony, appeared to be daily more remote, not- 

 withstanding no means were spared to obtain it, 

 the military government of the Royal Audience 

 was thought inadequate to the purpose of its 

 establishment; and it was deemed more expedient 

 to place it, as before, in the hands of a single 

 chief, distinguished by the new titles of president, 

 governor, and captain-general of Chili, from his 

 being president of the Royal Audience, the head 

 of the civil department, and commander of the 

 armies. Don Melchor de rt'avo was, in 1568^ 

 invested with this triple character ; a man well 

 qualified to fiU the two first offices, but utterly 

 incompetent to sustain the latter. 



He was nevertheless very desirous of engaging 

 the enemy, and signalizing the commencement of 

 \\\^ government by a splendid victory. Having 

 Jenrned that Paillataru, who had coUectdd a new 



